TheRoundUp 2/7: *Deep Sigh*

Lamb off, UConn loses at No. 24 Louisville - Norwich, CT - The Bulletin
Freshman Ryan Boatright led the Huskies (15-8, 5-6 Big East) with 18 points. Fellow freshman Andre Drummond went scoreless, missing all six shots. "He had a freshman night," Blaney said of Drummond’s performance.

UCONN MEN: Huskies crumble in second half, get blown out by Louisville- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut
The second half of Monday’s game was simply the worst 20 minutes of basketball UConn (15-8, 5-6 Big East) has played in quite some time. The Huskies couldn’t do anything right — getting badly outrebounded on both ends of the floor, failing to grab loose balls, misfiring on one shot after another, making a parade of bad passes and allowing more passes to bounce off their hands than New England Patriots receivers did the night before.

Jeff Jacobs column: UConn offense struggles against Louisville, and team quits in second half. - Courant.com
Yet here's a less emotional, more analytical point to consider. If UConn doesn't do something about its offense, it's going nowhere. The ball movement is not good. The inside-outside game seems nonexistent.

Without Calhoun, rudderless UConn drifting out of NCAA picture - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com News, Scores, Stats, Schedule and RPI Rankings
But I am not an optimistic man, and this didn't feel like merely one bad game. It felt like I was watching a team that's leaderless and heartless and -- with Jim Calhoun on an indefinite leave of absence for health reasons -- in no position to get things turned around. It felt like I was watching a team that has quit in every way possible. The Huskies looked selfish and disinterested. They might've been pissed off but they didn't seem pissed off. They seemed apathetic.

Defending champ UConn in danger of missing NCAA tourney | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Quality wins over Florida State, Harvard, Notre Dame ensure the Huskies would make the field of 68 if the season ended today, but a difficult upcoming schedule suggests it's no guarantee they do a month from now. UConn still has two games against Syracuse and home games against Marquette and surging Pittsburgh, meaning that even getting to 9-9 in the Big East will be challenging.

The New Haven Register Blogs: UConn Men's Basketball Blog: Worst 20 Minutes I've Seen from UConn
"I’ve never given up at any time in my life," said Boatright, about the only Husky to show up on Monday with a game-high 18 points, five assists and four steals. "I’ve been in bad situations and pressure situations and real low points in my life, and I’ve never given up … If I’ve got to be the one to take that role, then I’m going to do it."

Louisville crushes UConn, 80-59 - BostonHerald.com
With Jim Calhoun still out, the Huskies’ performance could not have made him feel any better. They rallied, appeared to handle the Cardinals’ press, and led briefly midway through the first half, but were outscored 35-10 over the last minute of the half and the first 14 minutes of the second. Unable to make shots from any distance, particular three-point range, where they missed 13 of their first 15 attempts, the Huskies’ poor offense was able to ignite the Cardinals’ running game. Louisville eventually built a 30-point lead.