Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

UConn, Dolson make quick work of DePaul [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Notebook: Hustle plays please Auriemma [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Snowball showdown for Huskies [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Great Friends, Great Partners [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Quite The Performance For UConn [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Doug Bruno Says The Weather Wasn’t The Problem [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn’s Goal The Same For Decades [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Auriemma Thrilled With The Attendance At Gampel Sunday [rich elliott – ct post]

Bruno Not Using Same-Day Travel As An Excuse For Loss [rich elliott – ct post]

Academics To Play A Role In Deciding Date For Banks’ Surgery [rich elliott – ct post]

No rush for Brianna Banks' ACL surgery [jim fuller – new haven register]

Geno impressed with fan turnout [jim fuller – new haven register]

DePaul coach not using travel issues as a crutch [jim fuller – new haven register]

Huskies win the game before the game [jim fuller – new haven register]

Dolson, Hartley pace UConn rout [ct post]

Game at a glance: UConn 78, Seton Hall 67 [ct post]

Huskies handle downtime with ease [ct post]

Dolson Leads UConn Women To Rout Of DePaul [hartford courant]

Barely Time For Old Friends Auriemma And Bruno To Get Together [hartford courant]

Huskies storm past DePaul [new haven register]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Kevin Ollie’s Take [dom amore – hartford courant]

Wrapping Things Up From The Rock [dom amore – hartford courant]

Snowball Fights, Wrestling Matches, Alley-Oop Dunks: Fun Times for UConn [david borges – new haven register]

Notes/Quotes from Seton Hall: “Without him, I don’t know where we’d be at” [kevin duffy – ct post]

Post-game breakdown, video: Seton Hall [gavin keefe – the day]

Napier, Boatright and Scott the bus driver [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Digging Out [uconn huskies basketball]

Napier-led UConn trims Seton Hall [ct post]

Napier in mix for Big East player of year [ct post]

UConn Shakes Off Lull, Puts Away Seton Hall [hartford courant]

UConn Men's Notebook: Ride To New Jersey Was An Adventure [hartford courant]

Unstoppable Team, But Conference Realignment Is Worse Than Any Storm [hartford courant]

Huskies make long trip to Seton Hall a winning one [new haven register]

Defense sparks Huskies past Seton Hall [the day]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Catching Up With UConn Baseball [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Harris Notches Two Goals To Lead Men's Hockey Over Bentley, 4-1 [uconnhuskies.com]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

The DePaul Blue Demons had a tough time getting to Storrs, CT on Sunday for their matchup with the UConn Huskies. They didn't get to Gampel Pavilion until just over an hour before tipoff.

And even though they're really good friends, DePaul coach Doug Bruno probably wishes his team just stayed back in Chicago.

The Huskies got out to a quick start and never looked back as they cruised to a 91-44 win over the Blue Demons in front of 8,861 fans and a nationally televised audience on ESPNU.

UConn improves to 22-1 (9-1 Big East) while DePaul falls to 17-7 (6-4).

Stefanie Dolson led the way for the Huskies with 23 points and six assists while pulling down five rebounds. Bria Hartley was the only other Husky in double-digits with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Breanna Stewart added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds while Kiah Stokes had eight points and eight rebounds. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds.

Megan Rogowski led the Blue Demons with 12 points. Jasmine Penny added eight points and a team-high six rebounds, a total she shared with Brittany Hrynko.

The Huskies started out fast with a 15-3 run to start the game. Behind Dolson, they continued to build their lead as they took a 52-27 at the break.

They opened up the half with a 17-4 run to start the second half putting the game way out of reach.

Look folks, DePaul isn't a bad team. They are battling injuries and played without their best player Anna Martin who was sidelined with a knee injury.

The good thing about the blowout for UConn is that it gives the bench an opportunity to get more minutes. This is especially good for players like Moriah Jefferson, Stokes and Morgan Tuck who will be counted on as the season winds down.

The Huskies won't have much downtime as they head across state lines on Tuesday night for a matchup with the Providence Friars. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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DePaul Blue Demons @ UConn Huskies 2.10.13

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.

Here are UConn's postgame notes.

