CONNECTICUT REGIONAL FINAL PRACTICE DAY QUOTES

GENO AURIEMMA CONNECTICUT HEAD COACH

OPENING STATEMENT

GENO AURIEMMA: “There’s really not much I can say. We’re in the position we wanted to be in since we got back home last year from the Final Four. I think it’s every kids goal to be this close to getting back to the Final Four, to have to win one game. The other 30-some games that we’ve played this year are all meant to lead us to tomorrow night. I told the team yesterday after our game that whatever it is that we’re doing, whatever it is that we’re thinking, whatever our approach has been, we’re not going to change it. We are going to try to carry it through to tomorrow night and see where that takes us.”

What do you remember about the previous matchup with Florida State? GENO AURIEMMA: “One of the downsides is we watched Florida State play before we’re playing them, so you get to feel pretty comfortable with their personnel. Then, after that, you don’t pay attention to them anymore until all of the sudden you see that they are in our bracket. Watching them play a little bit, you know that they’re still as incredibly gifted. They’re one of the few teams left in the tournament, they and Duke, that can beat you in a lot of different ways. They’re big enough in the half court that you really have your hands full. They’re quick enough that they can play full court and extend their defense. They can score from a lot of different areas. They proved yesterday that they can win a close game in a game that they’ve never won before, to go to the final eight for the first time. Obviously, this is a team that is well run. I know they’ve had their ups and downs this season. They’ve had some huge wins, and some losses where you went, ‘how did that happen?’ Whatever team we played against in December is probably not the same team we are playing tomorrow night.” On the hiring of Anne Donovan at Seton Hall… GENO AURIEMMA: “I think it’s a great hire for Seton Hall. You’ve got a lot of different ways to go. Go get a young, up and coming assistant, go get an established head coach from college. Now you get somebody who has been a college coach, who’s been a pro coach, who’s been an Olympic gold medal winner as a player, as a coach. You talk about filling the whole box score, the whole stat sheet with one person, Seton Hall has certainly done that.” On contact with legendary Hall of Fame Coach John Wooden in the past… GENO AURIEMMA: “When I was playing high school basketball, I think everybody’s favorite team was UCLA. If they weren’t, it’s because they were either lying or they were just jealous. I loved UCLA, loved everything about them, and probably the fact that they won all the time and the way they played. They were exceptional at every position. I enjoyed watching them play. I rooted for them to win all the time, and I never wanted to see them lose. I’m the same way in a lot of ways. I’m not a big fan of the underdog. I’ve been the underdog a couple of times, certainly earlier in my career. We’ve been the ‘overdog’ for so long. I like the favorites. I root for Tiger to win every golf tournament. Freddie Couples, I’ve gotten to know him, just won his third straight. I hope he wins ten in a row. That’s just the way I am. “I was in California years and years ago, I would say at least 15 years ago, I think after we won our first national championship. I happened to be at a clinic speaking. They told me to go up to this hospitality room, and I went up there and all of the coaches that were speaking at the clinic were there, and John Wooden was sitting on the couch. That’s the first time I had ever been around him. I said to the guy running the clinic, ‘I want to meet John Wooden.’ He brought me over and introduced me to him. Like a grandfather would, he told me to sit down right here. He put his hand on my knee, talking to me about the game and coaching. We spent about 15 minutes. I just listened to what he had to say. It was really neat, really a great experience. Then we won a national championship in 2000, and there’s a thing in Sports Illustrated about how John Wooden really loves the UConn women because of the way we play. We had like 97 backdoor layups and all this stuff, and we played so pretty. An article on John Wooden talking about UConn basketball in Sports Illustrated. And I thought, ‘Wow! That’s really cool.’ And he makes a comment that I’ll never forget the rest of my life. He says, ‘You know, I’ve never met their coach, but he seems like a wonderful young man.’ So, that’s my fondest memory of John Wooden.” What advice would you give to Florida State Head Coach Sue Semrau to stay at this level? GENO AURIEMMA: “By doing the same thing John Wooden did and Geno Auriemma did, go out and recruit the best players in the country. That’s the easiest way, and then you’ve got to coach them, honestly. I think that’s the hardest thing there is to do, and you’ve seen why when you see so many teams that get here and then can’t get back here for a long time. And then you see some teams who are here all the time. Having been here now, it’s the best thing that ever happens. I talked to her a lot last year when we played them, and we talked a lot about how far she’s come and where their program has gotten to. She coaches the hell out of those kids. They play so hard. It’s the best thing that has ever happened to her and the worst thing that has ever happened to her because from now on, no matter where they finish in the NCAA tournament, if there not at the final eight or beyond, she’s going to be disappointed. That’s just the life that you put yourself into. They’re at a school that they can attract good players. They have good facilities. She’s a heck of a coach, one of the best young coaches in the country, like Kim Mulkey [Baylor] or like Sherri Coale [Oklahoma], coaches like that, I’m not surprised they’re here year after year after year any more. It’s not the first time they’ve won a big game. They beat Stanford at Stanford a couple of years ago. It’s not like they came out of nowhere. She’s good, and they’re good.” What is your single biggest concern tomorrow night? GENO AURIEMMA: “The streak has never been my concern. I don’t recruit kids and say if you come to Connecticut we are going to try to win 90 in a row. That’s not the plan. I worry about things that I can have a little bit of control over. Same thing I worried about yesterday. How are we going to keep them from making 15 3’s, cause if we do that, I think we can win. At the other end, I know we are going to get open shots, but what if we go 5-for-30? I worry about all the things that most coaches worry about. The outside world thinks, ‘Well, what do you got to worry about? You have the best team. You never lose.’ If I start thinking like that, I wouldn’t be setting up here right now. I worry about the same things every coach worries about. Tina [Charles], you better not get in foul trouble, but Tina you can’t give up a layup every time because you don’t want to foul. Maya [Moore], don’t do anything dumb on defense. Okay, I’ll just let my guy score every time he touches it. You worry about the things that can happen during the course of the game, but at the same time you are confident going into the game that you are going to do the things that you are going to do. Remember that Tom Petty song they use on Friday Night Lights, ‘I’m always confident, but I’m not really sure.” When will the parity in women’s basketball match the parity in men’s basketball? GENO AURIEMMA: “Never. The reason it’s happening on the men’s side is a simplistic reason. You are always trying to put together a new team. So, you mean to tell me if all those kids stay at Kentucky, there is any serious doubt who will be in the Final Four for the next three years? That’s not what happens in the women’s game. You get players who go to college. They’re really good. They stay together for four years, so all the best teams are always the best teams. There are no surprises in the NCAA tournament because you very rarely get a number one or two seed where you go, ‘Gee, they’ve not been in this situation before. I wonder how they’re going to handle it?’ Sure they have been. The flip side is that every team you are playing is an experienced, good team. We’ll probably never have 6-7 seeds make the Final Four on a regular basis. It might happen, but it’s so difficult until players start leaving early, maybe. Until women’s players start acting like men’s players and they don’t feel like showing up sometimes. Generally speaking, the only nonparity, is between 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the rest of the country. From 5 to 35, it is as tight-knit as it has ever been, ever. Look at Xavier, look at Kentucky, those guys were no where a couple of years ago, and now they are on the verge of going to the Final Four. So, it’s happening, but it just doesn’t happen in volumes every year. And it doesn’t get enough of a story. If there were men’s basketball, do you know what kind of story Xavier would be? They would be Butler. But it’s women’s basketball, so it’s not. Butler’s Butler, and rightly so, but Xavier’s Xavier. But Xavier is the Butler of women’s basketball. And their coaches like look twins. They both look like they are 12.” Which team do you think has the advantage when you’ve played Florida State twice over two seasons? Maya Moore: “It’s tough playing a team multiple times in a season, but over a couple seasons it is different. You graduate certain players and the dynamic is a little different each year. Either way, we’re going to play a tough team at this point in the season. Florida State has a lot of weapons so we’re going to have to prepare for them just like in the last game. We fought hard against them last time and it’s going to be a battle.” Geno says he coaches you different, much less barking and much more freedom to let you play the way you play. Do you notice that and do you like that? Maya Moore: “Yeah. I’m supposed to. This is the time of year when you want to be your most confident. You don’t want to think about too much. It’s the end of the season and it’s his job to critique us and constantly challenge us in areas that we’re weak in. And that’s why in this point of the year we are so confident and getting better and growing the whole season. The way he approaches the whole season is perfect. We’re all in a really good flow right now.” It’s been a long season, but what do you remember about the Florida State game earlier this year, specifically style of play Florida State had? Kalana Greene: “Florida State is a very athletic team. The guards are really quick and physical and aggressive. It was a hard fought game after Christmas break when you’ve had a couple days off and have to come back and play a really good team. I just remember it being aggressive and going 100 miles per hour.” Even though you’re busy trying to win a National Championship, do you have any sentimental moments knowing that your careers are coming to an end. Do you give yourself any time to reflect or any sentimentality at all? Kalana Greene: “Yes, definitely. After the first and second games, we were in my apartment, sitting there, talking about how this is our last go round. We just have to do this. No matter what it takes. We had a meeting with Coach before the tournament started. He was telling us that, at this point in time, it’s not about the right and wrongs, the x’s and o’s or anything like that. It’s about getting it done and bringing home a W. We talk about that all the time.” Tina Charles: “I’m just trying to enjoy every moment. No matter what happens this year, we’re done. I’m just trying to enjoy every second I have because these are the times you cherish the most with your teammates. I just want to give it my all and do whatever it takes to get the next win.” Is the winning streak getting to be a weight or a burden? Tiffany Hayes: “No, it’s not a burden on me. We just go out there and play as hard as we can. No matter what happens, we play our hardest. The streak isn’t weighing on us because we know that if we lose we played our hardest. We’re not worried about it. We just have to go out there and play and not put pressure on ourselves.” You recalled the last meeting with Florida State as being played at 100 miles per hour. Is that a speed this team is comfortable playing at or would you like to stay within the speed limit? Kalana Greene: “I think going too fast and playing quickly are two different things. I think our team knows how to control the tempo. If Florida State wants to play full court, we’re very good at that. If they try to force us to play half court, we are good at that too. I think any style of play that is thrown at us, we know how to play it.” What speed are you more comfortable with? Kalana Greene: “I don’t think it matters. I think a lot of the games that we were forced to play half court we played very well. This is a team that is a championship team. We get out and we score off our defense. If we play great defense, I’m sure we’ll have a great transition game.” Have you been able to watch any of the tournament games on tv? What’s your impression of how the Women’s tournament has gone and what has transpired to this point? Caroline Doty: “It’s been exciting. We’ll go back to the hotel and we’ll all be watching the games. It’s interesting to see who brings their game further. With the games that have been going on, a lot of it has been unexpected, but that’s the way March Madness goes. It’s exciting and you just have to bring your A game to every single game you play in.” Has anything any of the results shocked or surprised you? Caroline Doty: “It’s always a surprise when a number one teams falls in the tournament, but it is March Madness. Anything can happen.” Can you describe Tina’s development as a player? Is there anything she can do now that she couldn’t do earlier in her career? Kalana Greene: “Tina was always physically gifted. I think the last two years, mentally, she got a lot stronger. And I think the mental progression of Tina has guided her to where she is now. No one doubted how talented Tina was. They may have doubted if she could play in the big games. In the last two years, she’s been huge in every big game we’ve ever had. I think that’s where she’s grown the most.” Do you remember that match up against Jacinta Monroe from the game earlier this year? Tina Charles: “Yes, definitely. She’s an athletic type of player that likes to face up mostly, hit the bank shot. She’s a lefty. She’s quick. She always has her hands up on defense. She blocked a couple of my shots. She’s always looks around, trying to be in the passing lanes. She can run the floor. She’s one of the opponents I played against this year who runs the floor well who is trying to beat her man up the court. I remember that match up a lot.

