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.

It’s game day for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team as they’ll take on the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Tip is scheduled for approximately 8 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN. The game will also be available on WatchESPN. If you live locally in Connecticut and can’t watch the game you can catch it on the UConn IMG Radio Network.

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UConn Women’s Basketball links

For UConn’s seniors, the beginning of the end [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

KML ready for some junior achievement [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Notebook: Tournament still seeking parity [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Looking back at UConn’s title defenses [carl adamec – snyuconn.com]

Georgia Survived The Tough SEC [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Geno Tells Muffet It’s Not Good To Fib [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Notes From Saturday’s NCAA Practices [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Preview: UConn women get going in title quest [roger cleaveland – waterbury republican-american]

Auriemma Responds To Comments Made By McGraw [rich elliott – ct post]

Dolson Ready To Go After Dealing With Injuries Last Year [rich elliott – ct post]

Mosqueda-Lewis Ready To Get Started [rich elliott – ct post]

Prairie View draws inspiration from 2012 UConn game [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn’s Stewart closing in on rare feat [jim fuller – new haven register]

Top-Seeded UConn Faces Prairie View A&M in NCAA First Round [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn Readies for NCAA First Round Game [uconnhuskies.com]

Dolson: Top-ranked Huskies playing with a chip on their shoulders [ct post]

It’s The Home Stretch In The Quest For Ninth Championship [hartford courant]

Gampel Notebook: Geno Lines Up In Favor Of Neutral Sites [hartford courant]

UConn women’s basketball Last Dance [journal inquirer]

UConn’s Breanna Stewart one of the best and getting better [new haven register]

UConn women: In pursuit of perfection [the day]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

On To The Garden To ‘Take Care Of Business;’ Wrapping Things Up In Buffalo [dom amore – hartford courant]

Wasn’t it Inevitable UConn Would Get Back to Madison Square Garden? [david borges – new haven register]

Rapid Reaction: UConn 77, Villanova 65 [kevin duffy – ct post]

Sans Shabazz: The 15 possessions that saved UConn’s season [kevin duffy – ct post]

Men of steel [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Napier gives Husky fans scare, scores 25 to help UConn reach Sweet 16 [william paxton – ct post]

Moving On [uconn huskies basketball]

UConn beats Villanova, advances to Sweet 16 [ct post]

UConn Tops No. 2 Seed Villanova, Advances To Sweet 16 In NYC [hartford courant]

Napier Leads A Category That He Really Shouldn’t [hartford courant]

Shabazz Wants It All On His Plate, With Extra Onions [hartford courant]

Shabazz, UConn returning to Garden is destiny [new haven register]

Source says Jim Calhoun to Boston College is non-story [new haven register]

Big Apple, here they come, as UConn men reach Sweet 16 with an upset [the day]

Wright loves UConn’s direction under Ollie [the day]

Napier, UConn guards key to Huskies’ victory [cbssports.com]

Other UConn related links

W. Lacrosse. Strong Second Half Propels Huskies Past Fairfield, 8-7 [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Matt Grogan Signs with Fort Wayne Komets of ECHL [uconnhuskies.com]

Softball. UConn Rallies Fall Short in Conference-Opening Doubleheader at USF [uconnhuskies.com]

Baseball. Marzi Fans Nine In 6-2 Loss at USF [uconnhuskies.com]

W. Track. UConn 4×400 Meter Relay Team Sets School Record, Top NCAA Time At FSU Relays [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. UConn Men’s Soccer Spring Schedule Set [uconnhuskies.com]

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FORT MYERS, FL – Prior to today’s game against the Rays, the Boston Red Sox made the following roster moves:

Catcher Dan Butler was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Right-handed pitchers John Ely and Dalier Hinojosa, and left-handed pitcher Rich Hill were reassigned to minor league camp.

Left-handed pitcher Jose Mijares was released.

The announcements were made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

With these moves, the Red Sox now have 35 players in big league camp, including 30 players from the 40-man roster, and five non-roster invitees.

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Junior Pat Lenehan (Cheshire, Conn.), a two-year walk-on guard on the UConn men’s basketball team, has been named one of three UConn students to receive a 2014 Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious undergraduate academic honors in the nation.

Lenehan, a Molecular Cell Biology major, is currently with the team in Buffalo, N.Y., where they are competing in the East Regional of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. He is an honors student who plans to earn an MD/PhD, become a research oncologist and advance treatments of pediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis. At UConn, his stellar academic record has already earned him recognition as a Babbidge Scholar and he is also a recipient of the Presidential Scholars Award Scholarship and the United Technologies Corporation Academic Scholarship.

