Here's what UConn president Susan Herbst sent out this morning re: Warde Manuel's departure to Michigan:

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

The only downside to hiring fine leaders for key positions at UConn is that their experience and skills are sought after by other institutions across the nation, who also want to hire strong leaders.

When Warde Manuel, our Athletic Director since 2012, told me he was interested in the AD position at the University of Michigan, I was not at all surprised; Michigan is his alma mater where he spent years of his life as a student-athlete, playing football for Bo Schembechler, participating in track and field, and earning his degrees, later becoming assistant and associate AD there.

I was also not surprised when he was recently named to the position; Warde is a terrific AD and any university would be lucky to have him.

While we are sorry to lose him at UConn, we also understand how much the position at Michigan means to him and we wish him all the best.

Warde is expected to begin at Michigan in March. Rachel Rubin, who began her career at UConn as an Associate Athletic Director and is currently Chief of Staff in my office, will serve as interim AD.

We will begin a national search for a permanent successor immediately. I have appointed a committee to lead this search. They will serve in a critically important advisory capacity as we move through the process and I ultimately appoint our next AD. The members of the committee are:

Ø Andrew Bessette (’75) UConn Board of Trustees

Ø Scott Brown, UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology, NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative

Ø Andrea Dennis-LaVigne (’03), UConn Board of Trustees (Committee Chair)

Ø Doug Elliot (’82), President of The Hartford

Ø Thomas Ritter (Law ’77) UConn Board of Trustees

Ø Rachel Rubin (’77), Chief of Staff to the President & Executive Secretary to the Board of Trustees

Ø Nancy Stevens, Head Coach, UConn Field Hockey

I look forward to a thorough and efficient search process.

Please join me in thanking Warde for his outstanding service to UConn and in wishing him all the best.

Sincerely,

Susan Herbst


And here's what AAC commissioner Mike Aresco had to say:

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Warde Manuel on being named the new Director of Athletics at the University of Michigan and to thank and recognize him for the many and significant contributions he has made to the University of Connecticut and to the American Athletic Conference.

Warde has assumed important Conference leadership positions, serving with distinction as our NCAA Council representative and as Chair of our Athletic Directors Finance Committee. I have valued his counsel and friendship, as have his colleagues at our institutions and in the conference office. Warde was instrumental in helping to establish the strong foundation of the American Athletic Conference and has compiled a distinguished record at the University of Connecticut in support of the academic and athletic needs and accomplishments of UConn's student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

Please join me in thanking Warde and wishing him great success as he returns to his alma mater.

Here's a transcript, and some video from the UConn men's and women's teams visit to the White House on Monday:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Everybody, have a seat, have a seat. I’ve just got a few things to say here. Welcome to the White House, first of all.

AUDIENCE: Thank you. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: You’re pleased to be here, aren’t you? (Laughter.) I think we should give it up for the men’s and women’s national college basketball champions, the Connecticut Huskies! (Applause.) Now, I have to say that, as President, one of my goals has been to eliminate waste and cut out duplicative programs to make things a little more efficient, but this might be carrying things a little too far. (Laughter.)

We have, as you might expect, some big Huskies fans here today, including some outstanding members of Congress. I also want to recognize your university president, Susan Herbst -- (applause) -- your athletic director, Warde Manuel, and Larry McHugh, the chairman of your board of trustees. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) And of course, you’ve got a couple of great coaches in what I called when we were meeting back there the grizzled veteran, Geno Auriemma -- (laughter) -- and the new blood, Kevin Ollie, both in the house. (Applause.) I can make that joke now that I’ve got gray hair. (Laughter.)

Only once before, in 2004, has one school won both the men’s and women’s Division I titles. And of course, that was who?

AUDIENCE: UConn.

THE PRESIDENT: It was UConn. This is the women’s 9th national title, more than any other women’s basketball team in history. (Applause.) For the men, it is their fourth title in the last 16 years, which is twice as many as anybody else during that same span of time. (Applause.) Which makes me think, what’s up with you guys? Why aren’t you sharing? It is just a remarkable thing what these two programs have accomplished.

Of course, this season the women went a perfect 40-0, won their games by an average of 34 points -- so there was not a lot of suspense during their season. (Laughter.) In a championship game billed as one of the biggest in women’s basketball history, the Huskies routed the previously unbeaten Notre Dame -- and gave me bragging rights -- it gave me bragging rights to pick them in my bracket. This was not hard. (Laughter.) I mean, me and 95 percent of the country. And this marked the 5th time that UConn has finished a season as undefeated national champion.

Of course, a lot of this success belongs to Coach Geno, who has cemented his place as not only a legend in women’s basketball, but one of the best coaches that we’ve ever seen at any level and any sport, period. (Applause.) So we are grateful to have you. Congratulations. (Applause.)

But I think Coach Auriemma would be the first to tell you that the credit goes to the players. And these were just some outstanding young ladies. You’ve got Breanna Stewart named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player two years in a row. You’ve got Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who overcame injury and illness during the season, and came up big -- as she is prone to do -- during the tournament. You’ve got Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley, who went on to become top-10 picks in the WNBA draft.

And Stefanie, I did not forget that you challenged me to a dance-off last year. It is going to happen. It is going to happen. (Laughter and applause.) Don’t think that I -- don’t think that you’re going to beat me on that. (Laughter.) I also appreciate that you told the world about it after the title game. I have daughters in junior high and high school, and for their sake, I will not be dancing too much while the cameras are around. (Laughter.)



Now, I also have to confess, I did not pick the men to win in my bracket. (Laughter.) Of course, neither did anybody else unless you went to UConn. (Laughter.) Look at these guys, they’re all raising their hand. (Laughter.) Come on now, tell the truth. We were not counting on Shabazz Napier leading the way as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and hitting big shot after big shot and locking down the perimeter defensively. The Huskies also had huge contributions from guys like Ryan Boatright, DeAndre Daniels, and Neils Giffey, who’s not here because he’s playing overseas.

After the tournament wins over Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida, and Kentucky, UConn became the first seven-seed ever to win the title. (Applause.) And afterwards, Coach Ollie said, “Somebody told me we were Cinderellas” and I said, “no, we’re UConn” -- that’s “what we do, bred to cut down nets.” That’s Coach Ollie. He’s always confident and calm and collected. In fact, a sportswriter once referred to him as “our future President.” (Laughter.) I don’t know with a name like “Kevin” whether that’s possible. (Laughter and applause.) But who knows, anything could happen.

Now, Coach Ollie is doing one other important thing -- he’s making sure his team hits the books as hard as they hit the boards. And this season, both the men and the women ranked among the nation’s best academically and that’s worth applauding. (Applause.)

Both teams have also done tremendous work in the community. They’ve raised awareness for cancer and autism. They’ve volunteered at senior centers, spent time with underprivileged youth. Coach Ollie and Coach Auriemma spoke at the Pentagon last month as part of our Hoops for Troops program. And last year, after the tragedy in Newtown, the men put on a clinic for kids at a local rec center -- and they asked the media to keep it under wraps so the kids could just have a good time.

Finally, I want to take a moment to single out the women here, because I could not be more proud of the example that they present for my daughters. They’re showing that just like the boys, girls can be tough, athletic, beautiful, successful, competitive and make fun of me, which is what my daughters do all the time. (Laughter.) So thank you guys for the outstanding example. (Applause.)

Congratulations to your championship Huskies. (Applause.) And this really isn’t goodbye probably, because I suspect I’ll see some of these folks again before I leave office. So let’s strike the podium. We’ll take some good pictures. Come on. And I know we’ve got some jersey presentations here. Where’s my jersey? (Laughter.)

