Jim Calhoun admitted he won't be playing a "Jim Boeheim" schedule this season.

``That's when you don't leave your home gym," said the UConn head coach, who was taking a friendly jab at the Syracuse coach while promoting the Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase on Tuesday.

Calhoun's Huskies jumped out to an 11-0 start a year ago with an early season slate that included the first 11 at home.

``We thought we were good," he said. "Then we had to play the Big East and life changes quickly."

This season Calhoun is going with arguably his most potent non-conference slate since he took over in Storrs two decades ago.

The Huskies will open the season in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, where they could face Memphis, Kentucky or Oklahoma in New York. They also play Gonzaga on Dec. 1 in the Hall of Fame Showcase, a doubleheader which also includes a Boston College-Providence matchup. Calhoun's team will also travel to Indiana (Jan. 26) and Central Florida (Dec. 28) and play at home against Georgia Tech on Feb. 9.

``I fully expect us to be able to compete," Calhoun said. "We'll know early."

GIANNINI EXPLORING

La Salle coach John Giannini has high praise for transfer Vernon Goodridge.

Giannini was a young assistant on the 1989 Illinois team that featured Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson and four other players who went on to make money playing basketball.

``Vernon is absolutely as physically gifted as anyone on that team or anyone we played against," Giannini said. "He definitely has NBA talent, but he'll be the first one to tell you he was a little lazy."

The Explorers won't have the athletic 6-foot-9 big man this season, since he's sitting out after transferring in from Mississippi State.

However, La Salle should be a much-improved team now that Rodney Green, Kimmani Barrett, Yves Mekongo Mbala and Ruben Guillandeaux all have a year under their belt.

Five of the team's top seven players a year ago were freshman.

``I was talking about underage drinking and I asked our guys how many of them were over 21," Giannini said. "Only two of them raised their hands."

Giannini put an end to La Salle's streak of 15 consecutive seasons in a row in which they have finished under .500 in conference play two seasons ago, but took a step back last year due to youth and inexperience.

``Last year we weren't very good, but we lost 3,000 points from the year before," Giannini said. "This year we're hoping to be solid and next year we're hoping to be in the top tier."

RANDOM NOTES: Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said that Sonny Weems should be able to practice this weekend. Weems has been out the last month with a broken left hand. ... UMKC will hold Basketball Morning Madness with first-year coach Matt Brown on Monday from 6-9 a.m. The event will be broadcast live in 810 radio and a student will win free tuition for the spring semester.