Spring Break
Wiggins, Johnson seek success after transfers
Former Huskies try to break through on new squads
Max Jabbonsky
Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: Sports
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The face of the team, Hasheem Thabeet, is the perfect example of such growth. Two years ago Thabeet was so raw, so awkward, that if he ever fouled out during an away game, fans would probably be yelling, "Right! Left! Right! Stumble a little! Fall over! Get helped up! Almost there! Sit down!" Now he's the most intimidating shot blocker in the nation and a surefire lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
It's easy to talk about Thabeet and the current team for days but here's a look at the scholarship players who have decided that they didn't belong in Storrs, their careers as Huskies, and where they are now:
Marcus Johnson, Class of 2009, transferred to the University of Southern California
It's never a good thing when a player's career peaks before playing in his first game. Johnson's did during the 2005-06 season's "First Night," when he defeated Rudy Gay in the team's annual dunk contest. His athleticism even inspired one fan to make a Facebook group in his honor, referring to him as "Air Johnson." The group followed the former 5-star recruit through his freshmen season - when he was buried behind Gay, Denham Brown and Rashad Anderson on the depth chart - and on to his more promising sophomore season. After the group wrote a post about his first start - a game against New Hampshire in which he had a very productive 20 points, five rebounds and five assists - the posts stopped. It soon became clear to all of his fans - including the whopping 52 who have yet to click the "remove from my groups" button - that then-freshman and current fan favorite Stanley Robinson had emerged as the better player.
With his hopes for a substantial career at UConn effectively over, Johnson stuck it out through the first three games of his junior year before announcing that he would be transferring to a school closer to his Los Angeles home. After a brief search, he landed at USC. Since being eligible to play, Johnson has been a valuable role player but, frankly, has not gotten a lick better than he was two years ago. In a weaker conference, his stats are eerily similar to what they were as a sophomore at UConn. His minutes per game (16.9 from 16.7), points per game (5.0 from 5.5), rebounds per game (2.6 from 3.0) and field goal percentage (.477 from .479) are all staggeringly close to his output as a Husky. I guess the only difference is that he isn't taking up a scholarship anymore. Ater Majok thanks you, Marcus.
Doug Wiggins, Class of 2010, transferred to UMass
- In terms of playing style, the incredibly quick Wiggins seemed to be a perfect fit for a Jim Calhoun-coached team. He was a very good defender and a spark off the bench, averaging 6.8 points per game. Unfortunately, however, his knack for finding the ball on defense was matched only by his ability to find trouble off the court. After serving a short suspension with Dyson last season, Calhoun publicly noted that one of the players had grown from the situation, while the other had not. When Wiggins announced that he would be transferring to UMass this past summer, it was clear that, in Calhoun's eyes, he had not.
In what should have been his year to learn the ins and outs of UMass' team and a new life in Amherst, Wiggins was unable to stay out of trouble. He was arrested this past November on a misdemeanor charge of breaking and entering and was immediately dismissed from the team. According to reports, a resident found him in their bathroom in the middle of the night. The details of the case have not been made public, but I think we should all thank Dougie Fresh for his production as a Husky and give him the benefit of the doubt. He probably just really, really had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately for Wiggins, however, "having to go" has had more to do with his ill-timed departures from basketball programs than a simple walk to the bathroom does for the rest of us.
Rob Garrison, Class of 2009, transferred to Niagara
- In Garrison's defense, his tenure at UConn was defined by being the emergency recruit out of fear that Marcus Williams would be unable to return to the team after his role in the infamous laptop scandal. Williams came back after the year's first semester, and Garrison was never really a factor. After two years under Jim Calhoun, he realized that he would not be a serious contributor here at UConn and decided to move on. After reportedly signing a deal with VH1 to be Flavor Flav's stunt double on the reality show "Flavor of Love," Garrison had a last minute change of heart and enrolled at Niagara.
In his first year as a Purple Eagle, Garrison is averaging 31 minutes per game, which is more than his entire total from his sophomore season as a Husky. He is averaging 10.4 points per contest, proving that his lack of production was not by any fault of his own, but a confirmation that he was the victim of playing for very talented teams. He has also cut his hair, thus ruining any chance I have of making more Flavor Flav jokes in the future.
Ben Eaves, Class of 2010, transferred to the University of Rhode Island
Here are some fun facts about Ben Eaves:
- He is a native of Lancashire, England.
- In his first game at URI, he scored 4 points - which quadrupled his total from his career as a Husky.
- He shares his name with a former Pittsburgh Penguins draft choice who now plays in SM-liiga, the top pro hockey league in Finland.
- This is probably more than anyone other than Eaves' roommate knows about Ben Eaves.
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