Spoke (very) briefly to Lasan Kromah today. He said his transfer to UConn isn't official yet, but it's what he's hoping to do.

It seems Kromah's decision to transfer had as much to do with the fact that, under NCAA guidelines, he can do so without having to sit out a year as it does anything else. Obviously, he was recruited by current UConn assistant Karl Hobbs and played for Hobbs his first two years (though he sat out his sophomore season with an injury), so that figured to be an attraction.

GWU assistant coach Pete Strickland said that he hasn't been made aware of where Kromah is heading to, but hasn't spoken to him in a couple of days. (Colonials head coach Mike Lonergan is away at the A-10 meetings).

Here's what Strickland said about Kromah as a player:

"He definitely has the ability to score the ball. He has a very instinctive ability to get to the rim. He doesn't really fit a type -- he's not a 'classic' anything -- he just has a unique ability to get to the rim. He's got great length to him and a nice nose for the basket."

Strickland said that Kromah was considering transferring to UConn, Indiana and Xavier, among others. He noted that the 6-foot-5 Kromah has "plus-four" length. In other words, he's got a 6-9 wingspan.

"Defensively, because of his length, he's kind of disarming," Strickland said. "He had nine steals in a game (on Dec. 28, 2011, against UAB) that set a school record. He just kind of unfolds. You think you have a pass ... now you don't."

As for Kromah off the court: "He's an upbeat kid. I think he really likes Karl. I think that's probably a good fit."

*** Also, Rodney Purvis has been invited to attend the 2013 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team training camp. Here's the press release sent out by UConn:

Rodney Purvis (Raleigh, N.C.), who has transferred into the University of Connecticut men’s basketball program, is one of 24 players who have accepted invitations to attend the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team training camp.

Purvis, a 6-4 guard, and the rest of the invitees will travel to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., to participate in the training camp, which begins on June 14. The final 12-man team will be selected during training camp and will train in Colorado until June 19, continue training in Washington D.C., through June 22, then leave for Prague, Czech Republic, to compete in the June 27-July 7 FIBA U19 World Championship.

Purvis, a former McDonald’s All-American, played his freshman season at North Carolina State in 2012-13, appearing in 35 games, starting 23. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, shot 44.2 percent overall and 38.5 percent from three-point range. As per NCAA transfer rules, he must sit out the 2013-14 season, although he can practice with the Huskies. Beginning with the 2014-15 season, he will have three years of eligibility remaining for UConn.

Besides Purvis, the rest of the invited players include:  Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova University/Langhorne, Pa.); Bryce Alford (La Cueva H.S./Albuquerque, N.M.); Brandon Ashley (University of Arizona/San Francisco, Calif.); Robert Carter (Georgia Tech/Thomasville, Ga.); Damyean Dotson (University of Oregon/Houston, Texas); Kris Dunn (Providence College/Oakdale, Conn.); Javan Felix (University of Texas/New Orleans, La.); Michael Frazier (University of Florida/Tampa, Fla.); Marcus Georges-Hunt (Georgia Tech/College Park, Ga.); Shaq Goodwin (University of Memphis/Atlanta, Ga.); Aaron Gordon (Archbishop Mitty H.S./San Jose, Calif.);  Jerami Grant (Syracuse University/Bowie, Md.); Montrezl Harrell (University of Louisville/Tarboro, N.C.); Rondaé Hollis-Jefferson  (Chester H.S./Chester, Pa.); Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young H.S./Chicago, Ill.); James Robinson (University of Pittsburgh/Mitchellville, Md.); Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State University/Flower Mound, Texas); Jarnell Stokes (University of Tennessee/Memphis, Tenn.); Rasheed Sulaimon (Duke University/Houston, Texas); Devin Thomas (Wake Forest University/Harrisburg, Pa.); Mike Tobey (University of Virginia/Monroe, N.Y.); Nigel Williams-Goss (Findlay Prep/Happy Valley, Ore.); and Justise Winslow (St. Johns H.S./Houston, Texas).

The USA U19 World Championship Team will be led by Florida head coach Billy Donovan, who will be assisted by Virginia’s Tony Bennett and VCU’s Shaka Smart. The player selections for the team will be made by the 2013-2016 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

Purvis is one of 16 of the invited players who has previous USA Basketball experience. He was a member of the 2012 U18 USA National Team that won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship and qualified the U.S. team for the FIBA U19 World Championship.

*** Finally, this from the American Athletic Conference:

In its first full meeting as the American Athletic Conference, the league made important strategic decisions and addressed many pertinent issues as its membership moves forward together in the reinvented Conference.

The Conference’s Presidents, Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators, Head Football Coaches and Head Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coaches participated in the meetings.

“I am pleased and proud to be a part of a group that is dedicated, optimistic and effective,” said Commissioner Michael Aresco.  “We have accomplished a great deal and are moving ahead with great confidence.  We have a strong new name that has been well-received.  Our soon-to-be-released new logo will support our new name.  The American is going to be a prominent force in college athletics.”

