HOUSTON — Connecticut, the overwhelming favorite at the Final Four, could be at less than full strength on Saturday night.
Standout guard Jordan Hawkins, a projected first-round NBA draft pick, is feeling under the weather and did not practice or take part in media availability on Friday.
The 6-foot-5 Hawkins, averaging 16.3 points and shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range, began feeling ill on Thursday night and was isolated from his teammates.
It is a non-COVID-19 illness, but his status for the national semifinal against No. 5 Miami is uncertain.
“For him to miss today obviously tells you he’s not in a great way,” coach Dan Hurley said Friday. “We moved him out, moved his roommate out and obviously kept him away from the team. Hopefully it just doesn’t continue to spread, and hopefully Jordan’s good to go, or at least give us something.”
If Hawkins can’t play, he likely would be replaced in the starting lineup by either Joey Calcaterra or Nahiem Alleyne, who are key parts of fourth-seeded UConn’s impactful bench.
The 8:49 p.m. tip-off time of Connecticut-Miami is fortunate for the Huskies.
It will enable three of their players — star center Adama Sanogo, reserve guard Hassan Diarra and freshman Samson Johnson — to get sustenance as they fast for Ramadan.
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Since it began on March 22, the trio of practicing Muslims have been fasting from sunrise to sunset.
They were unable to eat until midway through the West Region final last weekend, but on Saturday the three will be able to eat roughly 10 minutes before the game starts.
Sanogo plans to drink coconut water and eat oranges at that time.
“I’m used to it. The last eight years I’ve been doing it,” Sanogo said. “And I’m not thinking about it. I’m not thinking about it too much, because I feel the more you’re thinking about it too much, the more it’s going to be hard for you to do it.”
Marquette’s Shaka Smart was named the Associated Press National Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Eagles to the Big East regular season and postseason crowns.
Marquette, which lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, was picked to finish ninth in the Big East by the league’s coaches.
Smart beat out Jerome Tang of Kansas State and Kelvin Sampson of Houston.
