The UConn Huskies women's basketball team took care of business last night after a slow start to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women's Tournament at around 12 noon on Sunday, March 29th in Trenton, NJ. The Huskies will take on the Cal Golden Bears. The UConn game will be televised by ESPN and Pam Ward, Debbie Antonelli and Rebecca Lobo will have the call. It was another great effort by UConn's big three of Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore who combined for 69 of the Huskies' 87 points. Obviously the play of Montgomery and Moore is what we've come to expect from them but in the past two years, Charles had been a disappointment in the NCAA Tournament. This year she's out to prove everyone wrong and is doing just that with another great performance last night. The UConn men are in Glendale, AZ getting ready for the Sweet 16 matchup with the Purdue Boilermakers. They will have an open practice this afternoon and then meet the media afterwards. Game time on Thursday is 7:07 PM and it will be shown on CBS. UConn Women's Basketball links Next stop: Trenton [Elm City to Eagleville] Gators fall to No. 1 Connecticut in second round [Jax Sports Daily] UConn shows Gators its dominance [Gator Country] UConn Women Overwhelm Florida [Hartford Courant] Double Standard Was Set In 2004 [Hartford Courant] UConn's Dixon, McLaren Contribute Off Bench [Hartford Courant] UConn Women's Extras [Hartford Courant] UConn women roll to Sweet 16 [Waterbury Republican-American] Longevity records fall as Monty marches on [Waterbury Republican-American] On to the Sweet 16 [Norwich Bulletin] Huskies’ Big Three all finalists for Wade Trophy [Norwich Bulletin] Sweet 16-for-16: UConn keeps Regional semis streak alive [New Haven Register] Montgomery gets to soak in final game at Gampel [New Haven Register] VIDEO: Renee Montgomery on UConn women win [New Haven Register] Wins, not goodbyes, on Montgomery’s mind [New Haven Register] VIDEO: Geno Auriemma on the UConn victory over Florida [New Haven Register] VIDEO: Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Geno Auriemma after the Florida victory [New Haven Register] Charles back in charge [New Haven Register] Florida's bluster doesn't work vs. UConn [Connecticut Post] UConn starts slowly, wins big over Florida [Connecticut Post] About California's women [Connecticut Post] UConn Gives As Good As It Gets, Routs Florida To Reach Sweet 16 [New London Day] Montgomery Says Goodbye To Gampel In Grand Style [New London Day] Faris is runner-up [Elm City to Eagleville] Diver Down - Svet and UMMC Go For Glory [FIBA Europe] UConn Men's Basketball links Price Fixer [Emeka, Nadav and Corny] The Sweet Profile: Connecticut Huskies [Storming the Floor] Peering Into The Windows of UConn [Boiled Sports] Robinson coming alive at right time [Waterbury Republican-American] Big East has flexed its muscles in NCAA tournament [Norwich Bulletin] Price going up on NBA draft boards [New Haven Register] Edwards Looks Forward To Going Home To Phoenix Area [New London Day] UConn keeps it together [The Washington Times] More Huskies on Boilers' plate [The Seattle Times] UConn on a Mission [UConn Huskies Basketball] Five Questions with a Purdue Blogger [UConn Huskies Basketball] UConn Football links Notes And Updates [UConn | Football] Beatty Preparing For NFL Draft [Hartford Courant] UConn Pro Day Information [Hartford Courant] Second Effort Almost Costs Frazer [Hartford Courant] Other UConn related links Jazz....Or Is It "Yazz" With a Soft "J" [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy] Men's Baseball: Huskies Down Holy Cross 9-3 in Non-Conference Action [UConnHuskies.com] no comments

