Another McDonald's All-American

The new addition to the Huskies, at least next season, will be guard Kelly Faris out of Heritage Christian in Indiana. You can also add Faris to the long list of UConn players to play in the McDonald's All-America game.

It was a bit of a shock, at least to me, because Faris has been widely unheralded. This is a very nice feather in her cap. She deserves plenty of congratulations.

Future teammate Maya Moore had some advice for Faris regarding the April 1 game in Miami.

"Just soak in everything for every event they have planned for you," Moore said. "Don’t be shy, don’t be nervous, don’t hold back. Make sure you enjoy everything. It’s something you can always look back on. You’ll play against some other players, watch others on TV and it’s a great connection with your class."

And this from coach Geno Auriemma:
"The McDonald’s people have picked a really good player. Nobody thought Kelly Faris was the kind of player that would be on the Under-18 national team but she went out to trials and played herself onto that team. When people give her a chance to play and put her in those scenarios I think she proves to everyone that she belongs."

"Being an All-American is a lot more than being the player that scores the most points. She does all the little things that good teams like. The coaches like the kind of things that she does. We didn’t recruit her because she’s averaging 30 points per game. We recruited her because she’s a real good basketball player who is going to add a lot to what we’re doing. It’s a great honor for her and the humble kid that she is I’m sure she’ll appreciate it."

Early videos from Providence

Renee's Day - pics and video

Pittsburgh pre-game

Not to take anything away from the Panthers, who are 19th in the country, but the talk around Gampel is who or what is the latest Husky of Honor addition.

Let's open the think tank and go tnrough options:

• Associate head coach Cris Dailey. If it were her, wouldn't it have happened already? Wouldn't UConn have scheduled this to happen against Rutgers, her alma mater? She's the dark horse.
• Any past team: The school would have issued a press release and the players, some of whom are overseas, would have to made plans to come back.
• Kay Yow. Seeing as it's "Think Pink" day, sure. But she was never a Husky.
• The fans. Interesting. Hmmm...
• Renee Montgomery. This is where my money is. You don't wait until Senior Night and give one senior more attention than the others. You do this before a national TV audience, further making the case for Montgomery as the National Player of the Year. And, it's been kept so secretive that it makes perfect sense that someone close to the team is being honored.
• The No. 1 for the most weeks at No. 1 in the polls of any team. But that could change down the road, making the plaque look silly.

Check back here for video and pictures shortly after the announcement.

UConn notes

Laguna Hills, Calif., sophomore Lauren Engeln made an unofficial visit to UConn Saturday. The 5-foot-11 guard may be in attendance with her father at today’s game. ... UConn will unveil its latest addition to the Huskies of Honor before the game. The newest addition is being kept under lock and key so to be a surprise. ... UConn will don pink sneakers and pink trimmed jerseys as part of the team’s “Think Pink” game, promoting cancer awareness.

Jess done until December

UConn sophomore center Jessica McCormack has returned to her native New Zealand to receive treatment for a nagging Achilles tendon. Pain has followed McCormack since January of last year and has kept her from practicing with the Huskies.

"She has had numerous non-operative treatments that are usually successful but continues to experience discomfort, which led to this decision," said Dr. Tom Trojian, UConn's team physician, in a statement.

A member of the New Zealand National Team, McCormack participated in the Summer Olympics, but her Achilles continued to present a problem for her. She rarely practiced with the Huskies and spent the time between semesters at home resting rather than with her teammates. It was decided that when she returned there hadn't been significant progress made, surgery would be the last option.

McCormack was sitting out this season after transferring from the University of Washington. With her not expected to return to the States until the summer, McCormack will have to sit out first semester of next season in order to satisfy NCAA regulations for transfer student-athletes.

According to UConn coach Geno Auriemma, there is no damage to the 6-foot-5 center's Achilles, but that there's some "stuff" around it that needs cleaning up. He expects a full recovery in time for training camp.

