Football
Jon Rothstein 15y

Husky Backcourt Armed And Ready

Pickup games in Storrs, Connecticut have already started and word is that this group of Husky guards might be better than the bunch that anchored UConn's run to the Final Four in Detroit last April.

"We might be more explosive in the backcourt," UConn assistant coach Patrick Sellers said.

Sophomore Kemba Walker returns along with seniors Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson to form a trio on the perimeter that should be as good any group in college basketball. Walker seems poised for a breakout season while Dyson, returning from a knee injury that sidelined him through the NCAA Tournament has been more bouncy and vocal than ever before.

"He's a different person," said Sellers of Dyson. "He's being a leader, showing the younger guys where to go and pointing them in the right direction."

In addition to their veterans, the UConn staff is very high on freshmen Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel and Darius Smith.

Coombs-McDaniel can play three positions while Smith is built much like Walker and should increase the Huskies' pressure defense.

"He's quick as a cat," Sellers said of Smith.

THIS AND THAT:

  • Hats off to Seton Hall for rewarding head coach Bobby Gonzalez with a contract extension through 2015. Gonzo has the Pirates rolling in the right direction and should compete for an NCAA bid this season.

  • I'm really liking what I hear about St. John's JUCO transfer Dwight Hardy. In addition to his lock and load approach on offense as a long range threat, rumblings are he can play some point and is a better defender than people know.

  • I'm giving the Grizzlies until Thanksgiving before they realize that adding Allen Iverson was a colossal mistake.

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