NEW YORK — Jim Calhoun got in a not-so-subtle dig at Iona coach Tim Cluess following UConn’s 58-55 loss to Syracuse Thursday.
In talking about his team’s NCAA Tournament credentials, Calhoun said UConn had played 22 top 100 teams compared to four for Iona.
“So I heard the coach of Iona saying don’t put one of these Big East teams in?” Calhoun said. “We’ve played four teams in the top 100. I’m sure he is a great coach and I have a lot of respect for what he’s done certainly. But you’ve got to kind of tighten those laces up…I think 22 out of 32 top 100 teams is probably a pretty good schedule.”
Iona went 1-1 against the RPI Top 50 — beating Nevada and losing to Purdue — and 6-3 against the Top 100.
After the Gaels were upset by Fairfield in the MAAC semifinals on Sunday in Springfield, Mass., Cluess said: “If you’re going to pick eight or nine teams out of the Big East, that’s nonsense. Those teams aren’t as good as we are.”
Defending NCAA and Big East champion UConn came in as the No. 9 seed before bowing out to the Orange.
