The Big East Conference and the UConn Huskies women’s basketball program have put out the schedule for the 2012-13 season.

Here’s the release from UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team has finalized its 2012-13 schedule as announced by the team on Thursday, September 6.  The 30-game non-conference slate includes 15 games against teams that qualified for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and eight games against opponents that finished in the top-10 of the RPI (ratings percentage index).  In addition to the 30-game non-conference schedule, the Huskies will also play a pair of exhibition contests. 

Season tickets are on sale now.  For more information, call 1-877-AT-UCONN or visit UConnHuskies.com.

UConn’s first exhibition game is on Friday, November 2 when the team welcomes Indian University (Pa.) to the Nutmeg State.  The Crimson Hawks finished the 2011-12 season ranked No. 24 in NCAA Division II and completed the season with a 23-7 record.  IUP advanced to the NCAA Tournament Atlantic Regional Semifinal.  The second and final exhibition contest will be against Holy Family on Wednesday, November 7.  Holy Family was 26-8 and won the Central Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season title with a 17-2 mark.

The 2012-13 regular season will open with a contest against the College of Charleston on Sunday, November 11.  C of C finished the 2011-12 season with a 7-24 overall record and the Cougars were 6-14 in the Southern Conference.  The Huskies downed the College of Charleston, 77-24, on December 21 of last season in “The Holy City”.

Next up for UConn is a stiff, early-season road test at Texas A&M on Sunday, November 18.  The Aggies finished the 2011-12 season ranked No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and were rated eighth in the final RPI calculation.  The Aggies were 24-11 overall last year, which included an 81-51 loss to UConn in Hartford.

The Huskies will head back to the Nutmeg State for a showdown with Colgate on Wednesday, November 28 before squaring-off against 2012 ACC Tournament Champion Maryland in the 2012 Jimmy V Classic on Monday, December 3.  The Terps were 31-5, 11-4 last season and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.  Maryland finished the season ranked No. 5/5 and this will mark the first meeting between the two squads.  UConn is 2-2 all-time in the Jimmy V Classic, having defeated Texas A&M in the event last year.

Penn State is next up in UConn’s challenging home schedule as the teams will square-off on Thursday, December 5 in a rematch of their 2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal.  PSU finished the 2011-12 campaign with a 26-7 overall record and won the Big 10 Regular Season with a 13-3 mark.  UConn is 7-3 all-time against PSU, which finished last season ranked No. 11/9.

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

The Huskies will then break for finals before welcoming Oakland to the Constitution State on Wednesday, December 19.  Oakland was 11-17 last season.

A short road trip is in order next for UConn as the Huskies travel down I-84 to take on the University of Hartford on Saturday, December 22.  UHart qualified for the 2012 NIT after posting a 19-13 record during the regular season.

Connecticut will next hit the west coast for games against Stanford and Oregon on Saturday, December 29 and Monday, December 31 respectively.  Stanford put together another outstanding season in 2011-12, posting a 35-2 overall record and an 18-0 mark in Pac-12 play.  The Cardinal also won the Pac-12 Tournament, advanced to the Final Four for the fifth-straight season and finished the year ranked No. 2/3.  The Huskies are 7-6 all-time against Stanford.

Oregon was 15-16, 7-11 last year and finished the year rated No. 141 in the RPI.

A pair of marquee home games round out the non-conference portion of UConn schedule.  First up is Duke on Monday, January 21.  The Blue Devils were 27-6 overall last season and won the ACC Regular Season crown with a 15-1 record.  Duke advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and finished the season ranked sixth nationally.  The Huskies are 8-3 all-time against Duke and currently enjoy a five-game winning streak in the series.

Defending national champion Baylor will travel to Connecticut for a much anticipated showdown on Monday, February 18.  Baylor won all 40 of its games last year en route to its second national championship.

In BIG EAST play, UConn will play eight home games and eight away games with home-and-away series against Notre Dame and Marquette.  Connecticut will travel to Georgetown, Marquette, Cincinnati, St. John’s Providence, Rutgers, South Florida and Notre Dame and will have home showdowns against Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, Villanova, Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh.

Additional game times and SNY television broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.