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photo credit: cloe poisson – hartford courant (no. 15 in gallery)

In the past two games, the UConn Huskies men's basketball team has gotten off to slow starts. Despite a slow long trip to Newark, NJ due to the blizzard, the Huskies got off to a better start in this one.

But they almost blew it against the Seton Hall Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

After blowing a 13 point lead in the first half, a strong second half surge propelled  UConn to a 78-67 win over the Pirates in front of 7,634 at the Prudential Center.

The Huskies improve to 16-6 (6-4 Big East) while the Pirates fall to 13-11 (2-9).

Shabazz Napier led the Huskies with 22 points, nine assists and six steals. Ryan Boatright added 20 points, a team-high five rebounds (shared with Omar Calhoun) and four steals while Calhoun had 10 points and five rebounds.

Aaron Cosby led all scorers in the game with 25 points for the Hall. Fuquan Edwin chipped in with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals.

Kevin Johnson led the Pirates with six rebounds to go along with his nine points.

With the Huskies enjoying a 15-10 lead in the first half, they went on a 10-2 run to open up a 13 point lead. But Seton Hall responded with a 16-0 run and just like that UConn found themselves down three points.

The Pirates wouldn't relinquish the lead in the half as they went into the locker room up one at 35-34.

Napier would get the first basket of the half to put UConn back up front but Seton Hall responded with an 8-0 run to retake the lead. Not to be outdone, the Huskies battled back with a 6-0 run to cut it to one.

The Hall pushed lead up to four before UCon began to rally tying the game at 46 on a Niels Giffey old fashioned three point lead that was the start of a 6-0 run. Seton Hall would get no closer three points the rest of the way.

Much better start to the game for the Huskies than what we've seen recently. The problem is they need to maintain that kind of effort for 20 minutes in the first half just like they maintained it for 20 minutes in the second half. I'm sure head coach Kevin Ollie will make sure that happens.

This was a game they should have won considering Seton Hall's record. But going along, UConn can make some noise in the Big East and possibly affect other team's seedings for the Big East Tournament.

UConn is back in action on Wednesday night when they'll host the Syracuse Orange at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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UConn Huskies @ Seton Hall Pirates 2.10.13 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie. Here is the postgame press conference video of Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard.

photo credit: jim o'conner – usa today sports (no. 18 in gallery)

Here's the release from the Red Sox announcing the non-roster invitees to spring training this year:

The Boston Red Sox today announced that 19 players will attend the team's Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

Pedro Beato, RHP – Beato, 26, made four relief appearances with Boston after being acquired from the New York Mets on August 16, going 1-0 with a 4.70 ERA (4 ER/7.2 IP) in those games.  He also pitched in seven contests for Triple-A Pawtucket, including three during the International League postseason. For his major league career, Beato is 3-1 with a 4.67 ERA in 71 games between the Mets (2011-12) and Red Sox (2012).  He was originally a supplemental-round pick (32^nd overall) of the Baltimore Orioles in the 2006 June draft.

Xander Bogaerts, INF – Bogaerts, 20, enters 2013 as Boston's No. 1 prospect according to Baseball America.  He was named Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 after hitting .307 with 37 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 81 RBI, and 44 walks in 127 games between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, including a .326 average in 23 games for the Sea Dogs as the Eastern League's youngest position player all year. A native of Aruba, Bogaerts signed with Boston as an international free agent in August of 2009.

Jackie Bradley, OF – The 22-year-old Bradley hit .315 with 42 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, and 63 RBI in 128 games between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland last season.  He topped the Red Sox system in runs (90), walks (87), and on-base percentage (.430) while finishing second in batting average.  Bradley, the Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year, was ranked by Baseball America as the second-best prospect in the Red Sox system. He was a supplemental first-round selection (40^th overall) by Boston in the 2011 June Draft.

Chris Carpenter, RHP – Carpenter, 27, opened the 2012 season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow on March 29.  Before joining the Red Sox as a September call-up, he posted a combined 2.08 ERA in 21 appearances between the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, Greenville, Portland, and Pawtucket. With Pawtucket alone, Carpenter had a 1.15 ERA with four saves in four chances in 16 games. Carpenter was originally selected by the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the 2008 June Draft.

