UConn women's basketball

Geno Auriemma was so shocked that he was named the Big East Co-Coach of the Year today that he forgot for an instant who was on his coaching staff. He did not forget associate head coach Chris Dailey. But instead of praising assistants Shea Ralph and Marisa Moseley, he mentioned former assistants Tonya Cardoza, who now the head coach at Temple, and Jamelle Elliott, who is now the head coach at Cincinnati.
Here’s that segment of his acceptance speech:
“No matter how many times you get this award you’re always appreciative because the other coaches in the league think highly enough of you to cast a vote for you,’’ Auriemma said. “To my players who, believe me, I can’t even put into words sometimes what I feel like when I’m around you guys and when I’m watching you guys play. And our coaches. … Our coaching staff has changed, but some things always remain the same. And Chris and Tonya and Jamelle and Jack (Eisenmann, director of basketball operations) … They’re the best in the country at what they do. Keith (Anderson, video coordinator). We just have an unbelievable staff. We really, really do. It’s because of you guys that we get to appreciate and enjoy all this stuff.’’
Laughter could be from the players when Auriemma misspoke. When he was made aware of his error following the awards ceremony he felt horrible. But he more than made up for it.
“I’ve got to be the dumbest son of a (gun) that ever lived,’’ Auriemma said. “I’m fried I guess. I need a couple days off myself. But, obviously, when you’ve got the people that we have surrounding us it’s really, really … I don’t want to say it’s easy because nothing’s easy. But, for me, I don’t have the same worries maybe, the same issues that maybe some other coaches would have. And even bringing in two new coaches, it’s like bringing in two new players that just play well right away. You just bring in the right people and CD’s done a great job of kind of mentoring them. And they are unbelievably hard workers and they had big shoes to fill when they got here, and they’ve done it. They’ve done it in their own way. I wish I could give them all the trophies that you end up getting.’’

Rich

They are the best players on the nation’s best team. They are the best players in the country at their positions. They are arguably the best players in the country. And, most importantly, they are close friends.
This is the predicament that the Big East coaches faced when it came to choosing between UConn senior center Tina Charles and junior forward Maya Moore for Big East Player of the Year honors. Ultimately, it was Charles who prevailed in a race that was not as close as one would have initially thought.
Tina Charles was named the Big East Player of the Year Friday during a press conference at the XL Center. After she gave her acceptance speech, Charles and Moore displayed the level of their friendship by taking part in an prolonged embrace on stage.
“I never thought getting kicked out of practice and going to the side court with Christine Dailey that all this would happen,’’ Charles said. “I just want to thank God. I always wanted to have a lasting impression on this program, and that wouldn’t happen without my teammates, my family, especially Coach just always pushing me and just having the confidence in my game and just helping me have different expectation levels of myself. And just lastly a specific teammate, Maya Moore. `I look up to you. Just that fact that having somebody to compete with, somebody that I try to beat out night in and night out, just somebody who’s just a force at practice and just a leader. And I know you always wanted to put an emphasis on making your teammates better and that’s what you did that with me.’’’
It is third straight year a member of the Huskies has won the award and the 16th year overall. Charles, who became the team’s career leader in scoring (2,184) and rebounding (1,272) at No. 6 Notre Dame Monday, is the 11th UConn player to be honored.
Moore was attempting to become the second UConn player and the third in the history of the conference to earn Player of the Year honors three times. She was genuinely touched by Charles’ remarks.
“It made me feel really great,’’ Moore said. “I think that kind of summed up our team and who Tina is. She humbly accepts her award and then she points out all the people that have helped her get to where she is. And she’s earned it. She’s deserved it. She’s put in the work. She’s produced for us on the court, and she’s been a great teammate off the court. More than anything, though, I really feel like we are sisters. And even after we graduate we’ll always be family and I will always be proud of Tina Charles.’’
Moore was honored as the Big East Scholar Athlete of the Year. She was the recipient of the University Division Academic All-America of the Year award by the College Sports Information Directors of America last month.
Moore is the fifth UConn player to win the award, joining Leigh Curl (1985), Wendy Davis (1992), Rebecca Lobo (1994, 1995) and Jennifer Rizzotti (1996). She will receive a $2,00o scholarship, which may be appiled to graduate or professional studies.
“I never expect those,’’ Moore said. “I kind of think we don’t really get as much attention for our academic success. It’s something that I know my family’s proud of. I come from a family of educators and most of the people that I grew up around in my family were teachers at some point in their life. I hope it brings them some joy and it reflects the love of learning that has been instilled in me.’’
UConn’s Geno Auriemma was named Co-Coach of the Year for the third straight season. This time he shared the award with Mike Carey of West Virginia.
It is the ninth time Auriemma has been honored by his peers.
Georgetown guard Sugar Rodgers was named the Big East Freshman of the Year.
“I tell you what, I was shocked,’’ Auriemma said. “I had no idea. I was the most surprised person in the room, trust me. I had no idea. No idea. Zero. Come on. Mike (Carey of West Virginia), Kim (Barnes Arico of St. John’s), Terri (Williams-Flournoy of Georgetown). I didn’t expect to be sharing any award with anybody from a coaching standpoint this year. So I don’t know. I really don’t.’’
Charles is averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks this season. Moore is averaging 18.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals.
Charles has been even more dominant in 11 games against ranked opponents, averaging 20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 32.7 minutes.
“I think she’s a perfect example of someone who … You read stories all the time about people who start from noting and build themselves up into something good or someone who’s an OK player and they work really hard and they become a really good player,’’ Auriemma said. “But you don’t hear many stories about someone who comes in with huge expectations and everyone expects them right away to be really good, and they work and work and work and fight through a whole lot of things to become great b because the average person out there doesn’t see all the things that they have to do to get to where they are. It doesn’t come naturally. It doesn’t come easily to them. And I think even on our own team it’s a perfect example of that. Maya wins the award the first two years and it’s not like she got worse. It’s not like all of a sudden she’s not as good. But that probably exemplifies even more what a great year Tina had.’’

