Tomorrow’s game against No. 13 Georgetown at the XL Center might start at noon. But don’t forget about the annual pregame Senior Day ceremony. Tina Charles, Jacquie Fernandes, Meghan Gardler, Kalana Greene and Kaili McLaren will all be honored during a ceremony that is slated to commence at about 11:40 a.m. So get to town as early as possible, especially with a sellout crowd of 16,294 expected to be on hand.
As usual, UConn coach Geno Auriemma will start all five seniors. Here is Auriemma’s take on this year’s senior class.
“Misfits who fit together very nicely,’’ Auriemma said. “Don’t ask me to explain why. They just do. I don’t think any of them have anything in common with each other. It’s the funniest thing. But you put them all together, and it kind of works. Maybe that’s why. They’re all so different. They have different backgrounds, different aspirations and certainly different levels of talent. And it works. They’ve won a lot of games (135-6). They’ve been here through a great four years. Regardless of what happens this year, they can go home and say they’ve played in two Final Fours and won a national championship and accomplished something that is hard to do.
“I think in most recruiting classes you’re going to find there are two players in that class. Certainly it’s been that way at Connecticut. If you recruit 4-5 players, there’s a pretty good chance two are going to be at a pretty high level that can play at a certain level to keep your program where it is or make it even better. Kalana would have left last year, and you have Kalana and Renee (Montgomery). This particular class is a little bit different. Certainly Tina is Tina. Coming out of high school everyone expected she would continue in college the great career she had in high school. And she certainly has done that. Everybody else was a little bit of a question mark. Can they play at this level? With Kaili there were questions about her conditioning. Meghan wasn’t recruited by certainly anything above the Atlantic 10, and even the Atlantic 10 schools were passing on her. She has become an integral part of what we’re doing. Jacquie’s story has already been written about not having any offers from basketball schools. So it turns out in this class you have two really high level players who have demonstrated they can play at the highest level, and others who have contributed in their own way to make it all work. I think that’s why this class, as different as they are, they have a pretty good group.’’
It could be a doubly special day for the seniors. The Huskies, who have won 67 straight games, will clinch their fourth straight Big East regular season championship outright with a win.
“I think that would be the cherry on top of the day if we end up beating Georgetown,’’ Gardler said. “Just the fact that we can hold the trophy up and I can show my family that doesn’t really get to come to a lot of games besides Villanova.’’
With three games in five days beginning with last night’s 70-39 victory over Jacksonville State at home in a makeup game from Dec. 20, Georgetown coach Terri Williams-Flournoy rested starters Jaleesa Butler and Shanice Fuller.
Montgomery worked out with the Huskies at practice today. She’s in town to see her best friend, Greene, participate in Senior Day events.
“It’s just something that you don’t really want to miss, and I was free so why not,’’ Montgomery said.
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