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Halloween has become a day to look forward to when it comes to the Huskies and Open Practice. Two years ago, Geno Auriemma dressed up as a rapper for the team’s comical holiday event at Gampel Pavilion. Last year, the players dressed up as Superheroes during the first 10 minutes of practice, while team manager Justine Durr stole the show by wearing a suit and playing the part of Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.
While the Huskies didn’t have a team event Wednesday, it was Durr again who stole the spotlight. She dressed up as associate head coach Chris Dailey, wearing a blond wig, a gray long-sleeve T-shirt and blue UConn running pants during practice. She also sipped a beverage from a coke cup. Needless to say, the players loved it.
“It was a very nice, pleasant surprise,’’ Renee Montgomery said. “She just mocked her. It was funny. She had her demeanor down pat. The diet coke, heavy ice. Yeah, that’s CD every day in practice. Everybody looked at her and started cracking up like, `oh, my goodness, that’s definitely CD.’ And when CD saw her she had to laugh because it was funny.’’
Kaili McLaren was the only player seen in costume Wednesday. She walked out of the locker room following practice in an impressive scarecrow costume. She said she wore it to class and even received extra credit on her psychology test because of it.
The Huskies had talked about collectively dressing up again this year. But collectively they opted not to. Was it because of their more business-like approach to the season?
“We usually dress up for Halloween,’’ Montgomery said. “ But this year … I don’t know. We thought about it, but then we just didn’t really bother. Everyone was like, `We’ll pass.’ I guess we’re more business like this year.’’
The one thing the Huskies will gladly wear is a piece of the net from a hoop at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. That would come after they win the national championship April 8.

Be good.

Rich

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The preseason poll carries very little meaning when it comes to the Huskies. For that matter, polls, in general, carry very little meaning when it comes to the Huskies. With that being said, they received four first-place votes, 714 points and were No. 2 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll that was released early Wednesday.
Not surprising, defending national champion Tennessee, led by All-American Candace Parker, was No. 1. The Lady Vols received 26 first-place votes and 767 points.
Rutgers was No. 3. Maryland was fourth and LSU, who received the final first-place vote, was fifth. Oklahoma, North Carolina, Stanford, Duke and Georgia completed the Top 10. Big East rivals Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Louisville were ranked No. 21, No. 22 and No. 23, respectively.
The preseason Associated Press writer’s poll is due out Saturday.

Be good.

