Twenty-two hours until the UCONN Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams take the court for their introductions to the fans at Gampel Pavilion. If you are heading to Gampel tomorrow night and missed the details for the festivities tomorrow night, you can check it out here. If you are a subscriber to “Husky All-Access” on CSTV.com, you can watch the festivities live without being there. If you’re not a subscriber and can’t be there, the archive on “Husky All-Access” will be free.
Yesterday was media day for the Huskies and also the annual “Husky Run” for the men’s team. Freshman Donnell Beverly showed he’s ready to run this year as he was the first basketball player to finish the 5K.
Jim Calhoun wanted his team to be challenged this year after last year’s debacle and he thinks he’s got a good schedule put together. While the first two games could be relatively easy, there’s the potential to play Memphis, Oklahoma and Kentucky in the semi’s and finals of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. Plus there’s the Hall of Fame Game in Boston against Gonzaga.
If you would like to listen to Geno Auriemma’s comments from media day, click here. (will open up in your media player)
Former UCONN women’s player Ashley Valley got married this past Saturday in Vermont. Maria Conlon is engaged and will be getting married in 2008 to some loser from Newington. Actually, he’s a good guy. The next day a bunch of former Huskies got together to participate in the Connecticut Starz basketball benefit at the University of Hartford. Sue Bird’s team beat Diana Taurasi’s.
All of UCONN’s recruiting class for next season will be on hand for tomorrow night’s First Night festivities. Also on hand will be Chelsey Lee, who has been offered a scholarship for next year.
Kelsey Bone is the top rated junior high school women’s basketball player in the country and she will probably be a part of another recruiting war between UCONN and Tennessee. She said she got goosebumps when Geno Auriemma visited her at her school last month.
After a poor end to last season and a great summer, look for Charde Houston to step up her game in her final season at Storrs.
And something non-basketball related, the UCONN men’s soccer team is ranked #1 in all of the four soccer polls. The last time they held the top spot in the polls was in 2000, the last year they won the title.
