Spring Break
Dyson ready to savor last chance in Storrs
Kevin Vellturo
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Husky Hoopla
Before the men's basketball team's final exhibition game last weekend, senior guard Jerome Dyson stubbed his toe entering the building. Badly. As coach Jim Calhoun was quick to point out after the game - in which Dyson dropped 32 points on UMass- Lowell - it wasn't the first time he'd stubbed his toe, so to speak.
"He stubbed his toe, which he's done on several other occasions," Calhoun said. "But this time it was actually the physical stubbing of his toe."
While Dyson has been an impact player since his freshman year, his career at UConn has been far from smooth.
As a freshman, Dyson was part of a squad that went 17-15 and missed both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.
As a sophomore, Dyson (along with then-teammate Doug Wiggins) was suspended after being found in possession of marijuana. After Dyson came back, he was relegated to the bench as Craig Austrie had stepped up in his absence.
In the Huskies' season ending loss to San Diego, Dyson scored 14 points but committed four turnovers and four fouls.
Last year, Dyson looked like a man on a mission - ready to make up for a disappointing sophomore campaign. He was the team's leading scorer heading into the Huskies' regular season matchup with Syracuse. But it would be his last game of the season, after a torn miniscus sidelined him for the remainder of the season and UConn's trip to the Final Four.
Not having Dyson against Michigan State in the National Semifinal hurt a lot. Especially when the Huskies needed a scorer.
"Against Michigan State we needed someone to go off," Calhoun said. "A.J. didn't go off, Stanley didn't go off, Kemba didn't go off, and that's where we needed Jerome."
Does having to watch the end of his team's from the bench add extra motivation for this season? You better believe it.
"I can't wait," Dyson said. "It's been a while since I've been able to get back out there. I got to put my jersey on at the Final Four but it just wasn't the same knowing that I wouldn't be able to get out there and run up and down the court."
"He stubbed his toe, which he's done on several other occasions," Calhoun said. "But this time it was actually the physical stubbing of his toe."
While Dyson has been an impact player since his freshman year, his career at UConn has been far from smooth.
As a freshman, Dyson was part of a squad that went 17-15 and missed both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.
As a sophomore, Dyson (along with then-teammate Doug Wiggins) was suspended after being found in possession of marijuana. After Dyson came back, he was relegated to the bench as Craig Austrie had stepped up in his absence.
In the Huskies' season ending loss to San Diego, Dyson scored 14 points but committed four turnovers and four fouls.
Last year, Dyson looked like a man on a mission - ready to make up for a disappointing sophomore campaign. He was the team's leading scorer heading into the Huskies' regular season matchup with Syracuse. But it would be his last game of the season, after a torn miniscus sidelined him for the remainder of the season and UConn's trip to the Final Four.
Not having Dyson against Michigan State in the National Semifinal hurt a lot. Especially when the Huskies needed a scorer.
"Against Michigan State we needed someone to go off," Calhoun said. "A.J. didn't go off, Stanley didn't go off, Kemba didn't go off, and that's where we needed Jerome."
Does having to watch the end of his team's from the bench add extra motivation for this season? You better believe it.
"I can't wait," Dyson said. "It's been a while since I've been able to get back out there. I got to put my jersey on at the Final Four but it just wasn't the same knowing that I wouldn't be able to get out there and run up and down the court."
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