Author Archives: ianbethune

Video: UConn Men Pound DePaul, 99-78

Coming off the disappointing loss against Marquette a week ago, you knew after a week of practice, the UConn Huskies men's basketball team was going to come out and give everything they had.

They did that and more as it was a complete team effort in a 99-78 rout of the DePaul Blue Demons in front of 9,156 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT on Tuesday night.

The Huskies improve to 11-4 and pick up Kevin Ollie's first career Big East win (1-1). DePaul falls to 10-6 (1-2).

University of Connecticut Huskies forward DeAndre Daniels #2, scores two of his career high 26 points during the second periodAfter being benched in the loss to Marquette for his lack of rebounding effort, DeAndre Daniels bounced back strong. He finished with a career-high 26 points to go along with a team-high tying eight rebounds.

Ryan Boatright added 16 points while Shabazz Napier had a fine all-around game with 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four assists. Even Tyler Olander got into the action with 10 points and five rebounds. Enosch Wolf had a nice game off the bench with eight points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

Brandon Young led all scorers in the game with 35 points and had five assists. One time UConn commit, Cleveland Melvin added 18 points, five rebounds and five blocked shots.

This was by far the best game UConn played all season long.

They dominated the glass outrebounding the Blue Demons 49-29. And every time DePaul tried to get back into it in the second half, UConn responded.

This is the type of effort we expected from the Ollie coached team. We've seen it at times this season but not for 40 minutes like Tuesday night.

They'll need to continue this going forward as the competition in the Big East will get tougher. And that will start on Saturday afternoon when they travel to South Bend, IN for a matchup with the No. 17/16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.

To continue reading, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

DePaul Blue Demons @ UConn Huskies 1.8.13 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie.

Here are UConn's postgame notes.

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photo credit: richard messina – hartford courant (no. 11 in gallery)

Andrew Yogan Re-joins Whale from Greenville

HARTFORD, January 8, 2013:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that forward Andrew Yogan has been reassigned back to the Whale from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Connecticut WhalePrior to being assigned to Greenville November 29, Yogan skated in 11 games for the Whale, scoring one goal and serving 11 minutes in penalties.  In 15 games with the Road Warriors, the 2010 fourth-round (100th overall) New York Ranger draft pick scored nine goals and added three assists for 12 points, to go along with 14 penalty minutes and a +5 rating.

A 6-3, 203-pound native of Coral Springs, FL, the 21-year-old Yogan spent five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, with Windsor, Erie and Peterborough, prior to turning pro this year.

The Whale’s next action is this Saturday night, January 12, when they play the first of back-to-back games in Hershey against the Bears.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM at the Giant Center, and all of the action can be heard live on “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM.  Fans can also listen on-line at www.ctwhale.com, and video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com).  The next home game for the Whale is Wednesday, January 23, a 7:00 battle with the Adirondack Phantoms.

Whale tickets start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball Rankings – Week 10 (Jan. 8)

AP & USA Today Coaches Polls

After enjoying a week at No. 1, the UConn Huskies women's basketball team has fallen to No. 3 in the AP Poll and No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches Poll after their loss on Saturday in the latest rankings.

The Baylor Lady Bears return to the top of both polls and are followed by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, UConn, Duke Blue Devils and Stanford Cardinal in the AP Poll. In the Coaches Poll, the Lady Bears are followed by UConn, Notre Dame, Stanford and Duke.

Joining the Irish and Huskies in the top 25 from the Big East are the Louisville Cardinals (15/13).

The Syracuse Orange, DePaul Blue Demons and Villanova Wildcats are among the others receiving votes in both polls. The South Florida Bulls and St. John's Red Storm are among the others receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.

