The Huskies never did use the loss of Kalana Greene and Mel Thomas to season-ending knee injuries as an excuse for any of their shortcomings last season. They were 20-2 without the two starters, winning the Big East regular season and tournament championships and reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2004.
This season UConn will harbor the same mindset. Sophomore All-American Maya Moore said Wednesday that the Huskies have moved on since top recruit Elena Delle Donne decided not to play for the Huskies last month, and instead attend Delaware and play volleyball.
“I think when we are faced with adversity it forces you to make a choice,’’ Moore said. “I like to believe that our team is going to make the choice to get closer, get tighter, work harder. I think one of the great things about being here is our depth and the fact that we can make adjustments. Thank God, we have enough talent and enough commitment from our players to play more than one position. We have enough cushion to make an adjustment.’’
It’s been just more than 11 months since freshman guard Caroline Doty underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. As the scar begins to fade, her anticipation of beginning her college career heightens.
Doty has experienced no setbacks this preseason. She effortlessly ran down long passes thrown over her head by assistant coach Shea Ralph on both sides of the floor and dribbled up the court, going behind her back around chairs during her individual workout Wednesday.
“I just try not to think about it,’’ said Doty, who is expected to see time at both guard spots this season. “It doesn’t really affect me at all.’’
The identity of the Huskies’ opponents – Washington, Florida State and Northern Colorado – at the Caribbean Classic in Cancun, Mexico Dec. 18-21 had been known for months. Thursday they learned the path they will take to capture the tournament championship.
UConn will meet Washington in the opener Dec. 18, while Florida State will face Northern Colorado, where Paige Sauer is in her second season as an assistant coach. The Huskies will play Northern Colorado Dec. 19, with Florida State and Washington also meeting. UConn will conclude tournament play against Florida State Dec. 21, with Northern Colorado and Washington meeting in the other game.
The times of the games will be announced at a later date.
Also, the Huskies’ game against Syracuse at the XL Center Jan. 17 is expected to be the Big East Game of the Week. This would move the start time from noon to 2 p.m. It is also expected that CPTV will televise the game along with the Big Network (SNY).
The game times at South Carolina Dec. 28 and at Georgetown Jan. 31 will be 3 p.m.
Several players were raving about the performance of senior Kalana Greene during pick-up games Tuesday. Moore said she asked Greene what she had for lunch and then went out and had the same thing for dinner. It was something spicy. … Junior Kaili McLaren said she suffered a conditioning setback this summer when she went home for a couple of weeks, but has since overcome that and is again making tremendous strides. … Not even a campus-wide power outage stopped the Huskies from playing pick-up Wednesday. There were only a couple of emergency lights lit overhead inside Gampel Pavilion at the time.
“First Night” kicks off three weeks from tomorrow at Gampel Pavilion.
Rich
