It may be football season, but basketball season isn't all that far away, either. Here are some upcoming dates for UConn men's basketball fans to keep in mind:

• The UConn men's hoops team will be signing autographs prior to Saturday's UConn-Syracuse football game at Rentschler from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at the Fan Fest area. The football game starts at 1 p.m. At the conclusion of the first quarter, UConn players will be presented with a hand-crafted surfboard, recognizing their participation in this year's Maui Invitational in November.

• The annual Husky Run will be held on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. This will be toned down from recent years, with just UConn players participating.

(Oh, and did you see what Donyell Marshall's doing in his first year as CCSU's head coach on Wednesday? Looks familiar!)

• UConn's first official practice is on Saturday, Oct. 1.

• UConn's First Night festivities will be held on Friday, Oct. 14. Bit of a different wrinkle this year, 

Here's the schedule of  First Night events:

3 p.m.: Doors open for First night/UConn women's volleyball (4 p.m. match)

First 50 students in line will be granted premium courtside seating. Also, the first 300 fans to sign up at the marketing table inside the South entrance will be granted entrance into a "Selfie Session" with the teams. 

4 p.m. UConn volleyball vs. UCF

5:30 p.m. Selfie session begins in the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center

7 p.m. Fan promotions and on-court entertainment begins

7:30 p.m. Showtime

The highlight of the festivities will be the Blue vs. White scrimmage, which will consist of four, five-minute segments - two featuring men vs. men, two featuring women vs. women. 

The teams will be chosen beforehand, but fans will be able to vote for which team they would like to see coached by Geno Auriemma and which they would like to see coached by Kevin Ollie. Voting will take place on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram starting on Sept. 29 and ending on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

• Finally, the AAC's Media Day will be held Monday, Oct. 24 in Philadelphia. 

It was Husky Day at the State Capitol today. Most of the members of the UConn men's and women's basketball teams were there -- no Ryan Boatright, but just about everyone else there, including coaches Kevin Ollie and Geno Auriemma.

One reporter's daughter even got a whole bunch of autographs, including Geno's.

(Oh, and if you're in the Southington area tonight around 6:30, stop by the Southington Public Library, where I'll be doing a book signing and discussion of Rebound!).

Anyway, here's some of what Daniel Hamilton and Ollie had to say:

HAMILTON:

(on rumors he might be leaving the program)

“I never had any thoughts. I had a sitdown with Coach Ollie, and we talked about the season during the exit meeting. Everything was good. I’m excited to be coming back.”

“He said I’ve got to shoot the ball better, and just getting to where I wanted to go, not forcing shots, not taking ill-advised shots.”

“It never crossed my mind. I know there were some rumors out there saying I might leave, but there was no thought of me going. Especially after the year that we had, I want to come back and do even better things next year. I wasn’t satisfied with the year we had as a team. Next year, I want to come back and be better than we were this year.”

“I knew my grandma’s been sick the last couple of years. I was always talking to her, she was always watching my games. She was just proud of me throughout the whole year.”

(on watching his brother, Isaac, help UCLA make a run to the Sweet Sixteen)

“Them making the Sweet 16, it was definitely fun. I was supporting them the whole way.”

“Not jealous, I was happy for him. I was excited for him.”

OLLIE:

(on Duke winning the title)

“They definitely deserved it. Coach K is a wonderful coach.”

(on recruiting focuses)

“We’ve got a couple of players that we’re looking (at). We’re just trying to add some spots. My job is to evaluate the program ... We have a couple that’s right on the brink, and hopefully we’ll get some good news here soon.”

(on any possible transfers)

“No one came in my office yet. It’s always an open door. I’m not telling them to come in the office. If they decide to come in and decide to go somewhere else, I can’t hold them back, I can just give my opinion on going forward. Hopefully, everybody stays and we can add on some compliments to these guys we’ve got now.”

“We just had our regular exit meetings. I gave them my expectations of them. went over the stats with them, just the standards that we uphold here at UConn. It was a character-building season for us, for me as a coach. We’ve got to get better. I think everybody has that desire, to get better.”

(on how Ollie can get better as a coach)

“Everything -- management of the team, getting them in better positions. I can always improve on everything. It’s not just one thing. I’ve got to get these guys better. We all fell short. We’re all UConn, and we’d like to get to the tournament. It’s a fine line between good and bad. We lost a lot of close games. You look back at those situations, I could have done things better, players could have made shots. We’re all in this together. It’s not one thing.”

(on recent college coaching changes)

“I was happy for Dave (Leitao), and to see Shaka (Smart) move to Texas. Some great acquisitions there, but also some great coaches that got their walking papers, which is unfortunate, too.”

(on Steve Enoch)

Every time I see Steve, he’s getting bigger, he’s getting better, he’s performing very well, he’s rebounding the ball. He’s got a chip on his shoulder every time I see him. I think he’s gonna be a phenomonal basketball player for us. He’s gonna be a serviceable big man coming in his freshman year, getting to lear from Amida, Kentan and Phil on how to conduct yourself as a UConn basketball player. I see a lot of potential in him. Now, that potential’s got to turn into skill. And that just depends on how hard he’s gonna work. What I see from him, I don’t see where that pattern’s gonna stop. Every time I see him, he’s adding something to his offensive repertoire, defensive rebounding -- doing things we lacked a little bit last year.”

