Tremont Waters chose LSU over UConn, Georgetown.

With the (not unexpected) news that New Haven's own Tremont Waters is heading off to LSU, it would appear yet another indignity in UConn's recruiting season of discontent.

It started back in January, when Hamidou Diallo chose Kentucky over the Huskies. It continued on as one UConn target after another opted for different programs, most notably Sidney Wilson picking St. John's a couple of weeks ago.

Add it all to Makai Ashton-Langford backing out of his commitment, three players (Steve Enoch, Vance Jackson and Juwan Durham) bolting the program and ... well, the optics aren't good.

So I called around to some New England-based prep and AAU coaches to see what the perception of UConn is these days. Here's some of what they had to say.

JASON SMITH, Brewster Academy head coach:

"It's still definitely one of the premier programs in the country. Coach Ollie is tremendous, and I think they made a fantastic hire. Coach (Raphael) Chillious is one of my closest friends in the business, one of the coaches I communicate with most frequently."

"I know they've had some hiccups the last month or two, but that's part of how recruiting goes in cycles."

The 'Top Five' is now down to 'Top Three'

"They're gonna be more than fine. Coach Chillious, Dwayne Killings are two of the most respected assistant coaches in the business. Coach Ollie's proven to be a championship-caliber coach himself. I think UConn is one of the premier programs in the country. Everything goes in cycles. You'll see them bounce back, have a great year, then continue to recruit great guys."

JERE QUINN, St. Thomas More head coach:

"I think it's taken a hit. Unfortunately, the conference lacks the luster with a lot of these kids. They're in with the top players with every other major program. But the league doesn't bring a lot of national prominence. The rivalries are new; it's a new league trying to find itself. Connecticut is still going after the top-echelon kids in the U.S., and they've got some pretty good players, too."

"It's very difficult for those guys to compete against the Big 10, the Big East, the ACC. If you ask the same question to the people at East Carolina or Tulane - nothing against them, but they're not going after the same kids UConn is going after."

We'll have much more in Wednesday's Register, including Smith's views on why Ashton-Langford de-committed from UConn and went to Providence, and why Wilson picked St. John's. Smith coached both players at Brewster.

Also a bit more on Smith's relationship with Chillious, and Quinn's take on why Christian Vital elected to remain at UConn.

*** Meanwhile, UConn is still heavily interested in Class of 2018 point guard Luguentz Dort from Canada. Chillious saw him drop 36 points against 22 Feet Academy (S.C.) while still at Washington to see Mamadou Diarra (not the UConn kid, the kid that recently committed to Cincinnati). The Huskies are still inquiring about the score-first point guard, but Louisville likes him a lot, too, as does Florida and old friend Andre LaFleur at UNLV, among others.

*** And add this name to UConn's recruiting interests: Brycen Goodine, a 6-foot-4, Class of 2019 combo guard from New Bedford, Massachusetts. He preps at St. Andrew's, and comes from good stock: his mom played at Providence, and his dad, Jonathan DePina, was a guard at UMass.

DePina also was a mentor to a young kid from Roxbury by the name of Shabazz Napier.

Alterique Gilbert suffered a separated left shoulder in Friday's Jordan Brand Classic national game, but it doesn't appear to be too serious.

Early in the game, Gilbert fell to the floor in pain after trying to swipe away a steal, gripping his left shoulder, and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair at the Jordan Brand Classic national game.

Gilbert was taken to a local hospital, where X-Rays revealed a shoulder dislocation — something he’s suffered before.

“They say he’s fine,” offered Sharman White, Gilbert’s coach at Miller Grove High and also for on Friday night for the East Team. “It may take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to make sure it heals properly. He’s in good spirits.”

Gilbert suffered the dislocation when he tried to swipe the ball away from 6-foot-9 center Marques Bolden.

“(Bolden) had a good grip on it, so when he hit it, I think the vibration of it probably just knocked it out of place,” said White.

The coach added that the same thing happened to Gilbert a couple of years ago, “so he kind of knew exactly what had happened.”

Gilbert, a 6-1 point guard, is the centerpiece to a highly-touted UConn recruiting class.

“Y’all gonna really enjoy him up there," said White. "Phenomenal player, phenomenal kid. He affects winning, that’s what he does. He’s been a winner all his life, even before he got to Miller Grove. It’s almost sad that I’m not gonna be able to coach him again. I hated for this to happen, because this is our last ride together right here.”

“You’re gonna get an electrifying guard that can really affect winning in every single way.”

White said that Gilbert is like a hybrid of Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.

"He can score like those guys, he can defend, but he can also run a team like I’ve seen Shabazz do. Whatever’s needed — he needs to score, manage, distribute, he can do that. You’ve got a great one.”

The coach added that Gilbert spoke with Ray Allen for about a half-hour earlier this week, and Allen was very impressed with the young man.

Game 2, A.B. (After Brimah) went better defensively for UConn in Wednesday's matinee blowout of Central Connecticut than Game 1. After a sluggish start, the Huskies kept the Blue Devils from doing much of anything offensively, en route to a 99-58 win.

Meanwhile, the Huskies did just about everything on offense. Shonn Miller fell three points shy of a career high with 25 points, with six of his 10 baskets coming off feeds from Daniel Hamilton (more on him later).



Kentan Facey notched his second career double-double (his other had come last year against ... Central Connecticut!). Rodney Purvis kept his season double-figures streak alive at 11. Even all three walk-ons scored, including a dunk by Christian Foxen (who scored a career-high four points!).

Ah yes, Hamilton. All he did was notch the 11th triple-double in Husky history with 11 points, 11 boards and 11 assists. And the last prior UConn triple-double? Shabazz Napier on ... 11/11 (Nov. 11, 2013, to be exact).

All this from a player once labeled as selfish. Amazing.



As for Facey, talked to him a bit afterwards and asked how he felt about UConn bringing in Shonn Miller as a grad transfer, even though Miller would eat into Facey's playing time. He replied in typically, unselfish fashion.

“I felt like it was going to increase our depth, as you see we need it now," he said. "You never know what’s going to happen, it’s a long season. We definitely need Shonn right now. He had a monstrous game for us. We need that going into Texas and league play.”

