2001 NCB Preview

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Wednesday, October 3
Updated: October 11, 12:26 AM ET
 
ESPN.com Preseason Top 25

ESPN.com

Friday, Oct. 12
The Huskies were young last year, and looked it. Still, UConn was only a hair away from an NCAA Tournament bid, and lacked only the game-to-game consistency borne of experience. Jim Calhoun has the bodies to play his style, pushing the ball and defending full court. The engine is Caron Butler, who is among the most talented players in the nation. Butler has all of the tools to carry this team to a Big East title, including an incredible first step to the basket, clever passing and handling ability, and an improved shot. The key is Taliek Brown, the hard working point guard that can really handle, pass, and get to the rim, who must effectively run the team and hit enough shots to keep defenders honest. Watch for a healthy Johnnie Selvie to pound the glass and run the floor. UConn can contend for the Big East title.
23
Connecticut
LAST SEASON: 20-12
2001 FINAL RANKING: NR

Why No. 23?
The Huskies can't stay down too long, can they? They weren't in the NCAA Tournament but they're a legit team to win the Big East because of Caron Butler. He had a sensational summer in Japan and is ready to make a run at Big East player of the year. Butler can carry this team back to the NCAA Tournament and Jim Calhoun won't let them go back to the NIT.

Will Rise If ...
Taliek Brown takes care of the basketball, matures at the position and becomes a leader the Huskies desperately need at the position. If the Huskies can get quality perimeter shooting from Ben Gordon, Tony Robertson and Robert Swain then they have a shot to win the Big East.

Will Fall If ...
Caron Butler will be the first option inside or out. But if Justin Brown, Johnnie Selvie and Emeka Okafor don't produce inside then the Huskies will have problems. They have the personnel but they need the consistency from their post players to be a dangerous team in the Big East again.

-- Andy Katz, ESPN.com

SCOUTING REPORT: One Big East coach's take on the Huskies

You’ve got to back off Taliek Brown. Make him shoot the ball from the outside. You've got to pressure them, because they will have some inexperience in the backcourt and Taliek is prone to turn it over a bit. You've got to make them beat you from the outside. They're not good 3-point shooters and they'll be counting on Robert Swain and Ben Gordon, two unproven players.

2001-02 CONNECTICUT ROSTER
Player Yr. Pos. Ht./Wt. Key 2000-01 Stats
(20) Justin Brown Jr. C 7-0/245 PTS: 1.2 | REB: 1.2 | FG%: 51.7
(12) Taliek Brown So. G 6-1/185 PTS: 8.1 | AST: 4.9 | FG%: 43.0
(3) Caron Butler So. F 6-7/235 PTS: 15.3 | REB: 7.6 | FG%: 43.5
Ben Gordon Fr. G 6-2/185 May become the shooter Huskies need from the outside; 26 ppg as senior
Mike Hayes Jr. F 6-8/215 JUCO transfer could find his way into frontcourt rotation
(21) Scott Hazelton Fr. F 6-8/210 Redshirted 2000-01 season with foot injury; appears healthy
Emeka Okafor Fr. C/F 6-9/240 Can run the floor and block shots; will share PT with Brown ... for now
(32) Tony Robertson Jr. G 6-2/200 PTS: 7.2 | AST: 1.5 | FG%: 45.2
(44) Johnnie Selvie Sr. F 6-7/235 PTS: 10.9 | REB: 5.5 | FG%: 54.7
(2) Robert Swain So. G 6-4/205 PTS: 1.5 | REB: 0.5 | FG%: 42.9
(3) Shamon Tooles So. G/F 6-5/210 PTS: 0.1 | REB: 0.3 | FG%: 50.0
Chad Wise Fr. F 6-5/190 Two-sport star in high school could prove valuable on the wing
(35) Mike Woodward Jr. G 6-5/215 PTS: 0.3 | REB: 0.3
Head Coach: Jim Calhoun (349-142, 15 years; Overall: 599-279, 29 years)
Assistant Coaches: Dave Leitao, Tom Moore, George Blaney
Home Court: Campel Pavilion (10,027); Storrs, Conn.

2001-02 CONNECTICUT SCHEDULE
November
19: Vanderbilt
26: New Hampshire
December
2: G. Washington (a)
3: Maryland/Princeton (a)
8: Northeastern
11: at UMass
21: Quinnipiac
28: St. Bonaventure
January
2: at Va. Tech
5: Miami, Fla.
7: Oklahoma
10: Virginia Tech
13: at Villanova
16: at Providence
19: North Carolina
23: St. John's
26: at Arizona
30: at Rutgers
February
2: at Miami, Fla.
5: Providence
9: at St. John's
11: Villanova
16: Boston College
19: at Georgetown
23: West Virginia
25: at Boston College
March
2: Seton Hall
6: Big East Tournament

(a) BB&T Invitational: Washington, D.C.

REST OF TOP 25
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils
No. 2 Maryland Terrapins
No. 3 Florida Gators
No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats
No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks
No. 6 Illinois Illini
No. 7 UCLA Bruins
No. 8 Missouri Tigers
No. 9: St. Joseph's Hawks
No. 10: Memphis Tigers
No. 11: Iowa Hawkeyes
No. 12: Michigan State
No. 13: Stanford Cardinal
No. 14: Temple Owls
No. 15: Virginia Cavaliers
No. 16: Oklahoma State Cowboys
No. 17: Boston College Eagles
No. 18: Georgetown Hoyas
No. 19: Oklahoma Sooners
No. 20: North Carolina Tar Heels
No. 21: USC Trojans
No. 22: Texas Longhorns
No. 24: Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 25: Gonzaga Bulldogs

The ESPN.com Preseason Top 25 was selected by a panel made up of ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz, ESPN's Jay Bilas and ESPN.com college basketball editor Ron Buck.






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