At approximately 6:07 PM tonight in stunning CBS High Definition, the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team will do battle with the Michigan State Spartans for the right to play for the NCAA title against the winner of the North Carolina/Villanova game to follow approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of UConn’s game.

It’s shaping up to be a battle of epic proportions as the two teams play contrasting styles. The Huskies have been able to put aside the distractions on their way to Detroit and let’s hope that continues today for them.

UConn Men’s Basketball links

How Michigan State Can Upset UConn [Fanhouse]

Robinson’s return helped Huskies reach Final Four [FOXSports.com]

Breaking down the Huskies and Spartans [ESPN Insider – Jay Bilas Blog]

UConn’s Winning Power of Stopping Shots [Wall Street Journal]

Calhoun Stays Quiet on Recruiting Story [New York Times]

Huskies at a glance [Charlotte Observer]

Price’s path to the Final Four a rocky one [Reuters]

Connecticut has overcome obstacles on road to Final Four [Kansas City Star]

Rogers, Conn. congressman make Final Four wager [Livingston Daily]

Will they meet again? Price, Green shoot for title game [Newsday]

Getting a Feel for the Place on Friday [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn’s Price has endured, prospered [Connecticut Post]

UConn men’s notebook [Connecticut Post]

UConn men’s game day [Connecticut Post]

UConn vs. Michigan St.: Who has the edge [Connecticut Post]

UConn-Michigan State: 5 important questions [Connecticut Post]

Huskies’ big man ready for the big stage [Norwich Bulletin]

UConn’s up-and-down season reaches Detroit, date with MSU [Norwich Bulletin]

Weary Of Talk, UConn Ready To Play [Hartford Courant]

Calhoun At His Coolest Under Brightest Spotlights [Hartford Courant]

Michigan State Style Isn’t So Spartan [Hartford Courant]

In 1999, Huskies Didn’t Feel Like Underdogs [Hartford Courant]

Previewing UConn vs Michigan State [Hartford Courant]

UConn men eager to take the court [Waterbury Republican-American]

Fearless predictions for big-time event [Waterbury Republican-American]

Goran Suton knows something about battles [Waterbury Republican-American]

A Free-Four-All: UConn faces Michigan St. as bid for national title continues [New Haven Register]

Izzo makes no secret: Stopping Price a key [New Haven Register]

Robinson, Calhoun, and The Talking Heads [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Freshman Walker is taking it all in [New London Day]

Big stage is finally UConn’s [New London Day]

Spartans provide real boost [New London Day]

Williams unafraid to roll the dice [Journal Inquirer]

Gritty Spartans’ style deserves your support [Times Herald]

For some, Final Four is all blue, white [Lansing State Journal]

At Final Four, UConn and Jim Calhoun dogged by reports of NCAA violations [New York Daily News]

[1] CONNECTICUT vs. [2] MICHIGAN STATE [Washington Post]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

sometimes you just gotta dance [Alysa Auriemma]

Wiggins: Stanford can pull off upset [San Francisco Chronicle]

Is UConn-Stanford The Real Championship Game? [Hartford Courant]

Rocking and rolling [Elm City to Eagleville]

For Montgomery, a smooth senior season [Connecticut Post]

Gov. Rell extends her best wishes to the Huskies [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

The style is stern, but it keeps working for Auriemma [Waterbury Republican-American]

UConn women more confident this Final Four [Waterbury Republican-American]

More honors for Montgomery [Waterbury Republican-American]

Final lesson propelled UConn [New Haven Register]

Huskies have followed their leader to St. Louis [New London Day]

UConn women hoping to avoid St. Louis blues [Journal Inquirer]

Moore’s birthright: a spot in Final Four [Journal Inquirer]

Spirit of St. Louis is lacking in Ralph [Journal Inquirer]

This year’s Stanford women take new approach to same goal [San Francisco Chronicle]

Other UConn related links

UConn Baseball Downs Seton Hall 7-2 in BIG EAST Match-up [UConnHuskies.com]

As Texy of Center Field pointed out today, there are some fake Boston Red Sox Twitter accounts out there including Jed Lowrie, Terry Francona and Jacoby Ellsbury. I’ll admit I was duped by the Lowrie and Ellsbury ones. When I had found the Tito one, I asked Texy if it was a fake and she replied of course it is.

