Ray Allen trying to trigger another renaissance at UConn

 

BY KEN DAVIS

It could be the greatest plan in history. But without execution, it’s not worth a thing. Many times, an overlooked detail can make all the difference. It can leave behind a bruise.

 

The same thing is true when planning a celebration. One oversight, just one omission, can turn a ceremony upside down and inside out.

 

What happened at Gampel Pavilion Sunday was not a disaster. Absolutely nothing was overlooked. Ray Allen, the first Naismith Hall of Fame player produced by the UConn men’s basketball program, returned to campus to deepen his historic status with the Huskies as the first to have his number retired.

 

That’s right.

 

Allen’s No. 34 has been raised to the rafters.

 

Now it is there for generations of UConn fans to enjoy. It will remind them and educate them, reflecting a period of time when the program rose like a phoenix from the flames of college basketball. It will remain there as long as the building stands as a tribute to the Jim Calhoun Era of UConn basketball.

 

If not for a touch of irony, the execution would have been perfect.

 

Allen returned to UConn for a weekend of memories and recognition. There were video clips of his most memorable plays that flickered on Gampel’s scoreboard screens. He was surrounded by family members and friends. His UConn coaches and many of his teammates were there to show their loyalty. Fans wore jerseys and T-shirts with Allen’s name and number from UConn, the Bucks, the Sonics, and the Celtics.

 

With all those special touches in place, a spotlight was aimed toward Gampel’s dome, highlighting an area covered with a black curtain.

 

When the time was right, the curtain dropped and the big No. 34 was on display, right next to Rebecca Lobo’s No. 50, which was retired Saturday at Gampel. Allen, meticulously dressed as always, put the moment in perspective with words that tugged on the heartstrings of UConn fans everywhere.

 

It was perfect – except for one thing.

 

Someone forgot to bring the 3-point shots.

 

How do you honor the greatest jump shooter in UConn history, the most prolific 3-point shooter ever to grace the NBA, the man with style and fashion, without making a 3-pointer? UConn did just that. Despite snapping a six-game losing streak with a 60-58 escape against USF, the Huskies were 0-for-15 from 3-point range Sunday.

 

Add in the Bulls, who were 3-for-19 for a combined total of 3 of 34 (yeah, there’s that 34 again) and the bruise grew into a scar that bore no resemblance to a Ray Day at Gampel.

 

Say it wasn’t so.

 

Allen did not retreat to the UConn locker room to weep over the steady flow of missed shots. If he had, no one would have blamed him. But on this day, everyone in the program was just relieved that the losing streak had been put to rest.

 

Allen did give the current UConn players a little pep talk after the game. The gang that couldn’t shoot straight got his message.

 

“It’s ironic, obviously that it’s on his day,” guard Tarin Smith said. “But we found a way to win and that’s what he was proud of. He was proud that we found a way to win on his day.”

 

The last time the Huskies failed to hit at least one 3 in a game had been on Nov. 27, 2009. That was against Duke, when the Huskies were 0-for-4 in the NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden.

 

Since the Huskies were able to gut out a victory while also giving a tip of the hat to Allen and past UConn success, coach Dan Hurley allowed the inept outside shooting to provide the opening comment for his postgame press conference.

 

“Ray took a run at me somewhere [Saturday] and talked about how bad a player I was in our matchups with Seton Hall,” Hurley said. “I’ll say the 0-for-15 from 3 had a lot to do with him being here today. The players just couldn’t handle the pressure of a shooter of that caliber being in the building.”

 

Hurley likes having Allen around. What coach wouldn’t?

 

The Huskies entered the game 13-15 overall and 4-11 in the American Athletic Conference in Hurley’s first season in Storrs. With regular season games remaining against Temple and East Carolina before the AAC tournament starts March 14 in Memphis, Hurley can still think about getting over .500 and grabbing a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.

But beyond that, this was a huge weekend for the program. With Allen making his homecoming, UConn decided to hold a ribbon-cutting for the Hall of Champions in the Werth Family Center on Saturday. It is a shiny display area for championship trophies, nets, and glass murals of the great players who have decorated the men’s and women’s programs.

 

With seven recruits on campus, Hurley wanted to showcase the fine new confines and flash the heritage of championships that were built with Allen, Donyell Marshall, Khalid El-Amin, Rudy Johnson, Kirk King, Calhoun and his coaching staff gathered back in Gampel again

 

It was impressive. And it wasn’t lost on the players now struggling to turn back time and create a new excitement at UConn.

 

“Any time you’ve got a UConn legend like Ray to come back to the school, it shows you the tradition we have at UConn,” said forward Josh Carlton, who led the Huskies with 16 points and nine rebounds Sunday. “It’s a great thing to see.

 

“Guys like Kemba [Walker], Shabazz [Napier}, [Emeka] Okafor, [Andre] Drummond – it just shows us UConn, the brand and the name, and there’s more to it. When we put these jerseys on, we’ve got to have pride. There’s a lot of guys we’re playing for, who played before us.”

 

That was part of Sunday’s plan and nothing could ruin that.

 

Allen, 43, is still in such good shape that it wouldn’t take him long to work himself into a starting lineup. He is warming to Hurley and the new frontier at UConn. The former star and the new coach are both in their mid-40’s and can communicate via social media after both losses and wins.

 

Here’s another pleasant weekend snapshot, Hurley caught Allen in the gym Saturday, going through a shooting tutorial with big man Eric Cobb.

 

“He was in a three-piece suit,” Hurley said. “Ray shares, man. Ray loves to share the wisdom. Ray has independently reached out to players on the team, reached out to me with encouraging text messages. Ray doesn’t do it in a billboard manner. He does it behind the scenes, not trying to draw attention to himself. He’s been a great resource.e for me and these players behind the scenes.

 

“We’re beginning to write a new chapter in UConn history, a new book with new people. We’re going to turn the page on the last couple of years. I think Ray’s going to have a heavy presence around here once we get to the summer sessions and this new group of Huskies come in.”

 

Those who remember Allen’s work ethic and his ability to push himself to get better, hope those qualities will rub off and spark a new age of success at UConn. In Allen’s mind, it’s really quite simple.

 

“[After the game] he told us to keep shooting,” said guard Alterique Gilbert, who scored 15 points despite going 0-for-4 from 3-point range. “We’ve got to keep shooting.”

 

Hurley and the Huskies realize it would be foolish to waste Allen’s wisdom and his value as a resource. After Sunday, they aren’t likely to ignore that.

 

“That’s one of the things you can’t find anywhere else,” Smith said. “You can’t get that at many other places around the country.”