Just a few links from the UConn Huskies news that has come across during the day today or that I forgot about in the morning.

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Perfection is the way of life for UConn women [San Jose Mercury News]

ASU Women can ruin perfection [Fanster]

I’ll let Rebecca Lobo do the Twittering, if that’s OK [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

Thoroughly Modern Guenevere [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

scared-y cats at a huskies game [Alysa Auriemma]

Tina’s Growing Up [Rich Elliott – UConn women’s basketball]

Flashback to 2004 [Rich Elliott – UConn women’s basketball]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Nixon to pay off bet with Connecticut governor [Missourinet]

UConn ready to invade Spartan country [Seattle Times]

Connecticut not worried about hostile environment [AP]

UConn, UNC on collision course for title [NBC Sports]

Connecticut’s win sees big increase [Sports Media Watch]

Dyson to be in uniform, warmup Saturday [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Coach speak [In Storrs Now]

Huskies “‘Beet” Up a Bit [Emeka, Nadav and Corny]

H to the Izzo [Emeka, Nadav and Corny]

Insider Intel: Huskies closing strong [ESPN.com]

UConn Football links

First game of the season [Rob Lunn – NESN.com]

Other UConn related links

Waking Up In Austria [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

Second Chance Men’s Brackets [SNY.tv]

The honors continue to roll in for UConn Huskies junior center Hasheem Thabeet as today he was named to the AP All-America Second Team. Blake Griffin from Oklahoma was the only unanimous selection on the first team.

Pittsburgh and North Carolina led the way with two selections while the Big East had six representatives out of the 15 selected.

UConn’s Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price were also named Honorable Mention All-Americans.

Here’s a look at the AP All-America Teams:

First Team:

• Stephen Curry, Davidson, Jr
• James Harden, Arizona St, So
• Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, So
• DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh, So
• Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina, Sr

Second Team:

• Hasheem Thabeet, UConn, Jr
• Ty Lawson, North Carolina, Jr
• Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, Jr
• Jodie Meeks, Kentucky, Jr
• Jerel McNeal, Marquette, Sr

Third Team:

• Terrence Williams, Louisville, Sr
• Toney Douglas, Florida State, Sr
• Sam Young, Pittsburgh, Sr
• Sharron Collins, Kansas, Jr
• Gerald Henderson, Duke, Jr

HONORABLE MENTION

Jeff Adrien, Connecticut; Josh Akognon, Cal State Fullerton; Cole Aldrich, Kansas; Alex Barnett, Dartmouth; Marqus Blakely, Vermont; Craig Brackins, Iowa State; Michael Bramos, Miami (Ohio); Jon Brockman, Washington; Brandon Brooks, Alabama State; John Bryant, Santa Clara.

Chase Budinger, Arizona; DeMarre Carroll, Missouri; Jeremy Chappell, Robert Morris; Dionte Christmas, Temple; Earl Clark, Louisville; Darren Collison, UCLA; Dante Cunningham, Villanova; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Tyreke Evans, Memphis; Levance Fields, Pittsburgh.

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse; Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena; Jordan Hill, Arizona; Matt Howard, Butler; Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin; Matt Kingsley, Stephen F. Austin; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth; Kellen McCoy, Weber State; Tywain McKee, Coppin State.

Orlando Mendez-Valdez, Western Kentucky; Derrick Mercer, American; Luke Nevill, Utah; Ahmad Nivins, Saint Joseph’s; Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford; A.J. Price, Connecticut; Alex Renfroe, Belmont; Tyrese Rice, Boston College; Kyle Singler, Duke; Jermaine Taylor, Central Florida.

Jeff Teague, Wake Forest; Marcus Thornton, LSU; Evan Turner, Ohio State; Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State; Gary Wilkinson, Utah State; Booker Woodfox, Creighton; Ben Woodside, North Dakota State.

Before we get into the Boston Red Sox news and notes, I have to announce that I should finally be able to stay focused on the blog as I am now the proud father of a kidney stone that was born last night around 11:45 PM. Both father and kidney stone are resting comfortably. And for those who’ve never had them, the passing of them is painless, it’s all the fun before hand that sucks and hurts like heck. But enough about my kidney stone.

I missed the Red Sox news yesterday so we’ll just recap quickly what happened in Saturday’s game which was a 9-4 win over the Minnesota Twins that clinched the Mayor’s Cup (Red Sox lead 3-1 with 1 game to play).

Brad Penny made his second start for the Red Sox and he scattered 4 hits in 4 innings while allowing 2 runs. Javier Lopez was roughed up for 2 runs on 3 hits in one inning of work while Hideki Okajima worked a perfect 1 2/3 innings. Devern Hansack finished it off with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit ball.

Rocco Baldelli, David Ortiz and Jason Bay all hit home runs for the Red Sox in the game.

One other note from Saturday is that unless the Red Sox make a trade for a catcher, the backup catcher’s job is George Kottaras as Dusty Brown was optioned to Pawtucket. Devern Hansack was also sent back to Triple-A.

