Not too often I get to write a story that combines my two favorite sports, baseball and college basketball. But Tyler Olander provided me with that opportunity.

As you may know by now, Olander signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and has been at the team's spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida for extended spring training the past couple of months (save for a quick jaunt back to Mansfield last weekend).

Olander has largely been rehabbing since he re-aggravated the broken foot injury that caused him to leave his Spanish pro basketball team last October, come home for surgery and embark on his latent baseball career.

Other than playing catch with Shabazz Napier so Napier could practice for his Fenway Park first pitch in April, 2014, Olander never went back to baseball during his college career. But he would often tell his four-year roommate and teammate, Niels Giffey, that he intended on trying his hand at baseball again one day.

Giffey was one of the first to congratulate him after Olander signed with the Blue Jays back in April. DeAndre Daniels offered his congratulations, as well.

We certainly wish him congratulations and good luck, as well. Will he be the next Randy Johnson? Of course not. He won't even be the next Scott Burrell. But could Olander be the next Mark Hendrickson? Hey, you never know.

Sterling Gibbs came up big on Saturday night, as UConn squandered a 19-point second-half lead but wound up pulling off a 75-67 win at Tulane.



Here's some of what Kevin Ollie had to say afterwards, as well.



Here's my column off the game, highlighting Gibbs' big night, and here are some game notes.

Also, it was nice to see DeAndre Daniels on Saturday night. He's in town visiting his grandmother and stepmom for the holidays, and was inside the locker room afterwards. Daniels played in Australia last year but broke his foot about four months ago and has been rehabbing mostly in Toronto with the Raptors, who still hold his rights after selecting him in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft.

He said he probably needs about another month or two of rehabbing before he’s ready to play again. He’s not under contract with the Raptors, who will relinquish his rights after this season.

Daniels enjoyed his time in Australia last year.

“It was good,” he said. “I loved it. To be far away and be out there by myself was tough at first, but it was good to grow up and play a new position (small forward). It was a good league, and I enjoyed my time out there.”

UConn is anxious to kick off its 2015-16 season Friday night against Maine at Gampel. Game starts at 7:30 p.m. (not 7 p.m., per usual).

Here's some of what Sterling Gibbs had to say after Thursday's practice, as he gets set to begin his first and only season as a Husky:



And here's some of what Kevin Ollie had to say:



Elsewhere:

*** Phil Nolan took part in most of Thursday's practice, but Ollie wouldn't completely sign off on Nolan being available to play on Friday, saying that the senior forward was still favoring his ankle a bit.

*** Tyler Olander took in practice. Olander is playing professionally in Lithuania, but recently hurt his leg and is back rehabbing it for a couple of months. It's a similar injury to what DeAndre Daniels sustained over the summer, according to Ollie.

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."

Ray Allen, Kemba Walker, Andre Drummond, Ben Gordon and Rudy Gay are among the former UConn greats expected to participate in the seventh Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Other likely participants: Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler, DeAndre Daniels, Khalid El-Amin, Donyell Marshall, Donny Marshall, Charlie Villanueva, Scott Burrell, Taliek Brown, A.J. Price, Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, John Gwynn, Lyman DePriest and Rod Sellers. Shabazz Napier is a "hopeful" at this point, we're told.

Howie Dickenman will coach one team and Tom Moore will coach the other. Kevin Ollie won't play, but instead will help assist Dickenman's team. Jim Calhoun, of course, will be there, as well (provided he doesn't take any bike rides earlier in the day). Typically, he floats around to both benches during the game.

Players on all four of UConn's national championship teams will be represented. Also in the house will be the four national championship trophies, on display up on the concourse.

The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Ticket are $12 to $25 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster at 800-345-7000, at Ticketmaster.com, or at the Mohegan Sun box office. All proceeds will benefit the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at UConn Health. Since 1999, the game has raised more than $6.5 million for cardiology research and life-saving care.

Ray Allen, Kemba Walker, Rip Hamilton, Rudy Gay and Shabazz Napier are among the former UConn stars expected to play at this year's Jim Calhoun Charity Classic game on Aug. 8 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Also expected to be in attendance are: Ben Gordon, DeAndre Daniels, Jeremy Lamb, Donyell Marshall, Donny Marshall, Charlie Villanueva, A.J. Price, Jeff Adrien, Taliek Brown and Scott Burrell.

Checked out the GHPA on Saturday and had nice conversations with Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and Sam Cassell, Jr. Purvis played in the late game and looked pretty good.

He certainly looked a bit Ferrari-like on this driving lefty layup:



And on this nifty spin move (the second of the two moves in this clip):



Purvis, who had played in a few pro-am games back in Raleigh, N.C. over the past month, said his surgically-repaired shoulder is 100-percent.

He's an even better interview. Here's some of what he had to say:

(on how he's helped Amida Brimah through his own, similar shoulder surgery)

"Any questions he had, I answered all his questions for him, helped him get through whatever he needed as far as helping him. The day of his surgery, I went to go see him, just to make sure he was in great spirits. Because it is a long process, with a six-month recovery. That's my brother, so I had no choice but to be there for him."

Brimah was also at Crosby High on Saturday and reported that his shoulder is coming along fine.

(on just how difficult it was sitting out an entire season as a transfer from NC State)

"I heard from different guys that it was rough on them. Of course it's rough, having to sit out, but I really couldn't play anyway because of my shoulder. It is what it is. I was around a great group of guys, they always kept me in the loop and never made me feel like I was outside. The only thing I didn't do was play in games. Everything else, I did. I felt a part of the team."

(on Kevin Ollie's constant references to him last season as a "Ferrari in the garage, that I can't use")

"I can't believe he said that. I took advantage of everything, going against guys like Shabazz and Boatright in practice every day. I was in Shabazz's ear all the time, trying to pick up different things -- in the room, watching film with him. He really gave me a lot of great feedback before he left."

(on what was the key to UConn's national title)

"We stayed together, no matter what. Any time you saw one of us, there were probably five or six of us. We stayed together. I don't think people understand how far being close off the court carries you on the court. We don't put on a front for Twitter or the media or anything, we're really brothers. We take our relationship seriously among each other."

"I'm really strong on brotherhood, because that's just how I was raised. I saw what a brotherhood could do last season, and we want that same thing this year."

(on how excited he is to play alongside Ryan Boatright this season)

"I honestly feel like, just having the relationship we have off the court, that'll carry onto the court. That was my roommate last year, he kind of took me under his wing, helped me learn a lot of things. Not many people know this, but the whole entire year, me and 'Boat were in the gym every single night playing one-and-one, basically beating each other up, going back to the room not speaking to each other because one of us got the better of each other that one day. I just appreciate Boatright. He's a great guy, I can't wait to play alongside him."

Purvis added that he and Sam Cassell, Jr. are now roommates. He also noted that he checks in at about 205 pounds and noticeably more toned than when he first arrived last year at about 215.

Hamilton and Cassell, Jr. didn't play because they weren't able to get a ride to their scheduled 3 p.m. game. Both believe they'll definitely play next Saturday.

Here's some of what they had to say:

Hamilton:

"It's good to get on campus, just working out with the coaches and being able to adjust to the college life."

He said he'll head home to Los Angeles on Aug. 8 for a couple of weeks before returning to Storrs to start classes.

(on his new teammates)

"The funniest dudes I've been around. I just like hanging around them, because it brings joy to me. It reminds me of my brothers. That's why I like the atmosphere. It's just fun to hang around with these dudes and fun to be around this program."

(on how good the team can be this season)

"We are loaded with talent, all we've got to do is play for each other and not worry about what other people have to say. If we just play for one another, we're good enough to be able to repeat."

