UConn sports

UConn Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway has been named the winner of the Athletic Director of the Year Award for the Football Bowl Subdivision in the Northeast region by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Winners received their awards on Thursday during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at NACDA’s 45th Annual Convention in Anaheim, Calif.

The Northeast Region is made up of the six New England states plus New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. It’s the second time in the past four years that Hathaway has won the honor.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from NACDA and accept this award on behalf of all of the outstanding people who comprise the UConn Division of Athletics,” Hathaway said in a statement. “It certainly reflects the quality of the student-athletes, coaches and staff at UConn, as well as the commitment from our University for excellence in academics and athletics.”

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The Big East announced the opponents its men’s basketball teams will play this season.

For UConn, it gets home games with: Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse and Villanova.

The Huskies will have road games at: Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia.

So the double-ups are: Marquette, Notre Dame and Louisville.

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UConn football coach Randy Edsall, like his basketball counterpart, played in the Travelers Championship’s Celebrity Pro-Am Wednesday.

He actually played with UConn associate men’s basketball coach George Blaney, along with PGA pro John Merrick and former Patriots All-Pro LB Andre Tippet.

“I spent more time today with George Blaney than I have in the last 10 years,” Edsall said. “We just never get to see each other. It was great.”

– As for his football team, Edsall says one of his defense’s top players is recovering well from his injury.

“Greg Lloyd’s working,” Edsall said. “We’ll see how he is when we get ready to go in August. If he’s ready to go and he’s ready to play, we’ll play him. If not, we’ll sit down and make decisions as to what we want to do.”

Lloyd, a linebacker recently converted to defensive end, tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee late last season in the Huskies’ win over Syracuse.

– UConn’s incoming freshmen will report to campus on Sunday and begin taking classes Monday.

– UConn officially begins practice Aug. 9.

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UConn still has two vacancies in the men’s basketball program.

The assistant coaching job and the director of basketball operations position _ long rumored to be headed to Kevin Ollie and Glen Miller, respectively _ have not been filled.

UConn coach Jim Calhoun, speaking before his round at the Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am, says an announcement could come Thursday.

“I’ll be happy when it finally gets over with,” Calhoun said. “A lot of guys did appear out of the woodwork. A lot of my former players appeared, friends that I know. It’s always a difficult situation to tell people you’re going in one direction and not the other direction.”

The jobs were in great demand according to the coach.

“I have a lot of acquaintances and friends in the game that see it as a great opportunity for them and it probably would be,” Calhoun said. “We’re trying right now to put together the best staff.”

Apparently UConn AD Jeff Hathaway has been out of town and has yet to sign off on the deals.

“They still have to sign contracts,” Calhoun said. “After I make a recommendation, they still have to agree with the athletic director on the price and all that type of thing.”

– Recruit Niels Giffey is deciding whether or not he will play with Germany’s U-19 team this summer and it’s not clear when he’ll arrive on campus. The rest of the UConn freshmen, with the exception of F Roscoe Smith, are in Storrs now.

“Most we’ve had on campus in a lot of years,” Calhoun said.

– PG Kemba Walker will leave July 17 to work out with the U.S. national team in Las Vegas, Calhoun said.

“It’s a nice honor for him,” Calhoun said.

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UConn coach Jim Calhoun is set to host his bi-annual alumni all-star basketball game, the Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game.

Proceeds from the game and the entire Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic will benefit the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the UConn Health Center.

This charity all-star basketball game, which has been sanctioned to allow NBA players to participate, will be played Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Most of the great players who have played for Calhoun during the past 20 years are expected to participate. Ray Allen, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler, Kevin Ollie, Donyell Marshall, Khalid El-Amin, Doron Sheffer, Ricky Moore and Rudy Gay among others have played in past charity games at Mohegan Sun.

“I am excited to be able to once again bring so many of my former players back together for what should be a special reunion for them and for the fans of Connecticut,” Calhoun said in a statement. “I am also pleased that proceeds from the game will go to fight America’s number 1 killer _ heart disease.”

Since 1999, the Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic has raised more than $3 million for cardiology research at the UConn Health Center.

Tickets are $22 to $29 and went on sale Tuesday through Ticketmaster and at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office. To purchase game tickets, call Ticketmaster at 800-345-7000, go to Ticketmaster.com, or visit the Mohegan Sun Box Office.

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UConn linebacker Lawrence Wilson and offensive guard Zach Hurd have both been named preseason All-American by the Sporting News. Both players were selected to the third team.

