San Diego first on UConn's dance card
The UConn men's basketball team sits on the cusp of a different world. Surviving in it will require nothing new.
Seeded fourth in the West region, the Huskies make their return to the NCAA tournament today when they host No. 13 San Diego at the St. Pete Times Forum, turning a new chapter in a two-year odyssey.
From disappointment to contender, they now face different expectations, different pressures and different teams. Thirty minutes after the completion of the region's other first-round game, No. 5 Drake vs. No. 12 Western Kentucky (12:30 p.m.), the buzzer will sound and they'll be standing on a court they've never played on, on a stage many of them have never seen.
"This is all new to us," Stanley Robinson said.
Except, of course, what it will take to win. Facing an undersized Torero team that has one player over 6-foot-8 and none taller in the starting lineup, the focus turns to the things that have always defined Jim Calhoun-coached teams: rebounding, defense and running.
Hasheem Thabeet and his 7-foot-3 frame are expected to be a force. Jeff Adrien and all his brawn are expected to be dominant. And Robinson and all that ridiculous athletic ability are expected to soar.
As good as A.J. Price and the Huskies' other guards have been, the frontcourt will most likely determine this game, the first in the tournament for UConn (24-8) since 2006 and just the fourth overall for San Diego (21-13).
"I just think if you play basketball, everything else always takes care of itself," said Calhoun, who's never lost in the first round (14-0). "And we've got to take care of particularly the defensive end … and rebounding. Over the years I've never really had to say that. But this has not been one of our better rebounding teams and (despite Thabeet's shot-blocking ability), we've not been as good a defensive team as we have in the past. And this is the thing that worries me."
The numbers may dispute Calhoun; the Huskies led the Big East in rebounding margin during the regular season and for the NCAA record seventh straight season, they led the country in blocks.
But it's games like last week's 78-72 loss to West Virginia in the Big East quarterfinals that raises questions about this group. UConn was outrebounded, 42-26, and lacked urgency until the game's final moments.
San Diego doesn't have the talent of the Mountaineers, but the Huskies will most likely see the WCC champs do a lot of the same things: spreading the floor, playing zone, taking away the middle.
Calhoun called the Toreros "pragmatic" and "efficient," as they're capable of controlling the pace of a game against a team like Gonzaga, something UConn couldn't do, by "out-Gonzaging them." If they can do the same to UConn, it'd be in position to be the 19th No. 13 seed since 1985 to pull the first-round upset.
"We've got to hit first," Adrien said. "You know, set the tone right from the tip, that we're going to be physical."
It's something Bill Grier expects of UConn. Even with an all-league forward in 6-foot-8 Gyno Pomare and a guard in Brandon Johnson that Calhoun said could play for anyone in the Big East, San Diego's first-year coach said "I really don't think we have a significant advantage anywhere against them."
He joked that to prepare for facing a player like Thabeet, he's put players on top of other people's shoulders in practice to mimic the Big East Defensive Player of the Year's presence.
"We have to be smart about (playing him)," Grier said. "But at the same time we can't play in fear of him."
Calhoun has seen that approach go wrong for many teams.
"We would not be sitting here today with 24 wins without him," Calhoun said of Thabeet. "If he gets there and blocks a couple, you're going to be careful. If you try to shoot a second one, then you're very competitive. You try to shoot the third as the kid did, then he was very stupid."
Calhoun was referring to Cincinnati's Kenny Belton, who challenged Thabeet three straight times only to be blocked every single time during UConn's 96-51 win to end the regular season. It's a performance UConn players have pointed to several times during the last weeks. Repeat that, anything can happen.
This is the time of year usually anything does.
"Hopefully we play the game we're capable of playing every day,"' said Thabeet, a smile spreading across his face. "I just can't wait."
Reach Norwich Bulletin writer Matt Stout at 425-4250 or mstout@norwichbulletin.com