How UConn Got Screwed

It was amazing the way it worked out. Michigan State wound up making it to the final four, and got the opportunity to play the Huskies of the University of Connecticut in Detroit, Michigan this past weekend. UConn had to play in the west region for one thing, which makes it very hard on the team, considering how far on the east coast they actually are. They managed to come through the West region even with all the allegations of recruiting violations that were brought up in the Nate Miles contraversy.

Even through all of this, the Huskies made it to Detroit where they were forced to take on Michigan State at a "neutral" site, which wound up being right in the Spartans back yard. The Huskies had been underperfoming all game, and with five minutes to go though, they still had a shot. Unfortunately though, the referees decided they were not going to blow the whistle on plays which were obvious fouls committed by Michigan State defenders. Things like this kept happening everytime AJ Price or Kemba Walker attempted to slash to the basket, forcing them to take bad shots, or just get the ball knocked away because of the physicality of the play. When you don't get the calls that are clearly there, it can become frustrating, and you can lose your cool, that is exactly what happened to UConn.

Yes, one could argue that with shooters like Freshman guard Kemba Walker having a dismal night at the line, this ultimately led to their demise. But had things stayed the way they were originally headed, they would have been right there. It's a shame that on the grandest stage in college basketball all year that something like this could happen. But once again, that is just part of the game. So now UConn is forced to suck it up, fight through the recruiting violation allegations, and try again next year. Seniors Jeff Adrien and AJ Price will be replaced in the starting lineup by Juniors Jerome Dyson, and Gavin Edwards. And if 7 foot 3 shot blocking monster Hasheem Thabeet decides to come back, along with another great recruiting class, the Huskies will once again put themselves in a championship run.