Yes, I'm biased. But I think a book chronicling UConn's unlikely run to the 2014 national championship would make a great stocking stuffer? Don't you?

Anyway, I'll be signing copies of my book, Rebound: The Incredible Story of UConn Basketball's Comeback from Defeat to Dominance, on Saturday at the UConn Co-Op Store, prior to the Huskies' noon bout with Ohio State, starting around 11 a.m. Yes, the title is a little vague. Yes, they should have put Shabazz on the cover. But it is the story of UConn's run to the '14 title, starting at Kevin Ollie's 2012 introductory press conference and ending at Jerry's World in Arlington, Texas.

Anyone filtering through the store en route to the UConn-Ohio State game across the street at Gampel at noon, we'd love for you to come by!

Hope to see you on Saturday! (And if you can't make it, we'll have a signing on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble at the Buckland Hills Mall in Manchester).

Getting back to Saturday's game, Ollie is looking for the Huskies to get tougher. And that means tougher from the get-go. He also realizes that time is tickin', and the idea that new players still have to "feel-out" their place with UConn's returnees is over.

One interesting subplot: While UConn had to go up against a player (Diamond Stone) who spurned its advances on Tuesday night, the script gets flipped on Saturday, when the Huskies feature a player (Sterling Gibbs) who spurned Ohio State's advances last spring.

Why?:

Just had a nice conversation with Sterling Gibbs, who, if you don't know by now, chose to transfer to UConn on Saturday evening after two seasons at Seton Hall.

Seems like a very impressive young man who wants to put his disappointing past season at the Hall behind him -- particularly an incident involving Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono that looked ugly at first, but wound up being a learning experience thanks to the impressive way both Gibbs and Arcidiacono handled the aftermath.

Here are some snippets of what he had to say.

(why did he choose UConn)

"Overall, the coaches. It's a great coaching staff, great players, a seasoned team. Everything Coach Ollie has dealt with as far as guards. It's a UConn tradition, everything their guards have done throughout the years."

"My favorite player has always been Marcus Williams. I used to watch all his games, even when he was on the Nets. The way he dished the ball and was also able to score a little bit. And, of course, Kemba (Walker) and Shabazz (Napier).

(on his role with UConn)

"I'm a point guard, 100-percent. I can score the ball, and the fact that I'm able to score, sometimes people may try to say, 'He's a combo, a two-guard.' But I'm a point guard who can score, and at the same I'm I'm able to get my teammates involved."

(on his visit)

"I was able to spend a little bit of time with those guys, just seeing how important winning is to them. Also knowing some of them beforehand."

Gibbs said he's known Rodney Purvis for a while and spent a good part of his visit with him.

(on what UConn can do this season)

"I think UConn can be really good. The sky's the limit. It's not like anything's gonna be given to us. I know Coach Ollie's gonna push us to the limit, make sure we all jell together as one family, as a brotherhood."

(on why reporters had him committing to UConn a week ago, and then again early Saturday afternoon before his actual commitment)

"To be completely honest, I don’t even know. It was a surprise to me. Obviously, I had no clue where I was going last week. I was completely undecided, going back and forth, trying to figure things out. When a reporter said I committed to UConn, I was like 'Whatever.'"

"I think after my visit, I wanted to talk it over with my parents and everyone, make sure it was the right fit. I truly believe it was the right fit, because of the coaching staff, how it was presented to us. The whole plan of what they see for the future, and the whole opportunity to be able to win, go to the NCAA tournament, hopefully, and do some big things."

Hit the Barclays Center Friday night for the Jordan Brand Classic regional all-star game, in which Jalen Adams and Steve Enoch participated. It's hard to gauge a whole lot from these defense-optional games (final score, Adams' Black Team 125, Enoch's White Team 112), but let's just say both incoming UConn recruits were quite impressive.

Adams poured in a team-high 27 points on 12-for-17 shooting, grabbed four rebounds, doled out five assists against three turnovers and had a pair of steals and even a block. He was named his team's MVP.

Enoch, meanwhile, looked skilled, athletic and active, finishing with 15 points, nine boards and a block in 28 minutes.

Here's a feature we wrote on Enoch that details his rapid rise over the past two years, from an "awkward" JV player to a 6-10 man-child heading to UConn next season. Here's what each had to say afterwards:

ENOCH:



(on friendship with Andre Drummond)

“I see him when I see him. I know he has a whole season, he’s always busy and stuff like that. I always thank him for whatever he gives me.”

“Great influence, I look up to him. He motivates me, because a lot of people didn’t believe in him. To see him work hard now, be the beast he is right now, that’s motivation for me.”

(on going to UConn, which he'll do in June)

“I can’t wait to get up there and face the new challenges. You face new challenges in life all the time. I just can’t wait to see what’s in store for me.”

(advice he's received from Kevin Ollie)

“He said, just keep working hard. Coach Ollie said every time he sees me, I’ve improved in some area -- working hard-wise, he sees improvement every time he sees me.”

(on Jalen Adams)

“I think he’ll have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders coming in. But, at the same time, he has a lot of help because he has a lot of good, hard-working guards that know how to handle the ball. They’re experienced at the college level, so he’ll have a lot of help. But I think he’ll do just fine.”

“I didn’t really watch college ball or look into it too much. I just knew I wanted to go (to UConn).”

ADAMS



“Coach (Jason) Smith and Coach Lee, they got me in the weight room, eating healthy, just working out. Working out up at Brewster, I feel is a lot different than a lot of other high schools. We have seven high-major kids who are going to Top 25 schools, and the kids who aren’t committed, they’re still really good. Just competing with those kids every day, it gets you ready.”

(on being Enoch's teammate after playing against him three times this past winter in prep, and again on Friday night)

“I can’t wait. I think Steve’s really good. He protects the rim, and he’s getting a little back to the basket (game), and he can step out and shoot the 3’s. I think he’s really good. I like him a lot.”

(Adams has beaten Enoch all four times. Does he remind him of that?)

“Of course. We text a lot.”

(on what he expects from himself next season at UConn)

“Hopefully becoming a vocal leader on the court and off the court.”

“He thinks I’ll fit in pretty well. But he just wants me to come in and learn and get better and be a leader.”

