A few UConn notes to get you through your weekend:

*** Kevin Ollie has been contacted by several NBA teams regarding Ryan Boatright.

"Boat is gonna create his own chance," said Ollie. "And if they're not gonna open the door, he's gonna kick it down."

"I want him to look at what team fits him the best. That's what I want him to look at, not just the guaranteed money."

*** Ollie doesn't think it'll be a challenge meshing all the new players together this season.

"I'd have a little more trepidation if we didn't have some talented players down there and I'm trying to piece things together. This group is very, very talented."

"It's a talented group. I'm not gonna sit here and lie to you guys."

*** Shonn Miller is a "rebounding magnet ... very cerebral, able to pick up on things quickly."

UConn's new guard, Sterling Gibbs, meets the media

*** Sterling Gibbs is "just a basketball player. He plays at a pace you can't get him out of, which is something I love."

"He's not a Ricky Moore, as far as pushing the ball. But he's also a very smart player throwing the ball ahead."

*** Sam Cassell is going to see a doctor on Tuesday, hoping to get a clean bill of health and can start playing the following week. He's been doing just about everything except full-out basketball in recent weeks.

*** Amida Brimah needs to "eliminate some of those foolish mistakes that he did. Some of them were trying to take charges, or illegal screens 35 feet from the basket ... It happens, but I think it happened too much for him. Freshman, sophomore year, I'll lay off, but junior year, you've got to eliminate some of those mistakes and stay on the court. I think he's heard that a lot from me, he's aggravated from me saying that -- which is a good thing."

Brimah is up to 233 pounds now, and the Huskies would like him to get to about 235-240 by October.

He will also be one of the team's captains for a second straight year. Ollie will look for one or two more players to join him as captain.

*** Omar Calhoun is out with a toe injury. He's currently sporting a boot and hasn't been able to train with the coaching staff.

*** Ollie on Terrence Samuel, Rakim Lubin transferring: "Sooner or later, it's gonna happen. They felt they had a better situation playing a little more in another program."

"I thought Terrence played a lot of minutes. I stuck with him, but he stuck with me, too. He allowed us to win a championship. He played a pivotal role. You hate to see him go, because that team was something special to me. Not because we won the national championship, but that year prior, to stick by me in the lean times, I've got a special place in my heart for that team."

*** On AAC: "I think the only significant player that left our conference is Boat ... Everybody's back. That's why I think it's gonna be a great league."

"We've got to continue to schedule out-of-conference games. A lot of our AD's and programs in the bottom half have got to start getting some guarantee games also, so they can start getting wins. We talked about that a lot in our conference meetings. That's what they're looking for -- the strength of the whole conference, and not just the top four teams."

*** Ollie on UConn's own schedule: "Early on, we're gonna really be tested and see what this team is made out of. Which is good."

*** It's still to be determined whether Nnamdi Amilo will be back on scholarship this season.

"A 7-footer might parachute in," Ollie joked. "But if we don't have that, I'm definitely gonna put him on scholarship."

*** Ollie on Terry Larrier: "Wow. Ooooooh, he is so good. Man, he is fantastic. He's long, he's athletic, he can shoot the ball, runs the court, great person to be around. His teammates love him."

Larrier is already best friends with Daniel Hamilton. But they go at it hard on the court.

"That's a nice little competition right there," said Ollie. "That's big-time right there."

*** Ollie on recruiting: "I think we've done some good things. We're not Kentucky. People want us to be Kentucky. We're not gonna just get all the All-Americans. We have to continue to establish relationships and pick the right people ... I think we've got some nice momentum. A lot of people didn't know what we were doing, and that's a good thing. I do like to move under the radar and surprise some people. A lot of people maybe were disappointing with not getting Diamond (Stone) and not getting such-and-such, but as a coaching staff, we have to have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D to get things done."

For you uniform numbers mavens out there ... (by the way, this really is a good-looking roster. Not sure if Nnamdi Amilo is on scholarship yet, either):

UConn's five newcomers -- freshmen Jalen Adams and Steve Enoch, and transfers Sterling Gibbs, Shonn Miller and Terry Larrier -- met with the media on Tuesday at the Huskies' practice facility.

Here's some of what they had to say:

TERRY LARRIER:

(on how things have gone in his first few weeks on campus, and why he chose UConn the second time around):



(Larrier said that Shaka Smart tried to get him to come with him from VCU to Texas)

“Shaka definitely did reach out, try to get me on a visit. But I already kind of had my mind made up with the schools I wanted. No knock to Shaka, he’s still a great coach. I’m thankful for all that he’s taught me. I wish him and Texas the best of luck. But I’m just glad to be a Husky.”

JALEN ADAMS:

(on heading to the adidas Nations camp next month as a counselor)

“I’m looking forward to it. I went there as a camper, so it’s always nice to go back at the next level.”

(on how he felt when he heard fellow point guard Sterling Gibbs was transferring to UConn):



"When I found out he was coming in here, that’s why I was excited rather than stressing about it, because I know Kemba and Shabazz Napier played together. Shabazz Napier and (Ryan) Boatright played together. You can play with two guards, it doesn’t matter. Coach Ollie, when I committed here, he told me that UConn was positionless. You don’t have an assigned position, you just go out and play hard.”