A few quotes from UConn players and coaches:

*** Napier on President Obama:

“He doesn’t present himself as somebody more powerful than you. He’s definitely well-respected. He doesn’t want to ‘wow’ you with how powerful he is. He’s just a well-respected guy, and someone that you respect because of the way he handles himself. I’m definitely honored and humbled, don’t get that wrong, because he is one of the most powerful men, if not the most powerful men in the world. Probably ten years down the line, it’s definitely something I’m gonna look back at.”

*** Ollie on Obama:

“He’s a person that always responds with courage. That’s the kind of things I tell the kids in practices -- being steady in games and responding to adversity. I think President Obama does those things. And his humility -- you see that each and every time he speaks. He’s always thanking others. That’s what we want our kid to understand each and every day they walk on our campus, or when we’re away visiting another team, what they represent. Hopefully, they do understand.”

*** Ollie will be honored at the Franciscan Sports Banquet on Tuesday night in Southington.

“Just being in that place, a feel like I’m a little holier. The grace of God is with me. Just to walk in there and feel the love of all the Franciscan nuns and everybody involved, it’s just a great night and I’m looking forward to it.”

Kevin Ollie was at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford on Tuesday for the Miracle League of Connecticut Golf Classic. Ollie and Jennifer Rizzotti are honorary co-chairs of the event this year, and it would be hard to find a more worthy charity. The Miracle League of Connecticut helps kids with disabilities play in an organized sports environment, with a baseball/softball field at the corner of Trout Brook Drive and Asylum Avenue in West Hartford.



Said Ollie: "It helps physically challenged people to have a chance to go out there and play organized sports. We want a lot of parks that are accessible for people confined to wheelchairs. For them to play a sport -- baseball now -- they do so many other things, I just jumped at the chance to be a part of this. Not only be a part of it, but put my money where my mouth is, also."

"This is a great event. If you've ever been to the park, you see what they do, you see the laughter of the kids, from boys and girls. You see the smiles and you understand what it's really about. It's not about hitting golf balls and this and that, it's about giving a kid a chance at playing organized sports that a lot of folks have said 'No' to."

Obviously, Ollie also talked about the recent five-year, $15 million contract he signed with the university. Here's his pretty funny response to questions about his new contract, and about why it took "so long" to get it done:



Ollie on some other issues:

(on how big a lure the NBA was)

"Not at all. I want to be here at UConn.

(on whether he'll head to the NBA in the future)

"I don't know about the future. The only thing I can do is take care of today. I've got a five-year contract, and I believe I'm going to be here all five years. That's my motto, that's where I want to be at. I want to be here with my family, see my daughter graduate from high school here in Connecticut. Whatever happens is gonna happen. There's gonna be speculation every year. The kids know that I have their best interests in mind and the university knows that I'm going to come out here and (do) as best as I can ... This is a great program, this is where I want to be, where I got my degree at, where I found my wife. There's a lot of great things that have happened to me at the University of Connecticut."

(on his advice to Shabazz Napier)

"Be willing to do something that another man is not willing to do. Every day, whatever that might be. Just get better at something. You've got to be willing to sacrifice and do something that somebody's not willing to do. That's what I wanted to tell him. When you open your mouth, it's an interview. You've got to understand, people are always watching. Work ethic first, professionalism second and humility third. And I think humility is the first out of all of them. He went through a great interview process at the Chicago combines, I think he had his first workout the other day with Phoenix ... The only thing he needs is prayers. 'Bazz is gonna handle everything else. He's a great basketball player, but more than anything else, he's a great leader."

(on avoiding a championship hangover)

"I always talk about hangovers after you have a big game. You've got to keep coming back. You can't get drunk off success. At the end of the day, we've got a lot of hungry guys. Some guys didn't play as much as they wanted to play. They're gonna stay hungry. You just try to motivate and drive guys, and at the end of the day, you want them to have the best chance possible. That's how I can screw it up, not giving every guy opportunity. Now, you can screw it up, if you don't work at the opportunity given. It's a clean slate. If you want to eat, pull up your chair to the table and eat."

(on Amida Brimah's rehab)

"He's doing good. He's growing an Afro, so I guess that's good. His shoulder looks good, he's out of his harness. Of course, he can't do anything physically right now, but we've got the best physical trainer, James Doran. He's gonna have Amida right at the right time, and he's gonna get back on the floor and dominate. I think he's gonna have a great sophomore season. I really believe that."

Also, it's official: the UConn men and women will visit the White House next Monday, June 9.

By now, you're surely aware of the ESPN.com report that the Los Angeles Lakers plan to gauge Kevin Ollie's interest in their head coaching job, now that Mike D'Antoni has resigned. It was inevitable -- and, in fact, something that's been rumored for a while now, before D'Antoni left the position. And it will be something we'll be hearing a lot more of, not just in respect to the Lakers but Oklahoma City, the Knicks, maybe even the Celtics at some point.

As I discussed with Paul Nanos this afternoon on 979 ESPN Radio, I don't think Kevin Ollie's going anywhere. At least not yet. Just as Shabazz Napier said following the championship parade a few weeks ago, and Ollie essentially agreed.

For one, the Lakers aren't exactly an ideal landing spot right now. There's the Kobe Bryant drama, and the prospect that the team could be in a rebuilding phase for the next few years. A more likely scenario might be the Thunder, where Kevin Durant is an unabashed fan. But they have a coach, they're in the playoffs, and if they have any semblance of success in the playoffs, they probably won't fire Scott Brooks.

Plus, remember, Ollie could have taken a job with the Thunder after he retired from playing four years ago. Instead, he decided to come home to become Jim Calhoun's assistant (and, for all intents and purposes, UConn's coach-in-waiting). The man values his family life in Glastonbury, where his son, Jalen, is a senior in high school who'll attend prep school next year and his daughter will be beginning high school in a couple of years. Hard to believe he'd want to leave for the Midwest or West Coast ... yet.

From that perspective, the Knicks or Celtics would make a lot more sense. But seems the Knicks are intent on Steve Kerr, and the Celtics aren't about to give up on Brad Stevens ... yet. Check back in a couple of years on that one.

And don't forget, Ollie has preached loyalty from the time he returned to UConn. He's gone out of his way numerous times praising the players -- Napier, Niels Giffey, Tyler Olander, etc. -- who could have bolted the program after the postseason tourney ban was announced but remained loyal to the program. It's hard to believe Ollie would leave so quickly, no matter what kind of money the NBA could throw his way.

And make no mistake, the NBA can throw a lot more money Ollie's way than Warde Manuel ever could. (Through a spokesman, Manuel has said that there is "no update" on any contract extension talks with Ollie to this point). But remember: Ollie would have about as iron-clad grip on a job as any coach in the country would have in college basketball, what with a national title on his resume after just two seasons on the job. It's hard to imagine a scenario where Ollie would or could lose his job at UConn any time soon.

The shelf life for an NBA coach, on the other hand, is a lot shorter. Go through a couple of losing seasons, particularly in New York or L.A., and they'll be calling for your head. What's a more attractive financial future: making, say, $3 million a year for what could be 15, 20, 25 more years, or making $6-7 million a year with the prospect of getting canned lurking at the end of any disappointing season? Sure, Ollie could become the next Gregg Poppovich or Doc Rivers. But for every Poppovich or Rivers, there are dozens of guys who only last a couple years as head coach.

And let's also remember: if Ollie were to leave UConn now, he'd have to pay about a $2.5 million buyout.

Kevin Ollie may well wind up head coach of the Lakers or Thunder or Knicks or Celtics or who knows who else. I just don't see it happening now. Not yet.

Win a national championship, get the conference tournament in your backyard.

The 2015 American Athletic Conference tournament will be held at the XL Center in Hartford.

“We are pleased to bring our 2015 men’s basketball championship to the city of Hartford and to this outstanding arena,” said AAC commish Mike Aresco. “The success of UConn’s men’s and women’s teams this year has made Connecticut the center of college basketball nationally. This event will enjoy tremendous fan support and our visitors will enjoy the many attractions in Hartford and its surrounding communities.”