Among the subjects addressed by the league’s Presidents and Athletic Directors:

•          Agreed on a financial distribution plan for the member institutions
•         Approved a new conference logo, which will be revealed in the near future
•         Further developed a branding, marketing and public relations strategy
•          Narrowed the search for men’s and women’s basketball postseason tournament venues
•          Discussed plans for a digital network
•          Met with television partners to discuss scheduling and promotional plans
•          Discussed The American’s position in the College Football Playoff
•          Agreed to pursue the creation of its own bowl game and maintain an outstanding Conference bowl lineup

The Conference Presidents chose R. Gerald Turner, President of Southern Methodist University, as their new Chair.  Susan Herbst, President of the University of Connecticut, will serve as Vice-Chair.  Outgoing Chair Judy Genshaft, President of the University of South Florida, will remain on the Executive Committee, ensuring continuity in governance.  Genshaft provided outstanding leadership in the transformation of the Conference.

“The American Athletic Conference has tremendous institutions that are committed to excellence in academics and athletics,” said Genshaft.  “We are moving forward as a Conference with great resolve.”   

“I am honored to help shape the future of the American Athletic Conference,” said Turner.  “Everyone is excited about our extremely bright future and working together.”

"We are moving quickly on all fronts and I am so pleased with the progress,” said Herbst. “UConn is proud to be building this new league and thrilled to be part of all the excitement that comes with creating a bold new vision for student-athletes and our fans. Our exposure will be greater than ever, and we look forward to showing our championship ways to even broader audiences."

The American has television agreements with ESPN and CBS Sports, two of the most prestigious media organizations in sports.  The contracts will provide unprecedented national coverage for the league.  All football and men’s basketball conference games will be televised.

Ricky Moore has been bumped up to full-time assistant, while George Blaney remains on UConn's staff as a special assistant/advisor to head coach Kevin Ollie. Here's the press release sent out by the school:

University of Connecticut men’s basketball head coach Kevin Ollie has announced changes on his coaching staff.
Ricky Moore, who joined the UConn staff in October, 2012, and served as the assistant director of basketball administration through the 2012-13 season, has become a fulltime assistant coach and assumed all appropriate duties, including player coaching during practice and games, as well as complete recruiting status.

“I’m really excited to add Ricky to our coaching staff,” Ollie said. “When Ricky was here as a player, he epitomized what UConn stands for and I know he will do the same thing as a coach.”

George Blaney, who just completed his 12th season with UConn, remains on the staff as a special assistant/advisor to the head coach.

The rest of Ollie’s staff remains intact, with Glen Miller as associate head coach, Karl Hobbs as assistant coach, Kevin Freeman as director of basketball administration, and David Sevush as graduate assistant.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be an assistant coach on the UConn staff,” said Moore, 37. “I know firsthand what a great experience it is to be a student-athlete at UConn and to be part of the UConn basketball family. I’m looking forward to working with our players and to bringing high-caliber people and players into the program as we move forward.”

Moore, a 1999 UConn graduate with a degree in community program development, returned to Storrs last year after serving as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College for two seasons. Moore’s stint at Dartmouth followed his retirement after an 11-year career in professional basketball that spanned five countries --- Austria, Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey and Germany --- as well as stops in the Continental Basketball Association and the NBA Developmental League.

“I have a lot of faith in Ricky as a recruiter and a coach,” Ollie said. “He’s had experience on the road and I know the kind of strength and enthusiasm he has for the game and our program. I’ve already seen it in the role he had with us last year. Going into this new era of UConn basketball, I’m looking forward to having him on the road recruiting and using his coaching style to help us on and off the court.”

Moore, co-captain of the Huskies’ first NCAA national championship team in 1998-99, spent four successful years in Storrs as an undergraduate. During his tenure, UConn compiled an overall record of 114-24 and a BIG EAST mark of 55-17, winning three BIG EAST regular-season championships, three BIG EAST tournament championships, and reaching the 1996 NCAA Sweet 16, the 1998 NCAA Elite Eight, and capturing the 1999 NCAA title.

Moore was named to the 1999 Final Four and West regional All-Tournament Teams and Basketball News Magazine selected him as the National Defensive Player of the Year in 1998-99. He was a three-time UConn co-captain and in 2001, he was named to UConn’s All-Century Team. His 510 assists still rank sixth on UConn’s all-time list.

Originally from Augusta, Ga., Moore was born on April 10, 1976. He and wife Heather are the parents of two children, daughter Kendyll, 6, and son R.J., 4.

Jim Calhoun was at a lot of UConn practices this season, and most home games (other than when he went on a trip to Cancun, and possibly one or two other home contests). He only made three road trips, I believe: to Germany, to St. Thomas and to the Garden for the NC State game.

I didn't find his presence overbearing on Kevin Ollie. Maybe Ollie would beg to differ, but I doubt it. The man is truly like a father figure to Ollie. At home games, Calhoun could be seen perched at along the base line, watching rather stoically but approvingly -- indeed, like a proud father watching his son do fine work.

Here's what Calhoun had to say about Ollie's first season as head coach. One other thing to note: as good a job as Ollie did, he had some great help. Ollie was always quick and adamant in heaping praise on his assistants, going out of his way to do so at the Dec. 29 press conference announcing his new, long-term contract. Glen Miller, Karl Hobbs and George Blaney combine for 57 years of head coaching experience with 860 wins between them. They all also boast UConn NCAA championship rings, as do director basketball administration Kevin Freeman and assistant director of basketball administration Ricky Moore (both as players). They were invaluable this season.

Meanwhile, here's my penultimate AP Top 25 ballot this season. Yeah, Syracuse isn't in it. Yeah, four Atlantic 10 teams are in it. Deal with it.

