Come To Think of It: Why Jim Calhoun's Mystery Illness Bodes Well for UConn

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun was released from the hospital Friday morning after feeling ill on Thursday. He missed UConn's opening game in the NCAA tournament.

No details are available at this time as to what caused Calhoun's sickness, and we aren't even sure what his specific symptoms were.

Apparently Calhoun did not feel well Thursday morning and was admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania later in the day for tests. He was kept overnight for observation.

All we know is that the mystery illness shouldn't prevent UConn's coach from preparing for their second round dance on Saturday against Texas A&M. UConn won its opening game in what was the third-largest victory ever in NCAA tournament history—103-47 against Chattanooga.

Amazingly, despite the huge victory margin, the Huskies think it could have been worse for the No. 16 seeded Mocs.

“We would’ve been more fired up if Coach was here,” Price said. “Chattanooga got off easy without Coach here.”

Not only has a No. 16 seed never beaten a No. 1 seed, but what kind of name is "Mocs" anyway?

In any event, Calhoun seems to be doing well.

“He has been given a clean bill of health with no restrictions,” UConn sports information director Kyle Muncy said Friday morning.

It is interesting to note that this is the third NCAA tournament game that the 66-year old Calhoun has missed.

In the two previous instances, UConn went on to win the national title.

Now, I'm not saying that this hospitalization guarantees that Connecticut will win the tournament. I may be crazy, but I'm not that crazy.

Likewise, I am not suggesting that Calhoun faked an illness out of superstition. I may be somewhat of a conspiracy theorist, but I'm not Oliver Stone.

Still, the comparisons are fodder for those that believe in that stuff, especially since Calhoun has missed only 21 games in his career.

In 1999, Calhoun missed a first-round game against Texas-San Antonio. In 2004, he left a second-round game against DePaul after becoming ill. He returned just in time to see the end of UConn’s 72-55 victory.

Will history repeat itself? Only time will tell. Personally, I did not pick UConn to make the championship game, though they are in my Final Four.  

Truth be told, they probably don't need any help from silly superstitions. The team's ability speaks for itself.

The fact that A.J. Price scored 20 points is a good sign for the Huskies.

Price missed his freshman season after suffering a brain hemorrhage, then sat out another full season for his role in the theft of four laptop computers from a campus dormitory. And when he was poised to make an impact in last year’s tournament, he suffered a torn ACL in the first half of Connecticut’s overtime loss against San Diego.

His Connecticut career just might have a happy ending after all, come to think of it.

Article Update: ESPN.com is reporting that Calhoun is blaming dehydration for his hospitalization.