SimonOnSports

In 2009 UConn and UNC battled for the #1 rank in the country. They battled for the nation's collective spot as NCAA Tournament Favorite. They eventually both found their way into the Final Four and North Carolina eventually took home the crown. In 2009 these two Elite NCAA Programs were the cream of the crop. In 2010, however, things are quite different. With just over a month before we start sorting out the bubble teams to NCAA Tournament fringe members to NIT favorites, both North Carolina and UConn find themselves squarely on this bubble with momentum pulling them towards the NIT. North Carolina started off the season strong. In their out of conference play they knocked off both Michigan St. and Ohio State while they were highly ranked. Sure they lost to Texas, Kentucky and Syracuse but those are all Top 5 teams and they all were on the road. No big deal right? Well then they lost to the College of Charleston. Just a bump in the road something easily moved on from. ...

Last night while I was watching Michigan officially put the nail in their season, a score on ESPNs bottom line jumped out at me. The score involved two perennial Big East Power schools. Teams that typically have a chance to make the Final Four every year. So who were these teams? The UConn and Rutgers Women's basketball teams. What was the score? About 8-gazillion for UConn and about 20 for Rutgers. At the end of last year's regular season I chronicled just how ridiculous their 36 game win streak was , well somehow this season they just might be topping their feats. 1. Once again UConn has yet to win by anything other than double digits. At this point triple digits may just be more of likely scenario than a single digit game. 2. Their current average victory is 39 points which is 7 more than last years 32. 3. They have doubled up their opponents 7 times in 20 games. They even TRIPLED two. 4. Their average victory over ranked teams is 25+ while their average victo...

Dear Coach Calhoun, I have a request for this seasons recruiting class. I think it's time you start integrating ability to shoot into the equation on whether or not a player deserves a scholarship. This current squad you have assembled has not a single body anyone would trust to hit a three point shot. Just in case you have forgotten, the three pointer is now an absolutely essential piece of winning college basketball games now. I figure you of all people should know this given which of your teams have had the most success in the NCAA tournament. In 1999 you had Rip Hamilton and his deadly accuracy lead you to the promise land. In 2004 you had Ben Gordon and his ice water veins hitting clutch shots down the stretch. You also had Rashard Anderson and Denham Brown who were both capable of spreading the floor and knocking down a shot on that team. This season you have nobody. Not a one. Your team is one-dimensional. Incapable of spreading the floor and frankly not good....

The Degrees of Loss Separation is a simple concept, I go out and find a highly rated team with some losses playing against a crappy team with lots of losses. Next I find a chain of losses which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt (not at all) that the underdog is going to pull the major upset and storm the field. The Final Outcome is calculated simply: Add up the scores of the losers, add up the scores of the winners in the degrees of loss separation and divide both by the # of degrees. The Game: Connecticut Huskies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers This Degrees of Loss Separation is in honor of the recently deceased Jasper Howard. By now you must know that he was stabbed to death outside a UConn building on the night of a school dance. I think we can all agree that this must be an incredibly difficult time for the Huskies and that unless you are from West Virginia you will be pulling for them this weekend. 10º of Loss Separation : UConn > Louisville > Southern Miss > Memphis ...

The UConn season in just three weeks has already been an up and down roller coaster. Cupcake, Win over Ohio 23-16 The season started off with what should have been an automatic victory for the Huskies, a matchup against MAC doormat Ohio. For the most part the game was a walk through with UConn leading 23-7 after an early fourth quarter touchdown. The Huskies gave themselves a little bit of a headache after giving up 9 unanswered OH IO points, but were able to slam the door in the end. Heartbreak, Loss to UNC 12-10 This is one of the worst losses of the college football season. The Huskies had their chance to make a statement at home against a ranked ACC team and they were getting it done. They were up 10-0 going into the fourth quarter but after a UNC field goal, a 3 and out, and a UNC touchdown they found themselves tied with the ball on their own 20. After a fumble which pushed the Huskies back to their own 8, they attempted a screen pass to the right hash. Unfortunately their...

UConn may not have a vast history when it comes to college football winning, but they do have a vast history when it comes to changing helmets. According to The Helmet Project , they've changed their helmet atleast 17 times. Below I've ranked which ones I enjoy the best. For whatever odd reason, I enjoy the C that looks like a football. It's different, it's unique, and hence it gets bonus points from me. The three Cs are followed by the Huskies current helmet which is simple and classy. The remainder of the helmets are pretty boring. I like the script UConn much better than the block Uconn, but can't say I like either much. And the last helmet with the interlocking U & C is absolutely hideous, can you say Holy Cross logo .