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Price returns from injury as UConn hosts Western Carolina

Nov 14, 2008 - 11:16 AM Western Carolina at No. 2 Connecticut 7:30 p.m. EST

STORRS, Connecticut (Ticker) -- A.J. Price's 2007-08 season ended in agony in more ways than one.

The immensely talented point guard looks to get the new season off on the right foot on Friday when second-ranked Connecticut hosts Western Carolina.

The Huskies' second-leading scorer and floor general, Price has spent the entire offseason rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered in the first half of UConn's stunning, 70-69 first-round loss to San Diego in March.

It was a bitterly disappointing end for a talented team, and a program that had not been bounced from the first round of the NCAA Tournament since 1979 - eight years before Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun arrived in Storrs. Connecticut had won 14 straight first-round games - the longest streak in the nation.

Price and the Huskies are out to get that bad taste of out their mouths.

Price averaged 14.5 points and 5.8 assists last season, and is a big reason Connecticut is the favorite to win the Big East Conference. UConn returns all five starters, including imposing big man Hasheem Thabeet, from a team that went 24-9.

Thabeet was second in the nation with an average of 4.5 blocks per game, and developed an offensive game as well (10.4 ppg). The 7-3 Tanzanian flirted with entering June's NBA draft, but decided to return for his junior season.

"I am excited about the opportunity to stay at UConn and continue the mission that we started this season," Tabeet said in April upon announcing his decision.

The Huskies also have a talented freshman class, lead by Kemba Walker. The 6-2 Bronx native was the No. 2 rated point guard in the country.

Meanwhile, Western Carolina returns seven players from a squad that went 10-21. The Catamounts' leading scorer Brandon Giles averaged 15.3 points and earned All-Southern Conference honors.

UConn has won gone 17-0 in season openers at Gampel Pavilion since it opened in 1990, and is 18-4 in season openers under Calhoun.