2012-13 Regular Season Conference Schedule Notes
– 30 games, plus two exhibition contests
– 15 home games, 12 away games and three neutral site contests
– 15 games against teams that qualified for the 2012 NCAA Tournament
– Eight games against teams that finished ranked in the top-10 of last year’s RPI
– 13 games against teams that finished ranked in the top-20 of last year’s RPI
– Four games against teams that advanced to the 2012 NCAA Final Four
– Six games against teams that advanced to the 2012 NCAA Elite Eight
-Eight games against teams that advanced to the 2012 NCAA Sweet 16
– 14 non-conference games, 16 BIG EAST contests
– Nine games on national television, including seven on ESPN2 or ESPNU, one on CBS and one on CBS SN.

2012-13 Non-Conference Schedule Notes
– Eight of UConn’s 14 non-conference opponents qualified for the 2012 NCAA Tournament
– Five opponents won or shared their league’s regular-season title
– Five opponents finished ranked in the top-10 of the RPI
– Seven opponents finished ranked in the top-20 of the RPI
– Two opponents advanced to the 2012 Final Four and Baylor won the National Championship
– Four opponents advanced to the 2012 Elite Eight
– Six opponents advanced to the 2012 Sweet 16
– Four true road games, seven homes games and three neutral site contests

2012-13 UConn Huskies women’s basketball schedule

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This week:

The UConn Huskies football team looks to improve to 2-0 on the season as they host the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT at 12 p.m.

Here are the rosters for the Huskies and the Wolfpack.

The Line/Prediction:

According to Rivals.com odds, NC State is favored by 4.5 points. The over/under is 49 points.

My prediction is UConn 34 NC State 17.

Tickets:

According to Ticketmaster.com, there are still some tickets available for the game.

Getting To The Game:

Here is link for the weather report for Rentschler Field. Here is all the parking info you will need for the game, this link includes directions to Rentschler Field. Here is a Rentschler Field seating chart and here is some general information for Rentschler Field.

The parking lots will open up 4 hours before kickoff. Here is a list of the tailgating rules at the Rent.

At UConn home games, FanFest takes place starting four hours before kickoff up until 30 minutes before the game. It takes place between Gates A and B outside the stadium gates.

The offerings change each game, but activities typically include inflatable games for children, live bands, promotional vehicles and UConn student-athletes from various teams signing autographs.

The “Husky Walk” is a chance for fans to welcome the UConn team as they get off the team buses and head to the stadium. That takes place approximately two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff between Gates A and B.

Once again this season at the end of home games, the UConn team will sing the “UConn Husky” fight song in front of the student section at Rentschler Field.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television:

Saturday’s game is being televised live in Connecticut and regionally on SNY – the television home of UConn football and men’s and women’s basketball. Eamon McAnaney is on play-by-play with former NFL offensive lineman David Diaz-Infante on color and Paul Carcaterra is the sideline reporter.

The game will also be replayed on SNY in a condensed mode on the “Husky Power Hour” on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 7:00 a.m. and 9 a.m. and on Monday, Sept. 10 at 8 a.m. (Connecticut only) and Wednesday, Sept. 12 at noon (Connecticut only). The game will be replayed it is entirety on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and on Monday, Sept. 10 at 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at noon (Connecticut only).

The game will be seen live in 34 different TV markets, including: KXTD in Dallas, Brighthouse Networks in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Orlando, MASN2 in Baltimore, WWHO in Columbus, Ohio, KCWX in San Antonio, Cox New Orleans, Cox New England, Time Warner in Buffalo, WMSN in Madison, Wisc., WMYS in South Bend, Ind and WTVW in Evansville, Ind.

Radio:

For the 21st consecutive season, WTIC 1080-AM in Hartford serves as the flagship station for the IMG/UConn Radio Network. WTIC is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada.

Veteran UConn announcers Joe D’Ambrosio (play-by-play) and Wayne Norman (color commentary) return to call the action with Kevin Nathan on the sidelines.

UConn football on home Saturday dates gets going early with “Breakfast At The Rent” with Ray Dunaway and Scott Gray beginning at 6:00 a.m. The UConn Tailgate Show will air from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. with Kevin Nathan and Bob Joyce. The pregame show begins at 10:30 a.m. followed by the game and then postgame “Husky Talk” with Kevin Nathan

UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com. Here is a  full list of stations on the WTIC/UCONN radio network.

The game will also be available on SIRIUS 137 and XM 193.

NC State Radio:

NC State football games are broadcast on the Wolfpack Capital Sports Network. The flagship station is WRAL 101.5 FM. Gary Hahn has the call with Johnny Evans (analyst) and Tony Haynes (sideline).