Here’s a press release from the Boston Red Sox announcing the improvements they’ve made to Fenway Park for the 2010 season:

The Boston Red Sox today welcomed Mayor Thomas M. Menino and city officials to Fenway Park to review the “Year IX Improvements” at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark, which celebrates its 98th anniversary this year. This annual rite of spring occurs before the opening of each baseball season to showcase the Red Sox and City of Boston’s collaboration on Fenway Park.

“We are entering the last inning of improvements to Fenway Park, and this old ballpark has never looked better,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino. “This American icon that once was cramped and congested now has more seats and spaces, wide open concourses, new and improved facilities and many more food and beverage options for our fans. Leading up to its 100th Anniversary in 2012, our focus has been always to improve and expand the physical structure without disturbing the warmth, charm and authenticity that surrounds this ballpark.”

The 2010 Fenway Park Improvements were designed to improve internal circulation, ingress and egress, to expand concessions and bathroom facilities, and to insure the long-term structural viability of the ballpark. They include the following:

1. Left Field 1934 Seating Bowl Concrete Repair, Waterproofing and New Seats The concrete in the Lower Left Field Seating Bowl, originally constructed in 1933-34, has been repaired and waterproofed. As part of this project, the Dugout Seats, Field Box Seats and Loge Box Seats have been replaced with new seats and now contain cup-holders. All Dugout Seats and Field Box Seats in these areas will also have cushioned seats. In the Left Field Grandstand area, the original blue wooden seats (only wooden seats left in Major League Baseball) have been refurbished and fitted with self-rising mechanisms that enable the seat to retract automatically once a patron stands up. This will allow for more room in the seating rows and improved mobility for fans entering or exiting the rows. Additionally, a new row of Grandstand seats has been added to the back of Grandstand sections 29, 30, and 31. The removal of the asphalt poured on cracked or broken portions of the concrete to provide temporary fixes over decades resulted in the lowering of the central cross aisle between the Field Box Seats and the Loge Box Seats in the left field portions of the 1934 bowl by approximately 8 inches. This is consistent with work performed last year to the 1912 seating bowl and will provide fans sitting in the lower rows of the Loge Boxes with improved views of the playing field. The wheelchair and companion positions in the Loge Box were also improved this year and relocated from Section 31 to Section 32. The sight lines from the new positions were enhanced by creating elevated platforms and positioning the companion seats next to the wheelchair locations rather than in front of them. Several seats formerly placed in the lower aisle were removed for comfort and circulation. All seats were refurbished and/or replaced by American Seating, the same company that has worked on the seats at Fenway Park since its inception in 1912. The concrete repair work was completed by NER Construction of Wilmington, MA, who also completed a similar scope of work during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 off-seasons in other areas of the ballpark.

2. New Restrooms and Concession Enhancements Behind Home Plate In an effort to create additional space, improve circulation and enhance the fan experience, the concession stand behind Home Plate at the top of the Grandstand has been replaced by new expanded stands that offer a wider variety of food and beverage items. Also, seven original archways, first built in 1912 and bricked over for many years, were re-opened and restored, which will improve air circulation in that area of the ballpark. The restrooms that previously resided in this location on the Grandstand concourse have been removed; and new, larger restrooms with additional fixtures for both men and women have been constructed on a Mezzanine area positioned above Gate D, and are accessible via a new staircase that connects to the top of Grandstand Section 19 (behind home plate). The new restrooms are more than double, in both size and number of fixtures, compared to the previously existing ones. Additionally, two new ADA accessible family restrooms have been added in an area adjacent to the new concession stands on the Grandstand concourse towards first base.

3. Lower Third Base Concourse Improvements Several improvements and infrastructure upgrades have been completed in the Lower Third Base concourse. Most importantly, a new staircase has been constructed to provide improved access to/from the Gate A concourse and the Lower Third Base concourse. Enhancements have been made to the interiors of both the Visitor’s Clubhouse and grounds crew areas, including new finishes and fixtures in the manager’s office, locker room, and shower and grooming areas within the Visitor’s Clubhouse. Additionally, the locker room, meeting room and grooming areas that serve the Red Sox Grounds Crew have been refurbished.