For a full look at the 2013 NCAA Women's Basketball Rankings – Week 10 (Jan. 8), please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

AP Top 25 USA Today Coaches Poll
RK TEAM REC PTS PVS RK TEAM REC PTS PVS
1 Baylor (32) 12-1 984 2 1 Baylor (21) 12-1 758 2
2 Notre Dame (2) 12-1 945 5 2 Connecticut (4) 12-1 724 1
3 Connecticut (2) 12-1 907 1 3 Notre Dame (4) 12-1 700 5
4 Duke (4) 13-0 903 3 4 Stanford 13-1 683 3
5 Stanford 13-1 860 4 5 Duke (2) 13-0 678 4
6 Kentucky 14-1 791 6 6 Kentucky 14-1 620 6
7 California 12-1 747 7 7 California 12-1 589 7
8 Penn State 12-2 706 9 8 Penn State 12-2 550 9
9 Tennessee 11-3 667 12 9 Tennessee 11-3 511 13
10 Maryland 11-3 596 8 10 Maryland 11-3 462 8
11 North Carolina 15-1 581 15 11 Purdue 13-2 459 14
12 Purdue 13-2 537 14 12 Georgia 13-2 405 11
13 Georgia 13-2 506 10 13 Louisville 12-3 367 10
14 UCLA 11-2 451 16 14 Oklahoma 12-2 353 16
15 Louisville 12-3 411 11 15 UCLA 11-2 323 17
16 Oklahoma 12-2 388 17 16 South Carolina 13-2 273 15
17 Kansas 11-2 264 21 17 Dayton 12-1 241 18
18 Florida State 12-2 255 19 18 Oklahoma State 11-2 224 12
18 South Carolina 13-2 255 18 19 Kansas 11-2 222 20
20 Texas A&M 12-4 241 24 20 North Carolina 15-1 218 23
21 Oklahoma State 11-2 229 13 21 Texas A&M 12-4 167 22
22 Dayton 12-1 225 22 22 Florida State 12-2 140 21
23 Colorado 11-2 121 20 23 Nebraska 11-4 133 19
24 Miami (FL) 12-2 115 NR 24 Iowa State 11-1 88 NR
25 Iowa State 11-1 91 NR 25 Miami (FL) 12-2 48 NR
Dropped from rankings: Dropped from rankings:
Arkansas 23, Nebraska 25 Ohio State 24, Colorado 25
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes:
Nebraska 74, Vanderbilt 59, Michigan 25, Syracuse 22, Arkansas 14, DePaul 7, Michigan State 7, UTEP 6, Illinois 4, Villanova 3, Texas Tech 2, Wyoming 1 Syracuse 44, Colorado 28, Vanderbilt 25, DePaul 17, Toledo 10, South Florida 5, UTEP 3, Michigan 2, Villanova 2, Ohio State 1, Iowa 1, St. John's 1

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

2012 Blogpoll Top 25 – Final Ballot

As many of you know, I am one of the voters in the BlogPoll Top 25. Each week, bloggers across the country representing the various FBS schools get together and put together their own top 25's.

Here at SOX & Dawgs, we are representing the UConn Huskies.

You can check out the ballot I submitted earlier today by clicking on the continue button below if you're on the homepage.


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

11 Players Participating in 2013 Red Sox Rookie Development Program

The Boston Red Sox rookie development program kicked off on Monday in Boston.

Here's the release from the Red Sox:

BOSTON, MA– The Red Sox 2013 Rookie Program, including 11 of the club’s top prospects, starts today at Fenway Park.  The week-long program focuses on easing their transition into becoming Major League players with the Red Sox.

Boston Red SoxNine of the participants were in the organization for all or part of 2012: pitchers Drake Britton, Allen Webster, and Steven Wright; catchers Dan Butler and Christian Vazquez; infielder Xander Bogaerts; and outfielders Jackie Bradley, Bryce Brentz, and Alex Hassan.  Also taking part will be pitcher Rubby De La Rosa and infielder Brock Holt, who were both acquired by the club after the season.

The program includes two workouts daily that emphasize conditioning and strength training as well as concentration on fundamentals. In addition, the players are attending a number of seminars that will focus on the assimilation into Major League life off the field.