STERLING GIBBS:

(on what he hopes to gain from his one season at UConn):

“As much as possible. As much knowledge, as much wins, brotherhood. I think we have enough talent to do some big things. We’ve just got to put it all together and all buy into the system.”

(on being a possible mentor to Jalen Adams):



“When I first got to Texas, we were just learning on the fly, we didn’t really have a big brother figure to look to on the court. But I really want to just pass all that knowledge to him and have him be the best player possible.”

SHONN MILLER:



(on whether rebounding, defense will be his main roles with UConn):

“That’s obviously one of my strong points. But I feel like I can do a multitude of other things, whether it’s scoring, passing, shooting.”

(on how good UConn can be this season)

“I don’t really know how to say it. We can just be really good. I think we have all the tools at each position to be a very good team.”

STEVE ENOCH:

“I know we have a boatload of talent. I’m just excited and interested to see what it could become ... It seems like we could be a really, really good team.”

Daniel Hamilton, Jalen Adams and Amida Brimah will be doing some camping this summer. Here's the release from UConn:

A trio of UConn men's basketball players will take their skills to summer camps in California to compete against some outstanding college talent.

Rising sophomore Daniel Hamilton (Los Angeles, Calif.) is one of just 20 college players nationally to be invited to participate in the inaugural Nike Basketball Academy to be held June 26-29 in Santa Monica. Also, rising junior Amida Brimah (Accra, Ghana) and incoming freshman Jalen Adams (Roxbury, Mass.) will serve as counselors and part of the college contingent of players at the sixth annual adidas Nations, held on July 30-Aug. 3, in Long Beach.

The Nike Basketball Academy is the result of Nike combining its three skills academies - the LeBron James Skills Academy, Kevin Durant Skills Academy, and Kyrie Irving/Anthony Davis Bigs and Points Skills Academies --- into one. The camp, to be held at the Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hanger, brings together some of the country's top high school and college players, where they will be instructed by some of Nike's top athletes, including James, Durant, Irving and Davis.

Hamilton, UConn's 6-7 swingman, was named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year last season after averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists for the Huskies. He led the conference in rebounding at 9.1 per game in league games and was the only freshman in the country to score 300 points (380), grab 200 rebounds (267), and hand out 100 assists (128).

At the Nike Academy, Hamilton will go through a professional basketball combine, off-court workouts, drills, film sessions, and 5-on-5 competition.

Brimah, the Huskies' 7-foot center, started all 35 games for UConn and averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.46 blocks, which ranked first in the conference and second in the country, as he earned the AAC Defensive Player of the Year Award. His 67.4 field goal percentage set a UConn single-season record.

Adams, a 6-2 guard, comes to UConn after leading Brewster Academy to a 34-1 season, the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AAA championship and the National Prep Championship. Adams averaged 16 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. He was a first team All-NEPSAC Class AAA pick, and MVP of the NEPSAC Class AAA Tournament.

Brimah and Adams are among a group of elite college players who will help tutor the younger players at adidas Nations, while also playing against top college competition themselves.

UConn has announced its 2015-16 non-conference opponents and game dates:

UConn 2015-16 Non-Conference Schedule

(subject to change)  

Sun., Nov. 1           Tampa (exhibition)

Sat., Nov. 7            New Haven (exhibition)

Fri., Nov. 13           Maine

Tues., Nov. 17        New Hampshire

Sat., Nov. 21          Furman

Wed., Nov. 25        at Battle 4 Atlantis*

Thurs., Nov. 26       at Battle 4 Atlantis*

Fri., Nov. 27           at Battle 4 Atlantis*

Wed., Dec. 2           Sacred Heart

Tues., Dec. 8          vs. Maryland (MSG)

Sat., Dec. 12          Ohio State

Sun., Dec. 20          UMass-Lowell

Wed., Dec. 23         Central Connecticut

Tues., Dec. 29         at Texas

Sat., Jan. 23           Georgetown

* -- Field also comprised by Syracuse, Michigan, Gonzaga, Texas, Texas A&M, Charlott adn Washington. 

Spoke to three NBA scouts over the past week, and was somewhat surprised that two of them feel Ryan Boatright will be selected in the 2015 NBA draft on Thursday.

Take them for what they're worth, sure, but none of the mock drafts have Boatright being selected. You don't hear his name mentioned much from any of the draft pundits. Certainly, general managers and other front office types might be better sources, but it's still somewhat encouraging for those hoping Boatright gets selected to hear a couple of scouts predict he'll get drafted.

Of course, getting picked in the second round doesn't guarantee you anything (just ask DeAndre Daniels). In fact, players who aren't drafted have a slight advantage in the fact that they could have a chance to pick and choose which summer camps they will go to, rather than be beholden to just one team.

Anyway, here's what the three scouts (two from the Eastern Conference, one from the Western Conference) had to say:

EASTERN CONFERENCE SCOUT:

"I think the prospects of second round are less than 50-50, but there’s a chance of him getting drafted. Even if he doesn’t, for sure he’ll be invited to summer league camps and get a strong look from multiple teams. He’ll be sought after."

