Caron Butler has made a donation to the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center. Here's the press release sent out by UConn this morning:

The UConn Foundation is excited to announce that former Husky men’s basketball All-American Caron Butler and his wife Andrea have made a gift in support of the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center.

Butler earned All-American honors and was the Big East Conference Player of the Year and the Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2001-02 and led the Huskies to the NCAA Elite Eight.  After that season, Butler was an NBA Draft lottery selection with the 10th pick by the Miami Heat. He is a two-time NBA All-Star, 2011 NBA Champion as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and is in his 14th season in the NBA, currently as a member of the Sacramento Kings.

Butler returned to campus in February and was inducted as a member of the Huskies of Honor, which recognizes the great players in UConn history.

“Andrea and I met at UConn, and it has always held a special place in our hearts,” said Butler. “Being recognized in the Huskies of Honor event brought back so many incredible memories and emotions. Coach Jim Calhoun and all the coaches—Karl Hobbs, Dave Leitao, George Blaney, and Tom Moore—played a critical role in my life and we are blessed to be able to give back in this small way.”

“We are extremely grateful to Caron and Andrea for their support. We have raised more than $33.5 million in private support toward this project with another $3.5 million needed to complete it. Caron and Andrea’s commitment is meaningful as we work to complete the fundraising for the Center and hopefully provides an example that others will follow,” said Joshua Newton, UConn Foundation President and CEO. 

Butler, whose gift amount remains private, hopes that his act of giving inspires others. “I want everyone who values UConn and its student-athletes to understand that every gift matters, small or large,” Butler added.

“Any time a former student-athlete makes a gift we are grateful, as it shows how much UConn still means to them,” said Rachel Rubin, Interim Director of Athletics.

Butler’s Husky pride does run deep. In fact, he recently said that he is “elated that UConn has been loyal to the Husky Brotherhood” by hiring former UConn and NBA player Kevin Ollie as head coach of the men’s team. 

“We truly appreciate Caron and Andrea’s commitment to the project,” said Rubin.

The 75,000-plus square-foot Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center facility features two separate wings for the men’s and women’s basketball programs. It includes common areas for academic support, sports medicine, and strength training areas, as well as separate practice gyms, locker rooms, coaches’ offices, meeting rooms and video analysis theaters.

Here's what Jim Calhoun had to say about Scott Burrell being hired as the new head basketball coach at Southern Connecticut State:

"I think it's ideal, the fact that he was maybe the greatest athlete in the history of the New Haven-area school system."

"Like a lot of young guys, he probably needed to get a head job. I think at Southern Connecticut, his mom and dad graduated from there, so that makes it more special. I think he's ready. He and I talked a great deal about this over the years. There was a point where he wanted to get into coaching. Tommy (Moore) and I talked about hiring him, and he's moved on. He's done a good job there. I've watched him practice probably three or four practices a year at Quinnipiac, he does a great job at practice. I think he'll do a good job recruiting-wise, he's smart. A head coaching job is a head coaching job."

(did he see this day coming when Burrell played for him at UConn?)

"I never thought Scott Burrell would ever coach. Because then someone else would have to coach Scott Burrell. That was my joke to him. He was a typical 'boys of summer' -- he just wanted to play. He loved practices for the scrimmages. The drills, not so much. Watching him in the dugout when he wasn't pitching one day, he couldn't sit still ... Just a great kid, one of the best kids you're gonna find. He's kind of a throwback in many ways."

(does he have what it takes -- work ethic, etc. -- to be a head coach?)

"This isn't something that just came about. He started thinking about this four or five years ago ... Scott Burrell is ready for this job, he'll do a great job. We talked yesterday. We talked about this for the past few months, we've talked about a couple of things the past year or two."

"Taliek Brown is the next guy I'd love to see get into college coaching, because he's done a good job in high school ... He's trying to. We've talked a lot. He's been up to camp working. He's a great teacher. I always say the best (leaders) I ever had were 1. Kemba Walker and maybe 1a. or 2., would have to be Taliek. They played with great joy."