Rich

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Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Diana Taurasi won a national championship together in 2002. They were a part of two Final Four teams and 71 wins, including a 39-0 season in 2001-02, during the two seasons the trio played alongside one another for the Huskies. The success they enjoyed and their appeal to the fans made them legendary characters in UConn lore.
Friday, Bird, Cash and Taurasi will make their triumphant return to the court at Gampel Pavilion as members of the U.S. Senior National Team. They will take on the Huskies in an exhibition game at 7:30 p.m.
It will no doubt be a special event for the players. It will definitely be special for coach Geno Auriemma, who they credit with molding them into the elite players they are today.
“It’s my first time being back there in a very long time so it’ll be great just to see familiar faces, a familiar building, familiar fans,’’ Bird said. “I’m going, obviously, with Diana and Swin and we have a lot of great memories there. So I’m looking forward to being there, to playing there. It’s going to be a fun, fun trip.’’
Diana, in her typical Eddie Haskell fashion, couldn’t help but take a shot at Geno when she offered her thoughts on her return.
“It’s going to be a pain in the butt to see Coach Auriemma again because he’s going to be talking trash the whole time,’’ Taurasi said. “So that’ll be fun. But other than that it’s going to be funny, especially to go back and play in Gampel. That’s where we spent every single day for four years practicing, going in and out of the offices. So walking in and out of that place gives you a great feeling. And the fans there just really enjoy basketball and enjoy Connecticut basketball. So it’ll be great to see them and to see the team that they’ve put together this year. So that’ll be just a great feeling.’’
The former Huskies are in the early stages of an eight-game college tour that kicks off at Maryland Wednesday night. Following some home-cooking in Storrs, they will travel to Knoxville Sunday in what will likely be the final time a player with UConn ties steps foot on the court at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Sue said they have been talking about Sunday’s game against Tennessee with U.S. teammates and former Lady Vols standouts Kara Lawson and Loree Moore.
“I’m looking forward to it,’’ Bird said. “I think at some point on this trip, D, myself, Kara Lawson and Loree Moore were joking that it’ll be the last time that a UConn player will be at Tennessee and Tennessee players will be at UConn. So we’re definitely going to try and represent for old times sake. They’re a great team. Obviously, they have Candace Parker. They’re trying to defend their national title. So the game will definitely be a grudge match, just like old times.’’
Of course, Diana couldn’t resist sprinkling in some sarcasm. After all, she is the one who once punched the padding on the hoop stantion during a game. Why? She said she just wanted to punch something orange at the time.
“We’re actually wearing Connecticut jerseys to the game,’’ she said. “We petitioned USA Basketball. So that’s something we’re still waiting on to see what the final verdict is. No. We’re over it. We’re going to go there. We’re going to play them as USA Basketball and we’re not worried about anything else. It was a great rivalry. It ended. It’s over. It’s in the past now. The only time they can meet is in the (NCAA) tournament. So that’s it.’’
Apparently, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has urged the fans not to boo any of the former UConn players in the game. I have never heard this before in what is the fiercest of rivalries. My, how things have changed since Sue, Swin and Diana had turned in the national flag blue and white of UConn for the red, white and blue of USA Basketball.
“That’s a very nice gesture, and that just shows what kind of person Coach Summitt is,’’ Taurasi said. “No matter how many times you played against her, whether you were in a Connecticut jersey, LSU … No matter what rivalry you had with Tennessee you always respected what she’d done as a coach and what’s she done for women’s basketball over the years. So that just shows how much respect that she has for the U.S. National team. That means a lot. I would actually like for them to boo us a little bit. That’d be kind of fun.’’

Be good.

Rich

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The decision was not an easy one for Chelsey Lee. The conversations she had with her family over the past several days since returning from her final official recruiting visit were extremely difficult.
In the end, she discovered that UConn wasn’t the place she wanted to play college basketball. Lee, a 6-foot-2 forward from Miami, orally committed to attend Rutgers Saturday.
Lee said that she called UConn coach Geno Auriemma immediately after committing because she knew it would be the toughest call to make and she didn’t want him to hear about her decision from any other source.
“It was the toughest decision I know I’ve ever made in my life,’’ Lee said. “It was so hard to say `no’ to Connecticut. I have an infatuation with that school. I talked to all the players about it. (UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey) was my favorite coach, and I hope she still knows she’s my favorite.’’
Lee had also taken visits to Georgia, Illinois and Maryland. Rutgers and UConn were the final two on her list.
Lee’s decision comes as somewhat of a surprise. A source said Saturday that unless something out of the ordinary happened Lee would be UConn-bound.
“To be honest, both schools held the same exact things,’’ Lee said. “I didn’t understand how come I had the same exact feeling for both schools. I was crazy about Connecticut. I was crazy about Rutgers. But I just had to find a way to identify and just say what school would be best for me.’’
The change of fortune surrounding Lee effectively puts a cap on what remains an elite recruiting class for the Huskies. They have received oral commitments from Elena Delle Donne, a 6-5 guard from Wilmington Del. who is regarded as the top player in the Class of 2008, Caroline Doty, a 5-11 guard from Pottstown, Pa., Tiffany Hayes, a 6-foot guard from Winter Haven, Fla., and Heather Buck, a 6-4 center from Stonington.
Hoopgurlz.com, a national recruiting service, ranks all four players in the Top 31 in their class. Doty is ranked No. 10. Hayes and Buck are ranked Nos. 11 and 31, respectively.
All four UConn recruits, and Lee, were in attendance at First Night Oct. 12 and at the Huskies’ first official practice the following morning at Gampel Pavilion. Lee and Hayes are AAU teammates. Instead, Lee will now join AAU teammate April Sykes at Rutgers.
Lee, who enrolled at Miramar Parkway Academy for her senior year, averaged 15.1 points and 10.1 rebounds last season in leading Monsignor Pace to a berth in the Class 4A state semifinals and a 16-11 record.
Rutgers has also assembled a fine recruiting class with Sykes, who is ranked No. 2 by Hoopgurlz.com, Brooklyn Pope (No. 9), Jasmine Dixon (26), Nikki Speed (27) and Lee (36).
“I’m relieved that I can finally move on,’’ Lee said. “You’ll never be 100 percent positive. You’ll always have some sort of doubt. You kind of have to think, `Well, what if I picked Connecticut?’ But I’m happy. I feel as though I did the right thing.’’