(on Jalen Adams)

“Jalen Adams is gonna be an instant player for us that’s gonna really impact the game instantly. He can do so much stuff off the bounce, he’s very athletic. A lot of people don’t know how good a passer he is. I’m just gonna weigh on him to come in and do the different things we know he can do. But, athletically, ball-handling, pushing the ball -- those are his strengths. I’m gonna try to display that every single day, give him a platform where he can go out there and show his God-given talents. And God has given him a lot.”

Apparently, Adams may not play in Friday's Jordan Brand Classic regional game at Barclays Center. Nothing's official as of now, however. Doesn't sound like an injury or anything, just a possible conflict of some sort.

A fairly amusing video Christmas card from UConn, featuring Kevin Ollie, Geno Auriemma, Bob Diaco, Susan Herbst and some other UConn coaches, etc.

There's a new cereal commemorating UConn's dual national championships, with Kevin Ollie on one side and Geno Auriemma on the other. Seriously.

Here's the press release:

The 2013-14 basketball season was one to remember for both the UConn Women’s and Men’s basketball programs. To help commemorate the championship seasons by both programs, PLB Sports is proud to introduce “Husky HerOes” cereal featuring Coach Geno Auriemma and Coach Kevin Ollie. “Husky HerOes” cereal is a LIMITED EDITION, honey nut toasted oats cereal that comes packaged in a 14 oz. “2-sided” cereal box. Coach Auriemma is on one side of the box and Coach Ollie is on the other side.

UConn fans, alumni and students can order their very own boxes of “Husky HerOes” starting November 6th. Orders can be placed online atwww.huskyheroescereal.com. There is no better way to start a UConn basketball game day than with a bowl of “Husky HerOes” cereal.

There are only 25,000 boxes of this LIMITED EDITION Collector’s Box. Fans are encouraged to get their orders in early!

Kevin Ollie and Geno Auriemma entertained a crowd of about 450 at the Oakdale Theater on Tuesday night. (First time I've been to the Oakdale, by the way, though I hear the acoustics are good for concerts. May have to make a point of coming back).

Anyway, here's a little of what Ollie had to say:



“We’re gonna have good chemistry. That’s what we work on, first and foremost. Then, everything else follows after that. We’re just trying to build them up from the neck up, then we’ll worry about the neck down. It starts with mental toughness, because that’s what it takes to be a champion. We want to win a championship every day. If they can do that, ultimately we’ll be where we need to be at the end of the season.”

(comparing Ryan Boatright to his point guard predecessors)

“They’re loyal to the program: Kemba was loyal, Shabazz was loyal, and Ryan is real loyal to the program and wanting to see the program succeed. When you have that common thread between the three of them, they all want to see UConn be the best university it possibly can be.”

Ollie said that the team has mostly been practicing in its new facility, and had its first scrimmage on Saturday. He said the team is healthy and ready to go, though Ryan Boatright and Amida Brimah have each sat out a few practices with foot soreness lately. Not a big deal, it seems.

Speaking of the new facility, its official dedication ceremony will be held on Friday from 4-6 p.m., prior to First Night festivities. New Haven's own Tremont Waters, as well as UConn commits Steve Enoch, Jalen Adams are expected to be in attendance at First Night.

So on Friday, just before the Huskies put an official exclamation point on their incredible 2013-14 season with the unfurling of dual championship banners at First Night, the program will unveil the symbol of its positive future, as well.

The UConn Alumni Association will host “An Evening With Champions” featuring women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma and men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Conn.

The event will be hosted by former women’s basketball All-American and National Player of the Year Rebecca Lobo, who is now a broadcaster for ESPN and a member of the UConn Board of Trustees.

This event will offer a rare glimpse into the Basketball Capital of the World as Ollie and Auriemma will give a behind-the-scenes look at UConn’s historic dual championships and their perspectives into the upcoming season.

Attendees will enjoy dinner and a cash bar prior to an “Inside the Actor’s Studio”-style question and answer session moderated by Lobo.

Tickets are $85 per person and table sponsorships are available. Net proceeds will support scholarships for UConn students.

“This is an exciting and unique opportunity for true blue Husky fans,” said Mo Cotton Kelly, executive director of the UConn Alumni Association. “Through the support of loyal Huskies, the UConn Alumni Association continues to provide scholarships to UConn students in need. What better way to celebrate our dual championships than enjoying a night of camaraderie while helping other Huskies? It’s a winning combination.”

For more information, please call the Alumni Association at 860.486.2240, or email Debra Crary at debra.crary@uconn.edu. You can also RSVP at UConnAlumni.com/EveningWithChampions.

*** Meanwhile, here's my story on UConn commit Jalen Adams, who'll be prepping as a postgrad this season up at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

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.”