"That's what you always think," he said. "It's just like any other surgery. You go in and say, 'This is going to be good.' Her doctor believes it and she believes it and there's no reason not to believe it. Everything else she's tried hasn't worked, so hopefully this will be the final thing to get her over the hump."

Mel Thomas

There was a report last week saying that according to Mel Thomas' grandmother the former UConn star would be invited to training camp with the Seattle Storm. This is something the Storm have since denied.

When I read this -- and I have no reason to doubt the validity -- I e-mailed Mel. She got back to me Thursday night as said that she doesn't know much of what's going on (I assume because an agent is handling such matters) and that she'd get back to me when there's something solid.

When I know, you'll know.

Post-Rutgers

Some pictures from Tuesday's game, including one of the hero Meghan Gardler. She doesn't get a whole lot of time and isn't always dependable, but she came through big time against Rutgers. Kia Vaughn, Rutgers' one-time center, didn't know who Gardler was (does now) and threw her own teammates under the bus.

“She played well,” Vaughn said. “It had nothing to do with her height. She’s just strong and moving me around. It was just my teammates who had to actually come down and find me, so they didn’t find me and she had help from her other teammates.”

Vaughn was also asked about the WNBA and said she's still trying to figure out how the scoring is supposed to work on her team.

New starter

Tiffany Hayes will be starting in place of Lorin Dixon tonight. SHe was running the point in shoot around, so unless something changes between now and 8 p.m., Hayes is the starting point guard.

Renee in the WNBA

John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant and I were asked by the Minnesota Lynx to provide analysis of Renee Montgomery as we look ahead to April's WNBA draft.

The Lynx put together a really neat Draft Central Web page that is worth noting. Here's the link:
Minnesota Lynx Draft Central

While there, check out all of the other WNBA prospects featured as well.

Just to follow up

The point HondoHurricane made in the last entry is worth noting. She doesn't play for UConn, but I don't think there's an opposing player at least as long as I've covered the team that UConn fans have grown to respect more than Angel McCoughtry.

I always mention this, but it's worth noting because of who and what she was and now is. Three years ago, McCoughtry threw a tantrum on the court during the Big East Tournament. That was her sophomore year. The fans at the Civic Center were on her like I had not seen again. But Angel has grown up immeasurably. Her maturation has caught up with her talents and when they hooked up, she's blossomed even more.

So, yes, it was very classy by the UConn fans to give her a standing ovation. It also shows how much everyone else -- outside of Louisville -- recognizes her growth.

What else can be said

...about the number UConn put on Louisville?

Let's start with the most significant number coming out of the game. That is three.

Three was the shot of choice for Tiffany Hayes, who by many was considered the third freshman of her team's class (EDD and Doty).

Three was the shot that sparked the Huskies' big run when they took control of the game for good.

Three is the number of top six teams UConn has defeated by no fewer than 28 points.

I'm saving Hayes for another blog, hopefully in the morning when I have more rest. The threes? check out Tuesday's Bulletin.

What UConn has done is mind blowing. The ease, and increasing ease, at which it is winning games makes you wonder where the peak will be. Do they peak? Geno Auriemma said after the game that until everyone is clicking, there's room to improve on a nightly basis.

Jeff Walz refused to say UConn is the best team in the country. I don't know if he has a grudge or thinks someone is better, but who's feelings are you going to hurt by not saying UConn?

What I think is a bit of sportsmanship. He's confident that the Big east title game comes down to these same teams and if he waxes amazement than his team might believe it can't hang with the Huskies. I thnk we saw that the Cardinals can, in fact, play with the Huskies.

Had it not been for some sloppy play and a load of missed gimmie baskets, we have a different game. Maybe it's a 12-point game instead. And what if Tiffany Hayes plays more toward her average? Then Louisville might win. I doubt it, though. I find that the Cardinals are MUCH better than they showed -- and how can you not like Angel McCoughtry and Candyce Bingham?

