2010 Connecticut Huskies Basketball: UConn vs WVU

Remember those pronouncements about Connecticut going to the NIT? They need to be withheld for the moment, and in a few weeks, they might have to be retracted outright.

On Saturday, Feb. 13, Coach Jim Calhoun presided over a train wreck of a loss, a 60-48 debacle at home against the Cincinnati Bearcats. The putrid performance devalued the Huskies' overall resume, but what was even more memorable about the 12-point setback is that it cast UConn in such a negative light. Calhoun's return to the bench after a health-based hiatus occurred on that sad-sack Saturday afternoon, so when UConn served up a complete clunker and scored just five points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, the notion that the Huskies would be helped by their Hall of Fame boss became a little less tenable.

Make that, a LOT less tenable.

In the postgame press conference, Calhoun used the E-word - "embarrassing" - to describe his team's effort against Cincinnati. While no one disagreed with that assessment, the larger reality remained plain for all to see: Connecticut was in disrepair, sitting at 4-8 in the Big East and tagged with the three letters no elite college basketball program ever wants to see in the middle of February: N-I-T.

Connecticut and its legendary coach could have professed to get better until the cows came home, but actually becoming better was another matter.

But now, look at how things have changed for this college basketball brand name.

Seven nights ago, UConn rolled into Philadelphia and rocked Villanova. Over the weekend, UConn took care of business at Rutgers. A resurgence had begun, but in order for the Huskies to truly begin to entertain aspirations of an NCAA Tournament berth - the same prize that seemed absolutely unattainable just nine days ago - they had to take down West Virginia in Hartford on Monday night. Without a conquest of coach Bob Huggins' Mountaineers at the XL Center, Connecticut would have fallen to 6-9 in the conference and reassumed position as an NIT team. Once more, this team had to deliver the goods with its NCAA existence hanging in the balance.

Safe to say, the nation's other bubble teams can't be happy with what they saw on Monday night.

The dream that seemed impossible nine days ago is now more than a mere possibility. Connecticut brought a flinty and feisty edge to the basketball court and outfought West Virginia in a bruising contest that witnessed 45 personal fouls, three technical’s, and 65 foul shots.

Neither team hit 45 percent of its field goal attempts, but UConn - by registering a plus-18 advantage at the charity stripe - was able to hold off the Mountaineers down the stretch. West Virginia pulled within a single point (53-52) with 8:49 left, but could never tie the game or take the lead. With UConn ahead by only two (58-56) with 6:14 left in regulation, Husky forward Stanley Robinson drained a three from the top of the key to give the home team a crucial cushion it preserved the rest of the way. West Virginia was still in the fight, down by only four with 1:10 left, but a Robinson dunk with 1:02 remaining effectively sealed the issue.

What a difference a day makes? Not quite. The past nine days have truly transformed Connecticut's men's basketball team from a second-rate squad into a proud and purposeful band of basketball brothers that is suddenly on track to make the NCAA Tournament... as long as it finishes the job in the next three weeks.

Connecticut vs West Virginia Basketball Recap