Wasn't able to get to the New York Athletic Club Wednesday, where Kevin Ollie and Geno Auriemma each were presented with their Winged Foot Awards as national championship coaches. But Jim Fuller, the Register's UConn women's beat writer, was there, and here's what he got from Ollie:

ON GRADUATION
It was a moment that they will never be able to get back. To see Shabazz get called up at the end and get the standing ovation, I am kind of an emotional guy when it comes to those things and I even had to shed a tear on that one.

TALKS WITH WARDE MANUEL
It is progressing. We are talking, hopefully we can get together once things quiet down and we will have a nice talk, hopefully get everything situated.

I love this university. I am not looking for another job, of course you listen to other things. I have two ears so I am going to listen. I am not going out there soliciting any other job, I want to be here at the university of Connecticut.

We had a lot of uncertainty 18 months ago. I don't need to go through all of that, it has been well documented and chronicled of the different things we had to come through and our kids. We established a mindset through it all, they gave us an oppprtunity to call ourselves national champions.

ON HEARING HIS NAME LINKED WITH NBA JOBS


It is positive and negative too. Other coaches are (saying) oh he is going to the NBA, it is how you look at what other people are going. We are going to keep doing the different things that got us here, make sure we value the positive things that are going on that is the work ethic, that is the professionalism and I am hopeful that we can continue to get better every day

ON RAKIM LUBIN
The other night he is up to 270 and I said you have to get down a little bit, we don;t want to be playing at 270/280 but he is going to be a great building block for us in the future. Just a great rebouder, big in every way. he has a great personality too so he is going to fit right in our locker room and he is going to be a guy who is going to bring a lot fo leadership and muscle. He is different from what we had last year but what we had last year helped us win a national championship so we are going to go with that all day.

RECEIVING WINGED FOOT AWARD
It is very prestigious. I came here and spoke with Coach Calhoun in 2004, it was a great time. I never imagined getting this prestigious award and I appreciate this opportunity the university gave me to represent them and hopefully I am paying them back.

ON PENTAGON VISIT
That was one of the best days of my life. It was great to spend time with President Obama and see the situation room, make sure I didn't say the wrong thing. I know the intel was all in there, they had speakers everywhere but it was just a great time, i spent time with Geno, I spent time with other colleagues and that leadership seminar at Pentagon and see the military, what they do each and every day and for us to give something back to them was great. Hopefully we can formulate a partnership going forward
we can have a day to recognize them, their accomplishments and work hand in hand with them in our community.

DID PRESIDENT MENTION HE BLEW UP HIS NCAA BRACKET
Yes he did, Izzo said it was my faulty but I will take that, I will take the blame.

Kevin Ollie and Geno Auriemma will be among the renowned group of basketball coachese on a visit to the Pentagon Wednesday for a strategy seminar with military officials. They will also conduct a panel discussion on leadership for more than 400 service members.

The event will be carried live on the Pentagon Channel and webcast starting at 1:30 p.m.

Joining Ollie and Auriemma will be Jim Boeheim, Jamie Dixon, Tom Izzo, Tubby Smith and Jay Wright. Jay Bilas will moderate the panel discussion.

     

From the White House, Office of the Press Secretary:

Today, the President called University of Connecticut Men’s Basketball Head Coach Kevin Ollie and University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball Head Coach Geno Auriemma to congratulate both teams on their respective National Championship wins in the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments. The President commended Coach Ollie and his team on their decisive championship victory and noted that he enjoyed watching the team throughout their tournament run. On the call with Coach Auriemma, the President expressed how impressive it’s been to see the team continue to dominate the field of Women’s NCAA Basketball and commended Coach Auriemma on yet another championship win. The President told both Coaches that he looks forward to congratulating their teams at the White House in the coming months.

*** Elsewhere, as we mentioned on this blog over the weekend, the UConn men and women will be recognized at Fenway Park on April 22, prior to the Red Sox-Yankees game. No details yet on exactly how they'll be honored (first pitches, etc.), but we'll have those in the coming days.

Some nice words from Geno Auriemma on Kevin Ollie at today's Middlesex Chamber of Commerce breakfast, by way of Register colleague Jim Fuller, who covers the women's team.



"They missed out on that last year and for Kevin and those seniors to hang in the way that they did, to stay and do what they did this year and the way they did it ... Nobody knew what it was going to be like when Coach Calhoun stepped down but anybody who sat there and said 'don't worry about it, Kevin is going to win 20, 22, 23, 24 games every year and have the kind of program he has built already and the way these kids conduct themselves. He should be coach of the year in any league he was in these last two years. I know you are all rooting for him as much as I am and I can't wait until they play Thursday night when they play St. Joe's who is coached by one of my best friends."

Indeed, Auriemma is very tight with St. Joe's longtime head coach Phil Martelli. Here's what he had to say about that:

"I know how excited he is for this group of guys, this team. He's had an incredibly difficult year and it's got nothing to do with basketball so I don't think I have ever seen Phil that emotional after winning a game. I hope they play great but that is as far as I will go with that."

