Calhoun Stirs the Pot: St. John’s and Connecticut aren’t best friends already as Big East rivals. Then the Huskies virtually stole Red Storm recruit Doug Wiggins. Wiggins had committed to St. John’s but canceled his commitment to play for coach Jim Calhoun and the Huskies.
Calhoun added to the feud with St. John’s yesterday by embellishing a story about a late plane ride. The Huskies’ flight to Syracuse arrived late, and Calhoun blamed the tardiness on the Red Storm. Because the Huskies used the same plane that St. John’s flew on to return from South Florida, Calhoun had an easy scapegoat, especially considering St. John’s nearly left a team official at the hotel. As the team was boarding the plane, someone noticed that a team adviser was not there because he had missed the bus from the hotel. They quickly summoned transportation, and the adviser was on the plane in 10 minutes.
But Calhoun somehow got the idea that St. John’s nearly left a player at the hotel because that player was sitting around watching basketball on TV. He added that the incident delayed the flight by 90 minutes, which eventually delayed Connecticut’s itinerary. Coach Norm Roberts did not appreciate Calhoun’s version of the story and decried Calhoun’s public comments that embarrass Roberts’ program, even if they were made in jest.
Odds are next week’s game between St. John’s and Connecticut won’t be a love fest. [1/17/06]