Calhoun also noted that he'll be back with ESPN this season and is talking about doing a lot more games -- and a lot of big-time games -- with Rece Davis and the gang.

Khalid El-Amin and the 1999 UConn national championship team each were inducted into the Huskies of Honor at halftime Sunday. Richard Hamilton, who hasn't come back to UConn a whole lot over the last 15 years, was in the house, along with the other four starters on the title team (El-Amin, Kevin Freeman, Jake Voskuhl and Ricky Moore) as well as Souleymane Wane, Beau Archibald, coaches Karl Hobbs, Tom Moore and, of course, Jim Calhoun.

Here's what Hamilton had to say:

 “The biggest thing I remember from that game is coach’s attitude at the beginning of the game. Usually, he was always on pins and needles. That was the first game he came in and told us, just relax and play. I think that really, really was the big thing for us, beacuse we really believed we could win the game. We thought we were the best team in the country. We thought Duke was getting all the praise, but we didn’t mind that. It was something exciting for us. I think when Khalid had the ball, running, and they were playing that ‘One Shining Moment’ song, and he was running with the ball, with his hands up, I think that’s the memory that sticks in my head.”

(on seeing Duke players over the years)

“They can’t even look me in my face. That’s how I like it ... to beat them – especially now, playing in the NBA and they've got so many great players in the NBA – you played against them and competed. I’m always hard on them, like, ‘Hey, you never beat (us), regardless of all the praise y’all got, whether you got the Wooden Award or not. We got the ring at the end.'”

“We were undefeated until the game that I sat out. I got hurt, Jake got hurt, and it was good that we actually lost that game, because it kind of gave us motivation to come out and play even harder. We came out and lost on Senior Night – I think it was Miami, here in Gampel. Coach came in and said, ‘Don’t think you’re as good as you are.’ We really had to go out and finish the work and we did.”

(on possibly still hooking up with an NBA team)

“I just want to go to the right team. I want to be on a team that has an opportunity to win. I don’t just want to be out there, going through the motions or anyting like that. I want to be in a situation where I can get an opportunity to get another ring. That’s how you build your legacy.”

(on Calhoun and SMU's Larry Brown both in Gampel on Sunday)

“Isn’t that crazy? You’ve got my two favorite coaches of all time in the same building. Both guys that I got an opportunity to win a championship with. That’s crazy. It’s one of those magic moments, something that couldn’t be planned or anything like that. It’s exciting for me.”

(on why he decided to return to UConn after '98 season)

“You know what it was? I put all my eggs in coach’s basket. I had one foot on the university campus and one foot out the door, and I put all my trust into coach Calhoun. Everything he told me in his office … after that 3-4 hour conversation that day, came true. When you’re 20 years old, sometimes you think people are just talking to be talking. But everything he told me came true.”

(on this year's UConn team)

“I think that KO’s done an excellent job. It’s hard to follow coach Calhoun. That’s huge pressure. But I thought that he came in and really put his spin on things. The guys respond to him very well. You can look at his record for the last two years. One thing I can look at with UConn, we always have great guard play. The guards have been doing great, doing a tremendous job of leading the team.”

Jim Calhoun:

“Of all the things I've done in my coaching career, I’ll never forget walking into this building in 1999 – the trip over, I still describe as probably the most remarkable trip, I have no idea how many people were on 84, they stopped cars, they were on buildings. Coming up here on 195 was absolutely incredible. But still, walking into this building, after the disappointment of nine years before, and this time having the hardware in my hands, is still the highest moment of my coaching career.”

“I always thought we were better when we had to dig our way back. But I always thought we had more experience, we were tougher. (Duke) could’ve been, if they had stayed together one more year – or if they hadn’t met us – been one of the greatest teams ever.”