4. New Concession Areas and Several New Menu Items In 2010, ARAMARK and the Red Sox will introduce several new menu enhancements that offer fans even more dining options. In addition to their classic Fenway favorites, fans will now find double cheeseburgers, grilled chicken bistro sandwiches, stromboli, and chicken parmesan and Italian meatball subs throughout the ballpark. At the center of this year’s food and beverage upgrades is an expanded and completely renovated concession area behind home plate, featuring a newly installed brick oven for cooking freshly made pizza (served whole and by the slice). The stand will offer many of the new items, including the chicken parmesan and Italian meatball subs, as well as Italian sausage sandwiches, Fenway Franks, hamburgers, chicken tenders & fries, and assorted snacks and desserts. ARAMARK has also substantially expanded Fenway Park’s vegetarian menu and added more options for fans with special dietary considerations. A new veggie burger, veggie dog, and spinach and mozzarella stromboli will join the lineup of existing vegetarian options like assorted salads, pizza, vegetarian burritos, hummus and fresh fruit cups. A growing list of gluten free items will include kettle corn, cookies, chips, and crackers. Fans looking for lighter fare will find assorted wraps along with deli and Panini sandwiches. The selection of family-oriented combination value meals has also been expanded to include pizza & soda, chicken tenders & fries, burger & fries, and soup & a sandwich. Kid-friendly novelty items such as funnel cakes, slush puppy frozen drinks, and milkshakes have been added to the menu. Additionally, along Yawkey Way, the Boston BBQ stand will now feature a new pulled BBQ beef sandwich served with fries, and chicken tenders.

All off-season projects were designed by D’Agostino Izzo & Quirk of Somerville, MA, and overseen by Ipswich Associates of Boston, MA.

Eight (and now Nine!) Years of Fenway Park Improvements

Fenway Park has undergone a series of annual improvements since the ownership group led by John Henry and Tom Werner purchased the team in February 2002. Most visible among them, for the fans, are the additions of the Dugout Seats and Yawkey Way Concourse in 2002; Green Monster Seats in 2003; the Right Field Roof Seats in 2004; the creation of the 3rd Base Concourse and the opening of ‘Game On’ in the space occupied by the former ‘Players’ Club and the old bowling alley in 2005; the EMC Club and State Street Pavilion in 2006; the Jordan’s Third Base Deck in 2007; and an expansion of the State Street Pavilion seating with the addition of more than 800 new seats and the unveiling of the new Coca-Cola Corner in 2008. Another new addition in 2008 was ‘The Bleacher Bar’, a restaurant located under the center field bleachers that gives patrons a view of centerfield from a special two-way glass paneled retractable door that remains open year-round. The improvements in 2009 were highlighted by the Right Field Roof repair, expansion, and new seats; concrete repair and waterproofing of the original 1912 seating bowl and new seats; and repairs to the Jeano Building, including the replacement of its roof and restoration of the windows and doors.

It is anticipated that 2011 will be the final year of major, annual improvements to the ballpark, completing a ten-year cycle.

The Boston Red Sox are just over six days away from Opening Day against the New York Yankees and I think we all couldn’t be happier to have some real baseball to watch on our televisions.

The Red Sox will break camp on Friday afternoon after taking on the Washington Nationals. They’ll then head to our nation’s capital to play the Nationals again. After that, it’s on to Boston for Opening Day.

There are still questions to be answered before they break camp.

The main one being how will the roster shape up. Right now, we know the starting nine and we know that Jason Varitek, Bill Hall and Jeremy Hermida will be on the bench. We know the starting rotation plus the fact that Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez, Daniel Bard and Manny Declarmen will be in the bullpen.

By my count, that leaves three roster spots open. One of those three spots will go to a backup infielder which’ll most likely be Tug Hulett or Kevin Frandsen unless they can’t trade Mike Lowell this week. There’s also the distinct possibility that Lowell could start on the DL if he his knee doesn’t respond to treatment.

The two remaining roster spots will go to bullpen guys like Scott Atchison, Boof Bonser, Joe Nelson, Scott Schoeneweis or Alan Embree. With two righties and two lefties in the bunch, my guess is the Red Sox will take one of each. Embree may not be ready to start the season in the big leagues so this could give an opening to Schoenweis.

One thing we need to remember is that Daisuke Matsuzaka will be ready towards the end of April. So it’s quite possible that one of these guys in the bullpen who makes the team could be released or sent to Pawtucket.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in this final week of spring training down in Ft. Myers.

We’ll be back later on with any breaking news and the lineups for tonight’s Grapefruit League tilt against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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

Clay able to break mold [Boston Globe]

Francona will choose up sides [Boston Globe]

Patience not lost by Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Clay Buchholz has positive ID [Boston Herald]

Lining them up [Clubhouse Insider]

Quiz time [ESPN Boston]

MLB Power Rankings, 3/29 [Full Count]

Tony Massarotti Tabs Kevin Youkilis as AL MVP in 2010 Predictions [NESN.com]

Clay Buchholz Shakes Off Poor Start, Red Sox Beat Twins 11-5 [NESN.com]

Red Sox Must Beat Teams They’re Supposed to Beat to Be Successful in 2010 [NESN.com]

Report: Lars Anderson to start at Double-A [Projo Sox Blog]

Tug Hulett’s walk-off hit [Projo Sox Blog]

Report: Rangers still talking about Lowell [Projo Sox Blog]

Hulett, Frandsen battle for roster spot [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Buchholz able to regain his focus [Providence Journal]

Restocked Red Sox begin quest anew [RedSox.com]

Red Sox’s 10 prospects to watch in 2010 [RedSox.com]

Red Sox 2010 organization preview [RedSox.com]

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

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

UConn Football links

Slain UConn Player’s Girlfriend Gives Birth [AP]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Faris delivers again [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Geno On The Elimination Of Tennessee [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Faris Comes Up Big Again; ‘Noles Coming In Dec. [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Geno had no interest in playing Tennessee [Vickie Fulkerson – The Day]