Yesterday brought Brad Wilkerson’s departure from Red Sox camp as he was most likely told that he won’t be making the trip north with the team. There was still a game to play though as the Red Sox headed up I-75 to take on the World Champion Phillies.

Jon Lester got the start in the 3-1 win over the Phillies. Lester went 5 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5.  Jonathan Papelbon followed with an inning of work that saw him walk two and strikeout 2 while Ramon Ramirez struck out 2 in his inning of work.  Manny Delcarmen worked the final 2 innings, giving up 2 hits and a walk.

On on the offensive side of things for the boys from Beantown, Chris Carter, competing for the final spot due to Mark Kotsay’s injury with Jeff Bailey,  had 2 hits, including a solo home run. Bailey had one hit and knocked in a run as well.  Jacoby Ellsbury also added a solo home run.

The competition for the final spot will probably come down to whether Terry Francona wants a left-handed or right-handed bat off the bench. Carter, the lefty, and Bailey, the righty, both have had a really good spring training and both can play the outfield and first base. My guess is that it will be Carter to give the Sox a lefty bat off the bench to start the season.

Today the Red Sox head to the land of Mickey Mouse as they are at the Disney Sports Complex to take on the Atlanta Braves. It will mark the first start of the spring for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is coming off another MVP performance in the World Baseball Classic for his native Japan. There is no television or radio coverage for the game.

Playing some ‘soft’ ball [Boston Globe]

Wilkerson is a going concern [Boston Globe]

Smoltz’s patience paying off [Boston Globe]

Change suits Jon Lester [Boston Herald]

No Surprises [Hit and Run With Dan Roche]

Velazquez, Ambres to be sent down [Projo Sox Blog]

Bullpen may not be sorted out until late April [Projo Sox Blog]

Brown, Hansack sent down [Projo Sox Blog]

Jon Lester’s changeup a sweet addition to his fastball and cutter for the Red Sox [Providence Journal]

Bailey, Carter vying for final spot on Red Sox roster [Providence Journal]

Mark Kotsay getting back in the swing [Providence Journal]

For Sox, options aplenty in setup role [redsox.com]

Bailey or Carter’s dream will come true [redsox.com]

Change in the air: Lester adds pitch [redsox.com]

Things didn’t go exactly as planned yesterday for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team as the California Lady Golden Bears gave them a little more than they could handle early on. But once the Huskies woke up and got going, there was no stopping them, especially Tiffany Hayes.

She must have watched her men’s counterpart Kemba Walker on Saturday for inspiration because she was just outstanding yesterday.  She was on fire from the floor, only missing one shot (9-of-10) and that was a 3-pointer (5-of-6). If Hayes continues to play like this for the rest of the tournament, she may become th newest member of the Big Three + 1.

As we know, the UConn men are already Final Four bound. The tip time was already announced and the Huskies will play at 6:07 PM against the Michigan State Spartans. For MSU, it’s the 30th anniversary of the Michigan State/Indiana State game better known as “Magic vs Bird.” The Villanova Wildcats will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second semifinal game.

Internet gambling sites have the Tar Heels as the early favorites to win it all, playing UConn in the title game.

UConn Women’s Basketball links

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoMxZS4ie8w[/youtube]special thanks to daddychoc at The Boneyard for the video

Hayes to the rescue [Elm City to Eagleville]

Couple more records for Hayes [Elm City to Eagleville]

Get ready for the next UConn women’s All-American [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

Maria Conlon: You know, I was once one of “your girls” [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

Hayes Delivers Big-Time [Rich Elliott – UConn women’s basketball]

UConn Women Trail Early, Then Rout Cal [Hartford Courant]

Hayes Sparks Huskies [Hartford Courant]

Sweet 16: UConn Women’s Extras [Hartford Courant]

Tina Charles Plays Through Foul Trouble [Hartford Courant]

UConn women 1 step closer to title [Waterbury Republican-American]

UConn bench players play key role Sunday [Waterbury Republican-American]

McLaren helps out Huskies against California [Waterbury Republican-American]

Huskies run past Cal into Elite 8 [Norwich Bulletin]

Hayes leads charge to Elite 8 [New Haven Register]

McLaren steps up at opportune time [New Haven Register]

Hayes leads Huskies into Elite Eight [Connecticut Post]

UConn women’s notebook [Connecticut Post]

UConn women’s comeback [Connecticut Post]

More Than Meets The Eye When It Comes To Hayes [New London Day]

UConn Shows It’s More Than The Big Three [New London Day]

Tiffany is sterling [Journal Inquirer]

McLaren ready when called [Journal Inquirer]

UConn survives scare from Cal [Contra Costa Times]

ASU women set to take on No. 1 UConn [The Arizona Republic]

Hayes leads Huskies past Cal [ESPN.com]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Thabeet Injury Update [Matt Stout – UConn men’s basketball]

