UConn75
Utah St.67
BIRMINGHAM — He said he felt “a snap.” The next sound coming out of UConn might be the “pfffffssssst” that signals the deflating of their NCAA Tournament hopes.
In the closing minutes yesterday of the Huskies’ tough-as-expected 75-67 first-round victory over Utah State, Khalid El-Amin, UConn’s leading scorer and most indispensible player, went down with what’s being called a high right ankle sprain.
Advancing in the South Regional and ensuring a spot in yet another Sweet Sixteen will likely hinge on El-Amin’s availability for tomorrow’s game against Tennessee at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center.
“My intentions are to play and I am aiming for that,” El-Amin said, “but if I can’t go then I can’t go.”
If he can’t go, then how can the Huskies possibly replace El-Amin’s scoring (16.5 points a game) and the leadership he provides? “With a game 48 hours away, we’ve got to get him healthy,” coach Jim Calhoun said.
All the concern manifested itself with 3:57 remaining and the Huskies ahead 65-54. Near the top of the key, El-Amin received a pick from Jake Voskuhl and reversed his dribble. When he did, he pulled up lame, hobbled toward the sideline and, in obvious pain, called for time before crumbling to the court and writhing in agony.
“I didn’t get hit … I heard and felt something snap,” said El-Amin, who at that juncture had 14 points and was in complete control of the action.
It figured that was the last anyone would see of El-Amin, but with 2:49 left and the lead a comfortable 69-56, he surprisingly trotted back onto the court. Calhoun did not feel the game was secured just yet, and when El-Amin said he wanted to give it a try, the coach gave the go-ahead.
“It was still sore, but you know how coach is,” El-Amin said. “I really wanted to see how bad it was. I was just trying to run on it. They could have isolated me or could have done whatever they wanted to me because I could not guard anyone.”
Exactly 72 seconds after he returned, El-Amin took a seat for good, exiting with 1:37 when it became apparent he was not right. Question: Was it wise to re-insert him in the game and risk further damage?
“He wanted to go in and try it and from what I initially did on the sideline I felt he could try it,” said Joe Sharpe, UConn’s basketball trainer. “Was he 100 percent? I don’t think he was at all. He knew that and I knew that.”
Initial X-rays revealed no fracture and Sharpe said, “The prognosis right now is very good for Sunday.” Asked about the snapping sound El-Amin reported, Sharpe added, “That was a concern, because you don’t know what snapped.”
Freshman point guard Tony Robertson (10 points) was solid in his first tournament game and will have to pick up the slack for El-Amin, who will not be at full strength if he can play at all.
“He’s a tough guy,” Voskuhl said of El-Amin. “I’ve seen him come back from injuries worse than this.”
The injury ruined what had been a worthwhile afternoon for UConn (25-9), which never trailed but did receive a rare first-game tournament test. Utah State (28-6) came in with a 19-game winning streak and played well, led by Troy Rolle (18 points) and Shawn Daniels (17), but were simply outmanned by the much-taller Huskies, who here paced by Albert Mouring (14 points) and Kevin Freeman (13).
“There was no way to neutralize the hype,” Utah State coach Stew Morrill said. “They have strong guys.”
The competitive game was welcomed by UConn, as the defending national champions have grown accustomed to first-game routs.
“This was the first opening game that I felt we actually could lose,” Freeman said. “The other games it would have taken a miracle by the other team to beat us in the first round. I can say it now, the last three years I didn’t even look at the first game. I was like, ‘OK, how much are we going to win by.’ I was actually nervous about losing this game, so it was definitely a different situation.”
