Calhoun to remain hospitalized overnight

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun is in good condition but will spend tonight at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for observation, according to a press release I just got from the school.

"I have been feeling lousy for the past several days and this morning talked to Dr. [Jeff] Anderson about it," Calhoun said in the statement, referring to UConn's director of sports medicine. "He recommended that I not coach in the game today and stay back at the hotel. As the day went on, he suggested that we go over to the hospital to have some testing  done. Fortunately, those tests have all gone well and I am feeling much better."

Calhoun added that he anticipates "being checked agiain the morning and being able to leave the hospital at that time."

As for Calhoun's team, the Huskies blew Chattanooga off the rails and then some in a 103-47 victory. UConn forward Stanley Robinson led all scorers with 24 points, while guard A.J. Price and center Hasheem Thabeet added 20 apiece. Thabeet also pulled down 13 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.

On the whole, UConn made 37 of 71 field goal attempts (52.1%) - yes, that's a huge number of attempts - including six of 24 three-point shots (25.0%) and 31 of 47 two-point attempts (66.0%). They also made 23 of 39 free throws (59.0%). The Huskies recorded 17 offensive rebounds, 41 defensive rebounds, 28 assists, nine turnovers, six blocks and 12 steals, and committed 11 fouls.

That adds up to 79 possessions and 1.125 points per possession, and again: 58 total rebounds, 28 assists, 37 made field goals, 71 attempts.

Chattanooga made only 17 of 66 field goal attempts (25.8%), including 5-for-25 from three-point range (20.0%) and 12-for-41 from two-point range (2.3%), and converted eight of 10 free throws (80.0%). The Mocs recorded nine offensive rebounds, 25 defensive rebounds, 11 assists, 19 turnovers, two blocks and five steals, and committed 28 fouls.

"It's nothign to be ashamed of to end your season in the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia," Mocs coach John Shulman said. "If you can't have dreams, someone needs to shoot me."

Huskies associate head coach George Blaney, who stood in for Calhoun on the UConn bench, said his boss' imprints were all over the game.

"It was his preparation that allowed us to play this way," Blaney said. "I know we scored 100 points or whatever we scored, but it was an unbelievable defensive display."

The team had Calhoun on a speakerphone after the game and they all talked together.

"He told us it was a great performance, we did a great job defensively," Huskies guard A.J. Price said. "He was upbeat about everything and told us he couldn't wait to join us again - we couldn't wait to have him back."

Price also talked about the fact that the players did not learn of Calhoun's condition until just before the Texas A&M-BYU game started.

"We were obviously surprsied about it, and not thrilled that he wasn't with us - he's our leader, our general," Price said. "We were just anxious to know that he was okay, and going to be okay, and come back later in the tournament."

Huskies forward Jeff Adrien admitted that hearing Blaney's voice shouting at him from the sidelines instead of Calhoun's was not routine. But he praised Blaney's work, saying he "did a good job of motivating us and got us really pumped up. Definitely coach prepared us very well for this game."

Line of the game honors go to Hasheem Thabeet, who was impossible to miss today in so many ways - and consider that he did what he did in only 20 minutes on the floor.