(on what position he'll play this season)

"I'm not sure where he's going to put me, but I just know when I get out there, he wants me to make plays and contribute to the team. Not just scoring, but rebounding, passing, facilitating, playing defense. Much more than just scoring."

(on DeAndre Daniels, who he knew from growing up in L.A.)

"I'm a little disappointed I couldn't play with him, but I'm happy for him at the same time, to be able to see him make it to the NBA and accomplish that goal. That's big."

Cassell, Jr.:

"I"m definitely ready to step on the court and put a UConn jersey on."

"I want to be a point guard, but I can play point and two-guard, a combo. I can bring shooting to the team, leadership, defense keeps you on the floor. Whatever it takes for us to win, that's what I'm going to bring."

"It's a guard-oriented offense. K.O.'s a good guy, he knows what he's doing."

"Hard practices make easy games."

(on rumors that his dad was in the running for some NBA head coaching jobs recently)

"That's his goal. He's always wanted to be a head coach."

(on how tough it was being an academic non-qualifier and spending two seasons at Chipola Junior College in Florida)

"It was real tough, just because a lot of my friends went on to play college basketball and I had to take a longer journey. But, in the long run, I'm at the place where I want to be."

As UConn bids adieu to one Class of 2015 recruit, it appears to be in pretty good standing with another.

Will Jackson, who committed to UConn back in February, has decommitted and instead lent his commitment to Georgia, according to multiple reports:

Ga Stars 2015 PG Will Jackson has decommitted from UCONN and committed to Georgia
— Shun Williams (@OntheRadarHoops) July 7, 2014

Along with Prince Ali's recent decision to re-open his commitment, that leaves talented Boston guard Jalen Adams as the Huskies' only Class of 2015 commit at this point.

But it looks like UConn is in good with Philadelphia's Derrick Jones, the No. 33-ranked player in his class, according to rivals.com. Jones, a 6-foot-6 small forward who plays at Archbishop Carroll in Philly, visited UConn last Monday with his AAU coach -- who just happens to be New Haven native and former Hillhouse standout Terrell Myers.

"I think Coach (Kevin) Ollie did a great job while we were there," said Myers, who knows Ollie from his college playing days at St. Joseph's, as well as from playing against him in pro-am leagues. "They crossed the t's, dotted the i's, explained what UConn basketball is all about. He really, really enjoyed his visit. It's a place he can really, really thrive."

Myers added that Jones is "a great kid, an amazing kid, probably the most athletic player we have right now. He has the ability to do so many things."

"He's extremely athletic, and really knows how to play the game of basketball, as well. He understands the nuances of it, all the small details. That's the greatest thing about him. His upside can be tremendous, he's just still scratching the surface. He's so athletic, people don’t understand other things he can do because he wows you with his athleticism."

Jones does need to get stronger, but, as Myers noted, so does Daniel Hamilton. And so did DeAndre Daniels and Jeremy Lamb and any number of recent talented UConn recruits.

Jones went to the Syracuse Elite camp last summer and has visited a few schools locally, but doesn't have anything else lined up at the moment.

"He's 17, so making a decision for college is tough," Myers noted. "He's trying to figure out what to wear tomorrow."

His visit to UConn came largely as a result of Myers coming back to the area.

"I was coming up that way," Myers said, "and I thought it would be a good opportunity for him to see the school."

Myers used to run a basketball camp each summer at which Ollie would come to speak.

"Without calling him, he just showed up and spoke to the kids," Myers recalled. "He's always been a thorough guy."

Jones isn't the only player on the Philly-based We-R1 AAU team that UConn is interested in. There's also Sedee Keita, a 6-9, Class of 2016 center from Delaware who plays at Vermont Academy. And the Huskies have also inquired about Malik Ellison, a 6-5, Class of '15 swingman who is the son of former Louisville star "Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison.

"UConn’s a great place with a great basketball history," Myers said. "I think Coach Ollie is a guy who’s gonna take it to another level."

Some might say he already has.

Shabazz Napier was selected by Charlotte with the 24th pick in the NBA Draft, then immediately traded to the Miami Heat.

He got a congratulatory hug from Isaiah Thomas, among others:



Here's some of what Napier had to say:

“I would love it,” Napier said. “Me and LeBron’s relationship, he’s a great guy. I’ve been to his camps. Me and him chatted a few time at his camps. He’s just a special (person).”

Asked if he had spoken with James recently, Napier said: “He doesn’t have my number.”

After Napier was selected, James said on Twitter: “My favorite player in the draft! #Napier.”

“My agent just told me that he tweeted something out about me just now,” Napier said. “It’s something special to know that one of the best players in the world thinks about you and appreciates your talent. That’s something that I’m humble for.”

With Mario Chalmers now a free agent and Norris Cole coming off a shaky postseason, Napier could step right into the starting point guard role with Miami.

“There’s always opportunity to do something great,” he said. “No matter if I was going to slide in as a starter or come off the bench, I’m going to work hard. I’m going to compete. That’s who I am.”



Despite two national championships and dozens of clutch shots on his resume, Napier was the last of the 20 or so players invited to the green room to be selected. Four point guards and several players whom Napier defeated during his college career were picked ahead of him. Some NBA personnel had questioned Napier’s athleticism heading into the draft.

Napier was asked if slipping to No. 24 would put a chip on his shoulder.

“The chip never leaves my shoulder,” he said. “It will never leave my shoudler. That’s what makes me who I am.”

Here's Shabazz entering the green room early in the evening:



Soon afterwards, DeAndre Daniels was selected by Toronto with the No. 37 overall pick.

Said Daniels: "This is a dream come true. I’m just excited right now. When I heard my name called, I started crying and hugging my family. I’m just so happy Toronto took the opportunity to draft me. I’ll show them it’s not a mistake, I’m going to work hard and I’ve got a chip on my shoulder and I’m going to try to prove a point to everybody.”

(on Toronto)

“I loved it out there, man. It’s a great city, great organization, great team. I can’t wait to get out there and get started.”

(on watching the draft with his family in Manchester)

“It was tough. I was patient, I was walking around non-stop. When it got close to, like, 28, 29, I went to my room. I came out at the right time, and my whole family started going crazy.”

"I just got off the phone with Shabazz. He told me he was happy for me, I told him I was happy for him. He said, 'This is not the end, we're gonna keep working. This is what UConn does.'"

Couple of other quick notes:

*** By my count, the 20 players invited to the green room Thursday night went a combined 1-8 vs. UConn. Julius Randle, James Young and Noah Vonleh all went 0-1, Gary Harris went 0-2 and poor Adreian Payne went 0-3. NC State's T.J. Warren got the lone win.

I don't know what that says, but I guess it says something.

*** Steve Enoch had a good visit to UConn on Thursday. He watched the NBA Draft and was slated to play in pickup games afterwards. Don't know about the other visitors at this point.

Daniel Hamilton and Rakim Lubin are on campus, joining Sam Cassell, Jr. as all three of UConn's newcomers are enrolled in (or about to enroll in) summer courses.

Here's a story I did on Cassell, Jr. and his father, shortly after he committed to UConn.

And here's a piece on Daniel Hamilton, after while he was in Springfield, Mass. at the Hoop Hall Classic in January.

*** Had a chance to sit down with Kevin Ollie and two other reporters in Ollie's office at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday afternoon to take a look ahead to the upcoming season. Here's some of what Ollie had to day:

(on Ryan Boatright taking over leadership role from Shabazz Napier)

“It’s a must. He has to do that. Not only for UConn, but for his basketball future. He has to take over that leadership role … I think Boat is going to do that. I see a lot of great qualities in Ryan. A lot of attention was given to Shabazz, but Ryan wants it. He has a great competitiveness about him. He competes at everything, and he wants to be great. He’s not going to settle for good. That’s the one thing I love about Boat. He’s never missed a practice. The guy just wants it. If a guy has a vision and he wants it that bad, yeah, we have to mold and change his approach sometimes, and he has to change his approach sometimes. But I think he’s going to get it. I think he’s already got it already. It’s for me to bring that out a little bit more, but it’s for him to give that gift away everyday – that leadership gift he’s got.”

(on how tough a decision it was for Boatright to return, rather than go pro)

“I know he reached out to a lot of people to get different advice for his decision. I know he and DeAndre are very, very close. It’s been well-documented, ‘We came in together, we’re leaving together.’ But I’m glad he thought about it and (realized), ‘What’s good for DeAndre, might not be good for me.’ DeAndre’s a different person. I’m glad he came back. I think he saw the model in Shabazz, who could have gone out last year and who knows if he would have been drafted, maybe in the second round. You just never know. Then he came in and won a national championship, now getting invited to the Green Room, got his degree, had a phenomenal year, Bob Cousy Award.”

(on some of the differences next year's team will have from this year's team)

“We’re not going to have DeAndre, Niels – that stretch forward we had last year. I think Amida’s going to be a tremendous asset for us. I think Kentan’s going to give us a different dynamic, where he can shoot the ball. Probably not off the 3 like Niels and DeAndre did – I know he’s working toward it, but those guys were exceptional shooters for us. Kentan brings us a guy running and jumping and getting rebounds. He’s working on his game very, very hard.”

“Phil is up to 230-235 lbs. now. That gives me the opportunity to play two bigs, that I haven’t been able to do the last two years … I’m excited to see Phil and Amida probably play together a little bit more.”

(on Omar Calhoun bouncing back)

“He’s a highly-motivated person before this happened. I think this is not going to destroy him, I think it’s going to open up room for him to get to the next level. I just believe in the kid, believe in the hard work he puts in. Results follow hard work. For him, last year was tough. But he grasped that, he embraced that, he was like a coach on the bench for me. That spoke volumes, because a lot of kids say, ‘I’m not in the spotlight,’ and they go away from team-oriented stuff. But he involved himself even more. I was like, ‘Wow.’ That shows me something, the growth in him. That’s what special people do.”

(on Brimah

’s rehab from shoulder surgery)

“Unbelievable. That kid is just working. This is no exaggeration – he’s in here at midnight, working on his game. He can’t do contact yet, but man, he is doing an unbelievable job, doing some things on the court with Coach (Glen) Miller … He’s just so self-motivated.”

Ollie noted that it will probably be another month or so before Brimah is cleared for contact.

(on Rodney Purvis)

“He’s working. Just having his leadership, too – I have to push him out of his comfort zone with that a little bit, and I’m willing to do that. Once he gets that aspect of being a more vocal leader, with his talents, I think he’s just going to explode. I needed him to be a leader last year, I wanted him to talk more. He started doing that. He resisted a little bit, he’d say, ‘I’m not playing.’ But you are playing. You’ve got to envision yourself in this role, because I knew losing Shabazz, we’re losing a lot. (He) has to step into that leadership role – him, Boat, all the guys that are going to have the ball in their hand.”

(on Purvis's role)

“Versatile player, being able to do multiple things on the basketball court. He can score on a high level. He definitely gives us a little different … he’s more explosive in transition, where he can go up and get over the rim. Power, big body, that we haven’t had. Terrence was kind of close to that, but Rodney has more explosiveness to the rim. He shot very well from the 3-point line at NC State, and I think he’s working towards improving that. I think he’s a good shooter, I think he can get better with his shot, get it off quicker. These are the different things we’re working on this summer to allow him to improve.”

(Is Sam Cassell, Jr. more a shooter, a ballhandler ... or both?)

“Sam can handle the basketball. I was very, very pleased with him. He’s been up here, working. His attitude, his leadership, he’s in phenomenal condition. He’s been around pros his whole life, so he knows how to conduct himself. He’s not afraid of competition. Actually, he relishes it. He can shoot the basketball. You want your two’s to dribble, shoot and pass. He does all that well. He’s going to be a player for us. Terrence (Samuel) is going to be a player for us. We’ve got some talent, we’ve got to pull it together.”

(on Samuel)

“You’ve got to take active steps to make your weaknesses your strengths. And shooting the ball is No. 1. He’s got to come in here and shoot the right way, and don’t be afraid to do it. Sometimes, you’ve got to take one step back and do it badly to get to that next level. I think he’s understanding that.”

(on Daniel Hamilton)

“I know he has great expectations for himself, which is great. I heard something that came out, somebody said he’s the eighth-rated small forward in the country already as a freshman. That don’t matter. You’ve really got to show, each and every day, that you can play on this level, that you compete on this level, and that you can be a separator on this level. We don’t want him to come and blend in. We want him to be an outstanding player on our team and make an impact. We’re going to need it, because we lost a lot.”

“He’s position-less. Even the four. There are situations this year where I’m going to have four guards … we might have five.”

(on Rakim Lubin)

“Just kind of like Amida last year. We found him. He’s definitely going to give us a different look running out the tunnel. He’s a little bit bigger than our guys … He’s not 7 feet, he’s 6-7, but we’ve got a guy walking around on our coaching staff who’s 6-7, 6-8, and he did pretty damn well. It’s all about heart. I think he’s got heart, he’s got a confidence about himself. He’s not shy or timid. He walks around and he knows he’s good. He knows he belongs. We’re going to have to temper that down a little bit, make him humble a little bit on that first day of practice. But I like that. I’d rather have that than have a guy that’s timid and not sure of himself. He has a lot of confidence. He has a chip on his shoulder. He wasn’t ranked in the Top-200, or whatever that stuff is. He’s going to come out here and prove that he belongs, and I think he’s going to give us a different dynamic that we didn’t have. One of those guys that can take a bump and also give a bump, too.”

(Will next year's team rebound better than last year's?)

“I hope so. I hope our point guard doesn’t lead us in rebounding, until the second half of the last game when DeAndre got those last two rebounds to beat him out. I hope that’s not the case. I hope Amida steps up, I hope Phil steps up … I think Daniel’s going to be a great rebounder. He’s had great rebounding games in high school. We’re going to have bigger guards out there – Rodney, Sam, Terrence, Omar. Hopefully, Rakim can come in and give us a life on the backboards.”

(on Shabazz)

“We sat at this table and we said, ‘These things can happen if you come back. This is where you’re putting yourself. You can do something that nobody else was ever able to do in the NCAA.’”

(on Shabazz's coursework this past season)

“He wasn’t taking electives, he was taking real required stories. He had big-time classes: labs, sciences, biology, chemistry. It was big-time stuff. And for him to do that, and lead his team … he is remarkable.”

(on Napier's draft prospects)

“He’s doing great in every one of his workouts. Now, it’s what team needs a point guard. There are a couple of teams outside the lottery that need a point guard. He might slip into the lottery, who knows? I just know it takes one guy to love you. I think he has a lot of people that love him.”

“I was very fortunate, when I got the job, that he stood by my side. I wouldn’t be here without Shabazz.”

Ollie noted that DeAndre Daniels had a workout on Wednesday with Detroit, who supposedly like him a lot. It was one of 14 workouts Daniels had slated over the past two weeks.

(on next year's schedule)

“We’ve got a tough schedule. Which is fine, that’s how I like it. We’re playing some top-notch teams: going down to Florida, playing Duke. Texas is going to be top-10 … It’s going to get us prepared for a nice tournament run, hopefully. We wanted to keep our RPI the same. Losing Louisville hurts our RPI a little bit, but we’re playing a great out-of-conference schedule that’s going to boost our RPI up.”

(on the AAC)

“I like the conference, I like the coaches. Tulsa is going to be great – I know we lost Danny Manning, but Frank Haith has done a great job at Miami and Missouri. Getting Orlando Antigua … the conference as a whole is going to be great. We’ve got some great freshmen coming in, the No. 1 point guard coming into our conference, Emmanuel Mudiay down at SMU, so it’s going to be exciting.”

Ollie said the new basketball practice facility should be completed in another 1 1/2-2 months. Here's how it looks right now:

Remember last year, when everyone was saying the 2014 NBA Draft was going to be really strong?

Turns out, that wasn't the case. In fact, if memory serves me correct, every draft in recent years that was supposed to be strong hasn't really turned out to be. And isn't that really to be expected these days?

Essentially, every draft is going to be filled with one-and-done guys, many of whom are talented but still question marks, and college juniors or seniors, who are often labeled as not having been good enough to go pro earlier. Sure, every now and then there's a Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant or Blake Griffin who is obviously going to be a star after a year or two of college. But these days, its seems, the NBA Draft -- almost by definition -- is filled with question marks.

That could help or hurt Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels. Napier's draft stock has certainly been rising lately, what with a second national title and several impressive NBA workouts under his belt. The mock drafts seem to have him in the No. 20-25 range. An NBA scout I talked to pegs him anywhere from No. 18-30 (which, of course, still means a first-round pick).

Although Napier isn't likely to be a lottery pick, he has enough star power to have been invited to do a media availability along with 19 other big names (Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart, etc.) at The Westin New York at Times Square, and he'll be in the "Green Room" for Thursday night's draft, as well.

DeAndre Daniels may be hurt by the weaker nature of this year's draft, however. Most feel he'll probably go somewhere in the middle of the second. Maybe a little higher, but not in the first round, it would appear.

Of course, as Kevin Ollie points out, it only takes one NBA GM to like you enough to pick you in the first round. But as another NBA scout told me, teams with late first-round picks this year are more likely to go with foreign players than with U.S.-born kids they're not exactly enamored with. At least they can stash the European kids overseas for a couple of years and hope they improve, rather than take a risk on a college kid who'd get guaranteed money.

Kevin Ollie is playing in the Travelers Championship celebrity pro-am on Wednesday. With fellow "celebs" including George Lopez, Doug Flutie, Andre Tippett, Tim Wakefield and Ahmad Rashad, it's not a stretch to say that the national championship-winning coach was as big a name, at least to the hometown fans, as anyone. Or at least tied with Jim Calhoun.

That point was further driven home after Ollie's first drive, off the 10th tee, caught some overhanging branches.

"That's OK," a fan yelled, "you won the 'ship."



Prior to his round, Ollie talked a bit about what's going on with the program:

(on Daniel Hamilton, Rakim Lubin arriving on campus next week)

"I'm getting excited. Daniel Hamilton texted me his plane ticket, so I was real excited with that one. I was REAL, real excited when I saw that. I'm looking forward to it, seeing Rakim -- he likes to be called 'Rock,' but he's gonna have to get a couple of rebounds before I call him 'Rock.'"

(on whether UConn will add to its roster before the season starts)

"Probably not. I want to save those scholarships. There's always something that might happen, an Andre Drummond sighting. We'd be welcome with that. But I'm not really looking for that. We've always got our ears to the concrete, seeing what's shaking."

(on what he's hearing regarding Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniel entering next week's NBA Draft)

"I'm hearing a lot of good things. DeAndre's been on a world tour. Since he came back here, he went to 14 different workouts. I've been talking to Cleveland, I talked to Toronto after he went in there. He had a good workout at Charlotte. Hopefully, everything is going well for him. I heard he's shooting the ball real, real well. And Shabazz is doing pretty much everything."

(can they both be first-round picks?)

"You never know. I know Shabazz is pretty much a lock ... I wouldn't say lock, but that's what they're saying. And DeAndre maybe can sneak in there. You just need one. You don't need all 30, you just need one general manager or owner to fall in love with you."

Ollie, for his part, says he won't attend the draft next Thursday at the Barclays Center.

"I would, if one of our guys was going to be in, what do they call it, the Green Room, the Red Room? They should call it the Husky Blue Room."

Here's a transcript, and some video from the UConn men's and women's teams visit to the White House on Monday:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Everybody, have a seat, have a seat. I’ve just got a few things to say here. Welcome to the White House, first of all.

AUDIENCE: Thank you. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: You’re pleased to be here, aren’t you? (Laughter.) I think we should give it up for the men’s and women’s national college basketball champions, the Connecticut Huskies! (Applause.) Now, I have to say that, as President, one of my goals has been to eliminate waste and cut out duplicative programs to make things a little more efficient, but this might be carrying things a little too far. (Laughter.)

We have, as you might expect, some big Huskies fans here today, including some outstanding members of Congress. I also want to recognize your university president, Susan Herbst -- (applause) -- your athletic director, Warde Manuel, and Larry McHugh, the chairman of your board of trustees. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) And of course, you’ve got a couple of great coaches in what I called when we were meeting back there the grizzled veteran, Geno Auriemma -- (laughter) -- and the new blood, Kevin Ollie, both in the house. (Applause.) I can make that joke now that I’ve got gray hair. (Laughter.)

Only once before, in 2004, has one school won both the men’s and women’s Division I titles. And of course, that was who?

AUDIENCE: UConn.

THE PRESIDENT: It was UConn. This is the women’s 9th national title, more than any other women’s basketball team in history. (Applause.) For the men, it is their fourth title in the last 16 years, which is twice as many as anybody else during that same span of time. (Applause.) Which makes me think, what’s up with you guys? Why aren’t you sharing? It is just a remarkable thing what these two programs have accomplished.

Of course, this season the women went a perfect 40-0, won their games by an average of 34 points -- so there was not a lot of suspense during their season. (Laughter.) In a championship game billed as one of the biggest in women’s basketball history, the Huskies routed the previously unbeaten Notre Dame -- and gave me bragging rights -- it gave me bragging rights to pick them in my bracket. This was not hard. (Laughter.) I mean, me and 95 percent of the country. And this marked the 5th time that UConn has finished a season as undefeated national champion.

Of course, a lot of this success belongs to Coach Geno, who has cemented his place as not only a legend in women’s basketball, but one of the best coaches that we’ve ever seen at any level and any sport, period. (Applause.) So we are grateful to have you. Congratulations. (Applause.)

But I think Coach Auriemma would be the first to tell you that the credit goes to the players. And these were just some outstanding young ladies. You’ve got Breanna Stewart named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player two years in a row. You’ve got Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who overcame injury and illness during the season, and came up big -- as she is prone to do -- during the tournament. You’ve got Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley, who went on to become top-10 picks in the WNBA draft.

And Stefanie, I did not forget that you challenged me to a dance-off last year. It is going to happen. It is going to happen. (Laughter and applause.) Don’t think that I -- don’t think that you’re going to beat me on that. (Laughter.) I also appreciate that you told the world about it after the title game. I have daughters in junior high and high school, and for their sake, I will not be dancing too much while the cameras are around. (Laughter.)



Now, I also have to confess, I did not pick the men to win in my bracket. (Laughter.) Of course, neither did anybody else unless you went to UConn. (Laughter.) Look at these guys, they’re all raising their hand. (Laughter.) Come on now, tell the truth. We were not counting on Shabazz Napier leading the way as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and hitting big shot after big shot and locking down the perimeter defensively. The Huskies also had huge contributions from guys like Ryan Boatright, DeAndre Daniels, and Neils Giffey, who’s not here because he’s playing overseas.

After the tournament wins over Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida, and Kentucky, UConn became the first seven-seed ever to win the title. (Applause.) And afterwards, Coach Ollie said, “Somebody told me we were Cinderellas” and I said, “no, we’re UConn” -- that’s “what we do, bred to cut down nets.” That’s Coach Ollie. He’s always confident and calm and collected. In fact, a sportswriter once referred to him as “our future President.” (Laughter.) I don’t know with a name like “Kevin” whether that’s possible. (Laughter and applause.) But who knows, anything could happen.