Moore, Faris lead UConn into Elite Eight [CT Post]

Maya just goes out and plays [CT Post]

UConn women’s notebook: Faris delivers offensively [CT Post]

UConn’s defense stays a step ahead [CT Post]

UConn women’s report card vs. Iowa State [CT Post]

Up next for UConn women: Florida State [CT Post]

UConn Thrashes Iowa State; Huskies Move On To Elite Eight [Hartford Courant]

UConn’s Faris Finds Her Range [Hartford Courant]

Auriemma Says Lady Vols Of No Concern [Hartford Courant]

Defense doesn’t rest for Huskies [New Haven Register]

Faris finding her range in tournament [New Haven Register]

Too much firepower [The Day]

Taking a page out of their book [The Day]

UConn women now 3 wins away from national title [The Republican-American]

Even reserves getting hot [The Republican-American]

Geno won’t miss Lady Vols [The Republican-American]

Connecticut Huskies end suspense quickly [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]

UConn-Tennessee Is a Rivalry Worth Resuming [NY Times]

Geno: Not upset UConn won’t see Tennessee in NCAAs [SI.com]

Moore’s treys only add to UConn’s arsenal [ESPN.com]

Huskies turn up the defense against ISU [ESPN.com]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

March [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Other UConn related links

Softball: Silva Walkoff Double Pushes Huskies Past Hoyas 4-3 In 10 Innings [UConnHuskies.com]

There was much joy in Ft. Myers today as the Boston Red Sox clinched the coveted Mayor’s Cup with an 11-5 win over the Minnesota Twins at City of Palms Park. It’s the fourth straight Mayor’s Cup for the Red Sox, who lead the series 4-2 with one game to go.

Clay Buchholz started for the Red Sox and gave up four early runs, two of them off the bat of the $184 million man Joe Mauer. But he settled down after that, retiring the final eight batters he faced. He allowed four runs on five hits with no walks and recorded seven strikeouts.

Scott Atchison improved his stock once again as he allowed two hits in 1 1/3 innings while Hideki Okajima struck out two in his inning. Ramon Ramirez retired both batters he faced and Jonathan Papelbon gave up an unearned run on a hit with two strikeouts.

The Red Sox were able to pound out 16 hits off of five Twins pitchers, including 11 by the 2,3 and 4 hitters of Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez and Kevin Youkilis.

Pedroia had three hits and a stolen base while VMart had four hits and three RBIs. Youk added four hits and an RBI. David Ortiz hit a 3-run bomb and Tug Hulett, pinch-hitting for Big Papi, had a 3-run bomb as well. Bill Hall had the other RBI.

We’re heading into the final week of spring training and we now the rotation. What we don’t know is who the backup shortstop will be or who will be in the bullpen.

But one thing’s for certain, those questions will be answered this week as we are now just seven days away from Opening Day against the defending World Series Champions, the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox will entertain the Tampa Bay Rays in their final night game of spring training on Monday night at City of Palms Park. Josh Beckett will make his final start of spring training as he prepares for his Opening Day start against the Yanks.

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

Red Sox notes: Buchholz finds a positive solution [CSN New England]

Circling the bases with Tug Hulett [ESPN Boston]

Buchholz focuses on finishing kick [ESPN Boston]

Stats Show Rest Is Best For Josh Beckett, But Should Red Sox Have a Six-Man Rotation? [ESPN Boston]

Clay Buchholz Still Learning Mental Side of Pitching Like Pro [NESN.com]

Good news, bad news for Clay Buchholz [Projo Sox Blog]

Ambivalence reigns as Red Sox clinch Mayor’s Cup [Projo Sox Blog]

Papelbon just about ready to start the season [Projo Sox Blog]

Ability to adjust gives Buchholz boost [RedSox.com]

Here are the postgame quotes from the UConn Huskies 74-36 win over the Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, March 28th.

CONNECTICUT POSTGAME QUOTES

Head Coach Geno Auriemma

Opening Statement

I know this sounds like a broken record for me, but going into today’s game I wasn’t really sure how we are going to keep them from making a bunch of 3’s. I can’t tell you how well this group playing defensively and watching the scouting report and how well they prepared today, even more so than I ever thought going into the game. They just played exceptionally well on the defensive end and kind of set the tone for the rest of the game for us. Iowa State is a lot better than they showed today.

On the feeling of winning… You go to practice and work on some things and then you come to a game and see those things happen, it’s great to see. If you’re a real team player, and you’re sitting there watching your teammates play well, you also want to do something to help. I think real basketball players want to play and they don’t care what the score is. I think that’s what drives our team. They don’t care what the score is because they just want to play well.

On the impact of Freshman Guard Kelly Faris… I said at one point during the game, isn’t it funny that the one thing we worried about Kelly doing was hitting shots on a consistent basis. She wasn’t highly recruited because she wasn’t a shooter. It was just a matter of time until she started hitting. She’s already made more shots than we expected her to when we recruited her. She’s such a good basketball player, that making shots for her just adds to her value on the floor. She’s very smart, a good defender, quick, strong, and a tough kid. Even if Kelly didn’t take a shot, she would still help us win games. When she’s in a groove like she is now, it takes a little pressure off our other guards. I tell her to keep shooting and we need her.

On the duo of Tina Charles and Maya Moore… Almost every great team constitutes two or more great players. It seems that’s what makes you have a great team. They can beat you in so many different ways. We talk a lot about what it takes to be a great team. These two are carrying more of the load this year than last, but I don’t know of any great team that doesn’t have two dominant forces. They are really special people right now.