The point here is that if you’re going to post on a fake Twitter account, at least make sure that the “Twitter” doesn’t come during an actual game as the fake “Jed Lowrie” did during tonight’s Red Sox/Mets exhibition game.

As you can see in the top picture, the time on there is 21:34:03 PM which translates to 9:34:03 PM. The Red Sox and Mets resumed their exhibition game at Citi Field at roughly 9:11 PM tonight.

Here is the transcript of the UConn Huskies men’s basketball press conference held today at Ford Field in anticipation of tomorrow’s matchup with the Michigan State Spartans.

If you don’t want to read it and would rather watch it, you can check out the press conference here.

THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by Connecticut student-athletes Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price. We’ll open it up for questions.

Q. What’s your feel for the mindset of the team? What has it been like waiting this long to get back on the court, the chaos of this entire experience this week?

A.J. PRICE: I think we’re in a great mindset as a team, focused, ready to play the game. It’s been a good experience to be down here. But I think we just ready to get on the court now.

JEFF ADRIEN: Yeah, we’re very excited. We just want to get on the court and start playing some ball.

Q. Looking at film, what jumps out at you about Michigan State? What do they do that most concerns you?

JEFF ADRIEN: Uhm, they have so many offensive sets. They can run several different things. We just got to be prepared for that and be ready, you know, for their pick and pops, Lucas getting to the hole, into the paint. We just got to be able to contain that stuff.

A.J. PRICE: They play hard as a team, have a lot of offensive sets at Jeff said. They a good all-around team.

Q. Can you take us back when you got sick with the brain incident, when did you know it was really serious? When did you know you were lucky to be alive? You talked a lot about wanting to get to the Final Four. Have you reflected back at all about being here now and how close to never being here?

A.J. PRICE: I think I realized how serious it was when I woke up in ICU. They kind of told me that something serious had happened. You know, there was a couple times in my career where I wasn’t sure if I’d have this chance.

But, you know, I just been blessed with the opportunity to be here. Everything worked out. I stayed with it. Here we are today, so very grateful.

Q. Jeff, you led the nation in shot blocking seven years in a row. What is it about UConn that breeds great shot blockers?

JEFF ADRIEN: It’s tradition. Coach recruits very well and he recruits the right players that gets that job done. You know, past couple years we had a lot of great shot blockers. Hasheem is a great one, there was Hilton and Josh. Before that there was Emeka. We’ve just been passing it down.

Q. AJ, in the past couple days, have you thought back more to where you were, where you are now, and who in your life was most important in helping you get through that?

A.J. PRICE: Well, I can’t say I have thought back to the past. Really trying to look forward and get to the games more than anything. I think, you know, my family has been the cornerstone of me just staying focused and trying to get on track. So I have to give a lot of credit to my parents, obviously, who just been there for me throughout this whole time. You know, Coach Calhoun also has played an instrumental part in that, as well.

Q. AJ, what kind of mindset do you take into a game when you’re facing a so-called top defender like Walton?

A.J. PRICE: Just try to go in and be at your best. Know he’s going to do his job, which is to be a defensive stopper. So I know he’s going to bring his A game, I just got to try to bring mine. I just try to come in with the mindset that I’m probably going to have to be at the top of my game or near the top of my game to be successful.

Q. Jeff, can you discuss the problems Suton can present. Do you expect to share defensive responsibilities with Hasheem on him?

JEFF ADRIEN: I’m probably going to start off on Suton. His ability to shoot from the outside, stretch the defense out is real good. What they do over there is very effective. To beat a good Louisville team like, that Suton will be a big part of that. That will present some trouble for us.

But we’re going to be ready and contain Suton.

