The Joe College Report

NOT ONLY did Connecticut's 70-59 loss to Villanova on Jan. 24 drop the Huskies to fifth place in the East Division of the Big East with a 13-6 record (2-4 in the league), but it also left coach Jim Calhoun—can you believe it?—speechless. Asked after the game what he told his players in the locker room, Calhoun replied, "I said three words and left." Calhoun didn't elaborate on what those words were, but if UConn doesn't turn things around quickly it can start thinking about three letters: N-l-T.... This week's lousy timing award goes to N.C. State junior guard Anthony Grundy, who was charged with misdemeanor assault of a woman last Saturday, as speculation about coach Herb Sendek's job security was reaching a fevered pitch. Grundy, the Wolf-pack's leading scorer, has maintained his innocence and will be allowed to play while the judicial process runs its course.... Will someone please inform Massachusetts coach Bruiser Flint that he's supposed to be a dead man walking? The Minutemen's 65-64 overtime win at Temple on Saturday was their sixth win in their last seven games and kept UMass (8-10) tied for first place in the Atlantic 10 with a 6-1 mark.... D'or means "golden" in French, which is fitting considering the performance of Northwestern State's 6'11" D'or Fischer against Southwest Texas State on Jan. 22. Fischer blocked 13 shots to set a Southland Conference single-game record and come within one of the NCAA mark shared by David Robinson and three others.