“If you ever look back at the teams we played, the teams we beat – pretty special. Without injuries, you could make a case for 36-0. Is it the greatest team? I don’t know. But it was the best ‘team’, in the sense that they all worked with each other. Both point guards could pass, shoot, well, not Khalid, but defend. We had great answers, with Edmund, Souley, Albert Mouring. That was just a terrific basketball team.”

“When we lost to Carolina in Carolina, they went to the Final Four, we didn’t, they stayed together and it was just one of those kind of things. We had, without knowing, our eyes on the prize in ’98 to get to ’99."

“The first one is special. It was special for UConn. I don’t know if, like anything else in life, you can’t duplicate that first time. So, that makes it special. Is it better? No. I love watching Kemba making four foul shots to win, getting 31 last night to beat the Grizzlies. Watching any kind of those great things, that’s all great stuff, too. But, you can’t duplicate walking up here and bringing back that trophy. That’s not gonna be replicated in my lifetime or anybody else’s lifetime.”

Kevin Ollie spoke a little bit today about Friday night's opponent, Maine, which is 1-6 and lost to NJIT Wednesday night.

"They're gonna play with their backs against the wall. They need a good win, a good performance. They've got some capable players over there, four guys in double digits. We've got to guard the 3-point line."

Obviously, the possibility exists of a letdown for UConn, coming off Monday night's dramatic, emotional, one-point win over nationally-ranked Florida at Gampel.

"I've told (the team), 'Don’t get drunk off success, don’t start reading press clippings. You're a great team, but you're just that far from being a bad team. You've gotta keep working hard, prepare like you’re playing Florida again. I don’t care who’s coming in XL Center, you've gotta play against that imaginary champion every single day."

Maine coach Ted Woodward is a former UConn assistant under Jim Calhoun. He left UConn before Ollie arrived as a player, but the two have maintained a good friendship over the years.

"He's a great man, I spent a lot of time with him recruiting when I was an assistant. Coach (Calhoun) is very fond of him. Hearing stories of them together, it’s great. Anybody that’s been at this beautiful school, he’s part of the family. He’s on the other side now, but he's part of family, just like Coach Pikiell, Coach Moore. Hopefully he can turn this around -- after Friday, though."

*** Spoke briefly today with Melvin Swift, a Class of 2014 forward who cut his final list down to UConn, UMass and SMU today. The Houston native says he'll be visiting UConn (and the other schools) "real soon."

Asked what he likes about UConn, Swift said: "It's a good school and it has good people there ... and I know they have a great basketball team and coaches."

Jim Calhoun's Charity Golf Classic was held Monday at The Golf Club of Avon, and it brought out plenty of sports celebrities.



Roy Williams, Billy Packer, Kevin Ollie, Scott Burrell, Sterling Sharpe, Mark Schlereth, Glen Miller, Karl Hobbs, Tom Moore, Travis Knight and Patrick Sellers were among those playing. Caught up with Williams for a few moments before he teed off, and here's what he had to say.

"We do go back a long ways. Jimmy and his staff from Northeastern came to visit with Coach (Dean) Smith when I was an assistant at North Carolina about 100 years ago, it seems like. I got to know him then, then followed his career. We've been great friends when I was at Kansas and at North Carolina. We did a tour of duty for USA Basketball in Argentina one time. I just wanted to come up here and honor him and help him do what he wants to do."

(on if Calhoun appears happy in retirement)

"You never know with Jimmy. I thought it would take a forklift to get him off that bench. I think it's great. He had health concerns, but right now he appears to be great. He still talks a different language. I can't understand most things he says, he can't understand most things that I say, so we're OK."

(on the job Ollie did this past season)

"I recruited Kevin when coaching at Kansas. Kevin really did a nice job. He's gonna be fine."

(on how Calhoun built a program from nothing to national prominence at UConn)

"I can't speak to it. I've been very fortunate. I've coached at Kansas and at North Carolina. When I got to Kansas, we were on probation, when I got to North Carolina, they had had some problems, lost 37 games the two previous years. But ... Jimmy came to Connecticut, people knew where the state was but they didn't know if they played basketball or not. The job he's done at Connecticut -- and he did well at Northeastern, too -- to put this program where it went, to win three national championships ... I can't even fathom what he did."

