One day before the start of their 2009-2010 basketball campaign, Coach Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut men’s basketball team met with local resident Chad Dawson on Tuesday at the XL Center, site of the undefeated Dawson’s rematch with Glen Johnson for the WBC interim light heavyweight world title on Saturday night.

Calhoun and Dawson spent some time talking boxing and basketball before the Huskies hit the practice floor. UConn plays American International College in an exhibition Wednesday at the XL Center and Dawson said he’d be there. AIC is Calhoun’s alma mater.

"The people of Connecticut don't realize what a terrific talent we have here," said Calhoun, a huge boxing fan who said he would be at the fight Saturday.

"He's got a chance to be one of those pound-for-pound guys. If you haven't seen a boxing match, you should. The purity of it, when two guys are going at it each other, it's one of the few things in sports that is truly pure. I'm not saying the officiating is, always. Then again, the officiating in basketball i... Full Boxing Article here...