By the time preseason rolled around, everybody on the team knew that UConn had been pursued by one of the nation's elite Division I basketball programs in the country. I'm almost certain that even the gym attendants, who could care less about basketball, knew about this bogus interest from UConn. The most surprising part about this foolishness was that others believed him. Even though he was 5'8 (5'10 when you ask him) and had absolutely no explosion in his game (he "dunked" in a hs game), UConn's teammates accepted this story at face value. Nobody questioned his story....Ever! There's a possibility that some didn't believe him because as I would painfully witness during the season, accountability didn't exist among them. A guy could snooze his way through practice, or a game, and only the coaches would say anything about it.
UConn didn't complain about coming off the bench, which was a surprise given that we were "lucky" to have a guy who was supposed to be playing at a Division I. Imagine that. A guy who should have been playing Division I basketball for a legendary coach was content being a reserve at a Division III junior college. UConn struggled through first semester. One of the things I liked a lot about UConn's game as a high schooler that didn't need much tweaking was his outside shot. I figured at the very least he could give us a couple of threes per game off the bench...not so much. After we started that season at 1-4, I decided to hold a team meeting to get to the bottom of why we weren't clicking at all on the floor.
Me: Fellas, we're playing like sh*t out there. Teams go zone and I got guys putting on an And 1 dribbling exhibition in front of two zone defenders instead of moving the ball. We aren't moving the ball, or moving after the pass. Shooters aren't making shots. What's the problem?
UConn: You be makin' guys nervous, screamin from the sidelines and stuff. Let us play!
Me: So, my yelling leads you to not be able to make a jumpshot or dribble the ball against pressure?
UConn: I'm a 2 guard! I'm not a pg! You're playin me at the wrong position. Ever consider that?!?
Me: What?!?!? You're a shooting guard now? Do you realize our best player is a shooting guard and plays 34 minutes per game?
Enabling Teammate: Yeh man. You be makin' guys nervous yellin from the sidelines. That's why UConn can't play his game.. (This is the same guy who asked me privately why UConn was getting a lick of playing time.)
Me: How many times have any of you come in here on your own to shoot extra jump shots? I need a show of hands for who comes in to take extra shots.
...crickets...
UConn had another story he liked to tell. Apparently, he beat Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics in a shooting contest during a community event for some local kids in Worcester. I don't know that a multi-millionaire would really care to embarrass a little kid in a shooting contest at a team sponsored community event that's designed to boost self esteem, but hey...maybe it's just me. There's always the possibility that he actually beat Tony Allen in a shooting contest. The last time I checked Tony Allen didn't make it to the NBA because of his jump shot. This is a guy who has hit the side of the backboard more than a couple of times shooting from twenty feet. I didn't bother rationalizing all of this to UConn, however. By the time second semester rolled around, he was only playing against cupcake opponents. There was no need for me to burst his bubble.
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