Sounds like it's a one-year deal. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the tourney will be held in Orlando in 2016 and 2017. Aresco said an announcement about those years' sites will be made on Tuesday. There will also be announcements on the site of next year's women's tourney, as well as a bowl game, later this week.

Aresco said that moving to Hartford has no bearing on the women's tourney, which was held at Mohegan Sun this season and will likely be held there again next season.

“Today’s announcement puts Hartford back in the basketball tournament business,” said Governor of Connecticut Dannel P. Malloy. “While this is great news for next year, I am even more excited for what this means in the future. I believe we can and should be in consideration for more NCAA tournament events, and I will continue to push to bring those games to our state. I want to thank the American Athletic Conference for making this decision. I also want to send a message to college basketball fans everywhere – come to Hartford next March. You won’t be disappointed.”

“We're honored and proud to have been chosen to host this prestigious event,” said Global Spectrum's Chris Lawrence, General Manager of the XL Center. “Through the commitment and unified approach of Global Spectrum, the Capital Region Development Authority, the city of Hartford and the downtown business community, we're extremely excited and eager to showcase Hartford. Combined with our scheduled summer renovations and an ever-growing events calendar, the American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship will highlight a resurgent XL Center.”

The inaugural AAC tourney was held this past March at FedExForum in Memphis, and the league had a one-year option to remain at FedExForum for 2015. But the league has decided to move to Hartford instead.

Attendance at the inaugural tourney was solid but unspectacular, especially after UConn knocked out the home team in a first-round game. Louisville brought a decent amount of fans from not too far away, but, of course, the Cardinals will be in the ACC next season.

With the conference championships in Hartford, good crowds can be expected -- assuming UConn doesn't get bounced in the first round.

Memphis, which offered Beale Street, blues music, Graceland and several other interesting tourist attractions (not to mention a strong college basketball fan contingency) was a good choice for Year One. Hartford remains to be seen.

Here's what Kevin Ollie and Warde Manuel had to say:

Ollie:

“We are excited and proud that the American Athletic Conference has chosen the XL Center as the site for next season’s men’s championship tournament. It will give more of our great fans in Connecticut a chance to watch the intensity and competitiveness of postseason play. Last year’s tournament in Memphis brought together some of the top teams in the country and I know next year in Hartford will do the same. We want to keep Connecticut in the college basketball spotlight.”

Manuel:

“I am very excited that the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament is coming to Hartford in 2015. I want to congratulate Governor Dannel Malloy and the state of Connecticut, UConn alumnus Andy Bessette and the Connecticut Region Development Authority and Chris Lawrence and the staff at Global Spectrum for submitting an excellent proposal that resulted in the event coming to our capital city. We believe that our loyal UConn fans will once again fill the XL Center for our men’s and women’s basketball games in 2014-15 and that will continue during the 2015 American men’s tournament.”

Some quotes and video from today's parade, where we learned that Kevin Ollie "isn't going anywhere," but DeAndre Daniels, Ryan Boatright could be.

Shabazz Napier talked about his "hungry Huskies" comment and what he really meant by it:

(on appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated)

“Man, that’s surreal. My stepfather had bought a couple of magazines. I just saw it first glance, that’s just so surreal. I can’t believe that.”

(on now getting ready for NBA workouts)

“I knew, going into the tournament, before the first game, I’ve got to be prepared for anything, whether we lose or win. I’ve been preparing myself since then. I played well in the tournament, so it kind of showed how much I was prepared. But I”ve got a lot more to prepare for, a lot more to work on, because that’s a big jump.”

(on LeBron James saying on Twitter that Napier should be the first point guard taken in the 2014 draft):

“I don’t social network. But that is definitely cool. It’s just so surreal to see guys who you look up to shout you out and say stuff like that. I want people to know that, at the end of the day, they’re not picking. I wish they were. But at the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and treat every opportunity I have like an interview, like it is, and hopefully their words can get inside people’s heads. Maybe it’ll work. But I’m gonna work, no matter what.”

(on rumors of Kevin Ollie leaving for the NBA)

“He’s not going anywhere. He loves this university. When you love this university with the passion he has, he’s gonna stay here until they tell him he’s got to leave.”

“I doubt that he will leave. But, at the end of the day, I state what I believe.”

*** Incidentally, if you were wondering whether or not Jim Calhoun was at the parade, he wasn't. Calhoun was vacationing in Hilton Head, S.C.

*** Ryan Boatright said he'll talk to Kevin Ollie on Monday and his family this week regarding his future, and if he wants to turn pro or not.

(Boatright on paying attention to what scouts, critics, etc. say about his game translating to the NBA)

“You do a little bit. You take the good with the bad. Everybody ain’t gonna believe in you or think you’re a pro. So, you’ve just got to take the good with the bad and have firm belief in yourself, firm confidence.”

(on whether the idea of being "The Man" next year would help lead him to decide to return to UConn for his senior season)L

“It ain’t even about being the man. It’s just getting to put on the UConn uniform again, just having another chance to do this again. These type of experiences drive you to want to do it again. This is something special. It felt good to be a part of this.”

*** Ollie said nothing's really changed over the past week after winning a national title.

"I have to walk my dog and pick up the poop, all that stuff. Dogs don’t really care. Nothing’s really changed. It’s just amazing. I know their lives are going to change.”

“It’s great to be the fourth African-American head coach to win a national championship, to be with those names, mention my name with them, it means the world to be. Hopefully, it creates the path for other African-Americans that can get these jobs and perform very, very well.

He said he talked with John Thompson and Nolan Richardson at the Final Four, and plans to reach out to Tubby Smith, as well.

(on if anything would shake him to leave UConn for the NBA):

“No. Nothing will shake me. I love this place. Like anything else, I evaluate it each and every year. I want the conditions right around my student-athletes. You just never know where the NCAA is going in years to come. I want to make sure the university is doing everything possible for our student-athletes to succeed. If I don’t see that, maybe it’s an opportunity for me to leave. But I’m going to evaluate that each and every year, and it’s perfect right now. We’re doing everything it takes for our student-athletes to get their grades and do certain things on the road and have a great experience at this university.”

(on a possible contract re-negotiation with Warde Manuel)

"We’re going to sit down. Whatever it takes, I want to be here at the University of Connecticut. Hopefully, we can come up with a great solution that benefits not only me, but benefits the university going forward.”

(on what he'll tell Boatright and DeAndre Daniels about leaving for the pros)

“I’m just going to give them information that I’ve received from general managers, and then they’re going to have to make their own decisions. I don’t want to make any decisions for them. I want them to be committed, if they’re gonna come back. They’ve got to have the right attitude. If they decide to go to the pros, they’re gonna have to have the right attitude. I’m gonna give them information, and they’re gonna have to make the decision that’s best for their family. Not what’s best for UConn. What’s best for them and their family. And hopefully, they make the right decision and be committed to it. If you decide to go the NBA, you’d better be in the best shape of your life. If you decide to come back to UConn, you’d better be in the best shape of your life. I know they will.”

(It's worth noting that Daniels, one of the most congenial guys on the team, didn't want to talk to the media on Sunday)

Ollie has been out recruiting the past few days and said he hasn't heard anything yet about anyone possibly transferring from the program, but will start meeting individually with players on Monday.

"From what I hear now, they’re working, they’re in the weight room already. When they come to my office, I’m going to be all ears and all heart opened to them. Because they gave me so much. Even the guys that weren’t playing, they were great teammates. Whatever it takes for them to be better – if that’s moving on or if that’s staying at the University of Connecticut – I’m gonna be there for them.”

Kevin Ollie will make $1.25 million this year, per his current contract. His base salary is $400,000, and he earns an extra $850,000 through public relations, consulting and media payments.