“Just seeing how Shabazz is from my neighborhood, seeing what he did, now he’s on the Miami Heat. That just makes the dream more real.”

Ryan Boatright wore his UConn jersey with pride for four years, playing hard every time he took the floor -- with the scars to prove it.

On Thursday night, he'll put that jersey on one last time.

Boatright will compete in a 3-point shooting contest, as part of Final Four week's festivities. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN at 7 p.m. on Thursday from Butler University in Indianapolis.

"He was debating on if he should do this," Boatright's mom, Tanesha, said by phone on Tuesday night. "Then he was like, 'This is my last time putting on my Husky jersey. I've gotta try to represent one more time.'"

Boatright, of course, was in street clothes for UConn's season-ending loss to Arizona State in the NIT a couple of weeks ago. He had hurt his shoulder in the Huskies' AAC championship game loss to SMU a few days before.

He's still rehabbing the shoulder, and while he wasn't prepared to play in the college all-star game this week in Indianapolis, his shoulder is good enough to shoot.

"If somebody would've asked me a year ago, I would've said he'd be in the dunk contest," Tanesha said with a laugh.

Tanesha, her parents and Ryan's brothers and sisters are planning to make the drive down from Aurora, Illinois to watch Ryan compete. (And if you're wondering how Ryan is getting there despite Gov. Malloy's travel ban to Indiana, his flight and expenses are paid for by Intersport, the event's sponsor, and not with state funds).

"He gets to put on that Husky jersey one more time," she said. "He's walking away at peace, and enjoying it more than having to watch it from the sideline. I told him, 'I know you always compete to win, but as a mom, I'll just love to see you compete with a smile.'"

After that, Ryan Boatright, who hasn't hired an agent yet, will focus on finishing up his classwork and preparing for his dream of the NBA. It'll be a tough road, and both he and his mother know it. The other night, Tanesha was on the phone with Shabazz Napier's mom, Carmen Velasquez, when Carmen put Shabazz on the phone.

"It's a process," Napier said of the NBA draft workout circuit. "People don't really understand until they get into it."

At least the Boatrights have a great "family" to go to for advice.

"I'm just thankful to have all the family -- Andre Drummond's mom, Kemba's mom Angela, Carmen, we're all like sisters -- for real," Tanesha said.

Barring any NIT games, Thursday night will be the final game at Gampel for seniors Ryan Boatright and Pat Lenehan. (Also walk-on Dan Guest and managers Nicholas Blanco and Colin Oehrle).

UConn will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the opening of Gampel at halftime. A few players from that team are expected to be there. Also, Senior Night festivities can be streamed through this site.

Obviously, Boatright and Lenehan have had divergent paths over their respective UConn careers. But for very different reasons, both have made their mark on the program. Here's what some of what they (and Kevin Ollie) had to say on Wednesday:

KEVIN OLLIE:

“It’s definitely been fast. There’s been a lot of traveling. We’re trying to play our best basketball right now. Hopefully, we can leave Gampel with a great win (Thursday) night and give the fans their money’s worth, because they’ve really given us a lot of satisfaction this year.”

(on Boatright's legacy)

“Just staying with it, never giving in. There were a couple of opportunities where he could have given up, bailed out on the program. But he stayed committed, and it was a beautiful thing to see him mature. His body language, what he was telling himself, his leadership qualities. He was always a leader, but it’s the way you go about being a leader. I think he’s really changed his ways, changed his mindset from the first day he came into Storrs until now. I think he’s got a great future ahead of him. I thank him and his family for letting me be a part of it my four years with him.”

(where Boatright ranks in UConn's pantheon of guards)

“I don’t compare guards. I don’t think another guard has been through as many ups and downs as he has. To stick with it really puts him up there with the best of them. I’m not gonna compare, but he’s done some things that he and only Shabazz ... have accomplished. Really just give him a lot of praise for sticking with us, especially when everybody was saying the program was on the brink. He and Shabazz and that crew we had two years ago, I really thank them for believing in me as a coach.”

(on Lenehan, and junior Nnamdi Amilo, balancing books with basketball. Lenehan was accepted to Harvard Medical School on Tuesday, and he's already been accepted at Johns Hopkins, Duke and Columbia)

“To do that, that’s just hard work, dedication, touching the lines on the court and off the court. They’ve meant so much to this program. Just being a selfless worker, relentless.”

“It is a lot to juggle, but I think it lets him get his mind off it, too. I know he stays up pretty late, doing whatever he’s doing. I can’t pronounce some of the things he’s doing. I know he’s getting it (done) ... He’s gonna do some great things outside of basketball, but it’s been great to have him a part of our program for four years.”

“They’ll do whatever the players want. They make sacrifices. That’s what our program is built on -- sacrifices. And those guys are right on the top of the list.”

(on how to beat Memphis)

“Get back on transition. They got, like, five or six dunks. They were flexing their muscles on us. We’ve got to get back on defense, stop Crawford and those guys from getting easy buckets. They

“They did a nice number on us. We’ve got to be ready for a great challenge. Nichols might not play, but they’ve got some great players coming in off the bench.”

“They’re a desperate team, and we’re a real, real, real desperate team. We’re gonn ahave to play like that from the tap.”

(on reminding his team how desperate it is)

“I don’t have to tell them, they already know. We don’t have to tell them that. If we have to tell them that right now, we might as well not show up.”

“Every game is different. To beat SMU, to beat ECU at their place, it’s been a tough place ... I really like our consistency on both ends. We played probably our (most complete) game against SMU, on the offensive and defensive end. Scoring 84 points agianst that team is quite a feat. I respect them so much, their defensive prowess.”

BOATRIGHT:

“Four years flew by so fast, man. I’ve learned so much up here, it’s surreal that tomorrow’s the last Gampel game.”



(on UConn, Gampel)

“Unbelievable place, best place I’ve ever played in my career. The fans, the support of the state of Connecticut, and just playing for KO. That’ll definitely be missed, also.”

(on how he's improved)

“Definitely, so many areas: the game of basketball and, more importantly, as a person. I’ve grown so much, I’ve matured so much, I’ve learned so much. I’m a totally different person than when I got here when I was 18.”

