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Marquette (16-11) at (14) Connecticut (20-6)
It’s been a tumultuous week for Jim Calhoun and Connecticut.
Calhoun isn’t suspended yet, but he won’t be coaching the No. 14 Huskies on Thursday night in Hartford when they try to earn a second victory this season over Marquette.
Connecticut (20-6, 8-6 Big East) learned Tuesday of NCAA sanctions following an investigation of the program since a report by Yahoo! Sports in March 2009 that former team manager Josh Nochimson helped guide recruit Nate Miles to the school, giving him lodging, transportation, meals and representation.
The Huskies will not receive a postseason ban, but the program was hit with scholarship reductions for three academic years, recruiting restrictions, permanent disassociation of a booster and three years probation.
Calhoun, who has guided UConn to two national titles, was suspended by the NCAA for three games next season. The school may appeal the decision.
“I am very disappointed with the NCAA’s decision in this case,” Calhoun said. “My lawyer and I are evaluating my options and will make a decision which way to proceed. In the meantime, I will not make any further statements about the case as our program prepares for what I hope will be an exciting and successful postseason.”
The coach won’t be with his team Wednesday at practice and Thursday against Marquette (16-11, 7-7) as he attends a memorial service in Nashua, N.H., for his sister-in-law, Eileen McDevitt Fucile, who died Monday.
Associate George Blaney will coach UConn on Thursday.
The Huskies have not played since a 71-58 loss at then-No. 16 Louisville on Friday. Kemba Walker made 3 of 10 shots and had 16 points as UConn shot 37.0 percent.
Walker also had a poor shooting effort when he made 5 of 16 and finished with 14 points in a 76-68 victory at Marquette on Jan. 25. The star guard contributed with nine assists and freshman Jeremy Lamb picked up the scoring slack with 24 points - still a season high for him.
Marquette may not have to worry about Lamb as much this time. Lamb averaged 22.3 points in a three-game stretch beginning with that victory before averaging 7.6 over his last five games and failing to score against Louisville.
The Huskies will try to slow down Marquette senior swingman Jimmy Butler, who is averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in three career games against them.
“I think he’s a really good player,” coach Buzz Williams said about Butler. “He’s a hard player to take off the floor. He’s very similar to (former Marquette star Wesley Matthews), what Wesley was, relative to he can guard multiple positions, he can do multiple things offensively.”
The Golden Eagles may need to improve on their 2-9 mark against AP Top 25 teams to gain an NCAA tournament berth. Six of those losses have been by five or fewer points.
“We need to win,” Williams said. “All those games that we lost, you could argue that we should have or could have or needed to win. But we didn’t make enough winning plays to win.”
Williams inserted Joseph Fulce and Junior Cadougan into the starting lineup in place of Dwight Buycks and Jae Crowder in Saturday’s 73-64 win over Seton Hall. Buycks and Crowder combined for 23 points off the bench.
It’s been a tumultuous week for Jim Calhoun and Connecticut.
Calhoun isn’t suspended yet, but he won’t be coaching the No. 14 Huskies on Thursday night in Hartford when they try to earn a second victory this season over Marquette.
Connecticut (20-6, 8-6 Big East) learned Tuesday of NCAA sanctions following an investigation of the program since a report by Yahoo! Sports in March 2009 that former team manager Josh Nochimson helped guide recruit Nate Miles to the school, giving him lodging, transportation, meals and representation.
The Huskies will not receive a postseason ban, but the program was hit with scholarship reductions for three academic years, recruiting restrictions, permanent disassociation of a booster and three years probation.
Calhoun, who has guided UConn to two national titles, was suspended by the NCAA for three games next season. The school may appeal the decision.
“I am very disappointed with the NCAA’s decision in this case,” Calhoun said. “My lawyer and I are evaluating my options and will make a decision which way to proceed. In the meantime, I will not make any further statements about the case as our program prepares for what I hope will be an exciting and successful postseason.”
The coach won’t be with his team Wednesday at practice and Thursday against Marquette (16-11, 7-7) as he attends a memorial service in Nashua, N.H., for his sister-in-law, Eileen McDevitt Fucile, who died Monday.
Associate George Blaney will coach UConn on Thursday.
The Huskies have not played since a 71-58 loss at then-No. 16 Louisville on Friday. Kemba Walker made 3 of 10 shots and had 16 points as UConn shot 37.0 percent.
Walker also had a poor shooting effort when he made 5 of 16 and finished with 14 points in a 76-68 victory at Marquette on Jan. 25. The star guard contributed with nine assists and freshman Jeremy Lamb picked up the scoring slack with 24 points - still a season high for him.
Marquette may not have to worry about Lamb as much this time. Lamb averaged 22.3 points in a three-game stretch beginning with that victory before averaging 7.6 over his last five games and failing to score against Louisville.
The Huskies will try to slow down Marquette senior swingman Jimmy Butler, who is averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in three career games against them.
“I think he’s a really good player,” coach Buzz Williams said about Butler. “He’s a hard player to take off the floor. He’s very similar to (former Marquette star Wesley Matthews), what Wesley was, relative to he can guard multiple positions, he can do multiple things offensively.”
The Golden Eagles may need to improve on their 2-9 mark against AP Top 25 teams to gain an NCAA tournament berth. Six of those losses have been by five or fewer points.
“We need to win,” Williams said. “All those games that we lost, you could argue that we should have or could have or needed to win. But we didn’t make enough winning plays to win.”
Williams inserted Joseph Fulce and Junior Cadougan into the starting lineup in place of Dwight Buycks and Jae Crowder in Saturday’s 73-64 win over Seton Hall. Buycks and Crowder combined for 23 points off the bench.
