Spring Break
Life without Dyson
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 2/17/09 Section: Sports
When Jerome Dyson's knee bent the wrong way early in the first half against Syracuse last Wednesday, a silence fell over Gampel Pavilion. For that minute or so that he lay on the floor, concerned looks were scattered all over the arena - from Dyson's teammates to his fans. But, after he was carried off the court, all order seemed to be restored in Gampel.
Hasheem Thabeet went on a defensive tear. A.J. Price couldn't miss. The freight-train that was the UConn Huskies steamrolled past Syracuse, 63-49.
Thursday's practice was all smiles. At its conclusion, the team held a playful 3-point shootout, which pitted A.J. Price against Dyson's replacement, Austrie, in the finals. Austrie made 16 3-pointers in one minute. Price matched him.
"Sixteen?," Price said as the buzzer went off. "That was 17 for sure."
Some of their teammates - Kemba Walker included - sat on the scorers' table and jokingly taunted them while they were shooting. Calhoun decided a 30-second tie-breaker was necessary, but not before Robinson and assistant coach Patrick Sellers "raced" each other in a defensive slide drill to halfcourt and back.
While Price and Austrie went head-to-head again in a 30-second tie-breaker (and tied again), Donnell Beverly and Scottie Haralson threw alley-oops to each other.
Finally, after Austrie made just one 3-pointer in the third tiebreaker - a 15-second session - Price hit two off the bat and claimed the title for that day. He then went to talk to a reporter for a bit, until he realized a dunk competition was about to take place.
"You can't have a dunk contest with A-Price," he joked as he jogged onto the court.
A few minutes later, Dyson was crutching his way around the basement of Gampel Pavilion, wincing in pain.
"How's the knee, Jerome?" a reporter asked.
"It hurts, man, it hurts," Dyson said. "Probably not playing Saturday [versus Seton Hall]."
Dyson didn't suit up against Seton Hall - and when he heard the news that he'd need knee surgery that would effectively end his season - Calhoun said he was devastated.
Hasheem Thabeet went on a defensive tear. A.J. Price couldn't miss. The freight-train that was the UConn Huskies steamrolled past Syracuse, 63-49.
Thursday's practice was all smiles. At its conclusion, the team held a playful 3-point shootout, which pitted A.J. Price against Dyson's replacement, Austrie, in the finals. Austrie made 16 3-pointers in one minute. Price matched him.
"Sixteen?," Price said as the buzzer went off. "That was 17 for sure."
Some of their teammates - Kemba Walker included - sat on the scorers' table and jokingly taunted them while they were shooting. Calhoun decided a 30-second tie-breaker was necessary, but not before Robinson and assistant coach Patrick Sellers "raced" each other in a defensive slide drill to halfcourt and back.
While Price and Austrie went head-to-head again in a 30-second tie-breaker (and tied again), Donnell Beverly and Scottie Haralson threw alley-oops to each other.
Finally, after Austrie made just one 3-pointer in the third tiebreaker - a 15-second session - Price hit two off the bat and claimed the title for that day. He then went to talk to a reporter for a bit, until he realized a dunk competition was about to take place.
"You can't have a dunk contest with A-Price," he joked as he jogged onto the court.
A few minutes later, Dyson was crutching his way around the basement of Gampel Pavilion, wincing in pain.
"How's the knee, Jerome?" a reporter asked.
"It hurts, man, it hurts," Dyson said. "Probably not playing Saturday [versus Seton Hall]."
Dyson didn't suit up against Seton Hall - and when he heard the news that he'd need knee surgery that would effectively end his season - Calhoun said he was devastated.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
AJ
posted 2/17/09 @ 3:04 PM EST
I generally agree with a lot of what you say, but your insistence that we lost this game from the perimeter is ludicrous. Pitt's entire offense revolved around Thabeet and Adrien being bullied inside by Dejuan Blaire, and no one being able to stay with Sam Young when he was going inside or hitting jumpers. (Continued…)
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