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.

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

Penn State Video Shows A Very Happy Brianna Banks [john altavilla – hartford courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Kevin Ollie Sizes Up The 2014-15 Huskies, Player by Player [dom amore – hartford courant]

UConn sophomore Amida Brimah wins Husky Run [david borges – new haven register]

Ollie, UConn get out of gate with Husky Run [william paxton – ct post]

M. Basketball. Men’s Basketball Holds Annual Husky Run On Wednesday [uconn huskies]

2014 Husky Run With UConn Men’s Basketball [uconn huskies youtube]

Ollie wants UConn Huskies to be ‘sharks’ [ct post]

Amida Brimah First UConn Player To Cross Husky Run Finish Line [hartford courant]

Kevin Ollie, Amida Brimah set tone at UConn’s Husky Run [new haven register]

Brimah is ready to take the next step [the day]

Deep UConn team should be threat [espn insider]

Other UConn related links

W. Ice Hockey. Huskies Head To Hamden To Take On No. 10 Quinnipiac [uconn huskies]

Field Hockey. Field Hockey Opens Conference Play Against Georgetown on Saturday [uconn huskies]

W. Volleyball. Volleyball Continues Conference Play with Road Trip To Florida [uconn huskies]

Baseball. Rehabilitated Carson Cross Eager For UConn Baseball Season [hartford courant]

ESPN2’s Big Monday Presented by Verizon – entering the ninth season of the seven-week women’s college basketball series – will showcase the nation’s top programs beginning January 19. A robust schedule of teams ranked in the espnW 2014-15 preseason top 25 poll, including the top five programs, it also features 17 ranked teams, five 2013-14 All-Americans and a grouping of the top incoming freshman in the country.

Big Monday team highlights:

• Seven of the top eight teams in the espnW preseason top 25 poll will participate in the nine Big Monday games and 17-of-18 teams on the schedule are ranked the early-season poll.
  • 1 Connecticut, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 7 Duke, No. 8 Michigan State, No. 14 Maryland and No. 16 Louisville round out the list.
• Four conferences featured on the schedule: Atlantic Coast (ACC), American Athletic, Big Ten and Southeastern (SEC).
• All 18 teams advanced to the 2013-14 postseason, including three Final Four participants:
  • Connecticut won its second-straight national title and Notre Dame played in the national championship game and its fourth-straight Final Four.
  • Maryland also advanced to the Final Four.
  • Texas A&M and Louisville earned Elite Eight berths, Tennessee and South Carolina advanced to the Sweet 16 and Duke and Michigan State played to the second round.
  • USF earned a trip to the WNIT Semifinals, a year after capturing the programs’ first-ever NCAA tournament win.
• The schedule features four 2013-14 All-Americans, including Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) members Jewell Lloyd (Notre Dame), Tiffany Mitchell (South Carolina) and Breanna Stewart (Connecticut), as well as Associated Press Women’s All-America Third Team honoree Elizabeth Williams (Duke).
• 10 players in the top 25 of the 2014 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings – espnW 100 join their respective teams in the Monday night lineup: A’ja Wilson (South Carolina); Brianna Turner (Notre Dame); Jaime Nared (Tennessee); Jatarie White (South Carolina); Lynee’ Belton (Duke); Gabby Williams (Connecticut); Sierra Calhoun (Duke); Sadie Edwards (Connecticut); Kathryn Westbeld (Notre Dame) and Azura Stevens (Duke).

Big Monday schedule highlights:

• Two-time defending national champion Connecticut will be featured twice: at home versus South Carolina on Feb. 9 and at USF to close the regular season on March 2.
• South Carolina appears a total of three times, including two home games: versus Texas A&M as part of the We Back Pat initiative on January 26 and against Tennessee in the second game of the Play 4Kay doubleheader on February 23.
• New ACC rivals Louisville and Notre Dame battle in the early Play 4Kay tilt at 7 p.m.
• Notre Dame – also on the schedule three times – hosts a non-conference tilt against Tennessee on January 19 and plays at home against Duke as part of a Rivalry Week doubleheader on February 16.
• Also participating in Rivalry Week, new Big Ten opponents Maryland at Michigan State, as the Terrapins are playing in their first year in the league.

espnW.com will provide season-long original content and supporting material for ESPN’s top games, including leading into games with espnW’s national player-of-the-week and updated Bracketology from Charlie Creme. The espnW season preview will run November 3-7.

All Big Monday telecasts will also be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

2015 ESPN2 Big Monday Women’s Hoops Schedule (subject to change)

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.