Rich

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The life San Diego resident Charde Houston leads at UConn is privileged. She is regarded as a rock star being a member of the Huskies. She is asked to sign autographs, pose for pictures and she brings joy to her adoring fans by simply saying “hello’’ to them when they see her in the mall.
It’s as if Charde and rest of her teammates live in a bubble at times where the only thing that matters is being able to put up with Geno Auriemma and making their way to the Final Four. But thousands of miles away from her family this week, Charde said she found herself freaking out. Wildfires were ravaging the area where her family is living.
“Right now we’re over here and I’m running up and down the court while there are firefighters helping to save everyone and just making sure that everyone’s OK,’’ she said. “People working throughout the night while I’m in my bed sleeping. So it definitely makes you appreciate life even more. I really was (freaking out) knowing that my family was in certain parts that could possibly be effected by that. Everything was just so close. Everything was a close call.’’
Charde said she experienced these fires during her senior year in high school, but they paled in comparison to these. Her aunt, Diane Greene, had to be evacuated from her home and went to live with her daughter. Charde said Diane was displaced for only two or three days and did not lose anything to the fires.
“Knowing the severity of the fires and the winds – 60 miles per hour – and how they can shift, you know the fires were going in totally different directions,’’ she said. “My mom had to look at different news stations because it’s right over the hillside from her. So at any point in time if it decided to change directions it could come down her way. I just made sure I called every day and just reminded them to look at the news and make sure that they stay alert, especially throughout the night time.’’
Ketia Swanier said she her uncle, Virgil, lives in the San Diego area and Brittany Hunter also has family there. Swanier no one was hurt or lost any of the valuables during this nightmarish time.
Hearing that hundreds of thousands of people had to be evacuated and people lost everything they owned to the fires, it has heightened Charde’s appreciation for the blessings she has been bestowed over the course her life.
“The things that you consider to be hard times … People have to worry about rebuilding,’’ she said. “There’s people that lost everything that they’ve worked so hard for. So it just makes you appreciate everything in your possession and those around you.’’

Be good.