A number of individuals will speak to the group, including Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Sam Kennedy, Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington, manager John Farrell, special assistant to the General Manager Jason Varitek, Major League coaches Greg Colbrunn and Juan Nieves, strength & conditioning consultant Mike Boyle, mental skills coordinator Bob Tewksbury, and Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.

A number of individuals will speak to the group, including Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Sam Kennedy, Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington, manager John Farrell, special assistant to the General Manager Jason Varitek, Major League coaches Greg Colbrunn and Juan Nieves, strength & conditioning consultant Mike Boyle, mental skills coordinator Bob Tewksbury, and Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.

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

2012 NCAA Football Rankings – Postseason

AP and USA Today Coaches Polls

Fresh off their resounding win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Discover BCS National Championship game on Monday night, the Alabama Crimson Tide finish the college football season as the No. 1 team in the land.

They are followed by the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, Notre Dame and Georgia in the AP Poll. In the USA Today Coaches Poll, they are followed by Oregon, Notre Dame, Georgia and the Texas A&M Aggies.

The Louisville Cardinals are the only team from the Big East to finish in the top 25 of both polls (13/13). The Cincinnati Bearcats are among the others receiving votes in the AP Poll but finished No. 22 in the Coaches Poll.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are among the others receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.

To see the final 2012 NCAA Football Rankings – Postseason, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

AP Top 25 USA Today Poll
RK TEAM REC PTS PVS RK TEAM REC PTS PVS
1 Alabama (59) 13-1 1475 2 1 Alabama (56) 13-1 1400 2
2 Oregon 12-1 1358 5 2 Oregon 12-1 1322 3
3 Ohio State 12-0 1302 3 3 Notre Dame 12-1 1253 1
4 Notre Dame 12-1 1288 1 4 Georgia 12-2 1213 5
5 Georgia 12-2 1230 6 5 Texas A&M 11-2 1171 9
5 Texas A&M 11-2 1230 10 6 Stanford 12-2 1167 8
7 Stanford 12-2 1169 8 7 South Carolina 11-2 1064 10
8 South Carolina 11-2 1038 11 8 Florida State 12-2 942 12
9 Florida 11-2 933 4 9 Clemson 11-2 916 13
10 Florida State 12-2 922 13 10 Florida 11-2 886 4
11 Clemson 11-2 889 14 11 Kansas State 11-2 841 6
12 Kansas State 11-2 871 7 12 LSU 10-3 775 7
13 Louisville 11-2 781 22 13 Louisville 11-2 772 18
14 LSU 10-3 756 9 14 Boise State 11-2 633 15
15 Oklahoma 10-3 615 12 15 Oklahoma 10-3 600 11
16 Utah State 11-2 456 18 16 Northwestern 10-3 580 17
17 Northwestern 10-3 443 21 17 Utah State 11-2 444 20
18 Boise State 11-2 419 20 18 Texas 9-4 398 25
19 Texas 9-4 358 NR 19 Oregon State 9-4 366 14
20 Oregon State 9-4 303 15 20 Vanderbilt 9-4 248 NR
21 San Jose State 11-2 243 24 21 San Jose State 11-2 244 24
22 Northern Illinois 12-2 227 16 22 Cincinnati 10-3 186 NR
23 Vanderbilt 9-4 180 NR 23 Nebraska 10-4 175 21
24 Michigan 8-5 147 19 24 Northern Illinois 12-2 156 16
25 Nebraska 10-4 119 23 25 Tulsa 11-3 11 NR
Dropped from rankings: Dropped from rankings:
UCLA 17, Kent State 25 UCLA 19, Michigan 22, Wisconsin 23
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes
Baylor 95, Penn State 90, Cincinnati 78, Oklahoma State 42, Tulsa 34, UCLA 31, Arkansas State 28, UCF 9, TCU 9, Wisconsin 6, North Dakota State 1 Michigan 101, UCLA 75, Baylor 52, Oklahoma State 36, Wisconsin 18, UCF 15, Arkansas State 13, Arizona State 10, Rutgers 9, Kent State 5, Louisiana Tech 2, Arizona 1, Ohio 1

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

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 1/8

UConn Huskies Daily Roundup

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.