Michael Cantara (Barrington, R.I.), a sophomore honors student majoring in Engineering Physics, and Peter J. Larson, Jr. (New Canaan, Conn.), a junior honors student majoring in Pathobiology, join Lenehan as UConn’s 2014 Goldwater Scholarship recipients.

“I am very proud that the University of Connecticut has had three students named as 2014 Goldwater Scholarship recipients,” UConn President Susan Herbst said. “It is particularly exciting that during this time of March Madness, one of those students is Pat Lenehan — a member of our men’s basketball team. Pat balances an amazing schedule with all the demands of being a student-athlete and a very rigorous academic program that includes hours of both classroom and research time.

“We are very excited for Pat for his performance both on the court and in academics, as we are the entire men’s basketball program.”

The Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, named in honor of former Senator Barry Goldwater, who in the U.S. Senate for 30 years, was created to foster and encourage excellence in fields related to science, mathematics, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholars were nominated by faculties of colleges and universities nationwide and 283 recipients were selected from a field of 1,166 nominees. Virtually all of them intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their degree objective. The one- and two-year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.“I couldn’t be more proud of Pat’s accomplishments in the classroom or the hard work he contributes on the basketball court every day in practice,” UConn basketball coach Kevin Ollie said. “The Goldwater Scholarship organization couldn’t have selected a more deserving recipient. There’s no doubt in my mind that Pat is destined to achieve great things as he moves forward in life.”

Lenehan, 20, is the son of Mary and Kevin Lenehan of Cheshire. Currently, he is conducting research with Dr. Barbara Mellone on proteins and the formations of centromeres and kinetochores in Dosophilia.

“We are very proud of Pat and his success academically,” said UConn Athletics Director Warde Manuel, who announced Lenehan’s achievement to the basketball team at Friday afternoon’s practice, eliciting a huge cheer from his teammates. “He is a tremendous example of the excellence that our student-athletes can achieve. The way he combines his intense academic workload with his commitment to the basketball team is truly remarkable.”

Lenehan has also contributed to several publications on obstetrics. He is currently contributing to a publication of Dr. Melanie Collins, whom he shadowed in the Pulmonary Department at Central Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, on the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis.

“To become a Goldwater scholar, students must be more than straight-A students,” said Dr. Jill Deans, director of the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships at UConn. “They must demonstrate a deep commitment to research. All three of our recipients have managed to achieve this level of excellence while contributing to the university community and beyond. Pat Lenehan’s intellect and talent, along with his dedication to his lab and devotion to the basketball team, is a mark of character and ability that will serve him and humanity for a lifetime.”

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FORT MYERS, FL – Prior to tonight’s game against the Yankees, the Boston Red Sox announced the following roster moves:

Right-handed pitcher Rubby De La Rosa and infielder Brock Holt were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Infielder Brandon Snyder was reassigned to minor league camp.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcements.

With today’s moves, the Red Sox now have 40 players in big league camp, including 31 players from the 40-man roster, and nine non-roster invitees.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Sophomore point guard Moriah Jefferson (Glenn Heights, Texas) has been named a finalist for the 2014 Nancy Lieberman Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. Candidates exhibit the floor leadership, play-making abilities and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. As a sophomore, Jefferson is the youngest of the five finalists. The winner will be announced at the Final Four in April.

Since its inception in 2000, three Huskies have taken home the award a total of six times. UConn point guards earned the honors in the first five consecutive years of its existence, with Sue Bird earning the award its first three years (2000-2002) and Diana Taurasi receiving the accolades in the subsequent two years after Bird (2003, 2004). Renee Montgomery was the last Husky to net the award in 2009.

Moriah Jefferson is enjoying an impressive sophomore season that ranks right among some of the all-time Husky greats. Jefferson currently boasts a team-high 170 assists on the season, which ranks second-best among UConn sophomores behind Diana Taurasi’s 208 from the 2001-02 season. Moreover, her stellar assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.88, which ranks 12^th in Division I, is on pace to shatter numbers posted by some of UConn’s most accomplished point guards in their respective sophomore seasons, including past Lieberman Award winners Diana Taurasi (2.51 in 2001-02), Sue Bird (2.00 in 1999-2000), and Renee Montgomery (1.72 in 2006-07).

After starting just two games in her entire freshman campaign, Jefferson has been in the starting five for every one of UConn’s 34 games and has played big minutes for the Huskies this season. Through the conclusion of the American Athletic Conference Tournament, which saw No. 1 UConn defeat No. 3 Louisville time to claim its 19^th overall conference crown, Jefferson leads the league in field goal percentage (57.7), assists (5.0 per game), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9) and ranks second in steals (2.6 per game). A spectacular regular season resulted in a First Team All-Conference nod by The American and saw her added to the Lieberman Award Watch List as a semifinalist in February.

