Connecticut Missed Moore and His Quick Feet

Connecticut backup point guard Ricky Moore, whose injured right shoulder kept him out of Friday’s loss to Mississippi State, certainly was on the mind of his team after the game.

The 6-foot-1 Moore injured his shoulder during UConn’s first-round victory over Colgate, one game after he gave the Huskies key inspiration and speed (and 14 points) in their Big East tournament final victory over Georgetown.

Without him Friday, UConn never got into its frenetic fastbreak, had to forget about its press after the Bulldogs went right through it, and starting point guard Doron Sheffer struggled through a three-for-14 shooting night.

UConn got only three points from its bench.

“In Indianapolis, after Ricky got hurt, I said this team had gotten accustomed to Ricky Moore coming in whenever the game was slow and accelerating the pace on his own,” Coach Jim Calhoun said.

“I think the clearest example of that is the Georgetown game, where he came in and provided instantaneous offense when we needed it.

“We certainly needed that tonight, and we didn’t have it.”

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Has Stephon Marbury finished his short college career?

The Georgia Tech freshman, who has never been coy about his desire to play in the NBA as soon as it was financially most opportune, did not shy away from that opinion Friday after Georgia Tech was eliminated by Cincinnati.

“Coach [Bobby Cremins] and I are going to sit down and talk things over,” Marbury said. “If I am a projected top five pick, I will enter the draft.”

Cremins said he will immediately begin calling NBA executives and agents to find out if Marbury will go in the top five.

“He wants to play in the NBA,” Cremins said. “He has a dream. If he goes, it’s been a great run. And it was worth it. If he stays, then I expect that we’ll be back here next year.

“If he goes, then we’ll be out recruiting.”