Spring Break
A 'CUSE FOR CONCERN
Marc Gauthier
Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: Sports
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"I know Paul. Me and Paul have been playing basketball since we were in 10th grade of high school. I know he doesn't have a jump shot," Robinson joked.
Five days since that Chinese food, Robinson simply said that he feels all right, and he'll be ready to match-up against Syracuse's forward Paul Harris when No. 22 Syracuse (18-6, 6-5 Big East) takes on No. 1 UConn (22-1, 10-1) tonight at 7 p.m. in Gampel Pavilion (ESPN).
"Stanley has experience with length," said coach Jim Calhoun. "Paul Harris is a hard match-up for the whole league. I think [Robinson] will help us."
For Robinson, coach Jim Calhoun and almost all the Huskies, the UConn-Syracuse rivalry has deep roots that stretch all the way back to the 1980s.
"We look forward to a tough game against Syracuse and it's probably the rivalry we have," Calhoun said. "Over a 20-year period, beating Syracuse has probably been the number one thing we wanted to do. I'm looking forward to having Jim [Boeheim] come here. Jim loves Gampel."
When UConn has been the top-ranked team in the country, the Huskies' record is 38-7 with two of those seven losses coming at the hands of Syracuse.
Since the two teams started playing each other in 1956, Syracuse leads the series 47-35, but has never won at Gampel.
"It's going to be real fun," Robinson said. "We're going to get up and down the court. Both of these teams like to push it, there's a lot of emotion, a lot of physical play and chatter on the court. It's always been a rivalry. I'm excited for it and I'll be ready to play."
Syracuse comes into Wednesday's game having lost four of its last five games to Pittsburgh, Louisville, Providence and Villanova. The only team the Orange has beaten is West Virginia.
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