Here’s the release from UConn that announces that defensive tackle Kendall Reyes and placekicker Dave Teggart have been named to the All-ECAC Team.

STORRS, Conn. –  University of Connecticut senior defensive tackle Kendall Reyes (Nashua, N.H.) and senior kicker Dave Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) have both been named to the 2011 ECAC Division I Football Bowl Subdivision All-Star team.

Reyes was a First Team All-BIG EAST Conference pick for the second time in a row this season. He started 41 games during his UConn career and was third on the UConn team with 13.5 tackles for loss while making 46 total tackles in 2011. For his career, he had 32.5 tackles for a loss – tenth in school history.

Teggart was also a First Team All-BIG EAST pick. Teggart was a four-year standout and holds the UConn career records for field goals (74), extra points (128) and points (350). Teggart kicked a field goal in 22 of his final 25 collegiate games and had multiple field goals in eight games this year and had 11 career games with three or more field goals.

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It looks as though new Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has reached out to an old friend to join his coaching staff.

According to MLB.com and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Valentine has hired Randy Niemann to be the assistant pitching coach/coaching assistant. Niemann was the New York Mets pitching rehabilitation coordinator in 2011.

Niemann has spent 24 years with the Mets organization and was part of Valentine’s staff from 1997 to 1999 when Bobby V was the skipper there.

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While the Boston Red Sox have been adding some low cost pitching depth over the past few days, is it possible that former Los Angeles Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda is coming to the Beantown? If we are to believe Jim Bowden of ESPN, the answer is yes.

On Bowden’s ESPN Insider blog, he reports that the Red Sox are closing in on a short-term deal with Kuroda. Just yesterday, Kuroda announced he would be staying in the United States for the 2012 season and not returning to his native Japan.

Here’s what Bowden had to say:

The Boston Red Sox appear to be closing in on a short-term deal with right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to add him to a rotation that already has Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard. This move, along with the trades for relievers Mark Melancon and Andrew Bailey, quickly puts the Red Sox back among the AL’s elite. Kuroda is extremely underrated for the valuable innings he can provide from the back of a rotation.

However, if we are to believe Alex Speier of WEEI.com, the Red Sox are not close to a deal with Kuroda.

According to a major league source, a report from ESPN’s Jim Bowden suggesting that the Red Sox are “closing in on a short-term deal” with free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda is inaccurate, with another source suggesting that such a claim was “baseless.”

The Red Sox did try to acquire Kuroda from the Dodgers last year at the trade deadline but Kuroda decided not to exercise his no-trade clause and stayed in the mess that Frank McCourt created with the team.

Kuroda went 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA for the Dodgers in 32 starts last season. He did go over the 200 innings mark (202) which is something the Red Sox didn’t get from any of there starters.

Given that Kuroda is seeking a short-term deal, he could fit into the Red Sox plans. Of course that is going to depend on how much money he wants for a one-year deal. But with the New York Yankees and other teams out there still needing starting pitching, it’s quite possible his short-term asking price could be too high for the wallets of the Red Sox ownership group.

This will definitely be something to keep an eye on though over the coming days.

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Photo credit: AP Photo

New Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington continues to add low cost pitching depth just a day after adding Aaron Cook to mix.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com is reporting that the Red Sox have signed right hander Justin Germano to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.. Heyman stated that Germano turned down more money in Korea where he finished the 2011 season.

Germano actually started the 2011 season with the Cleveland Indians where he was 0-1 with a 5.68 in nine appearances. He was with Triple-A Columbus but then he headed to Korea to play for the Samsung Lions when the Indians sold his contract to them.

Germano threw a perfect game for the Columbus Clippers while he was there on July 26, 2011 against the Syracuse Chiefs.

In parts of six seasons in the big leagues with the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and Indians, Germano is 8-20 with a 5.02 ERA in 79 appearances (36 starts). He spent the 2009 season in Japan with the Fukuoka Hawks where he was 5-4 with a 4.38 ERA in 14 games.