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

UConn-Tulane Kickoff Time For October 11 Announced [sox & dawgs]

Jasper Howard Memorial Statue Now A Reality [sox & dawgs]

Wrapping up the American Week 5: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly [john silver – sny uconn]

Monday update: Injuries shelve Gifford, Marder [john silver – sny uconn]

UConn football notebook: Newsome a rare bright spot [ct post]

Gifford, Marder Out ‘A While’; Melifonwu Should Be OK For Tulane [hartford courant]

AAC Notes: More Sad Times For Bearcats [hartford courant]

UConn’s Mateas was once center of attention on soccer field [new haven register]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn Alumni Association To Host A Night With Champions [sox & dawgs]

UConn Part of ESPN’s Midnight Madness Coverage [sox & dawgs]

UConn 2014 First Night Set for Friday, October 17 [sox & dawgs]

USA Wraps Up Preliminary Play With Record-Setting 119-44 Rout Of Angola [uconn huskies]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

UConn Alumni Association To Host A Night With Champions [sox & dawgs]

UConn Part of ESPN’s Midnight Madness Coverage [sox & dawgs]

UConn 2014 First Night Set for Friday, October 17 [sox & dawgs]

Kevin Ollie Sizes Up The 2014-15 Huskies, Player by Player [dom amore – hartford courant]

Ollie fires up UConn fans at Middlesex Chamber breakfast [william paxton – ct post]

Shabazz Napier Training Camp Interview [uconn huskies basketball]

UConn Men’s Basketball Takes Step Toward Season With Annual Husky Run [hartford courant]

Tate George Seeking Acquittal After One Year In Prison [hartford courant]

Other UConn related links

W. Ice Hockey. Elaine Chuli Garners WHEA Defensive Player of the Week Nod [uconn huskies]

W. Lacrosse. Huskies Unveil 2015 Schedule [uconn huskies]

UConn Club. From The Crowd: Temple [uconn huskies]

W. Rowing. Women’s Rowing Ready to Kick Off 2014-15 Campaign [uconn huskies]

M. Soccer. UConn Continues Non-Conference Schedule Wednesday Against Providence [uconn huskies]

M. Soccer. Men’s Soccer Match Against Providence Tonight Postponed [uconn huskies]

W. Soccer. Memphis And Tulsa On Tap For Women’s Soccer [uconn huskies]

Baseball. UConn Baseball Enjoys Annual Alumni Game [uconn huskies]

UConn AD Warde Manuel Says No Truth To Michigan Rumors [hartford courant]

From UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball programs will tip-off the 2014-15 season with “First Night” presented by Webster Bank, Connecticut Army National Guard and WTIC on Friday, October 17. Admission is free and open to the public.

Gampel Pavilion doors will open at 5 p.m. Meet the 2014-15 men’s and women’s basketball teams as they sign autographs for Husky fans from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the AD’s lobby (located between the East and South entrances).

The show is scheduled to run from 7 – 8:15 p.m.

This year’s show will once again be headlined by an inter-squad scrimmage with one team coached by head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma and the other coached by head men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie. The night will feature many other highlights, including a 3-point shooting contest, performances by the Pep Band, prize giveaways, special recognition of all 13 men’s and women’s basketball national championships, and the unveiling of the 2014 National Championship banners.

Each fan in attendance will receive a Webster Bank Dual Championship commemorative credential and the first 6,000 fans in attendance will receive Husky glow sticks.

2014 First Night will be broadcast in its entirety on ESPN3 while ESPNU will broadcast parts of the night’s festivities from Storrs, Arizona, Kentucky, Florida, Gonzaga and San Diego State.

3 p.m. – Fan Fest on Fairfield Way
5 p.m. – Doors Open
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 PM– Autograph Session
6 p.m. – Pre-event begins
7 p.m. – Showtime

For up to date information on First Night follow us on Twitter at @UConnHuskies or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/UConnHuskies. RSVP to the First Night event on Facebook to win great prizes.

Season tickets for both men’s and women’s basketball are on sale now and can be purchased online at UConnTickets.com or by calling 1-877-AT-UCONN.

For the safety of all fans and to expedite entry, bags and backpacks will not be permitted in Gampel Pavilion at First Night.  Thank you for your cooperation.

From UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – Fundraising for a memorial in honor of Jasper Howard, the University of Connecticut football student-athlete who tragically lost his life five years ago, has been successfully completed. The memorial will be officially dedicated on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at halftime of UConn’s Homecoming game vs. UCF at Rentschler Field.

Funds for the statue were raised in a grassroots fashion with the efforts spearheaded by UConn supporters Dan and Lisa Lowry of Prospect, Conn. The lead gift for the memorial came from former UConn head football coach Randy Edsall, who was Howard’s coach with the Huskies. Donations also came from former Husky student-athletes and fans from around the country.