To continue reading the NC State Wolfpack @ UConn Huskies preview, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Last Week:

UConn beat UMass 37-0 while Tennessee beat the Wolfpack 35-21 at the Georgia Dome.

History:

Saturday’s game marks just the second meeting in football between the two schools as North Carolina State defeated the Huskies by a 31-24 on October 11, 2003 in Raleigh. N.C.

Connections:

UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni and N.C. State head coach Tom O’Brien have met eight previous times during Pasqualoni’s tenure at Syracuse and O’Brien at BC. Pasqualoni won five of those eight games. Pasqauloni has a 0-2 coaching record vs. N.C. State with losses during his time at Syracuse in 1997 and ’98. O’Brien is 4-0 in his coaching career vs. UConn with wins at the BC coach in 2000, ’02, ’03 and ’04.

UConn special teams coordinator and running backs coach Clayton White is a 2001 N.C. State graduate and was a three-year starter at linebacker for the Wolfpack from 1999-2001.

UConn redshirt senior linebacker Sio Moore attended high school in Apex, N.C. and freshman punter Justin Wain is from Wilmington, N.C.

North Carolina State defensive and Forrest West is from Canton, Conn., and the Salisbury School.

Other UConn News:

Here are the quotes from UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni’s press conference as well quotes from some of the players.

Pasqualoni is the all-time winningest coach in BIG EAST Conference league wins with 65 and overall wins with 113. He is just one of two league coaches in history to win four BIG EAST Championships. His overall college coaching record stands at 147-83-1 (34-17 at WCSU, 107-59-1 at Syracuse and 6-7 at UConn).

Here is UConn’s depth chart for the game.

Four members of the University of Connecticut football team were named to seven major award watch lists over the course of the 2012 preseason.

Senior Tight End Ryan Griffin

• John Mackey Award Watch List
• Lombardi Award Watch List

Sophomore Running Back Lyle McCombs

• Doak Walker Award Watch List
• Maxwell Award Watch List

Senior Linebacker Sio Moore

• Butkus Award Watch List
• Lombardi Award Watch List

Senior Defensive End Trevardo Williams

• Bednarik Award Watch List
• Lombardi Award Watch List
• Nagursky Trophy Watch List

With last Thursday’s win over Massachusetts, UConn is 9-2 in season openers since making the jump to then-Division I-A in 2002. UConn has won nine of its ten season openers at Rentschler Field (2003-Indiana, 2004-Murray State, 2005-Buffalo, 2006-Rhode Island, 2008-Hofstra, 2010-Texas Southern, 2011-Fordham, 2012-UMass) and also downed Duke, 45-14, in Durham, to open the 2007 season and Ohio University, 23-16 in Athens, to open 2009.

Connecticut boasts a 43-20 record against non-conference opponents in the regular season since making the move to the FBS in 2002.

The Huskies have won 18 of their last 25 regular season non-league games overall.

UConn is 4-10 against active ACC members all-time entering Saturday afternoon’s showdown with NC State and next Saturday’s game at Maryland.

The Huskies are 2-0 against Duke (2004 and 2007), 0-3 against Georgia Tech (2002, 2004-05), 0-3 vs. North Carolina (1990, 2008, 2009), 0-1 vs. NC State (2003), 1-2 vs. Wake Forest (2003, 2006, 2007) and 1-1 vs. Virginia (2007 and 2008).

UConn is 31-17 in games following a loss since Oct. 26, 2002. In the opening game vs. UMass, the Huskies were coming off as they lost the 2011 season finale at Cincinnati.

Here is where UConn stands in the lastest NCAA statistics, which includes games through Saturday, Sept. 1:

• Total Defense –  1st at 59 yards per game
• Rushing Defense – 4th t 3.0 yards per game
• Passing Defense – 4th at 67.00 yards per game
• Scoring Defense – t1st at 0.0 points per game
• Total Offense – 59th at 372.00 yards per game
• Rushing Offense – 67th at 147.00 yards per game
• Passing Offense – 52nd at 225.00 yards per game
• Scoring Offense – t39th at 37.00 points per game

Notes from this week’s opponent NC State:

Here is the video from NC State head coach Tom O’Brien’s press conference.

Here is NC State’s depth chart.