(on scheduling UConn in the future)

"I've played everybody. We played UConn my first two years at North Carolina, we played UConn while I was at Kansas. I'll schedule anybody and everybody."

*** Ollie remembers being recruited by Williams. He cancelled that a recruiting visit to Kansas back in the early 1990's, however, and took trips to UConn and Arizona instead. Kansas wound up with another pretty good point guard out of L.A.: Jacque Vaughn.

“He’s always been a great friend of mine," Ollie said of Williams. "When I got my first assistant coaching job, he was right there on the recruiting trails, helping me out. He’s always had a special place in my heart. Great coach, and I can learn a lot from him.”

*** Calhoun just had knee replacement surgery six weeks ago. He wanted to play the tournament, but wound up deciding to only hit shots from 150 yards and in, not wanting to put any extra torque on his new right knee. (Calhoun's no longer bow-legged with his right leg; his left still is).

Calhoun noted that it's the respect he gets from opposing coaches that he treasures as much as anything (he also dropped hints that John Thompson, Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski may have some sort of contributions to the Sept. 22 event at Gampel Pavilion that will honor Calhoun).

“I never try to get love from a lot of other coaches, I try to get respect," Calhoun said. "If you can get friendship, that’s great. I have a lot of respect for Roy Williams. I think he’d probably want that from me. You don’t go into this to make friends. You make friends with your players -- eventually -- but you go in to get respect from people that you respect. That’s the most important thing.”

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.

It took a 1,700-mile trip offshore and two overtimes, but UConn managed to maintain its supremacy over in-state rivals on Sunday night.



Barely.

The Huskies survived a terrific upset bid by Quinnipiac, battling back from a 10-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining and holding on for an 89-83, double-overtime victory in the Paradise Jam at the UVI Sports & Fitness Center.


“It was a hard-fought victory,” said UConn coach Kevin Ollie. “My hat’s off to the guys in the locker room, they played hard. We just made plays at the end. It was just a gut-check win for us.”

Conjuring up thoughts of UConn’s classic, six-overtime battle with Syracuse in 2009, and seriously jeopardizing the Huskies’ 26-year dominance over Nutmeg State foes, the game seemed headed Quinnpiac’s way after Garvey Young’s 3-pointer with 4 minutes, 56 seconds left in regulation put the Bobcats up 55-45.

But Ryan Boatright countered with a conventional 3-point play and Napier scored 11 of the Huskies’ final 13 points – including a driving layup to tie the game at 61 with 4.2 seconds remaining.

“The guys gave me the ball, I made a quick move,” Napier said. “I saw the guard was kind of far off, and kind of went to this go-to move I usually go to. I work on that so many times, I was just thankful it went in.”

Napier then came up with a steal near midcourt, but his desperation heave was off the mark.

Quinnipiac’s Dave Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left in the first overtime, and Napier misfired on a long 3-point attempt, sending the game into a second OT. There, Napier kicked things off with a trey and the Huskies never again trailed.

“We just stuck together, kept our composure,” said Napier, a junior guard. “I felt like the guys felt we still had a chance to win the game. Up to that point, we didn’t play as well as we should have. We stepped up our game, and luckily we got some bounces our way and won the game.”

UConn has now won 67 straight games against in-state foes, dating back to a Dec. 29, 1986 loss to Hartford in former coach Jim Calhoun’s first year at the helm. The Huskies are now 16-0 against former Calhoun assistants (Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore was on Calhoun's staff for 13 seasons).

Boatright added 18 points and Omar Calhoun had 17 as the guard trio accounted for 64 UConn points. The Huskies also got a burst of energy in the first half from freshman Phil Nolan, who had six points and five boards in eight minutes of action.

Johnson led five Bobcat players in double figures with 16 points and Young added 15. Ike Azotam inished with 10 points and nine boards before fouling out.