Rich

Tina Charles was named the Big East Player of the Year today during a press conference at the XL Center. She was named conference Player of the Week six times this season, tying for the second highest single-season total in conference history.
It is third straight year a member of the Huskies has won the award and the 16th year overall. Charles, who became the team’s career leader in scoring (2,184) and rebounding (1,272) at No. 6 Notre Dame Monday, is the 11th UConn player to be honored.
Huskies’ teammate Maya Moore was attempting to become the second UConn player and the third in the history of the conference to earn Player of the Year honors three times.
UConn’s Geno Auriemma was named Co-Coach of the Year for the third straight season. This time he shared the award of West Virginia’s Mike Carey
It is the ninth time Auriemma has been honored by his peers.
Georgetown guard Sugar Rodgers was named the Big East Freshman of the Year. Moore was honored as the Big East Scholar Athlete of the Year. She was the recipient of the University Division Academic All-America of the Year award by the College Sports Information Directors of America late last month.
Charles is averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 26.7 minutes overall. She averaged 18.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 28.1 minutes in conference play.
Charles was even more dominant in 11 games against ranked opponents this season, averaging 20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 32.7 minutes.

Rich

The road to Pittsburgh for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament seems to have opened right up for UConn. The Panthers lost to Louisville in the first round of the Big East tournament today at the XL Center. They dropped to 16-14 and appear to be headed to the WNIT.
That would free up the palace known as the Petersen Events Center for the Huskies. Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato believes that UConn will be in Pittsburgh top open the NCAA tournament.
“I do expect them to be there,’’ Berenato said. “I think proximity-wise we’re the closest site to Connecticut so I think that they will be the No. 1 No. 1 seed and they get the closest spot. But, again, I’m just a coach. I’m not on the committee. What do I know?’’
If the Panthers will not be playing NCAA tournament games at home, Berenato sees it as a real coup to have UConn in their place.
“I feel like for us to get the No. 1 No. 1 seed in the nation is pretty exciting, to be honest with you,’’ Berenato said. “I think that UConn is definitely the No. 1 No. 1, and I think that bar anything that happens they’re the best team in women’s basketball and they’re from the Big East. So how cool that they would come to Pittsburgh. We’ve already got several thousand tickets sold. Those people will come to watch Connecticut and whoever else is perhaps in the tournament. I think that anyone would want to come for two days and see the best team in the nation play. My personal kids will be there because I wouldn’t want them to miss that opportunity. Parents will give their kids $8 to go see a movie, but you don’t even make anything out of it. But when you can see (11) fabulous student athletes that are on UConn, and it’s about education and athletics, I think it’ll be a great event.’’

I spoke with a recruiting source about the current status of 2012 UConn target Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-4 center from North Syracuse, N.Y. The source said that Stewart is flattered by UConn’s interest in her. However, she is not even remotely close to making an oral commitment to play for the Huskies or any other school at this juncture. The attention she is receiving in the recruiting process is all new to her right now.
Stewart attended a UConn game earlier this season. She was also on hand when the Huskies played Syracuse at the Carrier Dome Feb. 24.

Rich