On defending and rebounding Iowa State… Iowa State plays in a great league. They finished second in the Big 12 and played some great teams. I think we presented certain challenges to Iowa State. I noticed at one point they weren’t really rebounding on the offensive end because they were worried about getting back in transition. There were some things they had to adjust to and were able to cause some problems for them. They rely a lot on their offense to help their defense and when you’re not making shots, it’s very tough. They got caught in a bad situation today and today’s play is not really indicative of who they are.

Iowa State’s coach said you guys were always one play ahead. Can you talk about that?

Maya Moore: Well I am glad that it seemed that way because that’s how coach trains us. It’s what we do in practice. To always be thinking ahead and anticipate everything that they are going to do. It helps that we covered the passing lanes. It also helps that we had the help side, we knew the scouting report and knew what they were going to do. I thought we did a great job today. Not necessarily getting the steal of getting a huge blocked shot, but everything we practiced for.

Maya, I was wondering in addition to defending them you guys went and hit a few threes right off the bat so it kind of switched and slowed their game play. What kind of impact did that have on them?

Maya Moore: It’s good for us. We are a team that scores first. Keep attacking. We were going to find their shooters. Coach says the minute your open you have to just drop it in this is not the time to hesitate. Shoot it when you are open. Kelly was shooting well tonight with a few threes. You don’t have to convince me or any of us guards to shoot a three ball when we have a good look.

Kelly, postseason is often a time when players turn the corner with confidence. Would you say you needed this for your own personal confidence level to play like this in the post season level. Do you feel yourself sort of transforming into a better player?

Kelly Faris: Yes, it’s definitely been fun so far. Starting out with the NCAA tournament like I said before, coming out in the post season, if you don’t leave it all out there and you lose., your seasons over. You give it your all and everything, especially in post season. Luckily for me I have a great team behind me. Confidence wise, they are going to help out and personally this has helped me out a lot, so it’s been fun so far.

Can you talk about what it’s like playing a non-traditional center who wants to get away from the paint and shoot the ball?

Tina Charles: It’s very different. There was a time that I lapsed and she was at the top of the key and was able to knock it down. I rarely ever play against a post presence of that size, that knocks down a three. So basically knowing my surroundings and knowing where she always is, putting my hand out and trying to move my feet.

Kelly, do you have a new approach offensively as far as being more aggressive. Talk about the way that you are shooting the ball.

Kelly Faris: Yeah, right now my shots are finally falling. So like Maya was saying, coach is always saying that if we get open don’t hesitate to shoot it. Right now, my shots are falling so I’m going to keep going at it. If they stop falling, I’m going to do something else to get it to someone else.

Maya, your margin of victory in the first three games is 148 points, which is a NCAA record for the first three games of the tournament. Does this constitute hitting your stride at the right time?

Maya Moore: I think so. We came into the post season, meaning the big east tournament, feeling we could play and shoot especially better. We had a little of a break after the tournament to rest and practice and I think that we built since then. We are extremely happy with where we are right now. It’s the perfect spot to be in. The shots are going in, the whole team is all getting the ball, everybody’s on the same page. We are trying to stay focused and continue this run that we have.

Maya, You sat out the final ten minutes of the first half. You ended up with an even bigger lead. Tell me, what does that say about your team?

Maya Moore: It’s great. It’s one of those things when you go to the locker room and you are giddy and excited because everyone is playing well, everyone’s involved getting assists, getting a steal, contributing somehow. A lot of people have confidence right now and it makes us feel great and gives us confidence to come in and just dominate. It’s nice to see my teammates do so well and to show everything that we work hard for.

Geno was talking about the defensive performance that you had tonight. Can you describe if there was a possession early on where you felt like you were forcing them to pull up on their shots, to make a bad pass, to give up on a passing lane. Was there any point early on where you thought we are right on with the defense right now?

Tina Charles: I remember there was a possession where we had to rotate over and I had to help the baseline. Someone else had to drop down. Maya had to rotate out and stop the three and we ended up with a steal. Just having plays like that gives us confidence in the tournament.

IOWA STATE POST GAME QUOTES

Iowa State Head Coach Bill Fennelly

Opening Statement

First of all, on behalf of our team and our university, I want to thank The University of Dayton for an amazing, amazing event. And thank you for the way you treated us and certainly thanks to the NCAA committee for allowing our players to live out a dream of playing in this tournament. Connecticut was certainly as good as advertised – I don’t think I’ve had a whipping like that since I was a little kid and broke something of my mom’s. But certainly a great team, I feel bad for our players that our season didn’t end with a little better overall performance. Overall, I think we’ll take away from this an amazing year. I’m very proud of our seniors, I’m very proud of our team. Unfortunately we didn’t give the kind of performance today that gave us a chance to beat arguably the best team I’ve ever seen. Thank you.

Elaborate on why you think UConn is the best team you’ve ever seen… Also give a preview of a potential semi-final matchup of Baylor and UConn.

First of all, I would say that they have talent at every position. They have length, they have size, they have skill sets and they play really hard. I think that’s the thing I’ve been trying to impress upon our kids is that they play hard every possession, it doesn’t matter what the score is. And I don’t know that I’ve seen a team like that combines an amazing skill set with preparation and effort. As far as their matchup with Baylor goes, obviously (Baylor center) Brittany Griner changes the game. They’re playing at a very high-level, but I’d be surprised if, from what I’ve seen, if Baylor can compete with them or any team. I think Baylor can compete with them, they’re physical enough and Brittany Griner is such an X-factor. It’s hard to know how to attack her. But with Connecticut’s skill set inside-outside, their depth, I just can’t see anyone beating them. Obviously I’m a Big 12 homer and I’m going to pray that someone does from the Big 12 and gets the opportunity, but if they continue to play the way they’re playing they’re going to be very hard to beat

What makes Connecticut’s defense so good?