*** And here are my AP All-America teams and national player of the year, coach of the year picks, as well as my final AP Top 25 ballot of the season:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Doug McDermott, Creighton
COACH OF THE YEAR: Gregg Marshall, Wichita State

FIRST TEAM

Doug McDermott, Creighton
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
Russ Smith, Louisville
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati
Jabari Parker, Duke

SECOND TEAM

Bryce Cotton, Providence
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville
Melvin Ejim, Iowa State
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
Nik Stauskas, Michigan

THIRD TEAM

Gary Harris, Michigan State
Casey Prather, Florida
Kyle Anderson, UCLA
Cleanthony Early, Wichita State
Nick Johnson, Arizona

And here's my final (and most irrelevant) AP Top 25 ballot of the season.

1.       Florida

2.       Wichita State

3.       Louisville

4.       Virginia

5.       Arizona

6.       San Diego State

7.       Duke

8.       Iowa State

9.       Michigan State

10.   Kansas

11.   Michigan

12.   Wisconsin

13.   Cincinnati

14.   Villanova

15.   Creighton

16.   New Mexico

17.   Gonzaga

18.   UConn

19.   Syracuse

20.   North Carolina

21.   Virginia Commonwealth

22.   Ohio State

23.   Kentucky

24.   Harvard

25.   Providence

UConn alumni and long-standing donors Denis and Britta Nayden have donated $3 million towards the new UConn basketball center. It's a three-pronged gift: $1 million for the new UConn Basketball Champions Center; $1 million in scholarships for student-athletes and trainers enrolled in the School of Business or the physical therapy or kinesiology programs; and a challenge match of up to $1 million for gifts from former UConn basketball players.

In other words, it's time for some ex-Husky hoopsters to step up and donate some money.

Here's the press release from UConn sent out by UConn:


Denis and Britta Nayden, alumni and long-standing donors to the University of Connecticut, have donated $3 million towards the new UConn Basketball Champions Center and for scholarships for student athletes. A key feature of the gift is a challenge match to all former UConn Husky basketball players who contribute to the new center.

The Nayden gift has three parts — $1 million for the new UConn Basketball Champions Center currently under construction on the Storrs campus, $1 million in scholarships for student athletes and trainers enrolled in the School of Business or the physical therapy or kinesiology programs of the Neag School of Education, and a challenge match of up to $1 million for gifts from former UConn Husky basketball players. UConn has 58 Huskies — 34 men and 24 women— who went on to play in the NBA and the WNBA, among the highest of any program nationally.

“We are proud UConn grads and this is our way to share and give back, which we both believe in,” says Denis Nayden. “Our donation to the basketball center is an investment in a great program. Our challenge grant is meant to encourage participation by former players who fully understand the spirit of competition, and our scholarship gift is designed to support student athletes who share our interest in business, physical therapy or kinesiology. It’s support for a great program and for giving young people a shot at a great education, wrapped up in a big UConn bow.”

The Naydens graduated from UConn in 1976, Denis with a BA from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Britta with a BS from the School of Allied Health, now part of the Neag School of Education. Denis received his MBA from the School of Business in 1977 and went on to a successful career with GE and Oak Hill Capital Management where he currently serves as managing partner. He has been serving on UConn’s Board of Trustees since 2001.

“We are incredibly grateful to alumni and friends like Denis and Britta Nayden for their support,” says UConn President Susan Herbst. “With their help, we are providing a great new home for basketball and student athletes. It helps celebrate the excitement our student athletes bring to the University and ensures they have the support they need to be successful on the court and in the classroom.”

The new 78,000 square foot UConn Basketball Champions Center is under construction and scheduled to be completed this spring. It will feature practice gyms for the men’s and women’s basketball programs, along with locker rooms, coaches’ offices and areas for academic support, video analysis, sports medicine and strength training.

“Success doesn’t happen by accident, and, with this gift, the Naydens are helping us ensure UConn will continue to enjoy athletic and academic excellence for years to come,” say Director of Athletics Warde Manuel. “Talent, dedication and investment are needed for this type of achievement— not only from student-athletes and coaches but also from passionate and caring donors like the Denis and Britta.”

“Friends and donors like the Naydens understand what it takes to be successful,” says Coach Geno Auriemma. “Their gift to the basketball facility helps us provide a setting for student athletes’ practice, training, and studying that promotes excellence.”

The $35 million construction costs of the facility are being funded entirely through private donations. With the Nayden gift, pledges and donations for the project total $27 million.

“Our basketball family, which includes wonderful people like Denis and Britta Nayden, are a large part of our success,” says Coach Kevin Ollie. “The new facility will help provide our student athletes with the support they need to be successful academically and athletically and keep our programs among the national elite.”

The Naydens and their gift supporting UConn basketball will be celebrated at the UConn women’s game tonight and the UConn men’s game on Friday, both at the XL Center.

Some notes and quotes from a special tribute to Jim Calhoun held at Gampel Pavilion Sunday night:

*** Among those who attended were Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, Kemba Walker, Rudy Gay, Donyell Marshall, Donny Marshall, Andre Drummond, Hasheem Thabeet, Jeremy Lamb, Scott Burrell, Jeff Adrien, A.J. Price, Stanley Robinson, Kevin Ollie, Andre LaFleur, Patrick Sellers, Glen Miller, Karl Hobbs, Tom Moore, Steve Pikiell and Eric Hayward. I’m sure I missed a few – more than a few. Gov. Dannel Malloy was there, too. As were the members of this year's UConn team (including Tyler Olander), Warde Manuel, George Blaney, Dee Rowe … you get the point. A tremendous outpouring of support for Calhoun.