1.       Gonzaga

2.       Duke

3.       Indiana

4.       Georgetown

5.       Louisville

6.       Kansas

7.       Michigan

8.       Miami

9.       Ohio State

10.   Michigan State

11.   Kansas State

12.   Florida

13.   Oklahoma State

14.   New Mexico

15.   St. Louis

16.   Arizona

17.   Memphis

18.   Marquette

19.   Pittsburgh

20.   Creighton

21.   Virginia Commonwealth

22.   St.Mary’s

23.   Colorado State

24.   Butler

25.   Temple

A little more on Amida Brimah, who is sitting behind UConn's bench tonight, along with his legal guardian, Nana Baafi, and Fairfield Prep 7-footer Paschal Chukwu:

According to Juan Hernandez, Brimah's high school coach at Archbishop Coleman Carroll in Miami, Brimah is a good student who scored about an 18 on his ACT. That score is good enough to qualify him for virtually any school, so he doesn't have to take the SAT, according to Hernandez.

“He’s just a great kid, an extremely hard worker," Hernandez said. "He’s very, very dedicated, he’s focused. I’m not surprised at all about the success he’s had … or is going to have in the future.”

Brimah's frontrunners were UConn, South Carolina, La Salle (the three schools he visited officially) and Florida International. Lately, Villanova and St. Louis had been calling frequently. Hernandez said he heard NC State was going to call, too, but never did.

So why did Brimah commit on Sunday night, so early in his official visit?

“He said he was very comfortable when he got there. He always got along very well with the coaches. They’ve got a good history with the big guys. His biggest thing is having the opportunity to play in the NBA at some point. One of the criteria was getting him prepared for that, from a playing standpoint and an exposure standpoint.”

“Two main things: having the opportunity to play right away – obviously nobody can guarantee playing time, but knowing there’s at least an opportunity. He didn’t want to be red-shirted, nor did his guardian. And, to be somewhere that prepares him to play in the NBA, hopefully. We all think he can get there.”


Glen Miller and Kevin Ollie had each been to see Brimah play once, but Karl Hobbs had been to numerous games and practices.

Brimah played AAU ball for Each 1 Teach 1, Amar'e Stoudamire's outfit.

*** It's silly to make too big a deal out of the fact that Louisville's scheduled flight to Hartford was cancelled Sunday night and the Cards didn't arrive in town until around 2 p.m. on Monday -- about seven hours before tip-off.

But it's not a stretch to say this could hurt Louisville. Teams get used to routines, and for college basketball teams, that routine includes getting into town the night before, having dinner, breaking down some film, then having a shootaround the next day.

Louisville wasn't able to do any of those things. Will it all have an affect on a bunch of elite, 19, 20-, 21-year-old athletes? Maybe not. But definitely maybe.

UConn is using this weeklong break from game action to hit the recruiting trail, and while the Huskies are scouting players of all classes, they are honing in on a big man and a guard from the Class of 2013.

Yes, the Huskies already have 6-9 shotblocker Kentan Facey in the fold. But the more the merrier.

One of their prime targets is Amida Brimah, a 6-foot-11 shot-blocker from Miami's Archbishop Coleman Carroll High. Karl Hobbs went to see Brimah play on Thursday, and Kevin Ollie attended a home game a few weeks ago.

Hobbs had to have liked what he saw Thursday, as Brimah posted his fourth triple-double of the season with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 13 blocks against Charlotte High. He's had four games of at least 10 blocks thus far.

"They definitely like him," Archbishop Carroll coach Juan Hernandez said of the Huskies. "UConn is definitely one of the schools he's seriously considering."

Meanwhile, Ollie was at Fairfield Prep's game Friday night, ostensibly to see Prep's 7-2, Class of 2014 center, Paschal Chukwu.

"For him to come down and watch me is an honor," said Chukwu, who had nine points, 11 rebounds and some foul trouble.

Brimah has made official visits to South Carolina and LaSalle, and has offers from those programs as well as Florida International. Recently, Hernandez has fielded calls from Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and St. Louis, and according to Brimah, Villanova is coming to see him play soon, as well.

Brimah, a native of Ghana who came to the States three years ago and boasts a 7-6 wingspan, has improved greatly over the past year, particularly over the past six months.

"He's got huge upside," said Hernandez. "Unlike some of the American kids who've been playing since they were little kids, he pretty much picked up the game 4-5 years ago. His ceiling is a lot higher than others. He's got a huge motor, he's an extremely enthusiastic kid. He works unbelievably hard."

Brimah could be a defensive force at the Division 1 level right now, according to those who've watched him. It's his offensive game -- particularly at the low post -- that needs seasoning.

"Offensively, he'd be a little bit limited early on," said Nick Ronda, the head coach at Miami Killilan High. "He can shoot free throws pretty well and he's got a nice mid-post, high-post shot. But his feet, he's got to keep working on."

But Hernandez noted that Brimah has already made great strides in his offensive game in recent months, and he could fit in well with UConn's offense.

"He's really good coming off ball screens," said Hernandez. "That's what Coach Hobbs mentioned early on. He said, '(Your team) runs a lot of ball screens, similar to what Coach Ollie does. He'd fit right into what we're running.'"

Brimah, who checks in at about 210-215 pounds, also needs to get stronger, "which he will do in college," Hernandez pointed out. "He's hitting the weights hard here, but he's not getting as good a nutritional program as he will in college. He'll gain 20-30 pounds once he gets to college."

