HAPPY AND RELIEVED

When the UConn team unveiled itself, and Hasheem Thabeet — the 7-foot-3 wonder kid drawing comparisons to the dominance of Emeka Okafor — stepped onto the court at First Night festivities, there was a sign held up by a fan that read: “I Dream of Hasheem.”
Well, after having his eligibility issues cleared up, it’s apparent Thabeet feels the same way about UConn. He’s happy to be here, happy to be getting an education and even happier to be playing basketball.
Thabeet met with the media Tuesday, discussing everything from the difference between life in the States vs. Africa and what it felt like to tell his mom — still back in Tanzania — that he’d be playing for the Huskies this season. I know the NCAA gets a lot of grief for supposedly making plenty of poor decisions when it comes to kids, but it looks as if the powers that be got it right this time.
So for all the UConn fans out there, the dream of Hasheem is stronger than ever.

FACING THE MUSIC

Ever wondered what it’s like to face a host of people wanting nothing but answer after answer from you? Since I’m usually the one delivering those questions, I can’t help but sometimes wonder what it would be like to sit in the other seat.
I figured last week’s media day would be the perfect time to ask a player about the experience, considering the moment is intensified when reporters from the entire conference are in town.
“This day’s not all that bad,” UConn sophomore Jeff Adrien said. “Some people might not like this, but, for me, it’s all right. It’s good to get away from school.”
Even though we think of them as athletes, like any other college student, a day out of the classroom is never a bad thing.
Of course, UConn players are probably a little more used to the attention consider they get more coverage than some major league baseball teams. I guess it’s just a matter of being in the right state of mind for the event, and, of course, being patient when someone, perhaps less knowledgeable, asks a dumb question.
“It’s actually been kind of quick,” Adrien said. “It’s nice seeing familiar faces of players that you play against, people that I know.”

EARLY THOUGHTS

My apologies for not updating earlier. There was a misunderstanding about when this blog started to be advertised in the newspaper, but consider frequent updates now and here to stay.
It’s nice to be back from New York after two days of non-stop interviews at Big East men’s and women’s basketball media days. I should clarify that the interviewing process isn’t really the issue. Instead, it’s the process of transcribing your tape, which for an hour’s worth of interviews can sometimes take more than two hours.
As for the UConn men being picked fifth — keep in mind Nos. 3-5 were in a very tight pack — I think it was a pretty reasonable place to be slotted. Although the Huskies are among the league’s most talented, their youth is at least cause for early concern, plus, the status of 7-foot-3 freshman center Hasheem Thabeet — who has since been declared eligible by the NCAA — was undetermined when ballots were cast.
My reactions were the same upon seeing UConn at 18th in the preaseason ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll.

FRESH START

Tomorrow marks one of my favorite days as a sports writer.
Wednesday will serve as Big East media day at Madison Square Garden, a chance for writers from across the conference to speak with every league coach and certain key players. It’s an opportunity to get a sense of what the newsmakers from around the league think and begin searching for story ideas to work on throughout the season.
I’ll be very interested to see what others have to say about UConn, a far different team than a year ago. Replacing a group filled with veterans and soon-to-be NBA draft choices is an ultra-young roster, but one filled with talent.
I’m already of the belief the Huskies will crack the top-10 at some point — an easy schedule before the Big East opener at West Virginia will facilitate that rise in the polls — but hearing the opinions of league coaches should make for some interesting assessments.
After only getting to see a few practices so far and with the exhibition season set to begin in about a week, tomorrow sets the stage for a long haul that usually runs into the latter stages of March and maybe beyond when you’re covering UConn. Here’s to a new beginning.

Hello all. Welcome to the Norwich Bulletin's blog focusing on everything to do with the UConn men's basketball team.
Some of you may have read or even participated in some of my previous blogs, and for others this could be your first time. Either way, consider this a source for information that might not fit into the context of a newspaper or just some extra factoids for you more passionate fans.
I look forward to interacting with all of you and stay tuned, there's always new information to come.