*** There will be busts of Calhoun and Geno Auriemma inside the new practice facility.

*** It was also announced on Sunday that Stadium Road on campus will now forever be known as Jim Calhoun Way.

*** Some of what Calhoun had to say before the program:

“It’s an incredibly emotional thing for me, personally. Telling A.J. ‘Congratulations on the birth of your daughter.’ Jeff just got his contract. A long, long time ago, I said I wanted to get into coaching to hopefully affect some people’s lives. They’ve affected mine, I know for sure. I knew it would be an emotional day, but when I see them, it just does something to me, certainly.”

“It’s an incredible bond that never gets broken. As long as they’re fair with you and you’re fair with them, and they had my back, and I had their back … people always say, ‘Coach, you’re too tough on those guys.’ It’s because I love them. I suffer when A.J. didn’t do well, Scottie, Ray, whoever it may be. I jumped out of my chair this year when Ray hit the big 3-pointer for the Miami Heat. Those things don’t change.”

(on the state of the UConn program)

“I think it’s in very good shape. I never had any questions with the guy I wanted to be the coach. I think he’s done an incredible job, and he’ll continue to do an incredible job. The kind of support we had … I was thinking last night, how special the game was – not necessarily the game, per se, but the atmosphere. We used to have basketball games like that at the Civic Center, 16,000. We need to have that, and we will have that.”

*** Ray Allen a great story that defined how the bond among UConn players is built.

“One of the things that I always think about is Eric Hayward. He comes to mind a lot when I talk about our bond that we share. We used to start practice every year in the field house. The trash can was over in the corner, and it was over in the corner for one person. They said, at some point, Eric Hayward’s gonna throw up in the trash can. I was like, ‘Somebody throws up during practice?’”

“Over the course of that year, we’d run suicides we had to be at the line in 28 seconds. Early in the year, Eric never made it. Every time he didn’t make it, we’d have to run again. Coach didn’t care, he didn’t have any sympathy for us. It got to the point where we started running over to Eric, watching him and making sure we did what we had to do to get him over that line in 28 seconds. That was a moment where I saw true growth and I understood what Coach was doing. As much as, at that moment, we didn’t particularly like Coach, it created that bond and got us together. In order for us to grow into a team and be a unit, we had to help Eric get to the point where he could beat this suicide in 28 seconds. Once we got him over that line, it was like we had a sense of accomplishment.”

*** Of course, there’s been a rift in that UConn bond recently in the case of Tate George, who’s on trial for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme that bilked clients out of millions. Among them, apparently, is Charlie Villanueva.

Asked about George, Calhoun simply stated: “I haven’t talked to Tate in five years.”

Burrell on the situation:

“It’s very sad to see it happen. You don’t know if he’s innocent, guilty until the trial … It’s sad to be in that situation. The last time I saw him, he said it wasn’t true. He sent an email to a lot of us saying it wasn’t true. So, we’ll see what happens.”

*** Sticks says he’s heading to Canada in a few weeks to play professionally for the Moncton Miracles of the National Basketball League of Canada.

Here’s Sticks talking about Calhoun as a “father figure”:

It was Husky Day at the State Capitol on Wednesday. Members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams and football team were on-hand, along with coaches from all three teams. And before that, next door in the legislative offices building, Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma joined the likes of Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Noah Webster in the Connecticut Hall of Fame.

"I think Noah Webster would be very upset with me because I've bastardized so many of the words (in the dictionary)," Calhoun quipped. "Harriet Beecher Stowe probably wouldn't be pleased with the words I use all the time."

Yeah, but who's sold more books?

Anyway, here are some notes and quotes from the day:

*** Kevin Ollie on Enosch Wolf: “It’s a university process, we’re just going forward. We’re still evaluating him as a person. But I think he’s really turning it around, on and off the basketball court. He’s been working out on his own. Off the court, I’ve been hearing some great things about him. I’m not really concerned with basketball right now.”

“I want him to continue to get better, so when he’s in that situation again, he knows how to handle it a little bit better. That’s what he’s doing, and I’m very happy for him.”

Translation: If it was up to Ollie, I'm guessing Wolf will be back for his senior season. But ultimately, it's not Ollie's decision.

*** Regarding next year's schedule, Ollie said the Huskies are "trying to have the same RPI as we’ve had in recent years … That means, going out and getting some games. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

It looks like Stanford, Maryland and the 2K Classic (Indiana, Washington, Boston College) will be UConn's top non-conference matchups next season. The slated game at Washington will likely be pushed back a year, since the teams could meet at MSG in the 2K Classic, and continuing the series with Texas seems unlikely this season, as well.

And don't expect any former Big East mates on the docket, at least for next season, though there has been contact with Providence and Notre Dame.