Rich

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Geno Auriemma’s antics in front of the bench make for some of the best theater, especially in those 50-point wins over the bottom feeders of the Big East. He knows how to get his point across to the officials. He’s been doing it for the past 22 years. He uses colorful adjectives, non-vulgar hand signals and a lot of that Italian personality of his to get his point across. And more times than not he has been given one of the longest ropes in the nation by officials because technical fouls have been rare. Of course, when he really gets out of hand, associate head coach Chris Dailey does her best imitation of a bouncer and keeps him from going completely off the wall.
This season that rope might get shorter with the NCAA paying strict attention to the parameters of the coaching box and whether or not the head coach or any member of their staff is in it. Players will also be monitored for excess celebration on the bench. Sound a little bit too excessive? Geno thinks so.
“When (Big East assistant commissioner) Barb Jacobs came over to tell us the rules she said, `those of you who put your water on the scorer’s table, if that’s outside the coaching box you’re going to get a warning,’’’ Geno said. “I said, `well, you know what? They’re watching us go get our water. They’re looking at our players to make sure you sit down and you don’t stand up and celebrate too long. Who the hell is watching the game? I could understand a coach running around crazy outside the coaching box. I’m all for that because some coaches are out of their mind. I don’t think I’m one of them. But I think it’s directed more on the men’s side than it is on the women’s side. Some coaches like to run out to halfcourt and the foul line and coach their team. I don’t see that on the women’s side that much.’’
The exchanges between Geno and the officials will certainly be something to keep an eye this season. But he doesn’t seem to think he will have any major problems because he maintains that he’s not a wanderer.
“I yell and scream from where I’m standing,’’ he said. “I’ve never run out on the court after anybody. I don’t run out of the box. I don’t run down to the other coaching box. I just stay in my own coaching box. The last couple years I’d sit and I don’t want to say anything sometimes. What’s there to say? Besides when you have really good team you don’t (complain) as much at the officials. So my behavior will probably improve as my team improves. That’s the way I look it. But I understand why they’re doing it.’’
What Geno doesn’t understand is another new rule that will go into effect this season regarding contact with a player that is standing underneath the basket. If the player with the ball comes into contact with the defender as they go to the basket, a charge is supposed to be called immediately.
“The rule that bothers me that they put in is that now if you’re a defensive player and you’re standing directly under the basket and a guy runs into you it’s a charge, which is the dumbest rule ever to be put into play,’’ he said. “You’re taking away more chances for the other team to score, whereas before if you were directly underneath the basket and the guy ran into you the ref would just wave it off. We don’t have the circle (in the lane). We don’t have any of that. Now you can just put a guy underneath the rim and have him stand there and every time you go in for a layup and you hit the guy that’s a charge and the basket doesn’t count. That to me is the worst rule ever put in.’’
Geno said that he hopes the new “charge’’ rule doesn’t stick. He also hopes that officials exercise good judgement and simply don’t enforce it.
“With all the stuff that we should be doing in the game we do some dumb stuff,’’ he said. “Instead of moving the (3-point) line back, which nobody wants because they think more scoring is needed … So we don’t move the line back because we want to score more points. Why do we put in a rule where when the guy goes to the basket and it’s a charge even if the guy’s standing underneath the basket? And if you want more scoring why don’t we go to a 24-second clock and 10 seconds to get it across (midcourt). We’re not consistent. I wish we had the same rules as everybody in the world. I’ve always said that.’’

Take care

Rich

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Traveling to New York City is not something I could do every day. I have an allergy to rush hour traffic and I envy those who have to brave the roads before starting their workday.
Thursday was the one of the very few days out of the year when I actually have to work normal hours (ie: getting up at 5:20 a.m. on my own without a crying baby blowing up the monitor on my night table) and get caught in the brutal traffic on I-95. I find it hard to believe there could be bumper to bumper traffic at 7 a.m.
It took Big East Media Day at ESPN Zone in the City to get me in my car, on a train and on foot to do my job to best of my ability. I find that Media Day can be done via e-mail and a conference call. But I don’t make the rules. I just follow them. And, hey, I’m not one to dodge free food, especially a tray of desserts, when it’s offered.
It’s the one day that coaches don’t have to worry about X’s and O’s and they can concentrate in being funny and boosting the image of what is a solid conference. Pittsburgh’s Agnus Berenato started things by giving a shout-out to the big girls and the problems they have finding pants that are long enough. “Bigger is Better’’ she said. Villanova’s Harry Perretta, ever the life of the event, talked about getting some divine intervention from former Wildcats-star-turned-nun Shelly Pennefather. And DePaul’s Doug Bruno took a shot at Geno Auriemma for telling him that he only needed to score 65 points to beat Rutgers and coach C. Vivian Stringer in the Big East tournament quarterfinals last year before they lost 63-55. Geno would bust Bruno’s chops afterward. But Bruno got revenge by leaving a message for Geno after UConn scored only 47 in a loss to Rutgers in the final two days later.
Geno had his time at the mic and used it well. Just as he usually does. After coughing three times he opened with: “I’m a little tongue tied here listening to Harry cry about (his team) … Listening to Doug. And, hey, Vivian, I have to tell you … As much as you might find this hard to believe, I was really rooting as hard as I could in the championship game last year. I wanted you to beat (Tennessee) so bad I could taste it. And Harry, let me just explain one thing to you. Shelly Pennefather tries as hard as she can to get away from you. She goes to a convent where nobody’s allowed to visit her, and you still manage to get in there and she doesn’t want to see you. And then you’ve got to come back and tell us that you need her to pray for you. With all the things going on in the world that we need to pray for, you’re the last one I would pray for.’’
Later Geno took a shot at Tina Charles, who could do nothing but sit there and laugh with Renee Montgomery and Mel Thomas seated to her right. “I like our chances every night that we play because I’ve got good players, and if you have got good guards you have a chance to have a really good team. And I think I’ve got two great guards here with me today – Renee Montgomery and Mel Thomas. And our post players are getting a lot better. The other day Tina Charles almost blocked a shot and I thought that was a huge accomplishment for her. And then on our next possession she got an offensive rebound that wasn’t a missed shot by her, and that was a huge accomplishment. So our post players are getting a lot better. Our guards are really good.’’
That is Geno Being Geno at his finest.
Montgomery and Thomas made an appearance at the event for the second straight year. This doesn’t get old for either of them. Mel missed three classes Thursday. Renee did not have class, but she said she missed her sleeping-in time. But, hey, they stayed overnight at the Hyatt and had dinner at the Hard Rock Café with the rest of the Big East players Wednesday.
“I just never assume that I’m going to be picked for anything,’’ Montgomery said. “That’s just not something I do. So when he told us we were coming I was excited all over again. I definitely don’t take anything for granted.’’
“I think it’s really exciting,’’ Thomas said. “You get to represent your team. Renee and I are both captains so I think it’s just an honor to be able to lead our team.’’