Q. Your team has had to deal with a lot of things that could have been potential distractions before the season started with Coach being sick, yet you haven’t seemed to flinch. How have you managed to do that?

JEFF ADRIEN: We’re just immensely tough mentally group of guys. It really started with our coach. Like you said, he had his sickness and everything. We just see how he responds to it, how he goes about it. You can almost see he brushes it off and the next day he’s at work. So I think we really learned from Coach from the mental side and that’s what makes us who we are.

Q. In watching film on them, did anything strike you that made you think you’re a lot like them in a certain part of it, rebounding, whatever?

A.J. PRICE: I think that part that you hit on, they rebound the basketball very well. That’s something that we try to do every single game, hit the glass. If you dominate the glass, you always have a chance to win the game. And they’re a defensive team as well. Those are two things that jump out at you.

Q. AJ, was there ever a point back in ’05, when you had your problem, where you thought you’d blown it, scholarship, everything? What was it like facing your parents the first time after all that came out?

A.J. PRICE: Yeah, there was a time where I didn’t think, you know, I’d have this chance to play basketball again at this level. But, like I said, I stuck with it. Everything worked out. You know, my mother, she was always on my side, always behind me, always knew I would do what I needed to do to get back to where I was. My father, a different story, kind of tough love. But eventually we worked through that.

Q. Is there any sort of us-against-the-world mentality with the team now in light of the revelations on possible recruiting violations?

A.J. PRICE: We go in every game with the us-against-the-world mentality. With everything going on now, us having a road game basically out here, it will make that more apparent. I think it will be much easier for us to go out there and focus and execute and do the things we need to do to try to win this game.

Q. AJ, Durrell Summers is a guy from Michigan State that’s emerged in the tournament. Is he on your radar? What do you think of his game?

A.J. PRICE: Yeah, he’s a very versatile player. He has really stepped up over the past couple games and had a good tournament so far.

But he’s on our radar, along with everybody else on they team. We’re not going to overlook anybody.

He’s definitely somebody that we gonna try to stop.

Q. Is Michigan State the closest thing you’ve seen to a Big East team outside of the Big East?

JEFF ADRIEN: Definitely. You know, they’re a different style of team. They play — they’re different from other Big-10 schools. They like to run and they rebound, they’re very physical. So, you know, I think that’s really why they won the Big-10 this year, with their different style. You know, Big-10’s traditionally, they say it’s like a slow conference, but they’re able to play all different types of games. So, yeah, that’s very impressive.

Q. Coach Calhoun has been very vocal about saying this is a group of guys he really enjoys. Have you seen that from him this season? We never get to see the side of him that enjoys what he’s doing.

JEFF ADRIEN: No, definitely we have. Coach is always around us. When we’re eating, he’s there. He’s chatting with us, he’s telling jokes. He’s definitely happy right now. You know, he’s happy for us. Like he said last night, we’ve been through a lot of stuff. For us to fight and stick to it, you know, he’s very proud of us. And can you really tell.

You know, every year is different. This year, you could tell Coach is very excited and happy. He calmed down a little bit, to tell you the truth, as far as the yelling and everything, so…

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen.

A.J. PRICE: Thank you.

JEFF ADRIEN: Thank you.

Continue reading →

While you are waiting for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Dollhouse or Friday Night Lights to come on, let’s take a look at some of the UConn Huskies links that have come across during the day today.