Said Calhoun: “I think we can be very good next year … I can’t decide if it will be less difficult or more difficult. This year we played the bottom teams … and did a very good job."

*** Shabazz Napier's decision should come either Thursday or Friday.

“I’m in the same boat as you," Ollie joked with reporters. "I’ve got my tape recorder, too. I’m waiting for him, too, I’m right there with y’all. I know he’s reached out to a couple of people, I had him in my office … Hopefully, he makes the right decision at the end, with his heart, with his mind.”

On how Ollie has helped Napier with the process, he said: “The general managers call me, I give him feedback. I imagine other people in his circle know people in the NBA that he’s getting feedback from, too. Hopefully, he gets all the information and makes the right decision.”

Nothing's etched in stone with Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels, either, but both are leaning on returning.

*** Calhoun loves incoming freshmen Kentan Facey, Amida Brimah and Terrence Samuel.

“(Brimah's) got a chance to be really good. He’s dynamic, long. Facey’s just a machine – 100 MPH on every play. And Terrence Samuel is what Kevin really wants. He’s a point guard. Kevin has a viewpoint on point guards that others may not have … I think Terrence would be happy defending, playing the fast break, and he’s strong and tough.”

Calhoun also noted that Facey and Samuel both committed to him and really want to be Huskies. He noted that Samuel "called me while I was laying in bed in late August, saying, ‘Coach, I really want to come to Connecticut.’"

*** Don't be shocked if UConn shows interest in Alabama's Trevor Lacey, a 6-foot-3 guard who led the Crimson Tide in assists and 3-pointers this past season but announced today that he'll be transferring after two years with the team. 

*** Ollie is happy to get Ricky Moore on board to get on the road for the July recruiting period, and glad George Blaney is sticking around in an advisory role, as well.

"He's someone to lean on," Ollie said of Blaney. "He always has the right thing to say, so I’m glad he’s staying onboard, too.”

UConn held a morning practice today at Gampel in preparation for Tuesday night's home game vs. much-improved DePaul, which is fresh off a nice win at Providence Saturday night and is 4-0 on the road this season.

We'll get to the Blue Demons and old (almost) friend Cleveland Melvin in a bit. But first, a couple of interesting tidbits.

The other day in practice, Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels got in a little scuffle during a box-out drill.

"We were just grabbing each other, one person got mad and it went from there," said Boatright.

Added Daniels: “We’re just out there having fun and competing, trying to make each other better.”


This is not a big deal, folks -- the two are great friends and, in fact, roommates. In fact, it might be a good thing for the team.

“I imagine they’re tired of hitting each other," Kevin Ollie said. "Nobody was going to fight, but it was good to see it … Being around each other for a week, you get testy a little bit. You don’t have classes, you’re living with each other, it’s like you’re around each other all the time. They love each other, we’ve been working hard, we’ve been having some outstanding practices. Today was off-the-charts … I really like their focus.”

Added Daniels: “Me and Boat are best friends. We came (to UConn) at the same time and have always been roommates. It’s all love. We were just on the court, trying to compete.”

*** Also, Ollie noted that both Big East commissioner Mike Aresco and head of officials Art Hyland called to apologize for the snafu in Tuesday's game, where the refs admitted the goaltend of Shabazz Napier's layup attempt at the start of overtime should have counted for two points for UConn.

“It’s overwith," Ollie said. "Satisfied or not, it doesn’t make a difference. I talked to the commissioner, the head of officials, they both apologized. I accept their apology. We move on, things happen. Hopefully, we learn from it, our guys learn from every situation. But like I’ve said before, the past doesn’t equal the future unless you live in it. We’re not going to live in that, we’re going to move on.”

*** As for DePaul, it's 10-5 overall and 1-1 in the Big East. The Demons lost a tough, one-point game at home to Seton Hall last week before beating the Friars at The Dunk.

“They really should be 2-0," said Boatright. "I feel like they’re a better team than last year. We’ve got to compete and don’t take them lightly.”

The Demons are led, of course, by Melvin, who averages 16.7 per game and scored 23 vs. PC. Melvin committed to UConn in the fall of 2009, only to decommit the following spring.

"Melvin's been doing what he does -- just getting buckets, getting buckets," said Ollie. "He's been an outstanding player in the Big East since he got here."

Daniels figures to find himself guarding Melvin quite a bit tomorrow night.

“I heard he’s pretty strong," Daniels said. "Obviously, every guy I play in the Big East is going to be way stronger than me.”

Brandon Young also averages over 16 per game for the Demons, who love to press and forced 23 Friar turnovers on Saturday.

That's all well and good with Boatright.

“When I see a press, my eyes light up," the guard sayd. "I call it ‘Layup City.’ As long as we do our job and break the press, we should be alright.”

*** Ollie and Geno Auriemma were filmed for a public service announcement regarding the Newtown tragedy after practice.

*** Looked like Tyler Olander was working with the starting five today.

*** Despite scoring a career high-matching 29 points vs. Marquette, Napier didn't even earn Big East honor roll recognition this week. Odd.

Greetings from St. Thomas, where I got a little beach time this morning. It's tough walking around the beach for a guy like me. I can feel the ladies dressing me with their eyes.

