The Fan Hub

On Friday, the NCAA rejected UConn’s request for a waiver that would allow the Huskies to play in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The initial ban from 2013 NCAA Tournament was the result of consistent below-average academic performance by UConn’s men’s basketball team. This ban will considerably shape UConn’s program in the near future and possibly longer.

Connecticut Huskies forward Jeremy Lamb (3) takes a jump shot against Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Scott Martin (14) at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The largest impact of UConn’s 2013 tourney ban is the potential for fleeing talent. It is highly unlikely that Andre Drummond or Jeremy Lamb will stick around for another year if neither will be able to play in college basketball’s biggest spotlight. That’s unfortunate for both the UConn program and for Drummond and Lamb as future professionals. Without Drummond or Lamb, the currently struggling Huskies look markedly worse. Drummond could certainly use another year to refine his post-game and to become the consistently dominant interior player he has the potential to be. But with the ban and with the hype surrounding Drummond’s draft future, there is little reason for Drummond to return. Lamb could use another year to bulk up and to better develop his leadership, two qualities that would undoubtedly increase his draft value. Yet, like Drummond, there’s little chance Lamb will come back with the ban.

The ban will also discourage top high school talent from joining the Huskies. Given the choice between making a splash on a tournament bound team (as Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose did) and hopping on to a struggling program with no tourney hopes in 2013, nearly every high school star will choose the former. If the Huskies were playing better, perhaps this would change (USC football put together a 10-2 season with a final ranking of #6 though the Trojans were banned from bowl games). But right now, UConn sits at 15-8 (5-6 in the Big East) and is looking more and more like a bubble team (5 losses in its past 6 games). That lack of success will not lure talented new recruits.

This begs the question: if Drummond and Lamb decide to leave, UConn brings in a less-than-stellar new recruit class, and the Huskies are banned from the 2013 NCAA Tournament, does Jim Calhoun decide to retire after this season? On top of all of this, Jim Calhoun has fought a variety of medical issues over the last decade, most recently taking an indefinite leave of absence due to spinal stenosis. In such conditions, if I’m Jim Calhoun, I am most definitely considering retirement.

All in all, this ban has the capability to destroy UConn’s program, by forcing their top players to flee, by making it difficult to attract new talent, and by effectively pushing Calhoun towards retirement. If UConn fans thought this season was going poorly, it might be in their best interest to avoid looking at the Huskies’ future.

— Ben Gordon