(on hardships he's been through)

“Everything happens for a reason. That was the road and the plan that God had. It worked out for me, and I’ve just walked in his faith. I’m glad I ended up here. It’s been a hell of a career.”

“It’s just made me stronger. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ve been through a lot, I’ve just grown from everything that I’ve been through. It’s just made me stronger.”

“This will always be my second home. I’ll always be a part of the UConn family, and they’ll always be a part of me.”

(on his mom, Tanesha, who'll be at the game)

“She’s gonna be bawling. She’s a crybaby.”

(on Lenehan)

“Pat’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met as a person. I’m glad that he was a part of our program and a part of the team. He’s an unbelievable teammate, even better person. He made us better every day. Congratulations to Pat with medical school, everything he’s got going on. I wish him the best of luck.”

PAT LENEHAN:

“It’s hard when you’re looking from the outside in, to see what you have to do as a student-athlete, playing for a school like this. Especially this year, with the way we travel. It’s not easy. We miss classes, it’s not easy to get work done when you’re flying somewhere or on the road. You really have to be on top of your game all the time. I’m not saying it’s an excuse that we don’t get stuff done, but you really do need to have very efficient time management, in order to get done things other students get done here.”

(career highlight)

“Definitely being with the team for the national championship last year. That was just a dream come true.”

(toughest guy he faced in practice)

"Probably Shabazz. I didn’t have to guard him too much. But when I did have to guard him, I never guarded anyone like him. Obviously, he’s an unreal player.”

“It’s not easy. I’m not saying that it’s harder than being a real player. But we have to come out here every day, we’ll play defense some days for an hour straight. It’s tiring, we don’t have many subs, we don’t go through two rotations like they do. It can be tough, but the bottom line is, all of us as walk-ons, we recognize that it’s a privalege to be out here. We just have to suck it up and work through it if it’s hard.”

(on receiving a scholarship)

“It was nice, a recognition for the work that me and Nnamdi put in last year, and me the year before that. At the end of the day, it was really generous for Coach Ollie and the UConn program to do that for us. But at the same time, it didn’t change my role at all, didn’t change my mentality.”

(no plans set in stone, waiting to hear from Yale, Penn, will soon make some re-visits)

“This is the first time I actually feel like I’m being recruited for something.”

The American Athletic Conference awards won't be handed out for another four weeks or so, at the championship tournament in Hartford. Trying to figure out who the favorites to win each category is tricky. In fact, it appears we could have another similar situation as last year for player of the year, when UConn's Shabazz Napier, Cincinnati's Sean Kilpatrick and Louisville's Russ Smith were all worthy. Conventional wisdom had the award going to Kilpatrick, whose Bearcats tied with Smith's Cardinals for first place in the league.

Instead, it went to Napier, even though UConn wound up finishing in fourth place in the regular season standings. Kilpatrick and coach Mick Cronin weren't too happy about it. Of course, both blew their chance to avenge the perceived snub when Kilpatrick blew a layup in the waning seconds of the AAC semifinals, allowing UConn to win and advance to the finals to face Louisville.

UConn has frontrunners in three categories: Player of the year (Ryan Boatright), rookie of the year (Daniel Hamilton) and defensive player of the year (Amida Brimah). You could make an argument that all three deserve to win. There is no way in heck they do, however, given UConn's disappointing record this season. In fact, it's doubtful the Huskies get more than one of the awards.

Here's how I see the awards panning out -- not necessarily who I think should win, but who I think will win. (All stats referred to are for conference play only):

FIRST TEAM
Ryan Boatright, UConn
Nic Moore, SMU
Yanick Moreira, SMU
James Woodard, Tulsa
Will Cummings, Temple
Austin Nichols, Memphis

SECOND TEAM
Octavius Ellis, Cincinnati
Troy Caupain, Cincinnati
Shaquille Harrison, Tulsa
Jesse Morgan, Temple
Markus Kennedy, SMU

ALL-ROOKIE
Daniel Hamilton, UConn
B.J. Taylor, UCF
Adonys Hernandez, UCF
B.J. Tyson, ECU
Gary Clark, Cincinnati

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Two-man race between Ryan Boatright and Nic Moore. Boatright leads the league in scoring and is fifth in assists. God knows where UConn would be without him. He was also preseason player of the year, which may give him a leg up in the minds of the voters -- the league's coaches. (Of course, Russ Smith was last year's preseason POY and that didn't help him win it). Moore is the best player on the league's best team. He leads the league in assists and is sixth in scoring. Usually, the award goes to a player on a first or second-place team (obviously, that didn't happen last year).
Pick: Moore. I think the coaches will give it to him, based on SMU's success, even though Boatright has been by far the more dynamic player. Boatright says he's not concerned with individual awards, anyway.

COACH OF THE YEAR:
Another two-man race between SMU's Larry Brown and Tulsa's Frank Haith. Brown has the best team and has dealt with the loss of several key players at different points of the season. Of course, the Mustangs were picked to finish second int he league. Haith, in his first year at the helm, inherited a team that won the Conference USA tourney last year and was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll. The Golden Hurricane is currently second in the league standings at 10-2.
Pick: Haith. This is subject to change, however, if Tulsa falters over the next few weeks -- which is entirely possible. Then, Brown will win it.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
There are a lot of good candidates. Obviously, Daniel Hamilton (the preseason pick) is a frontrunner. UCF's B.J. Taylor (12.8 ppg), ECU's B.J. Tyson (11.5), UCF's Adonys Hernandez (10.4) and Hamilton (9.8) are among the league's top scorers. Hamilton is second in rebounding, while Cincy's Gary Clark is seventh. Hamilton is also 10th in assists, the only frosh to be in all three categories.
Pick: Hamilton.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tough one. Amida Brimah is the league's leading shot-blocker and is certainly the dominant defensive force. That's usually enough to win you the award, but I don't think it will this season. My guess is that it will go to either Will Cummings of Temple or Shaquille Harrison of Tulsa, who are 1-2 in the league in steals.
Pick: Harrison.

