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UConn Class of 2013 target Linnae Harper had seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 19 minutes to help the U.S. U-17 World Championship team to an 80-38 win over Brazil in an exhibition game today at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando, Fla.
Fellow UConn 2013 target Erica McCall finished with two points and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
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St. Mary’s High coach Curtis Ekmark, the 2011-12 National High School Coach of the Year, has been involved in the recruiting process for years now. He has had the privilege of coaching many Division I athletes. He is in regular contact with college coaches. He has had to speak about the skill set of numerous players.
But when it comes to speaking about the skill set of his daughter, Courtney, initially it is bit awkward.
“I feel kind of funny answering this because I’m the dad and I don’t want to sound like the crazy dad,’’ Curtis Ekmark said. “But I see a couple of different things. The one thing that she does is that she brings a certain level of calmness and confidence to her team. And she’s smart and skilled. She’s a fierce competitor and she tends to come up biggest in our biggest games. So I’m glad I get her for another couple years.’’
After that, UConn’s Geno Auriemma will have the opportunity to work with Courtney, a 6-foot sophomore guard from Phoenix. She made an oral commitment to play for the Huskies Monday night.
Courtney is recognized as a dead-eye shooter. But Curtis said that her basketball IQ just might be her strength. Her unselfishness and her desire to win are also traits that she possesses.
St. Mary’s does not keep statistics. Yet, Curtis Ekmark said that Courtney averaged more than 20 points “in all the games that mattered.’’ This season, in particular, she had a game-high 26 points in a win over then-No. 3 Riverdale Baptist in the Joe Smith Division championship game at the Nike Tournament of Champions in December and she had a game-high 28 points in the Arizona Division I state championship game in February as the Knights capped a 30-0 season by claiming the mythical national championship.
“She could care less about stats,’’ Curtis Ekmark said. “The neat thing about our high school program is that all of our kids really came to St. Mary’s to be part … All of them could’ve been stars at other high school programs. But they all came to St. Mary’s to be part of something bigger than themselves. And that’s what Courtney enjoys. She enjoys winning. She enjoys playing on the best team. And she enjoys winning championships. And I think that’s what drew her to UConn is that the atmosphere is about winning championships. It’s not about individual accolades.’’
The path to an oral commitment has been roughly a year in the making for Courtney. She is the first member of the Class of 2014 to commit to UConn.
“I know she was always interested in UConn and I know we’ve always admired UConn’s program from afar,’’ Curtis Ekmark said. “But until relatively recently we didn’t really know the people over there very well and she had been getting interest from a lot of big-time programs like Stanford and Duke and North Carolina and all kinds of places. So a year ago I wouldn’t certainly have said it was a foregone conclusion, but once UConn got interested and once we got to know them it became pretty clear that that was going to be a good option.
“We started talking with them kind of at the end of last summer and throughout the school year and started to get to know them better. And Courtney got on the phone with the coaches and I started talking to the coaches. They came out to Arizona a couple times. So it was kind of a process throughout the school year.’’
Courtney will actually be in Connecticut this weekend when she accompanies her brother, who will participate in at an Elite Camp at Yale. Curtis said he will arrive Friday.
Courtney will return to the state June 18 to visit UConn and play pick-up with the Huskies. Curtis said that she wanted to come by herself, but her mother Meg will join her. They are expected to stay until June 21.
Here are some more comments from Curtis Ekmark:
Q: How big of a deal is it to have Courtney heading to UConn?
A: “It’s huge. I’m proud of her and happy for her. I know how hard she works so I know that she’s really excited. So I’m thrilled.’’
Q: Is UConn a good fit for Courtney because of how hard they play and the type of players they have?
A: “I think that is why she was drawn to UConn because I think she admires that and I think that’s familiar to her and she’s comfortable with that. And I think that’s what drew her to UConn is the way they play and the type of kids that they have.’’
Q: Did you give Courtney a basketball when she was in her crib?
