Spring Break
Huskies go as Williams goes
Adam Caparell
Issue date: 3/18/05 Section: Sports
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But as the No. 2 seeded Huskies etch closer and closer to their first round matchup with No. 15 seed Central Florida at the DCU Center today, things are not getting any easier for Williams to be the player the Huskies need him to be.
His significance to the Huskies' success can't be overstated.
"There's no question he's very important," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said.
No one is more vital to the Huskies success than Williams. He makes the UConn offense a well oiled machine and makes others around him better. He is the catalyst for the Huskies and as he goes, so does the team. Yet, it seems like things just aren't going his way as of late.
First, there was Williams' - and the Huskies as whole - disappointing play at the Big East Tournament that got them bounced early in the semifinals.
Next came the suspension of backup Antonio Kellogg earlier this week, leaving Williams as the Huskies' only scholarship point guard.
Then there was the shoulder injury Williams suffered at practice Thursday.
Williams jammed his shoulder during the Huskies' mid-afternoon practice. It was heavily iced afterward and in all likelihood he'll be stiff tomorrow and may not have full range of motion
But Calhoun stressed he believed Williams will be good to go.
"He iced it and he should be okay," Calhoun said. "But regardless, it will be a little bit stiff. He hit it pretty good."
That's where Ryan Thompson will step in.
The oft-used reserve will serve as the backup point guard. Williams - who plays an average of 30 minutes per game - will figure to play nearly the whole game, but Thompson will be ready to spell Williams when called on.
Thompson played in 14 games this season - mostly when Rashad Anderson was out recovering from an infected skin abscess - is a forward, but Calhoun feels confident enough to trust him with the ball for stretches.
"[Thompson will] be important for us," Calhoun said. "He's had great practice sessions. He's a great kid. I think he can do the job great. He's not going to be Marcus, but he will give them some size problems at 6-foot-6. He handles the ball well and he's a really smart basketball player."