“I want to thank everyone in the UConn family who made this memorial to the life of Jasper a reality,” said UConn Director of Athletics Warde Manuel. “I especially want to recognize our friends Dan and Lisa Lowry, who came up with the concept for the memorial and worked tirelessly to raise the funds that will make it possible. In addition, we are very grateful to Randy Edsall and his family for their generosity towards this project.”

“The support shown by the UConn community has been heartening,” says Joshua Newton, president and CEO of the University of Connecticut Foundation. “People often turn to philanthropy to remember and honor those we lose too early.”

Howard lost his life on October 18, 2009 – hours after UConn had defeated Louisville at Rentschler Field on Homecoming. Howard recorded a career-high 11 tackles in the contest and a fumble recovery.

“Jasper Howard represented everything that is good about college athletics,” said Edsall. “He loved being a student-athlete at UConn. His tragic death had a bonding reaction with the entire UConn community that none of us will ever forget for the rest of our lives.”

Funds will continued to be raised for the Jasper T. Howard Endowed Scholarship Fund at UConn, which is presented annually to a cornerback on the Husky football team who best embodies the qualities of Howard.

For information on how to contribute to that fund, please visit http://s.uconn.edu/howardscholarship.

photo credit: getty images

ESPN will tip off the 2014-15 college basketball season with Midnight Madness coverage from 11 campuses, including seven men’s programs in ESPN.com’s early top 25, on Friday, Oct. 17. ESPNU Midnight Madness (6 p.m. ET) will combine studio and remote coverage to bring fans a three-hour start of the season celebration which involves six schools, including the 2014 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I National Champion UConn Huskies. The ESPNU special will also involve five more teams from the 2014 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship: Arizona, Florida, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and San Diego State. This is the ninth year ESPNU Midnight Madness has provided coverage of the annual college basketball tradition.

ESPN3 will also provide Midnight Madness coverage on Friday, Oct. 17, carrying six college basketball programs’ Midnight Madness celebrations in their entirety. In addition to UConn’s “First Night” at 7 p.m., ESPN3 will have Harvard’s “Crimson Madness” (6 p.m.), Mercer’s “Mercer Madness” (6:10 p.m.), Kentucky’s “Big Blue Madness” (7 p.m.), NC State’s “Throwback with the Pack” (8 p.m.) and Florida Gulf Coast’s “Dunk City after Dark” (9 p.m.). A week prior, ESPN3 will also carry Kansas’ “Late Night in the Phog” on Friday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m.

SEC Network’s SEC Now (9 p.m.) will show portions of Kentucky’s “Big Blue Madness”. ESPNU Midnight Madness will re-air at midnight on Friday, Oct. 17, and all of ESPN3’s content is available on-demand.

Additional schools Midnight Madness programs may be added at a later date

ESPNU Midnight Madness Highlights:

Studio Coverage: Andy Katz, host of Katz Korner, will anchor studio coverage along with college basketball analysts Seth Greenberg and Jay Williams. The studio team will preview the 2014-15 season and interview various head coaches throughout the telecast.

Head Coach Perspective: Katz, Greenberg and Williams will be joined in-studio by Villanova head coach Jay Wright, who has led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament in nine of the last 10 seasons.

All-Access: ESPN commentators and analysts will be on-location, providing viewers a first-hand insight into the various Midnight Madness activities:

• Arizona: Miles Simon (analyst), won the 1997 National Championship at Arizona and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player
• Kentucky: Sean Farnham, former UCLA basketball player, Kara Lawson, former Tennessee standout, WNBA Champion and 2008 Olympic gold medalist (analysts), along with Dave O’Brien (host)
• UConn: Rebecca Lobo, won the 1995 National Championship at UConn, 1996 Olympic gold medalist and was a standout player in the WNBA, Tim Welsh, earned more than 200 wins as a head coach (analysts) along with Kevin Connors (host) and Jeff Goodman (reporter)
• Florida, Gonzaga and San Diego State: Coach Donovan (Florida), Coach Few (Gonzaga) and Coach Fisher (San Diego State) will be wired for sound

Social Media: Fans can join the conversation throughout the night by tagging tweets with #MidnightMadness.

Programming Details: ESPNU’s Midnight Madness (October 17 at 6 p.m. ET)

ESPN3’s Midnight Madness Program Schedule (shown in its entirety)

 Additional schools may be added at a later date for all networks

2014 College Hoops Tip Off Marathon
Seven teams participating in ESPN’s Midnight Madness coverage – Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky (men and women), San Diego State, and UConn women – will play in ESPN’s seventh annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon – more than 24 hours of consecutive coverage to mark the start of the 2014-15 season over Monday, Nov. 17 and Tuesday, Nov. 18. The marathon will feature 19 men’s and women’s college basketball games across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU and includes 17 men’s games and two top-25 women’s matchups concluding with the fourth annual State Farm Champions Classic from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The neutral-site, early-season men’s doubleheader that matches four of the winningest programs against each other begins with College GameDay Covered by State Farm from inside the arena at 6 p.m. ET, followed by ESPN.com preseason-ranked No. 18 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Duke at 7 p.m. and No. 10 Kansas vs. No. 1 Kentucky at 9 p.m. – all on ESPN.

From UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – The UConn Alumni Association will host “An Evening With Champions” featuring women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma and men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Conn.

The event will be hosted by former women’s basketball All-American and National Player of the Year Rebecca Lobo, who is now a broadcaster for ESPN and a member of the UConn Board of Trustees.

This event will offer a rare glimpse into the Basketball Capital of the World as Ollie and Auriemma will give a behind-the-scenes look at UConn’s historic dual championships and their perspectives into the upcoming season. Attendees will enjoy dinner and a cash bar prior to an “Inside the Actor’s Studio”-style question and answer session moderated by Lobo.

Tickets are $85 per person and table sponsorships are available. Net proceeds will support scholarships for UConn students.

“This is an exciting and unique opportunity for true blue Husky fans,” said Mo Cotton Kelly, executive director of the UConn Alumni Association. “Through the support of loyal Huskies, the UConn Alumni Association continues to provide scholarships to UConn students in need. What better way to celebrate our dual championships than enjoying a night of camaraderie while helping other Huskies? It’s a winning combination.”

For more information, please call the Alumni Association at 860.486.2240, or email Debra Crary at debra.crary@uconn.edu. You can also RSVP at UConnAlumni.com/EveningWithChampions.

The American Athletic Conference and ESPN have announced the kickoff time for the game between the UConn Huskies and Tulane Green Wave on October 11.

The game will be begin at 8 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on ESPNews.

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.

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

Video: Foxx At QB Adds New Wrinkle To UConn Offense [sox & dawgs]

Video: Arkeel Newsome Is a Special Talent [sox & dawgs]

Plenty of highlights for UConn commits over the weekend [jim fuller – new haven register]

Huskies Having Trouble Getting Started [hartford courant]

Deshon Foxx an option at quarterback for Huskies [new haven register]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn’s Nurse, Canada fall to Turkey at FIBA Worlds [jim fuller – new haven register]

U.S. National Team Tops Serbia, 94-74 [uconn huskies]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

UConn men’s basketball commit Jalen Adams his own man [new haven register]

UConn junior guard hopeful that hard work results in more opportunities [nbc sports]

Other UConn related links

Field Hockey. No. 2 UConn Falls to No. 1 UNC, 2-1, on Sunday Afternoon [uconn huskies]

W. Soccer. UConn Falls, 3-0, At Cincinnati [uconn huskies]

M. Tennis. Huskies Host UConn Invitational; Rookie Edwards Advances to Finals [uconn huskies]

M. Golf. UConn Finishes Third At Quechee Club Collegiate Challenge [uconn huskies]

W. Tennis. UConn Women Have Strong Showing in West Point [uconn huskies]

Baseball. UConn Baseball Doles Out 2014 Team Awards [uconn huskies]

W. Volleyball. Anagu Selected as The American’s Offensive Player of the Week [uconn huskies]

M. Ice Hockey. UConn Hockey Ready for New Era in Hockey East [uconn huskies]

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.

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

Photos: UConn Huskies vs Temple Owls – 9/27/14 [sox & dawgs]

UConn’s Mistakes Help Temple to 36-10 Win [sox & dawgs]

Video: UConn Football Coach Bob Diaco Once Again Thanks Fans [sox & dawgs]

Video: Highlights of Temple’s 36-10 Win Over UConn [sox & dawgs]

Report Card: UConn Vs. Temple [desmond conner – hartford courant]

New potential wrinkle in UConn’s offense [jim fuller – new haven register]

Postgame news and notes: Same old story [john silver – sny uconn]

UConn Football: Temple Post Game Wrap [uconn huskies youtube]

Temple, Matakevich blast UConn 36-10 [uconn huskies]

Mistakes Continue To Plague UConn In Loss To Temple [hartford courant]

Newsome Already Making His Presence Felt [hartford courant]

UConn football team throttled by Temple [new haven register]

Temple brushes aside UConn 36-10 [the day]

Temple Notes: Defense puts points on the board again [philly.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

U.S. National Team Opens 2014 FIBA World Championship with 87-56 Win Over China [uconn huskies]

Other UConn related links

Field Hockey. No. 2 UConn Set for Battle with No. 1 UNC on Sunday [uconn huskies]

W. Ice Hockey. Special Teams Costly In 3-0 Loss to No. 10 Minnesota Duluth [uconn huskies]

M. Soccer. Huskies Upended By South Florida, 1-0 (OT), In Conference Opener [uconn huskies]

UConn’s Toner changed face of college sports landscape [ct post]