UConn women's basketball

Ohio State junior point guard Samantha Prahalis will miss the first three games of the season for a secondary NCAA rules violation, The Associated Press reported today.

Prahalis will be allowed to practice with the team during the suspension, but she will not be allowed to travel with the seventh-ranked Buckeyes for road games at Temple Friday and at LSU Nov. 17. OSU also hosts Eastern Michigan Sunday.

Prahalis was a first-team All-Big Ten pick last season when she averaged 16.3 points and 8.0 assists. She set a school record with 289 assists in guiding the Buckeyes to a school-record 31 wins.

Rich

UConn received signed copies of the National Letter of Intent from Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, a 6-foot wing from Anaheim, Calif. who is regarded as the No. 1 in the Class of 2011, Brianna Banks, a 5-9 guard from Newnan, Ga., and Kiah Stokes, a 6-3 center from Marion, Iowa, today.

Each player took part in a ceremony at their respective high school on the first day of the NCAA early signing period.

“I hate to be specific about these guys because you don’t know what you’re getting,’’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “But I do know we’re getting kids that are used to winning. They’re really ready for something like this. Kaleena’s team’s No. 1 in the country pretty much all year and finished I think No. 1 in the country last year. Kiah’s team won the state championship and went undefeated. Brianna’s team struggled a little bit. But we are very fortunate. We got three kids that I think are going to fill the exact things that we need. We need another great athlete like Brianna Banks. We need another scorer like Kaleena Lewis. We need another long body like Kiah Stokes. So we’re getting exactly what we need coming in for next season. If we get five more of them then it will offset Maya’s graduation. So we’ve still got some work to do.’’

Here’s a skinny on each recruit provided by UConn sports information director Pat McKenna:
Brianna Banks
Honored as a First Team All-Metro selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution following the 2009-10 season … Honored as the 2010 Coweta County Player of the Year by the Times-Herald … Averaged 16.5 points per game during her junior campaign.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis
Averaged 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and was honored as California’s Gatorade Player of the Year following her sophomore season at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif. … shot 58 percent from the floor, including 52 percent from long-range, en route to leading Mater Dei High School to a No. 1 national ranking and a 32-1 record … A member of Team USA’s U-16 Team that won the FIBA Americas U-16 Championship. Mosqueda-Lewis led the team in scoring at 14 points per game … Honored as a 2010 USA Today All-USA First Team pick and made the Third Team in 2009 … Selected to the Parade All-America First Team in both 2009 and 2010 … Averaged 15.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game during her freshman year at Mater Dei.

Kiah Stokes
Iowa’s 2010 Gatorade State Player of the year … Enters the 2010-11 season having compiled 1,079 points, 867 rebounds and 374 blocks … Averaged 19.9 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per game en route to helping Linn-Mar High School post a 26-0 record and take home an Iowa 4A State Title … Shot 65 percent from the field in 2009-10 … A 2010 Parade All-America Fourth Team selection … Selected to the Iowa Newspaper Association All-State First Team in 2009 and 2010 … Averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game to help the US post a 5-0 record and gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mexico City … Named to the 2010 United States Women’s Youth Olympic Games Team.

Rich

ESPN held its preseason national conference call this afternoon. Here’s what analysts Kara Lawson and Carolyn Peck had to say about the Huskies …

In what areas will UConn struggle this season as it tries to again repeat as national champions?
“I think the thing that jumps out for me with UConn is not only that they only have 10 players, but the fact that five of the 10 are freshmen,’’ Lawson said. “So they do have an inexperience factor in more key parts than we’ve seen in the last couple seasons. Obviously, they still have Maya (Moore). They’re biggest glaring weakness is the interior. And I think when you project out the teams that are going to be contending teams a huge strength of all of those teams – not a couple, but all of the contending teams – is the paint. Whether you’re talking about (Brittney) Griner and Baylor, whether you’re talking about (Amber) Harris and (Ta’Shia) Phillips and Xavier, whether you’re talking about Pedersen and both Ogwumikes (Nnemkadi and Chiney) and Stanford, whether you’re talking about Tennessee that has a ton of kids that are 6-3 and above, so, to me, that remains the biggest question is how, not only can they get production on the interior but that all the contending teams that’s an area of strength for them. Their size and their ability to rebound the basketball. So I think their ability to kind of either hide that weakness or improve in that area as the season goes along will be the single-most pivotal factors as to whether or not they can repeat.’’

