SUPER BOWL 2012

Talked to Jeremy Lamb's dad, Rolando, on Jeremy's recent "struggles."

Rolando isn't just the guy who knocked Jim Calhoun out of the 1984 NCAA tournament. He's "America's Character Coach," so he's helping his son get through a time when he's the focal point of UConn's offense and teams are making it very difficult for him to get open and score.

I asked Jim Calhoun if Jeremy Lamb had any thoughts of possibly testing the waters of the NBA draft after his breakout freshman season. Here's what Calhoun had to say:

"No. Jeremy, right now, has three weeks of class. Then, he's going to start his weight-training program, getting ready for the 19-and-under (national team). That's all we've talked about. I've talked to both him and his parents and everybody else involved. We're even seeing if he can go May-mester, which is a 3 ½-week summer session, to get that quick, so that in June he can go out to Colorado Springs to try out for the 19-and-under team."

Calhoun said he had breakfast Sunday morning with Lamb and his family and had a nice, hour-long talk with Jeremy's dad, Rolando.

I know this story has been written before and probably isn't new to UConn fans. But with Jeremy Lamb emerging as a bona fide star and the Huskies in the Sweet 16 (not to mention Virginia Commonwealth's surprise run to the Sweet 16), now is as good a time as any for the story of how VCU's Rolando Lamb, Jeremy's dad, beat Jim Calhoun's Northeastern team with a buzzer-beater back in the 1984 NCAA tourney. Note the YouTube video of Rolando's shot within the story. And notice a young Glen Miller, a guard at Northeastern at the time, distraught on the sidelines.

Also from today's Register, here's the advance for tonight's 7:15 p.m. game, noting that San Diego State could have a decided homecourt advantage (and with video of the Huskies at yesterday's open practice).

Here's my notebook, which focuses on the relationship between Jim Calhoun and Steve Fisher, who have never faced each other on the hardwood.

And finally, here's today's gameday for the game tonight. I'm looking for a relatively low-scoring game, and wondering how the Aztecs try to contain Kemba Walker. Not sure if anyone can right now.