"Obviously, his size works against him. But he’s tough as nails. He can come in and be a change-of-pace guy, score the ball at times."

"My gut feeling is he probably doesn’t get drafted, but I think there’s a chance."

"He’s an unbelievable money-maker in Europe, because he’s the type of guy they don’t have over there. They don’t have the super-quick guy."

WESTERN CONFERENCE SCOUT:

"I wouldn’t be shocked if he went somewhere in the second half of the second round."

"He was very good here when we worked him out. He's an undersized scorer, but he's improved other parts of his game. I don’t think you can really call him a point guard. (There have been) a number of guys like him in the league, undersized, high-energy scoring types. You put them in the game, they affect the game with their energy."

"He's a tough guy, he competes ... Good kid, works hard, got a pretty good resume."

EASTERN CONFERENCE SCOUT:

"I think he's gonna be taken in the second round. He’s a tough guy. His size is against him, but he’s got plenty of fight and aggressiveness. Anyone who’s seen him in big games, he comes to play, always competes. Tremendous competitor."

"To his credit, after a while – it took a while – he let them coach him. It took him a while, but he gave in to the coach."

"I've watched Boatright for years. I think he'll get drafted. He should, (because of) his toughness, his skill set, his competitiveness."

(on mock drafts)

"It’s good to compare on June 26 the mock drafts, see how accurate they were ,,, A number of those guys, they have other agendas in the mock draft, too. Agents, and things like that."

"He's gonna have to come in and outplay people, just like done all his life. Nothing new for him. He’s built for that."

After being held at Waterbury's Crosby High the past few summers, the Greater Hartford Pro-Am is returning to Hartford.

The annual summer basketball league, featuring many of the state's best former, future and current college, pro and high school stars, will likely be held at the Sports and Medical Sciences Academy. Nothing's official yet, however, and t's possible it could be held at a different Hartford school, or one in a neighboring town.

The main reason it's leaving Crosby is because that gym is being refurbished this summer. It's entirely possible the league could return to Crosby next summer.

The league will begin play on Wednesday, July 8.

*** Meanwhile, if you're looking for a Father's Day gift for your UConn-loving dad, may I suggest the following:  Rebound! The Incredible Story of UConn Basketball's Comeback from Defeat to Dominance. It's on sale at local Barnes & Noble and other book stores, as well as, obviously, online.

Jim Calhoun was at the 30th annual Franciscan Sports Banquet & Silent Auction on Tuesday in Southington.

Realized that, during his tenure at UConn, he almost never took in transfers (Ed Nelson was one of the few). Yes, it was an entirely different era. But Calhoun doesn't like what's going on with the mass epidemic of transfers in college basketball these days. He stresses that it has nothing to do with the fact that UConn has been as active (and successful) in the transfer market than any program. It's simply not a good thing for the entire sport, Calhoun said, and he wishes rules would be put in to help curb the mass exodus of players.

Here's what Calhoun had to say:

"I'm not a transfer guy. It's a different age, and everybody has to do it, I think. But honestly, overall -- it's got nothing to do with UConn or anybody right now -- it's got to do with the sport. I just don't know ... it's not great for the sport. One-and-done is not particularly great, but a kid comes, is great and leaves, it's understandable."

Calhoun said about 44 percent of all players transfer these days.

"I saw the kid from Rhode Island (Kuran Iverson) just got eligible, because he and the coach didn't get along. I know there are more extenuating circumstances ... I don't think everybody's against that kind of thing. There are questions: Bringing the 3-point line out, widening the lane, putting the arc in there and, quite frankly, the one-and-done's and, at the other end, we've got to make sure that, if you transfer, you've got to sit out. I think that would change a lot of people's mind about things. Yet, if I'm sitting in that seat today, and I'm thinking about the fact that I've got to fill roster spots, I've got to fill them. So, it's not UConn, it's not anybody. It's not Fred Hoiberg at Iowa State. Our team might be close to 50 percent this year -- (Sam) Cassell, (Rodney) Purvis, the three other kids ... I will embrace those kids. I think I met the (Sterling) Gibbs kid when we were recruiting him, actually .I've met the (Shonn) Miller kid and (Terry) Larrier -- I'll welcome to the Husky family and hope that they're accepted well, and so on. But the more and more I get a chance to go different places nationally, it will affect the game."

(can you understand why Kevin Ollie would be bringing these guys in?)

"You mention Kevin, I'm not mentioning Kevin. You take it that way, then it's Coach Calhoun is knocking UConn. Of course I"m not doing that. I said, if Jim Calhoun was sitting at this seat today, and recruiting hadn't gone quite as well as I wanted to and could get two fifth-year, all-league players? No-brainer."

"The backdraft of this is that there are coaches from other teams that just had players taken away from them. How would you like to have some of our players taken away? In all honesty, I'm not (helping) Kevin Willard here, but they're pretty good players he's losing. We could look at anybody -- the Mississippi State kid, (Rodney) Hood at Duke. It's not Kevin, if you mix that up, you're trying to make something that's not there. What it is is, I think a developing problem in college athletics and college basketball."

Interesting stuff.