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
SMU's Markus Kennedy has yet to start a game since returning to the team from academic suspension. If this is Larry Brown's way of making him earn his way back in the lineup, I'd say he has by now: he's 14th in the league in scoring (11.9), ninth in rebounding (6.2) 15th in blocked shots (0.9) and even 12th in steals (1.2). Unless the coaches don't want to vote for a guy who was suspended for the first semester, Kennedy's gotta be the one.
Pick: Kennedy.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Injuries severely hampered Yanick Moreira last season, forcing him to miss four weeks in the middle of the season. This year, he's averaging 10.9 points and seven boards for the first-place Mustangs.
Pick: Moreira.

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Sean Kilpatrick got this last season in what looked like a consolation prize for not winning player of the year. So, we'll go with either Moore or Boatright, whoever doesn't win POY this season.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD
Your guess is as good as mine, although now that they're scholarship players, either Pat Lenehan or Nnamdi Amilo are as qualified as anyone.

First New Year's Eve, now Super Bowl Sunday -- another awful loss for UConn in Houston. What more can we say? We'll let Ryan Boatright and Kevin Ollie do the talking:

BOATRIGHT:



“I kept going over, talking to K.O., he did a great job of helping me stay in the game, staying mentally tough, keep playing. Even though you’re getting hit, you’ve got to play through it, you can’t dwell on it.”

(on Amida Brimah's fifth foul)

“Ridiculous. Every time we come down here, tough, there’s a call like that. Last year, we lost when (TaShawn Thomas), they called a crazy foul (for) him. I just don’t understand. There’s three seconds on the clock, he caught the ball with his back to the basket. You know he’s trying to do a move that he’s not comfortable doing. Personally, it looked like he slipped to me. But that’s the referee’s call, you’ve got to live with it.”

“I’ve just got to continue to lead, continue to play UConn basketball. I never set out to play outside of the system. Today I shot 26 shots, I didn’t even know that. I don’t like shooting that much, personally. But it was called for.”

“I’m trying to play within the system and let everybody eat.”

“Now, I know how Shabazz felt last year in some games. I can honestly see what he was going through sometimes.”

OLLIE:



(on Houston committing just one turnover)

"You’ve got to get a little bit more ball pressure, take a little bit more gambles, getting in the passing lane a little bit. Because we need cheap buckets. We have a hard time now scoring in halfcourt. That’s been all year, that’s been one of our deficiencies.”

(on relying on Boatright)

“It’s a tough situation, any time you’re getting double- and triple-teamed. I’m not gonna talk about the refs, but some of those calls, he’s going to the bucket, he’s getting hit, and for some reason they’re not making the calls that I see out there. But, at the end of the day, you’ve got to leave the refs alone. He’s got to play his game. He’s got the heart of a champion. He tried to will us to a victory, but it was a little bit too late.”

“He’s got three guys draped on him. You’ve got to make the passes. We wanted to establish Amida. He got one dunk, but he got in foul trouble. I’m not gonna run an AAU team, he comes down and just run pick-and-roll and jack up on three people.”

“It doesn’t make any sense to have a pity party for ourselves. Nobody’s gonna help us out of this. We’ve got to help ourselves out of it by playing hard, looking at the tape, everybody coming in, chipping in and doing their part. We’re gonna play hard each and every game, until the end of the season.”

(on why UConn started off playing zone)

“They’ve got two 6-7 guys, and I wanted to keep Amida out of foul trouble. I knew they were gonna isolate Amida with Pollard. That was our matchup. He’s a 6-7 three-man. He can put it on the floor, he can shoot, so it’s a mismatch problem for Amida. I didn’t want to get him with a quick foul.”

Jalen Adams was impressive at the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College on Sunday morning. He scored 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting (2-for-5 on 3-pointers) and was a bundle of energy all over the court in Brewster Academy's 100-69 win over Montverde Academy Prep (note: this was Montverde's postgrad team, not its more talented varsity team, which plays Monday and features the top-rated big man in the country, Ben Simmons).

Got a little frustrated at times when he was open and didn't get a return pass from a teammate, but overall he's a good kid, effervescent personality who can do a little of everything on the floor -- run the point, score, 'D' it up. He'll help UConn immediately next season -- and would be a help right now if he could.

Kevin Ollie and assistant coach Karl Hobbs, fresh off Saturday night's loss out in Stanford, California, were at the game to see their prized commit.

"He texted me, told me he was gonna take a red-eye, come see me play," Adams said of Ollie. "That's what I love about him, coming to support me ... I just like that about him. He's a real loyal guy."

Adams said he didn't see the Huskies' loss to Stanford.

"I couldn't watch it. I tried to get some rest."

Here's a quick snippet of Adams in action:



And here's what Adams and Brewster coach Jason Smith said afterward:

SMITH:

(on whether Adams can step right in and help next season as a freshman)



(on how Adams has progressed so far this season)

"I think that Jalen has definitely shown people that he's not just a scorer, he's able to run offense and facilitate and make great decisions to become more of a point guard. I think that's ultimately what he's gonna have to do for Coach Ollie at UConn. And he's been phenomenal doing that for us."

"I think that the fact that he knows, some games he can go off and score 25 or 30, but he's taken the mindset of, 'I have to make sure that I get others involved. I have a lot of these other pieces around me that I have to distribute the ball (to).' We're routinely six, seven guys in double figures. Very balanced."

ADAMS:



"Playing against the top talent every day is helping us a lot. Even the guys who aren't committed. The un-committed guys, they're tough, too. Every day, you're playing against tough competition, and that prepares you for the next level."

(on what Kevin Ollie has said to him lately)

"He says that at UConn, they don't have any positions. The guards all move around and shift. But I'm definitely gonna have to be a vocal leader and put guys in the right position."

(does being a vocal leader come naturally to him?)

"No, because I played on the wing growing up, so it's been tough. But last year, playing with Kaleb Joseph, he taught me a lot. And Coach Smith, he's a great coach. He's made that a big thing this year, so it's become a lot better."

(on comparisons to Shabazz Napier)

"I saw him play a couple of times at Charlestown, because that's where my father went to school. We went to a lot of games. He was unreal, shooting from halfcourt, practically. But I've never really idolized him that much or tried to compare my game to him. But, it's amazing how he went to UConn, did big things, and now he's in the NBA. And now, I have the chance to do the same thing."