“It’s hard,” said Moore. “My kids are a little devastated, because they feel they were close to beating a team that they have a lot of respect for. In tournaments like this, you don’t get extra points for playing really well against a good team.”

Napier had scored all 16 of his points in the final 10 minutes of action in UConn’s 77-71 win over Wake Forest in its tournament opener on Friday.

“I hate when I do that,” he said of his slow starts the past two nights. “I feel like I take so many shots, mentally I get out of the game. Coaches and players tell me to keep on shooting, keep on getting to the basket. I took it upon myself to trust what they were telling me. I got to the basket numerous times.”

Added Ollie: “He didn’t do it the first half, but he was attacking. Some of the shots were poor shots, and we’ll talk about that, but he was attacking. He put a little too much pressure on himself at first, but he hit some big shots at the end for us. That’s what a leader does.”

UConn hit 39 of 45 free throws, matching the highest total of made free throws in a game in program history, including 23 of its final 24. The smaller Quinnipiac, which plays in the Northeast Conference, outrebounded the Huskies, 44-35.

“Those guys put a lot of pressure on you, and on the referees, because they initiate a lot,” Moore said of Napier and Boatright, who combined to go 23 of 25 from the charity stripe. “They’re very crafty, both of them. They’re very savvy, great IQ, great feel.”

UConn advances to the tournament finals, where it will face New Mexico on Monday at 10 p.m. The Steve Alford-coached Lobos got a last-second 3-pointer from Tony Snell to edge George Mason 70-69 on Sunday.

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

Alford said he’d only seen UConn on TV against Michigan State prior to last night.

“They look athletic, they look big, they’ve got two dynamite guards that obviously really run and control their offense,” Alford said. “We’re going to have to guard their drive, and they’re big inside, as well.”

Quinnipiac faces George Mason Monday at 7:30 p.m.

The last time UConn lost to an in-state foe was Dec. 29, 1986 -- a 49-48 loss to Hartford in Jim Calhoun's ninth game at the helm.

The Huskies haven't lost to an in-state foe since. That's 67-0: 19-0 vs. Fairfield, 13-0 vs. Hartford, 12-0 vs. Yale, 9-0 vs. both CCSU and Quinnipiac and 5-0 vs. Sacred Heart.

UConn is also 15-0 against former Calhoun assistants.

So there's got to be some pressure on the Huskies to avoid an upset by upstart Quinnipiac in the Paradise Jam on Sunday night, right? Wouldn't want to end that impressive streak in Ollie's fourth game at the helm, right?

Meh, not really.

"I wouldn’t necessarily call it pressure," said Ryan Boatright. "We're not gonna take them lightly. We tell each other we’re not going to let them make a name off us.”

Here's what some of the other key figures are saying about the game, which will be televised on the CBS Sports Network Sunday at 9 p.m.:

TOM MOORE:

“It’s a great opportunity for a team like Quinnipiac to be playing a team as storied as UConn, both nationally and in-state. It has huge implications for our alumni and our students and fans. Years and years of living in Connecticut, hearing all about UCOnn, it’s nothing but respect and good feelings towards them.”

“As our program grows, we’ve tried to treat this trip as a chance to sort of grow our national name a little bit. Playing on national TV against a team like that will help that. Now, the task is on us to play well.”


“Their two guards really pressure the ball well. I thought they were terrific (Friday) rolling off screens. Kevin has them working really hard defensively, they have great resilience, and they’re running some really good stuff offensively, too. They looked organized, well-coached, committed.”

“We’re excited to play them. Our guys are really happy and excited to play them. We’re really looking forward to it.”

(on the only other time Moore has faced UConn while at Quinnipiac, an 82-49 loss on Dec. 16, 2007)
“It was a real awkward feeling on my part, just playing Coach Calhoun and all the kids I had recruited and stuff. We both felt more comfortable not continuing the series at that point. Maybe someday in the future it’ll continue, I’m not sure.”

