If it's possible to both beat expectations by a mile and yet still have a disappointing season, that's what happened to the Huskies in 2007-2008.

Connecticut rebounded from a disastrous 2006-2007 season -- when it missed the NCAA's postseason entirely -- to finish fourth in the Big East and earn a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But a pair of opening-round losses in each postseason tournament made some of that progress seem hollow, and there are a host of questions surrounding the team as it enters the offseason.

The two most prominent questions surround two of the team's top three players. Point guard A.J. Price emerged as a star, finally harnessing the potential he showed as sophomore. But he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the NCAA Tournament loss to San Diego and faces a long summer of rehab before practice begins again in October.

Center Hasheem Thabeet will be a senior in 2008-2009 -- if he returns to campus. The 7-foot-3 junior was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East and was a game-changer in the paint because of his ability to block shots. Defensively, he's ready for the NBA. Offensively, he badly needs another year of college -- but he'll still be a lottery pick if he declares.

Off-court woes plagued another pair of Huskies, as Doug Wiggins and Jerome Dyson both were suspended during the season. Dyson missed a month, and the team won eight in a row without the guard who began the season in the starting lineup. He's one infraction away from being suspended for a year, so if he doesn't quickly improve his decision-making off the court, he'll be in big trouble. Wiggins requested a complete release from the university on April 15 to transfer.

The rock of the team will return, as Jeff Adrien brings his double-double abilities for one more season. If Thabeet stays, the entire rotation is back in 2008-2009, likely making Connecticut a top 10 team in the preseason polls.

But that doesn't mean that the team doesn't enter the offseason as a work-in-progress. Coach Jim Calhoun brought the program back to prominence after it dropped off the radar screen last season. However, he now has to figure out how to harness all of the talent into a roster and playing rotation that can play well together when it matters most.

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