A brand new season of college basketball starts tomorrow at midnight and fans across the country lie awake in bed, anxiously awaiting the answers to the questions that have plagued them all off-season. Have the underclassmen improved? Will the upperclassmen step into leadership roles? Did the coaches learn from the mistakes of previous years? But if you are a fan of the University of Connecticut, one more question runs through your mind: Which member of the team will be arrested this season?
Now I know that sounds crass and brass but there is a distinctive pattern emerging out of Storrs. In 9 of the last 11 seasons, at least one member of the UConn team has been suspended and/or arrested. Offenses range from underage drinking to grand larceny. Below is the list of offenders.
2008-09 -- Freshman Nate Miles is arrested for violating a restraining order after calling the protected party the same day the order was issued.
2007-08 -- Sophomores Doug Wiggins and Jerome Dyson are suspended after being caught in a car with a bottle of vodka and cognac. Marijuana was found near the car and Dyson reportedly tested positive for drugs for the second time in his career. Wiggins was also cited for operating a vehicle with a suspended license.
2006-07 -- Assistant Coach Andre LeFleur is arrested for breach of peace after causing a disturbance because he could not enroll his child in a town recreation program.
2005-06 -- Guards A.J. Price and Marcus Williams are arrested and charged with multiple counts of third-degree larceny after stealing laptops from dorm rooms. Guard Antonio Kellog is arrested for criminal attempt to assault a peace officer and 1st-degree criminal trespass after swinging at an officer attempting to remove him from a dormitory from which he was banned.
2004-05 -- Assistant Coach Clyde Vaughan is arrested for patronizing a prostitute and interfering with police after trying to pay an undercover officer for some sweet illegal lovin'.
2003-04 -- Calhoun wins national championship, all is forgiven.
2002-03 -- Sophomore Ben Gordon is arrested on 3rd-degree assault and disorderly conduct charges after hitting a female in the face. Former player Johnnie Selvie is arrested after a physical altercation with a female inside a parked car. Freshman Rashad Anderson is arrested for threatening and breach of peace after hiding in the woods near campus dormitories dressed in dark clothing, wearing a mask and holding a plastic knife with fake blood on it.
2001-02 -- Calhoun receives sainthood for going a year without an incident.
2000-01 -- Freshman Marcus Cox arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.
1999-00 -- Sophmore Khalid El-Amin is arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.
1998-99 -- Incoming recruit Doug Wrenn arrested for shoplifting from shoe store.
But don't worry, after 10 years of failing to monitor the conduct of its athletes, the University of Connecticut has added one more employee to its Office of Athletic Compliance. Phew! And I was starting to get worried! Way to think proactively Huskies - keep up the good work.
Stay classy Calhoun, you've earned every dime of it.
Good talk.