DONOVAN MITCHELL, a Louisville commit and Adams' backcourt mate at Brewster:

"(Adams) might be the funniest dude I've ever met in my life. He's always making jokes, whether it's in practice ... he made Coach Smith even laugh, which last year I thought was the hardest thing possible. He manages to do it a lot."

In this new world that UConn now occupies -- no longer in the Big East, with no more annual bouts against old-time rivals like Syracuse, Georgetown, Pittsburgh or even Providence -- has a new chief rival emerged for the Huskies?

Is Cincinnati now UConn’s biggest rival?

It may not make any sense geographically, and it certainly doesn’t foster the same kind of emotion with UConn fans as the Orange or Hoyas. But no team has been involved in more heated games with the Huskies over the past few seasons than the Bearcats.

UConn holds a 10-5 all-time advantage over Cincy – 9-5 since the Bearcats joined the Big East in 2005-06. But the Huskies won the first five meetings. Since then, the teams have split the last 10 games.

In the last six meetings -- again, an even split between the two -- over the past three seasons, each game was decided by six points or less, or in overtime.

Of course, UConn has won when it’s meant the most – in the 2011 NCAA tournament’s Round-of-32 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and in last year’s AAC tournament semifinal game in Memphis.

The Huskies also beat Cincy in another area last year, when Shabazz Napier beat out Sean Kilpatrick for AAC player of the year honors. Kilpatrick wasn't pleased about this perceived snub, and neither was Cincy coach Mick Cronin, who was heard by Connecticut Post writer Bill Paxton telling Kilpatrick and Justin Jackson that "heroes are made in March, boys. This is all (B.S.)."

And that wasn't the first time that Cronin found himself involved in a controversy involving a UConn player and conference postseason honors -- although, to be fair, this one seemed to be more a Jim Calhoun concoction than anything Cronin actually did.

Of course, Cronin won't be on the sidelines for Saturday's 11 a.m. game at the XL Center. He's out for the rest of the season, at least as head coach, due to an artery problem. Admit it, you'll miss the little devil.

Certainly, there seems to be a little healthy friction between the two programs.

A few years ago, after Syracuse had played its final game against UConn as Big East foes, Jim Boeheim (in between calling Andy Katz an "idiot" and a "dishonest person") noted that the Orange's biggest rival used to be St. Bonaventure.

Then, the Big East formed, and Syracuse hasn't even played the Bonnies in over a decade.

"Your biggest rivals are going to be the teams in your league," Boeheim said.

UConn and Cincinnati, like it or not, are in the same league. Along with Memphis, they're the most decorated programs in this league. And it's too early to call UConn-Memphis a rivalry, especially since the Huskies swept the Tigers in three games last season (twice in Memphis). Rivalries can't be too one-sided.

So, are the Bearcats now UConn's biggest rival? If you say no, it's still Syracuse or Georgetown, remember, they don't consider UConn their biggest rivals. Neither does Duke. Meanwhile, Providence would like to consider UConn its rival, but UConn fans seem to think differently.

Oh, and Cincy considers the Huskies their rivals.

"We've had such close games over the years," said associate head coach Larry Davis, who's taken over for Cronin for the season after Cronin suffered an aneurysm a couple of weeks ago. "They're gonna be a team you've got to go through to win championships every year. Hopefully, we are too. Those are your rival games."

Maybe the Huskies simply don't have a rival right now.

Let me know what you think.

Wife and kids are out of town, so I went up to watch New Haven's own Tremont Waters up at South Kent School on Saturday evening. Right now, there's no doubt he could help out UConn (which looks to get back on track on Sunday against Coppin State)  in at least one department: breaking fullcourt pressure. His ballhandling is that good.

"Teams are throwing two men at him, three men at him," said South Kent coach Kelvin Jefferson, "and I've never been in a situation where I panic when he has the ball. Even if they have two or three guys on him, I let him go. Because I just believe no one can guard him. And he busts it, and we have advantages."

Waters is best-known as a shooter, and he's a terrific passer, too. Here's some (admittedly raw) video of Waters in action in Saturday's 92-85 win over Coastal Academy, during which he had 23 points and seven assists before fouling out (he's No. 4):



If there's one question about Waters right now, it would be his size (5-foot-9, 145 pounds). But he more than makes up for that with his quickness and ballhandling skills. And anyway, he's still just a sophomore, with plenty of time to grow.

"I think if a school doesn't recruit him based on his size, they're crazy," said Jefferson. "I think they're nuts. I think he's the best point guard in the country, in that class. I think he's an elite shooter, an elite passer and an elite ballhandler. And he has a good IQ. As a sophomore, does he always make the right decision? No. But by the time he's a freshman in college, I think he's going to be one of the best in the country."

Spoke with Waters a bit after the game, and while talking about how he likes to keep his teammates involved, it didn't take long for him to bring up the name: "Shabazz Napier."

Waters spoke with Napier briefly while on an unofficial visit to UConn last season.

"He just told me to stay focused, stay in the books. Without books, you can't really do anything else. So it was like, stay focused, stay humble."

UConn has already offered Waters, and is one of many schools heavily in on him, along with Duke, Louisville, Ohio State, Stanford and Clemson, to name just a few.

Asked if UConn was his "dream school," Waters paused for a moment and answered: "Well, it's my home state, so, I'd have to say 'Yeah.' Or Duke. Since I was little, I used to watch Duke all the time. They have a ton of point guards that they've produced. I just like the way they play."

(No, he won't be at the IZOD Center Thursday night for UConn-Duke. South Kent's playing up in Worcester that night).

Anyway, don't expect a decision any time soon from Waters. His parents want him to enjoy being a kid up at South Kent, away from a lot of the pressures of both the city and the recruiting world. And, of course, a lot depends on what other recruits are brought in -- and who's still coaching where -- once 2017 rolls around.

*** As reported by Adam Zagoria recently, UConn is trying to get back in the mix with Tyler Dorsey, who recently decommitted from Arizona.

Spoke with Dorsey by phone on Saturday night.

"Yes, I'm considering them right now," he said of the Huskies. "I don't really know what I'm doing with this college situation. I'm just watching games, still talking to coaches. I'm still considering them."

Dorsey added that he has "no leaders. Nobody has an edge right now."

Dorsey played with current UConn freshman Daniel Hamilton at St. John Bosco High in Bellflower, California (though he's playing at Maranatha High in Los Angeles this year as a senior).