Wilson was a first team All-Big East Conference pick in 2010 and led the Huskies in tackles with 140. He also had five sacks and 11 tackles for a loss. On Monday, he was named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s best defensive player.

Hurd was also a first-team All-Big East pick last year as he started all 13 games at left guard. Hurd has made 26 starts in a row for UConn dating back to the beginning of the 2008 season. On Monday, Hurd was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List, presented annually to college football’s best interior lineman, on either offense or defense.

UConn opens the season at Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ABC.

SPORTING NEWS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

RB Mark Ingram, Alabama

RB Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh

OL Mike Pouncey, Florida

OL Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh

OL Rodney Hudson, Florida State

OL Stefan Wisniewski, Penn State

OL Jake Kirkpatrick, TCU

TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame

WR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

WR A.J. Green, Georgia

K Kai Forbath, UCLA

KR D.J. Monroe, Texas

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL Jared Crick, Nebraska

DL Robert Quinn, North Carolina

DL Von Miller, Texas A&M

DL Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

LB Greg Jones, Michigan State

LB Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College

CB Patrick Peterson, LSU

CB Brandon Harris, Miami

S Rahim Moore, UCLA

S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson

P Drew Butler, Georgia

PR Greg Reid, Florida State

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB Kellen Moore, Boise State

RB LaMichael James, Oregon

RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State

OL Matt Reynolds, BYU

OL Chase Beeler, Stanford

OL Kyle Hix, Texas

OL Dan Hoch, Missouri

OL Butch Lewis, USC

TE Ben Guidugli, Cincinnati

WR Julio Jones, Alabama

WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

K Grant Ressel, Missouri

KR Chris Owusu, Stanford

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL Marcell Dareus, Alabama

DL Sam Acho, Texas

DL Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh

DL Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue

LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA

LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB Don’t’a Hightower, Alabama

CB Kendric Burney, North Carolina

CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

S Mark Barron, Alabama

S Tyler Sash, Iowa

P Tress Way, Oklahoma

PR Jeremy Kerley, TCU

THIRD TEAM OFFENSE

QB Case Keenum, Houston

RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech

RB John Clay, Wisconsin

OL Caleb Schlauderaff, Utah

OL Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

OL Barrett Jones, Alabama

OL Zach Hurd, Connecticut

OL Clint Boling, Georgia

TE D.J. Williams, Arkansas

WR James Cleveland, Houston

WR Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh

K Alex Henery, Nebraska

KR Tyron Carrier, Houston

THIRD TEAM DEFENSE

DL Allen Bailey, Miami

DL Jurrell Casey, USC

DL Cameron Heyward, Ohio State

DL Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

LB Tank Carder, TCU

LB Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut

LB Kelvin Sheppard, LSU

CB Trevin Wade, Arizona

CB Curtis Brown, Texas

S Jeron Johnson, Boise State

S Deunta Wiliams, North Carolina

P Derek Epperson, Baylor

PR LaVon Brazill, Ohio

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UConn linebacker Lawrence Wilson has been named to he 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy that is awarded annually to the nation’s best defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Wilson was a first team All-Big East Conference pick in 2010 and led the Huskies in tackles with 140. He also had five sacks and 11 tackles for a loss. He was first in the Big East in tackles per game with 10.8 _ which was also 10th nationally.

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 18.

The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet will be on Dec. 6 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

