A negative trend involving a program staple has emerged during the first two UConn basketball games.

Rebounding is a major issue for the Huskies (2-0).

Two smaller and physically weaker opponents in William & Mary and Colgate pushed UConn around under the basket. The Huskies hold a slim 63-61 combined rebounding edge.

After tying William & Mary (34-34) in Friday's season-opening win, UConn grabbed a 29-27 rebounding advantage in Monday's victory over Colgate. The Raiders scored 20 second-half points off of 12 offensive rebounds.

"It's a pleasant surprise," Colgate coach Emmett Davis said. "I wouldn't say we're a great rebounding team."

A good portion of UConn coach Jim Calhoun's post-game remarks covered that very sore subject.

"Toughness, toughness, toughness, toughness" said Calhoun when asked the source of the problem.

Starting forward Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards, who each had one rebound in the first half, finished with three and five, respectively. That's not getting the job done.

Think about what will happen against a rugged Big East opponent.

"We're not really playing the way we're supposed to," Edwards said.

Calhoun added: "We've got some guys who should be able to rebound who continue not to do that."

UConn plays Hofstra (1-1) tonight in an NIT Season Tip-Off second round game with the winner advancing to the semifinals in New York next week.

Hofstra out-rebounded Yale, 42-22, in a 68-63 win Monday. The Pride crashed the boards as a team with six players grabbing four or more rebounds. Forward Greg Washington, a 6-10 junior, and senior Miklos Szabo, a 6-9 forward, are the biggest starters.

Other assorted statistics and facts from UConn's 77-63 win Monday:

-- Colgate shot 47.2 percent from the field. Only four opponents hit that mark or higher last season.

-- Frontcourt starters Robinson (8-for-8), Edwards (7-for-8) and freshman Alex Oriakhi (2-for-2) combined to convert 17-for-18 from the field.

-- Backcourt starters Kemba Walker (7-for-17) and Jerome Dyson (3-for-15) went a combined 10-for-32.

-- One of the few encouraging signs was the play of freshman Jamal Coombs-McDaniel who came off the bench to score 11 points in 15 minutes.

"I felt a lot more comfortable tonight," Coombs-McDaniel said. "I was more focused coming in."

But Calhoun was in no mood to praise the freshman.

"If he ever could guard anybody, he'll be a very valuable guy off the bench," Calhoun said. "He doesn't know the plays."

-- Walker had an active night, chipping 16 points, six assists and a career-high five steals.

-- Calhoun declared that junior Donnell Beverly is now the back-up point guard, moving ahead of freshman Darius Smith. Beverly had two points and one assist in five minutes while Smith had one assist and one steal in eight minutes.

-- UConn's trapping press caused problems in the first half, helping force 14 turnovers. Colgate had 19 turnovers overall. Calhoun wasn't entirely impressed with the press.

"The press gave us a lot, but then we wouldn't rotate back," Calhoun said.

-- And one final verbal blast from Calhoun: "Are we in desperate shape? No. Hopefully, tomorrow night we'll turn it around and be the team we need to be."