UConn PR Deshon Foxx (4) looks for the end zone ahead of him in the third quarter against the Stony Brook Seawolves on September 6, 2014 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. Foxx would return the kick for a 72 yard touchdown.

UConn Huskies wide receiver Deshon Foxx isn’t likely to get taken in the 2015 NFL Draft. But he’s hoping to get a chance. That’s all he wants.

Foxx doesn’t have prototypical NFL wide receiver size. His stats don’t scream NFL wide receiver. But he does have elite speed and that could help him down the line.

His best bet will be making an impression at UConn’s Pro Day in front of NFL scouts to make earn a free agent invite to camp after the draft.

There are plenty of guys in the NFL who make a living in the NFL just playing special teams. His speed could help him with that and his ability to be a kick returner, punt returner or speed guy on special teams will boost his chances.

Take a look at former UConn wide receiver Nick Williams. He wasn’t drafted in 2013 but was signed as UDFA by the Washington Redskins.

He didn’t make the final roster in 2013 but was signed to their practice squad. Late in the season he was signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and played in their final five games.

He had just three catches for 15 yards but contributed on special teams with nine kick returns for 188 yards and two tackles.

So if Foxx needed someone to look at as a model, it would be Williams.

Will Foxx’s dream come true? We will have to wait until after the 2015 NFL Draft to find out.

For now, it’s ending his UConn career on a winning note on Saturday in his final game.

Watch and/or listen below as Foxx talks about his dream of playing in the NFL and the advice he’s gotten:

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune

UConn LB Jefferson Ashiru (32) stops Boise State RB Jay Ajayi (27)  for a loss in the second quarter at Rentschler Field on September 13, 2014.

Last week, Brian Koonz of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group wrote a story entitled “UConn football player deserved better from Diaco“.

In the article, Koonz spoke with Tayo Ashiru, the father of former UConn LB Jefferson Ashiru who had left the team after seeing his role reduced. The younger Ashiru had lost his starting role to Junior Joseph a few weeks earlier.

Here’s what the elder Ashiru had to say:

“I asked him, `Is this true? Are you tired of football? What is the story?’ I wanted to know what was going on.”

He told me, `No, Daddy. I love football.’ That’s what he told me.

“He said Diaco and the coaches were coming up to him at practice, yelling at him, and asking him, `Do you love football?! Do you love football?!’ He said, `They want to get rid of me.’ When he went back to his room, he told me he cried in a way he had never cried in his life.”

According to Diaco, who talked about it about his press conference on Tuesday, this simply wasn’t true. He said he was “crushed” when he saw the comments in the article and told everyone there what happened in his own words.

As I said to someone last week in a text exchange when I saw the original article, this was going to be a case of he said, they said. It turns out that I was right.

Having been around this football program since Day 1 of the Diaco era, I’ve never seen one thing from him or ever heard him say anything that would make me believe all of what Ashiru told his father.

Anyone who’s been to his press conferences knows he wants players who love the game. So the one thing I can be sure of is that Ashiru was asked that. Could he have embellished the rest? Sure, he could have.

Could Diaco not be telling the truth? It’s possible but I highly doubt it based on what I’ve seen and heard.

The younger Ashiru made a decision to leave that could have been rash. He could have simply finished out the season and found another school to finish up his career at. Or he could have stuck it out and fought to win his job back.

With the culture that Diaco has created there and what we’ve heard about it from the players, it seems to me that Jefferson didn’t believe in what Diaco was trying to do there.

Otherwise, how can you explain him leaving his brothers, the ones he said he loved before the season started?

Watch and/or listen below as Diaco explains his feelings and talks about what happened. UConn senior WR/QB Deshon Foxx talks about his experiences as far being given a chance.

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune

When you look at the box score for the UConn Huskies 55-54 loss to the Texas Longhorns, you would think because they shot 30.4% they would have been getting blown out. But when your opponent shoots 37% including 27.3% in the second half, you’ve got a chance.