I think they game plan really well. They know exactly how they want to play. They’re long at every position, on the perimeter. Their guards are taller and they anticipate well. They play the game one play ahead rather than one play behind. And then when you do get an open shot – and I thought early we had a couple looks – but that was the fear going in, was could we score? And when we had an open look we had to make it, and we certainly didn’t get a ton of them, but early when we did we didn’t finish and make some open looks. When you get the open shot, you have to make it. And they don’t foul, so it’s hard to get open looks and score. And when you don’t get to the free throw line, it’s the one spot they can’t guard, you don’t get there. I think their defense is underrated and certainly the way this tournament’s going – I think that probably changed the way they defended the first three games.

What kind of “X-factor” does Maya Moore provide?

I think it is the ultimate X-factor, because she is so talented and does so many things. Looking at video, her economy of motion, she does things so effortlessly. But it looks like she’ll do whatever she’s got to do to win a game. She had some good looks early, she made them and I think it’s a hard matchup because she can post you up and she moves around. Again, she has a very high IQ, she moves to spots that most people won’t move into to get the ball. But she’s extremely talented and physically strong and certainly in a long line of great Connecticut guards, has an amazing motor and competitive spirit that they seem to have unlike a lot of programs.

You started out in the zone defense, what was the gameplan?

Our game plan was to go out and guard them on the three-point line and not let them get off to a good start. Moore hit a really tough shot early, and when you’re late getting after a great player they’ll make them. So that was not the plan, but we wanted to extend our defense a little bit and use Anna’s length to make it a little bit tougher on Tina Charles. But she hit some looks early and when they’re making three’s and we’re not making anything, the score got a little out-of-hand early.

You’ve said this game won’t define the season. What does?

It’s all right here. The kind of people we have that attend our school and play basketball for Iowa State. This week was all about Connecticut, and that’s all everyone was talking about. They deserve it, but that doesn’t take anything away from our players. The chance to be in situation, I mean, there’s a lot of great teams in this country and to be one of only five to play in back-to-back Sweet 16’s is a great accomplishment. The accomplishments of our program, none of you will write about or get to see. It’s the kind of people I get to be around every day, the bad part about losing the last game is that I don’t get to see them in practice tomorrow. They’re a great group of young people and the challenges they’ve face all year, they’ve met them and I’m very, very proud of how they handled themselves.

On the Combo of Tina Charles and Maya Moore and potential matchup with Nebraska for the Huskies…

No. I have not seen anything like it or coached against it and I think we play in the best league in the country. But as far as the combination and the way they can dominate and take over the game on both ends of the floor… no I haven’t seen that. As far as Nebraska, Nebraska is going to come at Connecticut. They’re going to press everyone, they don’t care. They have the depth to play them, Kelsey Griffin is the kind of player that I think is in the conversation for national player of the year. It won’t be a game where if they played each other UConn would have the advantage as far as the aura of team.

On the maturation of UConn’s Tina Charles…

I think she came out of high school as one of the best players in the country, but now she’s stronger, she runs amazingly well rim-to-rim. She positions herself so well and again, the game almost looks easy. The term we use on our team is ‘economy of motion,’ and I think she has that.

Was there anything that Iowa State could have done to make the outcome of this game different?

Alison Lacey: “I think at times we could have competed harder and cleaned up the little things –we could have been more aggressive. If we had made a few more shots things would have been different. If we could get to the free-throw line, it may have changed. It was really just the little things.”

What does it feel like playing UConn; as they get off to that kind of start, what were you thinking out there?

Alison Lacey: “I was thinking compete. Do what I can do. No we weren’t scared. We were excited to play. We wanted to see how we would match-up against them. It really is exciting to play a team like that. They are the best team we have even seen and I’ve been watching them on TV for two years. To be able to go out there and play against them and see how we compete against them, it’s fun. I try to go out there and play hard, and embrace the opportunity. I know the scoreboard wasn’t pretty, but anytime I can play for Iowa State I’m going to have a good time.”

This is the third straight game that Connecticut has held their opponent to under 40 points. Can you talk about their defense?

Denae Stuckey: “Their defense is pretty aggressive. We just had to be fundamental and eliminate mistakes. The turnovers we had were due to not taking care of the ball. We best thing for us to do was keep our poise and take care of the ball.”

Could you give us an idea, from your experience, how you think UConn would match-up against Nebraska or Baylor, if it were to come to that down the road?

Alison Lacey: “It’s hard to say how any team is going to match-up. Both are great teams, obviously Brittney Griner from Baylor is going to have something to do with it, so it will be interesting to see how they match-up against UConn. And Nebraska is a great team as well. It is definitely something I would want to watch.”

You’re final game…you’ve both had great careers. Any thoughts on having an end right now

Denae Stuckey: “I’m just thankful to be able to play for a team like Iowa State. I got a lot out of it, and it’s probably one of the best things that has happened to me in my life. Thank you coach Fennelly.”

Alison Lacey: “Exactly the same as Denae…this is the best thing that has even happened to me. To move here has changed my life and the person I am. It’s been the best experience.”

Back in 1999 the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team faced the Iowa State Cyclones in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and lost 64-58. The Huskies were the top seed in the tournament back then too.

