January 29, 2007

Before the season started, who would have ever believed that Arizona, Alabama and Connecticut would be struggling at the end of January? Are you kidding me, these were three hyped teams, members of the preseason top 20.

They were rated so high based on past success, which was unfair to the Huskies given their turnover from last season. The presence of Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun, plus a great recruiting class led people to believe Connecticut would be a contender in the Big East. Look at what they lost and it is amazing to think this team would be near the top of the conference.

You can't lose talent like Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong, Denham Brown and Rashad Anderson and not have a dropoff. Five of them were drafted by the NBA, so after losing that corps group, you knew the program had to suffer a bit.

It was a tease when the Huskies got off to a fast start. Those games were all in Connecticut against mid-major competition. Reality set in with the first journey to West Virginia and the Huskies have been unable to regroup since.

It is not about coaching or talent ... it is about inexperience. Connecticut has to learn how to play the game and understanding all the nuances. There is a need to be focused on every possession, getting back defensively in transition, how to execute in a halfcourt game. You can't have that happen on a regular basis with all new kids. They have a lot of talented diaper dandies, but there is a need for patience. It looks like NIT for the Huskies this year, and that is not a bad place to get more experience to enjoy a big-time future next season.

It is hard to believe that Arizona could go 2-5 in a seven-game span. The Wildcats' frontcourt is one of the best in America, with Marcus Williams, Chase Budinger and Ivan Radenovic. Mustafa Shakur has some great moments in the backcourt. The bottom line is the club has struggled at times on the defensive end and it is amazing when you look at the experience, talent and coaching from Hall of Famer Lute Olson.

You would have thought this squad would have a breakout performance at home against North Carolina. They should have been so ready, a game that could have made a statement, but instead it was blowout city, Olson's worst home loss with the Wildcats. A 28-point bashing and the Tar Heels were without diaper dandy Brandan Wright and guard Marcus Ginyard (sidelined by illness).

They are talented and well coached, so Arizona is capable of going on a big run. This club must do some real soul searching, and it starts with mental toughness. Don't blame anyone, but understand the game of basketball has many facets. You need rhythm as a team and the one goal is to bring success to that name on the front of the jersey.

Alabama has fallen behind big-time in most of its SEC games. You can't trail by 15 or more points early and expect to climb back up that mountain all the time.

I feel one reason for the Tide troubles is the injury to guard Ronald Steele. He has not been playing near 100 percent as he is dragging that leg and having a tough time all season. Jermareo Davidson has had a very tough time, losing his girlfriend in a car accident and having his older brother, Dewayne Watkins, shot in the head in a suburb of Atlanta. Emotionally the scars, hurt and pain has taken its toll. You have to believe it has affected his play, and maybe the performance of the team.

Mark Gottfried's squad is certainly talented enough to turn things around. It is hard to picture that club below .500 in the SEC West, but that is the case. They need to get wins and that half of the conference is not that strong given that no team in the West is at .500 in league play. There is a chance to get back in the hunt.

Alabama and Arizona, despite slipping recently, have a great chance to get into the greatest sporting spectacle of them all, March Madness. For the young Huskies, it will be learning experience and the NIT is a place to gave valuable time working together in an effort to gain future greatness.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.