The UConn Huskies - with a record of 20-1 - are, to put it mildly, on fire. Although they have often times looked nearly invincible this season, the recent emergence of Josh Boone and Rudy Gay has taken the Huskies to another level as they begin to battle through the toughest stretch of their schedule.

The emergence of Gay and Boone has been just what the fans, and coaching staff, have been waiting for and it couldn't have come at a better time for the Huskies.

Both players began their breakouts in mid January and have carried their stellar play through this past week which saw the Huskies defeat tenth ranked Pittsburgh 80-76 at Gampel Pavilion followed by an 88-80 victory over the twenty-first ranked Indiana Hoosiers in an electric environment at Assembly Hall.

"I feel wonderful about the fact that our character and our toughness are being tested and what our kids have been able to accomplish," said head coach Jim Calhoun after Connecticut’s victory over Pittsburgh.

"Rudy Gay made some tough, tough plays and he's going to need to do that down the stretch for us," continued Calhoun. "He's getting better, he's maturing."

Gay, who has been making the difficult transition from talented freshman to go-to scorer as a sophomore, has quietly been spending extra time working on his game. His hard work appears to be paying off.

Gay has shot 50% from the floor over his last seven games and attributes much of his improvement to the extra practice time he has been putting in. He has spent much of that time working on his jumper, an aspect of his game that has been fairly inconsistent this season, until recently.

Gay says he is also working hard on his decision making, as well as focusing on being a more well rounded player.

“Coach just tells me to be assertive,” says Gay. “Sometimes I'll shoot a three when the lane's open and he just tells me to be assertive and make the right decisions…I was relying a lot on my jump shot to open up my game but I have so many other attributes, coach has been telling me it's time to show them."

Gay appears to have heeded Calhoun’s advice and is now showing those attributes to excited fans and NBA scouts alike. He is playing more aggressively in the paint, as well as driving to the basket. He is also getting out on the break, and scoring - seemingly at will - with his midrange jumper.

The more other aspects of his game have emerged, the more his jump shot has been falling, making Gay even more difficult for the opposition to defend. As everything is beginning to come together, he is now starting to show the ability - and flexibility - to be a go to scorer and take over games with a complete offensive arsenal.

Gay was named The Big East Conference Co-Player of The Week finishing out the month of January scoring 22 points against 10th ranked Pittsburgh on 9-16 shooting, before beginning February with a bang scoring 19 points (3-4 three-pointers) and grabbing 12 rebounds on the road at 22nd ranked Indiana.

While Gay is beginning to emerge as the star many projected him to be, Josh Boone is also beginning to realize expectations at just the right time.

Boone, who has appeared to play tentatively for stretches of the season, is now starting to look like the player fans, teammates and coaches have expected to see.

Calhoun feels that one of the biggest obstacles Boone needs to overcome is a lack of confidence, which is something the coaching staff has worked hard at with him.

"The person who believes the least in Josh, is Josh,” says Calhoun. “That's always been a problem. We went through that for three years with Hilton (Armstrong). Hilton believes in himself now. It's a daily process to have Josh truly believe that he does have some special wares that he needs to put forward every game."

Boone has been showing Husky Nation those “special wares” as of late. After averaging 9.4 points and 6.3 rebounds for the season, Boone is averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds over the last six games. He has shot a scorching 31-50 from the floor and he’s doing it against top competition at his position. Boone racked up 16 points on 7-10 shooting while pulling down seven rebounds, and blocking three shots against Pittsburgh. At Indiana Boone again put up 16 points on 7-9 shooting, while pulling down six rebounds and blocking three shots.

"I've been playing with Josh for probably ten years so I kind of know what he can do,” says Gay, a fellow Maryland native and longtime AAU teammate of Boone’s. “He just hadn't been doing it. With Josh I think it's all mental. Josh can be one of the best big men in the country, and I think he is, even though he doesn't always do what I think he can do, but it's just a matter of time.”

It looks like that time may finally be here for Boone, who is feeling pretty good about his game lately.

“I think my confidence is definitely a lot higher right now,” says Boone. “I'm starting to play the way that I know I'm capable of.”

Boone’s improved confidence has been obvious to anyone watching him play. He simply looks more aggressive and assertive on the court, allowing his natural abilities to shine through.

With Boone and Gay hitting their strides, the number one ranked Huskies have passed their biggest tests of the season with flying colors.

It also appears that Calhoun has this year’s team beginning to gel at just the right time, as he usually does. The fans feel it, the experts feel it and so do the players.

"We're the kind of team that's improving every game," says Gay. "I think it's only a matter of time before everybody is clicking and doing everything right...it takes time, just like it did in the (2004) national championship season.”

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