UConn women's basketball

Players and coaches rarely care about where they are sent to compete during the NCAA tournament. Most of the time just receiving one of the 64 bids is enough satisfaction.
But there was a part of UConn senior Kalana Greene tonight that was hoping the top-ranked Huskies would be sent to Norfolk Va., for the first two rounds. The site is roughly six hours from her home in Saint Stephen, S.C.
Greene got her wish. The road to a historical second straight undefeated national championship will begin Sunday when the top-ranked Huskies, who are the top overall seed in the tournament, meet 16th-seeded Southern in the first round at the Ted Constant Convocation Center (12:16 p.m.; ESPN2).
“I’m happy we’re going to Norfolk,’’ Greene said. “My family can drive up instead of buying an expensive plane ticket. I think it’s going to be fun. This is the best time of the year to play basketball. This is the time of the year that matters the most and this is the time where the good players become great and the great players become legends.’’
The announcement of the tournament field came on the 21-year anniversary of UConn’s first NCAA tournament game – a 72-63 first-round loss to LaSalle at Gampel Pavilion in 1989.
The Huskies (33-0) would meet the winner of the matchup between eighth-seeded Temple, who is coached by former Huskies’ assistant coach Tonya Cardoza, and ninth-seeded James Madison in the second round March 23 at 7 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the regionals in Dayton, Ohio March 28 and 30.
Second-ranked Stanford (Sacramento), No. 3 Tennessee (Memphis) and No. 4 Nebraska (Kansas City) also received a No. 1 seed. It is the first time UConn and Tennessee received a No. 1 seed on the same side of the bracket since 1999.
The Huskies and Lady Vols are on track to meet in the national semifinals April 4 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The teams have not met since Tennessee coach Pat Summit ended the series following the 2006-07 season.
“It’ll be a disservice to all the players if that game ever happens in that format,’’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “The other two teams that are in that are going to be disrespected. The players are going to be disrespected. It’s just going to be a … What can I tell you?’’
San Antonio was also the final stop during the Huskies’ national championship run in 2002 when they completed their first 39-0 season.
The Huskies are joined in the Dayton regional by No. 8 and second-seeded Ohio State, No. 11 and third-seeded Florida State and No. 16 and fourth-seeded Iowa State.
The Huskies are making their 22nd straight NCAA tournament appearance. It the third longest active streak behind Tennessee (29) and Stanford (23) and tied with Virginia for the fourth longest overall.
This is will be only the second time that the Huskies have to travel out of state for the first two rounds of the tournament (State College, Pa., 2006). It will mark the first time they will not play a game in-state in the tournament.
The regionals were held at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport in 2006.
“I’m actually happy,’’ Auriemma said. “We’re in a tournament atmosphere. Sometimes when you’re home you’re still going to class. You’re still doing the same things. So this is a real tournament feeling. I love the fact that we’re not home. Now, it’s bad for our fans that we’re not home.’’

Rich

The road to a historical second straight undefeated national championship begins Sunday in Norfolk, Va. for the UConn women’s basketball team. The top-ranked Huskies, who are the top overall seed in the 64-team field for the NCAA tournament, will meet 16th-seeded Southern in the first round at the Ted Constant Convocation Center at 12:16 p.m.
UConn would meet the winner of the matchup between eighth-seeded Temple and ninth-seeded James Madison in the second round March 23. The winner of that game will advance to the regionals in Dayton, Ohio March 28 and 30.
The Final Four, which could feature a meeting against Tennessee in the national semifinals, is scheduled for April 4 and 6 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This was also the final stop during the Huskies’ national championship run in 2002 when they competed their first 39-0 season.
The Huskies are joined in the regional by No. 8 and second-seeded Ohio State, No. 11 and third-seeded Florida State and No. 16 and fourth-seeded Iowa State.
This is the fifth time UConn (33-0) will enter the tournament unbeaten. Three of the previous four seasons it has done so it won the national championship (1995, 2002, 2009). The only season the Huskies did not was when current assistant coach Shea Ralph tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in the first round against Lehigh in 1997 and they ultimately lost to Tennessee in the Midwest regional final.
The Huskies are making their 22nd straight NCAA tournament appearance. It the third longest active streak behind Tennessee (29) and Stanford (23) and tied for the fourth longest overall with Virginia.
UConn’s total number of tournament appearances is tied for ninth all-time. However, the 71 wins by coach Geno Auriemma trails only Pat Summitt of Tennessee (104).
This is will be only the second time that the Huskies will have to travel out of state for the first two rounds on the tournament (State College, Pa., 2006). It will mark the first time they will not play a game in-state in the tournament.
The regionals were held at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport in 2006.
A team is prohibited by the NCAA from hosting in two straight years. The first two rounds were played at Gampel Pavilion last season.

Rich

So much for a battle of unbeatens at the Final Four in San Antonio next month. So much for two unbeaten teams entering the NCAA tournament – period. Again, the Huskies stand alone.
Third-ranked Nebraska had won its first 30 games this season. But the Huskers provided further proof today just how difficult it is to run the table over the course of an entire season when they were defeated 80-70 by No. 11 Texas A&M in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament.
Nebraska, who trailed 39-28 at halftime, shot 37.3 percent from the field and missed 13 free throws. Star senior Kelsey Griffin also had three fouls in the first half. The Aggies shot 53.1 percent and finished with a double-digit rebounding advantage.
It will be interesting to see how the Selection Committee will view the Huskers now as far as seeding. They still are likely to get a No. 1 seed, but will it be the third or the fourth?

