Opinion: After National Title, Where Does UConn Go From Here?

By Ray Bennett
Tuesday April 5, 2011

When the game clock hit 0.0 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX Monday night, The Connecticut Huskies claimed their third national title in Men's Basketball. After taking the long beaten path to Houston which started in the Big East tournament, Jim Calhoun's squad capped off an impressive eleven game winning streak to end the season.

Junior point guard Kemba Walker was considered the anchor of the team, leading the Huskies in scoring and assists during the tournament on his way to being named the Most Outstanding Player. Other key players like freshman shooting guard Jeremy Lamb, sophomore center Alex Oriakhi and freshman power forward Roscoe Smith helped the Huskies in their historic run.

Entering the 2010-2011 season, the team, coming off an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament the previous season after losing in the 2009 Final Four, was far from the favorite to win the tournament. After hitting a bump in the road near the end of the regular season, many didn't believe that the Huskies would go far if they made it. Those doubts were quickly cast aside after UConn got hot at the right time of the year.

Now that the nets have been cut down, what happens next for the Huskies? Will Walker stay for his senior year? If Walker leaves, will others follow suit? And does Calhoun, who became the fifth head coach in NCAA history to win three or more national championships and the oldest to win one at the age of 68, call it a career?

After his high caliber performance not only in the tournament, but also in his three years up in Storrs, CT, There's no reason why Kemba would not consider leaving for the NBA. After setting career highs in points per game and free throw percentage in his junior year, Walker is considered by many draft experts as one of the best guards in the nation. If Walker foregos his final year of elegiblity, he could be selected as an early lottery pick within the first 5-10 picks. His shooting and ball handling skills can help a fledging team's bench if he does come out.

However, there are two things that might make Walker decide to stay for his senior year. One factor is the possible work stoppage that NBA might go through after the season. If the league and the player's union do not reach an agreement on a new C.B.A by July 30, a lockout might happen. Just like what might happen to incoming rookies in the NFL during a lockout, the new NBA players might have to wait until a new labor agreement is reached.

Another factor in Walker's decision is if any of his teammates will bolt for the NBA as well. Smith and Oriakhi, possibly along with junior forward Benjamin Stewart, could stay for another year. Their decisions will be based off of what Walker does and what the incoming freshman class will look like. Walker's decision on whether or not to leave for the pros is up to him. His stats in his three years at UConn make a case for his departure, while trying for a chance to repeat and getting his degree might influence him to stay.

In his 25 years at Conneticut, Jim Calhoun, like women's counterpart Geno Auriemma, has built one of the most elite basketball programs in the nation. With Calhoun's third national title, he joins other legendary college coaches such as John Wooden, Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp, and current Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski as the only coaches to have three or more national titles to their resumes.

At the age of 68, there is good reason for Calhoun to retire from coaching. A national championship, along with 850+ career wins in his 39th year of coaching, might be the reason for him to retire. He may also not want to deal with the NCAA again if something happens. He had to miss the first three Big East regular season game this past year after the NCAA found out he made illegal phone calls to recruits a few years ago.

On the other hand, he could try to join Wooden and Krzyzewski with four or more national titles. Calhoun is in decent physical health, even though he had to take a leave of absence back in 2009-2010 season. He might also want to see what his next class of recruits will look like as they try to go for back-to-back national titles. A third championship might warrent Calhoun's retirement. However, he might want to try to build momentum from the remarkable performance his team put out in this years tournament for next season. With his track record, Calhoun might want to stay for a few more seasons.

No matter what happens in the next few weeks, the future of the UConn Huskies will greatly be affected. If Walker decides to leave along with a few other players and if Calhoun retires from coaching, their chances of repeating as champions will possibly decrease. Playing in a tough Big East Conference, UConn will need Either Calhoun or Walker or both to defend their conference tournament crown. Their future's are up to them.