Sunday, March 27, 2011

UConn Huskies riding high out of the West again

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The three-pointer by Derrick Williams that would have ended this jubilant, most improbable UConn season bounced off the rim. Kyle Fogg kept the rebound alive and the three-pointer by Jamelle Horne that would have ended this jubilant, most unusual nine-game run bounced off the rim again.

Houston, we have another Final Four.

Yet not just another NCAA Final Four, this story is unique in Connecticut basketball history.

The great sports franchises, the storied schools, it has been said, win championships when they aren't the chalk, aren't the stone-cold favorite. In horse racing, they call it "back class" and UConn, with Jim Calhoun, has more than two decades of back class.

Yes, doubt did flash through Kemba Walker's mind Saturday night at Honda Center. When Horne's shot went up, Walker did say, "Game Time!" He thought the jubilant, improbable season was gone. Fate would have other ideas. This 65-63 victory over Arizona would give further validation to Calhoun's claim this is the most resilient team he has ever coached in four decades.

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