“I’d have to agree with Kara … in the paint,’’ Peck said. “And of the things and areas I think that has been able to allow Maya to have the versatility that she had was the attention that had to be paid to Tina Charles because in order to stop her or even possibly slow her down – I don’t know that stopping her was ever a true option – was bringing double-teams and sometimes triple-teams or at least having that threat to have to pay attention in the paint, which allowed Maya to do a lot of different things whether it was shoot the 3 or drive to the basket or even use her midrange shot. So what will Connecticut do to draw some attention into the paint to allow Maya to have the freedom that she had on the perimeter last season?’’

Can Maya Moore carry this team to a national championship as Diana Taurasi did in 2002-03?
“That’s a one word answer for me … Absolutely,’’ Lawson said. “If UConn is to win this year this would be by far the toughest of the three to win. But I think when you look at Maya’s ability I think she’s going to have to do more this year than she ever has. But the talent is still around her. I think sometimes we talk about what UConn lost, and they did lose a lot. But they still have a lot. Let’s not discount the talent of a Tiffany Hayes. Let’s not discount the talent of a Kelly Faris, who didn’t get to play a ton last year because of Kalana Greene and Maya and lot of those players. These are High School All-Americans. These are kids that understand how to play the game and that have won. Even though they’re younger they still won. So there is the inexperience with the freshmen. I think Bria Hartley’s going to be outstanding for them. I think as the season goes along she will emerge as an integral piece of what they’re doing. The question mark is in the paint. But can Maya … Does she have it in her to lead a team to win this year. Absolutely.’’

“I would agree with Kara,’’ Peck said. “And you look at the similarities between Taurasi and Maya and the maturity on the floor. Maya’s grown into it, but I think that she has it now. And she’s a player with great versatility and she has the ability to score in so many ways and she’s a little bit bigger and tenacious rebounding-wise. So I would agree with Kara. Absolutely, she could do that.’’

By the way, junior Tiffany Hayes was selected as the top shooting guard in the country and Moore was selected as the top small forward in voting by ESPN.com’s Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays, Charlie Creme and Melanie Jackson.

Rich

It didn’t take long for the Huskies to add three new members to the program. On the first day of the NCAA early signing period today Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, a 6-foot wing from Anaheim, Calif. who is regarded as the No. 1 in the Class of 2011, Brianna Banks, a 5-9 guard from Newnan, Ga., and Kiah Stokes, a 6-3 center from Marion, Iowa, signed a National Letter of Intent during ceremonies at their respective high schools.

UConn has received a copy of the letters. It is expected that Huskies coach Geno Auriemma will comment on all three players following tonight’s exhibition game against Indiana (Pa.) at the XL Center.

Rich

Senior Maya Moore walked to center court prior to UConn’s exhibition game against Franklin Pierce at Gampel Pavilion last Thursday to meet with the officials by herself. It was a sure sign that at this point there is just one captain. That could change or it might stay the same for time being. Only the players know because right now other than Moore, who continues to work on becoming a more vocal leader, no one has consistently proven themselves as a leader for the Huskies.

When asked Tuesday who the team captains are Coach Geno Auriemma told the media to ask the players.

“Who are the captains? I haven’t even thought about it,’’ Moore said. “We’ll have to figure that out. I guess that’s what it is right now. I didn’t even realize that. We have just been going. It’s like right there between a handful of players of the returners. But it might be one of those years where we just have to keep picking each other up. But I know for sure Kelly (Faris), Tiffany (Hayes), Lorin (Dixon) and I are going to have to bring it every night. We all four need to play like we are captains because we have the most experience. I don’t think anybody can play like, ‘Oh, I’m not a captain.’ Everybody … Those three players I just mentioned and myself, have to play this year with a captain mentality. So as far as the official title, I don’t know. I don’t think we have had a year like this where Coach has said, `Ask the players.’ I don’t remember being asked this ever. He’s just saying that to say, `Somebody needs to step up and make it very easy for me to say, `You’re a captain.’ That’s what he means by that. I was a captain last year so I don’t know if it’s rollover like Cingular.’’

Faris, too, understood why Auriemma said to ask the players regarding the identity of the team captains. She said the team is in the same situation it was in last season at this time when it was also looking for leaders to emerge. It worked itself out with then-seniors Tina Charles and Kalana Greene stepping forward and becoming formidable leaders on a team that finished 39-0 for the second straight season.