KEVIN OLLIE:

(on Quinnipiac's overtime win over Iona on Friday night)
“They just played hard, stayed within their sets.Their bigs are really relentless on the backboards, Ike (Azotam) came out and had another big game with 10 rebounds, their guards were effective, they had five guys in double figures. It’s a good team we’re facing (Sunday) night.”

“I just want to coach the game, not worrying about who’s on the other side. We’ve got to come out with the identity we’re trying to establish, play hard. I don’t care who’s on the other side.”

“There’s distractions all over the place – contract, this, that. I can’t control that. I can’t control what Quinnpiac is doing in their practice. I can’t control Scott, I can’tcontrol Coach Moore. I know their team is going to be prepared and ready to play. If they’ve got extra motivation, that’s fine. I’ve got motivation for this team to compete and succeed at the highest level. That’s my motivation every day I wake up.”

R.J. EVANS, who was recruited by Moore while at Norwich Free Acadmey and made an unofficial trip to Quinnipiac.

"(Coach Moore) has done a great job with that program. They’ve competed in the NEC the past couple of years, and I definitely respect them as an opponent.”

SCOTT BURRELL:



"It’s exciting. It’ll be fun, especially for our guys. For me, personally, I don’t think it’s any different … it’s a challenge for us as a staff and for our guys. They’re going to try to play against a Big East, high-level team that we don’t play too often.”

(on his friendship with Ollie)

“(It's a) good friendship. We played two years together, play golf together in the summer. We have a good relationship. We’re just going to compete against each other as coaches tomorrow. It’s different.”

(incidentally, Burrell says Ollie is much improved as a golfer and has lowered his handicap from the 20's to about a 9. Burrell, however, says he's around a 4).

IKE AZOTAM, Quinnipiac's star forward, who teamed with Shabazz Napier on the Metro Boston AAU team and remains a good friend with the UConn guard:

"It’s gonna be challenge, but it’s gonna be fun. Coach Moore used to coach there, it’s going to be nice to play them.”

“Shabazz and Boatright are pretty good with the ball in their hands. We’re going to attack them, they’re going to attack us. We’ve just got to play strong.”

“I think our frontcourt can play with them. We’ve just got to be aggressive, make free throws, rebound and defend.”

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!?!?!?).

While Michigan State is a tough way for UConn to kick off the Kevin Ollie Era, it won't get a whole lot easier for the Huskies this winter.

UConn's schedule features seven games against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 (Michigan State, NC State, Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse and Cincinnati twice) as well as three other teams also receiving votes (Marquette, Pittsburgh and Georgetown). Three of the teams (NC State, Louisville and Syracuse) are top-10 picks.

In addition to the rest of UConn's Big East slate, there are are also non-conference bouts with a pair of major-conference foes, Wake Forest (who should be better this season) and Washington (a potential NCAA tourney squad that can shoot). And don't sleep on whomever UConn faces in its second Paradise Jam game, either Iona (led by Momo Jones, one of the best teams in the MAAC) or Quinnipiac (which has visions of an NE-10 title this season). Sheesh, a loss to Tom Moore's Bobcats would be tough on Ollie.

No one said it's going to be easy for Ollie this season. Get the feeling he wouldn't want it any other way.

A couple of other things:

*** Here's a Jim Calhoun retrospective from this month's Connecticut Magazine, with the first part written by yours truly.

*** Also, a reminder that the National Prep Showcase, featuring many of the top prep players and teams in the nation (including several UConn targets), will be held at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven next week, Nov. 16-18.

UConn's first game of the Paradise Jam on Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. against Wake Forest will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.

If UConn wins the game and faces either Quinnipiac (Tom Moore!) or Iona, the game will be at 10 p.m. on Nov. 18 and also be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.

