2010–11 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball | |
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NCAA National Champions
NCAA West Regional Champions Big East Tournament Champions Maui Invitational Tournament Champions |
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NCAA Tournament, W, 53–41 vs. Butler in NCAA National Championship Game
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Conference | Big East Conference (1979–2013) |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 1 |
AP | No. 10 |
2010–11 record | 32–9 (9–9 Big East) |
Head coach | Jim Calhoun (25th year) |
Assistant coach | George Blaney |
Assistant coach | Andre LaFleur |
Assistant coach | Kevin Ollie |
Home arena | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, XL Center |
2010–11 Big East men's basketball standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#4 Pittsburgh | 15 | – | 3 | .833 | 28 | – | 6 | .824 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#5 Notre Dame | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 27 | – | 7 | .794 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*#12 Syracuse | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 27 | – | 8 | .771 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#14 Louisville | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 25 | – | 10 | .714 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#18 St. John's | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 21 | – | 12 | .636 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cincinnati | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 26 | – | 9 | .743 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#22 West Virginia | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 21 | – | 12 | .636 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgetown | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 21 | – | 11 | .656 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#10 Connecticut† | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 32 | – | 9 | .780 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Villanova | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 21 | – | 12 | .636 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marquette | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 22 | – | 15 | .595 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seton Hall | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 13 | – | 18 | .419 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rutgers | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 15 | – | 17 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Providence | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 15 | – | 17 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Florida | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 10 | – | 23 | .303 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DePaul | 1 | – | 17 | .056 | 7 | – | 24 | .226 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 2011 Big East Tournament winner As of April 4, 2011 *Syracuse:: 7 wins vacated due to sanctions against the program; Disputed record: Syracuse–(27–8)(10–6); Rankings from AP Poll |
The 2010–11 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2010–2011 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Huskies were coached by Jim Calhoun and played their home games at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. The Huskies are a member of the Big East Conference.
The Huskies entered the year unranked and picked to finish tenth in the Big East. In November, they won the Maui Invitational Tournament for the second time. They finished the Big East regular season in a tie for ninth place at 9–9. Led by Kemba Walker who scored a tournament record 130 points, they became the first school to win five conference tournament games in as many days in claiming their seventh Big East Tournament title. By winning the tournament, they were awarded an automatic berth into the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. They advanced to their fourth Final Four with a 65–63 victory over Arizona and advanced to their third National Championship game with a 56–55 victory over Kentucky and beat Butler 53–41 for their first championship since 2004 and third since 1999.
The Huskies were coming off of a tumultuous 2009–10 season in which they failed to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament for the second time in four years, and amidst an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations involving Nate Miles. As a result of the investigation, assistant coaches Patrick Sellers and Beau Archibald resigned from their positions. Later that summer, Kevin Ollie was hired to take Sellers' role as assistant coach, and Glen Miller was brought on as Director of Basketball Operations, replacing Archibald. Both men have previous links with Jim Calhoun. Ollie played for the Huskies under Calhoun from 1991–95, while Miller was an assistant coach under Calhoun from 1986 until 1992.
In addition to the coaching changes, the Huskies also needed to replace three graduating starters: Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards. Reserve forward Ater Majok also left the school before the season began.
Prior to the start of the season, the Huskies were picked by both the Big East coaches and writers to finish tenth in the conference. The team was not ranked in the top 25 in any major national poll, although they did receive votes in the Preseason AP Poll.
With regards to individual honors, Kemba Walker was selected to the Preseason All Big East first team, and was named to both the Wooden and Naismith award preseason watchlists.