Defensively, Jefferson helped UConn shut down some of the most prolific offenses in the nation. Jefferson and the stingy Huskies have only allowed opponents to shoot an average of 30.4 percent from the field and relinquish a mere 47.0 points per game, both of which rank first in the nation. Individual highlights include Jefferson’s defensive efforts on Odyssey Sims, the nation’s second-leading scorer. Against then-No. 7 Baylor on Jan. 17, Jefferson limited her fellow Lieberman Award Finalist to 4-of-25 shooting to help the Huskies seal the 66-55 win.

In addition to sporting league-leading numbers, Jefferson has also far outpaced her own career highs this season. The sophomore has set career numbers in points, assists, steals and rebounds entering the NCAA Tournament. In UConn’s first matchup against No. 4 Louisville on Feb. 9, Jefferson clocked a complete 40 minute game and netted a career-high 18 points against the Cardinals. The following week the 5-7 guard battled for eight boards against USF, representing the highest single-game rebound total of her career. On Jan. 28, the Texas native dished out a dozen assists against Temple for the fourth-highest individual performance in UConn history. Furthermore, Jefferson also threatened to break a single-game UConn record with nine steals against Memphis on Jan. 22 that fell just one shy of tying the program marker.

Jefferson and the Huskies enter the 2014 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Lincoln Regional. UConn (34-0) will face Prairie View A&M (14-17) in the opening round for the second time in the last three seasons. Tip time for the contest is slated for 8pm on Sunday, March 23 with national televised coverage on ESPN.

2014 Nancy Lieberman Award Final Five

Odyssey Sims, Baylor University

Jerica Coley, Florida International University

Brittany Boyd, University of California

Moriah Jefferson, University of Connecticut

Heather Butler, University of Tennessee at Martin

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STORRS, Conn. – Sophomore forward Breanna Stewart has been selected as one of four finalists for the 2014 Naismith Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top collegiate basketball player, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Friday.  The fan voting component of the award’s selection process will begin next week.

Stewart is joined by Notre Dame’s Kayla McBride, Stanford’s Chiney Ogwumike and Baylor’s Odyssey Sims.

The finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s National Voting Academy, which determined that the player performances throughout the 2013-14 regular season stood out among a host of great women’s basketball players. The 2014 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year presented by AT&T will be awarded to one of these four finalists on April 7, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn.

For the 10th consecutive year, fans will have the opportunity to vote for the player of their choice and help determine the 2014 Naismith Trophy winner. Beginning March 24 and running through April 5 fans can cast their vote through the online and mobile optimized site www.NaismithVote.com. The fan vote represents 25 percent of the selection process – the largest fan impact of any collegiate basketball award.

Stewart, who was recently selected as the 2013-14 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the espnW National Player of the Year, is leading the top-ranked Huskies at 19.7 points per game and is second on the squad at 8.1 rebounds per contest.  She ranks in the league’s top-10 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, blocks and free throw percentage.

The North Syracuse, N.Y. native was honored as the 2014 American Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging 21.7 points per game en route to leading UConn to the inaugural title.  The 2013-14 American Conference Preseason Player of the Year has been selected as the USBWA National Player of the Week and is also a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award.

Five Huskies have won the Naismith Trophy, including Rebecca Lobo (1995), Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2003), Maya Moore (2009 and 2011) and Tina Charles (2010).

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Atlanta – University of Connecticut women’s basketball head coach has been selected as a finalist for the 2014 Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Award, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Wednesday, March 19.  Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw, North Carolina State’s Wes Moore and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley join Auriemma as finalists for the honor.

The four finalists were selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s National Voting Academy, which based its criteria on the coaches’ performances to this point in the 2013-14 women’s college basketball season.

Auriemma, who has led the Huskies to eight national championships in his 29 years at UConn, is a five-time WBCA National Coach of the Year and has won the AP Coach of the Year honor on seven occasions.  The 2013-14 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Auriemma has been selected as the conference coach of the year 11 times.

The Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Award will be announced during the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Nashville.

“These four finalists have turned in some of the most impressive coaching jobs in college basketball this season, especially considering the challenges each has had to overcome. They set the standard of exemplary leadership, and we commend them for the tremendous seasons thus far,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

ABOUT THE FINALISTS:
Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut: He has led the Huskies to a 34-0 mark and a No. 1 seed entering the NCAA tournament. This is the sixth time that UConn will enter the NCAA Tournament without a loss. The team won both the regular season and conference championships in the inaugural season of the American Athletic Conference. Auriemma, who has won the Naismith Award on six previous occasions, was named the conference coach of the year.