Now, Coach Ollie is doing one other important thing -- he’s making sure his team hits the books as hard as they hit the boards. And this season, both the men and the women ranked among the nation’s best academically and that’s worth applauding. (Applause.)

Both teams have also done tremendous work in the community. They’ve raised awareness for cancer and autism. They’ve volunteered at senior centers, spent time with underprivileged youth. Coach Ollie and Coach Auriemma spoke at the Pentagon last month as part of our Hoops for Troops program. And last year, after the tragedy in Newtown, the men put on a clinic for kids at a local rec center -- and they asked the media to keep it under wraps so the kids could just have a good time.

Finally, I want to take a moment to single out the women here, because I could not be more proud of the example that they present for my daughters. They’re showing that just like the boys, girls can be tough, athletic, beautiful, successful, competitive and make fun of me, which is what my daughters do all the time. (Laughter.) So thank you guys for the outstanding example. (Applause.)

Congratulations to your championship Huskies. (Applause.) And this really isn’t goodbye probably, because I suspect I’ll see some of these folks again before I leave office. So let’s strike the podium. We’ll take some good pictures. Come on. And I know we’ve got some jersey presentations here. Where’s my jersey? (Laughter.)

A few quotes from UConn players and coaches:

*** Napier on President Obama:

“He doesn’t present himself as somebody more powerful than you. He’s definitely well-respected. He doesn’t want to ‘wow’ you with how powerful he is. He’s just a well-respected guy, and someone that you respect because of the way he handles himself. I’m definitely honored and humbled, don’t get that wrong, because he is one of the most powerful men, if not the most powerful men in the world. Probably ten years down the line, it’s definitely something I’m gonna look back at.”

*** Ollie on Obama:

“He’s a person that always responds with courage. That’s the kind of things I tell the kids in practices -- being steady in games and responding to adversity. I think President Obama does those things. And his humility -- you see that each and every time he speaks. He’s always thanking others. That’s what we want our kid to understand each and every day they walk on our campus, or when we’re away visiting another team, what they represent. Hopefully, they do understand.”

*** Ollie will be honored at the Franciscan Sports Banquet on Tuesday night in Southington.

“Just being in that place, a feel like I’m a little holier. The grace of God is with me. Just to walk in there and feel the love of all the Franciscan nuns and everybody involved, it’s just a great night and I’m looking forward to it.”

Rakim Lubin, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound bruising power forward out of Buford, Ga., has signed his national letter-of-intent to attend UConn next season,.

Some pics of Rakim signing: pic.twitter.com/OuPcL6FXMI
— UConn (@B_WRecruiting) April 27, 2014

Lubin is just the kind of big, physical forward the Huskies need, especially with DeAndre Daniels off to the NBA and Tyler Olander graduated. He could be a rebounding presence UConn has really needed the past couple of seasons.

Lubin joins elite wing Daniel Hamilton and JUCO combo guard Sam Cassell, Jr. as UConn's Class of 2014 signees.

Here's the press release sent out by UConn regarding DeAndre Daniels and Ryan Boatright:

UConn junior DeAndre Daniels (LosAngeles, Calif.) has filed paperwork with the NBA to declare himself eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft. The 6-9 forward, who started 38 games for the national champion Huskies, will forgo his senior season of college eligibility.

 

Junior guard Ryan Boatright (Aurora, Ill.), also an instrumental part of the national championship run, has decided to return to UConn for his senior season in 2014-15.

“I just felt like this was the right time for me,” Daniels said. “I sat down with my family and we discussed it and everyone agreed, but the final decision was still mine and it was hard. I had a great career at UConn and I wouldn’t change it for the world, and to go out on top like we did makes it even better.”

Daniels averaged 13.1 points per game this season and led the Huskies in rebounding at 6.0 per game. The versatile forward shot .469 overall and .417 from three-point range. However, Daniels played his best basketball during the Huskies’ six-game march to the fourth NCAA title in school history, averaging 16.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and shooting .487 overall and .857 from the free throw line.

“DeAndre has made an enormous contribution to the success we have enjoyed at UConn, both on the court and in the classroom,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “Besides being an outstanding basketball player, he is a quality young man. We wholeheartedly support the decision he has made and wish him nothing but success as he moves ahead with his basketball career. He will always be part of our UConn family."

Boatright teamed with senior Shabazz Napier this season to form one of the toughest backcourts in the country. The 6-foot guard averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. It was on the defensive end, however, that Boatright arguably made his biggest contribution during the NCAA Tournament, continually disrupting the opposing point guard with outstanding on-ball defense, taking opposing teams out of their offensive game.

Boatright, a team tri-captain this season with Napier and Niels Giffey, will be the lone senior on next year's roster.

“I couldn’t be happier that Ryan will be back with us next season,” Ollie said, “not only for his terrific basketball talents, but to provide tremendous senior leadership for us, both on and off the court. The growth and maturity he has shown throughout his career has been wonderful and I expect that to continue as he works 

Daniels finishes his 99-game career at UConn with 953 points and 457 rebounds. He's the 16th UConn player to declare for the draft early. Of the previous 15 early entrants from UConn, 14 were selected in the first round and player in UConn history to leave school early for the NBA Draft. 

“I will always bleed blue, I will always love this program,” said Daniels, a sociology major who intends to finish his degree requirements in the summers ahead. “There have been ups and downs, but it’s been the best three years of my life. Today, when I thought about leaving, I even cried a little bit because I love this school and the friends I’ve made here to death. But I’m excited to follow the dream I've had since I was a little kid.

"I want to thank Coach Ollie and Coach (Jim) Calhoun for believing in me and everybody who helped me get to where I am, especially my teammates. If it weren’t for them, I certainly wouldn’t be in this position.”

DeAndre Daniels is heading to the NBA. Ryan Boatright is staying in Storrs. Both are probably the correct decisions.

pic.twitter.com/mGzNITV3vp
— DeAndre Daniels (@D_Daniels2) April 25, 2014

According to a pair of mock draft sites, Daniels could go in the late first round. NBAdraft.net has him going to Houston with the 25th overall pick, while DraftExpress.com foresees him going No. 27 to Phoenix.

Two veteran NBA scouts, however, aren’t so sure Daniels will land in the first round.

“I don’t know if he’s had enough of a body of work for the next level,” said an Eastern Conference scout. “Obviously, he helped himself out in the NCAA tournament. He’s got NBA length, NBA athleticism, a decent skill set, he played very well late in the season. But he hasn’t demonstrated consistently high-level play. He’s too in-and-out, too much time missing in action, which I think will make him a second-rounder.”

Added a Western Conference scout: “I don’t think it’s a good decision. I know he had a good tournament, maybe someone got caught up in the hype. I could be out of the mainstream on that. What’s the guy weigh, 180 pounds? That’s kinda silly. He’s got to get a lot stronger. Maybe he’s getting some better advice than I know about. Maybe he would be a late first-round pick. I could be all wrong on that one. I haven’t really re-calibrated since the hype of the Final Four.”

Boatright, meanwhile, is probably making the right choice by staying for his senior season. He likely wouldn't have been drafted this year, but a strong year, in which he can prove his leadership skills without Shabazz Napier around, could boost his stock.

Daniel Hamilton had 10 points and two rebounds Friday night for the West Team in the Jordan Brand Classic game at the Barclays Center. Hamilton started but played just 11 minutes as the East beat the West, 158-147, in a defense-optional game.

Here's some of what Hamilton had to say afterwards:

(on watching UConn's national championship victory)

“I was just so happy for Coach Ollie. Everybody around the house was so happy. We had, like, 13 people there.”