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Renee Montgomery saved her best NCAA Tournament game for her last game at Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday night. Montgomery scored 25 points to help the slow starting No. 1 seed UConn Huskies to an 87-59 win over the No. 8 seed Florida Gators in front of 8,237. The Huskies (35-0) now advance to the Sweet 16 in Trenton, NJ where they will take on the Cal Golden Bears on Sunday. The time of the game will be announced in the next day or two. The Gators finish up the season at 24-8. Montgomery had five 3-pointers and added 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Maya Moore chipped in with a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds while Tina Charles continued her great tournament play with a double-double of her own (22 points and 10 rebounds). Lorin Dixon came off the bench to add 5 points and 3 assists. Marshae Dotson led the Gators with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Lonnika Thompson added 11 points and Steffi Sorenson had 9 points on 3 three-pointers. The Huskies got started slowly in this one as they missed their first 6 shots but got out to a 5-0 lead by holding the Gators scoreless for the first 4:09 of the game. Florida then cut the lead to 10-7 on an old fashioned 3-point play by Dotson. UConn worked the lead up to 21-12 as Moore got hot for the Huskies. Despite dominating the boards and having their leading scorer Sha Brooks in foul trouble, the Gators didn't give in as they cut the UConn lead to 26-20. Montgomery then went on a personal 7-0 run that started a 21-6 run for the Huskies to close out the half with a 47-26 lead. Any hopes of a Gators comeback were put to bed by Charles who scored 9 of the first 11 points for the Huskies to push the lead to 25. The Huskies kept increasing the lead that swelled to as high as 36 points before finishing up the game with the 28 point margin. It was a strange game at the beginning for the Huskies who uncharacteristically looked out of sync. But once they found their rhythm, it was all she wrote for the Gators. Charles continued her stellar play from the first game and was just everywhere for the Huskies tonight. She's playing like a woman possessed. Editors note: I do apologize for posting this so late. I locked out myself out of the house tonight and had to wait 1½ hours to get back in, only to find out that the only place I didn't look outside was where the spare key was.

Notes and musings: Florida Gators vs UConn Huskies NCAA Women's Tournament 2nd round box score The starters were Renee Mongtomery, Tiffany Hayes, Kalana Greene, Maya Moore and Tina Charles. Renee Montgomery now holds the UConn record for consecutive starts with 136. The previous record was 135 by now Hartford coach Jen Rizzotti. With 25 minutes played tonight, Montgomery has also played the most minutes in UConn history. Montgomery’s 25 points was a career-high in a NCAA Tournament game. UConn has advanced to its 16th straight Sweet 16, the longest active streak in the nation after Tennessee's loss in the first round. The Huskies have won 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament games played at Gampel Pavilion. UConn shot 49.1% (28-of-57) while the Gators shot 31.3% (20-of-64). The Huskies had 22 assists on their 28 made baskets. UConn owned the glass tonight holding a 51-28 advantage. The Huskies were 22-of-29 (75.9%) from the free throw line. Florida committed 14 turnovers while the Huskies had 17. UConn outscored Florida 34-25 in the paint and 23-20 off of turnovers. no comments

In case you were wondering and you know you are, the UConn Huskies women's basketball game tonight against the Florida Gators will tipoff at approximately 7:11 PM on ESPN2. Please remember that if you are going to watch the game, watch it on the ESPN2 standard definition channel. ESPN2HD will have the game that is the most compelling to it's viewers. Now onto some UConn links that I've come across today.And yes I know that picture is of the Tennessee women after their loss. I posted it because I can. UConn Women's Basketball links Maria Conlon: It's Gameday [UConn | Women's Basketball] Do NOT read unless you knock wood: Trenton ticket info [UConn | Women's Basketball] One last time, with feeling [Joe Perez - UConn women's basketball] Montgomery, Charles, Moore Named Wade Trophy Finalists [SOX & Dawgs] What do covering the NCAAs and flying coach have in common? [UConn | Women's Basketball] A Bit Premature, But Here's How To See The Huskies In Trenton [Rich Elliott - UConn women's basketball] Reminder Served Kalana Well [Rich Elliott - UConn women's basketball] PRE-GAME PRIMER [Elm City to Eagleville] UConn Men's Basketball links Know thy NCAA Tournament Opponent Round 3: Connecticut Huskies [Hammers & Rails] A look at Thursday's games . . . [Sully's Court] Hardwood to helmets in the Big East [ESPN.com] West Regional, Glendale, Arizona [UConn | Men's Basketball] Miles Away [In Storrs Now] UConn Football links Chiefs Draft Prospect: DE/LB Cody Brown [Arrowhead Pride] Donald Brown & Darius Butler on ESPN’s First Take [SOX & Dawgs] Other UConn related links This Week's Sign Of The Apocalypse [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy] no comments

As they prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft, former UConn Huskies football players Donald Brown and Darius Butler are making the rounds. Today, they stopped by ESPN's First Take to talk about the draft and other topics as well.

