Jim Calhoun Decides To Take a Leave from UConn Basketball

Jim Calhoun has decided to take a leave of absence from the Connecticut men's basketball program.  It has not been discussed how long this leave will be, but this continues to be a strange year for UConn.

Assistant Head Coach George Blaney will take over coaching duties in the absence of Calhoun.  Blaney, a longtime assistant of Calhoun, has coached in 21 games that Calhoun has missed during his tenure at UConn.

This loss comes at a tough point in the season for UConn.  The Huskies dropped from the rankings of the AP Poll for the first time since January 2008.  Their record is 11-6; 2-3 in the tough Big East.

It must be somewhat serious, considering UConn is heading into the most difficult part of its schedule with Texas coming to town Saturday.

When looking at the bigger picture, it raises questions about Calhoun and his future at UConn.  It's clear that his health is an important issue, and although he is on the verge of a five-year contract extension, this leave was a big surprise to Connecticut.

“Our primary concern is Coach Calhoun’s health and his complete recovery,” UConn Athletic Director Jeff A. Hathaway said in a statement. “We will do everything possible to support Coach during this time.”

This is a new medical issue and has no relation to Calhoun's prior health issues that involved battling cancer.

Right in the middle of the Big East Conference schedule, these Huskies are going to have to make the necessary adjustments to be able to close out games.

With Calhoun missing in action, this job only gets tougher.

Hopefully, he has a speedy recovery, because although this team has talent, its six losses thus far have all been close and competitive games.

This could potentially inspire his team to start playing better.  This UConn team needs something to jump-start its engine.

Now, it's about Calhoun, and let's hope he has a quick and full recovery.