Know Your Enemy: Michigan State [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Final Four Preview [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Thabeet’s Finger Bruised [Emeka, Nadav and Corny]

Detroit: It’s Not Terrible [Emeka, Nadav and Corny]

Core Is Now Final Four Team [Hartford Courant]

Saturday’s Final Four Matchups [Hartford Courant]

FYI: Timing’s In The FOI [Hartford Courant]

This Final Four team bit different [Waterbury Republican-American]

Looking ahead at men’s Final Four [Waterbury Republican-American]

Final Four field rounds out [Norwich Bulletin]

Final Four latest wild ride for Price [New Haven Register]

Calhoun proud of Adrien’s effort [Connecticut Post]

A Long, Special Journey For Adrien [New London Day]

Price leaving legacy of leadership [Journal Inquirer]

Huskies facing stay-at-home Spartans [Journal Inquirer]

The Huskies are Headed to Detroit [UConnHuskies.com]

Michigan State Vs. UConn: 4 Facts About Each School [US News & World Report]

Breaking down the Final Four [Chicago Tribune]

Bracket: Huskies; Heart: Spartans [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

UConn Vs. Michigan State [American Chronicle]

Huskies, Tar Heels on collision course [Idaho Statesman]

Meet the Final Four [The Quad]

A look at the games in the Final Four [AP]

Final Four lineup set for US college showdown [AFP]

Pecking order hard to decipher in this year’s Final Four [USA Today]

UConn hoping Walker’s rise helps cut down nets in Detroit [USA Today]

Other UConn related links

Softball: Doubleheader Against Syracuse Postponed Until Monday [UConnHuskies.com]

Lacrosse Completes BIG EAST Weekend Sweep with 8-7 Victory Against Louisville [UConnHuskies.com]

CBS has announced the start times for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, April 4th.

The UConn Huskies will take on the Michigan State Spartans, who beat Louisville 64-52 on Sunday, at 6:07 PM. The Villanova Wildcats will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels, who beat Oklahoma 72-60 on Sunday, 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will have the call for both games and they will be broadcast in high definition.

to Ken over at Fang’s Bites

UConn Huskies women’s basketball freshman Tiffany Hayes must have watched her fellow freshman on the men’s team, Kemba Walker, help his team advance to the Final Four because she put on a show Sunday afternoon.

Hayes scored a career-high 28 points to help the No. 1 seeded Huskies to a 77-53 win over the No. 4 seed Cal Lady Golden Bears in the semifinals of the Trenton Regional at the Sovereign Bank Arena.

The Huskies (36-0) now await the winner of the Arizona State/Texas A&M game in Tuesday night for the right to advance to the Final Four in St. Louis. The Lady Golden Bears finish up a great season at 27-8.

Hayes was on fire during the game as she finished 9-for-10 from the floor including 5-of-6 from beyond the three-point line and also added a career-high 7 assists. Maya Moore chipped in with 22 points and 5 rebounds while Renee Montgomery added 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Tina Charles led the Huskies with 8 rebounds while adding 5 points.

Ashley Walker led the Lady Golden Bears with 21 points and added 7 rebounds. Natasha Vital and Alexis Gray-Lawson both added 10 points while Devanei Hampton led the team with 11 rebounds to go along with her 7 points.

Things weren’t looking too good for the vaunted lineup of the Huskies as they fell behind 7-2 in the first two minutes of the game. Hayes rallied the Huskies though as she started off an 11-2 run with two consecutive three-pointers to give the Huskies a 13-9 lead.

Charles picked up her second foul with just over 15 minutes to go in the half and Cal was able to exploit her loss as they reclaimed the lead with a 6-0 run. The teams continued to exchange baskets and the lead for the for the next 4 minutes.

With the score tied at 23, the Lady Golden Bears went on an 8-0 run to give themselves a 31-23 lead with 6:38 to go in the half. With the Huskies facing their largest deficit in the tournament, Geno Auriemma called timeout and gave it to his team.

But like they always do, the Huskies responded big time as they closed out the half on a 12-2 run to take a 35-33 lead into the locker room.

The Golden Bears stayed close at the beginning of the half but UConn used a 23-5 run to put the game away and make Geno feel a little more comfortable.

We all knew Hayes was going to be a special player at some point in her career. Had it not been for the knee injury to her roommate Caroline Doty, she might not have been playing as much as she’s been needed. Hayes has definitely made the most of her opportunity and has gotten better with each game.

That all culminated today with her All-American-like effort.

Continue reading →

Apparently it seems like Brad Wilkerson will not be heading north with the Boston Red Sox when they break camp at the end of the week.

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com is reporting that Wilkerson has left the Red Sox to mull over his options.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona confirmed to reporters this morning that outfielder Brad Wilkerson has left the Red Sox. He doesn’t figure to be in the major league team’s plans heading into the regular season.

This leaves Chris Carter and Jeff Bailey competing for the vacant spot left by Mark Kotsay’s back injury.

Wilkerson leaves team [Full Count]