Here's the list of games that will be broadcast:

Nov. 16 at 5:00 PM –University of Illinois at Chicago vs. New Mexico – CBS Sports Network

Nov. 16 at 7:30 PM – UConn vs. Wake Forest – CBS Sports Network

Nov. 18 at 7:00 PM – Winner of Mercer and George Mason vs. Winner of UIC and New Mexico – CBS Sports Network

Nov. 18 at 10:00 PM – Winner of UConn and Wake Forest vs. Winner of Quinnipiac and Iona – CBS Sports Network

Nov. 19 at 8:30 PM – Consolation (3^rd place/5^th place) Game – CBS Sports Network

Nov. 19 at 11:00 PM – Championship Game – CBS Sports Network

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Calhoun is feeling pretty well these days. And why wouldn’t he? Fresh off his third national championship, the UConn men’s basketball coach says he’s as healthy as ever.

“I’ve always worked out,” he pointed out, “but now I’m at a level that I was about 25 years ago.”

One of his favorite modes of exercise is bike riding (“My wife says I’m trying to ride my bike away from age,” said Calhoun, who turned 69 last month), and he’ll be pedaling away on Saturday at the fifth annual Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk in Simsbury.

The event will be held at Simsbury Meadows on Iron Horse Blvd. and feature four different bike rides (10, 25, 50 and 75 miles) as well as a 5K walk/run. All proceeds benefit the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UConn Health Center in Farmington, as well as Coaches vs. Cancer, an American Cancer Society program.

“From my position as head coach at UConn, I can do good things,” Calhoun said. “This is really, really special for us. Being a survivor of cancer, losing my college roommate this past fall and my sister-in-law this past winter, (I realize) cancer strikes all of us. It’s very difficult.”

Organizers are expecting over 1,000 riders and walkers, including Calhoun (who says he’ll do either the 25-mile or 50-mile bike ride), assistant coaches Kevin Ollie and Glen Miller and other former players, including Donny Marshall and, possibly, Ray Allen.

“The only time Ray hasn’t done it is when he’s been in the NBA Playoffs,” said event spokesman Peter Gold.

Obviously, that won’t be a problem for Allen this year.

The 75-mile ride begins at 8 a.m., followed by the 50-mile at 9, the 25-mile at 10 and the 10-mile at 10:30. The 5K walk/run will also being at 10 a.m.

All participants will receive a free gift bag and an invitation to a special UConn men’s basketball closed practice in October.

The event also includes a cookout featuring Price Chopper’s famous “House of Barbecue,” live music from the Timmy Maia Band, hot-air balloon rides, children’s activities and more. Also, the UConn Health Center Department of Dermatology will offer free skin cancer screenings from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

And, all three trophies from UConn’s national championship seasons – 1999, 2004 and 2011 – will be on display.

To register, or for more information, visit www.calhounridewalk.com or call Gold, Orluk & Partners at 860-674-1500.

*** Calhoun will also be an honored guest tonight at the Franciscan Sports Banquet and Silent Auction at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Quinnipiac head coach (and former UConn assistant) Tom Moore will receive the Franciscan Life Center’s St. Francis Award and Ollie will receive the Jim Calhoun Community Service Award.

The event starts with a silent auction, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Items include signed jerseys from C.C. Sabathia and Carl Crawford, a signed baseball from Albert Pujols and autographed pictures of Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle.

Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person (children under 12 $30).

The annual Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk will be held on Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center in Simsbury.

The ride is open to everyone. There will be non-competitive rides of 10, 25, 50 and 75 miles, and a 5K walk/run. The day will culminate with a massive barbeque, hosted by House of Barbeque, and music by the Timmy Maia Band, one of the Mohegan Sun’s house bands. The public is welcome to attend the barbeque, even if you haven’t competed in the ride/walk.

Many of Calhoun’s former players and current and former assistants are expected to participate. Past regulars have included Donny Marshall, Kevin Ollie, Scott Burrell and Ray Allen – though Mr. Allen appears to be otherwise engaged right now.

Also expect Tom Moore and Andre LaFleur to be there. Past regular Patrick Sellers? Don’t think so.

Last year, of course, Calhoun competed in the 50-mile ride. Midway through the race, he fell off his bike and broke several ribs. Calhoun finished the race, but passed out shortly afterwards.