Tom O’Brien is 108-76 overall in his career and is 33-31 at NC State. He is in his 16th year overall, 6th at NC State.

O’Brien led Boston College to eight consecutive winning seasons and seven consecutive bowl victories (his team won the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl after he had come to NC State).

O’Brien posts best bowl winning percentage in history of bowl system for coaches with 10 or more bowl games coached (8-2, .800). He ranks 21st among active coaches with 107 career wins. He posted more wins (75) than any head coach in BC history.

NC State will be without star cornerback C.J. Wilson who was suspended by the NCAA for four games due to academic issues.

For the first time since the 1997 season, NC State is playing its first two games away from home. After opening the season against Tennessee in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, the Wolfpack is heading to Connecticut to take on the Huskies.

NC State is one of just four schools whose football team won a bowl game, men’s basketball team was ranked in the final top-20 and baseball team advanced to a Super Regional in 2011-12.

Ten players saw their first collegiate action for the Pack in the opener with Tennessee, including eight red-shirt freshmen and one true freshman. Redshirts Juston Burris (CB), Hakeem Flowers (WR), Carlos Gray (DT), Hakim Jones (S), Dave Mann (DT), Maurice Morgan (WR) and Mike Rose (DT) all saw action from scrimmage, with Burris getting in for a rookie-high 63 snaps. Tight end Benson Browne saw action on special teams, while walk-on Josh Stanley also played in the kicking game.

True freshman Charlie Hegedus was in for 20 snaps at wide receiver, catching one pass for seven yards. Hegedus, whose hometown of Marietta was just 30 miles from the Georgia Dome, played his first collegiate contest on the same field where he played his last prep game. His alma mater, Lassiiter High School, fell in the 5A state semifinals in the Dome in 2011.

During his 15 years as a head coach, Tom O’Brien has mentored 23 assistant coaches. Seven of those have gone on to become collegiate head coaches.
Three of his former protégés are now head coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference: Al Golden at Miami, Mike London at Virginia and Frank Spaziani at Boston College. In other words, the Tom O’Brien coaching tree makes up a third of the entire league.

Nobody is doing it at weddings like the Macarena or the Electric Slide and it isn’t quite the national phenomena that TEBOWing was a year ago, but the art of TOBing is something that those in Wolfpack nation know all about.

TOB is the nickname for Wolfpack head coach Tom O’Brien. The Marine major is known as having a somewhat stoic demeanor on the Wolfpack sideline, usually standing with his arms crossed. Wolfpack fans have nicknamed that stance TOBing. Google it!

Thursday UConn Football Links:

UConn defense starts strong [andrea adelson – espn.com]

Big East predictions: Week 2 [andrea adelson – espn.com]

Former Hillhouse lineman and UConn commit at Dean College [jim fuller – new haven register]

Getting ready for N.C. State [john silver – sny.com]

A Knack For Getting Sacks [uconnhuskies.com]

Connecticut Plays NC State Saturday [bigeast.org]

Offense needs some tweaks [ct post]

UConn’s Special Teams Working To Get Better [hartford courant]

UConn dealing with a thin, blue defensive line [the hour]

Preview: NC State Wolfpack at Connecticut Huskies [cbssports.com]

Small receiver making big impact for Huskies [ap]

Next Week:

The Huskies will head to College Park, MD for a matchup with former coach Randy Edsall and his Maryland Terrapins next Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

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

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 Football links

Today’s football links can be found in the Thursday links section of the NC State @ UConn preview.

UConn Men’s Basketball links

FYI: UConn Hasn’t Given Up on Big East Tournament [dom amore – hartford courant]

Meet Phillip Nolan [uconn huskies basketball]

Huskies packing their bags early [the day]

Other UConn related links

Deborah Corum Named Senior Associate Director of Athletics [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. No. 4/1 Men’s Soccer To Face No. 21/25 Washington On Fox Soccer Channel Friday 7 p.m. [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Soccer. UConn Has Three Huskies Score in 3-1 Win Over Marist [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Volleyball. UConn Volleyball Travels to Missouri State This Weekend [uconnhuskies.com]

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

I think there was a part of us all that was hoping the Boston Red Sox would go on a nice winning run after beating the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. Or maybe that was my dream.

Either way, that’s not happening right now as the Mariners went on to beat the Red Sox 2-1 last night. With the loss, the Red Sox finish up the nine game road trip at 1-8.

