A 15-point loss at Marquette and a narrow home victory over LSU must have put Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun in a sour mood. He stood on the sideline of his team's Jan. 9 home game against Cincinnati with an unremitting scowl, even as his Huskies were pulling away from the resilient Bearcats.

When UConn was up by 12 with less than five minutes left, Calhoun received a technical foul for arguing with an official. His built-up stress had made him look more like a grumpy old man than a Hall-of-Fame coach.

But the recent play of unheralded senior center Hilton Armstrong will undoubtedly turn Calhoun's frown upside down.

While Rudy Gay, at whom Calhoun pointed a stern finger after the Marquette defeat, and Josh Boone have fallen short of expectations, Armstrong has emerged as interior force on both ends of the court.

He averaged 3.0 points per game in 10.8 minutes per game over his first three seasons, but Armstrong scored in double figures in six straight games entering Monday night.

He also recorded six blocks in conference home wins over Cincinnati and Georgetown. His 19-point performance Saturday against the Hoyas, who possess a formidable frontcourt, particularly stood out. He twice blocked the shot of the Hoyas' leading scorer, 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert.

"He's dedicated himself the past year to be a starter this year," Calhoun told the Associated Press after UConn's 74-67 win over Georgetown. "He was the difference-maker today. He cleaned up the middle by blocking shots and obviously scored a few baskets for us."