(Here's a pic of the team hotel ---->)

Kemba's mom was out there, too, along with the mothers of a couple of current UConn players.

Had a chat with Dickey Simpkins, who's doing some scouting for the Charlotte Bobcats. He's been doing this for a few years now, balancing it with some TV work. He won't be doing TV this year, though, just more scouting as he tries to move his way up in the organization. He's elated with what Kemba has brought to the Bobcats thus far.

The UConn women play Texas A&M today and will arrive here in St. Thomas tomorrow. Why not? No school at UConn this week.

It'll be interesting to see if the women's team shows up to UConn's game, which will be either at 8:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. (local time). Maybe Geno can sit next to Jim Calhoun on press row. Or maybe not.

That's it for now. As for conference realignment and rumors of UConn possibly moving to the ACC or Big 10, there's nothing I can add right now. It's all pure speculation, though I'll ask around this afternoon at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center and let you know what I hear.

So what is Warde Manuel looking for as he evaluates Kevin Ollie this season?

“I’m looking to see how he is on the sidelines, how he handles decision-making, how he does substitutions and things that are normal in the course of a game,” he said. “How does he handle a loss with a team, how does he motivate them the next day to come back and play. How's he handling practice and the staff and all the things that come with being a head coach at this level.  I want to see it, because I can’t turn to somebody and say, ‘Hey, how did he do? How was he as a head coach?’ I need to see that. It really, truly is a long-term plan. I want to see where Kevin is before I extend that long-term contract. But I love Kevin, I’ve enjoyed working with him the past six months. I see why Jim believes in him so much, but I want to see it myself before I would make that determination.”



*** R.J. Evans is a Connecticut kid who, as a graduate student, is getting one season to live out a dream and finally play for his hometown school.


He probably thought he’d get a chance to play for the legendary Hall of Fame coach, too. But that’s not to be now.

“There’s no hard feelings with me,” Evans said. “Coach Calhoun made the decision, he’s part of our family, so I’m behind him 100-percent. He made the best decision for him. Tomorrow’s a new day, Coach Ollie’s our coach and we’ll go from there.”

Evans added that, in Calhoun’s new role as special assistant to AD Warde Manuel, he’ll still have a big presence with the team.

“In essence, he’s still my coach,” Evans said. “I don’t really see him as not being my coach anymore.”

Sophomore DeAndre Daniels at least got to play one season under Calhoun.

“I wanted to play for Coach Calhoun all my years that I’m here, but he has to do what’s best for him and his family,” Daniels said. “That was him retiring, so be it. Coach Ollie’s from L.A., too, so we had a real bond. He’s one of the other reasons I came here.”

Sophomore guard Ryan Boatright said he found out about Calhoun’s retirement through a text message from Daniels Wednesday evening.

“It was a shocker to everybody,” Boatright said, “but I believe Coach had to do what’s best for him, his family and his health. We’re still going to have to pull together and perform. KO’s a great coach, I love to play for him. We’re all going to miss Coach Cal cussing us out on the sidelines, but he had to do what’s best for him.”

Getting used to Ollie as head coach won’t be a problem, according to Boatright.

“Everybody’s comfortable with KO,” he added. “We probably talk to KO more than we talk to Calhoun, anyway.”


*** Pat Calhoun, Jim's wife of 46 years ("the best recruit I ever got,” according to Jim), said the decision was pretty much known within the last couple of weeks.

“It was 100-percent his decision, it will always be 100-percent his decision,” she said. “He knew that I supported him. He knew that I would prefer he stay coaching forever if that was possible, fully knowing that, obviously, it wasn’t.”

Still, even she wasn’t completely convinced he’d go through with it.

“I’ve always said that, until I saw him up there (on the podium), I’d never believe it,” she admitted. “When I left him in the office today, I said to him, ‘Do not change your mind.’”

And now that he's retired, can Pat do anything to keep her husband off bicycles?

"I'm hoping we can stay with the indoor spinner, but that's probably wishful thinking on my part," she said. "I'm hoping he at least goes for a thicker tire or something. I don't know, training wheels, I'm not sure."

*** UConn is still holding out hope that it could play in this year's Big East tournament, though a league source said it's still a "very remote" chance.

UConn's last chance will likely come at a league presidents' meeting in early November in Chicago. The league's bylaws have not been amended to exclude teams banned from the NCAA tournament from the conference tournament, though the presidents agreed this would be the case back in March.
*** Geno Auriemma was out of town on Thursday and unable to attend the press conference, but he issued a statement:

"The great success achieved by the UConn men’s basketball program under Jim Calhoun’s leadership helped propel the University of Connecticut onto the national stage. His contributions to this University have been positive and will be long lasting. I want to take this opportunity to wish Jim Calhoun all my best in a long, happy and healthy retirement.

I have always admired Kevin Ollie as a person and as a player and know that he will make the most of this opportunity. He has had great success in everything he has done and I am confident this will be no exception."

