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The latest date to be announced on the Huskies’ 2010-11 schedule is a Nov. 21 date at Georgia Tech. Dates for games against Duke and Oklahoma and at North Carolina are likely to be announced in the coming weeks once the TV schedules are finalized.

To review, here’s what we know at this point regarding UConn’s non-conference schedule:
Nov. 14 vs. Holy Cross
Nov. 16 vs. Baylor at XL Center
Nov. 21 at Georgia Tech
Nov. 26 vs. Lehigh/Howard/LSU at Gampel Pavilion
Nov. 27 Lehigh/Howard/LSU at Gampel Pavilion
Nov. 28 vs. Lehigh/Howard/LSU at Gampel Pavilion
Dec. 5 vs. Sacred Heart
Dec. 19 vs. Ohio State at Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 21 vs. Florida State
Dec. 28 at Pacific, 10 p.m.
Dec. 30 at Stanford

Rich

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The two-time defending national champion Huskies, who have won 78 straight games, will return to the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden for the second time during the 2010-11 season. It is an event that pays tribute to the former Army head coach who died due to arrhythmia April 6, 2006. It is also an event that UConn coach Geno Auriemma would participate in every year if he had the opportunity.

The Huskies will meet Ohio State in the second game of the doubleheader Dec. 19. Rutgers and Texas A&M will meet in the opener.

UConn defeated Penn State 77-63 in its first appearance Dec. 14, 2008.

Tickets will go on sale Thursday at noon, starting at $15. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, all Ticketmaster outlets and on-line at www.thegarden.com.

The event is in its fifth year and it is the fourth time it will be held at the Garden. More than 325,000 Americans die each year from Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Madison Square Garden will again team with the Dixon family to host a Heart Health Fair during both games. Fans are encouraged to attend the Fair in an effort to raise awareness of heart related illness.

Rich

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I am finally back in the country and connected to world again. Being without the use of a cell phone or a computer for a week in Aruba was both an interesting and at times a traumatic experience. I wonder exactly how did we survive without both for all of those years?

Let’s get caught up on the FIBA U-17 World Championship that wrapped up Sunday in France with the U.S. routing France 92-62 to win the gold medal. The players UConn is targeting in both the Class of 2011 and 2012 had a fine showing – as is expected from the elite talent the Huskies annually recruit.

Elizabeth Williams, who is regarded as the top player in the Class of 2011, averaged team-highs of 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in 20.0 minutes in leading the U.S. to an 8-0 finish and an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. She also averaged 2.0 blocks.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, a rising senior who has already orally committed to play for UConn, averaged 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 20.4 minutes. She shot 48.7 percent from 3-point range (19-of-39). Fellow rising senior Betnijah Laney averaged 7.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 16.9 minutes.

Breanna Stewart, who is regarded as the top player in the Class of 2012, was second on the team in scoring (12.8) and rebounding (7.5). She averaged team-highs of 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals in 17.4 minutes. Fellow rising junior Jewell Loyd averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 16.3 minutes. Morgan Tuck averaged 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 17.5 minutes. Imani Stafford averaged 3.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 9.8 minutes, while Jordan Adams averaged 3.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and was second on the team in assists (2.5) in 16.4 minutes.

Stafford and Adams are also members of the Class of 2012.

Rich

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Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who has orally committed to play for UConn, had a game-high 21 points (5-of-6 3-pointers) and four steals to lead the U.S. to a 114-57 rout of Canada today in the preliminary round of the FIBA U-17 World Championship in Rodez, France.

UConn 2012 target Jewell Lloyd added 19 points (3-of-6 3-pointers) and five rebounds for the U.S. (3-0). Fellow rising junior Morgan Tuck finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while 2011 targets Elizabeth Williams (four rebounds) and Betnijah Laney (four steals) had 12 and eight points, respectively

Breanna Stewart, who is regarded as the top player in the Class of 2012, had eight points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Rising junior Imani Stafford had four points, a game-high 12 rebounds and three steals.

The U.S. will continue preliminary round play against Japan Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.

Rich

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UConn recruit Elizabeth Williams, who is considered the top player in the Class of 2011, had 20 points,14 rebounds and two blocks to lead the U.S. to an 82-38 victory over Russia today in a preliminary round game at the FIBA U-17 World Championship in Rodez, France.

Breanna Stewart, another UConn recruit who is considered to be the top player in the Class of 2012, finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Morgan Tuck added seven points and six rebounds. Imani Stafford had six points and seven rebounds. Tuck and Stafford are 2012 targets of the Huskies.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, a rising senior who has orally committed to play for UConn, contributed three points, four rebounds and four steals.

The U.S. (2-0), who outscored Russia 54-6 in the paint, will continue preliminary round play against Canada Sunday at 9 a.m.

Rich

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Huskies’ 2012 recruit Breanna Stewart had a game-high 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks to lead the U.S. to a 70-45 victory over France today in its opening game at the inaugural FIBA U-17 World Championship in Rodez, France.

Fellow UConn recruit and rising senior Elizabeth Williams added 12 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who has orally committed to play for the Huskies, finished with 10 points and five rebounds, while 2011 recruit Betnijah Laney had 10 points, three rebounds and two steals.

The U.S will continue preliminary round play Saturday against Russia at 11:30 a.m.

Rich

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Senior All-American Maya Moore won an ESPY Award for the Best Female College Athlete during the 18th annual awards ceremony Wednesday night in Los Angeles. It was the only victory of the night for the Huskies.

Moore had also been nominated for Best Female Athlete, which was won by Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma was nominated for Best Coach/Manager, which was won by Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers. And the Huskies were collectively nominated for Best Record-Breaking Performance for setting the longest winning streak in NCAA women’s basketball history and for Best Team. The tennis match at Wimbledon between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut – longest match in tennis history (11 hours, 5 minutes) – and the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints took home the ESPY’s in each of those categories, respectively.

Rich

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Rebecca Lobo became the first UConn player to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame last month. Former Huskies’ All-American point guard Jennifer Rizzotti appears to have the inside track to join her.

A source with knowledge of the voting process confirmed that Rizzotti was one of the 12 finalists for the Class of 2011. She was not, however, one of the six individuals voted for induction by the 36-member Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

“The Board takes its responsibility seriously and each year selects qualified candidates from a master list, which includes the greatest names in the history of the women’s game,’’ said a representative of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors, speaking on the condition of anonymity.  

Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA All-Star Ruthie Bolton and former WNBA and USA Basketball president Val Ackerman are among the inductees who will be announced during today’s WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun Game at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Rizzotti, who is currently the head coach at Hartford and guided the U.S. to the gold medal at the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship last month in Colorado Springs Colo., was nominated as a player.

A player must be retired from the highest level of play for at least five years in order to be inducted. A coach must have coached in the women’s game for at least 20 years.

Nominations are taken throughout the year, a source said. The Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which is headed by Sue Donohoe, narrows them down to 12 finalists. They are then voted on for induction at the annual Board of Directors meeting.

A source said Rizzotti will remain on the list for the Class of 2012.

Rizzotti is currently ranked 15th all-time in UConn history in scoring (1,540), second in assists (637) and steals (349) and seventh in made 3-pointers (207, tie). She helped lead the Huskies to their first national championship and first unbeaten season as a junior in 1994-95, generating a key steal and layup in the second half against Tennessee in the NCAA tournament final at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The play landed Rizzotti on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Rizzotti, a two-time Kodak All-American, also helped UConn reach the Final Four in 1995-96. The Huskies were a combined 117-18 (.867) during her career.

She was named a first team All-American and the national Player of the Year by The Associated Press in 1995-96. She also received the Wade Trophy, the Francis Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is given annually to the top player 5-foot-8 or shorter, and the Honda Award that season.

Rizzotti went on to play three seasons with the New England Blizzard (1996-98) of the now defunct American Basketball League and five seasons in the WNBA with the Houston Comets (1999, 2000) and the Cleveland Rockers (2001-03). She won the WNBA championship with the Comets in 1999 and 2000.

Rich