Jeff Adrien News

Analyzing his team Sunday after the second of two easy exhibition wins, it was clear that Jim Calhoun figured the Huskies would be incomplete for only so long.

It has been 214 days since the men's basketball team lost to Michigan State in the 2009 Final Four.

The UConn Huskies have been picked to finish third in the 2009-10 Big East preseason men's basketball poll, the league announced at its annual media day this morning at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

WILDCATS NO. 1 -- Fresh off last season's Final Four appearance and sparked by the return of senior guards Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding and junior Corey Stokes, the Villanova Wildcats were handed the bull's-eye as the team to beat in the 2009-10 Big East preseason poll.

As the overtimes started to pile up for UConn in last year's classic Big East tournament matchup against Syracuse, so too did the amount of players fouling out for the Huskies.

UConn players ran Wednesday. Taking part in the annual Husky Run, they left from the east entrance of Gampel Pavilion , negotiated the 3.4-mile course, headed down Stadium Road and finished at the south entrance.

There was a lot of talk before and after the Husky Run about UConn being a faster team this season.

For the second year in a row, UConn big man Gavin Edwards was the first player on the basketball team to cross the finish line in the annual Husky Run.

The UConn men will participate Wednesday in the Husky Fun Run, a 5K race on campus that is a kind of ceremonial kickoff to the season.

The Big East will take a hit this year. Then again, how could it not? Can't wait for the college hoops season to start? We get you ready for 2009-10 with our preseason guide .

Connecticut is negotiating a long-term deal with Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun that could keep him at the school into his 70s, according to multiple sources.

Key Returners: Jerome Dyson , Kemba Walker , Stanley Robinson Top Newcomers: Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel, Alex Oriakhi, Darius Smith Strengths: Ita TMs crazy that a team can lose A.J. Price and still have one of the best backcourts in the Big East.

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Great, The UConn Huskies are looking to regroup this year after making it to the final four last season.

Kemba Walker knew he would be called upon to run the Connecticut souped-up, go-go offense.

Jerome Dyson still hasn't won an NCAA tournament game. Taking it one step further, the UConn senior guard hasn't even been on the court for a Big East tournament victory.

Insider knows you're hot for hoops during the summer, so we bring you a closer look at five programs on the rise, five on the way down and five at a crossroads.

Insider knows you're hot for hoops during the summer, so we bring you a closer look at five programs on the rise, five on the way down and five at a crossroads.

"Recruiting by accident" might be the best way to put it. Whatever name you give it, the UMass Lowell men's basketball team stumbled across a big man to add to its roster this off-season. Lowell High fans may remember -- I'm not sure how you forget a name like this -- former Red Raiders' standout Kingsley Onyechi.

Remember those experts who proclaim that "The 2009 Draft is one of the worst since 2001 and Kwame Brown," and/or "There are no players worth mentioning." No, we are not in the same situation of 2003 , neither 2004 , but we cannot say a Blake Griffin as first overall pick is far from Andrea Bargnani at number one.

Rookie hazing season arrived prematurely and found an unsuspecting target. M apparently stands for Memphis ... and Mohawk.