And there's this: Brimah has a GPA of around 3.2-3.2, he's "very vocal, from a positive standpoint, within the team," according to Hernandez, and has no disciplinary issues off the court.

Brimah, whose parents still live in Ghana and lives with a legal guardian, is trying to schedule an official visit up to Storrs. The Huskies don't another weekend home game until the end of January, however, and it's been hard to line the Archbishop Carroll schedule up with UConn's. It might have to wait until after Carroll's season is over in late-February or early-March, but, according to Hernandez, Brimah will "definitely take a visit to UConn."

And, because people seem to like this kind of stuff, here's some video of Brimah in action. And here's some more:

It was Niels Giffey Appreciation Day in Storrs on Sunday. Giffey finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and a heaping of praise from Kevin Ollie after UConn's 73-62 win over Stony Brook.

“Niels Giffey was my MVP, and he’s been my MVP this whole year. Not just playing time, but doing all the things that epitomize UConn basketball – doing his thing academically, playing great basketball in practice. He got rewarded tonight.”


“He plays every possession," Ollie continued. "He goes through every drill. Every cut is hard. Every drill, there’s never any moaning, ‘Coach is practicing too long,’ never any of that stuff. It’s, ‘What do I need to do? Once I do it, what else you got for me, Coach? What assignments you got for me? Let me play the toughest offensive man.’ If it’s two minutes, if it’s 40 minutes, I get the same thing from him. I get the effort, the enthusiasm and the energy. That’s every day, whether we practice at 7 a.m. or after Thanksgiving, I get the same thing from him. That’s what I love about him … You get rewarded in life if you act like that.”

And here's what Giffey had to say for himself after his big day:



*** UConn missed 11 of its first 12 shots on Sunday. Then, midway through the latter half, it became the "Rainbow Coalition" at Gampel. UConn hit 8 of 9 3-pointers during one stretch starting midway through the second half to salt the game away. The Huskies hit 10 from Trey Land in the game, their most in a contest in almost exactly a year (Nov. 26, 2011 vs. Florida State in the Battle 4 Atlantis).

*** There was a also mutual admiration society between Kevin Ollie and Steve Pikiell on Sunday.

Pikiell on Ollie: “He’s first-class, he’s a UConn guy, he bleeds blue. He’s a good coach. Hopefully, he’ll have the opportunity to stay here and coach for a long time, continue the legacy here that’s been built. And he’s got a great staff – Karl Hobbs can coach anywhere, Glen Miller is one of my mentors, he can coach anywhere, I love Rickey Moore. You’ve got three point guards. Boy, if they don’t see what’s going on out on the floor, you’re really in trouble. Point guards see the game a little bit differently. Kevin’s a great person, first and foremost.”

Ollie on Pikiell: "I came in right when he left, I know how hard-nosed, I know how dedicated he is. Steve Pikiell is his own man. He’s a hell of a damn coach, and I respect those guys very much for giving us a hard game.”

R.J. Evans suffered a sterno-clavicular (collar bone) sprain in practice on Thursday and will likely be out for at least a couple of weeks. Nothing’s broken, which means he won't likely be out for six weeks or so, which is obviously good news for UConn.

Still, this is a tough blow for the Huskies. Evans is averaging 5.8 points off the bench, but his contributions go beyond the stats. He gives the Huskies hustle and hard-nosed play, always the most likely to dive for (and come up with) a loose ball, always one to mix things up physically. He’s the proverbial “glue” player for UConn, and while he’ll be back at some point this season, his absence will be greatly missed.

“Everybody’s gotta step up," said coach Kevin Ollie. "He’s doing a lot of key things for us that don’t show up in the stats. You can’t be R.J., but you can be yourself, grow and evolved. There are going to be some roles that are going to be different. Omar’s going to have to play some point if one of the guys get hurt or in foul trouble.”

Ryan Boatright echoed those sentiments:

“Me and Bazz are going to have to rebound a little more, somebody else is going to have to step up scoring. It’s got to be a collective effort, because he does so much. Everybody’s got to step up.”

 
And here's what Shabazz Napier had to say:



*** Leon Tolksdorf, who has played sparingly thus far, also suffered a mild left knee sprain and will miss the Stony Brook game.

*** After beating Tom Moore’s Quinnipiac squad in double-OT in St. Thomas Sunday night, the Huskies will look to go 17-0 all-time against former Jim Calhoun assistants when they face Steve Pikiell’s Stony Brook Seawolves on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Pikiell played at UConn from 1987-91 and was a two-time captain. After graduating, he spent one season as Jim Calhoun’s assistant before playing for the New Haven Skyhawks for a season, then joining Yale’s staff as an assistant.

He has other ties to UConn’s current staff: Pikiell was an assistant on Karl Hobbs’ staff at George Washington for four seasons.

*** The 4-1 Seawolves, for some reason, played Cainisius on Saturday (winning the game, 82-75), so they’ll be playing their second game in as many days on Sunday at Gampel.

Is it time yet?

The loss of another big-time recruit (Brandon Austin ... to Providence, of all places), coupled with the early-season success and rave reviews for Kevin Ollie begs the question of whether it's time Warde Manuel decides to give Ollie a long-term deal.

