The Daily Campus

Issue date: 11/5/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Dan Gindraux Freshman Kemba Walker slams down a reverse dunk during UConn's 'First Night' on Oct. 24. Kemba's dunk received a total score of 48 in the dunk contest.

Before the Huskies took one shot, dribbled one ball or dunked just once, and before they began their quest to justify a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP poll, UConn coach Jim Calhoun had other, more important matters for his team to take care of.

Not shy in expressing his political views, Calhoun set up a trip yesterday morning to bring his team over to the polls in Mansfield.

"Our team, we got them over to the Rec Center to vote and the kids all signed up," Calhoun said. "They weren't told who to vote. But if I did a poll, I bet I could guess."

Tonight's exhibition opener against Division II American International College (AIC) at Gampel Pavilion (7:30 p.m.) certainly doesn't carry the same weight as the selection of the next United States president, but unlike most preseason games, this one matters - at least to the Huskies.

UConn struggled early last season in games that most assumed would be over at halftime. They beat Northeastern by nine last season and needed a late surge to pull out a 69-65 win over Morgan State in the season opener.

"We've not been one of those teams, generally speaking, like those good teams that have been great in that first game or two," Calhoun said. "I think, and I always blame myself, that we don't do enough five-on-five. I think we've done a little more this year, so maybe we'll see the positive effects."

While the game will be the first live action for Kemba Walker and Scottie Haralson, fellow frosh Charles Okwandu will be relegated to the bench while his eligibility is cleared up.

"We just kind of want to put the pieces together," Calhoun said. "Because it's an exhibition game, we're just not going to play Charles tomorrow night. It's basically got to do with a final clarification of everything."

Calhoun said he expects things to be cleared up shortly, but Okwandu's status for Sunday's game with UMass-Lowell is still in question.

The excitement, though, isn't relegated to new faces. Seniors Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie both said they were excited to get things underway, especially with the buzz surrounding the team's potential for success this year.

Continued...

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