The Pistons are in unfamiliar territory as they sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. The only team lower is the Nets. Also in unfamiliar territory are the UConn Huskies, who are quickly fading down the NCAA rankings after making the Final Four a year ago.
The Pistons and Huskies are intertwined, as three of Detroit’s top four scorers went to Connecticut (Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva), all winning NCAA titles under longtime coach Jim Calhoun.
Calhoun, the Huskies coach since 1986, led UConn from a nobody to a perennial NCAA title contender, winning it all in 1999 and 2004. But he has taken a leave of absence due to undisclosed medical problems, which could force him to retire earlier than he might like. He is a two-time survivor of skin and prostate cancer.
“I don’t know how serious his health issues are. But you never want to downplay it, so I hope he can recover from it and come back this season,” said Gordon at the Pistons’ shootaround prior to last night’s game with the Nets. “I know he would love to. But if he’s not, I think it’s best for him to take time off to get well and return whenever he can.”
Calhoun, 67, has missed the teams’ last five games. The first two were home wins to St. John’s and then-No. 1 Texas. The last three games have all been losses to Providence, Marquette and Louisville. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, as two of the Huskies next four games are at Villanova and Syracuse.
“They have some tough road games, I know. But it’s tough not seeing UConn in this tournament,” Villanueva said. “You always see them in it. They’ve always been up there. They have to make a run the last couple of games.”
George Blaney, Calhoun’s longtime assistant has temporarily taken over the coaching duties. Last season, Calhoun missed one game during the regular season, as well as the team’s opening-round game in the NCAA Tournament. He has missed 21 games in his 23 years at Connecticut.
“I think [Calhoun] will be back. He is a competitor and a warrior. I remember [in 2006] he was doing a charity event, fell off a bike, broke a rib and still finished the race. That’s the type of guy he is, he isn’t going to give it in like that. He must be lying in his bed unable to move to not coach,” said Villanueva.
UConn (13-9, 3-6), which sits in 13th place in the Big East, is in danger of missing the NCAA toureyt for the first time since 2007. That season, the team got off to an 11-0 start, thanks in part to a soft early-season schedule, before losing 14 of their final 20 games, also failing to make the NIT.
Despite the struggles, Gordon, a shooting guard at UConn from 2001-2004, still thinks the Huskies can make the Big Dance next month.
“I think they’ll rally as the season goes on and put together a streak of wins and get in late,” he said.
If they want to be playing in the Big Dance, UConn will have to rally, fighting through this tough season the way their head coach fights everyday.
“I’m pretty sure they’re trying to pull some wins for coach, dedicate some wins for coach,” said Villanueva.