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Richard Hamilton Explains His Relationship With Ex-UConn Manager Josh Nochimson [Hartford Courant]

Law Firm Paid More Than $70,000 To Deal With UConn Recruiting Allegations [Hartford Courant]

UConn can and will… Trags Take [Green Street]

Ford Field ideal for Spartans-Huskies matchup [Daily Advance]

Final Four: How UConn can win [Honolulu Advertiser]

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports talks about UConn recruiting allegations [WEEI]

UConn players gets used to feel of Ford Field [Detroit News]

Spartans won’t put on brakes against Huskies [Detroit News]

Final Four Notebook : A BIGEAST.org Special Account From Friday In Detroit [BigEast.org]

Friday Final Four Practices, UConn, Michigan State, North Carolina, Villanova [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Jacobs backs Detroit [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Enough already… [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Husky Hug [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Have you played in the Ford….late-ly? [In Storrs Now]

Final(ly) Four [Emeka, Nadav and Corny]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

They Have Arrived! Huskies Receive a Warm Greeting in the Lou [UConnHuskies.com]

Women’s Final Four Notebook – Day One [BigEast.org]

Taurasi, Bird deliver [Elm City to Eagleville]

Just Stand Up….to help fight cancer [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

The hardware continues to roll in for UConn Huskies senior point guard Renee Montgomery as she was named the winner of the 2009 Nancy Lieberman Award.

See below for the full release

DETROIT, MI, April 3, 2009 — The Rotary Club of Detroit announced today that Connecticut senior Renee Montgomery has been selected as the 2009 Nancy Lieberman Award winner. The award recognizes the nation’s top collegiate point guard in women’s Division I basketball. The criteria for the award are the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country determined the award winner and finalists.

The three finalists (in alphabetical order) are: Kristi Cirone (Illinois St.), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma), and Kristi Toliver (Maryland).

Montgomery, the 5-7 point guard, has helped guide Connecticut (37-0) to the NCAA Women’s Final Four tournament for their second consecutive season and 10th time in the program’s history. She has been named to the Associated Press All-American First Team and is the recipient of the 2009 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award and BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award. She is one of only three players in Connecticut history to tally 1,500 points and 500 assists in a career and is the only player in program history to rank in the top-10 in points (1,946), assists (622), steals (260) and three-pointers (249).

During her storied career at Connecticut, Montgomery has been integral in leading the team to a 137-11 record that includes two trips to the NCAA Women’s Final Four, four NCAA Regionals, four BIG EAST regular season titles and three BIG EAST Tournament crowns. She has also registered 146 career starts, 138 of which have been consecutive – the most by any player in UConn program history and the most nationally.

“Renee Montgomery is one of the best, hardest working, and smartest leaders that I have seen in the game. It is an absolute pleasure for me to add her to the list of great UConn point guards who have won the award. She is on to something very special this year with Connecticut being undefeated. The award couldn’t go to a finer player,” said Nancy Lieberman.

We’re just one day away from the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team taking on the Michigan State Spartans in the NCAA Men’s Tournament Final Four and two days away from the UConn women’s team taking on the Stanford Cardinal in the NCAA Women’s Tournament Final Four. Both games are shaping up to be exciting games and I think all UConn fans are looking forward to it.

UConn men’s basketball links

It has been a long year for Jim Calhoun [Los Angeles Times]

Your introduction to Ford Field[TheUConnBlog.com]

Huskies and Spartans Differ in the Post [Washington Post]

Final Four: UConn-Michigan State game capsule [Honolulu Advertiser]

Final Four: Day One [theday.Com – Gavin Keefe Blog]

Final Four news, views and bananas [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Men’s Basketball Spends First Full Day in Detroit [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Huskies Make A Believer Of Themselves [Hartford Courant]

Sticks Emblematic Of NCAA’s Problem [Hartford Courant]

Suton facing Thabeet, but he’s tough enough [Connecticut Post]

Gotcha! Thabeet finds April fools [Connecticut Post]

UConn men’s notebook [Connecticut Post]

It always comes down to point guards [Connecticut Post]

After near destruction, Big East king of the court [Connecticut Post]

No perilous journey for UConn’s giant jokester [Waterbury Republican-American]

Like Father, Like Son [New Haven Register]

Calhoun deflects retirement questions [New Haven Register]

UConn’s gentle giant turns out to be prankster, too [New London Day]

Pressure? This is nothing for Suton [New London Day]

Calhoun: Judge him on whole picture [New London Day]

It’s no fun playing inside [New London Day]