(on his game Friday night, as well as a championship of his own he recently won)

(on what he'll bring to UConn next season)

“I think I can bring my versatility, coming in playing shooting guard, small forward, being able to push it on the break and being able to get our players involved and being able to pull up for jumpers and stuff like that.”

(on whether DeAndre Daniels, whom he's known for many years, will return to UConn for his senior season or turn pro)

“I’ll just let him decide. I’ll let him do his own thing, but I haven’t talked to him about it. Most definitely, I’d love to play with him, especially since I’ve known him probably all my life. We’ll be able to have another chance at a run if he comes back. We’ll be that much better, because he’s a force. A lot of power forwards can’t guard him at that position, because he can put it on the floor and he can shoot, so it’s hard to guard him.”

(on whether UConn's national title will attract more top-notch recruits to Storrs)

“It’ll be easier for Coach Ollie (on the recruiting trail), I think, especially now. The way he coaches the players, it looks like a family. That’s what got me. Two years ago, when they played against Michigan State in that Army game, the way they looked like a family, they all got together and, man, that just touched me. That’s when I figured out I was going there.”

(on playing on the East Coast)

“I love it out here. The fans, they all love you and embrace you. That’s why I like it out here, because there’s no haters.”

Some quotes and video from today's parade, where we learned that Kevin Ollie "isn't going anywhere," but DeAndre Daniels, Ryan Boatright could be.

Shabazz Napier talked about his "hungry Huskies" comment and what he really meant by it:

(on appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated)

“Man, that’s surreal. My stepfather had bought a couple of magazines. I just saw it first glance, that’s just so surreal. I can’t believe that.”

(on now getting ready for NBA workouts)

“I knew, going into the tournament, before the first game, I’ve got to be prepared for anything, whether we lose or win. I’ve been preparing myself since then. I played well in the tournament, so it kind of showed how much I was prepared. But I”ve got a lot more to prepare for, a lot more to work on, because that’s a big jump.”

(on LeBron James saying on Twitter that Napier should be the first point guard taken in the 2014 draft):

“I don’t social network. But that is definitely cool. It’s just so surreal to see guys who you look up to shout you out and say stuff like that. I want people to know that, at the end of the day, they’re not picking. I wish they were. But at the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and treat every opportunity I have like an interview, like it is, and hopefully their words can get inside people’s heads. Maybe it’ll work. But I’m gonna work, no matter what.”

(on rumors of Kevin Ollie leaving for the NBA)

“He’s not going anywhere. He loves this university. When you love this university with the passion he has, he’s gonna stay here until they tell him he’s got to leave.”

“I doubt that he will leave. But, at the end of the day, I state what I believe.”

*** Incidentally, if you were wondering whether or not Jim Calhoun was at the parade, he wasn't. Calhoun was vacationing in Hilton Head, S.C.

*** Ryan Boatright said he'll talk to Kevin Ollie on Monday and his family this week regarding his future, and if he wants to turn pro or not.

(Boatright on paying attention to what scouts, critics, etc. say about his game translating to the NBA)

“You do a little bit. You take the good with the bad. Everybody ain’t gonna believe in you or think you’re a pro. So, you’ve just got to take the good with the bad and have firm belief in yourself, firm confidence.”

(on whether the idea of being "The Man" next year would help lead him to decide to return to UConn for his senior season)L

“It ain’t even about being the man. It’s just getting to put on the UConn uniform again, just having another chance to do this again. These type of experiences drive you to want to do it again. This is something special. It felt good to be a part of this.”

*** Ollie said nothing's really changed over the past week after winning a national title.

"I have to walk my dog and pick up the poop, all that stuff. Dogs don’t really care. Nothing’s really changed. It’s just amazing. I know their lives are going to change.”

“It’s great to be the fourth African-American head coach to win a national championship, to be with those names, mention my name with them, it means the world to be. Hopefully, it creates the path for other African-Americans that can get these jobs and perform very, very well.

He said he talked with John Thompson and Nolan Richardson at the Final Four, and plans to reach out to Tubby Smith, as well.

(on if anything would shake him to leave UConn for the NBA):

“No. Nothing will shake me. I love this place. Like anything else, I evaluate it each and every year. I want the conditions right around my student-athletes. You just never know where the NCAA is going in years to come. I want to make sure the university is doing everything possible for our student-athletes to succeed. If I don’t see that, maybe it’s an opportunity for me to leave. But I’m going to evaluate that each and every year, and it’s perfect right now. We’re doing everything it takes for our student-athletes to get their grades and do certain things on the road and have a great experience at this university.”

(on a possible contract re-negotiation with Warde Manuel)

"We’re going to sit down. Whatever it takes, I want to be here at the University of Connecticut. Hopefully, we can come up with a great solution that benefits not only me, but benefits the university going forward.”

(on what he'll tell Boatright and DeAndre Daniels about leaving for the pros)

“I’m just going to give them information that I’ve received from general managers, and then they’re going to have to make their own decisions. I don’t want to make any decisions for them. I want them to be committed, if they’re gonna come back. They’ve got to have the right attitude. If they decide to go to the pros, they’re gonna have to have the right attitude. I’m gonna give them information, and they’re gonna have to make the decision that’s best for their family. Not what’s best for UConn. What’s best for them and their family. And hopefully, they make the right decision and be committed to it. If you decide to go the NBA, you’d better be in the best shape of your life. If you decide to come back to UConn, you’d better be in the best shape of your life. I know they will.”

(It's worth noting that Daniels, one of the most congenial guys on the team, didn't want to talk to the media on Sunday)

Ollie has been out recruiting the past few days and said he hasn't heard anything yet about anyone possibly transferring from the program, but will start meeting individually with players on Monday.

"From what I hear now, they’re working, they’re in the weight room already. When they come to my office, I’m going to be all ears and all heart opened to them. Because they gave me so much. Even the guys that weren’t playing, they were great teammates. Whatever it takes for them to be better – if that’s moving on or if that’s staying at the University of Connecticut – I’m gonna be there for them.”

Well, that happened. Another national championship for UConn. In my opinion, the most unlikely of the Huskies' four. Yes, even more unlikely than the 2011, Kemba-led run.

Not sure what more to write at this point, so we'll leave you with some video:

Shabazz Napier was emotional as he watched "One Shining Moment" on the video board. Kevin Ollie consoled him and gave him a kiss.

Here, Napier explains why this title is so special:

Richard Hamilton on UConn's title:

UConn celebrating on the podium:

DeAndre Daniels with his new hardware:

DeAndre Daniels was once heavily recruited by Florida. Now, methinks he may be the key to beating the Gators in the Final Four Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Jim Calhoun had some interesting things to say about how proud he is of Kevin Ollie.

Some video of UConn at AT&T Stadium today:









*** Glen Miller on Amida Brimah's improvement over the season:

“People don’t really know how talented he is offensively. He’s more talented than he appears to be. He’s got a terrific right-hand and left-hand half-hook. As he gains strength and he can get better post position, you’ll see more scoring out of him going forward. Defensively, he’s got a great talent to block shots. But, when he has to come out away from the basket and play pick-and-roll defense, things like that, we’ve had to work with him a lot on that. A guy with his height and ability to block shots, when he gets drawn out from the basket a little bit … so often now, you see four and five guys that can step out and shoot the ball away from the basket, put it on the floor a little bit. So, his ability to guard away from the basket is probably what he’s had to work the most on.”