That’s about middle of the pack as far as college coaches go. It’s nowhere near Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, who’ll make more than $9.68 million this year. It’s also the lowest among this year’s Final Four coaches: Kentucky’s John Calipari will make over $5.5 million this year, Florida’s Billy Donvan will make $3.9 million and Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan will make $2.28 million.

Still, Ollie will make more than established coaches like Creighton’s Greg McDermott ($945,725), Gonzaga’s Mark Few ($1.18 million) and St. Joe’s Phil Martelli ($902,651). He’ll make less than Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin ($1.5 million) but more than Providence’s Ed Cooley ($783,518).

And consider this: it’s about the same as Steve Masiello was due to make on a five-year contract with USF before it was learned that Masiello lied on his resume. With that in mind, it’s fair to say that Ollie is actually underpaid.

And it seems like AD Warde Manuel intends to do something about it, telling several outlets he intends to sit down with Ollie after the season and likely re-work the current deal. Of course, Ollie has made himself a little extra money over the past few weeks with UConn’s NCAA tourney run.

Per his contract, Ollie receives one-month’s base salary ($33,333) for reaching the tournament, another month’s salary for reaching the Sweet Sixteen and another for advancing to the Final Four. If UConn wins the whole thing, Ollie gets two months’ salary.

He also gets a $10,000 bonus if the team earns an APR of 930 or more (sources say the team will have a perfect 1,000 APR for the 2012-13 season), and possibly $10,000 more if the team reaches a certain GPA standard. So that means Ollie has already made an extra $110,000 this year, and is two wins away from $66,666 more.

Elsewhere:

*** We've got a bunch of UConn special section stories on our website right now. Do check them out.

*** Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua accepted the job as South Florida's new head coach earlier in the week. He met with the media throng on Thursday, and was asked how unfortunate it is for him that USF is in the American Athletic Conference, not the Big East.

"I don't know, because the American Conference is pretty good. I don't know if you noticed but there's a team in the Final Four that plays in that conference. I think it's a great conference. It's not the old Big East, but that conference is no longer together. I just think you've got very competitive teams in the conference, and I'm excited about the challenge to see how we compete in it."

*** Here's the transcript, from ASAP Sports, of some of the questions Ollie, Donovan and Niels Giffey were asked at Thursday's press conference:

Q.  Kevin, did that win over Florida do anything special for your team?  Was that a turning point of any kind? 
COACH OLLIE:  No, we were playing good basketball before that win.  But we have so much respect for the program of Florida and how hard we have to play to get a victory like that.  It really helped going forward playing against a different scheme and playing against a pressure that they apply each and every play.  It really allowed our team to understand what level we have to play and compete to ultimately get to a Final Four. 
They have been on a great roll since that time in Storrs and we respect their program immensely.  For us now, it hasn't done anything.  Coming out with the victory, that's four months ago.  They had a different team.  We're a different team.  They had some players hurt at the time, now they're back in the rotation with Kasey Hill and Chris Walker now. 
So we're going to have to play at a level five.  We're going to have to play with the energy and passion and we're going to have to play together to hopefully continue to play on until Monday. 

Q.  For both coaches, the depth perception out there on the court a little bit different than it is normally in college basketball in the Arena because of its size and configuration.  Did both you guys feel that your players are adjusting to that depth perception problem that that court might give you? 
COACH OLLIE:  Yeah, same.  I really appreciate the NCAA giving us this opportunity.  Back in 2011 down in Houston, we didn't have a 90‑minute practice.  It was the open practice that we're going to have tomorrow and then the shoot‑around.  So this really allows our players to see the ball going in.  We always want to see that.  Just seeing them get used to and relaxed and shooting in a venue like this is a great opportunity for us. 

Q.  Kevin, would you share with us what it's been like to have your mother, with all she's been through, along for the ride with you and now here at the Final Four. 
COACH OLLIE:  Yeah, it was wonderful.  Yesterday she got cleared to fly and that was great news.  I have her back in Connecticut with me, she's been going through chemo with me at home.  And my wife has done a beautiful job taking care of her and being there when I was able to continue to do my job.  Just to see her get cleared, and she can come back home.  She lives in Plano here, and to come back home before her next surgery has just been a wonderful thing. 
It's going to be great to see her.  She wanted to come down to Madison Square Garden, but I was, like, No, save up your energy for the Final Four.
So it's great to have her come down and she's going to come down with my wife today. 

Q.  For both coaches, all four teams have terrific back courts.  Is that a reflection on the old saying that it's a guards' game and is that what it takes to get to this level? 
COACH OLLIE:  That's the word I believe in.  Filling your roles and having your identity and understanding when you get to this point, don't go off script.  Don't try to be something that you haven't been the whole season.  You definitely want to take advantage of different things and different matchups, but at the end of the day, you want to play hard and you want to play for each other. 
Shabazz will be the first person to tell you that he can't do it without his teammates.  He can't do it without Phillip Nolan setting a screen for him to come off a screen and roll and get a wide open look, wide open shot.  He can't get an outlet to start a fast‑break if Amida don't block a shot or get a crucial rebound like he did in the St. Joe's game where we were down by three and he got an and‑one. 
So we rely on the team.  It's not an individual.  But Shabazz is a great player, a great leader, and that's the one thing I see, he's an extension of me.  I asked him to do a lot.  Not only be a facilitator, but score out of necessity when we get down to the thick of the thing, the thick of a moment when he needs to make a play.  He does a great job of that.
But it's all about a team and he'll be the first one to say that.  He's a humble kid.  Ryan Boatright is a humble kid and they know how much they're able to do their job because of the other guys playing their role and doing it at a great place. 

Q.  Billy, what's it like to coach against a shot maker like Shabazz Napier when you know that you can maybe play the greatest defense in the world and he can just negate that sometimes.  Then for Kevin, what's it like to coach a guy like that? 
COACH DONOVAN:  Well, he's obviously a terrific player.  But I think that the other thing, too, you got to realize, and Kevin touched on this, there's two things:  One, they do a good job of their team filling roles.  He's really smart, he knows when to go, when to pass.  I think he understands the length and time of a game.  He's played a lot of minutes over his career.  He's been in big events and big venues. 
But I also think that Kevin really puts him in some very, very unique situations that he can do the things that he does.  Because he can beat you with drives, he can beat you with shots, he can beat you from behind the line, and he can also beat you passing the ball.  I think with the way UCONN runs their offense and the situations Kevin's put them in, it makes it even that much more difficult dealing with him.  Because you can run and just go trap him, but he's going to go find one of those guys, and you're going to leave someone open for a three.  You can try to cover the three and someone's going to be rolling to the basket.
So I think Kevin has done a great job with his team putting all those guys in position to really be successful and play at the level he's been able to play at. 

Q.  Kevin, Ryan was saying the other day that couple weeks ago you guys watched the Florida game again.  I was wondering when that was, what was your reason for showing it and what do you think that your team got out of it going on to this run? 
COACH OLLIE:  I really thought that they got at what level of intensity we got to play at.  It's been written, we showed it after the Louisville game, and they thought I was going to come in and show that tape. 
But I have so much respect for Florida and what they did throughout this whole year and being on this streak and the consistency.  That's what I love.  They play one way and one way, that's it.  They don't play another way.  They play hard, they play together, they are unselfish.  I just wanted our guys to see how we were rotating, how we were playing, how we were challenging them and that they can have that same experience again and play that same type of way. 
Florida's No. 1.  We competed at a high level against them.  Don't think that losing to Louisville that we all are going to stay here.  We're going to move on.  We're going to get better from it.  I think that through struggle, you get progression.  And that was a struggle for us. 
But if you don't stay there and you keep believing in yourself, that this might happen.  Guys believed that and we had the team I wanted to put it in.  It wasn't no big thing.  We just showed a couple plays and we got to work and we got back on the practice court and we let everything happen that was going to happen.  But we were going to build off of it. 
I think everybody was looking at the 33‑point loss as a problem.  We were looking at it as a possibility for us to get better as a team.  I think that's the kind of mindset that we have to overcome different distractions that we have been having, not the Louisville game, for two years now.  Being band, not being able to go to the post‑season last year.  They always had the next play mentality.  I think it's great for a team to always have that mindset that can you get better from any distraction and it's not going to stop you from your destiny as a team. 