Final Four: UConn knows the drill [Journal Inquirer]

UConn Versus MSU Preview [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Final Four interviews [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Adrien has been double trouble for UConn foes [Boston Globe]

Will UConn wonder: ‘Who was that masked man?’ [Detroit Free Press]

No Final Four team believes in destiny more than Michigan State [CM-Life.com]

UConn, UNC the favorites in this weekend’s Final Four [Tufts Daily]

UConn women’s basketball links

meet me in st. louis…and bring an umbrella! [Alysa Auriemma]

Meet Me In St. Louis [Heather Buck]

Four-year starter Montgomery paces UConn into Final Four [USA Today]

No respect for AB [Elm City to Eagleville]

Sunday’s National Semifinal: Stanford Vs. UConn [Hartford Courant]

UConn united in quest for title [Connecticut Post]

Obvious talent doesn’t make Montgomery obvious No. 1 [Norwich Bulletin]

10 things we love about Stanford women’s basketball [Palo Alto Daily News]

Confidence Abounds In St. Louis [Hartford Courant]

Biding her time [Journal Inquirer]

Cards ace NCAA test [Journal Inquirer]

UConn football links

I Am Not Asleep (Yet) [UConn | Football]

Friday mailbag (last question is about UConn) [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

Other UConn related links

Aetna, Travelers’ Buildings To Be Lighted In UConn Colors [Hartford Courant]

Softball: Roy’s Eighth Inning Single Puts Huskies Past BU 2-1 [UConnHuskies.com]

Lacrosse Hits the Road in BIG EAST Action [UConnHuskies.com]

Traveling A Husky Highway From Detroit To St. Louis [Hartford Courant]

Paving The Way For Huskies Fans [Hartford Courant]

Are you a person who hates Mondays? Normally most people hate Mondays but this Monday will be an exciting time in this part of the country. Yes I hope the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team will be playing for the NCAA title but more importantly, this upcoming Monday signifies the start of the season for the Boston Red Sox.

That’s right folks, opening day is right around the corner as the Red Sox finished up the Grapefruit League portion of their schedule with a 7-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. The loss to the Twins didn’t matter though as the Red Sox had already clinched their third straight Mayor’s Cup.

Brad Penny made the start for the Red Sox and after the game proclaimed himself ready for his start on April 12th which is the first day the Sox will need a 5th starter. He went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 3 and hitting 96 on the radar gun.

Mike Lowell and Jed Lowrie led the offensive charge with 2 hits each with Lowrie adding an RBI. Jason Bay added a 2-run home run.

Spring training isn’t quite over yet as the Red Sox head to Queens tonight to take on the New York Mets at Citi Field. It will be the first MLB game and just second game played there. Jon Lester will get the start for the Red Sox and be opposed by Livan Hernandez. Manny Delcarmen, Takashi Saito, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon are also schedule to pitch for the Red Sox.

The good news is that there is television coverage of the game tonight as NESN and SNY will have the game at 6:10 PM. And for those in the Boston area, the game will also be broadcast on WRKO.

The Sox will bring 36 players to the Friday/Saturday series with the Mets. The non-roster players making the trip will be catchers Dusty Brown and Mark Wagner, infielders Lars Anderson, Angel Chavez, Nick Green, Gil Velazquez and Ryan Khoury, outfielders Zach Daeges and Josh Reddick, and pitchers Daniel Bard, Marcus McBeth and Chris Province.

John Smoltz, Tim Wakefield, George Kottaras and Clay Buchholz will be staying back in Ft. Myers while the team is New York. Smoltz will throw a side session tomorrow before heading to Boston while Wakefield will throw in a minor league game on Saturday with Kottaras catching him. Buchholz is scheduled to make a minor league start on Sunday.

