The UConn IMG Sports Network will host the "UConn Men's Basketball Coach's Show Presented by Webster Bank" this winter, beginning Monday, Oct. 28. The shows will be broadcast live from Rooftop 120 in Glastonbury.

Here are the details:

The show, featuring UConn head coach Kevin Ollie and Husky play-by-play announcer Joe D’Ambrosio, will take place throughout the 2013-14 season and will feature various special guests associated with UConn and the men’s basketball program. The schedule of show dates is listed below and is subject to change:

Monday, October 28 – 6-7 p.m.
Tuesday, November 5 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, December 9 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, December 16 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, January 6 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, January 13 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, January 27 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, February 3 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, February 17 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, February 24 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, March 3 – 6-7 p.m.

Niels Giffey is done for the year for UConn. Here's what he had to say Tuesday afternoon at the team hotel in Tampa:



And here’s what Kevin Ollie had to say about Giffey, Shabazz Napier and a few other subjects:

(on Giffey)

“We’re making it positive. Hopefully he recovers real soon, gets back to his German National Team, has a productive summer in the academic arena, then get ready to play for us. But he’ll be ready to go.”

(on DeAndre Daniels)

“I think he’s really taken the challenge on. At practices, he’s doing great. I see a transformation of a young man growing into a big-time player. Hopefully, in 2013-14, he’ll be even better.”

(on USF)

“They’re on a one-game winning streak. I think they put 83 on the board against DePaul. They’re playing aggressive, (Victor) Rudd is playing real good coming back from his injury, and (Anthony) Collins is really a focus, trying to keep him out of the lane.”

(on Napier, who is again a game-time decision)

“I think (his foot) responded. It’s still tender. We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. I have full confidence in James Doran and our athletic training staff that they’re going to get Shabazz ready to play. If he can’t, we’re going to go into the off-season getting him back ready, and we’ll see what happens going forward.”

(on who’s decision it will be if Napier plays Wednesday night)

“It’s ultimately up to him, and James Doran. Whoever I got, I’m gonna battle with those guys. Shabazz was great on the bench at Cincinnati. He was great, encouraging the kids. If he can’t be out there, so be it. But I know the kid is tough, and he wants to be out there. That’s the beauty of it.”

“Injuries happen, we’re going to try to fill in where we can. But Shabazz is going to be with us in spirit, if he can’t be out there on the floor with us.”

(on UConn’s ‘all-hands-on-deck’ mentality)

“Whoever’s on that bench, they’re alive. We’ll pull Joe D. out.”

That’s Joe D’Ambrosio, UConn’s radio play-by-play man. Now that would be a story.

While we're all immersed in the latest conference realignment rumors and speculation, and reports say that UConn could announce it's joining the ACC as soon as Tuesday, here's a reminder that UConn has a game tonight against New Mexico for the 2012 Paradise Jam championship.

While most figured these could be the two teams to to meet in the finals, they certainly didn't take easy routes to get here. New Mexico (3-0) had to struggle to get by UIC in its opener, then pulled out a miracle to beat George Mason on Sunday. Tony Snell hit a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left to give the Lobos their first and only lead of the second half in a 70-69 victory. New Mexico trailed by five with 17.7 seconds left in that one.

Of course, it took UConn two overtimes to get by Quinnipiac in its semifinal game. The Huskies trailed by 10 with less than five minutes remaining, but Shabazz Napier came up big down the stretch and UConn hit 23 of its final 24 foul shots in regulation and overtime.

The Huskies have faced New Mexico just once before, beating the Lobos 78-56 in an NCAA West Regional second round game in Denver on March 13, 1999.

Steve Alford wasn't coaching New Mexico then, but he has coached against the Huskies once before. Alford was in his final season at the helm at Iowa when the Hawkeyes beat top-ranked UConn 70-68 in the Huskies' season-opener on Nov. 11, 1999 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden.

UConn hasn't lost a season-opener since. (Thanks to Joe D'Ambrosio for the heads-up on that tidbit).

Here's what Alford had, briefly, to say about the Huskies Sunday night, before he knew whether or not he'd be playing UConn today:



The Lobos are 3-0, but their coaching staff will tell you they haven't played a good game yet. They'll be helped by the return of backup point guard Jamal Fenton, who had to sit out the first three games due to an NCAA infraction.

"They're a good team," Kevin Ollie said of the Lobos. "They showed resiliency, too. They've got great shooters, they're big at every position. It's going to be a challenge. They don't have any give-up, either. I know Steve Alford, he's going to have his guys well-prepared, and it's going to be a great game."

We'll get to realignment after talking to some people throughout the day, and also keep an eye on Brandon Austin, who could be announcing his collegiate decision today. UConn, Texas and Providence are said to be the favorites.

Oh, and Napier is Big East player of the week.

Greetings from Gampel, where things really start to kick into gear now for the UConn men's basketball team.