Q.  Kevin, twice you've mentioned how in this game Saturday your guys are going to have to perform at level five.  I wondered if you would define level five. 
COACH OLLIE:  It's just a championship mentality.  It's playing together, playing unselfish, playing as five and not just one.  Because sometimes you get to this stage and you want to play as one and you want to go off and be an individual.  But that's not going to work. 
The whole of our team is better than the sums of its parts.  We know that.  The only way that we can get here and perform at the best possible way is for everybody to be focused in on us.  And that's our ultimate goal each and every day is, us.  How can we improve as a team.  Hopefully we can do that Saturday night. 

Q.  A question about DeAndre Daniels for both of you guys.  Billy, what have you seen from him in the past couple games that he really seems to have stepped it up and become an offensive force for them more so than earlier?  Kevin, was there a light that kind of went on with him recently?  He's really stepped it up in the past couple games. 
COACH DONOVAN:  I think that Kevin would probably answer more than I can.  I would say this:  We recruited DeAndre some coming out of high school.  I was always impressed with his length, his offensive ability.  It looked like earlier on, and Kevin can probably talk to more to it, just struggled to find his way.  I think he's probably come to grips with who he is as a player and how he needs to play and how Kevin wants him to play to impact his team. 
But to me, he's really become extremely versatile.  He posts up, he shoots threes, he's putting it on the floor, he can start the break, he passes, he rebounds, he's playing really hard for their team.  I think watching UCONN now and getting prepared for them in December, there's no question he's really continued to progress and grow. 

Q.  For both coaches, with all the talk happening in college football about a possible union that may be developing, I'm wondering as far as basketball is concerned, if you feel like players deserve more benefits than they're already getting. 
COACH DONOVAN:  I think the players do deserve more things.  There are certain things that I think are outdated and don't make sense in a lot of ways.  What those things are, should they be paid?  I don't know what it is.  But there needs to be more done for the student‑athletes, in my opinion. 
They make an incredible investment.  They obviously are generating a lot of dollars on college campuses, and I don't know what the solution is.  I do know that there needs to be a better way to take care of them in a way that maybe would not jeopardize or violate them being considered professionals.  I think there's ways that we can do that. 
The idea that a kid can't get a free hamburger somewhere, it doesn't make any sense to me.  What's the big deal?  How is that hurting anybody.  I get, Well, then it leads to this and this and this.  I get some of those thoughts.  But there's some common sense things I think that we can do to insure that from a normal student activity life they can have money in their pocket and be able to do things. 
COACH OLLIE:  For me, pretty much the same thing.  Just think the game has changed.  This venue has changed.  I remember when I was playing in college when we went to the tournament, we wasn't playing in venues like this.  Everything has changed and evolved and in some way, somehow, the student‑athlete, that dynamic has to evolve and change. 
Like I don't know which way is going to lead, but some way, somehow we're going to all make a sacrifice and get in a room and see how we can make a change for the student‑athlete.  Just like Billy said, not flying the parents up to see a game.  And they allow their kids to come to the University of Connecticut all the way from LosAngeles, California, which I came.  Some things like that has to change.  Hopefully we can do that.  Hopefully we can keep the integrity of the NCAA and the student‑athletes, but everything in life is always evolving.  I think we have to get to a point where it's evolving. 
I love to see the student‑athletes when they graduate have some kind of medical benefits or something out there to give them a leeway until they're able to get a secure job with health benefits.  Just something like that or along those lines I would like to see that happen. 

Q.  Niels, you're one of the few guys you, Shabazz, Tyler, that have actually been to a Final Four.  Does the atmosphere and all that goes into it, does that sort of equalize things?  Is everybody sort of as star struck, whether a senior, freshmen, sophomore, is it kind of hard to manage all that? 
NIELS GIFFEY:  It's kind of tough to manage these first days, just getting in here, taking care of the media.  You have to stay focused on what you got to done the court.  That's the most important thing, I think.  You can't be too impressed with everything that's going on, the gym, the different crowd that's going to be out there and all the attention that's focused on you. 
So just stay with your group as much as you can, stay with your teammates.  That's really what I'm trying to tell my younger guys that haven't been here before, just try to have fun, enjoy this moment as much as you can. 

Q.  For Niels and Scottie, there's so much attention paid on making it to the NBA.  How do you guys value just having a really great college career? 
NIELS GIFFEY:  I think it's interesting to see the different people, like Shabazz stayed for four years and he made that conscious decision to get his degree and wait for the next step for another year.  I think it's just a great opportunity to grow as a person and a player on a different level where it's not all about business, where it's not about money.  It's about family and getting together as a group. 
I think I had my personal experiences with the national team over the summer, and I talked to the guys and they told me all the time of stories, so I was really happy with all of the decisions that I made to play for four years and not go overseas. 
So it's just a great opportunity to build something at a university where you can always go back to.  You will always have that family and that basis.  I think that's why people should consider taking four years, getting their degree, and really making an impact on your university. 

Q.  For Scottie, what makes Shabazz so different and difficult to guard compared to some other point guards that you've guarded this season? 
SCOTTIE WILBEKIN:  I think that's his ability to pull up from anywhere and the quickness that he pulls up and with the efficiency that he makes difficult shots.  That's what makes him hard to guard.  He also has the ability to get in the lane with his quickness and his first step.  So just the different weapons that he has on offense is what makes it hard for him to be guarded. 

Q.  Scottie, wanted to ask you about Napier.  Can you relive the experience of that game.  I know you got hurt, too, and you lost and you watched him hit a winning shot.  How much does it means to you to get another crack at that defensive assignment? 
SCOTTIE WILBEKIN:  Well, I always like guarding guys that are challenging to guard.  But as far as getting another crack at playing them, it's really not about that at all.  I would be happy to play anybody in the Final Four, because I'm just happy to be here with an opportunity to advance. 
So they're a great team, they have obviously played great up until this point, so it's going to be a tough game for both of us.  Hopefully we'll come out with a lot of high energy and ready to play. 

Kevin Ollie can't emphasize enough that it really doesn't matter who starts games, it's who does the most with their minutes and who's in at the end.

He's right, of course. But when a couple of usual starters come off the bench (Phil Nolan for the last two games, Omar Calhoun on Saturday), well, we in the media have to ask ...



Ollie continued:  "His energy is like, out the roof right now. He’s running to screens, he’s calling out blue coverages, which is our pick-and-roll defense. I can hear him from the other side of the court. The ball always finds energy, and I think that’s what he’s bringing, and he’s getting rewarded for it.”

Nolan finished with a career-high 11 points in a season-high 22 minutes. He also went 7-for-7 from the foul line and has hit his last 11 from the stripe.

Calhoun had started every regular-seasaon game of his UConn career (except last year's season finale vs. Providence, which he sat out due to injury) until Saturday. He scored 12 points and grabbed a season-high six rebounds.

Both players have handled their respective situations well.



Calhoun: “It definitely means something. But, I know I’ve been struggling. Coach is working with me. Obviously, you can’t start someone playing the way I’ve been playing. He just wants me to get back after it and things are going to fall into place at the end of the day.”

Calhoun said he had been told by Ollie on Thursday that he wasn't starting.

“He told me he wasn’t going to start me today, but he wanted me to bring that energy, get it going and be aggressive and stuff like that. We had a good talk about it, so everything was fine.”