And here's what football coach Paul Pasqualoni had to say:

"Obviously Coach Calhoun is a great coach, everybody here will miss him and what he has done. I think Coach Ollie, if that is the direction the university goes in, . Obviously Jim Calhoun is a legendary coach, a guy I have tremendous respect (for) his toughness. I have tremendous respect for his coaching ability. He has won every place he has ever been. He won here early in his career. I remember when he came here it was probably a so-so first year. The next year they were on the rise and never stopped getting better. It is one thing in sports, in high level I-A athletics and pro sports, it is one thing to get there, to bring your program, to elevate your program but it is a whole another thing to keep it there. What I admire the most about Coach Calhoun is the same thing I admired about Coach Osborne when he was at Nebraska. Not only did these coaches get their programs to the top at the highest level, they kept them there and that is a true sign of greatness to me."


*** Ollie's salary of $625,000 is "annualized" -- meaning, essentially, it's pro-rated. So, he'll actually earn $384,615 this season. On top of what he's already earned on his assistant coach's salary, of course.

Just before he was about to hit some balls on the practice range at Wednesday's Travelers Championship pro-am, UConn AD Warde Manuel was asked about his golf game.

"We can talk about the APR, that's how good my golf game is," Manuel said with a chuckle.



Wow, must be a struggle on the links for Manuel. In truth, he was ready and prepared to talk APR -- which was officially released by the NCAA today, pretty much making UConn's posteason ban for 2013 all but official -- and said he still had a "slight, slight hope" that the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) might include 2011-12 scores to determine postseason eligibility.

"Look, I’m happy for our student-athletes, first and foremost," Manuel said. "These kids have done a remarkable job. We have three teams with perfect scores, the majority of our teams are above 975 for the year – including basketball. Lots of our teams are above 975 for a four-year rate.

"(The men's basketball team) had a couple of bad years. The timing of the penalty structure was changed. That saddens me, for these kids and for our program.”

He added: “I”ll continue to fight for what I believe is right. They should have allowed membership more time to adjust, they should expedite the way they review the data and include the most reent year. But that’s my persepective.

“There’s a little hope I hold out that they’ll come to the right conclusion and do the right thing, but we’re going to move on and need our fans to support us, and support these student-athletes and support a tremendous program that’s going through one rough year. We’ll get to the point where this will be well behind us and we’ll keep striing to win championships.

“We’re not going to let two years of bad scores from kids who are not on this team stop us from feeling good about what these current student-athletes have done.”

Manuel was also asked about everybody's favorite to someday replace Jim Calhoun, Kevin Ollie: “I love Kevin. I love what he’s done as a player, I love what I see him doing as a coach, I think the world of him as a person. I’ve gotten to know him, I’m very impressed by him as a coach and a person.”

And as for Geno Auriemma: "Right now, Geno’s working through it. I’m monitoring it, he’s keeping me informed, and that’s where it is right now.”

George Blaney and Tom Moore, playing with pro Bo Van Pelt, were tops on the leaderboard as of 2:15 p.m. at minus-7. Blaney said Calhoun didn't play this year because his "knees are bothering him."

Jim Calhoun won't be playing in the Travelers Championship pro-am on Wednesday, as he often does, but don't put anything into it. No issues or problems, physical or otherwise -- apparently, he just doesn't feel like playing.

UConn is slated to be represented by George Blaney, Geno Auriemma (that oughta be interesting), Chris Dailey and Warde Manuel.

It's not the first time Calhoun hasn't played, and look at it this way: he doesn't have to field any APR questions.

Ah yes, the APR. The NCAA will officially release APR scores for the four-year cycle from the 2007-2011 academic years tomorrow. UConn will notch a 978 for the past '10-11 school year and an 889 for the four-year cycle, the latter leaving it short of the threshold to qualify for postseason play next year.

The Huskies are expected to get a similar score in the 978 area for the '11-12 year, but there are still things to be determined. For instance, there apparently is still some question how much (if at all) Alex Oriakhi's transfer will effect UConn's score, since he received a waiver to transfer to Missouri and play immediately.

At least we know there are no APR problems with the Huskies' golf, cross country and tennis teams.

Covered the UConn women's game tonight in Louisville. Huskies didn't play very well in the second half (sound familiar?) but hung for a 56-46 win after having led by as much as 21.

Afterwards, I asked Geno Auriemma about the news that Memphis would be added to the Big East in all sports starting in 2013.

"I don't know much about Memphis's football program, but from a purely basketball standpoint, I think we're doing a great thing," he said. "All the talk the last couple of months and years has been about the football thing, the football thing, the football thing … We’re adding a team that’s as much about basketball more than it is a football move. It strengthens an already strong conference.”

But Auriemma wasn't done. The Philly native wants one more addition to the conference.

“I hope Temple's next," he said. "That's my unsolicited opinion. I've always been partial to them. They have a great program. Their football program’s great, from where they were. I hope were not done, and that’s the next school we add."

That jibes with the thinking of his fellow paesan, Rick Pitino, who has been campaigning for the inclusion of both Memphis and Temple for the past several months. But Auriemma said he hasn't talked to Pitino about the issue.

"I don't have access to Rick Pitino, Inc.," he joked. "I've got a better chance of reaching Obama than Rick."