*** Some of the transcript of UConn's press conference:

Q.  What did you learn from guys like George Karl, Larry Brown, even Coach Calhoun, about trying to get guys to buy into a certain way of going about their business?
COACH OLLIE:  Just every day having the consistency.  We look at it as you can be a pro or you can be a professional.  A pro just does it in convenient times.  A professional does it in inconvenient times and convenient times.  You do it over and over again, and it becomes habit. 
That's what I try to put on my team each and every day, to get better at something.  If we can do that, we'll get better and we'll win games and we'll win together.  I learned that from George Karl.  I learned that from Larry Brown, of course Larry Brown, because he's a perfectionist.  He wants you to do certain things the right way, and especially the things you can control, which is your attitude and the way you show up each and every day.  I learned that from him because without him I wouldn't be here. 
Just the toughness that you got to show each and every day.  Hopefully it feeds over into my coaching staff. 

Q.  In your two years as the head coach, how much has it helped to have such a connection to UConn on your staff as well as the older players who come back and impart wisdom on your current guys?
COACH OLLIE:  Oh, it's invaluable.  I can't put a price tag on it.  I can go through my coaching staff, two of my coaches coached me.  Glen Miller coached me my freshman year, my sophomore year when I didn't know anything.  I'm just walking around as a freshman and trying to find my way, and Coach Calhoun's screaming at me and I didn't understand what he was saying, and I'm very glad Glen was there.  Now he's on my staff. 
Coach Hobbs came in after Glen left and he coached me my junior and senior year.  That's when I really started taking off as a point guard and really establishing myself as a basketball player and a point guard.  I loved those guys to death.  To see them on my staff now, and then couple that with the younger coaches that I got on my staff, two of the guys played on our 1999 National Championship team. 
So my coaching staff, I tell them they're the best in America because they young, but they're all UConn guys.  They all graduated.  They all got their degrees from UConn.  It's a beautiful synergy that we have because we all have that common denominator that we played for UConn.  We know what it takes to put that jersey on and the pride that we are playing for each and every night.

Q.  You joining the UConn program was sort of contingent on there being a position open on Jim's staff.  There's a position open, and so you get it, and then Jim retires and now here we are.  Would you be in college coaching if not for a position being open at that particular time right now?  Do you have any idea what else you might be doing?
COACH OLLIE:  I would have probably been with the Thunder, because I had an opportunity to stay with the Thunder in different capacities.  Me and Sam Presti is great friends and he wanted me to come back and be a coach or be in the front office with him. 
I could have still played because I'm not a free agent that's going to get signed July 1st.  So I usually get signed probably in September right before training camp.  So I didn't have that luxury to see what was the free agent market. 
So I decided to just go back to UConn.  They had a spot open even before the season was over with.  That spot was open, and I decided to many could back.  I wanted to be closer to my family.  The last five years of my NBA career, my family stayed in Glastonbury, Connecticut, while I was at Oklahoma City, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philly 76ers, so I wanted to be close to them.
It's nothing like coming back home and being at University of Connecticut and everybody say, How do you recruit?  It's like recruiting is natural for me because I'm not making nothing up or anything, this is what I believe in.  I said I sat in those same seats, I went to the same classes that you're going to, and it's just a part of me.  I love the university and I want to be here for a long time. 

Q.  Kasey Hill didn't play the last time when you guys beat Florida in December.  What sort of problems does he present in contrast to maybe Scottie Wilbekin when Kasey Hill is in the game?
COACH OLLIE:  Kasey, with his speed, his ability to make plays, Scottie does the same thing, but it gives them an opportunity, kind of like us, where we can play 2‑point guards at the same time.  They didn't have that option when they played us last time. 
I don't think I had the option of Terrence Samuel either, because he wasn't playing a lot.  Now I can put three point guards out there. 
So it's a different game.  That was four months ago.  We're a different team.  I'm a different coach.  Billy Donovan's definitely got better understanding his team and what it takes for his team to win.  So it's going to be a whole different game. 
But Kasey Hill is a wonderful player. 
Now they got Chris Walker back in the rotation, which they didn't have before.  It's going to be a challenge for us.  We have to play our A‑game.  I've been telling the guys we don't have a B‑ or C‑game.  We just got an A‑game and that's what we got to bring each and every night when you step out on the floor and play in the NCAA tournament. 

Q.  What's your relationship like with Billy Donovan?
COACH OLLIE:  Just cordial.  We haven't had an opportunity to spend a lot of time together, but just on a recruiting trail.  Especially when I first got into the business and seeing all the coaches, they were very cordial to he me saying, Welcome.  Saying all the bad things about coaching, but also the good things.  We stay in the gyms for 15 hours and all that stuff.  But it was great just to see all the coaches. 
I admire Billy Donovan from afar even when I was playing.  To do the different things that he's done at the age of 48, he's definitely a Hall of Famer where he's built the program, predominantly football school, and he took it and made it a basketball school also.  I have so much respect for him, and getting his teams to win each and every year is tough.  To build a program that's tough, but to sustain it is even tougher.  He's sustained it over a lot of years there at Florida. 
I respect him so much.  I just look at how hard his teams play each and every play.  It's not each and every game, each and every play, and that's what I respect. 

Q.  Transfers have changed college basketball.  Billy Donovan has four.  I think you have two.  Wisconsin has one.  They're more predominant today.  How does that affect you guys from a recruiting standpoint?  It's almost like a little bit of a free agency situation. 
COACH OLLIE:  Yeah, you definitely got to look at the transferring, transfer market, the five‑year graduate students also.  We have been doing a real good job with that having assigned Kromah here this year from GW, and last we had R.J. Evans from Holy Cross.  They played a great role a leadership role on our team. 
We have Rodney Purvis that's sitting out right now, he's like a Ferrari sitting in the garage that I can't drive.  But he's practicing and getting better.  He's just a wonderful person.  It's tough for guys to sit out like that.  They think that they can be better changing venues and I want to just make sure they understand that they're a part of this team, too, while they sit out. 

Q.  (No microphone.)
COACH OLLIE:  I mean, it is different.  It's a different situations.  I know it's probably good for Rodney because he wanted to change.  He's a good kid.  He had to be penalized by sitting out and he can't be here with us in the Final Four, but he's here in spirit. 
But I think he's going to be a better person for it because he made a decision, and that's what you want young kids to be committed, by making a decision.  He decided to leave NC State and come here.  We want to make this the best situation for him. 
For us, we don't lack for all transfers, but we do look for certain situations that we evaluate basketball players on their character.  We think that's a good fit for our team and transfer fifth year seniors.  If it's a good fit for our team, we're going to look at it and explore that option. 

Q.  You've experienced this world as an athlete.  You've experienced this world as an assistant coach, now as a head coach.  If there was just one common sense change that you would say to the NCAA, I would like to make, what would that be and why?
COACH OLLIE:  Yeah, I mean, that's so hard.  You have to get in the room and you have to sacrifice a little bit.  Everybody got to come to a compromising position.  I think that me playing, we never played in venues like this.  The venues got bigger, the ticket prices got more. 
We have to find out a way that we can involve the student‑athletes a little bit more, give them more benefits and help them out even more.  I would like to see, you know, when they graduate, medical benefits or something like that, a 401K.  Something when they get out of playing that they have something to fall back on. 
I don't know the right way to go.  I don't know the wrong way to go.  But I want to see us getting in a room and start changing a little bit because I've seen all this change.  My last game was in the Oakland Coliseum in 1995.  This is definitely a bigger venue than that. 
So I would like to see things change.  Hopefully we can come to a situation where we can get better as student‑athletes and it's a business.  Hopefully we can get better at that. 