But on Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, UConn junior All-American Maya Moore made sure that didn’t happen.

Moore was on fire early on her way to 25 points to help the Huskies to a 74-36 win over the Cyclones in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Tournament in front of 5,825 and nationally-televised audience on ESPN.

The Huskies improve to 36-0 and await the winner of the second game in Dayton on Sunday, Florida State/Mississippi State, on Tuesday night. Iowa State finishes up the season at 25-8.

Moore had 16 her of 25 points in the first half and outscored the Cyclones by two points in the half. She also finished with six rebounds, three assists and three steals in just 20 minutes of game action. Tina Charles had 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.

Kelly Faris, who is peaking at the right time, came off the bench to add 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.

Anna Prins led the Cyclones with 10 points while Alison Lacey had nine points and three assists. Chelsea Poppens added eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.

This one was pretty much over from the start as Moore hit two three-pointers that were part of a 14-2 run to start the game. With a 19-7 lead, the Huskies went on a 13-2 run to increase their lead to 32-12.

They closed out the first half on a 10-2 run to take a 42-12 at the break. Moore started out the second half with two straight baskets as the Huskies continued to build their lead. It got as high as 50 points at 74-24 with 6:59 to go on Lorin Dixon three-pointer.

If there was one bad thing that happened to the Huskies in the game, it was the fact that the Cyclones outscored them 12-0 over that final 6:59 otherwise, we probably would have seen another 50 point win.

Notes and musings:

UConn Huskies vs Iowa State Cyclones Sweet 16 NCAA Women’s Tournament 3.28.10 box score

The starters were the usual five suspects of Caroline Doty, Tiffany Hayes, Kalana Greene, Maya Moore and Tina Charles.

The Huskies shot 39.4% (26-of-66) from the floor while the Cyclones shot 28.3% (15-of-55).

UConn had 22 assists on their 26 made baskets.

The Huskies were 11-of-26 (42.9%) from three-point land and 11-of-13 (84.6%) from the free throw line. Amazingly enough, the Cyclones didn’t attempt a single free throw in the game.

UConn won the battle of the boards 47-32,  outscored Iowa State 26-18  in the paint and 20-0 on the fast break.

The Huskies had 19 points off of 18 ISU turnovers while the Cyclones had 11 points off of nine UConn turnovers.

The rest of the game note are courtesy of the UConn Sports Information Department:

• UConn advances to the NCAA Regional Final for the fifth straight season and the 16th time in the program’s history following today’s win over No. 4 seed Iowa State.
• UConn moves to 16-2 all-time in the “round of 16” after today’s win over Iowa State.
• UConn extends its winning streak to 75 consecutive games
• the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.
• UConn’s 49.3-point margin of victory in its first three games of the 2010 NCAA Tournament marked the largest margin of victory for a team over the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament. UConn defeated Southern University (La.) by 56 (95-39); Temple by 54 (90-36) and Iowa State by 38 (74-36).
• UConn moves to 74-15 all-time in NCAA Tournament play and has won each of its last eight NCAA Tournament games.
• UConn is 4-1 all-time at the University of Dayton Arena in NCAA Tournament play following today’s win over No. 4 seed Iowa State.
• UConn boasts a record of 58-11 when it receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
• UConn is 56-7 all-time when playing as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament – the Huskies have won 28 of its last 30 games it has played as a No. 1 seed.
• UConn opens a perfect 36-0 to start a season for the second straight year and the third time since 2001-02.
• UConn improves to 268-11 when playing as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team.
• UConn moves to 155-53 all-time vs. ranked opponents following today’s win over No. 16/16 Iowa State.
• UConn moves to a perfect 25-0 vs. ranked opponents during its NCAA record 75-game winning streak.
• UConn opened today’s game with a 14-2 run in the first 5:38.
• Maya Moore was 4-of-4 from behind the arc in the first half as she out the final 9:23 of the first half after picking up her second foul.
• Maya Moore outscored Iowa State 16-14 in the first half.
• UConn closed out the first half with a 22-4 run.
• UConn went on a 14-0 run in the second half in a span of 5:29 to extend its lead to 47 at 68-21.
• UConn scored more points in the first half (42) than Iowa State scored for the entire game (36)
• marking the 29th time the Huskies have posted more points in the first half than their opponents have managed for the entire game during the current 75-game winning streak.
• The Huskies have gone 226 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to shoot more than .500 from the field. Boston College was the last opponent to post a shooting percentage more than .500, coming on March 8, 2004.
• For the second-straight game Kelly Faris recorded career high marks in points (16) and 3-point field goals (4-of-4).
• Kelly Faris’ 16 points marked her third game with double-figures points this season and her second consecutive also marks the first time she has recorded double-digit points in back-to-back games.
• Maya Moore’s 25 points ties her career high in an NCAA tournament game vs. California (2009) and Old Dominion (2008).
• Maya Moore’s six rebounds moves her past Kara Wolters (927) and into fifth place on the UConn all-time rebounding list with a current total of 932.
• Maya Moore’s 25 points marked her 35th game with double-figure points this season and her 109th in 113 career games.
• Maya Moore’s 25 points marked her 20th straight game with double-figure points and her 13th in 14 career NCAA Tournament games.
• Maya Moore’s 25 points marked her ninth game with 20 or more points in an NCAA Tournament (14 career NCAA Tournament games).
• Tina Charles 16 points marked her eighth straight game with double-figure points and her 34th this season.
• Maya Moore has registered double-figure points in each of her last 10 NCAA Tournament games.