Game @ UCONN

[stobor]

About to buy a few tickets to the game @ UCONN.

Anyone planning on being there? Anyone have tickets and want to stop me before I spend $300 on two tickets?

Go Ponies

[bubba pony]

for what it's worth might try this.

[Pony^]

SMU's Larry Brown Impressed With UConn's Progression

"We're proud of ourselves," Brown said Friday on a conference call. "But in order for us to really be good, we have to prove that on the road against a quality team. The attention we're getting, there's a lot of responsibility now because of that. I don't know if we understand that. All of this is a growing process."

"We've played well at home," Brown said. "It's a huge challenge for us going on the road. We're a young team, we haven't had a lot of experience playing in big games. It's going to be a big challenge for us playing at Gampel Pavilion. I want our kids to be in an environment like that, you walk in and look at banners, the body of work at that program."

"[UConn's] point guard is playing as well as anybody in the country," Brown said. "I can't imagine anybody on any team that has such a positive effect on his team as Napier has on Connecticut."

UConn's frontcourt was no factor at SMU, but Amida Brimah and Phil Nolan have improved, and guards Napier and Ryan Boatright are getting the ball inside to them and to DeAndre Daniels. Brimah scored 10 points Thursday, and Ollie pointedly said he hoped that SMU would take note of it.

Brown said there is little he could take from the first game that would help.

"Their big guys have gotten so much better," Brown said. "The job they've done developing depth in the frontcourt is incredible to me. They're a much deeper team than when we played them. But when you have great guards you have a chance to be a great team, and they have great guards. When you have the best player in the country, you have a chance to do great things, and they have a kid I think is as good as anybody in the country."

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/hc-uconn-men-0222-20140221,0,1020797.story

[Pony^]

What To Watch

Revenge factor: The Huskies played very angry when they got their chance to avenge the loss to Houstonand won a blowout at Gampel. The same vibes figure to accompany this game.

The big factor: UConn's big men were no factor early in the season and especially against SMU. Brimah and Phil Nolan are playing much better now, and UConn's guards are better at getting them involved. That should change the dynamic for this game.

The Gampel factor: The Huskies are not only home, in their campus gym with all the advantages that represents, but they are honoring their beloved first national champions, the 1998-99 team. That figures to bring the noise and emotional level higher in the second half. And SMU, 14-0 at home, has not been a good road team all season.

The Brown factor: Larry Brown moves around a lot and who knows how long he'll stay at SMU. But he is one of the great coaches and is having a blast with this gig — and whenever he is on the bench his team is dangerous.

The defensive factor: Both teams live on defense. SMU opponents shoot 37.1 percent, while the Mustangs shoot 49.3 percent. On Jan. 4 coach Kevin Ollie was livid with the Mustangs' 48 percent shooting against UConn and one imagines it has come up during preparation.

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/hc-uconn-men-capsule-0223-20140222,0,6449853.story

[ojaipony]

About to buy a few tickets to the game @ UCONN.

Anyone planning on being there? Anyone have tickets and want to stop me before I spend $300 on two tickets?

Go Ponies

Be loud, bring about 100 of your friends.

[PizzaPants]

About to buy a few tickets to the game @ UCONN.

Anyone planning on being there? Anyone have tickets and want to stop me before I spend $300 on two tickets?

Go Ponies

You buy the tickets and I'll bring the Za!