Faris remains confident that the situation will again work itself out this season.

“Right now we don’t really have that spot,’’ Faris said. “That’s our issue right now. It’s kind of been frustrating a little bit, again, I know on his side of it because we’re all kind of sitting back. Some of us will come up someday and some of us will kind of sit back on other days. It’s kind of up in the air right now. But I think a lot of us look to Maya being a senior and there’s still things that I know she’s working on to try to take that role on as well as Lorin and Tiffany.’’

Rich

The thing that surprised assistant coach Marisa Moseley about freshman center Stefanie Dolson was that she was a perfectionist. It hasn’t taken long for that to surface publicly.

Dolson, who has visions of being a great player for the Huskies, was highly critical of her performance in a 112-41 victory over Franklin Pierce Nov. 4. She finished with five points (1-of-4 FG), eight rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes But she also committed a team-high four turnovers.

Talking to her following practice Tuesday, you would have thought the performance had come against a Top 10 opponent during the postseason and not in an exhibition game. Her comments further exemplified just how badly she wants to be a great player.

“In my eyes, I didn’t play well,’’ Dolson said. “But I didn’t play bad, which is just as bad as playing bad because it was like I wasn’t there. I was just someone running back and forth, just not helping. I was setting some good screens, but to me that’s not good enough. And after watching film you see my defense was bad. I had my hands down. Even though during the game you think you’re doing great on defense … when you watch film it just changes your perspective and you see what you do wrong and you see what you’re not doing. So I got a lot from that first game.’’

Dolson is aiming for marked improvement Wednesday when the Huskies meet Indiana (Pa.) in their final exhibition game at the XL Center (WTIC-AM 1080). She wants to post-up harder and demand the ball. And when receives the entry pass on the block have confidence that she can score.

Dolson said also wants to be more aggressive.

“Like they all always say, `Not be such a girly girl,’’’ Dolson said. “So I have to get in there and kick some (butt) I guess.’’

Dolson’s attitude and desire are tremendous, especially since she’s a freshman who has not yet even played in her first regular season game.

“She wants to be really good,’’ Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s going to be really good. And that’s one of the things that keeps her going. She wants to be good and she knows she’s got a chance to be really good.’’

Auriemma said he has had difficulty getting the post players to consistently maintain a high level of intensity during practice.
“I think all of our big guys … There’s a certain intensity level, there’s a certain energy level that I’m trying to get them to,’’ he said. “And it’s been kind of spotty. Some days it’s there. Some days it’s not. I don’t know if you were walking down the street and somebody wanted to beat you up that you would turn around and our post players would be the first one you’d call for help. I’m not sure they would be on my speed dial, let’s put it that way.’’

Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-4 post player from North Syracuse, N.Y. who is considered the top player in the Class of 2012, will be on hand when the Huskies host No. 2 Baylor Nov. 16 at the XL Center. Morgan Tuck, a 6-2 forward from Bolingbrook, Ill., also could be in attendance for the early-season showdown.

Rich

Scoring has not been a priority for UConn sophomore Kelly Faris throughout her career. She has done exactly what has been needed to help her teams to win. Usually, tending to the blue-collar aspects of the game is what has earned her playing time and recognition.

Faris, a 5-foot-11 guard, did not score a point in 52 minutes in two games at the Final Four last April in San Antonio. Yet, she was one of the most influential players on the court for the top-ranked Huskies.

UConn was not counting on a contribution from Faris on offense. Her role was to come in and play defense, rebound and make the right pass. This season, though, that has changed. And coach Geno Auriemma has made it clear that the Huskies need Faris to be a scorer.

“It’s the competitiveness. It’s doing what Coach asks you to do,’’ Faris said. “He’s still getting on me a lot because I’ve still got to get out of my old mindset of just constantly passing the ball. But when Coach Auriemma, a guy like that, asks you to do something then you’ve got to change it. He wants me to be more competitive on the offensive end and that’s what I’ve got to do.’’

Faris is not a complete stranger to being an offensive threat for her team. She completed her career at Heritage Christian High School in Indiana ranked second all-time in team history with 1,426 points.

Faris averaged 4.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 18.9 minutes over 39 games off the bench last season for the Huskies, who host Indiana (Pa.) tonight at the XL Center in their final exhibition game (7). However, she shot just 38.2 percent from the field, which is one reason why she spent a great deal of time during the off-season working on her shooting.

