Pre-Game Hype, High Expectations For Husky-Hoya Big East Opener

By Zach Smart

It’s been quite the wait, but the pulsating, gut-wrenching Big East action is finally here. Easily one of the biggest matchups of the season kicks off today, with No. 2 UConn hosting Georgetown at the XL Center in Hartford.

The highly-anticipated matchup between fabulous freshman Greg Monroe and UConn center Hasheem Thabeet, a 7-foot-3 behemoth and blocksmith, is likely to live up to its billing. But with the resurgence of once-exiled guard Jerome Dyson (who’s emerged into UConn’s go-to-guy and the key cog in the Huskies’ go-go, souped up offense), along with the play of Georgetown’s DuJuan Summers (14.3 ppg) and Chris Wright (13.2 ppg), the game is about as predictable as a Mike Tyson interview.

Anything can happen. It should be wild, down-to-the-wire basketball in its purist, most appreciable form that features the crowd as the sixth man and an X-factor that beat writers scribble in their notepads about all game.

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Hype surrounding the eyeball-to-eyeball battle between the two super-sized bigs has been hanging around Hartford all afternoon. The matchup brings some added juice and is one of many of the intriguing subplots for tonight as two teams with strong NCAA basketball odds to go deep in March Madness collide.

Thabeet, who was extremely raw and a work-in-progress his freshman year, has developed a toughness and unfaltering confidence that hasn’t relented since last year. The NBA prospect is beginning to flower, albeit UConn ate up the cupcakes of their nonconference slate in shark-size bites prior to the barometer game at Gonzaga.

Thabeet called out Notre Dame forward/center Luke Harangody for his lack of toughness during an interview with ESPN.com and was charged with a technical foul for taunting during the Huskies’ victory over Gonzaga. Trying to shoot over his towering head and longer than the nile river arms, you’re likely to get stuffed like a thanksgiving turkey.
With Monroe, however, Thabeet has apparently met his match.

Monroe registered his imprint immediately. Heading into the contest, the 6-foot-11 Monroe was averaging 12.5 points, 5.6 boards, and 2.1 blocks while staking his claim as a premier freshman in the Big East (see Samuels, Samuerdo or Theodore, Jordan or whoever else my lackadaisical self is missing for more details on that).

The aforementioned Wright, who’s blossomed into an area code shooter this year, has held his own. He has a great supplement in local product Austin Freeman (Bowie, Md.). Jessie Sapp, a Harlem native with plenty of big-game experience, provides augmented back court vigor.

The UConn guards have been just as tough, with A.J. Price netting the big three and finishing with 24 points and 10 dimes against Gonzaga. Kemba Walker has become a presence in the running game and passing lanes, while Craig Austrie has been rock-solid.
Remember, Austrie ran the show when professionals Marcus Williams, Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone and Rudy Gay were all in uniform. He’s got that type of experience and has showed resolve and resilience throughout his career. Calhoun, a longtime Boston Red Sawx fan, refers to Austrie as the Huskies’ version of closer Jonathon Papelbon.