LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Connecticut basketball team is having a nice run on the court in the Sweet 16 portion of the NCAA Tournament. Off the court? Not so much.
The team had to move from one Strip hotel because of what personnel considered “deplorable” conditions, then on Wednesday, as it practiced at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center, personal items were stolen from the team bus, according to a story in the New Haven Register.
“Disaster,” coach Dan Hurley said after his team’s victory Thursday of the hotel situation earlier in the week. “Then stuff gets stolen. It was a debacle.”
According to an online story by CBS Sports, the team’s first set of hotel rooms showed traces of vomit and dirt, so the NCAA, which set up the stay, had the team transferred to another hotel.
While the team practiced, freshman center Donovan Clingan told the Register his iPad was stolen from the bus, and he said a team manager was without a laptop. Other items missing, according to the newspaper’s story, included hats and apparel.
“The stuff stolen off the bus, we’re still trying to get to the bottom of it,” said guard Joey Calcaterra, who was not among the victims, in the Register’s story. “I just feel bad for the guys who had some stuff taken.”
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said if a report were to be filed it would be with UNLV Police; UNLV Police said as of Friday afternoon it had not received a report from UConn. A school spokesman said that items were taken but that the university would have no further comment.
“It’s not something we want to make a big deal out of,” athletic director David Benedict told CT Insider. “Everything worked out fine.”
On the court, the Huskies routed Arkansas 88-65 on Thursday and faces Gonzaga for the West Regional championship Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.