Airplane concerns delay UConn guys’s arrival in Arizona

The UConn men’s basketball team left for the Last 4 in Arizona late Wednesday night after a confluence of concerns delayed its journey out of Connecticut.The group’s departure was pushed to about 11:30 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday due to the fact that of mechanical concerns, the NCAA said in a statement. UConn’s flight was initially set up to leave at about 6 p.m. ET.”In conjunction with the school and charter airlines, the NCAA worked to develop several alternatives for travel options to Phoenix,”the NCAA said.The mechanical problems caused crew staffing concerns, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Also, the mechanical problems made it tough to secure an aircraft large enough to accommodate the group’s travel party, sources informed Thamel.Editor’s Picks The team expects to show up in Arizona around 2 a.m. Pacific time Thursday and break up its celebration to bring individuals to the Final Four on later flights, with players and coaches taking top priority to show up initially, sources informed Thamel.”We are very dissatisfied that UConn will arrive later than prepared for and it’s unfortunate the group’s travel experience has been affected,”the NCAA said.Along with NC State, Purdue and Alabama, UConn is set up to have media availability, practice and other responsibilities in Glendale, Arizona on Thursday. The NCAA is expected to explore a modification of UConn’s schedule to factor in the team’s late arrival, sources told Thamel.CBS Sports initially reported on UConn’s travel delay.The Huskies are attempting to end up being the very first program to win back-to-back nationwide titles since Florida in 2006 and 2007. The Associated Press added to this report.