It's game day for the UConn men's basketball team as they'll host the DePaul Blue Demons. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast locally in Connecticut on SNY. You can also watch the game online at WatchESPN. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network.

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

UConn Men's Basketball links

Kevin Ollie Wary of Improved DePaul; Notes, Quotes from Practice [dom amore – hartford courant]

All Apologies: UConn Scuffles in Practice, Big East Says Sorry to Kevin Ollie, Huskies Hope for 'Layup City' [david borges – new haven register]

Notes/Quotes from Jan. 7: “It happens when you’re not rebounding. Somebody is going to get their feelings hurt a little bit.” [kevin duffy – ct post]

Recruiting Roundup: January 7 [kevin duffy – ct post]

Ollie receives apology from Big East, previews DePaul game [gavin keefe – the day]

UConn prepping for DePaul [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Waiting game [john silver – snyuconn.com]

Men's Basketball Takes On DePaul In BIG EAST Home Opener [uconnhuskies.com]

Daniels, UConn prepare for Melvin-led DePaul [ct post]

Improved DePaul Up Next For UConn Men [hartford courant]

Huskies turn up intensity in practice [new haven register]

UConn men resume play ready to fight [the day]

Mixed results for departed Huskies [the hour]

UConn Women's Basketball links

Stokes ready to return to action [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

The Sun Comes Up For The UConn Women [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Big Day Tuesday For UConn [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Mosqueda-Lewis Addresses Late Miss Vs. Notre Dame [rich elliott – ct post]

Auriemma Cancels Practice Monday; Huskies Eye New Beginning [rich elliott – ct post]

Faris, Hartley Spent Time Working On Their Defense Today [rich elliott – ct post]

Lobo a nominee for Hall of Fame [jim fuller – new haven register]

Huskies get back to work [jim fuller – new haven register]

Geno on Saniya Chong's "phenomenal performance" [jim fuller – new haven register]

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll [bigeast.org]

No Longer No. 1, UConn Women Looking Ahead [hartford courant]

UConn Women’s head coach Geno Auriemma talks about freshman Breanna Stewart’s need to add toughness into her game [snyuconn.com]

UConn Football links

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Other UConn related links

Orange Bowl Donates $80,000 To UConn Sandy Hook Scholarship Fund [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Ice Hockey. Campero Honored as Athletic Republic/Hockey East Player of the Week [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Andre Blake Soccer America MVP First Team, Carlos Alvarez Second Team [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Golf. UConn Golfers Ready For Spring Schedule [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Bruce Marshall Resigns As UConn Men's Hockey Head Coach [uconnhuskies.com]

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

2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Rankings – Week 10 (Jan. 7)

AP & ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls

The NCAA men's basketball rankings are out and with their loss to the Marquette Golden Eagles, the UConn Huskies have fallen out of the others receiving votes completely.

For the fourth straight week, I've lost my lunch. Oops, I mean the Duke Blue Devils are the No.1 team.

They are followed by Michigan Wolverines, Louisville Cardinals, Arizona Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers in the AP Poll. In the USA Today Coaches Poll, the top five is the same with Arizona at No. 3 and Louisville at No. 4.

Joining Louisville in the top 25 from the Big East are the Syracuse Orange (7/7), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17/16), Georgetown Hoyas (19/22) and the Cincinnati Bearcats (21/20).

The Pittsburgh Panthers are the only team from the Big East among the others receiving votes in both polls.