My guess is that Germano, if he decides to stay stateside, will start the 2012 season in Triple-A with the Pawtucket Red Sox.

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Photo credit: Reuters Pictures

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 some of the other sports. 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 Huskies women’s basketball team as they’ll host the Providence Friars tonight at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised locally in Connecticut on CPTV.

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

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Notre Dame loss not sitting well with Huskies [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

UConn’s Problems Are Relative But Real [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Auriemma Takes Philosophical Approach [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Mosqueda-Lewis On Her Big Turnover At Notre Dame [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Game preview: UConn women vs. Providence [Lee Lewis – The Republican-American]

Looking For A Change, Faris Taking Leadership Role For Huskies [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Mosqueda-Lewis Not Happy With Performance At Notre Dame [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

No. 3 UConn At XL Center on Tuesday Against Providence [UConnHuskies.com]

Faris, UConn feel a need to improve [CT Post]

UConn Must Turn It Around Against Providence [Hartford Courant]

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis committed to getting out of funk [New Haven Register]

UConn women hoping to bounce back today against Providence [The Day]

UConn Women’s Basketball Glance [The Hour]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Calhoun: ‘They May Throw Me Out, But I’m Gonna Fight’ [David Borges – New Haven Register]

A Tale of Two Coaches [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Jim Calhoun’s Take [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Wrapping Things Up [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Dom also answered a few questions in his mailbag [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

UConn men 64, West Virginia 57 [Ed Daigneault – The Republican-American]

Post-game breakdown, video: West Virginia [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

Notes/Quotes from West Virginia: “There wouldn’t be a damn ant alive if they had any in here.” [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Rims everywhere beware: Andre Drummond is coming for you [Neill Ostrout – Journal Inquirer]

Urgency [UConn Huskies Basketball]

UConn rallies to defeat West Virginia [CT Post]

UConn Rallies From 10 Points Behind To Beat West Virginia, 64-57 [Hartford Courant]

After Passing On West Virginia, No Hard Feelings Toward Boatright [Hartford Courant]

When Pressed, Drummond Stepped Up [Hartford Courant]

Huskies end two-game slide with win over West Virginia [New Haven Register]

Huskies rally past West Virginia 64-57 [The Day]

Calhoun’s urgent call is heard [The Day]

Hope in the land of the Huskies [The Hour]

UConn still struggling [Yahoo! Sports]

Youthful core could make UConn dangerous come tournament time [SI.com]

Leadership questions surround Connecticut basketball team [USA Today]

Shabazz Napier, UConn grasp for leadership [Eamonn Brennan – ESPN.com]

UConn Football links

Final Big East power rankings [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

UConn’s Don Brown Withdraws Name For Yale Coaching Job [Hartford Courant]

Don Brown pulls name from coaching search [New Haven Register]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. Fans Have A Blast Skating With The Huskies [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Men’s Hockey Takes Home Two Weekly Awards [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Begins Process Of Hiring Athletic Director [Hartford Courant]

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Here’s the press release from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) that names UConn Huskies redshirt freshman running back Lyle McCombs to the 2011 FWAA Freshman All-America Team.

NEW ORLEANS (FWAA) – The 11th annual Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team has been announced, with all six Bowl Championship Series conferences and Notre Dame well represented on the 26-man roster. A total of 23 players came from the Pac-12, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC and Big East conferences and the independent Fighting Irish.

Southern California and Kansas State were the only schools with two players on the team. Two of the special teams selections hail from Australia.

West Virginia’s first-year coach Dana Holgorsen claimed the first-year coaching honors after his Mountaineers won the Big East Conference championship and finished with a 10-3 record after routing Clemson, 70-33, in the Discover Orange Bowl.

The team and coach are selected by an 11-person panel of nationally-prominent writers led by Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Both true freshmen (14 players) and redshirt freshmen (12 players) were considered for the team and are so noted.

To see the 2011 FWAA Freshman All-America Team, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

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Photo credit: AP Photo