(on his rebounding)

“I know I can rebound as a big guard. I haven’t really been doing a great job rebounding. He’s always harping about rebounding, so I wanted to make it my effort to rebound more.”

(Calhoun didn't start his first exhibition game last season and the first exhibition game this season. Other than that, he'd started every game in which he'd played at UConn)

“It was definitely tough, but I’m more mature than I was last year. I wasn’t going to argue or anything like that. I obviously knew that I wasn’t playing my best. He told me he was going to have me come off the bench, but I’m still going to play a lot of minutes. He just wanted to see what that does to me, give me fuel and put me in a different position, get my groove going. That definitely helped.”

Nolan and Calhoun's coach and teammates are impressed with the way they've responded.

“I think Omar responded well," said Shabazz Napier. "Phil didn’t start against Washington and he responded well, as well. Today, I was happy to see him scoring, seeing Omar scoring, because Omar was in a little slump.”

“We need Omar and Phil to get to where we want to go.”

Added Niels Giffey (who started over Calhoun on Saturday): "It just shows that they have a great mindset, not being discouraged but actually encouraged in that situation. Just bouncing back is really hard … I think they had to understand that we’ve got to take certain shots, and we’ve got to pass off some of the shots Omar had. We talked about it a lot, which shots he takes. I think he did a great job today of changing up his game, because he’s so versatile. I think he’s doing a good job with that. It’s good to see other guys scoring before we go into the AAC.”

Said Ollie: “Phil was great. He responded the right way. That’s what I like. It wasn’t a benching. He was out of the starting lineup, but he had his career-high tonight. It’s not about who’s starting, it’s about who’s taking care of their minutes. I thought Omar came in and finally got his shot going. He hit two 3’s, played very well, had six rebounds … All in all, it was a great character game for us. Two of the guys who showed great character were Omar and Phil.”

*** The crowd of 9,274 was the largest ever to watch a sporting event at Webster Bank Arena. Granted, the crowd was a bit ... umm .. quiet at times. But it was a good showing, nonetheless.

"I think there were a lot of families in the audience that probably hadn’t ever seen us play before," Ollie noted. "I felt the energy from the crowd, it was just a great family atmosphere. It took them awhile to really start cheering, because we didn’t really give them opportunity. We were playing good defense, then giving up offensive rebounds.”

So, will we do this again next year? Maybe more than once?

“We’ve just got to go back to the drawing board," said Ollie. "To have a great program, you’ve got to schedule the right way and recruit. I’m glad that Warde (Manuel) and Paul McCarthy, Glen Miller, we sat down and scheduled this game. If it comes to it, we have a favorable team we want to bring down here and it works out, we definitely won’t be opposed to it. I can’t speak because I’m not the only person making the decision. I’m part of the decision. But, I wouldn’t think twice if Warde said let’s play another game down in Bridgeport.”

Warde?

“We’re gonna see. I’m very pleased with the fans, the turnout here. It’s been great, great for our team, great for the fans here. We’ll assess it after the women’s game, at some point. We’ll look at whether or not we’ll come back here next year, or how we’ll do it.”

What will Manuel be assessing?

“The fit. Does it fit for our team? How everything went for our teams. I haven’t talked to Kevin, obviously Geno and his team are coming down here in two weeks. We obviously like the fan support and what it brings.”

Multiple games?

“We could, yeah. We could. We haven’t made a decision on whether or not we’re going to play one again. But, we’re very happy with the way the fans have turned out, the support down here. Obviously, it’s one of the things we want to do is get out, we know we have some season-ticket holders down here. They’ve come up to me and told me they’re glad we came down here. They make the trip all the time, either to Gampel, XL Center or Rentschler Field. Obviously, by the sellout, it’s something our fans really appreciate.”

How about a league game? Doesn't look like it.

“I don’t know that. It’s better for us when we’re on break, for our students, to be able to come down here.”

*** UConn director of basketball operations Kevin Freeman wasn't at the game. His wife, Nicole, gave birth to a boy on Friday. He's the Freeman's third child. 

UConn alumni and long-standing donors Denis and Britta Nayden have donated $3 million towards the new UConn basketball center. It's a three-pronged gift: $1 million for the new UConn Basketball Champions Center; $1 million in scholarships for student-athletes and trainers enrolled in the School of Business or the physical therapy or kinesiology programs; and a challenge match of up to $1 million for gifts from former UConn basketball players.

In other words, it's time for some ex-Husky hoopsters to step up and donate some money.

Here's the press release from UConn sent out by UConn:


Denis and Britta Nayden, alumni and long-standing donors to the University of Connecticut, have donated $3 million towards the new UConn Basketball Champions Center and for scholarships for student athletes. A key feature of the gift is a challenge match to all former UConn Husky basketball players who contribute to the new center.

The Nayden gift has three parts — $1 million for the new UConn Basketball Champions Center currently under construction on the Storrs campus, $1 million in scholarships for student athletes and trainers enrolled in the School of Business or the physical therapy or kinesiology programs of the Neag School of Education, and a challenge match of up to $1 million for gifts from former UConn Husky basketball players. UConn has 58 Huskies — 34 men and 24 women— who went on to play in the NBA and the WNBA, among the highest of any program nationally.

“We are proud UConn grads and this is our way to share and give back, which we both believe in,” says Denis Nayden. “Our donation to the basketball center is an investment in a great program. Our challenge grant is meant to encourage participation by former players who fully understand the spirit of competition, and our scholarship gift is designed to support student athletes who share our interest in business, physical therapy or kinesiology. It’s support for a great program and for giving young people a shot at a great education, wrapped up in a big UConn bow.”

The Naydens graduated from UConn in 1976, Denis with a BA from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Britta with a BS from the School of Allied Health, now part of the Neag School of Education. Denis received his MBA from the School of Business in 1977 and went on to a successful career with GE and Oak Hill Capital Management where he currently serves as managing partner. He has been serving on UConn’s Board of Trustees since 2001.

“We are incredibly grateful to alumni and friends like Denis and Britta Nayden for their support,” says UConn President Susan Herbst. “With their help, we are providing a great new home for basketball and student athletes. It helps celebrate the excitement our student athletes bring to the University and ensures they have the support they need to be successful on the court and in the classroom.”

The new 78,000 square foot UConn Basketball Champions Center is under construction and scheduled to be completed this spring. It will feature practice gyms for the men’s and women’s basketball programs, along with locker rooms, coaches’ offices and areas for academic support, video analysis, sports medicine and strength training.

“Success doesn’t happen by accident, and, with this gift, the Naydens are helping us ensure UConn will continue to enjoy athletic and academic excellence for years to come,” say Director of Athletics Warde Manuel. “Talent, dedication and investment are needed for this type of achievement— not only from student-athletes and coaches but also from passionate and caring donors like the Denis and Britta.”

“Friends and donors like the Naydens understand what it takes to be successful,” says Coach Geno Auriemma. “Their gift to the basketball facility helps us provide a setting for student athletes’ practice, training, and studying that promotes excellence.”

The $35 million construction costs of the facility are being funded entirely through private donations. With the Nayden gift, pledges and donations for the project total $27 million.

“Our basketball family, which includes wonderful people like Denis and Britta Nayden, are a large part of our success,” says Coach Kevin Ollie. “The new facility will help provide our student athletes with the support they need to be successful academically and athletically and keep our programs among the national elite.”

The Naydens and their gift supporting UConn basketball will be celebrated at the UConn women’s game tonight and the UConn men’s game on Friday, both at the XL Center.

Gotta like what we've seen from Ryan Boatright thus far this season.

Sure, he's only averaging 12 points per game, after averaging 15.4 a year ago. But he's playing far more in control, within himself, than he did his first two seasons in Storrs. And he's playing a much better all-around game.

