Nerlens Noel has decided to remain in the Class of 2013 instead of enrolling in college this fall. Noel is the top center in the class of 2013 and in the top-3 overall.

“It was a possibility but I’ve been coming to the decision that… I’ll be staying 2013,” Noel said. “I’m just staying to get stronger. I think it’s going to be a good summer, a good school year. I tried to stay stress-free, just really focused on working hard academically, in the weight room and on the court and just leaving that recruiting stuff for when I got free time.”

Noel is being targeted by Syracuse, UConn, Kentucky, Louisville and Georgetown.

“The type of program thats fits me is probably up-tempo, that likes to move the ball and just go,” Noel said. “But then again I think I can play in a good offense running system that gets their big men the ball, high and low.”

Connecticut lost by a 70-67 final at home to Cincinnati on Wednesday with Kemba Walker in attendance.

The loss demonstrated the inconsistency of the UConn bigs, how the offense struggles when Jeremy Lamb's usage goes down and how the defense is susceptible to three-point shots.

"I just had a little talk with Kemba about a couple of players he played with,"Calhoun said. "He said it doesn't look like them. That's exactly how I feel, too. It doesn't look like them.

"I couldn't be more disappointed with some of the guys on the team."

Alex Oriakhi and Andre Drummond combined for 3-for-16 shooting on the inside.

"I thought we'd have a great advantage inside and that didn't look like it worked out very well," Calhoun said. "We had two big guys against four guards, so one had a guard on him an awful lot of the time and just didn't get anything inside done."

Anthony Bennett eliminated Connecticut from his list of schools, which was in part because they will likely be ineligible for the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

"It was kind of part of it. ... I do want to play in the tournament, and when I heard that I kind of fell back on them."

Washington, Oregon, Kentucky, Florida and UNLV are Bennett's finalists.

Thomas Robinson of Kansas is the leader in the Player of the Year straw poll released by ESPN. Robinson received 25 first place votes and 98 total points.

Jared Sullinger of Ohio State received 13 first place votes and 73 total points.

Doug McDermott of Creighton received 10 first place votes and 69 total points.

Anthony Davis of Kentucky and John Jenkins of Vanderbilt received the other two first place votes. Davis had 12 points in total.

Harrison Barnes of North Carolina was ranked fifth with 11 points, followed by Kevin Jones (West Virginia), Perry Jones III (Baylor), Jenkins, Draymond Green (Michigan State), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky), Jeremy Lamb (UConn), Damian Lillard (Weber State), Jorge Gutierrez (Cal), Julian Mavunga (Miami Ohio), Mike Scott (Virginia), Marcus Demon (Missouri) and Kendall Marshall (North Carolina).

Kuran Iverson, a 6-foot-8 small forward, is one of the top recruits of the 2013 recruiting class.

Kentucky and Connecticut appear to have separated themselves at the top of Iverson's list.

UConn star freshman Andre Drummond declared after Saturday’s loss to Rutgers that he would return for his sophomore season.

“As of right now, I know I’ll be back,” he said. “That’s all I could tell you, I’ll be back.”

Drummond is projected as a top-5 pick in the next draft.

“Playing under Jim Calhoun’s wing, it’s going to be great,” Drummond said. “I’m trying to be here just to be a great basketball player and get better as a person and he’s the guy to do it.”

Mitch Kupchak, general manager of the Lakers, and Rich Cho, general manager of the Bobcats, were among the eight NBA executives on hand to witness Drummond’s 10 point, 12 rebound performance against Rutgers.

Seton Hall upset Connecticut by a final score of 75-63 on Tuesday, their first win over the Huskies since 2001.

Jim Calhoun did not coach UConn in the game, as he is serving the final game of his three-game suspension. George Blaney served as head coach.

Jordan Theodore scored all of his 19 points in the second half.