It's always interesting to hear what the kids say. They're all so enthusiastic and innocent they're likely to believe what the coaches tell them in spite of ample evidence to the contrary.
Player's quote: “I spoke to coach Howard on the phone for the first time not too long ago. He's a great coach and was a great player so it would be great to learn from a guy like that."
My cynical mind would revise the quote to the following: "Coach Howard told me not to listen to those who say he had to bring Coach Martelli on staff to help him run the program. He just felt sorry for Coach Martelli being out of a job. Felt close to him because neither of them ever won a championship."
The reality is Howard's team is 15-12 and unranked after being ranked #5 preseaon with the following quote from CBS Sports about their prospects:
5. Michigan: Juwann Howard should have another Final Four contender
Here's their quote on UConn at #33. Pretty spot on:
33. UConn: There's a lot of tempting weapons who will be eager to prove their worth now that James Bouknight is in the NBA. Whether UConn has that dynamic playmaker to ensure this is a top-35 team remains to be seen. I'll take my chances with Dan Hurley. Who'll be the best player? It's TBD. The answer should come from the trio of Adam Sanogo,
Isaiah Whaley and
R.J. Cole. Whaley could be the top overall defender in the conference. Cole could drop 30 in a night. (Efficiency is the factor.) Sanogo will be the most improved player in the Big East. I think
Tyler Polley's capacity as a go-to guy late in games will add a dimension that this team lacked last season. This will be a rugged team, but also one with potential to peel off 14-2 runs. Hitting 80 points will be a special occasion, but there seems to be little doubt that UConn is a top-four Big East squad.