Aaron Cook started this one for the visiting nine and wssn’t all that bad. He struck out a season high five batters. The problem was he had one bad inning and that turned out to be the difference in the game.

The first three batters he faced in the 4th inning reached base as Eric Thames singled, Mike Carp walked and Casper Wells singled to load the sacks full of Mariners. Cook then got Brendan Ryan to pop out to Jose Iglesias at short but Dustin Ackley followed with a two-run single. Cook avoided any further damage by getting the final two batters on groundouts to James Loney at first.

Offensively the Red Sox had their chances but were only able to capitalize once. That one time came in the 6th inning.

Dustin Pedroia reached on a lead-off walk but was retired on a Jacoby Ellsbury fielder’s choice. Ellsbury then stole second and came around on a Cody Ross double. Ross ended up with three hits on the night to lead the offense. But that was the only run the Red Sox would get.

As I said, they had their chances before and after they scored their only run.

In the 2nd inning, they had runners on first and second with out only to see Ryan Lavarnway ground into a double play. In the 4th inning, they had the bases loaded with two outs only to see Lavarnway ground out. And in the 8th, Ellsbury was on second base with two outs but Loney struck out.

With the west coast swing over, the Red Sox return home where they have sucked as well. They’ll now play their fellow AL East teams for the rest of the season. And that means they can exact some revenge by playing spoiler. Or at least we hope they will.

You just never know with this team.

The Red Sox are off today as they spent the overnight on a plane back from Seattle. We’ll be back in a bit with the pitching matchups for the series with the Toronto Blue Jays. So for now, let’s take at look at the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

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

Strain shows in Valentine’s words [boston globe]

The Farrell conversation begins with compensation [boston globe]

More help on horizon [boston globe]

Sox trip ends with a fall [boston herald]

Bobby Valentine in misery [boston herald]

One more lost year for Ryan Kalish [boston herald]

Red Sox end road trip with 2-1 loss to Mariners [csn new england]

Kalish: ‘It’s been a tough year’ [csn new england]

Farrell’s coming to town; let the speculation begin [csn new england]

Rapid Reaction: Mariners 2, Red Sox 1 [espn boston]

Dismal trip comes to merciful end [espn boston]

Bobby Valentine seems to be down for count [espn boston]

Bobby Valentine’s Facetious Fightin’ Words Underscore Frustration of Tough Season [nesn.com]

Joe Maddon Fires Back at Bobby Valentine With Subtle Jabs, Calls Whole Situation ‘Very Amusing’ [nesn.com]

Stunning reversal: Ten months later, Bobby Valentine’s dream job seems nightmarish [alex speier – weei.com]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England,  ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Everett Herald, Seattle Times and Tacoma News Tribune websites.

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

photo credit: getty images

After ending their seven-game losing streak, the Boston Red Sox look to take their first series win tonight in a while as they take on the Seattle Mariners in the finale of a three-game set at Safeco Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Mariners television market, you can catch the game on ROOT Sports.  If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Aaron Cook looks to get the Red Sox another win in his 14th start of the season. In his previous 13 starts, Cook is 3-8 with a 5.35 ERA. His lone career start against the Mariners came earlier this season at Safeco Field when he threw a two-hit complete game shutout on just 81 pitches on June 29th.

The crafty veteran Kevin Millwood makes his 27th start of 2012 tonight. In his previous 26 starts, Millwood is 4-12 with a 4.38 ERA. He last faced the Red Sox in 2010 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles when he went 0-1 with a 5.54 ERA (8 ER/13 IP). Millwood has made 17 career starts against the visiting nine and is 6-5 with a 4.05 ERA.

Click on the read more button below to see today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight and day if you’re on the home page.