Take care,

Rich

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The UConn women’s basketball team returns every player from last season. It has added a pair of talented freshmen and another year of experience to a team that advanced to the Fresno regional final last March.
All of this was enough to earn the highest level of respect a team can receive from the Big East coaches. The Huskies have been picked first in the conference preseason poll, receiving 15 first-place votes and 225 points. Coaches cannot vote for their own team, meaning every opposing coach in the Big East selected UConn to repeat as regular season champion.
The poll will be officially released Thursday morning during conference Media Day festivities at ESPN Zone in New York City.
Rutgers, who returns its starting lineup from a team that advanced to the NCAA tournament final in Cleveland a year ago, was picked second with 211 points. Huskies’ coach Geno Auriemma awarded the Scarlet Knights the final first-place vote.
West Virginia (186), Pittsburgh (169) and Notre Dame (165) completed the Top 5. The Mountaineers earned their highest ranking ever in the preseason poll.
UConn junior point guard Renee Montgomery and sophomore center Tina Charles were each named to the 11-member preseason All-Big East team. Rutgers had a conference-high three players on the team: senior guard Matee Ajavon, senior swingman Essence Carson and junior center Kia Vaughn.
UConn’s Maya Moore was the unanimous pick as preseason Freshman of the Year. Huskies senior Charde Houston was one of three players named to the preseason all-conference Honorable Mention team.

2007-08 Big East Preseason Coaches Poll
1. UConn (15) 225
2. Rutgers (1) 211
3. West Virginia 186
4. Pittsburgh 169
5. Notre Dame 165
6. Louisville 154
7. DePaul 152
8. Marquette 124
9. South Florida 105
10. Seton Hall 93
11. St. John’s 83
12. Villanova 77
13. Syracuse 61
14. Cincinnati 49
15. Providence 36
16. Georgetown 20
NOTE – First-place votes in parentheses.

2007-08 Big East Preseason Player of the Year
Angel McCoughtry, Soph., F, Louisville

2007-08 Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year
x-Maya Moore, F, UConn

2007-08 Preseason All-Big East Team
Matee Ajavon, Rutgers, Sr., G
Charel Allen, Notre Dame, Sr., G
x-Essence Carson, Rutgers, Sr., F/G
Tina Charles, UConn, Soph., C
Krystal Ellis, Marquette, Jr., G
x-Angel McCoughtry, Louisville, Jr., F
Renee Montgomery, UConn, Jr., G
x-Olayinka Sanni, West Virginia, Sr., C
Kia Vaughn, Rutgers, Jr., C
x-Marcedes Walker, Pittsburgh, Sr., C
Shavonte Zellous, Pittsburgh, Jr., G
x–unanimous selection

2007-08 Preseason All-Big East Honorable Mention Team
Allie Quigley, Sr., G, DePaul
Charde Houston, Sr., F, UConn
Kia Wright, Sr., G, St. John’s