Witness Thursday's 72-70 win over BC. Boatright scored just nine points on 2-for-8 shooting, but he pulled down five rebounds, doled out a team-high four assists and had as many blocked shots as Amida Brimah (two), including the biggest of the night, on Lonnie Jackson's last-second 3-pointer that could've won the game for BC.

“I knew there were only 2.2 seconds on the clock," he reported. "I knew when the big dude came in the middle, he held it for at least for a second. I knew as soon as my man got his hands on the ball, he was gonna try to chuck it up. I just tried to contest it and stay away from body contact as much as possible. He tried to sell it. I thought he was going to call it, the way my fouls were going. But, thank God he didn’t call it.”

It's not easy going for a block on a play where you know you can't foul.

“I think with a little more time on the clock, it would’ve been tough to go for the block," Boatright added. "But there were only two seconds on the clock. If two people touch it in two seconds, he has to put it up there right away. He didn’t even think about it, he just caught it and chucked it … I don’t think he thought I could get up that high that quick. I surprised myself, I got up there pretty fast.”

As for Boatright's improved all-around game, here's what Kevin Ollie had to say:

And here's what Boatright had to say:

“I’m just slowing down. I’ve really matured, really watched a lot of film over the summer, trying to become a pure point guard, because that’s what I’m going to have to be at the next level. I’ve learned that getting my teammates the ball early boosts their confidence and makes my job a lot easier. I know I can get to the basket and score when I need to. But having my teammates’ confidence really helps the team and gets everybody going.”

*** So whatta ya say these two teams get together more often?

“I’d love to renew the rivalry, but I’m not the guy who’s going to, per se, make the schedule," said Ollie. "We’ll sit down as a group, me and my coaching staff, my great AD Warde Manuel, and we’ll come up with a great schedule for our fans to come and watch. I’d love to renew it, but that’s not up to me totally.”

Warde?

“I’ve had a lot of great conversations with Brad Bates about different things. We’ve known each other for a long time, he played at Michigan before I did, we were in the MAAC together. We’ve talked since he’s been there. There’s nothing that is going to be in the works at this present time, but we’re leaving the door open. We have great relationships, we have great respect for BC and what they’ve done. The past is behind us, we’re moving forward. It was a great game tonight. I think we’ll be a great rivalry again in the future for our fans, but we’ll see where it goes in the future.”

Even Boatright chimed in: “If they want to consider it a rivalry, it’s always good to have a rivalry. I think having that game or that feel, with that label on it – ‘rivalry’ – will bring a lot of fans out. It’ll make it a great game. Any rivalry is great to me.”

*** Daniel Hamilton and Sam Cassell, Jr. appear to be on board next year for UConn. No word yet on Rakim Lubin.

UConn officially announced today that it will host Eastern Washington on Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. at Bridgeport's Webster Bank Arena. It'll be the first regular-season in-state home game for UConn not in either Storrs or Hartford since Jan. 3, 1987, when it hosted Syracuse at New Haven Coliseum. (The women will also host Temple at the arena on Jan. 11 at noon).

Here's some of what Kevin Ollie and Warde Manuel had to say today at a press conference at the Limerick Pub inside the arena:

OLLIE:

The second-year had coach has some family ties to Bridgeport:



Sadly, Ollie's father-in-law passed away last week.

“But I know his spirit is right here. He loved Bridgeport, he loved the community here. It’s just unfortunate he’s not going to be here to see this game. But I know he’s going to be here.”

“Hopefully, we show you all a great show, and hopefully we go out and win a basketball game, and also win hearts of our fans. Because that’s what we really want to do.”

“Some people can’t drive up to Storrs, they can’t drive up to Hartford. Having it right around the corner from them, they can come in and see the fans, see the spirit and integrate themselves into Husky Pride. That’s what it’s all about.”

(will there be more games in Bridgeport in the future?)

“We’ll take it one step at a time. I’d definitely like to see it grow, but that’s up to our athletic department.”

MANUEL:

“It’s important for us to come down here and connect with our fans, with our donors and alums, and be closer to our fanbase. It’s a win-win for us."

He noted that some 30,000 UConn alumni live in Fairfield County, and that nearly a quarter of all current UConn students hail from the area.

“We know this building will be rocking, will be sold-out.”

(as for future games ...)

“We’re looking to see how this goes. There’s no long-term plan at this point. But I think we’re pleased with the relationship we have developed with them, we’re pleased with the way the arena is and what they’ve done and the efforts they’ve made to make the fan experience great here. We’re looking now, and we’ll see how it goes in the future.”

*** It's worth noting that UConn's current one-year contract with the XL Center calls for 17 games to be played there this season between the men and women. That's typical of most seasons. The two games being played in Bridgeport fall during winter break, so there probably wouldn't be a big student presence at Gampel. And the XL Center was unavailable for both dates. In fact, UConn deputy director of athletics Paul McCarthy noted that the time of year (three days after Christmas) usually lends itself to a good crowd turnout for UConn games outside of Storrs.

*** UConn is set to resume its home-and-home series with Texas for the 2014-15 season. The Huskies would also like to continue to play Florida in future years, and is working on resuming rivalries with former Big East foes like St. John's, Georgetown and Syracuse (though Providence, for now, appears out of the picture).

Sick of the NFL yet? I am. And it doesn't look like college football season's going to hold much interest around these parts -- at least after Saturday.

So what better time to remind you that the men's college basketball season actually gets underway a week from tomorrow. Well, practices, anyway. A new NCAA rule allows teams to practice 30 times in the 42 days leading up to the first day of the men's college hoops season, which this year is Nov. 8. So teams can start practicing on Friday, Sept. 27 -- although UConn may well opt to start the following day.

In fact, the Huskies -- like most teams -- will likely ease their way into the season and not overwork their players in the early goings, so as to ensure they're still fresh by the time March rolls around.

*** UConn basketball starts taking the forefront on Sunday, when Jim Calhoun is honored in the "Heart of a Champion: A Tribute to Jim Calhoun" event at Gampel. Tickets to the event are $125 and proceeds go toward the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the UConn Health Center, as well as the building of the new practice facility. Many former UConn greats are expected to be there, and ticket sales seem to be going pretty well to this point.

The event begins with a reception from 4-5 p.m., followed by the dinner and program from 5-8 p.m. Susan Herbst, Warde Manuel, Calhoun and former players are among those expected to speak at the dinner.

*** UConn's annual Husky Run will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 25, starting at 2:30 p.m. at the East Entrance of Gampel. First Night festivities won't be held until Friday, Oct. 18, per usual (despite the earlier start to practices).

Warde Manuel says UConn is done worrying about getting into a bigger, better conference.

There's no doubt in my mind that The American will be a good basketball conference -- for next season. But once Louisville leaves and the likes of Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina arrive -- meh, not so much. Obviously, UConn will continue to keep its eyes and ears open in case the Big 10 or others come calling. But it may be a while.

Kevin Ollie said he believes he beat Warde Manuel by a stroke in their pro-am round on Wednesday. Here's some of what he had to say about his UConn team:

"We’ve got a great team coming back. Guys are working tremendously hard, doing a great job in first-session, second-session summer school. I feel good about our freshman class. We’ve just got to come back with that same attitude."

(on Ray Allen's huge 3-pointer Tuesday night)

(on how he's handling his first off-season as head coach)

"I'm still trying to figure it out. I learned a lot from Coach (Calhoun). After we won the championship, I was about to book my trip to Tahiti and everything, and he said, ‘Monday, we’ve got a meeting.’ He said this is where you grind and do your grunt work and prepare for next season."

(on next year's schedule)

"We think we’ve got it close to last year, with the scheduling we have, with possibly playing Indiana, possibly playing Washington twice, we have Stanford coming here, playing Maryland, playing Florida. We think we kept it about the same. Then, getting to conference play, we want to play very well. It’s going to be different for us: different hotels, different flights, different states we’re going to. It’s going to be an adjustment."