“It’s going to be a little bit of a struggle for her because she’s got the ball in her hands a lot more now,’’ Auriemma said. “And that’s going to take some getting used to. Last year she caught it and shot it, offensive rebounded and played defense. She’s ending up with the ball a lot because we’ve got to pass it to somebody to start the offense and she’s in that position a lot. And I want to encourage her to think of herself as a scoring threat, not just `I’m a role player. I play defense. I rebound.’ I said to her the other day, `You played maybe 50, 60 minutes in the Final Four last year and you were probably as influential as anybody in us winning and you didn’t score a point. If that happens this year, we’re going to lose. So we need you to be all that but still think of yourself as more of a scorer.’’’

Auriemma has praised Faris, who reached double figures in scoring just three times a year ago, throughout the preseason for being more offensive-minded and more confident. It showed during UConn’s 112-41 exhibition victory over Franklin Pierce Nov. 4.

Faris finished with 11 points (5-of-7 FG). She scored on put-backs, off cuts to the basket and off the drive.

“That was definitely something I was working on, but he’s going to want more than that every game,’’ Faris said. “It is progress. But, at the same time, I have to keep it consistent and move forward and not take any steps back.’’

UConn senior All-American Maya Moore averaged a team-high 18.9 points last season. Junior Tiffany Hayes averaged 10.2. They are the lone returning players that averaged in double figures in scoring.

Also, Tina Charles, Kalana Greene and Caroline Doty averaged a combined 36.4 points. The Huskies are in need of a third scorer with Moore and Hayes. At this point, Faris is a prime candidate to step into that role.

“Honestly, it depends on how everybody else is playing,’’ Faris said. “I can’t sit here and say. `Yeah, I have to score 15, 16 points or whatever it is every game.’ If Maya’s on we’re all going to try to give her the ball. If Tiffany’s on we’ll try to get her the ball. But I don’t think that I’m going to get by scoring two points or four points every game. I think he wants me up there. Not that I’m like, `Oh, my gosh I have to score every point.’ But the way his mindset is, and the way our team is right now, we have to have more than just two scorers.’’

Rich

Senior All-American Maya Moore and junior Tiffany Hayes are among the 50 preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tip-Off Club announced today. St. John’s junior Da’Shena Stevens of Stamford is also a candidate.

The list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors based on a player’s performance from last season and the expectations for this season. The award, which honors the top player in the country, will be presented during the Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis April 4.

The list of candidates will be cut to 30 in late February by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors. The Naismith Trophy voting academy will then vote to narrow the list to the four finalists in March.

Here is the complete list of candidates:

Danielle Adams Texas A&M

Kachine Alexander Iowa

LaSondra Barrett LSU

Angie Bjorklund Tennessee

Kelsey Bolte Iowa State

Jessica Breland North Carolina

Kelley Cain Tennessee

Cetera DeGraffenreid North Carolina

Elena Delle Donne Delaware

Skylar Diggins Notre Dame

Jasmine Dixon UCLA

Victoria Dunlap Kentucky

Dawn Evans James Madison

Casey Garrison Missouri State

Brittney Griner Baylor Power

Keisha Hampton DePaul

Amber Harris Xavier

Tiffany Hayes UConn

Ify Ibekwe Arizona

Amy Jaeschke Northwestern

Shenise Johnson Miami (Fla.)

Melissa Jones Baylor

Jantel Lavender Ohio State

Italee Lucas North Carolina

A’dia Mathies Kentucky

Sarah Miles West Virginia

Alex Montgomery Georgia Tech

Maya Moore UConn

Nnemkadi Ogwumike Stanford

Kayla Pedersen Stanford

Ta’Shia Phillips Xavier

Jeanette Pohlen Stanford

Samantha Prahalis Ohio State

Lauren Prochaska Ohio State

Chastity Reed Arkansas-Little Rock

Monique Reid Louisville

Jence Rhoads Vanderbilt

Danielle Robinson Oklahoma

Ta’Shauna Rodgers Georgetown

Shenneika Smith St. John’s

Brittany Spears Colorado

Da’Shena Stevens St. John’s

Shekinna Stricklen Tennessee

Helena Sverrisdottir TCU

Carolyn Swords Boston College

Louella Tomlinson St. Mary’s

Jasmine Thomas Duke

Courtney Vandersloot Gonzaga

Courtney Ward Florida State

Riquna Williams Miami (Fla.)

Rich