I mentioned at halftime to someone who had never seen Angel play how I thought she is better than Maya Moore. I think Angel is more complete right now. Statistically, McCoughtry is the better player. That can't be argued. Plus, she has less talent -- substantially so -- than Moore. McCoughtry has single-handedly made Louisville a power.

Moore is more graceful, and compared to where McCoughtry was as a sophomore, is light years ahead in development. Meaning, two years from now, Maya is going to be twice as good...at least.

Anyhow, the season seems anticlimactic now. It shouldn't be and I suspect there will be a few tough games between now and the Big East tournament. But there are only a handful of teams that I think can give UConn trouble.

They are:
Stanford
Baylor
Cal
Maybe Auburn (need to see more)

Most everyone will disagree with me on Baylor and Cal, but I think they are athletic enough to cause problems for UConn.

OK, so that's it for now...but more after sunrise.

Misc. notes

Prior to the start of Monday's game against Louisville, which should be either No. 1 vs. No. 4 or No.1 vs. No 4, there will be a moment of silence in honor of Kay Yow. No pink jerseys or anything like that - I'll break out a pink shirt/tie combo for Kay, though. If you are going Monday, try to wear pink. If you know someone going, ask them to wear pink. Sure, UConn will have its "Think Pink" game in a few weeks, but it's not going to hurt you to do it twice.

Also, Maya Moore will be presented with a ball to commemorate her 1,000th point, which she scored last week against Syracuse. as part of her 40-point outburst.

Thanks, Coach

Conn coach Geno Auriemma sat deeper into his seat during Thursday's media gathering, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. For a man who usually has a quick response to anything, Auriemma was caught off guard.

His eyes drifted toward the floor, as to not make eye contact, but there was no hiding the emotions welling up inside.

All this for an opposing coach, a friend.

North Carolina State coach Kay Yow, 66, lost her battle with cancer Saturday.

Auriemma said he knew this most recent leave of absence was a sign of the disease taking a deeper hold of Yow, who twice before fought cancer into remission after her initial diagnosis in 1987. The last came in 2007 and she returned to the Wolfpack's run in the NCAA Tournament, which ended with a loss to the Huskies in Fresno, Calif.

Yow was what was right about sports, humanity.

She fought with a gusto and a determination that you realize if everyone shared those qualities, there is nothing mankind couldn't accomplish. She gave millions -- if not more -- hope, basketball fans or not, with her tireless advocacy toward cancer awareness and fund raising.

A Hall of Fame coach with 700 wins and a gold medal, Yow will be remembered for being both fighter and sheppard.

She is the reason next month college teams across this land will wear pink. Not many people can transcend their sport, yet Yow managed to do so.

Yow's efforts weren't fruitless. If the attention she drew to the cause led to one person to get checked out and catch the disease before it spread, I am sure she'd tell you every ounce of energy was well worth it.

Unfortunately, no matter how much others honor Yow, it simply won't be enough to do her justice.

Thanks, Coach.

Doty's surgery

Freshman guard Caroline Doty underwent surgery Thursday morning to repair her torn left ACL. That's the same ACL she tore playing soccer during her senior season of high school. She should need six-to-nine months to recover, but the question that is a ways away from being answered is how will Doty respond when she's back on the court? Will she be tentative? Will she hold back? Will she favor the left leg?

I spoke with two people who know a thing or two about knee injuries - Kalana Greene and Shea Ralph.

Greene said the hardest part was during games and not being able to give anyone a breather. In a lot of ways, that time becomes a reminder that you are hurt. Ralph said she has already assigned responsibilities to Doty, such as charting stats, to keep her involved and her mind off of the injury. The other thing Greene said was that practices were even tougher.

“I didn’t watch practice last year, I couldn’t do it,” Greene said. “I rehabbed during practice because practice is long and you’re doing drills and you see people play. Games are hard enough, but watching practice every day, it sucks because you want to be out there and part of the team.”

Ralph said she had five knee surgeries all told. After the fifth, the doctors told her that should she require another operation, Ralph would need knee replacement. Hopefully Doty doesn't go beyond two surgeries. My uneducated assumption is two in two years doesn't bode well dor Caroline.

