An interesting event at the Golf Club of Avon on Sept. 28. Kevin Ollie and six other D-1 men's hoops coaches from Connecticut will have a roundtable discussion. Always thought Connecticut should have an event like this (Rhode Island used to do one weekly during the season, though admittedly there were much fewer coaches to deal with).

Anyway, here's the press release: 

Former college basketball coach and current ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg announces the inaugural V University’s CT Basketball Tip-Off, Presented by Hoffman Auto Group. 

The event will feature head coaches from Connecticut’s seven Division-I men’s basketball programs in a roundtable discussion prior to taking questions from the audience. The breakfast event will take place Thursday, September 28, from 8-10 a.m. at the Golf Club of Avon. Net proceeds from tickets and a silent auction will benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

“I am excited to bring Connecticut’s Division-I college basketball coaches together for a morning of
hoops conversation while raising money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. This event is something Jimmy would have loved,” said Greenberg, who won 383 games during his 22 seasons as
a head coach. “The format will give the coaches an opportunity to discuss their programs as well as
the state of the game.”

Event-goers will have the opportunity to hear a first-hand preview of the in-state college basketball season, while raising money for cancer research. Conversation between some of college basketball’s top coaches, including Kevin Ollie, University of Connecticut’s National Championship coach in 2014, will cover topics such as past experiences, the state of college basketball, and outlooks for individual state teams. Audience question and answer will follow the coaches’ discussion. Tickets for the event can be purchased per person or by table until Friday, September 22.

V University (www.jimmyv.org/vuniversity) is a virtual campus that offers collegiate athletic conferences, departments, teams and student-athletes an opportunity to raise funds for cutting-edge
cancer research. V University was formed to help spread the late Coach Jim Valvano’s message of
perseverance—“Don’t Give Up . . . Don’t Ever Give Up!”®—shared during his inspirational speech at the inaugural ESPY Awards in 1993.

As UConn prepares to face No. 18 NC State in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, it's worth noting that Jim Valvano shares connections with both schools.

That's right: Valvano's first full-time, Division I job was as Dee Rowe's assistant coach at UConn from 1970-72. After graduating from Rutgers, Valvano spent one season at Division III Johns Hopkins before joining Rowe's staff. Ironically, they were the only two losing seasons of Rowe's head coaching career.

(Here's Jimmy V and fellow UConn assistant Billy Kilbaugh (left), circa 1970-71, courtesy of UConn sports info department) ----->>>>

"I uswed to speak at dinners honoring Jim," Rowe told UConn men's basketball SID Phil Chardis, "and all these people would get up and say what a great coach he was. And I would say, 'He isn't that great. Those were two of the worst years I ever had in coaching.' He was great at keeping me from jumping into the Connecticut RIver."

Valvano let UConn in 1972 to become head coach at Bucknell, and later moved on to Iona and, of course, NC State, where he won the national title in 1983.