Huskies add transfer from San Diego
Jun. 14—Joey Calcaterra may be a longtime West Coast standout but the words of a grizzled East Coast coach helped him find a new basketball home.
And now Dan Hurley's UConn men's basketball team has a new guard on its roster.
"I love coach Hurley, the blue collar, hard-working guy that he is," Calcaterra said by phone Monday evening, not long after committing to join the Huskies as a grad transfer from the University of San Diego.
Calcaterra, a San Francisco Bay-area native, visited UConn on Friday and Saturday. He came away convinced that he wanted to spend his final season of college basketball in Storrs.
"I loved what I heard from them," Calcaterra said of the Husky coaches and players.
On Monday afternoon Calcaterra made what he called an "easy decision" and announced he was in headed to UConn.
The 6-foot-3 Calcaterra averaged 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists for the Toreros in the 2021-22 season. As a sophomore in the 2019-20 season Calcaterra averaged 11.3 points. He scored 19 in a Feb. 27 game at third-ranked Gonzaga.
Originally from Novato, California, Calcaterra has one season of eligibility left in his college career.
The Huskies and Toreros have some basketball history together, having played in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. In that game played in Tampa, Florida, San Diego upset UConn 70-69, taking advantage of an injury to Husky point guard A.J. Price.
Calcaterra is the fourth player to transfer into the UConn program this offseason. Guards Nahiem Alleyne (Virginia Tech), Tristen Newton (East Carolina), and Hassan Diarra (Texas A&M) have also joined the Huskies as tranfers.
The Huskies have two other players about to make their debuts on the court in Storrs in the 2022-23 season. Alex Karaban, a 6-foot-8 forward from Southborough, Massachusetts, and Donovan Clingan, a 7-foot-1 center from Bristol, are also anxious to begin their playing careers.
UConn saw four of its players transfer out of the program in the spring. Akok Akok (Georgetown), Corey Floyd Jr. (Providence), Jalen Gaffney (Florida Atlantic), and Rahsool Diggins (UMass) have all moved on to new programs.
Neill covers UConn men's basketball and UConn football teams, and he keeps a finger on the pulse of Connecticut sports. For live game updates, and more insight into UConn athletics, player transfers, and team changes, follow Neill on Twitter: @NeillOstrout, Facebook: JINeillO, and Instagram: @NeillOstrout.
