HARTFORD, Conn., (Nov. 3, 2009) – One day before the start of their 2009-2010 basketball campaign, Coach Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut men’s basketball team met with local resident Chad Dawson on Tuesday at the XL Center, site of the undefeated Dawson’s rematch with Glen Johnson for the WBC interim light heavyweight world title on Saturday night.
Calhoun and Dawson spent some time talking boxing and basketball before the Huskies hit the practice floor. UConn plays American International College in an exhibition Wednesday at the XL Center and Dawson said he’d be there. AIC is Calhoun’s alma mater..
“The people of Connecticut don’t realize what a terrific talent we have here,” said Calhoun, a huge boxing fan who said he would be at the fight Saturday. “He’s got a chance to be one of those pound-for-pound guys. If you haven’t seen a boxing match, you should. The purity of it, when two guys are going at it each other, it’s one of the few things in sports that is truly pure. I’m not saying the officiating is, always. Then again, the officiating in basketball isn’t always, either.”
Dawson was a point guard in high school playing for Hyde Leadership in New Haven. “I had hoop dreams,” said Dawson. “Unfortunately my grades weren’t up to par so I had boxing to fall back on.”
Some other quotes from Dawson and Calhoun on Tuesday:
CHAD DAWSON:
“It’s great to be back where I started and hopefully I’ll have more fights here.”
On growing up a UConn basketball fan: “I go back to the Ray Allen and Donyell Marshall days. I’m a big Ray Allen fan. I’ve always loved Ray Allen and I still do. He’s been traded a few times but every team he goes to, that’s the team that I support.
“I’ll give some encouraging words to the players. Not that they need it. They’ve probably heard it all, but I’ll try to say something different.
“The last time I was in this arena was as a kid watching UConn play here.”
What’s your greatest UConn basketball memory? “When they won the national championship.”
If you had your choice, who would you rather be, Ray Allen or Chad Dawson? “If you would have asked me that question four years ago I would have probably said Ray Allen. But right now I’m pretty happy being me. I have a beautiful wife and three great kids. Life couldn’t get much better than that.
“My weight is good. I weighed 176 this morning. This is the first time I’ve come to a fight a week before and been that weight so I feel good.
“I’d like to extend my fan base up and down Connecticut. When people ask me where I’m from I don’t say one town or city. I say I’m from Connecticut.”
While speaking to Calhoun: “I’m blown away right now at how tall you are. You don’t look that tall on T.V.”
JIM CALHOUN
“That’s what I tell the kids, to not put your hands on your knees. You don’t want to show the opposition you’re tired.
“(Chad) was a point guard. He knows to watch a guy’s legs to see that they’re tired. That’s the first thing to go. You watch their legs. The legs set up your shot both in basketball and boxing.”
Saturday’s fight will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, from the XL Center.
Remaining tickets, priced at $200, $100, $75, $50, and $35, (plus any applicable fees and surcharges), can be purchased at the XL Center box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 and online at www.xlcenter.com.