Anthony Carter, RHP – Last season, the 26-year-old Carter posted a 4-6 record with a 4.60 ERA in 39 appearances (one start) for Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox organization.  In his 38 relief appearances for Charlotte in 2012, he posted a 3.58 ERA. Originally a 26^th-round selection of the White Sox in the 2005 June Draft, Carter went 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA and converted all seven of his save chances in 17 games for Indios de Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

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Jose De La Torre, RHP – Acquired by the Red Sox in a July 24 trade with Cleveland, De La Torre, 27, went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 12 appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket last season.  Overall in 2012, he combined to go 9-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 46 appearances (one start) for Double-A Akron, Triple-A Columbus, and Pawtucket. De La Torre, who is on the 2013 provisional roster for Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic, was originally signed by the Mets as an international free agent in 2006.     

Jonathan Diaz, INF – Last season, Diaz, 27, combined to hit .221 with 13 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 40 RBI in 134 games between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Las Vegas in the Blue Jays minor league system.  Although he primarily appeared at shortstop, he also played second base and third base, and between both clubs and all three positions, he committed only 12 errors in 754 total chances. Diaz was originally a 12^th-round selection of the Blue Jays in the 2006 June Draft.

Terry Doyle, RHP – A Boston College graduate and native of Salem, New Hampshire, Doyle, 27, was in both the Twins and White Sox organizations last year. Selected by the Twins in the 2011 Rule 5 Draft, he was returned to the White Sox in late March and pitched for Triple-A Charlotte where in 12 games (11 starts), he went 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA. In mid-June, Doyle was released by the White Sox in order to pursue an opportunity to pitch in Japan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks where he went 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA in three games.  Doyle was originally a 37^th-round selection of the White Sox in the 2007 June Draft.   

Mark Hamilton, INF/OF – Hamilton, 28, spent last year with Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization where he hit .231 with 12 doubles, 15 home runs, 51 RBI, and a career-best 51 walks in 90 games.  Defensively in 2012, he appeared in 51 games (50 starts) in left field and in 14 games (12 starts) at first base.  Originally a supplemental second-round selection by St. Louis in the 2006 June Draft, Hamilton has appeared in 47 career major league games for the Cardinals between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. 

Jeremy Hazelbaker, OF – In 121 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season, the 25-year-old Hazelbaker combined to hit .273 with 24 doubles, six triples, a career-high 19 home runs and 67 RBI, also a career high.  He scored 79 runs between both clubs and stole 36 bases, which included 33 for Portland, the second-most in the Eastern League. Among all Red Sox minor leaguers in 2012, Hazelbaker, a fourth-round selection by Boston in the 2008 June Draft, ranked second in steals and tied for fourth in homers. 

Justin Henry, INF – In 2012, the 27-year-old Henry played for Triple-A Toledo in the Tigers organization and hit .300 with 14 doubles, five triples, one home run and 38 RBI in 131 games. Among all International League players, he ranked third in hits, sixth in on-base percentage (.372) and seventh in average. Originally a ninth-round selection of the Tigers in the 2007 June Draft, Henry was acquired by Boston via trade during the 2012 Rule 5 Draft.

Chris Hernandez, LHP – Hernandez, 24, pitched for both Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket in 2012 and combined to go 5-12 with a 3.26 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 26 games (25 starts).  For the second straight year, his ERA ranked second lowest among all Red Sox full-season minor leaguers (3.18 ERA in 2011). Selected to the Eastern League's mid-season All-Star team in 2012, Hernandez was the Red Sox' seventh-round selection in the 2010 June Draft.

Juan Carlos Linares, OF – Linares, 28, combined to hit .316 with 28 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 110 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season. With runners in scoring position, he batted .314 (32-for-102) between both teams. Defensively, Linares appeared in all three outfield positions, spending the majority of his games in right field.  A non-roster invitee to Red Sox major league spring training in 2012, Linares was originally signed by Boston as an international free agent in July of 2010.

Mitch Maier, OF – Maier, 30, split the 2012 season between Triple-A Omaha and the Kansas City Royals. A veteran of six major league seasons, all with Kansas City (2006, 2008-12), Maier appeared in 32 games for the Royals last season and hit .172 with two home runs and seven RBI.  In 38 games for Omaha, he hit .288 with four doubles, one triple and four home runs with 17 RBI. Maier, who has appeared in 360 career major league games, was Kansas City's first-round selection (30^th overall) in the 2003 June Draft.

