Le Bien, Le Mal

SPORTING GOODS

UConn has its first big test of the season tonight, taking on top-10 ranked Arizona (who are at least good enough to be on the cover of SI's West version of their college basketball preview). You can catch the boys in action on ESPN at 9.

Last night's late-night victory over "former national champion" Arkansas had its good and bad moments. The good? Winning, of course. And Rudy Gay, who all off-season was subjected to talk that he is the most talented player in the land and will be the number one pick in the NBA next year, if only he can learn to be aggressive, take his shots, and show true confidence. How's this for a response? A career high 28 points on 19 shots, scoring on three circus shots, and basically willing the team to victory. His confidence?

Gay was asked about the last of the spectacular plays, a move where he grabbed a rebound under the basket, went right up and flipped it off the glass as he was falling to the floor.

"Oh that one," he said, preparing to make his creativity even better. "The guy punched me in the stomach then poked me in the eye. He broke my nose and I set in back in place on the way down."

Now for the bad. Without Marcus Williams, the team let Arkansas back in the game by allowing 22 turnovers. That is worrying. But perhaps more upsetting to me, is that Josh Boone, who seemed to disappear at the end of the season last year and actually looked frightened in their season-ending loss, scored 4 points in 28 minutes. Four shots taken, four turnovers. No blocks, and 7 rebounds. That is not playing big.

Gay is going to be a star. The team has no point guard. Those are certainties. Josh Boone is now an uncertainty, and he needs to play big if this team is going anywhere this year.