Penny optimistic heading to April 12 [Full Count]

The spring in Pedroia’s swing [Extra Bases]

Full speed ahead for healthy Brad Penny [Boston Herald]

No moves in store [Boston Herald]

Pedroia says longer spring training helped him find his timing [Providence Journal]

Red Sox say they’re not interested in adding late cuts from other teams — for now [Providence Journal]

Lucchino: Fenway is good for next 40 to 50 years [Providence Journal]

Solid effort earns Penny a first start [Providence Journal]

Spring break comes to an end [redsox.com]

Fenway ready to play ball [Extra Bases]

Curt Schilling Transcript [Full Count]

100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees [Boston Globe]

Fenway Park ’09 improvements [Boston Globe]

Don Orsillo’s decapitated bobblehead previews the 2009 Red Sox [Wicked Good Sports]

‘Die-hard’ Red Sox fan on U.S. tour [Summit Daily News]

Opening day memories [Don Orsillo – NESN.com]

The good and bad of spring training 2009 [Tom Caron – NESN.com]

UFC president Dana White: A Red Sox fan with an edge [Red Sox Monster]

Game On! Fenway Invites Patrons to Win Elusive
Green Monster Tickets To Every Red Sox Home Game

Hit the Fenway Hotspot to Watch the Red Sox on More Than 90 Big Screen HDTVs and Enter To Win Coveted Tickets for the Ultimate Fan Viewing Experience on Top of Baseball’s Most Historic Wall

BOSTON, MA (April 2, 2009) – This Red Sox season, Game On! Fenway has upped the ante by providing lucky Red Sox fans with the exclusive opportunity to win highly-coveted Green Monster tickets to every Red Sox home game.

During every away game of the Red Sox season, the Fenway Faithful will not only have the opportunity to watch Big Papi, Ellsbury, Beckett, Papelbon and Boston’s Boys of Summer battle their way through the American League at the premier Red Sox viewing venue in the city, fans will also have the extraordinary chance to take home the sought-after tickets to the next home game

For a chance to win, patrons are invited to simply order an appetizer or entrée during any and every Red Sox away game. Throughout the course of each game for which the Sox are on the road, one lucky guest will be drawn from a raffle in the fifth inning and awarded with Green Monster seats. Game On! Fenway is giving away 81 pairs throughout the season.

“Given our close proximity to Fenway Park, we wanted to reward our loyal patrons with the ultimate Red Sox experience and for that we needed to look no further than the Green Monster,” said Mike Brucklier, Director of Operations for Game On! Fenway. “It is exciting to be able to offer our guests the opportunity to experience the privilege of sitting on that iconic wall and we’re looking forward to making games on the road that much more exciting for Red Sox fans.”

At 37 feet high and 240 feet long, the Green Monster is one of the most recognized features at Fenway Park. Green Monster seats debuted in April 2003 and have become one of the most highly sought after ticket in professional sports.

Located in historic Fenway Park, Game On! Fenway is the ultimate destination for Red Sox fans to take in both home and away games. Not only will Game On! Fenway satiate the appetites of Sox fans craving the signature seats, the upscale sports bar offers more than 90 big screen plasma HDTVs on which members of Red Sox Nation who were not lucky enough to gain admittance to the park or follow the team on the road can watch all the action.

When hunger strikes, guests can chow down on athlete-sized portions of exceptional American grill food prepared by Game On! Fenway’s team of experienced chefs. Game On! Fenway features a menu that appeals to the casual fan, upscale diner and anyone who works up an appetite while cheering on the hometown nine. The Green Monster ticket giveaway only adds to the excitement as the Sox march their way through the American league.

About Game On! Fenway

Game On! Fenway is a multimedia entertainment destination that broadcasts every game that’s on from anywhere in the world, showcased on more than 52,000 square inches of SONY plasma & LED High Definition televisions. With more than 90 screens, patrons can enjoy an unobstructed view in a unique environment. Guests can enjoy athlete-sized portions of exceptional American grill classics prepared by Game On!’s team of experienced chefs. Game On!’s menu appeals to both the casual fan and upscale diner. The eclectic mix of all-American favorites features everything from our famous Steak Tips, to house made appetizers and chef-inspired daily specials.