Deven Marrero, INF – The Red Sox' first-round selection (24^th overall) in the 2012 June Draft, Marrero, 22, made his professional debut last season for Single-A Lowell. In 64 games, he batted .268 with 14 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 24 RBI while leading his club in steals (24), runs scored (45), walks (34) and extra-base hits (19). Marrero enters the 2013 season, his first full professional season, ranked the No. 10 prospect in the Red Sox minor league system.

Lyle Overbay, INF – Overbay, 36, split the 2012 season between the Diamondbacks and Braves, for whom he combined to hit .259 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in 65 games.  Over his career, the veteran of 12 major league seasons for Arizona (2001-03, 2011-12), Milwaukee (2004-05), Toronto (2006-10), Pittsburgh (2011) and Atlanta (2012), has hit .270 with 318 doubles, 133 home runs and 581 RBI in 1,324 games. Overbay was originally an 18th-round selection of the Diamondbacks in the 1999 June Draft. 

Drew Sutton, INF – The 2013 season marks the second stint for Sutton, 29, in the Red Sox organization as he was also a non-roster invitee to major league camp in 2011. In 2012, he was a part of the Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay organizations and saw major league action with the Pirates and Rays.  In his 42 games between both of those clubs, he hit .254 with 12 doubles, one triple, one home run and 13 RBI.  For his big league career, Sutton, a 15^th-round selection of the Astros in the 2004 June Draft, has hit .256 with 24 doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 37 RBI in 128 games for the Reds (2009-10), Indians (2010), Red Sox (2011), Rays (2012), and Pirates (2012).    

Ryan Sweeney, OF – Three separate trips to the disabled list limited the 27-year-old Sweeney to just 63 games for the Red Sox last season in which he batted .260 with 19 doubles, two triples and 16 RBI. Originally a second-round selection of the White Sox in the 2003 June Draft, Sweeney has hit .280 with 102 doubles, 12 triples and 14 RBI in 535 major league games for the White Sox (2006-07), Athletics (2008-11) and Red Sox (2012). He was acquired by Boston along with right-hander Andrew Bailey via trade from Oakland in December of 2011.

Oscar Villarreal, LHP – Last season, Villarreal, 31, went 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 37 games (two starts) for Triple-A Norfolk in the Orioles minor league system. Following the regular season, he pitched in the Mexican Pacific League and also appeared for Mexico in the 2013 Caribbean Series.  A veteran of six major league seasons for Arizona (2003-05), Atlanta (2006-07) and Houston (2008), Villarreal was originally signed by the Diamondbacks as an international free agent in November of 1998.

Eight of the 19 invitees have major league experience, including Beato, Carpenter, Hamilton, Maier, Overbay, Sutton, Sweeney and Villarreal.  Beato, Carpenter and Sweeney all saw action for the Red Sox in 2012.

Pitchers and catchers will participate in their first on-field workout at the Fenway South Player Development Complex in Lee County on Tuesday, February 12.  The first full squad workout of the Red Sox spring training camp is on Friday, February 15.

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Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

Hartley plans to keep positive approach [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

UConn Braving The Storm – Like Everyone Else [john altavilla – hartford courant]

No Date Set (Yet) For Banks’ Surgery [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Rehab Underway For Banks; No Surgery Date Set [rich elliott – ct post]

Huskies Slightly Change Practice Schedule Due To Nemo [rich elliott – ct post]

Tuck Back At Practice, Expected To Play Sunday Vs. DePaul [rich elliott – ct post]

Huskies Opened The Offense Vs. Marquette — Big Time [rich elliott – ct post]

No date for Brianna Banks' surgery; Morgan Tuck practicing [jim fuller – new haven register]

Women's Hoops Welcomes DePaul to Gampel on Sunday [uconnhuskies.com]

Coach Says Weather Never Stopped UConn Women [uconnhuskies.com]

Who’s on UConn’s all-time greatest team? [snyuconn.com]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Kevin Ollie: Huskies Need To Attack With More Confidence Vs. Seton Hall [dom amore – hartford courant]