Ollie said he hasn't heard from Enosch Wolf yet, and that there's no timetable for his decision:

"I wish him the best of luck. We’ll have him come back if he wants to come back. He did everything we can ask for. He did very, very well with his sessions, that he chose to do on his own. I wish him the best of luck, and when he gets back in that predicament, I know he’s going to make a better decision."

He added that the decision to allow Wolf back as a non-scholarship player was "a collaborative effort, coming from Susan, Warde and myself. We worked together on that."

Ollie said Shabazz Napier should be back on the court this week, Tyler Olander is still about a month away and Omar Calhoun is about 1 1/2 months away. Napier will head to the Point Guard Skills Academy camp in Newark and Chris Paul's camp, and DeAndre Daniels is heading to Kevin Durant's camp in Washington, D.C.

"I called KD and told him to take care of him, give him a couple of secrets there," said Ollie, Durant's former teammate.

Helps to have a head coach who's a longtime ex-NBA player and is so well-respected in the league, isn't it?

Kevin Ollie and Warde Manuel were in the same group today at the Travelers Championship celebrity pro-am. The two were in a group along with Jen Rizzotti and pro Jonaz Blixt, teeing off at 7:30 a.m. off the 10th tee. Here's some video:



Manuel jokingly sported Ollie's caddy's bib as Ollie joined him on the tee.

I talked to Manuel for a few minutes on the practice range. Asked him if he was nervous about teeing off in front of a large group of fans.

"They (the fans) should be nervous," Manuel joked.

In truth, he's a 6-handicap whose swing looks pretty good. And with a 7:30 a.m. pro-am tee time, there wasn't much of a gallery at the 10th tee.

Here's what Manuel had to say about some UConn-related items:

(on being named to Mark Emmert's 10-person council of athletic directors)

"I’m honored to be a part of that group. It’s a great group of AD’s and colleagues from around the country, really just to provide Mark with some advice from our perspective, and to be a sounding board for him, to talk to him about some of the things that are important to us and to really help the membership, long-term. That’s the goal. I’m looking forward to it."
 

Manuel said the council was selected by the AD's, not Emmert, and that he doesn't envision drumming up the APR issue with Emmert again.

"We made our arguments ... it is what it is, at this point. They’re good people, Mark's a good person. We agree to disagree on the way it was doled out, and the timing of the rule, the implementation. But it’s water under the bridge."

(on the UConn men's hoops team's latest strong APR scores)

"Very happy. Ecstatic with the results and the effort of the student-athletes and the academic staff. It’s really positive, because the kids on the team had nothing to do with it, but it’s a university issue, and they are really pulling through and doing well in the classroom, and on the field of play."


(on whether UConn will replace George Blaney on the coaching staff)

"Unknown at this point. Kevin and I are talking, and we’ll see how the staff shapes up."

(on Jim Calhoun's present and future with the program)

"He’s coach emeritus. He’s going to be helping us with the fundraising stuff within athletics and the university, and continue to be a great ambassador for UConn. He’s already helping us make inroads into some donors and opening doors and talking to people about supporting UConn athletics, as he always has. It’s great to have him with us. I know I’m happy, Kevin’s happy, that he’s going to be around on a consistent basis."

UConn is postseason-eligible again.

The Huskies notched an APR score of 947 for the 2011-12 academic year, which -- combined with a 978 from the previous year -- is enough to make them eligible for the NCAA tournament once again.

To be eligible for the 2013-14 postseason, teams must have a four-year average of 900 or a two-year average of 930. UConn's four-year mark falls short at 897 (thanks to an 844 from 2008-09 and an abysmal 826 from '09-10), but its two-year score is 963.

For the 2014-15 postseason, teams must earn a 930 four-year or a 940 two-year. UConn should be fine as it will likely have had three straight years of good APR scores, off-setting the 826. As things stand right now, the Huskies stand to possibly lose a retention point for Enosch Wolf, if he doesn't return to the team and elects to go pro, but that's about it.

Here's the press release sent out by UConn:

The University of Connecticut men's basketball team posted an outstanding Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 947, out of a possible 1000, for the 2011-12 academic year, which follows a score of 978 that the team had for 2010-11. The scores were achieved in seasons that the team played in the NCAA tournament in both years, while the 2010-11 squad won the national championship. The Huskies two-year average APR score for 2010-11 and 2011-12 is 962.

"Our men's basketball team again had an outstanding APR score for the second-straight season and I want to congratulate the student-athletes, Coach Calhoun, Coach Ollie and the rest of the coaching staff for that accomplishment," said UConn Director of Athletics Warde Manuel. "I think it is particularly noteworthy that they earned these scores during a time in which they were playing incredibly competitive basketball, particularly in their great run to the national championship in 2011.”

The NCAA announced its latest report of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) for all Division I schools on Tuesday. The multi-year rates include the four academic years from 2008-11 and the single-year scores are for 2011-12.

Twenty of the 24 athletic programs at UConn achieved a score of 970 or better, out of a possible 1000, in the multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) while 16 of 24 had scores over 970 for the 2011-12 academic year. A total of three Husky teams had perfect 1000 multi-year scores while nine had perfect single-year scores.

Among the highlights for UConn in the latest NCAA report were:

* The single-year score of 947 by the men’s basketball team in a season in which UConn played in the NCAA tournament, which followed a single-year score of 978 in which UConn won the NCAA national championship. UConn’s two-year score is 963.
* A multi-year score of 984 for the women's basketball team during a time period in which UConn won two national championships and played in the Final Four all four seasons.

* A multi-year score of 958 for the football team during a time period in which UConn played in bowl games in three seasons. The football team's score is 11 points higher than the average football score for all public institutions.

* A near-perfect multi-year score of 996 for the field hockey team in a period when the Huskies went to the NCAA tournament all four years and the national semifinal in 2011.

* A multi-year score of 985 for the men’s outdoor track and field team during a period when the Huskies won two BIG EAST Championships.

* A multi-year score of 988 for the women’s indoor track and field during a time period when the Huskies won a BIG EAST Championship. 

* A perfect 1000 multi-year score for the men's cross country, women's tennis and men's golf teams and a perfect 1000 single-year score for the men’s cross country, field hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, men’s outdoor track and field and women’s tennis teams.

"I want to congratulate the student-athletes on all 24 of our teams for their outstanding success in the classroom," said Manuel. "The commitment of our Husky student-athletes to excellence in both academics and athletics is a source of pride to our entire University. I want to thank the coaching staffs of all our sports and the staff of the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletics for all their efforts as well.”

Those Husky teams that scored a 970 or higher on the multi-year scores were: baseball (972), women’s basketball (984),  men’s cross country (1000), women’s cross country (985), field hockey (996), golf (1000), men’s ice hockey (981), women’s ice hockey (979), women’s lacrosse (990), women’s rowing (989), women’s soccer (985), softball (989), women’s swimming and diving (986), men’s tennis (993), women’s tennis (1000), men’s indoor track and field (985), women’s indoor track and field (988), women’s outdoor track and field (989), men’s outdoor track and field (985) and volleyball (970).

UConn teams that scored a 970 or higher on the single-year score were: women’s basketball (976), men’s cross country (1000), women’s cross country (1000), field hockey (1000), women’s ice hockey (987), women’s lacrosse (1000), women’s rowing (986), women’s soccer (1000), softball (1000), men’s swimming and diving (978), women’s swimming and diving (975), men’s tennis (1000), women’s tennis (1000), men’s indoor track and field (980), men’s outdoor track and field (1000) and women’s outdoor track and field (989).

Last week, the NCAA announced that three UConn athletic programs were recognized for top academic performance as part of the NCAA's academic reform program. Based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates, the UConn men's golf, women's soccer and women's tennis programs have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards. These awards are given each year to teams scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport with their APRs.