Asked if playing alongside Hamilton would make UConn more intriguing, Dorsey said: "It does. That's my boy, Daniel. That is intriguing, when I look at UConn and that situation ... I talk to him. He's doing good, trying to make me lean towards coming over there with him."

But Dorsey doesn't know when he'll make his decision.

"I have no clue. It depends how I feel and whenever I feel the right school is for me, I'm going to just choose it. But there's no real set date.'

It's gonna take some time, folks. It's a process, as Kevin Ollie once again pointed out Friday night, following UConn's too-close-for-comfort (the Huskies were down nine points early in the second half) win over Bryant in its season-opener.

UConn struggled early, looked a bit disjointed. Sort of like a team full of newcomers that hasn't had a chance to jell as a unit yet. The Huskies played much better in the second half, when it mattered most, clamping down on defense and relying heavily on Ryan Boatright's Herculean effort (24 points, eight boards, five assists, four steals).

In short, this may have been a microcosm of UConn's upcoming season, if that makes any sense -- early struggles, probably a few unexpected losses along the way, but the talent coming together at the right time in the latter half of the season. And Boatright leading the way.

We'll see how it all shapes out, but the first part seems virtually certain -- UConn will have some struggles early. Fans need to be patient. It's a process, one that Ollie hopes his team falls in love with along the way.

A few odds and ends:

Boatright's mom, Tanesha, surprised him by flying in from Aurora, Ill., for the game.

“I didn’t know she was coming," he said. "I’m in the warm-up line, I hear somebody screaming my middle name. Nobody calls me by my middle name. I’m like, ‘it’s gotta be my mom.’ She surprised me, I’m glad she was there. She’ll be able to take the ring back home.”

Kentan Facey had a game-high, career-high 11 rebounds. Ollie on the difference between Facey this year and last year.

“He’s on the court. He wasn’t on the court last year, because we had DeAndre and Niels, who were two great players for us. His energy was great, he went after every rebound. We want Kentan to be a ball-hunter.”

I've never seen a ball-hawking defender quite like Providence's John Linehan some 15 years ago. But Boatright was a reasonable facsimile thereof on Friday night, pick-pocketing four steals, three of which led to fast-break dunks (two by him).

As well as Boatright played last night, there's still one area where Ollie wants him to improve.

“We still want to work on his body language," the coach said. "But he’s being what a leader’s supposed to be. He’s seen what Shabazz did. He’s learned. He’s gonna have some up-and-down games, like everybody, but we need him to stay connected, being a leader.”

Body language as in not showing up the refs? Not sulking when the team makes freshman mistakes? Neither of the above, according to Boatright.

“He knows that I put a lot of pressure on myself and I want to be excellent," Boatright said. "When I make bone-head mistakes, I just get down on myself, shake my head, stuff like that. Nothing extremely negative, but he just tells me I can’t get down on myself, I’ve just got to keep playing and know everything is gonna be OK.”

Some notes 'n quotes from UConn's practice today at the Werth Center:

Asked about today's announcement that the Huskies were rekindling their rivalry with old Big East foe Georgetown, Kevin Ollie had some interesting things to say ... about possibly rekindling a rivalry with Syracuse:



A lot of talk today about Phil Nolan, who is noticeably bigger after adding about 20 pounds of muscle in the off-season. Here's a story on how Nolan put on the extra pounds over the summer, and how the early results are positive. Ollie noted that Nolan will be playing alongside Amida Brimah at the four at times when UConn goes big this season.

“We got a glimpse of it last year against South Florida," Nolan recalled, "and it was pretty fun that game.”

*** Asked a couple of Calhouns -- Jim and Omar -- about the North Carolina situation, where the Tar Heels program apparently ran fraud classes for athletes for the past 18 years or so. UConn, of course, got a postseason ban for the academic shortcomings of players who wound up leaving the program. UNC allegedly kept players eligible by cheating. But the Huskies aren't paying much attention to see if UNC gets a similar punishment.

“We don’t want to say bad things about other teams," said Omar. "You’re kind of upset because we weren’t really to blame for it, but we’re just focused on the season we have now.”

Said Jim Calhoun: "Ours is almost the exact opposite situation ... it's obviously something that got away from the institution ... I think coaches, someone on their staff, has pretty good idea of what every kid was doing."

Summed up Ryan Boatright: “I heard about it. I’ve got my own academics to worry about.”

Boatright said he's been keeping tabs on Shabazz Napier from afar.

“I caught that one (game) and saw the highlights. We’ve been keeping in touch. He’s being Shabazz.”

Happy to be an Associated Press Top 25 voter again this season. Our preseason Top 25 and five-man All-American team is due by Friday. The first AP Top 25 will be released on Oct. 31, with the All-America team moving on Nov. 3.

Here's what I'll be submitting:

1.       Wisconsin

2.       Kentucky

3.       Arizona

4.       Duke

5.       Kansas

6.       North Carolina

7.       Louisville

8.       Texas

9.       Wichita State

10.   Iowa State

11.   Villanova

12.   UConn

13.   Florida

14.   Gonzaga

15.   Virginia

16.   SMU

17.   San Diego State

18.   Michigan State

19.   Virginia Commonwealth

20.   Michigan

21.   Harvard

22.   Ohio State

23.   Stanford

24.   Syracuse

25.  Memphis

All-America:
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville
Sam Dekker, Wisconsin
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Marcus Paige, North Carolina
Fred Van Vleet, Wichita State

I’ve never particularly liked the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. Just hasn’t been very aesthetically pleasing over the years, a bit too … boring, we’ll say. Yeah, boring.

But the Badgers won me over last season, led by big Frank Kaminsky and dynamic Sam Dekker (who’s anything but boring). Now, pretty much everyone’s back from last year’s Final Four team that fell a few points short of a date with UConn in the national championship game. That’s why I’m picking them as my preseason No. 1.

It seems most people are going with Kentucky, the team that beat the Badgers in last year’s Final Four, after all. The Wildcats have a record nine McDonald’s All-Americans on their roster, including key players from last year’s runners-up like the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew) as well as Willie Cauley-Stein (whose injury for the national championship game undoubtedly helped UConn).