Rich

UConn-bound recruit Bria Hartley, a 5-foot-10 point guard from North Babylon, N.Y., has been named the Gatorade New York Player of the Year for the second straight year. She is now eligible for the Gatorade National Player of the Year, and she will be participating in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Columbus, Ohio March 31 and in the WBCA All-American Game in San Antonio April 3.
Current 2011 UConn recruits Betnijah Laney (Delaware), Kiah Stokes (Iowa) and Elizabeth Williams (Virginia Beach) were also honored in their respective states.

Huskies’ coach Geno Auriemma will appear on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption Friday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Rich

Here’s a look back at Tuesday’s win over No. 9 West Virginia in the Big East tournament final:
TURNING POINT – The Huskies led 33-28 with 15:31 left in the game. They were in the midst of a scoreless spell that would reach 5:14 and Maya Moore and Tina Charles were a combined 3-of-22 shooting.
But powered by another relentless defensive surge, UConn went on a 27-2 run to blow the game open. The Mountaineers finished the game 2-of-20 shooting, missing 13 straight shots at one point, and were scoreless for 11:23.
“I think we played very, very good defense, and they played horribly on offense,’’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “That’s usually how those things work. Just because you’re a good defensive team that’s not going to be enough. So we had a little help from them and they had a little help from us. When we get going like that defensively, we’re hard to play against.’’
UNSUNG HERO – Kalana Greene. She has played in the shadow of Moore and Charles all season. Yet, when the Huskies needed her she delivered a performance that earned her tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. Greene finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in a season-high 35 minutes.
Greene had six points, four rebounds (two offensive) and three assists during the UConn’s decisive run.
“I thought I wasn’t going to make the (all-tournament) team,’’ Greene said. “It feels good to earn it, to have to fight for it. My teammates had a lot of confidence in me. I feed off of them a lot, every day. We were the most outstanding team in the tournament and I owe this to my
team.’’
BEST ‘X’ AND/OR ‘O’ – The offense was not functioning at a high level against the Mountaineers, which meant the Huskies again had to turn to their defense. They allowed just 32 points, which was the fewest in a Big East final and tied the fewest allowed in any tournament game.
West Virginia shot 24.1 percent (19.2 in the second half). And starting point guard Sarah Miles was limited to two points on 1-of-15 shooting in 39 minutes.
“You’re not going to have great offensive nights every night and people think we’re just a pretty finesse team and we don’t like to be physical,’’ Greene said. “But we’re a team that can get down to the nitty-gritty. Get tips on defense and lock teams down and get rebounds when we need to.’’
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS – The Huskies have won three straight Big East championships (16 overall). This time, though, they had to beat two Top 10 teams in as many games to win the title. “I don’t know how many conferences you have to beat two teams in the Top 10 to win your tournament,’’ Auriemma said. “So I think we’ve done something that’s pretty amazing.’’ … Auriemma praised the play of reserves Lorin Dixon and Kelly Faris. Faris had four points and five rebounds in 26 minutes. Dixon had one assist in 12 minutes, but just like Faris she was a pest defensively. “Lorin and Kelly were really good,’’ Auriemma said. “People don’t always see this, but you put Kelly Faris on a really good player, and that player’s not going to get much. And I think Lorin wore out… The kid Miles didn’t know what to do. It was really hard for her to get stuff done. She was just able to take her and make her have to work so hard to get what she needed that I think it kind of disrupted their whole offense because she wasn’t part of their offense any more.’’ … The Huskies have won 72 straight games, as in every game that Caroline Doty, Tiffany Hayes and Heather Buck have been members of the team. “It’s pretty nice,’’ Hayes said. “Me, Caroline and Heather Buck, we always talk about it saying, `We’re still undefeated. We’re 70-so and oh.’ A lot of people don’t get to experience that. So it is a good feeling.’’
LOOKING AHEAD – The Huskies will not play until either March 20 or 21 depending on where they are sent for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Their likely resting spots will either Pittsburgh or Norfolk, Va.
UConn will not practice until Saturday, with the coaching staff out recruiting.
BY THE NUMBERS
4 – Made 3-pointers by Moore in her last 25 attempts
9.5 – Average rebounds for Greene in the final two games of the tournament
15.0 – Average points for Greene in the final two games of the tournament

Remember, I’ll be chatting tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. Be there…

Rich

Less than 24 hours after being elbowed in the back of the head and neck, Caroline Doty was in the starting lineup for the Huskies tonight. Coach Geno Auriemma and her teammates didn’t expect anything less from a player known for her toughness.
Doty finished with one point (0-of-3 FG), two rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes. She also dove for a loose ball in the first half.
Doty was clearly not at 100 percent, though. She played just four minutes in the second half.
“She didn’t look right,’’ Auriemma said. “(Assistant coach) Shea (Ralph) noticed it right away. After she went up and down a couple times Shea made a comment. You can usually tell. You ask Caroline a question and she snaps at you, and this one was … `You alright?’ `Yeah.’ Like, `yeah, right. Get her out.’ And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with her. She’s probably just tired and sore and all that. There came a point in time I said, `It’s no more. We’ve got bigger games than this one coning up. Let’s just give her a breather.’’

Rich

Caroline Doty, who was inadvertently elbowed in the back of the head and neck in the final minute of Monday’s win over No. 6 Notre Dame, participated in shootaround this morning. She has been medically cleared to play tonight against No. 9 West Virginia in the Big East tournament final at the XL Center.

Rich