Anyhow, Ralph said the subsequent surgeries and rehab were easier in the sense that she knew what was in front of her but she still had some measure of uncertainity. The keys are not getting too bogged down. It helped to have a good support system to lift her spirits, naming her roommate, Paige Sauer, as one person in particular that stepped up for her.

“At first it’s very physical because you lose your muscle like that, your knee is this big (gesturing a foot wide with her hands); the simplest things are painful and hard,” she said. “It’s hard physically. And once that starts to subside, it’s completely mental. I think the biggest is once your healed, is being back out on the court.”

Ralph said there isn't much you can tell an athlete when they're on the verge of surgery, but mentioned she stopped by to see Doty Thursday morning and deleivered a care package for the freshman.

Syracuse pics and a video

The video is Orange coach Quentin Hillsman displaying his frustrations with the officiating.

Clarification

First off....I need to respond to the last couple of comments regarding the Syracuse game.

1. Anyone who saw the game, especially if you were there, knows Geno didn't try to trip anyone. If you believe that, you are making up your own story and have no idea what happened. From my perspective, it looked like Geno tripped on a television cable. He said he stepped on someone's foot. A clip with a close up, but not entirely concrete shows Nicole Michael appearing to have stuck out her foot.

Everyone on the press row side of the court said he tripped on the cable. Everyone on the bench side said he was tripped, not that he instigated a trip. The line of players also blocked many people from seeing the cable.

Instead of name-calling and making up accusations, let's stick to the facts.

From what I saw, he tripped on a cable, but Syracuse played a dirty, dirty game.

2. Running up the score? You bet. The players and Auriemma wanted to make a point, send a message. 'Cuse coach Quentin Hillsman told the Orange;s radio team that he felt Auriemma was "trying to send me a message that I won't accept."

Auriemma said that if Hillsman thought a message was being sent he must have done something to warrant a message.

After Syracuse players said anyone on their team can guard Maya Moore and that the only difference between the Huskies and the Orange is the No. 1 ranking UConn has, I think what we saw was a Orange squad hat realized they aren't close and a Huskies team that wanted to make sure their foe knew its place.

War of words

Syracuse's Nicole Michael threw down Maya Moore midway through the second half, and during a timeout that immediately followed the play, Geno Auriemma spent the 30 seconds starring down at the Orange bench. After the game, it escalated as Auriemma exchanged words with Michael, who on her way back around, barked back at the coach. Both needed to be pulled away.

Auriemma doesn't like to punish the kids on the opposing team by running up the score, but today, he clearly did that.

Maya Moore became the fastest player to reach 1,000 points in school history, made the most 3-pointers in a game by a Husky with 10 and scored 40 points and 13 rebounds in the 107-53 win.

Renee Montgomery had 14 points and 11 assists, Tina Charles scored 20 with nine boards and Caroline Doty, who left with a knee sprain in the first half, scored 17.

Doty hurt

UConn freshman Caroline Doty scored a game-high 17 points, but twisted her surgically repaired left knee with 27.9 seconds left in the Huskies' 48-28 halftime lead over Syracuse at the XL Center on Saturday.

Doty was on a fastbreak along with Renee Montgomry and awkwardky turned to receive a long pass from Maya Moore (17 points) under the basket before falling to the court. She yelled, "My knee," as she the team's training staff ran to her aid.

It was a banner half for Doty, who missed her senior season due to a torn ACL. She was 5-for-11 from 3-point range and hit a pair of technical foul shots.

She had tangled with Syracuse's Juanita Ward and letter hit a 3 and looked in Ward's direction heading back uo court. Ward then directed some choice words at Doty leading to the technical foul shots.

Extended play

According to North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, the contract between UConn and UNC, which was set to expire after next season, has been extended for two additional years, taking the rivalry through the 2011-2012 season.

A UConn official said that the deal hasn't been signed, but is being finalized.