Over the next 2 1/2 weeks, the Huskies will play seven games (two of them exhibitions) on two different continents, two countries and a U.S. territory.

The Huskies play American International College Thursday at 7 p.m. in an exhibition at Gampel, the first time someone not named Jim Calhoun is at the helm since March 5, 1986. Then, they play UMass-Lowell on Sumday at 1 in Hartford. On Tuesday, the Huskies bus down to New York City and fly to Frankfurt, Germany, for their showdown with Michigan State in the Armed Forces Classic on Friday. On Saturday at 1 p.m. local time, UConn flies out of Germany for a nine-hour flight back to NYC.

On Tuesday, Nov. 13, UConn hosts Vermont in its first regular-season game at Gampel. The following day, the Huskies jet down to the U.S. Virgin Islands for three games in four days.

Phew! Get tired just writing that.

It's a lot of basketball for this bunch, and don't be surprised if they're dragging by those final couple of games in the Paradise Jam. But it certainly kicks Kevin Ollie's coaching careeer into high gear from the start.

One interesting caveat to the Paradise Jam: there is talk of a certain Jim Calhoun joining Joe D'Ambrosio as color man for the games. Calhoun will be going to both Germany and the Virgin Isles, and since Joe D's longtime radio partner Wayne Norman will be back in the States for UConn football, he may need some help with the radio broadcast.

Calhoun certainly would be an interesting and entertaining choice, but don't hold me to it: it's all very, very preliminary.

*** Elsewhere, Enosch Wolf is participating in non-contact drills only today and won't play in tomorrow night's exhibition. However, he is expected to practice fully on Saturday and play in Sunday's exhibition.

And, here's Dan Shaughnessy's take on Kevin Garnett's cold shoulder to Ray Allen last night in Miami.

In an interview with WTIC-1080's Joe D'Ambrosio on Wednesday, former UConn center Jake Voskuhl said that he recently asked Jim Calhoun if he's returning to coach next season.

"I'm looking at different things, trying to determine that," Calhoun told him.

Voskuhl said he urged Calhoun to return.

So, apparently, it's still somewhat up in the air if Calhoun is on the sidelines next season.

In other news: Voskuhl told D'Ambrosio that he and his family are moving to Fairfield County next week.

On the eve of the BIG EAST tournament, SNYwill celebrate UConn’s storied men’s basketball program by unveiling Huskies Heroes: the top 10 all-time players on Monday, March 5 at 9 pm. In this one-hour show, fans can see where their favorite players – such as Ray Allen, Kemba Walker, Ben Gordon and Rip Hamilton rank among the all-time best. SNY experts and college basketball dignitaries debated, discussed and ultimately decided the top 10 Men’s basketball players of all-time at UConn.

The blue ribbon panel that selected the top ten UConn players includes:

· Mike Tranghese: Former BIG EAST Commissioner.

· Donny Marshall: Former UConn star basketball player.

· Joe D’Ambrosio: play-by-play voice for UConn Men’s basketball

· Phil Chardis: Associate Athletics Director of Communications for UConn

· Tim Welsh: Current SNY Analyst and Former BIG EAST Head Coach who previously earned

Coach of the Year honors in 1997 and 1998.

· Tarik Turner: SNY BIG EAST analyst

As the top-ten player rankings are released, host Gary Apple will be joined in-studio by a panel of experts – including Tim Welsh, Donny Marshall, Tarik Turner and college basketball columnist Lenn Robbins of the New York Post – who won the APSE award winner as well as the Jim Murray Award for outstanding college sports writing. The studio panel will debate the players who did – and didn’t – make the top-ten list. The program will also feature exclusive interviews and reactions from the players selected in the top-10.

The NBC Connecticut Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk will be held on Saturday, June 11 in Simsbury.

There will be rides of 10, 25, 50 and 75 miles and a 5K walk/run. Walkers are encouraged to bring their children and/or their dogs. The day will culminate with a summer cookout featuring the famous House of Barbeque, hot-air balloon rides, ice cream provided by Ben and Jerry's and live music by the Timmy Maia Band.

Calhoun will be riding, along with several of his assistants and former players. In the past, Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie and others have taken part in the event. Jim's wife, Pat Calhoun, along with Joe D'Ambrosio and Kevin Nathan will be leading the walk.

To register for the ride or walk/run, visit the NBC Connecticut Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk website at www.calhounridewalk.com. All riders, walkers and runners will receive a gift bag as a thank you for participation. Every participant will also be invited to a special closed practice and pizza party with the 2010 2011 men’s team in October, 2011. That event concludes with a pizza party in Gampel Pavilion.

The event has raised more than $850,000 since its inception in 2007.

To register or find out more about the event, please visit www.calhounridewalk.com, or call Gold, Orluk & Partners at 860-674-1500.

I'll be doing a live chat from courtside tonight at 6 p.m., joined by UConn radio man Joe D'Ambrosio. Start submitting questions at 5:30 p.m., or any time on Twitter at #NHRUConn.