For a full look at the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings – Week 10 (Jan. 7), please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

AP Top 25 USA Today Coaches Poll
RK TEAM REC PTS PVS RK TEAM REC PTS PVS
1 Duke (62) 14-0 1,622 1 1 Duke (30) 14-0 774 1
2 Michigan (3) 15-0 1,553 2 2 Michigan (1) 15-0 744 2
3 Louisville 13-1 1,447 4 3 Arizona 14-0 691 3
4 Arizona 14-0 1,442 3 4 Louisville 13-1 677 4
5 Indiana 13-1 1,381 5 5 Indiana 13-1 649 5
6 Kansas 12-1 1,322 6 6 Kansas 12-1 640 6
7 Syracuse 14-1 1,211 7 7 Syracuse 14-1 585 7
8 Minnesota 14-1 1,121 9 8 Gonzaga 15-1 511 10
9 Gonzaga 15-1 1,064 10 9 Florida 10-2 496 9
10 Missouri 11-2 1,006 12 10 Minnesota 14-1 488 13
11 Florida 10-2 922 13 11 Creighton 14-1 469 11
12 Illinois 14-2 881 11 12 Missouri 11-2 447 12
13 Creighton 14-1 789 16 13 Illinois 14-2 366 14
14 Butler 12-2 761 17 14 Ohio State 11-3 355 8
15 Ohio State 11-3 710 8 15 San Diego State 12-2 314 17
16 San Diego State 12-2 591 19 16 Notre Dame 13-1 285 19
17 Notre Dame 13-1 547 21 17 Butler 12-2 274 20
18 Kansas State 12-2 472 25 18 Michigan State 12-3 190 18
19 Georgetown 10-2 441 15 19 UNLV 13-2 170 24
20 North Carolina State 12-2 438 23 20 Cincinnati 13-2 165 15
21 Cincinnati 13-2 375 14 21 North Carolina State 12-2 153 25
22 Michigan State 12-3 267 18 22 Georgetown 10-2 138 16
23 Wichita State 14-1 135 NR 23 Kansas State 12-2 131 NR
24 UNLV 13-2 113 NR 24 Virginia Commonwealth 12-3 85 NR
25 New Mexico 13-2 102 20 25 Wyoming 13-0 70 NR
Dropped from rankings: Dropped from rankings:
Oklahoma State 22, Pittsburgh 24 Oklahoma State 21, Pittsburgh 22, New Mexico 23
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes:
Virginia Commonwealth 94, Wyoming 87, Oklahoma State 64, Marquette 41, UCLA 41, Maryland 29, Kentucky 27, Temple 13, Oregon 11, North Carolina 4, Pittsburgh 1 New Mexico 48, Wichita State 47, Kentucky 43, Oklahoma State 34, Maryland 10, Pittsburgh 7, North Carolina 5, UCLA 3, Marquette 3, Colorado State 2, Saint Mary's 2, Temple 1, Arizona State 1, Utah State 1, Virginia 1

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

J.T. Miller Returns to Whale Roster

HARTFORD, January 7, 2013:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that forward J.T. Miller has been reassigned back to the Whale from the U.S. National Junior Team.

CT WhaleMiller is fresh off winning a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia, the third gold captured by the U.S. in that event’s history.  The USA squad clinched the title with a 3-1 win Saturday over Sweden in the gold medal game.

Miller had an assist in that victory, on a game-clinching empty-net goal by Vince Trocheck, giving Miller seven helpers in seven games in the tournament, tops on the USA squad and good for a tie for second overall among WJC skaters.  Miller’s nine points in the tournament (2-7-9) tied him for the U.S. team lead and for fifth overall in the tournament.

Miller, a 19-year-old native of East Palestine, Ohio, has suited up for 26 games with the Whale this year and has scored five goals and added nine assists for 14 points, while serving 25 minutes in penalties. 

The Whale’s next action is this Saturday night, January 12, when they play the first of back-to-back games in Hershey against the Bears.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM at the Giant Center, and all of the action can be heard live on “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM.  Fans can also listen on-line at www.ctwhale.com, and video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com).  The next home game for the Whale is Wednesday, January 23, a 7:00 battle with the Adirondack Phantoms.

Whale tickets start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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