This year, Calhoun has been asked to do the 25-mile race. Of course, that doesn’t mean he won’t opt for the longer distance.

Jim’s wife, Pat, will lead the 5K walk.

Also, don’t forget that Calhoun’s annual alumni all-star game is slated for Saturday, Aug. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. Tickets go on sale the week after next ($29 for lower bowl seats, $22 for upper bowl seats) at the Mohegan Sun box office or at TicketMaster.

If Jim Calhoun is worried that the NCAA will come down hard on UConn, he’s hardly showing it. And it doesn’t appear to be simply a brave face he’s putting on. Calhoun seems to sincerely believe his program will come out of this without any crippling damage.

“I truly believe at the end, when it’s all said and done, the truth will win out,” he said at Tuesday's 25th Franciscan Sports Banquet, held at Southington's Aqua-Turf Club and his first public appearance since Friday‘s press conference. “I don’t go into this with great fear. There was an article written (by Yahoo ! Sports), the NCAA came in, looked at us for 15 months in every aspect of our program and made certain allegations. At the end of the day, I’m not telling you everything is going to be just fine and dandy, but … I think we had one of the better recruiting classes we’ve had in quite some time. People in our program our positive. A few mistakes were made, and we’ll go forward.”

He added: “There is nothing else to do in life, whether you fall off a bike and break a couple of ribs, you’ve got to get back on it. You’ve got to know who you are and what we’ve done. I know who I am, and I know what we have done. Do I know every single intimate detail? Obviously not. But I truly believe I know who I am …”

Numerous celebrities from the sports world were on hand on Tuesday, including Hamden’s George Grande, the former ESPN anchor and longtime baseball play-by-play man who received the Saint Francis Award. ESPN anchor Chris Berman, former UConn assistant and current CCSU head man Howie Dickenman and UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway were there, as well.

Oh, and this was interesting: also in the house was was Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore, the former UConn assistant.

There seems to be no ill will towards Moore, and no visible panic from Calhoun or Hathaway about the program’s future. Rather, Calhoun is upbeat about the future -- some of which has already arrived in Storrs.

Calhoun wouldn't comment on colleague Dave Solomon's report that UConn is set to hire Kevin Ollie as an assistant to replace Patrick Sellers, who recently resigned.

“We’re not discussing any personnel matters. Right now, I think the job was posted. We’ve got to hope over the next 10, 11 days, we’ll have an opportunity to name somebody as an assistant. That’s the first place we’d head. I think we’ll have to look at that director of basketball operations position a little bit different. They have more contact with the university. We have some very experienced and very good people in their own positions right now.”

“It’s procedural right now, and any comment by anybody could hurt the process, because what happens then, someone could feel it was an unfair search. That’s happened before.”

“Right now, no one has been offered the job, no one has been named … I think we’re going to do a good job of replacing Pat, who I love dearly, and then Beau’s position will be replaced second.”

Jim Calhoun was asked today if he will have any voice in who his successor will be once he finally decides to call it a day -- thought to be a sticking point at one time in the negotiations.

"I've got 24 years of sweat-equity in UConn ... The world is changing. As the world continues to change, I would love to be able to bring what we consider to be UConn (people), and keep UConn going as what we know it. That's not going to be my decision.

"Would I like to have something to say? That's not my position, not my place. But certainly I would like something to say (about) who (will be) the next coach here. But I don't have the authority to do that, but I certainly would like to do that."

Hathaway indicated that he would certainly listen to Calhoun's suggestion, calling him "my primary advisor for anything about basketball", and seemed to hint that some of the former UConn assistants (Tom Moore, Steve Pikiell, etc.) would receive strong consideration.

But that's for another day, far in the future.

"I think it's important to note that this contract provides for Jim to be at the University of Connecticut the next nine years," Hathaway said. "I don't think he's going anywhere, and I'm glad for that.

"I think the last thing we should be talking about is the end of the line. In some ways, this is the beginning of a new line, a new round of years."