UConn women's basketball

UConn-bound recruit Bria Hartley, a 5-foot-10 point guard from North Babylon, N.Y., is one of five finalists for the 2010 Naismith Girl’s High School Player of the Year award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. The list was determined by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which consists of leading basketball journalists and administrators nationwide, based the performance of the players this season.
The winner will be determined in early March and will be honored Naismith Awards banquet March 23 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta.

Here’s some more information regarding Meghan Gardler … She suffered only a very minor crack in her nose when she was hit in the face by a Providence player in the first half Saturday.
Gardler was held out for the remainder of the game as a precaution and will not be required to wear a mask tonight against Syracuse.

Don’t forget … Chat tomorrow at noon.

Rich

Junior Maya Moore has been named the recipient of the Academic All-America of the Year award in the University Division and was selected to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s Basketball Team, it was announced today. The selection was made by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
It marks the second straight year that Moore has been named to the first team. She has a 3.70 grade point average in an Individualized major.
“I really do try to approach my academics the same way I do my basketball,’’ Moore said. “I really can’t look too far ahead and think one quiz is going to (mess) me up for the rest of the semester. It’s just kind of like one test at a time, one class at a time. Hopefully, if I take care of what I need to take care of, I’ll have a great GPA again. I really wasn’t anticipating the academic… I knew if I kept my grades up something would come, but I don’t necessarily set out and make it a goal to get an academic award necessarily every year. I’m going to work my tail off. I’ll be working hard for anything that I actively get.’’
Moore is joined on the team by Indiana State senior Kelsey Luna, Army junior Erin Anthony, Tennessee junior Angie Bjorklund and West Virginia junior Liz Repella. The five players chosen have an average grade point average of 3.85.
Moore is the third UConn women’s basketball player to be a two-time first team Academic All-America honoree, joining Leigh Curl (1983-84, 1984-85) and Rebecca Lobo (1993-94, 1994-95). She is also the third UConn player to win the Academic All-America of the Year award, joining Lobo (1994-95) and Jennifer Rizzotti (1995-96).
On the court, Moore is averaging 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and team-highs of 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 27.8 minutes for the top-ranked Huskies.

Rich

Meghan Gardler injured her nose when she was struck in the face fighting for a rebound in the first half of Saturday’s victory over Providence. Huskies’ coach Geno Auriemma said today that he does not know the exact diagnosis of the injury, but he did say that Gardler is expected to play Wednesday at Syracuse.
“Meghan’s good,’’ Auriemma said. “I talked to her last night. Actually, I don’t even know what (the injury is) called. But she doesn’t need a mask from what I’ve been told. And she should be good to go.’’
Gardler, who did not participate in practice today after returning home Sunday night to tend to a family matter, entered the game with 10:56 left in the first half. She left 16 seconds later and explained to Auriemma what had happened once she reached the bench area.
Gardler is the second UConn player to injure their nose this season. Kelly Faris sustained a broken nose in practice Dec. 18 and was forced to wear a protective face mask for four games.

Jennifer Rizzotti’s red-hot Hartford Hawks earned their first ranking in The Associated Press national poll today. The Hawks, who have won a school record 16 straight games and are 23-3, received 114 votes to tie Georgia at No. 24.
The Hawks had been receiving votes in the poll since Jan. 18.
“I think the outside world may be the last to catch on, but everybody in the basketball world …,’’ Auriemma said. “And, for me, personally, I think it’s another milestone for a kid who wants so desperately to bring some respect to her team and her league and she’s so passionate about it. And this is one more way of getting to that point. Knowing how last year was kind of a disappointment for them, and I know how much she really enjoys this team and the young kids that she has and how much she enjoys coaching them it’s a great feeling. It’s a great feeling for me and I’m sure it’s an even greater feeling for them.’’
The Hawks, who are led by Bridgeport’s Erica Beverly and Stamford’s Diana Delva, earned their first ever national ranking Feb. 9 when they were No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. They were No. 24 last week, with the newest poll due out tomorrow.

Fans can place a bid now at www.bigeast.org for two premium tickets to the Big East tournament final March 9 at the XL Center and a one-night stay at the Hartford Hilton. The bidding closes March 5.