Ask anyone from Rick Pitino, Jim Boeheim and Rick Barnes to people close to the UConn program to the vast majority of college basketball media, they'll tell you that Ollie's lack of a long-term commitment (he's only signed through March) is a HUGE impediment to the Huskies on the recruiting trail. Noah Vonleh and Austin are two recent examples.
I asked Manuel at the Paradise Jam Monday night whether he worried that Ollie's lack of a long-term contract is hurting the team recruiting-wise.

"I want us to be in the best position," Manuel said, "but as I've said before, you never know what hurts you in recruiting. Jim Calhoun, in his prime, lost great recruits. Kevin is going to win a lot in the recruiting wars, and he's going to lose some, whether he's been there one year, 10 years or 20 years ... I've been around quite a bit with some great coaches who have lost some kids, and you never truly know. You put your best foot forward, and the student-athlete makes the choice to go somewhere else for a different reason."

Manuel indicated he'd like to see Ollie in Big East competition before he decides on his future, and also said he'd like to make a decision before the season ends on March 9.

"Whether I make it before then or not remains to be seen," he added. "I don't have a timetable."

I may be in the minority on this, but I understand Manuel's position. For one, he was put in a tough spot by Calhoun's abrupt retirement on Sept. 13, essentially forcing him to hire Ollie. For all the praise Ollie got at the time from sources all around the basketball world, it was fair for Manuel to be a bit cautious about giving a long-term deal to someone who'd never coached a game of basketball in his life, at any level. And, he had to show that whomever the new long-term coach at UConn was going to be was going to be his decision, not something thrust upon him by Calhoun's retirement.

And if that was the case two months ago, it's hard to say that things should change too much since then. As impressive as Ollie has looked on the sidelines and in practice (like he's been doing this for four decades, not four games); as impressive as the win over Michigan State was, along with a good showing by a fatigued team in St. Thomas, getting to the championship game; five games would seem to be a little early to make a rash, long-term decision.

But maybe Manuel should. The Huskies are getting killed in recruiting. There's no excuse losing a recruit to PC, even if the Friars seem to be on the rise and Ed Cooley is as likable a coach as any. And, well ... Ollie has certainly done the job to this point, no matter how early it's been.

Back on Sept. 13, here's what Manuel said he'll be looking for from 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.”

Let's break it down:

"I'm looking to see how he is on the sidelines" -- Ollie appears in complete control. Sometimes the game speeds up young coaches, but that hasn't happened with him. And he's got a stellar staff of Glen Miller, Karl Hobbs and George Blaney behind him, as well.

Manuel admitted as much Monday, saying, "You don't just roll the ball out and say, 'Shabazz, Ryan, go score.' He's designing the plays, and he and the staff are impressive to watch."

"How he handles decision-making, how he does substitutions ..." --- Again, all aces. Ollie lets guys play through their mistakes, by and large (unlike Calhoun), and, in fact, will ride the hot hand (i.e., Enosch Wolf vs. Wake Forest) even if it means a starter rides the pine for a longer-than-expected time. Ollie seems to use his timeouts rather judiciously, but that's not a major criticism.

"How does he handle a loss with a team, how does he motivate them the next day to come back and play ..." --- Well, we'll find out for sure on Sunday against Stony Brook, on the heels of the Huskies' first loss of the season Monday to New Mexico. But so far under Ollie, UConn has shown it can handle prosperity (the Huskies could have laid an egg against Vermont after flying home on the wings of the Michigan State victory, but instead played well), as well as in-game adversity (they were down 10 with less than five minutes to play against Quinnipiac, only to win in double OT).

"How he's handling practice and the staff and all the things that come with being a head coach at this level ..." --- Ollie has taken some of the ideals he learned under Calhoun and put his own personal brand on it, from techniques he learned from 13 years in the NBA (bringing in a sports psychologist, fostering better team communication, etc.) and different basketball philosophies. He's been terrific thus far. Manuel even admitted such Monday night.

"He's been unbelievable," the AD said. "I'm very, very proud. He's doing a terrific job in all aspects. He's a super guy doing a great job. He couldn't have had a better four games, a better script in his first four games. I'm proud of him, proud of the team and the effort they're putting forth. What you see on the court, he's been talking to the student-athletes about. It's a great thing to see."

So maybe it's time for that long-term contract, before the Huskies get hurt on the recruiting trail any more than they already have been.

Had a nice chat with Tom Moore recently. Moore brings Quinnipiac to the Paradise Jam this week -- the school's first-ever trip to an in-season, invitational tournament. It's a great opportunity for his program, and obviously raises the possibility of Moore going up against UConn for the first time since the whole Nate Miles/Josh Nochimson/Yahoo ! Sports affair.

Moore had some interesting things to say, as I wrote for the story in today's Register. He doesn't dwell on what his future at UConn could have been had the whole Miles not thing gone down. Rather, he couldn't be happier for Kevin Ollie, or for where he is right now.

"Coach Calhoun and I had had a lot of dialogue about his eventual successor, tons of discussions about it the last seven, eight years," Moore said. "I think we had some serious talks about it in March, April last year. But on (the day Ollie was hired), I didn’t have emotions like that. Kevin’s such a special person to all of us. I’m happy for him.”

He added: “I try to explain to people, getting the head coaching job at a place that successful, you really have to have everything line up perfectly. The timing has to be right on every level for it to happen for you. If you go back 10, 12 years, there was a window for different people to get the job. Dave Leitao might have been the most logical choice people considered. There was a window where Karl Hobbs was a logical candidate, and a window where I was a logical candidate. I think the way everything’s shaken down, Kevin was the logical choice at this time.”

