UConn transfers embracing postseason run

ORLANDO — It’s been well documented that UConn has been snakebitten by injuries the last couple of years.

The Huskies lost three players (Alterique Gilbert, Terry Larrier and Mamadou Diarra) to seasonending injuries a year ago. And Gilbert, a high school McDonald’s All-American point guard, has missed all but the first four games this season as well with recurring shoulder issues.

Pardon Tim Jankovich if he doesn’t have much sympathy for the Huskies. “The last five, six weeks have been about as tough of a stretch as I’ve ever been through,” the secondyear SMU head coach said. “It’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen — ever — in all the years I’ve coached, in terms of injuries. Truth be told, they all aren’t even told yet.”

No. 8 seed UConn (1417) faces No. 9 seed SMU in an AAC tournament opening game on Thursday at the Amway Center (noon, ESPNU). The Mustangs (16-15), who won the league title last season, have been pretty much down to a rotation of seven scholarship players the

past month or so.

Jarrey Foster, a defensive stalwart who started SMU’s first 19 games and averaged 13.2 points, and Everett Ray, a freshman off the bench, suffered season-ending injuries in early January.

But the biggest blow of all came when leading

scorer Shake Milton broke a bone in his right hand against ECU on Jan. 28. Milton, the preseason AAC Player of the Year who averages 18 points, has missed SMU’s last nine games. The Mustangs are 1-8 in those games.

There’s also the possibility that this is Ollie’s final game as UConn’s head coach. Barring an unlikely run a conference tourney title, this will be the second

straight season the Huskies finish under .500 — something that never happened in Jim Calhoun’s 26 years at the helm.

No question, injuries haven’t helped.

“I know we would have been better with Al here,” he said, referring to Gilbert. “Al is one of our emotional leaders. He’s a great point guard, but a great person. I think we’d have definitely been a better team with him. But by that same token, some other guys have had the opportunity to step up. Hopefully, that gives us some great experience going into next year when we get Al back. But that’s next season.”

Or will it be for Ollie? That very much remains to be seen.