But Kentucky also loses key players like Julius Randle and James Young. They’ve got great freshmen coming in, led by Karl Towns, but so often we’ve seen teams with great newcomers have trouble jelling and, ultimately, disappointing. 

I'll side with teams like Wisconsin -- veteran, experienced teams who truly love being in college and value their entire collegiate experience -- over teams stacked with talent but, too often, have too many guys with one eye on the next level and perhaps aren't buying into the whole team concept.

Sure, every now and then there’s a team like 2012 Kentucky, which rolled to a national title behind freshmen and sophomores, led by Anthony Davis. But look no further than 2014 Kentucky. Remember, some pundits were predicting an undefeated season for a team led largely by freshmen? The Wildcats wound up disappointing through much of the season and were a No. 8 seed for the NCAA tournament. Kentucky started to come together at just the right time, of course (John Calipari deserves a lot of credit there) and wound up in the national title game … where it fell to UConn.

Ah yes, UConn. What to do with the Huskies? It’s funny to look at the preseason coaches’ poll and see four of the teams UConn beat in last year’s NCAA tournament (Kentucky, Florida, Villanova and Iowa State) all ranked ahead of the Huskies. But it’s somewhat understandable.

The graduation of Shabazz Napier is huge. Yes, Ryan Boatright is a terrific player who really matured last season – particularly in the postseason – as a true point guard, a leader and a defensive whiz. Yes, Amida Brimah should be one of the best shot-blockers in the nation. Yes, Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and Sam Cassell, Jr. are outstanding additions. Yes, Terrence Samuel boasts championship pedigree, and if Omar Calhoun can turn things around … watch out!

But it’s hard to quantify just how much Shabazz meant to this program that past couple of seasons. There were so many games in which his late heroics saved the Huskies from defeat. Never mind the obvious ones like Florida and Indiana last season; don’t forget South Florida on the road, where Napier delivered an inspirational halftime speech (after the Huskies had played their worst half of the season and trailed by six), then scored 11 of UConn’s final 14 points in a 61-56 win. Or how about against Quinnipiac in the 2012 Paradise Jam, when he scored 23 of his 29 points in the game’s final 3 ½ minutes of regulation and two overtimes? Those are just two of too many other examples to list.

I like UConn this season. There’s a lot of talent, but I see it taking a while for it all to jell together. It’s going to take a couple of months for guys like Hamilton, Purvis and Cassell, Jr. to learn how to play together, share the ball and do what’s best for the team. I don’t worry about Boatright – I think he knows he’s got to prove to NBA scouts that he’s a distributor and that he can make his teammates better. He’ll do that. But there are a lot of shots to go around, and it’ll be interesting to see how everybody co-exists. It’ll also be interesting to see if UConn still has some long-distance threats now that Napier, DeAndre Daniels and Niels Giffey are gone. Early returns are that Cassell may just be that guy.

So, I like the Huskies more than some (for instance, Lindy’s magazine has them ranked No. 36. Even though I did the UConn and AAC season previews for this edition, I’ll take no blame for that low ranking. Wasn’t me). However, it wouldn’t shock me at all if SMU beats out UConn for the AAC championship. If Emmanuel Mudiay had stayed at SMU rather than zipped off to China, that might be a no-brainer. Even without Mudiay, however, the Mustangs return just about everyone from last year’s 27-10, NIT runners-up, including all-AAC picks Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy, former McDonald’s All-American Keith Frazier and talented Xavier transfer Justin Martin. And, let’s not forget, SMU beat UConn last season both times they met. This Larry Brown guy can coach a little bit.

In fact, I was prepared to rank SMU even higher and pick it to win the AAC until reports the other day that Kennedy may be sidelined for at least the early part of the season due to academic issues. If Kennedy misses part (or all) of the season, it’s a big blow to the Mustangs.

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.

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

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

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

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



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's some of what they had to say:

Hamilton:

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

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

(on his new teammates)

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

(on how good the team can be this season)

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

(on what position he'll play this season)

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

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

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

Cassell, Jr.:

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

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

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

"Hard practices make easy games."

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

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

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

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

Less than a week after another talented, clutch guard from UConn via Roxbury was selected in the fist round of the NBA Draft, another has chosen to take his talents to Storrs.

Jalen Adams, a Class of 2015 guard, announced on Twitter on Monday that he'll be attending UConn.

Just got off the phone with Adams, and here's some of what he had to day:

(why UConn?)

"Just the style of play, the coaching staff. I felt like the coaching staff had my best interests at heart.
(on comparisons to Shabazz Napier)

"There's definitely a few similarities, but I think I need to incorporate some of the things he does into my game ... I need to become a better leader, like a floor general."

Adams said he's met Napier a few times, but it was before Napier was even at UConn, just in the gyms around Roxbury.

(his best attributes)

"Getting to the basket, scoring and creating for others."

Adams and his parents were at UConn on Sunday for an unofficial, and the decision was basically made on their drive back to Boston.

Adams' coach for the Mass Rivals AAU team, Vin Pastore, has nothing but great things to say about the kid.

"First of all, he's a dynamic guard that has many different gears of speed and athleticism that's off the charts. And he scores the basketball in a variety of ways, the way only the elite of the elite do. He can score from long range, he's got a pull-up jumper. But best of all, when he gets it in the lane, he can fly over the top of you or spin in any different way to get to the rim. And one way or another, the ball always seems to find its way to the basket."

Pastore said Adams is about 6-foot-2, but with a 6-6 1/2 wingspan.

"As a kid, he's a super kid. He's got great leadership qualities, great smile and personality. He's got that type of charm that makes you fall in love with him right away. A lot of personality. Just an exceptional kid with a great track record."

Pastore said Adams never visited Louisville or Kansas, the two other schools most interested in him.

"I think it's a childhood dream for him to go to UConn. The style of play, the speed of play, the way they play. Kevin Ollie playing in the NBA, his personality, the way he connected with Jalen. And the fact that he played in the NBA, he has a pretty good idea what it takes to get to the NBA. Shabazz would have been the cherry on top. He is from the same town, same place."

Barry Connors, Adams' coach at Cushing Academy, was similarly complimentary of him when I spoke with him a couple of months ago.