Here are today’s lineups:

63-74		66-71
1. Scott Podsednik	LF	1. Dustin Ackley	2B
2. Dustin Pedroia	2B	2. Trayvon Robinson	LF
3. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	3. Kyle Seager	3B
4. Cody Ross	RF	4. John Jaso	C
5. James Loney	1B	5. Jesus Montero	DH
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	6. Eric Thames	RF
7. Ryan Lavarnway	DH	7. Mike Carp	1B
8. Pedro Ciriaco	3B	8. Casper Wells	CF
9. Jose Iglesias	SS	9. Brendan Ryan	SS
Aaron Cook	SP	Kevin Millwood	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:

NOTES:

REFRESH OR CHECK BACK OFTEN AS MORE LINKS WILL BE ADDED BEFORE GAMETIME IF/WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND WILL BE BOLDED

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

Audio: Bobby Valentine On The Big Show [sox & dawgs]

Transcript of Bobby Valentine on Big Show: ‘If I were there, I’d punch you right in the mouth’ [full count]

The last days of the massacre of Valentine [cbssports.com]

Maddon parries with Bobby over the meaning of timeliness [clubhouse insider]

Valentine keeps fist to himself but keeps jabbing [clubhouse insider]

On Bobby V’s big interview [csn new england]

Valentine: I’ve been dedicated to my job ‘every day, all day’ [csn new england]

Maddon amused by Bobby V remark [espn boston]

Lucchino visits PawSox; mum on Bobby V [espn boston]

Valentine defends his integrity, work ethic [extra bases]

Dustin Pedroia Remains Hot at Plate, With Red Sox Hoping Wins Continue to Follow [nesn.com]

Having to earn his fastballs, Lavarnway fighting through struggles [projo sox blog]

Bobby Valentine: ‘I don’t think that physical violence is necessary for 60-year-old people’ [projo sox blog]

Ryan Kalish looking forward to offseason reset [projo sox blog]

Sox look to end tough trip with series victory [redsox.com]

Valentine addresses emotional remarks on radio [redsox.com]

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

photo credits: getty images, getty images

If there wasn’t any doubt that Boston Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine has lost touch with reality, all you need to do is listen to his interview on The Big Show with Glenn Ordway and Michael Holley on WEEI earlier this afternoon to confirm it.

{mp3remote}http://audio.weei.com/hosting/media/weei/1598200/bs-bobby-v-weei-0904.mp3{/mp3remote}

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

Here is the cover for the latest issue of Sports Illustrated featuring a frustrated Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine:

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

The Big East Conference and UConn Huskies men’s basketball program have released their 2012-13 schedule. The schedule features 18 home games (16 regular season, two exhibition).

Here’s the full release from UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – The first-ever NCAA regular season game to be played in Europe kicks off a challenging 2012-13 schedule for the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team.

The Huskies will open their season by playing in the inaugural Armed Forces Classic, squaring off against perennial national power Michigan State, on Nov. 9 at Ramstein Air Base, a U.S. Air Force base located in the southwest portion of Germany. The game will be televised live in the United States by ESPN, one of 14 national television appearances by UConn on the ESPN family of networks this season.

The Huskies will also participate in the 2012 Paradise Jam at St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in the Jimmy V Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden as part of their 30-game slate. Besides its usual 18 games in the BIG EAST Conference, UConn will meet two opponents from the ACC and one from each of the Big Ten and Pac-12.

The Huskies will have an 18-game home schedule, including two exhibition games, with eight games at Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus and 10 at the XL Center in Hartford. Highlighting the home slate is the final appearance by Syracuse as a BIG EAST Conference opponent. The Orange will leave the conference following the 2012-13 season.

Besides Syracuse, UConn will face BIG EAST foes DePaul, Louisville, Rutgers, USF, Villanova, Cincinnati, Georgetown and Providence at home, while going on the road to meet Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, DePaul, Cincinnati and USF.

In addition to the Armed Forces Classic, the Huskies’ non-conference schedule is highlighted by a return to the Paradise Jam, which UConn won in 2008. The Huskies begin the tournament, which runs from Nov. 16-19, against Wake Forest of the ACC, then take on either Iona or Quinnipiac in the tourney’s second game. UConn’s third Paradise Jam opponent will come from among New Mexico, George Mason, Mercer or Illinois-Chicago. UConn’s opening game in the tournament will be televised by the CBS Sports Network, with an announcement forthcoming on coverage of the remaining games.

UConn will challenge another ACC opponent on Dec. 4, when it meets North Carolina State in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden and will begin a series against Washington of the Pac-12 on Dec. 29 in Hartford. The remainder of the non-conference opponents include Vermont (11/13), Stony Brook (11/25), New Hampshire (11/29), Harvard (12/7), Maryland-Eastern Shore (12/17), and Fordham (12/21).

UConn will have at least 13 games against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season, raising that total to 14 should the Huskies meet New Mexico in the Paradise Jam.

2012-13 UConn Huskies Men’s Basketball Schedule

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