Rich

Here’s a look back at Saturday’s UConn-Providence game:
No. 1 UConn 85, Providence 53
TURNING POINT – Maya Moore made her first 3-pointer 90 seconds into the game. She made another one 28 seconds later and by the time she made her third with 14:39 left in the first half she had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting. UConn’s offense was rolling and there was little Providence could do to derail it. The Huskies led by as many as 24 in the first half when Moore scored 15 and Tina Charles had 14.
“I just really wasn’t thinking a lot,’’ Moore said. “It was one of those things where were we did a pretty good job on defense and we started running in transition a little more. We’ve got to get back to being more of a transition team, and when we do that that’s my most favorite type of basketball. We’re out running … Just catch and shoot. That’s pretty automatic. So they were falling.’’
UNSUNG HERO – In the backdrop of the enormous All-American shadows cast by Moore and Charles, Kalana Greene continues to put together an exceptional season in her own right. She finished with 11 points (4-of-7 FG) and six rebounds in 27 minutes, once again being a viable third option for the Huskies.
Greene has reached double figures in scoring in 11 of the last 13 games (12.7).
BEST ‘X’ AND/OR ‘O’ – UConn coach Geno Auriemma and Moore talked recently about his desire to get Moore more shots. It was easy to tell Saturday. Moore took 12 shots in 17 minutes in the first half and finished by tying her season-high with 18.
“She’s not shooting as good a percentage as I’d like for her to shoot,’’ Auriemma said. “And I don’t know whether some of those are rushed or some of those are ill-advised at times. But I do know that we did talk about, she and I, about getting more shots. That 12 is not nearly enough. So if we can get her and Tina somewhere between 15 and 20 on a regular basis that would be pretty good.’’
Charles took 15 shots.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS – One of the greatest players in team history was again in the house Saturday. Kerry Bascom, UConn’s first All-American (1990-91), was seated in the first few rows behind the Huskies’ bench. The likelihood is that her presence went undetected by many fans. It did not go undetected by the team. “(People) don’t know (her),’’ Auriemma said. “It was pre-TV, pre-national rankings, pre-everything. But she still feels like this is a big part of who she is and we feel like she is … In 1991 we went to the Final Four, and for her to come from where she came from and to come to a program that played in the Fieldhouse and to go to the Final Four and to be Big East Player of the Year three years in a row at that time was unheard of. But every kid in our program and everybody that’s played for us certainly knows who Kerry is. She’s like royalty.’’ Auriemma later paid Bascom another compliment. “Somebody asked me the other day if I had one player to make a shot with one second left I said I would have either D (Diana Taurasi) shoot it or D pass it to Kerry. That’s how much that kid meant to our program and how many big shots and how many big plays she made. And to score that many points in that few games, I bet you that’s the fewest games of anybody that we had that scored those kind of points.’’ Bascom scored 2,177 points in 120 games (18.1). Record-holder Nykesha Sales needed 137 to score 2,178 (15.9). … It was the fourth time this season that Charles (26) and Moore (21) have each scored 20 points in a game. They combined for 29 of UConn’s 45 first-half point and then combined to score the first 15 of the second half. “One of our roles is bring energy, bringing everything that we know we can do on the court,’’ Moore said. “I think that is something as upperclassmen and as mature players you have to come out with the mindset that I have to do it every night otherwise it’s not going to get done. I mean, knowing that our teammates are going to do their part and can get it done. But taking that mindset of I have to do it every night. I have to bring it and do my part every night.’’ … Moore provided a humorous moment after she jumped over a media table courtside trying to get her hands on a loose ball with 11:26 left in the game. On her way back over, she took the time to straighten some papers on the table before returning to the court. … Moore and Charles were later shown on the video boards as part of the “Dance Cam’’ during a timeout with 5:47 left. There was no fancy footwork, only a laugh from Moore as she leaned toward Charles.
LOOKING AHEAD – The Huskies (27-0, 13-0 Big East) will travel to Syracuse to square off with the Orangewomen in the cavernous Carrier Dome. The last time the teams met Syracuse tried to bully UConn, but Moore had a career-high 40 points and made a team single-game record 10 3-pointers in a 107-53 rout.
BY THE NUMBERS
5 – Crowds of at least 10,167 in UConn’s last six home games
11 – 20-point games for Charles this season; she had 14 in the first 113 games of her career
25 – Fouls by Providence, the most by an opponent this season