Anyway, we'll be meeting with Kevin Ollie and some players Thursday evening before they head to the Sports & Fitness Center of the University of the Virgin Islands for practice. We'll have some video and more notes and quotes Thursday night. Until then, here are a few UConn-oriented tidbits regarding the Paradise Jam:

*** UConn is 14-3 all-time against the teams it could face this week. Its never faced Mercer or UIC and is 1-0 against New Mexico, 1-1 against Wake Forest, 3-1 against Iona and 9-0 vs. Quinnipiac.

Oh, and also 0-1 against George Mason -- but then you probably already knew that.

*** Wake Forest is young. Three of the Demon Deacons' five starters and five of their top eight players are freshmen. Their best player, however, is a senior -- guard C.J. Harris, who tossed in a team-high 19 in the team's season-opening win Friday over Radford.

*** Intriguing storylines this week re: UConn potential opponents: Quinnipiac (obviously, Tom Moore); Iona (Kemba's former Rice High teammate, Momo Jones); New Mexico (coached by Steve Alford); Geroge Mason (revenge!?!?!?).

As expected, UConn has restructured its coaching staff under new head coach Kevin Ollie. Glen Miller takes over as associate head coach, replacing George Blaney, who moves to full-time assistant. Karl Hobbs also gets bumped up to full-time assistant after spending last season as director of basketball administration. Kevin Freeman now takes over that role, after serving as assistant director of basketball administration last season.

UConn is expected to fill Freeman's former role, though nothing's official yet. Ricky Moore has stated recently that he will likely be hired for that role.

Here's the press release sent out by UConn:

The University of Connecticut men’s basketball coaching staff has been restructured under new head coach Kevin Ollie.

Glen Miller, starting the third season of his second stint on the UConn staff, will assume the duties of Associate Head Coach, while Karl Hobbs, last year’s Director of Basketball Administration, will join veteran George Blaney as fulltime assistant coaches. Kevin Freeman, who was added to the UConn staff last year as Assistant Director of Administration, will take over as Director of Basketball Administration.

“As I said when I accepted the job as head coach at Connecticut, I think I have the greatest coaching staff in the country,” Ollie said. “I feel extremely fortunate to have a staff with so much head coaching experience behind me. I know that we are going to work as hard as we can to continue the legacy of tremendous success that UConn enjoyed under Coach (Jim) Calhoun.”

The UConn coaching staff has a combined 57 years of collegiate head coaching experience with a combined total of 860 victories.

Miller returned to Calhoun’s UConn staff in 2010-11 as Director of Basketball Administration following 17 years of head coaching experience at Connecticut College, Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania. Last year, he moved into the role of fulltime assistant coach and was an integral part of practice work, game strategy, and recruiting.

A native of Groton, Conn., Miller played for two seasons at UConn, then played two seasons for Calhoun at Northeastern. He joined Calhoun’s first staff at UConn in 1986 and worked with the Huskies for seven seasons before being named head coach at Connecticut College in 1993. In six seasons, Miller led Conn College to unprecedented success, including a 28-1 record and a berth in the Division III Final Four in 1998-99.

Miller moved on to Division I, taking over at Brown in 1999-2000, and setting school records for wins in a two-, three-, four-, and five-year span, as well as most Ivy League wins in a season. He recruited and developed 10 all-conference players and the League’s 2004 Player of the Year. Following seven years in Providence, Miller was hired as head coach of the prestigious program at Penn in 2006. He led the Quakers to the Ivy League Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2006-07, setting the school record for most Ivy League wins by a first-year coach. He spent three full years and part of a fourth as the Penn head coach. In 17 seasons as a head coach, Miller compiled 233 victories.

Born 8/20/1961, Miller and his wife Yvonne are the parents of four children: Tony, Genelle, Jillian (a UConn junior), and Emma.

Hobbs, who spent eight years as a UConn assistant from 1993-2001 and helped the Huskies win eight BIG EAST championships and the 1999 NCAA title, returned to Storrs last season and will again become a fulltime assistant on Ollie’s staff.

Hobbs had spent the previous 10 years as the head coach at George Washington University, leading the Colonials to two Atlantic 10 Tournament championships, a regular-season title, and five straight postseason appearances, including three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. He was the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 2005-06, and notched 166 wins while at GWU.

Out of Roxbury, Mass., Hobbs was a four-year starting point guard for UConn (1980-84), where he served as team captain and was an All-BIG EAST selection as a senior. He led the team in assists all four years and still ranks fifth on the all-time list.

Hobbs began his coaching career as a six-year assistant at Boston University before joining Calhoun’s UConn staff. While Hobbs was at UConn, he was instrumental in the recruitment of such Husky stars as Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler, and Emeka Okafor. The Huskies had a record of 216-56 while Hobbs was on the staff.

Born 8/7/1961, Hobbs and wife JoAnn are the parents of two daughters, RaShauna and Kaliah.

Blaney has spent the last 11 years as a member of Calhoun’s coaching staff, serving as associate head coach for the past five seasons and taking charge of the team on those occasions when Calhoun was incapacitated.

Since Blaney joined UConn, the Huskies have a 278-102 record, captured six BIG EAST championships, made 10 NCAA appearances, three trips to the Final Four, and won two national championships.

