UConn head coach Jim Calhoun ran his team through a demanding, no nonsense practice at Gampel Pavilion on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies, preparing to play the Rice University Owls at 2:00 pm on Sunday at the Hartford Civic Center, have had a week full of demanding and trying practices after losing to UMass 59-61 December 9th at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. Calhoun discussed the difficulty of the loss, the teams preparation for Rice, and a new starting lineup. Calhoun also had both good and bad news regarding the health issues of incoming 2005 center Andrew Bynum as well as current UConn freshman AJ Price.

UConn Prepares For Rice

UConn fans know head coach Jim Calhoun doesn't take losses lightly, especially games he feels his team should have won. Calhoun has admittedly been working his basketball team hard this week which comes as no surprise to those that follow the program. After a difficult loss to UMass, Calhoun and his staff are preparing their team for a tough game against Rice University on Sunday.

"It hasn't exactly been Christmas Spirit around here, at least basketball wise," said Calhoun. "We're just not used to losing nor do we want to lose. I think it's particularly tough the way we lost. We just didn't play very well...I think we gave away a game that we shouldn't have lost. That's all of us, myself included."

But you can be sure that Calhoun has Rice scouted well and will not take them lightly. The Owls played UConn close last season in Texas eventually losing to the Huskies 92-83. Rice is coming off a 22-11 season and returns an experienced veteran lineup.

"They're a team that's capable of beating you if you don't play well," said Calhoun. "(Michael) Harris is the best player in the (Western Athletic Conference). The bottom line is that they are a very good basketball team."

Calhoun also mentioned the need for his team to use big to big double teams more this season, a strategy they will likely employ against Rice, but something they didn't have to do much of last year with the nation's best defensive player, Emeka Okafor, patrolling the paint on defense. He also spoke about guarding the Owls best player 6-foot-6 240 pound senior Michael Harris, who is averaging 19.3 points and 11 rebounds per game this season.

"(Harris) is a very tough assignment," said Calhoun. "We'll start Josh (Boone) on him and we'll go from there. He'll see some double teams."

The Owls also start two other double figures scorers who Calhoun would like to lock up early. Senior Jason McKrieth, a 6-foot-4 guard, is averaging 14.5 points and 4.2 assists while 6-foot-6 junior forward JR Harrison is putting up 11.2 points and grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game and is coming off a career high 19 point game against Lamar. Senior guard Brock Gillespie, averaging 9.8 points, will spark the Owls off the bench.

Calhoun is also learning that the direction of this team is a bit different than many of his teams of the past. Look for UConn to try and overwhelm Rice with their dominant inside game.

"With all the games played out, come to find out against decent defenses we're going to have to transport the ball different ways than we have in the past," said Calhoun. "We're going to have to run offense a little differently. It isn't even changing plays. It's just getting the ball to be passed more and then dribbled more. Secondly we've got to still take advantage of the fact that we have enough guys inside that can score points, so it's a change because we've always had somebody outside that can score a lot of points. I think Rashad (Anderson) can score points and Denham (Brown) can score points but I still think the most effective way for us to play is to get the ball inside."

And the Lineup Is...

Calhoun hasn't quite settled on a lineup for Sunday's game with Rice but 80% of it is in place. Calhoun will start Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva, Rudy Gay and Rashad Anderson. He still has not decided if Antonio Kellogg or Marcus Williams will get the start at the point guard position. Gay is getting the start over Brown because Calhoun feels he needs to utilize Gay's talent as much as he can. He knew he would have to replace either Brown or Anderson to insert Gay into the starting lineup. Anderson has been scorching hot shooting the ball in practice this week so Calhoun will start Rashad hoping to get him out of his early season shooting slump. Meanwhile, Brown continues to play well, as all Connecticut's wing players have. Look for Brown to contribute plenty of minutes off the bench against the Owls.

"(Gay's) a talented player, and we need to use his talent," said Calhoun. "The way the season has played out thus far, three of our best players (Gay, Anderson and Brown) play a similar position and similar type games."

Calhoun also toyed with the idea of starting Gay at power forward in place of Charlie Villanueva but thought better of it. Villanueva, who has been in a real slump so far this season, has been practicing well and is showing a lot of confidence in his game. Charlie also scored 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in last season's match up with Rice, so Villanueva will get the start at power forward as Calhoun is hoping Charlie can break out of his slump.

Setback For Price?

According to head coach Jim Calhoun, there may be one more setback for UConn freshman AJ Price, who in October suffered from an inter-cranial hemorrhage. Price was on the road to recovery and seemed ready to rejoin the team.

"Three or four weeks ago, we thought he he would have been playing against Rice," said Calhoun. "He was getting in shape, he was working out...he had been cleared (by numerous doctors)."

But Price, who has been waiting for clearance by one final specialist, may not be quite ready to return to the court just yet.

"The last doctor that saw him thinks that there's something that maybe needs to be fixed and that would set him back a couple of more months," said Calhoun.

Calhoun did not elaborate any further on the specifics of Price's condition other than to say "It would be a procedure, not surgery."

"He goes to see a doctor on the fourth or fifth of January and that will probably dictate his future," said Calhoun. "But I think his future is probably not playing this year. That would be my guess right now, without being official."

Good News For Bynum?

Incoming 2005 freshman center Andrew Bynum suffered what was believed to be a season ending ACL injury to his knee in a pre-season scrimmage last week. But upon further review there may be better news ahead for Bynum. Calhoun was cautiously optimistic...

"He's having another re-examination...they suspect now that it's not an ACL (tear), Calhoun said. "We've called his mother, his brother, and also him. He had got some good news when I did reach him. Once again that's not official, they are going to give him another MRI on it."

White Receiving Interest

Sophomore Marcus White, who earlier in the week announced that he will transfer from UConn, has been receiving interest from numerous schools according to coach Jim Calhoun. Purdue and Southern Illinois are both rumored to be serious considerations for White.

"We hope he does well and he's successful and happy," said Calhoun.

Calhoun Food Drive

Jim Calhoun has teamed up with Big Y world class supermarkets to provide holiday meals to 400 underprivileged Hartford families. Calhoun, his family, and coaching staff along with a team of Big Y volunteers will deliver 400 turkeys and holiday meal fixings at the Northend Senior Center in Hartford this week.

In addition to Calhoun's annual food drive, now in it's sixth year, the UConn coach has teamed up with Big Y for the "Food for All" program. The program, a month-long fund raising drive to benefit Foodshare and the Connecticut Food Bank, will be conducted in all Connecticut Big Y supermarkets.

Click here for more Inside Stuff.