UConn Officially Out of the 2012-2013 Postseason

Alex Oriakhi (right)/AP Images

The University of Connecticut men’s basketball appeal on their postseason ban due to low Academic Performance Rate (APR) scores, was upheld by the NCAA, meaning the Huskies will not be eligible for next seasons postseason. 



By Lauren Dellipoali


This has a lot of ramifications for the Huskies, who will more than likely lose the majority of their roster to transfers or the NBA. Alex Oriakhi has already said he will be transferring and is looking at other schools. Because UConn cannot make the postseason, any transfer will be able to play right away and will not be forced to sit out a year.


It is still unclear as to whether or not UConn will be able to play in the Big East tournament, or if they would want to. The Huskies typically play well in the tournament, and their games are typically exciting (see their games against SU). If they cannot play in the Big East tournament, it will be a major blow to the tournament which has already lost crowd favorite Syracuse as well as Pittsburgh to the ACC. 


UConn is one of the best public research universities, and hold their student-athletes to a high standard according to their President Susan Herbst. They are also the first team to be banned from the postseason due to low ARP scores, and they may not be the last. There have been rumblings that the NCAA is taking a closer look at Syracuse’s academic performance as well. 


The scores used for UConn were not the most recent scores, which would have made them eligible, rather they were from later years, but that did not help UConn during their appeal. 


This also puts the career of head coach Jim Calhoun in even more question. After taking a leave of absence during the season, many have questioned if he would return, and the fact that he would basically be coaching a lame duck team may make his decision to retire even more realistic. 


So come March next year, the madness will be missing one of its biggest and most successful teams, and who knows, maybe more teams will follow in UConn’s unfortunate footsteps. 

Uconn’s Calhoun takes another medical leave

Huskies Head Coach, Jim Calhoun (center)/AP Images

Huskies head coach announces that he will be missing more games, is his career coming to an end?

By Lauren Dellipoali

Jim Calhoun has been a staple on the Uconn bench for 26 years. He has a higher salary than the President of the university, and could probably run for governor of the state and win. However, after announcing Friday that he is taking another medical leave of absence, his future as head coach of the Huskies is now in question. 

Calhoun announced he would miss at least the next two games because of back pain, which has plagued him for most of the season. With the Huskies struggling and heading into the meat of their Big East schedule, it is now time for the players to step up and get the Huskies back on track.
 
With Calhoun out of commission, assistant coach George Blaney, who has served as the interim coach every time Calhoun was on leave/suspended, will take over the reigns of the struggling Huskies. 

Calhoun, who turns 70 in May, flirted with retirement after the Huskies won the National Championship, but decided to return so he could see his team through the NCAA investigation, which eventually lead to Calhoun being suspended for the first three Big East games. Calhoun is a three-time Cancer survivor and has missed 21 games during his time at Uconn. His last extended medical leave came in 2010, when he missed seven games with what he called stress-related issues.

Calhoun told his team he is determined to return this season, however if his ailment, which is being called Spinal stenosis, does not improve with rest and medication, the next course of action will be surgery, which may sideline him for the rest of the season and possibly his career. 


Blaney has be tabbed as Calhoun’s successor whenever he decides to retire, but former UConn player Kevin Ollie who is currently an assistant on the team, is said to be being groomed to be the next head coach of the Huskies.

If and when Calhoun does return, he will be hoping that his team has developed the chemistry and fire that has been lacking from the team the entire year. Kemba Walker is not going to walk through the locker room doors, and this team has a lot of work to do if they want to return to the title game.