Blaney, a 2003 inductee into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, brought more than 30 years of coaching experience with him when he came to UConn, including two seasons at Stonehill, three years at Dartmouth, and 22 years at Holy Cross, his alma mater, where he won 357 games, posted seven 20-win seasons, and made eight postseason appearances. He also was head coach for three years at Seton Hall in the BIG EAST before leaving to become the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the International Basketball League. Blaney returned to college coaching in 2000-01 as an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island before joining Calhoun at UConn the following year. In 30 years as a collegiate head coach, Blaney compiled an impressive 461-383 overall record.

A native of Jersey City, N.J., Blaney was an All-New England player at Holy Cross, where he scored 1,012 points. After he graduated in 1961, he was drafted in the fourth round of the NBA Draft by the N.Y. Knicks and played the 1961-62 season with the team.

Born 11/12/1939, Blaney and his wife Maryellen have two daughters and three sons, and five grandchildren.

Freeman, a former UConn captain and the program’s all-time leader in games played (140), came back to Storrs last year after playing 11 seasons of professional basketball in Italy, Australia, Greece, South Korea, China, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela. He served as assistant director of administration under Hobbs last year and will assume the director’s position this year.

Freeman, a native of Springfield, Mass., was an all-state performer at Paterson (N.J.) Catholic before his stellar career at UConn. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1999 BIG EAST Championship and selected to the 1999 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team as an invaluable starter on UConn’s first National Championship team. During Freeman’s career, the Huskies compiled a 109-32 record, made three NCAA appearances, reaching the Elite Eight in 1998 and winning the crown in 1999.

He is No. 17 on UConn’s all-time scoring list with 1,476 points, No. 8 on the all-time rebounding list with 913, and earned his degree in 2006.

Born 3/3/1978, Freeman and his wife Nicole are the parents of a daughter, Kekoa, and a son, Sire.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes will make his official visit to UConn Sept. 27-29. He will visit Illinois this weekend, he told me in a phone conversation.

Rathan-Mayes got a visit from Kevin Ollie and Karl Hobbs on Monday at Huntington Prep in West Virginia.

"It was great," the Class of 2013 guard said. "We had a great discussion, talked about the way I'd fit into the program. I really love Coach Ollie. He's just a great person, a great guy. I think he's definitely going to do special things with UConn in the future."

Rathan-Mayes said he had "mixed emotions" to see Jim Calhoun retire.

"It's sad to see Coach Calhoun go out like that, after having such a great career, bringing UConn basketball from nothing to a national powerhouse," he said. "But I'm really happy for Coach Ollie. We've had a great relationship for a year and a bit. Just the kind of guy he is, he really deserves it."

Rathan-Mayes' in-home visits are done, and he's already made an official to Florida State, where his father, Tharon Mayes, starred in the early 90's. Tharon, of course, is a New Haven native who is back living in the city.

Rathan-Mayes said he will make his college decision on Oct. 13 at his home in Toronto. He said he doesn't have a leader in his mind right now.

"It definitely plays a factor, my dad playing at Florida State," he said. "Not a lot of kids can say their dad played at the same school recruiting you. My dad being from Connecticut, me playing at UConn when I was younger, I think it would be just as special. I know a lot of people there from Hillhouse, friends and familys down there."

He didn't say anything about Illinois, but then I didn't ask.

"It’s hard. There are a lot of great things about all the programs. "My mom and dad are on the phone with me constantly, writing down the pro’s and con’s. I wouldn’t say one’s standing out right now." 

Spent some time up at UConn today for a variety of reasons. Witnessed the continued demolition of Memorial Stadium, as a construction vehicle -- looking like some sort of dinosaur straight out of Jurassic Park -- tore up what remained of the bleacher seats at the old stadium.



The press box was scheduled to go down later today. Why is this all happening? So that the area can be used to build a new basketball practice facility. So don't get too emotional about the end of Memorial Stadium. Its long-overdue demise will only help UConn's basketball program in the future.

*** I also saw Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels going through some vigorous workouts in a catch-and-shoot drill. The players took turns taking jumpers off "screens" (two large trash barrels were setting the "picks") from all over the court in one-minute segments. It's a grueling drill, one that keys on moving without the ball (not to mention getting up shots while tired) and both looked good stroking down the bulk of their shots.

Daniels is drawing rave reviews for his work ethic this spring.

"He's working extremely hard," said director of basketball operations Karl Hobbs. He's really focused on what he has to do."

I talked to Daniels for a bit about his tough freshman year, in which he not only went through the typical struggles but also dealt with his sister Keirstyn's frightening health issues -- a non-cancerous tumor on her brain.

"That weighed on me," he admitted. "In the middle of the season, I missed a couple of practices to see her and stayed at the hospital for, like, eight hours just to see if she's OK after surgery. She's fine now. She's good."

Daniels struggles and eventual lack of playing time caused him to consider a transfer -- briefly.

"I won't lie, at some point, me just being a young kid and being selfish and not understanding, it crossed my mind a couple of times," he said. "But I would never really do it. I'm here. I'm still a Husky."

And, of course, with the mass exodus of transfers, NBA draft entries, etc., playing time is available for Daniels next season.