Muffet McGraw, University of Notre Dame: After losing a four-time All-America point guard and joining a new conference, all McGraw did this season was lead the Irish to its best start and longest winning streak in school history (32-0). They finished with a perfect 19-0 record in ACC play, winning both the conference regular season and tournament titles – the first ACC school ever to win the league title in its first season in the conference. She was the unanimous choice as ACC Coach of the Year, the sixth time in her career she’s been a conference Coach of the Year, and second year in a row (also BIG EAST in 2013). McGraw has won the Naismith Coach of the Year award twice, including in 2013.

Wes Moore, North Carolina State University: Led NC State to a 21-3 start, the school’s best beginning since the 1981-82 season, en route to a 25-7 regular season record. The 16th-ranked Wolfpack (25-7) spent 11 straight weeks in the AP and Coaches top-25 polls, and won 10 games over top-100 RPI team. In his first season at the helm, Moore led the Pack to the NCAA women’s tournament for the first time in four years.

Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina: A unanimous selection for SEC Coach of the Year by the media, the three-time Olympian guided South Carolina (27-4, 14-2) to its first SEC championship with a record 14 conference wins. The Gamecocks also landed a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. South Carolina’s 26 regular-season victories are a school record and include four wins against nationally ranked teams with three of those coming on the road. The Gamecocks were ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation, the highest mark since January 1982.

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STORRS, Conn. – American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Breanna Stewart will appear on one of six regional covers of the Sports Illustrated NCAA Tournament Preview edition, which will hit newsstands this week.  The North Syracuse, N.Y. native who was recently tabbed as the espnW National Player of the Year, is also profiled in a piece by SI’s Emma Carmichael.

Stewart’s appearance marks the eighth time UConn women’s basketball has been represented on the cover of SI.  Other regional covers feature Michigan State’s Gary Harris, Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis, Florida’s Casey Prather, Arizona’s Nick Johnson and Wichita State’s Tekele Cotton.

The following is a preview of the magazine’s profile of Stewart;  “Carmichael profiles UConn women’s basketball star Breanna Stewart, the 6’4″ sophomore who can score from every place on the floor and draws similarities to the NBA’s Kevin Durant.” Writes Carmichael: “What makes Stewart special isn’t difficult to qualify – she has averaged 19.7 points this season and scored 1,000 in just 63 games, the second fastest to reach that mark in school history. But there’s something else: Stewart is a new prototype for women’s hoops.” (Page 56) Her skill set includes much more than the average post player which is why Stewart is considered a new prototype in women’s college basketball. Says Stewart, “The fact that they expect me to do so many different things means [coach Geno Auriemma] can get on me for not doing so many different things if I don’t do them,” Stewart says with a laugh.  “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” (Page 60)

The truth is Stewart still has a postseason run and two full years with the Huskies to hone her skills on both sides of the court. Thus far, the Huskies have outscored opponents by 35.7 points, the highest average margin of victory in NCAA history for both men and women, largely in part to Stewart’s prowess. When asked about her future, Stewart said, “I envision leaving Connecticut with four national championships. I couldn’t expect anything else.” (Page 61)

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The Red Sox Foundation will once again host the annual ‘Welcome Home Party’ presented by HP Hood on April 4 at the House of Blues. The event will take place immediately following the 2:05 p.m. home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Tickets for the charitable fundraiser are on sale now at redsox.com/welcomehome.

Attending the event will be members of the 2014 Red Sox team and coaching staff, as well as owners and members of the front office. Proceeds from the event benefit the Red Sox Foundation’s donations and programs benefitting the families of New England.

This year’s fundraiser will have a game show format with players and is emceed by Emmy award nominated actor Mike O’Malley and Red Sox Alumni Kevin Millar.

In addition to HP Hood, other companies supporting the event include Bank of America, Cross Insurance, CVS, Amgen, Suffolk Construction, Ernst & Young, and Sapient Nitro.

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FORT MYERS, FL – Prior to this afternoon’s game against St. Louis, the Boston Red Sox announced the following roster moves:

Right-handed pitcher Allen Webster and catcher Christian Vazquez were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Shortstop Deven Marrero was reassigned to minor league camp.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcements.

With today’s moves, the Red Sox now have 43 players in big league camp, including 33 players from the 40-man roster, and 10 non-roster invitees.

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