IMG's Daniels kicks off great week for UConn

If Jim Calhoun didn’t have a reason to return to coach Connecticut to a repeat national championship he received two big ones last week.

It started with IMG Academy Basketball standout DeAndre Daniels committing to the Huskies on Tuesday putting a great cap on his 2011 recruiting class.

Two days later, it was reported by ZagsBlog that New York Christ The King guard Omar Calhoun Jr.. (no relation), among the top players in the Class of 2012, had verbally committed to the Huskies.

Calhoun said he would announce soon whether he was returning, though that seemed like a foregone conclusion. When he was in the area for the Dick Vitale Gala, who sounded enthusiastic about coaching another season and said he was feeling good after two successful battles with cancer.

Daniels told several media outlets that Calhoun was coming back and his comments last week seemed to indicate the same thing.

“I picked Connecticut because it was the best situation for me,” Daniels said. “They do a good job of developing their wing guards and their style of play fits me. Watching them win the national championship played a role in my decision. I wanted to go to a winning program and help them repeat.

“I felt comfortable talking to coach Calhoun and watching them play on television. I talked to him the day I committed and he welcomed me into the Husky family. I am the happiest dude in the world right now.”

Dick Vitale Gala has record setting night

Final Four coaches gather with Dickie V. at Dick Vitale Gala
(L-R Jim Calhoun, Dick Vitale, Shaka Smart, John Calipari, Brad Stevens)

Dickie Vitale broke the bank at this year’s Dick Vitale Gala raising a record $1.3 million for pediatric cancer research.

It was the most money ever raised the Gala exceeding the $1.2 million that event brought in several years ago when it honored Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

“We are ecstatic that we broke the record,” Vitale said after learning of the figures late last week. “It’s absolutely amazing and I want to thank all the people from the Bradenton-Sarasota are and the celebrities who came and made this possible.

“I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can’t thank enough all the stars that came on their own expense without charge and the many, many thousands of dollars they gave. I am talking serious donations. We in the Jimmy V Foundation are very happy with the final numbers.”

The scene at Vitale’s house the next day where many of the guests gathered was very emotional. Anthony Littlejohn, Lakewood Ranch assistant football coach who lost his 15 month old son Adrian Shawn to cancer on May 1^st, gave an impassioned speech thanking everyone who had helped him and his wife Ivette get through the tough times.

Vitale said plans are already under way for next year’s Dick Vitale Gala that will be held May 18^th at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. He plans to honor former college football coach and ESPN analyst Lou Holtz, Villanova head basketball coach Jay Wright and former Maryland head basketball coach Gary Williams.

Brian Parker stabbing in news again

Brian Parker, the troubled receiver who started his football career at Southeast and eventually played and graduated from the former Bradenton Prep, recently found himself in the news again.

Parker signed a scholarship to play football for Connecticut, but never took the field for the Huskies because of reported academic issues. The 6-4, 215 pounder transferred and played for Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan last season.

Earlier this month a man accused of disposing of one of the knives used in the fight that ended with the death of UConn football player Jasper Howard applied for a special form of probation.

Rahim Muhammad is charged with hindering the prosecution. He applied in Superior Court for accelerated rehabilitation, a probation program that could leave him without a criminal record. A hearing on the request will be held June 10.

Muhammad is accused of getting rid of the knife his brother Hakim Muhammad used to stab Parker during the October 2009 fight. Parker was not seriously hurt.

Hakim Muhammad was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for assault. His friend, John Lomax is serving an 18 year sentence for manslaughter in Howard’s death.

Holtz takes blame for loss to UConn

USF head coach Skip Holtz put the blame of the Bulls 19-16 loss Saturday night squarely on his shoulders questioning what he said was his play calling.

Trailing 16-13,the Bulls had driven down to the Connecticut five where they had a first down with less than two minutes left.

A one yard run by Mo Plancher didn't gain any yards and UConn called a timeout leaving itself with two remaining.

Holtz said he was responsible for the next two calls, which were pass attempts to Dontavia Bogan. They both fell incomplete and worst of all stopped the clock without UConn forced to call a time out.

After USF tied the game on a field goal, UConn was able to get a good kickoff return and with two time outs remaining put itself in a position to get a 52-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to win the game.

Holtz said after the game he should've run the ball and forced UConn to use its timeouts, which proved crucial at the end,

"I look at myself first. I'd love to go back and redo the final two minutes," Holtz said. "It's one-on-one coverage, they're loading the box, let's give Bogan a chance to make a play. He's made so many for us this year.

"In hindsight, putting that on a freshman (quarterback Bobby Eveld), I should have run the ball, even if we didn't gain any yards. I should (have) run the ball and ate up the clock and not given them an opportunity to go back down and kick the field goal. … In a one-play game like this, you beat yourself up."