A: “That’s a little bit of an exaggeration. It might have been a little ball, but it wasn’t a full-size basketball. But it was funny … It was more of a joke because my wife played tennis at Marquette. She was a college tennis player. So it was kind of a joke that I was going to get the basketball in there before my wife could get the tennis racket in her hand.
“But she did also have a little tiny tennis racket in there too. It was just one of those little soft, squishy balls. Like a little basketball the size of your fist or something.’’
Q: When did you first realize that Courtney was going to be an elite player?
A: “It’s really been a gradual process. She’s always been really passionate about the game. But she is kind of a late bloomer physically. So she’s always had success and always played on really good teams that have won state and national championships. And she’s always been skilled and she’s always worked at it and had a high basketball IQ. But you never know how big or strong a kid’s going to get. And so it wasn’t until recently that she had a little bit of a growth spurt. Well, she still hasn’t really filled out physically. But at least she’s taller now than she used to be. So I’d say it was only recently when she grew.’’
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Courtney Ekmark does not remember exactly when UConn became the school where she wanted to play college basketball. Maybe it was after reading “Heart of a Husky,’’ “Bird at the Buzzer and “Geno: In Pursuit of Perfection.’’ Maybe it was after gaining a true appreciation for the tradition of the program, its focus on working hard and its ability to be a consistent winner.
Regardless of when that moment occurred, Ekmark, a 6-foot sophomore guard from Phoenix, said she just kind of knew all along that UConn was the place for her. She made her decision known Monday night when she phoned Coach Geno Auriemma and made an oral commitment to play for the Huskies.
“First and foremost, the coaching staff is amazing,’’ Ekmark said. “I really like Coach (Shea) Ralph, Coach (Chris) Dailey and Coach (Marisa) Moseley. And they’ll be great role models for me. Obviously, Coach Auriemma knows what he’s doing or else he wouldn’t have won seven national championships. It’s an amazing opportunity to play also for the Olympic coach and he has a reputation for getting the most out of his players. And I want to be the best that I can possibly be.
“Second, I’m looking forward to playing with really good players. I’m used to an environment where the practices are usually harder than our games. And I think that will be the case at UConn. I’m used to winning championships. I won an AAU national championship when I was younger, two state championships in high school and a national championship in high school. I think with my future teammates and coaches at UConn we can win more national championships in college. And, also, the fan base is amazing. When you work as hard as you do you want to play in front of people who really care about the program. And I look forward to getting to know them and having them get to know me.’’
Ekmark, a 4.0 student who is UConn’s first commit from the Class of 2014, also “took a really hard look’’ at Stanford, Duke, North Carolina and Vanderbilt. She is currently ranked ninth in her class by All-Star Girls Report and 13th by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Ekmark recently competed at the USA Basketball U-17 team trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I think it’s a great fit,’’ All-Star Girls Report managing partner Bret McCormick said. “She has that mentality. Everybody thinks that every kid that’s a great player can play at Connecticut, but that’s so far from the truth. You’ve got to have that certain mentality. And I told her right from the beginning that she was kind of like a Kelly Faris from the standpoint of her mentality and her work ethic and the way she approaches things. Accept Courtney’s a great shooter. She can score. But she has that Connecticut mentality.’’
Auriemma has been apprehensive about taking oral commitments from sophomores since Jacki Gemelos committed to UConn in August of 2004 and then decommitted a year later. The fact that he accepted a commitment from Ekmark speaks volumes for both the type of individual and the type of player that she is.
“He said I could commit whenever I wanted,’’ Ekmark said. “He was excited (Monday night). He said he was looking forward to coaching me and I told him I was excited to come.’’
Ekmark, who made an unofficial visit to UConn Feb. 27 and attended the Huskies’ game against Notre Dame at the XL Center, led St. Mary’s High to a 30-0 record and the mythical national championship this season.
The Knights, who are coached by Courtney’s father, Curtis, do not keep statistics. However, Ekmark had a game-high 26 points in a 79-69 win over then-No. 3 Riverdale Baptist in the Joe Smith Division championship game at the Nike Tournament of Champions in December. And she had a game-high 28 points in a 65-40 win over Chandler Hamilton in the Arizona Division I state championship game in February. It was the second straight title for St Mary’s.
Ekmark said that she will travel to UConn sometime in June to play pick-up with the Huskies.
“I’m really excited and looking forward to it just to see where I’m at and what I need to do to get ready,’’ Ekmark said.
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Courtney Ekmark, a 6-foot sophomore guard from Phoenix, did her homework. She made her share of unofficial visits. She knew what she wanted in a school. And what she saw in UConn was a perfect fit.
According to All-Star Girls Report managing partner Bret McCormick, Ekmark has made an oral commitment to play for the Huskies. She made an unofficial visit to UConn Feb. 27 to attend the Huskies’ game against Notre Dame at the XL Center. And she also made unofficial visits to Duke, North Carolina and Stanford.
More to come …
Rich
The Huskies will face Wake Forest, Marist and Purdue at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands November 22-24, it was announced today. The four teams will make up the Island Division bracket.
UConn will meet Wake Forest Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.; Marist Nov. 23 at 8:15 p.m.; and Purdue Nov. 24 at 8:15 p.m. The Huskies will be making their first appearance – second overall – at the event since winning the championship in 2007 by virtue of wins over Stanford, Old Dominion and Duke.
Wake Forest finished 13-18 last season. The Huskies are 2-0 all-time against the Demon Deacons.
Marist has made seven-straight NCAA tournament appearances, finishing 26-8 last season. The Red Foxes were ranked No. 43 in the RPI and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are 3-0 all-time against Marist.
Purdue finished 25-9 last season, were ranked 15th in RPI and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. The Huskies are 4-1 all-time against the Boilermakers.
Rich
The four-year deal that UConn reached with SNY to televise its women’s basketball games created quite a stir around the state. There were those in support of the move, which moved UConn away from CPTV after 18 years, and a slew of people who were not in favor.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma is one who values loyalty. But, for him, the move to SNY was a no-brainer.
“I think the way it worked for all those years with CPTV was we made them, by virtue of them televising our games, the most watched public broadcasting station in America and the most profitable,’’ Auriemma said. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to pay us what they paid. In return, they gave us a platform and exposure that no other women’s team in America would get. So it was such a great partnership. It was such a great relationship between CPTV and UConn women’s basketball that it was unique. It didn’t exist anywhere else in the country.
“And because of that an entity like SNY comes in and says, `Well, you know what? We could take that and just make it like the women’s basketball equivalent of what Notre Dame has with NBC. And it’s hard to say, `You know what? We’re not going to do that.’ As much as you value what you have … The analogy I use is a kid is 20 years old comes up with the Kansas City Royals. Plays shortstop. And at 27 he’s two-time MVP and five Gold Gloves and the Yankees go, `Yo, dude. You want to play at Yankee Stadium?’ `Nah, I want to be loyal to the (Royals).’ There’s something to be said for that, but in this case it’s not personal. It’s not me personally going to benefit any more or anybody else. I think this is just more of there are things that can happen in the SNY world that just were not going to be possible no matter what CPTV did. So it wasn’t like we were saying `no’ to CPTV and turning our backs on them the way people want to portray it. It’s `yes’ to this opportunity that comes along only because of our relationship with CPTV.’’
Auriemma said that the ability of SNY to put the games in 14 million households was significant.
“And part of the thinking is we need to expand our target audience,’’ Auriemma said. “Find out if there’s a bigger audience than just what’s here right now. And when the games started did anybody think that this was going to happen? In 1995, did anybody think that if CPTV doesn’t show a game there’s going to be a revolt? No. So now how many women’s basketball fans are there in New York, in Pennsylvania, in New Jersey or wherever else? I think SNY wants to find out. I guess they’ve done their research. Why would they spend this kind of money if they didn’t think they were going to get a return on it?’’
The deal with SNY could also be a big chip to play for UConn in the future if it is ever in line to jump to the ACC.
Rich
With the type of schedule Geno Auriemma has been maintaining over the past several weeks, he looked relaxed Tuesday afternoon meeting with the media at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford. He was tan and holding a cup filled with Arnold Palmer, which is half iced tea and half lemonade.
Auriemma said that he believed today was only the seventh day this month that he was not on the road. And he could not think of a better way to spend his day than being on hand for the “Fore the Kids’’ Charity Golf Tournament, which benefits the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. This is his 10th year being involved with the event.
“It involves a lot of things that I like to do,’’ Auriemma said. “You get out on the golf course, which is great. Get around great people that I’ve gotten to know over the last 10 years. Have a glass of wine at the end of the night. Raise a lot of money for a great cause for a bunch of great kids and parents who rely on that kind of money, the doctors over there who really count on it to help their research and facilities and all that. So when you add it all up, you could be doing a lot of things today but I don’t know that you could be doing anything that’s as good as what we’re doing today. I can’t imagine anything I could be doing that’s as good or better than what I’m doing today.’’
There were 175 participants at the event, which will benefit the Connecticut Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery Research and Technology Fund. Donations were $1,400 per foursome. Sponsorship donations reached $25,000.
The event has raised $850,000 during Auriemma’s involvement.
Note: The photo appeared on Hartford Business.com
Rich
There is no definitive indication that UConn and Tennessee will resume what was the most high-profile series in the sport. It is a series that has lied dormant since former Tennessee head coach and current head coach emeritus Pat Summitt cancelled it following the 2006-07 season due to what she believed to be recruiting improprieties committed by UConn during its involvement with Maya Moore.
However, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said Tuesday during his “Fore the Kids’’ Charity Golf Tournament at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford that he would be willing to again play the Lady Vols if the situation was right.
“I haven’t had a conversation with anybody at Tennessee,’’ Auriemma said. “The way these always come up … Some event organizer thinks here’s a great way to make money. We’ll get Connecticut and Tennessee to play together. That’s usually how the conversation comes up. I don’t know that there’s been any conversations where (UConn Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Special Projects & External Services) Neal (Eskin’s) called down there or they’ve called at our place. As far as I know that hasn’t happened.
“When the time comes, and if the time’s right, if it’s supposed to happen it’ll happen. Everybody wanted to make it about Geno and Pat. To be honest with you, that’s one the reasons why I’m glad it ended because I wasn’t having any fun anymore. It’s more fun when everybody’s involved. If you’re the only one having fun in the whole thing that doesn’t work anymore. And I wasn’t having any fun with that game any more.
“Regardless of whether you won or lost, and we certainly won our share, and lost our lost share I guess. So maybe down the road whenever that is and it’s about UConn and Tennessee maybe it makes more sense than it did when it was about Geno and Pat. Then you just treat it like they’re just another good team out in the country that we play like every other good team that we play. Who knows? I don’t know that there’s anything in the works right now that I can tell you, `Yeah, we’re definitely playing them two years from now or three years from now or four years from now,’ because I have no idea.’’
The game was annually the must-see game of the season, drawing impressive television ratings.
UConn leads the series against the Lady Vols 13-9, with four meetings coming in the NCAA tournament final (1995, 2000, 2003, 2004).
The vehicle that seems likely to reconnect the teams is the Pat Summitt Foundation, which funds grants to support Alzheimer’s programs. Associate Big East Commissioner for Women’s Basketball Danielle Donehew serves as a leader of the Foundation.
“I haven’t had a conversation with Danielle Donehew about it, who works pretty closely with them,’’ Auriemma said. “But if that’s part of it then that’s fine. That’s a good way to get it started if they can find the right setting and the right time and it can make an impact for a lot of things I’d be all for it. But it’s like everything I’ve said in the past, as long as it’s not about Geno and Pat and asking me questions before the game or after the game or during the game or asking her questions about what happened in the past, as long as none of that’s going to happen then it sounds like a good idea. If I had to put up with all that other stuff then it’s not a good idea. Or if she has to put up with all that other stuff then it’s not a good idea. If we eliminated all that stuff I think it’s a good idea.’’
Rich
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