"He sees his opportunity," said Jim Calhoun. "One door closes, another door opens. He's got a great opportunity. I've always thought he was going to be a good player. The shot he has is still the same shot, he's had to learn to shoot it at full speed. He's jumped both feet in and worked as hard as anybody, if not harder."

We'll have much more on Daniels in the next day or two ...

***Oh yes, caught up with Calhoun, too. He's doing well, says his back his fine. He was in good spirits -- his wife, Pat, and her sister and two daughters-in-law were out at the 'American Idol' finals last night -- and knows next year will be a different one. And not only because of the likely postseason ban. UConn will have a different look, without the dominant shot-blocking presence in the middle its had for so many years now (though the Huskies feel incoming frosh Phil Nolan will eventually be a strong inside presence).

Calhoun says Boatright will be the point guard solely next year, with Shabazz Napier moving off the ball. Omar Calhoun will play the 2, and R.J. Evans can play all over the place. Boatright's excited about the proposition, knowing that playing point will be his only ticket to the NBA.

UConn's German trio of Niels Giffey, Enosch Wolf and incoming frosh Leon Tolksdorf will all try out for respective German national teams this summer. Boatright will attend Chris Paul's camp, and Napier will try out for the Puerto Rican national team.

Nolan and Omar Calhoun should be on campus to start summer classes around June 24.

*** Oh, and Tony Robertson's still on campus. He just finished a Spanish course today and begins another Spanish class on Tuesday, as well as an English class. Robertson said he's about 12 credits short of graduating with a political science degree.

Kevin Freeman met with reporters this morning at the XL Center to discuss his new position as assistant director of men’s basketball administration. Freeman, 33, is a former Husky captain and member of the 1999 NCAA National Champions.

“It’s an opportunity to get back here,” said Freeman. “It’s full-circle for me. It’s a dream come true to come back here in the fold with UConn.”

He said his role will largely be as a mentor to the players, along with helping director of basketball administration Karl Hobbs with daily activities.

“A lot of the academic stuff,” Freeman said of his duties, “help a lot of guys in a mentorship role as far as degree completion, serve as a liaison to compliance, a lot of compliance issues … I think I can help them with a lot of off-court issues that (the media) might not see, and just being a positive student-athlete.”

Ultimately, he hopes this is his first step on the ladder up to being a head coach.

“Coaching is definitely my ultimate goal, but first you’ve got to experience some of it to see how far you want to go, what you want to do,” he said. “I’ll take it step by step.”

Freeman has spent the past 11 seasons playing overseas in Italy, Australia, Greece, South Korea, China, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela.

“Overseas is really tough. Eleven years over there, being away from my family nine months a year, it takes its toll on you. A true blessing came to me with this opportunity, and I’m going to take full advantage of it.”

Karl Hobbs has been named UConn's new director of basketball administration. Here's the release sent out by UConn:

Karl Hobbs has been named to the position of Director of Men’s Basketball Administration at the University of Connecticut, it was announced today by head coach Jim Calhoun. Hobbs spent the previous ten seasons as the head coach at George Washington University.

“I am very excited to have Karl rejoin our staff here at UConn,” said Calhoun. “Karl is a proven professional and is a Husky. He will be a great fit and I know that the team and staff will benefit from his return.”

“I am blessed with the opportunity to work with such incredible coaches, administrators and student-athletes,” said Hobbs. “I consider everyone at UConn to be family to me and I take great pride in returning under the tutelage of such a phenomenal Hall of Famer and mentor in Coach Calhoun. I credit Coach for so much of the success that I have had in my career and to be back working for him is a thrill. It is an exciting time to be at UConn, under the direction of new President Susan Herbst, and I have such gratitude and respect for Jeff Hathaway and the impact that he has had on my career. I look forward to getting started and jumping in with both feet, getting to know the players and reconnecting with the many people still on the staff from my previous time on campus.”

In his ten seasons at GW, Hobbs led the Colonials to unprecedented heights, capturing a pair of Atlantic 10 Tournament titles, one regular season championship and making five postseason appearances, including three straight NCAA Tournament trips from 2004-06. Hobbs compiled a record of 166-129 in his ten seasons.

Hobbs spent the 1993-94 through 2000-01 seasons as an assistant coach for UConn, helping the Huskies earn five BIG EAST Regular Season titles, three BIG EAST Tournament crowns and the 1999 NCAA National Championship. UConn had a record of 216-56 in his eight seasons on the staff.

A native of Roxbury, MA, Hobbs attended Connecticut where he was a four-year starting point guard, earning All-BIG EAST honors in 1983-84.

He played point guard for the Huskies from 1981-84 and was captain of the team as a senior in 1983-84. He never missed a game in four seasons and started 104 of 113 games. He led the team in assists for four consecutive seasons totaling 534 assists. He currently ranks fifth on the UConn career assists list. He scored 900 points (8.0 ppg) and averaged 30 minutes per game during his college career.

Hobbs, who played with Patrick Ewing and for Mike Jarvis at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School in the late '70s, helped lead his team to the Massachusetts State High School title. He was named Massachusetts Schoolboy Player of the Year in 1979-80.

Prior to joining Calhoun's staff at UConn, Hobbs served as an assistant coach at Boston University for six years (1988-93). Boston University won the North Atlantic Conference title twice and advanced to the NCAA Tournament first round in two of Hobbs' four seasons in Boston.

Hobbs and his wife, JoAnn, have two daughters: RaShauna and Kaliah.