2010 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST

Sam Acho, Texas, DT

Prince Amukamara, Nebraska, CB

Marvin Austin, North Carolina, DT

Akeem Ayers, UCLA, LB

Allen Bailey, Miami, DE

Mark Barron, Alabama, S

Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma, DE

Nick Bellore, Central Michigan, LB

Chris Borland, Wisconsin, LB

Da’Quan Bowers, Clemson, DE

Curtis Brown, Texas, CB

Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State, LB

Tank Carder, TCU, LB

Bruce Carter, North Carolina, LB

Adrian Clayborn, Iowa, DE

Jared Crick, Nebraska, DT

Marcell Dareus, Alabama, DE

Ras-I Dowling, Virginia, CB

Brian Duncan, Texas Tech, LB

Chris Galippo, USC, LB

Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, CB

Brandon Harris, Miami, CB

Mario Harvey, Marshall, LB

Mark Herzlich, Boston College, LB

Cameron Heyward, Ohio State, DE

Dont’a Hightower, Alabama, LB

Ross Homan, Ohio State, LB

Justin Houston, Georgia, LB

Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson, DT

Janoris Jenkins, Florida, CB

Tejay Johnson, TCU, S

Greg Jones, Michigan State, LB

Thomas Keiser, Stanford, LB

Noah Keller, Ohio, LB

Shiloh Keo, Idaho, S

Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue, DE

Luke Kuechly, Boston College, LB

Mark LeGree, Appalachian State, S

Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, LB

Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, LB

Cliff Matthews, South Carolina, DE

DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson, S

Marcus McGraw, Houston, LB

Josh McNary, Army, DE

Carmen Messina, New Mexico, LB

Von Miller, Texas A&M, LB

Bruce Miller, UCF, DE

Dontay Moch, Nevada, DE

Mike Mohamed, California, LB

Rahim Moore, UCLA, S

Stephen Paea, Oregon State, DT

Patrick Peterson, LSU, CB

Jerrell Powe, Ole Miss, DT

Robert Quinn, North Carolina. DE

Adrian Robinson, Temple, DE

Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh, DE

Kenny Rowe, Oregon, DE

Robert Sands, West Virginia, S

Tyler Sash, Iowa, S

J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati, LB

Kelvin Sheppard, LSU, LB

Aldon Smith, Missouri, DE

Craig Stevens, Auburn, LB

Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina, LB

Manti Te’o, Notre Dame, LB

J.T. Thomas, West Virginia, LB

Trevin Wade, Arizona, CB

J.J. Watt, Wisconsin, DE

Aaron Williams, Texas, CB

Korey Williams, Southern Miss, LB

Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut, LB

Ryan Winterswyk, Boise State, DE

Anthony Wright, Air Force, CB

Alex Wujciak, Maryland, LB

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UConn offensive guard Zach Hurd was named to the 2010 Outland Trophy Watch List on Monday by the Football Writers Association of America. The award is presented annually to college football’s best interior lineman, on either offense or defense.

Hurd was a first-team All-Big East pick last year as he started all 13 games at left guard. Hurd has made 26 starts in a row for UConn dating back to the beginning of the 2008 season. He will serve as one of UConn’s four captains in 2010.

The Outland Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is the third oldest award in major college football. The Outland Trophy is named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn and Kansas at the turn of the century. The 2010 winner will be announced on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Dec. 9.

2010 OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST

Sam Acho, Texas, DT

Marvin Austin, North Carolina, DT

Tim Barnes, Missouri, C

Colin Baxter, Arizona, C

Sean Bedford, Georgia Tech, C

Chase Beeler, Stanford, C

Clint Boling, Georgia, T

Justin Boren, Ohio State, G

Cory Brandon, Oklahoma, T

Mike Brewster, Ohio State, C

Bryant Browning, Ohio State, G

Marcus Cannon, TCU, T

Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin, T

James Carpenter, Alabama, T

Jurrell Casey, USC, DT

Anthony Castonzo, Boston College, T

Thomas Claiborne, Boston College, G

Jared Crick, Nebraska, DT

Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech, T

Art Forst, Rutgers, G

Marcus Forston, Miami, DT

Orlando Franklin, Miami, T

Anthony Gray, Southern Miss, DT

Lawrence Guy, Arizona State, DT

Ben Habern, Oklahoma, C

Kyle Hix, Texas, T

Adrian Taylor, Oklahoma, DT

Rodney Hudson, Florida State, G

Omar Hunter, Florida, DT

Rod Huntley, UTEP, G

Zach Hurd, Connecticut, G

Benjamin Ijalana, Villanova, T

Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson, DT

Carl Johnson, Florida, G

Barrett Jones, Alabama, G

Ben Jones, Georgia, C

Jake Kirkpatrick, TCU, C

Karl Klug, Iowa, DT

Ben Lamaak, Iowa State, C

DeMarcus Love, Arkansas, T

Ryan McMahon, Florida State, C

Ryan Miller, Colorado, G

Drake Nevis, LSU, DT

Kristofer O’Dowd, USC, C

Josh Oglesby, Wisconsin, T

Stephen Paea, Oregon State, DT

Alan Pelc, North Carolina, G

Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh, T

Ken Plue, Purdue, G

Nate Potter, Boise State, G

Mike Pouncey, Florida, C

Jerrell Powe, Ole Miss, DT

Matt Reynolds, BYU, T

Trevor Robinson, Notre Dame, T

Stephen Schilling, Michigan, G

Caleb Schlauderaff, Utah, G

Nate Solder, Colorado, T

Adrian Taylor, Oklahoma, DT

Zane Taylor, Utah, C

Bo Thran, Oregon, T

Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple, DT

Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State, G

Lee Ziemba, Auburn, T

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