Rich

The voting won’t be revealed until March 5. The votes don’t even have to be in to the Big East office until the final night of the regular season March 1. But as the Big East coaches make their decisions regarding the conference Player of the Year their decisions won’t be easy. Tina Charles or Maya Moore. Maya Moore or Tina Charles.
UConn has been in this position before. In 2002, Sue Bird won the award over Swin Cash despite seeing Cash lead the league scoring and rebounding in conference games. Last season Moore won it for the second time despite Renee Montgomery having an All-American season.
If you ask Huskies coach Geno Auriemma he has no idea how the voting will shake out. All he knows is that he has it easy. Coaches cannot vote for their own players.
“I thought Renee Montgomery should have been Player of the Year last year, but what do I know,’’ Auriemma said. “Each person that’s voting is going to use their own criteria. I don’t have to vote for either of them so I’m not worried about it. It’s interesting to see how people vote. I thought Swin Cash should’ve got it with Sue Bird the year Sue Bird got it. The coaches didn’t think that it was appropriate to reward the leading scorer and the leading rebounder.
“Fortunately, (Moore and Charles) won’t lose any votes because they have a bad attitude or they’re selfish. So it’s going to be difficult. It’s going to be difficult for all the coaches to agree on. I’m sure it’ll be tough. Really tough.’’
Both players bolstered their resumes in today’s 85-53 victory over Providence. Charles equaled her season-high with 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four blocks. Moore finished with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals.
Charles is averaging team-highs of 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks this season. With 1,244 career rebounds, she is also 25 rebounds shy of passing Rebecca Lobo (1,268) for first all-time in team history. With 2,130 points, she is four points shy of passing Lobo (2,133) and moving into fifth on UConn’s career scoring list.
Moore is averaging 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and team-highs of 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals.
While most coaches around the conference will keep their decision for Player of the Year close to the vest, Providence coach Phil Seymore did not hide his feelings.
“I’ll say Tina Charles,’’ Seymore said. “I think she’s the anchor. I think if you take her out … She’s a monster. You’ve got to have an anchor in there. Somebody that can score in the post and that’s going to defend other post players. So I’ll have to say her.’’

A recruiting source confirmed today that Kiah Stokes, a 6-foot-3 post player from Marion, Iowa, was not offered a scholarship during her unofficial visit to UConn last weekend when she attended the game against St. John’s at Gampel Pavilion. This decision at this point in time, however, does not mean that a scholarship will not be offered to Stokes at a future date.
A source said that Stokes is in no hurry to commit.

Rich

Lorin Dixon was not at practice today. Huskies’ coach Geno Auriemma said that she was at home dealing with a family matter. She is expected back tonight or tomorrow morning and is expected to play against Providence tomorrow at the XL Center.

Rich

The Huskies will unveil the Nike Hyper Elite uniform, which is the lightest elite fit college basketball uniform Nike has ever designed, when they host Providence tomorrow at the XL Center. UConn is the sole women’s basketball team that was selected.
Nike designers worked with UConn to create a distinctive look for the Huskies. Inspired in part by the Huskies’ six national championships, the jerseys feature six stars, each one with the year 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2009 in them.
Three oak leaves and two acorns are at the top of the design, which represents the potential and the desire to reach perfection. The ceiling of the Business Building located on the campus, along with the establishment year of the university (1881) represents the central focal point of the design. An image of UConn’s famed Husky mascot helps to complete the design.
UConn’s new uniforms incorporate several Nike innovations. The Hyper Elite uniforms take advantage of Nike Aerographics – an engineered mesh providing zoned cooling that reduces up to half of the yarn, making the uniforms more lightweight and breathable.
Nike eliminated 13 inches of material, while the use of Dri-FIT woven fabric in the shorts reduced its weight to make it Nike’s lightest ever. The uniform also features the Nike Pro Combat, an ergonomically designed base layer that provides basketball-specific protective padding without restricting mobility on the court.

“We have a new competitive edge,’’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said sarcastically. “I think a couple of the teams are eventually going to get them, from what I understand. But, hey, we tried the pink uniform concept for two games and we didn’t shoot the ball particularly well. And if this doesn’t work tomorrow we’ll try a new uniform at Syracuse (Wednesday).’’

Maya Moore is currently competing for the Glamour Magazine women’s collegiate Woman of the Year contest. It’s a contest highlighting the top collegiate women in the country.

Rich

There are less than 1,000 tickets remaining for the Huskies’ annual Senior Day game Feb. 27 against No. 14 Georgetown at the XL Center (noon). Seniors Tina Charles, Jacquie Fernandes, Meghan Gardler, Kalana Greene and Kaili McLaren will be honored during a pregame ceremony that is expected to begin at 11:37 a.m.
Good seats are also available for Saturday’s game against Providence at the XL Center (1 p.m.)
Tickets to both games can be purchased by calling 1-800-745-3000 or by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com.

Rich