Q.  When you were an athlete, was there ever a moment where you looked at what was going on around you and you saw the contradictions in what was going on?
COACH OLLIE:  Of course you seen it.  We wasn't getting paid and you see our jerseys getting sold.  So you seen it.  But at the end of the day, I was living the dream.  I was at University of Connecticut.  I was playing basketball.  The relationships I have now with my friends back in 1995, through 1991 and 1995, I still have today.  They're here at the Final Four with me and they're celebrating this achievement of our teal. 
So I can never put a price tag on the relationships I have.  I got my degree in communications, so I can never put a price tag on that.  But definitely things got to change.  You're aware of it.  At the end of the day, I'm getting a great education and I embrace that.  I want our kids to embrace that because it's a great time in their lives and they should be celebrating that instead of looking at all the negative things. 

Q.  Could you contrast for me Billy's got a team that's considered one of the more balanced teams in the country.  You've got a great team as well, but you heavily reliant on a star.  I'm just wondering from your own comfort level, do you prefer having a team that's maybe a little bit more dependent on one guy to carry the load or would you prefer the balanced situation?  Could you contrast those two situations?
COACH OLLIE:  I just want to be at the Final Four.  Okay.  I don't care how I get here.  It could be Ryan playing good, Bazz playing good.  I think we have a complete team, too.  I think you can't get here by one player.  If you seen our games, you had DeAndre Daniels stepping up in one game.  If Amida Brimah didn't make the three‑point play against St. Joseph's, we wouldn't be here.  That wasn't Shabazz. 
Shabazz is a great player, don't get me wrong.  But I think we got more balance than a lot of people give us credit for.  Ryan Boatright is playing unselfish basketball and that's really allowing us to flourish on the offensive end.  We have Niels Giffey that's a deadeye three‑point shooter that's playing a bigger role than he played last year. 
So I give a lot of credit to my team.  A lot of people don't talk about our front court because they don't score all the points, but they are tough.  We showed that against Michigan State shutting down Dawson and shutting down Adreian Payne, and Shabazz didn't really have a hand in that.  Our bigs had to do that job and control the paint and limit them to six points and in the paint. 
So we have a more complete team than a lot of people give us credit for. 

Q.  Coach and Ryan, just to follow‑up on the question about Ryan and his defense, when a guy comes into the school offering 31 points a game, what's the process like to get a guy to become a defensive player and a stopper?  For Ryan, coach was talking about you having an evolution as a player and becoming more coachable.  Just wondering how you develop that, how you have become more coachable and how you have evolved since being at UConn. 
COACH OLLIE:  I just think when you come from high school, you are All‑American, but you're not always surrounded by All‑Americans also in your high school team.  So you're going to have to understand it's a part of a team and you're going to have to find your way. 
When I came in the school I had Ray Allen and Donyell Marshall and I scored a lot.  But I found out that them guys can score more.  I had to I understand a way to get in the rotation.  For me it was playing defense. 
Ryan is an explosive scorer.  He does some great things.  But I think for him to get to that next level, he has to make his teammates better.  That's what he's starting to do.  That's what he's starting to embrace, and it's great to see. 
That's how he's going to get to the next level and continue to play, is to embrace his teammates and make everyone better.  That might be scoring, some nights that he scores 20 points.  Some nights he scores 10.  But you can always be a great teammate. 
I think all of our student‑athletes are understanding that it's not all about being great players, but every day, every time we step out on the court, every time you put that UConn jersey on, you can be a great teammate.  I think that's what we're starting to get on a more consistent basis.  I think that's allowing us to get to this venue and play in a Final Four and have 80 minutes from cutting down the nets. 
RYAN BOATRIGHT:  Like he said, when you in high school and you're scoring 50, 60 points, averaging 33, you think you know it all.  When I got to this level I was coachable, but I always had something to say back.  So I learned right away playing for Coach Calhoun that that ain't a good thing to do.  I just started listening more and knowing that I didn't know it all.  I wasn't as good as I thought I was. 
So Coach Ollie said, Open your heart and open your ears so you can get better, and I just started doing that. 

Q.  Coach, when kids were deciding whether to go or not, and can you specifically speak to Roscoe, when they go through that decision, what is your advice, if anything?  How do you take kids through the process of, Will they stay, will they go?  Can you speak about, he would be a senior on this team, so he started as a freshman, what role would he have?  Through that process, we talked to Shabazz about did you re‑recruit him or did they just have to make up their minds on their own?
COACH OLLIE:  You tell them about the value of coming back and what role you expect them to play when they comeback.  But at the end of the day, I can't make anybody want to come back.  I can't make their decision. It wouldn't be right for me to have them come back against their will.  They got to make their own decision. 
At the end of the day, I told Roscoe to think about it, and I want to be your coach, I want you to stay here at this program because I believe it's the greatest program in the nation.  But at the end of the day, he has to make his own decision.  I can give him suggestions, but at the end of the day, he got to make his own decision.  He decided to go to UNLV, and it worked out great for him, you know. 
These guys decided to stay.  It worked out great for them.  So that's how life is.  You ask for wisdom from your family and they thought that was the best choice for him.  He thought in his heart that was the best choice for him.  So I wish him all the luck.  I love Roscoe still to this day, and I think he had a great run this year rebounding the basketball, doing all the different things that we wanted him to do while he was at the University of Connecticut. 
I'm glad I got this team here.  I'm glad these guys believed in the program, believed in me, but most importantly believed in each other to stay, to fight through the tough times, and now they're reaping the benefits. 

Q.  Kevin and DeAndre and Phillip, you were talking about how you don't feel your front court gets enough props because it's so much focused on the back court in shutting down Dawson and Payne that was a great example.  Can you compare the challenges that they have compared to Florida's bigs, specifically, and maybe how your guys are equipped to handle that? 
COACH OLLIE:  First of all, it starts with activity for our bigs.  They did a great job widening, they did a great job boxing out.  We call it, 'commit to hit.'  Every available hit, make sure you take it and that's what they did. 
DeAndre was doing a great job finding his niche in our offense.  He's a dynamic scorer.  He's a hybrid four, hybrid three, whatever you want to call him.  He's just a great player inside out.  I can manipulate the defense with him. 
Phillip is doing all the things that it takes for us to win.  He got a dunk at the end of the game last game.  He didn't pass it to Niels Giffey, but he said Niels don't never pass it to him, so he was going to dunk that one.  So it was great for him to have that.  Him playing 27 minutes, 29 minutes, it really gave us that point where we can go and have a big be a stopper, and I appreciate that. 
A lot of people don't see it, but I go back and watch tape after tape after tape, and I see what these guys bring to our team each and every day.  We are a complete team.  It's just not our guards, it's our bigs, it's our coaching staff.  It's just not me, it's everybody involved in winning and making this program the best.  It's just a great feeling when we can all get here together and we have been through our ups and downs and we never gave in.  We kept providing that energy each and every day and we taking ownership.
RYAN BOATRIGHT:  Talked about that earlier, these guys taking ownership of the team now.  This is, I'm in the back.  They're taking ownership.  They're driving the bus right now.  That's the only way we are here at the Final Four. 

Q.  (No microphone.)
COACH OLLIE:  They present a big challenge.  We played those guys.  They pick‑and‑roll guys, they dive hard, Young is a great player, Yeguete brings his challenge, Finney‑Smith shooting the three‑ball, going inside.  They present a big challenge for us, and we got to be ready to play. 
We got to play at a level five.  We got to rebound.  We got to limit their touches.  We got to do our work early.  Phil and DeAndre know that because they hear me screaming it each and every day.
PHILLIP NOLAN:  Pretty much everything coach said.  Just I have to do whatever I need to do to help this team win, whether it's running, fronting the post, getting an extra rebound, it's just me.  I have to do what I have to do. 
DeANDRE DANIELS:  It starts with the little things.  Just playing the details and always following the game plan that we have.  We work on it every day in practice, of fronting the post and boxing out.  We have been doing a great job lately of that.  But most important thing is the front court.  We lack size all year, but one thing we don't lack is heart.  And we're just out there having fun and playing hard.