Andre Drummond Injured; Huskies Look to Bounce Back vs. Seton Hall [david borges – new haven register]

Notes/Quotes from Feb. 8: “What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working. That’s up to me to try to change that.” [kevin duffy – ct post]

Report: Drummond out at least a month [kevin duffy – ct post]

Huskies hunkered down [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Men's Basketball Heads To Seton Hall For Sunday Matinee [uconnhuskies.com]

Kevin Ollie Continues To Stress 'Mind-Set Change' With Seton Hall Next [hartford courant]

Vandal's living out his dream [the day]

UConn Football links

UConn’s 2013 Recruiting Class: What They’re Saying [desmond conner – hartford courant]

DC answered a question in his mailbag [desmond conner – hartford courant]

UConn Coach Pasqualoni On New Assistants On Recruiting Trail: “Gave Us Energy Coming Down The Stretch” [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Update on UConn commit Jamar Summers [jim fuller – new haven register]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. UConn Baseball Building Toward Return Trip to NCAAs [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Track. BIG EAST Championship Up Next for Men's Track & Field [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Bruce Marshall At Peace With Decision To Step Away From UConn Hockey [hartford courant]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Just like his adversary over at ESPN Insider, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has ranked his top 100 MLB Prospects for 2013. In there, he has included three former members of the UConn Huskies Baseball team.

They are Mike Olt of the Texas Rangers (No. 21), Matt Barnes of the Boston Red Sox (No. 38) and George Springer of the Houston Astros (No. 57).

Here's what he has to say about Olt who comes in as the No. 2 prospect in the Rangers organization:

Scouting Grades (present/future): Hit: 4/5 | Power: 5/6 | Run: 3/3 | Arm: 6/6 | Field: 5/5 | Overall: 5/6

There are those who feel Olt is ready to play every day at third base in the big leagues, and could do so for a number of teams. The issue for Olt is that the Rangers aren't one of them, with Adrian Beltre standing in his way at the hot corner. When he was up briefly in 2012, he played some first base and some corner outfield, but that's not a condemnation of his skills at third. His hands, range and arm, the last of which being his best defensive tool, all play very well at that position, leaving little doubt about his ability to stay there long-term. Olt may not hit for a really high average, and fans should be prepared for a good amount of strikeouts, but he'll also draw a ton of walks and is a better all-around hitter than many anticipated. The power is legit, too, and it's not a projection. Olt's ready to hit the ball out to any field at any time. All he needs is a regular opportunity to do so.

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Here's what he has to say about Barnes who comes in as the No. 3 prospect for the Red Sox:

Scouting Grades* (present/future): Fastball: 6/7 | Curveball: 5/6 | Changeup: 4/5 | Control: 5/6 | Overall: 5/6

This University of Connecticut product had a solid first full season of pro ball in 2012, including a visit to the Futures Game, though he clearly ran out of gas and struggled a bit in the second half of the season. Barnes has everything a team is looking for in a future frontline starter: arm strength, good overall stuff and even a feel for pitching. He isn’t afraid to go right after hitters or go inside, especially with his plus fastball that touches 96 mph. His tight downer curve has the chance to be an out pitch as well and while his changeup is clearly his third pitch, it’s improving and should be an average offering in the future. With good overall command, it shouldn’t take him too long to be ready for Boston.

Here's what he has to say about Springer who comes in as the No. 2 prospect in the Astros organization:

Scouting Grades* (present/future): Hit: 4/5 | Power: 5/6 | Run: 6/6 | Arm: 6/6 | Field: 5/6 | Overall: 5/6

Power and speed. It’s a combination always in high demand in a player, but often difficult to find. But there’s no question Springer has plenty of both, and not the raw kind of tools that never show up. His outstanding bat speed allows the University of Connecticut product to drive the ball to all fields, with plenty of power to leave the yard regularly. While he does tend to strike out a good amount, most feel he’ll hit enough to tap into that power and hit for a little average. His speed is legit and he should continue to be a threat on the basepaths and a well above-average defensive center fielder, though he has the arm for right field should that be the spot the Astros need him to play. He gets very high marks for his makeup and energy. Springer went 20-20 in his first full season of pro ball and there’s no reason to think that won’t be a regular occurrence for him in the future.

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