Now imagine if the Huskies had shot 40%, they most likely wouldn’t have had to worry about hitting their foul shots down the stretch. But they didn’t shot 40% and we know what happened.

UConn can’t shoot 3-of-16 (18.8%) from three or 17-of-56 (30.4%) and expect to win games. It doesn’t matter who the opponent it is, that will not get it done.

So what can the Huskies do to get better?

They all need to put up an extra 100 shots or so after practice. Then after getting their academics done, they are after all, student-athletes, they need to go back to the gym and shoot more. The more they shoot, the better they will become.

That reasoning seemed to be what head coach Kevin Ollie, Daniel Hamilton and Ryan Boatright are thinking.

They’re going to need to get better quickly too.

There’s no telling how much time Boatright will miss with his injured ankle. Plus Rodney Purvis has an injured ankle and Omar Calhoun is out as well.

If none of those three are available against Yale on Friday night, the backcourt will be very thin with just Terrence Samuel and Sam Cassell Jr. After that, they only other guard left on the roster is Pat Lenehan. Hamilton could also play guard if need be.

The Huskies definitely need this final exams break to get healthy for the long stretch run of the 2014-15 season.

Watch and/or listen below as Ollie, Kentan Facey, Hamilton and Boatright talk about the shooting woes and how to fix them.

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune

Anytime someone plays the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team, you expect them to give their best effort. Sometimes that endeavor doesn’t always work.

But when you play a team like the Green Bay Phoenix, who won’t back down from a challenge and will basically play anyone anywhere, you really have to work to beat them because they won’t defeat themselves.

A 14-2 run to start the second half got things on the right foot as the Huskies went on to an 89-53 win over the Phoenix to win the Gulf Coast Showcase in front of 3,217 at Germain Arena in Estero, FL on Sunday night.

UConn improves to 5-1 while Green Bay falls to 5-2.

Moriah Jefferson led the way for the Huskies with 19 points and five assists. Breanna Stewart added 17 points and nine rebounds while Tournament MVP Kia Nurse had 16 points and six rebounds. All-Tournament performer Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis chipped in with 13 points while Gabby Williams had another strong game off the bench with 10 points.

UConn placed one more on the All-Tournament Team in Morgan Tuck who had had eight points.

The Phoenix were led by Mehryn Kraker’s 12 points. She was also named to the All-Tournament team along with her teammate Megan Luken who had six points, six rebounds and seven assists. Tesha Buck finished with 10 points.

The Huskies are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they head to South Bend, IN for a matchup with their top rival, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Jimmy V Classic. Tip is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.

UConn Huskies vs Green Bay Phoenix 11/30/14 box score

photo credit: brad horrigan – hartford courant

The UConn Huskies student section were preparing themselves to storm the court against the #7 Texas Longhorns with just seconds remaining. Unfortunately Jonathan Holmes had other plans for them.

Holmes’ three-pointer with two seconds left gave the Longhorns a 55-54 win over the #24 Huskies in front of a sold-out crowd and nationally televised audience at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT on Sunday afternoon.

Texas coach Rick Barnes drew up a play that called for them to go for a two but the first option was covered. As Holmes cut towards the ball, UConn guard Ryan Boatright‘s ankle gave out for the second time, leaving Holmes wide open to nail the game winner.

“They just executed a good play at the end,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “We called a time out. We wanted to switch everything and guard in the corner.”

“I think Boatright rolled his ankle and couldn’t get out to Holmes, and Daniel got caught. A great execution play by them.”

Boatright led the Huskies (3-2) with 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Daniel Hamilton added 13 points and seven rebounds while Kentan Facey led the team with eight rebounds while scoring four points.

Holmes led the Longhorns (6-0) with 13 points and eight rebounds. Demarcus Holland and Javan Felix both chipped in with 10 points apiece.

UConn is back in action on Friday night before breaking for final exams as they’ll take on the Yale Bulldogs at Gampel. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Texas Longhorns @ UConn Huskies 11/30/14 box score

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

Here are UConn’s postgame notes.

More video from ESPN.

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune