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It took the folks at WTIC-AM 1080 some time this off-season, but the seat next to long-time play-by-announcer Bob Joyce has finally been filled. The network has hired former UConn guard Debbie (Baer) Fiske to serve as the color commentator for the Huskies’ games this season, it was announced today.

Fiske replaces former UConn All-American Kara Wolters, who has been hired by SNY as a studio analyst. Wolters had been paired with Joyce for the past seven seasons.

Fiske, who is currently serving as an Associate Athletic Director/Sr. Women’s Administrator/Director of Recreation & Intramurals at St. Joseph’s in West Hartford, played 125 games for UConn coach Geno Auriemma from 1988-1992. She was a member of the program’s first Big East championship team and the first NCAA tournament team in 1988-89 and the first Final Four team in 1990-91.

Fiske ranks fifth in UConn history in steals (275) and 15th in assists (413).

Rich

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According to team athletic trainer Rosemary Ragle, junior All-American Bria Hartley was cleared today to begin progressing back into practice. She was able to perform some drills on the side at Gampel Pavilion.

Hartley has been sidelined for multiple weeks by a sprained left ankle. She was given a cortisone injection Oct. 23.

Hartley’s availability for the Huskies’ exhibition opener against Indiana University (Pa.) Friday at Gampel Pavilion (7 p.m.) remains in question.

“Her participation in practice tomorrow will be determined by how she feels,’’ Ragle said in a statement. “Each day the hope is to involve her more and more so she will be ready to play on Friday.’’

Rich

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The Huskies are ranked No. 2 in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 women’s basketball coaches’ poll as expected. Baylor, as it was in the AP poll, was the unanimous No. 1 pick.

Duke, Stanford and Maryland complete the Top 5. Notre Dame (No. 6) and Louisville (No. 9) are also ranked in the Top 10.

St. John’s (No. 13) is the only other Big East team in the poll.

Here is the complete poll and the list of the 31 head coaches who vote …

1. Baylor (31) 775
2. UConn 736
3. Duke 674
4. Stanford 669
5. Maryland 656
6. Notre Dame 617
7. Kentucky 599
8. Penn State 521
9. Louisville 460
10. Delaware 411
11. Georgia 409
12. Texas A&M 361
13. St. John’s 315
14. Oklahoma 308
15. California 294
16. Tennessee 284
17. Vanderbilt 241
18. Purdue 240
19. Nebraska 203
20. Georgia Tech 198
21. Ohio State 185
22. West Virginia 182
23. Miami (Fla.) 95
24. Oklahoma State 94
25. (tie) Kansas 89
25. (tie) Wisconsin-Green Bay 89

Joan Bonvicini, Seattle; Joanne Boyle, Virginia; Cynthia Cooper-Dyke,
Texas Southern; Matt Corkery, American; June Daugherty, Washington
State; Kathy Delaney-Smith, Harvard; Brooks Donald-Williams, McNeese
State; Jose Fernandez, South Florida; Ronny Fisher, Presbyterian;
Beckie Francis, Oakland (Mich.); Stephanie Glance, Illinois State;
Sue Guevara, Central Michigan; Bonnie Henrickson, Kansas; Rick
Insell, Middle Tennessee; Jim Jabir, Dayton; Karen Kemp, East
Tennessee State; Krista Kilburn-Stevesky, Hofstra; Andy Landers,
Georgia; Kevin McMillan, Tennessee-Martin; Suzy Merchant, Michigan
State; Faith Mimnaugh, Cal Poly; Sherri Murrell, Portland State; John
Olenowski, Manhattan; Kathy Olivier, UNLV; Jennifer Rizzotti,
Hartford; Eric Simpson, Loyola (Ill.); David Six, Hampton; Charlotte
Smith, Elon; Ed Swanson, Sacred Heart; Paul Thomas, Saint Mary’s; Joi
Williams, Central Florida.

Rich

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Baylor senior center Brittney Griner, a unanimous pick, headlined The Associated Press women’s basketball preseason All-America team, it was announced today.

Griner was joined by Notre Dame senior Skylar Diggins, Delaware senior Elena Delle Donne, Stanford junior Chiney Ogwumike, Baylor junior Odyssey Sims and Maryland junior Alyssa Thomas. Diggins and Delle Donne were also selected on all 40 ballots.

Six players were named to the team due to a tie between Sims and Thomas (19 votes).

UConn junior All-American Bria Hartley and sophomore Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis each received votes from a panel that was required to select a playable five-member team.

Rich

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The challenge is daunting for freshmen when practice begins in earnest in mid-October. By then, they have heard about the level of expectation that UConn coach Geno Auriemma places on his players during practice and how he reacts when things do not go quite as planned.

For a freshman point guard, the pressure to produce in practice is even greater. Moriah Jefferson was prepared. She knew what to expect from Auriemma when she did not get to a spot fast enough defensively. When he pointed out her mistake in his typical form, she took it in stride.

“I wasn’t surprised,’’ Jefferson said. “I kind of already prepared myself for it. I pretty much thought of everything that he could come up with so that when it came my way it was just like, `OK, take it and keep going.’ But he’s going to yell at everyone.’’

It did not take long to find out why Auriemma and the Huskies are high on Jefferson. Forget about her ability. She would not have been recruited in the first place if she could not fill up a stat sheet. And she did by totaling 3,354 points, 825 rebounds and 728 steals in five seasons with the Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA) Raiders, earning McDonald’s and WBCA All-American honors last season.

It is her mindset and her team-first approach that makes the 5-foot-7 Jefferson an ideal fit with the Huskies. She said that she is not concerned with how much playing time she receives, only with what she does when her minutes come.

“I’m just here to play,’’ Jefferson said. “I play my role, and whatever that is that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to complain about playing time or any of that because I know I can learn a lot from them being upperclassmen. So sitting on the bench behind them and watching them, and see what they can do, and that’s what I can do when I get my turn.’’

Jefferson sees her role as being a “floor general,’’ which is typical of a point guard. And she knows that Auriemma will help her to be the best she can at her position.

“That’s one of the reasons I came. I love challenges,’’ Jefferson said. “I know Coach is going to push me and get the best out of me. I want to learn as much as I can because I hope this isn’t the last step for me. I want to continue to play basketball after this and learning from Coach will help me do that.’’

Said Auriemma: “She’s a tough kid. She’s a little too fast for her own self right now. She doesn’t know how to take the turns yet. For her, it’s just straightaways. So once we get her to learn how to manage the curves around the track, she’s going to be alright. She is one tough cookie.’’

Jefferson has received her share of reps at practice with UConn All-American guard Bria Hartley sidelined by a sprained left ankle. She said that the reps have proven to be beneficial in her growth. And her teammates have taken notice.

“She’s just feisty,’’ Hartley said. “She’s so small that she goes unnoticed then all of a sudden she just pops up out of nowhere. She’s a great defender. And you can see that she’s smart. She’s more under control now than she was last year. She was always fast, but at times it was a little out of control. And she’s become a better shooter. She’s going to do really well.’’

Said UConn center Stefanie Dolson: “Mo’s awesome. She’s extremely quick and shoots the ball really well. Before she came here I didn’t know she could shoot it so well. And all preseason I was blown away with how well she can finish her shots and finish around the basket. Defensively, she’s like that little gnat that you just want to swat away. She’s a great addition to the team.’’

Said UConn senior Kelly Faris “She’s like one of those annoying little gnats. Not in a bad way, but for the other team it’s not going to be very fun because she’s quick and very aggressive. It’s fun to watch her play and it’s going to fun kind of watch her develop as Coach kind of gives her insight and she kind of starts to get comfortable in the offense that we run. She can shoot the ball too. So she’ll definitely have an impact as well.’’

Stay safe everyone …

Rich

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UConn coach Geno Auriemma has been in this situation more than once when the nation was wondering what it would take to beat the Huskies during a particular season. Teams are now asking the same questions about Baylor as the 2012-13 season is set to begin.

Led by 6-foot-8 senior center and reigning national Player of the Year Brittney Griner and junior All-American point guard Odyssey Sims, the Lady Bears return all five starters from last season’s 40-0 team. They also return 90.4 percent of their scoring and 86.8 percent of their rebounding and were the unanimous No. 1 pick in The Associated Press preseason national poll that was released Saturday.

Baylor earned all 40 first-place votes, totaling 1,000 points.

“I think we were in that situation, obviously, when Tina (Charles) was a junior and we won the whole thing and we came back with Tina and Maya (Moore in 2009-10),’’ Auriemma said. “And, obviously, it was very difficult to beat us. So if you’ve won every game and you haven’t lost and you don’t know what it feels like to lose I think your team plays with a certain sense of, `We’re going to win.’ And then when you have a player that is so different like they do, it’s a pretty tall order to beat them. No question. Because they’ve got all the things that you need to win. There’s no one area that you can say, `Well, they’re vulnerable here.’ They just have all the pieces together. I think beating them is going to take an extraordinary effort. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but you’re going to have to play close to a perfect game to beat them.’’

UConn was No. 2 in the poll with 951 points. Duke (909), Stanford (854) and Maryland (827) rounded out the Top 5. The Huskies return four starters, including junior All-American Bria Hartley, junior Stefanie Dolson and sophomore Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, and usher in talented freshmen Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson.

Baylor and UConn will meet at the XL Center Feb. 18. The Lady Bears’ winning streak could stand at 65 at the time of the meeting.

“I think Baylor is by far the favorite (to win the national championship),’’ ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said. “And I think UConn’s up there too. I think UConn’s the only team that most people probably think can challenge Baylor.’’

There are five Big East teams in the poll. Notre Dame (No. 7) and Louisville (No. 9) join UConn in the Top 10. St. John’s and DePaul are ranked No. 14 and No. 25, respectively.

As is the case every season, Auriemma is not concerned where the Huskies are ranked in the preseason. In winning seven national championships, he knows the lone ranking that matters is at season’s end.

“It doesn’t really matter anymore,’’ Auriemma said. “I think we’re trying to win the Big East championship, and then after that we’ll see what happens. I think it’s great to be picked at the top of the polls. That’s something I think every kid that comes here takes for granted. If you told them, they would say, `Of course. Why would we be picked anywhere else? That’s why I came here.’ So I’m happy that we are and I’m happy for our kids and I’m proud for our program. But long term …”

Here is the entire preseason AP Top 25 poll …

1. Baylor (40) 1,000

2. UConn 951

3. Duke 909

4. Stanford 854

5. Maryland 827

6. Kentucky 767

7. Notre Dame 754

8. Penn St. 676

9. Louisville 657

10. Georgia 599

11. Delaware 545

12. Oklahoma 476

13. California 428

14. St. John’s 422

15. Texas A&M 370

16. Vanderbilt 361

17. West Virginia 335

18. Nebraska 297

19. Ohio St. 273

20. Tennessee 256

21. Purdue 223

22. Georgia Tech 140

23. Oklahoma St. 139

24. Miami 110

25. DePaul 104

Rich

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Caroline Doty fell prey to her own sense of ultra competitiveness last season.

Doty was not fazed that she was coming off of a third tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee that cost her the entire 2010-11 season as well as a procedure to remove a piece of hardware from the same knee Oct. 11, 2011. Her belief was that despite her health issues she was going to be able to play as well she did prior to ever being injured.

Doty pushed herself. And the more she pushed the more frustrating it became for her. No matter how hard she tried, her body would let her regain the form of past success. This disappointment proved to be extremely difficult for Doty to come to terms with, and it proved to be her undoing in what was statistically the worst year of her career.

“I always wanted more, and I don’t think that was the right mentality for me,’’ Doty said. “I was never happy with how I was playing and I was never really satisfied. That drove me into the ground. It really wasn’t a positive thing for anyone, and it really almost ended up destroying me by the end of the year because I wanted more and I was expecting more of myself.’’

Doty averaged 5.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 20.6 minutes in 37 games last season. She also shot 35.5 percent from the field and 73.1 percent from the free throw line.

Doty reached double figures in scoring in just seven games. Her best performance of the season came at Louisville Feb. 7 when she had season-highs of 15 points, five made 3-pointers and 35 minutes.

“If I would’ve just let it come to me, I would’ve had more games like Louisville,’’ Doty said. “Against Louisville I really wasn’t pushing myself too much, and things just kind of came naturally. You need to work hard when you need to, and when you need to take a time out just take a deep breath and let the game come to you. It’s called a game for a reason. You can’t force anything. If you force a shot, you’re not going to make it. If you force anything in the real world it’s not going to come to you. So you’ve got to just scope things out and stay positive the best you can and good things will happen.’’

Realizing that a change needed to be made for her own good and that of the team, Doty spent the off-season reflecting on the shortcomings she faced a year ago. She has since taken a step back in her approach. And judging by the way she has performed through the first two weeks of practice, one thing is clear: There will not be a repeat of last season.

“I want to make a name for myself, but that’s not my main priority,’’ Doty said. “My main priority now is for the team to win the national championship and hopefully go undefeated. It was definitely a lot of reflecting on my part, talking to coaches and taking the summer off and really seeing where I was as an individual. I just wanted to be able to come back and go through preseason and see how I felt and compete and come to practice and work on different plays and be involved the best I can. I wanted to prove that the reflecting phase was right and then just move forward and stay positive.

“If I didn’t stop worrying about myself and if I’m feeling OK or when I’m going to hit my next shot or if I’m going to score this game, it was going to make me go crazy. If I concentrate on the team things are going to come naturally. Positive thinking brings positive things. That’s what I think. I want to be on the floor as much as I can. It’s my last year so I want to be playing all the time, but if that isn’t the right move for the team then I’ll sit on the bench cheering for everybody hoping to keep winning and have fun while the year lasts.

“Now I have taken a step back and I’m able to see this team and how great they work together. I’ve been able to communicate with them and be able to play with them. Seeing how quick Moriah (Jefferson) is as a point guard and on the press or seeing everyone work together is cool to see. As long as I’m a part of it and I’m around to help people the best I can, I’m going to enjoy it.’’

UConn coach Geno Auriemma has long had a soft spot for Doty because of what she has been forced to overcome since tearing her ACL for the first time Sept. 7, 2007. And her performance in practice to date has drawn rave reviews.

“Caroline’s been really good,’’ Auriemma said. “If we had a game tomorrow, she’d start. She’s experienced. She’s smart. She knows what we want to get done. She’s tough. So I’m not looking at what she can’t do. I’m looking at all the things that she brings. And she brings a lot. Now does that mean she’s going to be as successful as she was as a sophomore and we went undefeated? I don’t know. That I can’t predict. But I do know that right now given that Moriah is young, Brianna Banks is young. Kaleena Lewis is young. I like Caroline. I like where she is right now. I like where she is mentally. I like where she is physically. I’m really pleased with her right now.

“I think one of the things that got her in trouble was she tried to do too many things. She thought she was back in her sophomore year (in 2009-10) where she could get in lane whenever she wanted and could do some of the things that she’s always been able to do. I think (assistant coach) Shea (Ralph) is trying to help her. I think what happens is when you get to the point where you have had that many setbacks like she’s had, you have to bring your game back and your game has to be more cerebral than it is physical. And I think she’s there right now. She’s there. She’s in a really good place right now.’’

Doty set career-highs in scoring (6.8), assists (3.5) and minutes (25.3) and played all 39 games (38 starts) in guiding UConn to a 39-0 season as a sophomore. With her new approach, a repeat of these type of numbers is not out of the realm of possibility.

Here is what she said she can offer the Huskies this season …

“Consistent shooting, definitely,’’ Doty said. “I feel like I know what play to run at what time. If things get too hectic I want the ball in my hands because I feel like I can help out the team and kind of slow them down and get people in the right spot. I want to work on controlling the ball better for myself and for the team. Less turnovers. And just getting open shots for my teammates. Let them shine. I just want to be on the floor with them to congratulate them after an and-1 or a big shot or a blocked shot.’’

With the season opener against the College of Charleston just more two weeks away, Doty looks as if she is refreshed, confident and in an ideal state of mind. The off-season changes that she made mentally have her in a good place right now.

“I feel better,’’ Doty said. “I’m not trying to convince myself of things any more. I tried to convince myself I was still the athlete I was in high school before these injuries. I’m kind of just going with the flow now and trying to keep an open mind and stay positive. You can’t force anyone to think something that’s not true. So if I just kind of prove it and let things happen it’ll all work out in the end.’’

Rich

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Geno Auriemma certainly did create quite a national stir this week when he spoke about making changes to the game of women’s basketball, such as lowering the rim. He was at it again after practice today.

Auriemma said that today was the last day he was going to talk about it this season. But, as you might guess, he again had a lot to say.

Here’s the latest from Geno …

“Sometimes you just have to uncover all the morons that live in this country that like to comment on things,’’ Auriemma said. “So sometimes you throw something out there and they come from underneath their rocks and they have something to say. For me, it’s just a test a lot of times. So I didn’t just make that up that we should change something. And all the people that have their opinions, I would say `Listen, if you don’t change anything that doesn’t bother me one bit. We’re going to win our 30 games every year and we’re going to go to the Final Four.’ So I’m not advocating any changes because I want the University of Connecticut to have an advantage or I think what we’re doing is not great. I’m not talking about me and my team. That’s not what I’m talking about. One hundred and nine Division I men’s teams last year shot 45 percent or over. Do you know how many women’s teams? Eleven. But according to a lot of the experts our game is fine. Don’t worry about it. You know how many teams in the Big East last year shot 40 percent or less from the floor? Eleven. Eleven teams in our league shot under 40 percent from the floor. But it’s OK. The game is pure, and I like that about our game. It’s pure. There’s no dunking, which I never said there was going to be dunking. It’s not the men’s game for all the people that went crazy about, `Why should we make it the men’s game?’ I never said we should make it the men’s game. All I said is I would like to have a scenario explored where women can have the same success around the rim that men have. Is that a lot of ask?

“I can’t make it happen by myself. There’s been a lot of us that have been trying to make the 10-second rule happen. You don’t see it happening do you? So the things that I think about are not about making Connecticut Basketball better. I never think about what to make Connecticut Basketball better. How can you make us any better? The things that I’m thinking about are 10 years from now what’s going to make the game of women’s basketball better? Or are we just going to stay the same? So I’ll just shut up and I’ll wait and see what other suggestions everybody else has that they haven’t had in the last 10 years that’s going to grow our game.

“We’re in the entertainment industry. That’s what people don’t understand. And maybe I’m able to speak to it because we do sell tickets here at $24 a ticket. So we are in the entertainment industry here regardless of what people think. People want to come and be entertained by the way we play. They can spend that $24 somewhere else. Go to the movies. Go to dinner. Do something. But they choose to come to a game. Is it too much to ask that they come to see a game where teams make shots more times than they miss? And it’s not about our team. We shoot 47 percent from the floor in a bad year. So I’m not advocating any changes because UConn women’s basketball needs to get better. I’m trying to help those teams that can’t figure out why they only get 200 people to come watch them play every night. I’m not worried about me. I’m not worried about us. That’s where people are missing the boat. And does lowering the rim help? I don’t know. That’s just a suggestion.

“I wouldn’t go so far as those people that have the Bikini Basketball League. There’s teams in Florida, California. I’m not stupid. The suggestions that I have are the same ones that everybody else has. Maybe shorten the shot clock. Have a time line. All these things. But today’s the last day I’m going to talk about it. I’m not going to talk about this any more because it’s going to take away from what we’re trying to do during the season. And we’ll talk about it after the season if there’s something to talk about. But if we don’t figure out a way to enhance the game then I think we’re going to get stuck. And I don’t want to see us stuck. We’ve worked too hard to get to where we are to get stuck

“If I remember correctly they widened the lane because of Wilt Chamberlain. And all the purists said, `Oh, my God, what are you doing? Well, can you imagine the lane now with where it was? Remember the world came to an end when we added a 3-point goal. Imagine basketball now without the 3-point line? It’s things like that. And, well, we’re demeaning women. We’re admitting we’re inferior. I hate to say it, but we’re already playing with a small ball so aren’t you already admitting that it’s not the same as men’s basketball? We don’t have a 10-second line. Aren’t you already saying it’s not like men’s basketball? I didn’t say it’s men’s basketball. But these kids … I don’t care whether it’s Diana Taurasi. I’ll give you one player on our team that never misses a layup. Breanna Stewart. You know why? She has a 71-inch wingspan. So every shot she takes she’s up near the rim. That’s why she doesn’t miss layups. Everybody else is throwing the ball up towards the rim. I’m not making this up. This is the honest to God truth. So what are you going to do to help those kids that don’t have a 71-inch wingspan to get the closer to the rim? That’s all this is about.

“Things evolve and I think you have to be broad minded to say, `OK, how does it evolve?’ I’m just throwing things out there. You don’t have to lower the rim. You don’t have to do anything. Just leave it the way it is. But I think if we want to get to where other sports are in terms of appealing more to more people you have to evolve. That’s all I’m saying. I’m not advocating … I come from Italy. We led the world in thinking the world was flat. So who the hell am I to say anything? You know how many years it took us to figure out it was round? What the hell do I know?’’

Rich