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The State Farm Wade Trophy Committee along with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) announced the 12 finalists in contention for The State Farm Wade Trophy. Four Big East stars highlight the list, including three Connecticut players, senior guard Renee Montgomery, junior center Tina Charles and sophomore forward Maya Moore. Louisville senior forward Angel McCoughtry is also on the list. "I look forward to announcing the 12 finalists for the State Farm Wade Trophy each year as it honors the best-of-the best, and this year is no exception," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "This group of young women has a unique blend of talent on the court and despite their limited time, they also serve as positive role models to those in their communities. We want to applaud them for all they do." The candidates were selected by a vote of committee members comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators. Members of the committee will select the winner of The State Farm Wade Trophy from the 10-member Division I State Farm Coaches' All-America Team and will be announced at the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team Press Conference and The State Farm Wade Trophy Announcement during the WBCA National Convention on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at 9:45 a.m. CT. The State Farm Wade Trophy Finalists:

• Jayne Appel, Stanford Univ., Jr., C
• DeWanna Bonner, Auburn Univ., Sr., G
• Tina Charles, Univ. of Connecticut, Jr., C
• Marissa Coleman, Univ. of Maryland, Sr., G/F
• Jantel Lavender, Ohio State, Soph., C
• Angel McCoughtry, Univ. of Louisville, Sr., F
• Renee Montgomery, Univ. of Connecticut, Sr., G
• Maya Moore, Univ. of Connecticut, Soph., F
• Courtney Paris, Univ. of Oklahoma, Sr., C
• Kristi Toliver, Univ. of Maryland, Sr., G
• Ashley Walker, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Sr., F
• Monica Wright, Univ. of Virginia, Jr., G

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 32nd year, is named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade. This most prestigious award, regarded as "The Heisman of Women's Basketball", debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. The Wade Trophy Coalition was established in June of 2000 when the WBCA partnered with The National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). For the past six years the two have worked together to present The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. A committee comprised of coaches, administrators and media from across the United States selects the winner. The State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be formally presented her award at the WBCA Awards Luncheon presented by State Farm and Jostens on Tuesday, April 7, at Noon CT in the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront. The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year presentation is part of the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four in St Louis, Mo. no comments

It's game day for the No. 1 seed UConn Huskies women's basketball team as they will take on the No. 8 seed Florida Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament being hosted at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT. The game is expected to start a little after 7 PM and will be covered on ESPN2. Remember, if you want to watch the whole game, you will need to do so on the ESPN2 standard definition channel. You can also catch the game on ESPN360 if that's available to you and of course you can always listen to the game on WTIC-1080 AM here in CT and online at WTIC.com. UConn Women's Basketball links UConn Women's press conference 3/23 [CBS Sports] Busy day at the old ballpark [Elm City to Eagleville] Ball State Shocked The World [Rich Elliott - UConn women's basketball] Auriemma says UConn should learn from Vols loss [AP] UF women's basketball team has nothing to lose against UConn [Florida Times-Union] Huskies Did Great In Round 1, But They Can Do Moore [Hartford Courant] Butler Has Gators On The Right Track [Hartford Courant] No. 8 Seed Florida vs. No. 1 UConn Women [Hartford Courant] UConn Women Face Florida In Second Round [Hartford Courant] Nightmare Loss, Or A Ray Of Hope? [Hartford Courant] UConn women focused on Florida [Waterbury Republican-American] Auriemma picks up another coaching award [Waterbury Republican-American] Huskies on a Sweet Roll [New Haven Register] Facing adversity is nothing new for Stewart [New Haven Register] For starters, Montgomery to set record [Connecticut Post] UConn women's notebook [Connecticut Post] Ball State bolsters Florida's upset hopes [Connecticut Post] UConn women's game day [Connecticut Post] Auriemma named WBCA's top coach again [Norwich Bulletin] UConn-Florida showdown marks return for coach [Norwich Bulletin] Butler: True Gator [New London Day] No. 1 UConn Vs. No. 8 Florida [New London Day] WBCA Names Auriemma National Coach Of The Year [New London Day] Sweet streak [Journal Inquirer] Lou who? [Journal Inquirer] Gators not afraid of task ahead [Gator Country] UConn Men's Basketball links Purdue's Painter talks Huskies [theday.Com - Gavin Keefe Blog] Heading West For UConn-Purdue [UConn | Men's Basketball] Will UConn make me look stupid? [Off the Glass] Cats and Huskies next year? [Kentucky Sports Radio] Purdue coach speaks well of UConn [Connecticut Post] Healthy outlook for Calhoun, UConn [MSNBC] UConn-Purdue Offers Big Matchup Inside [Hartford Courant] UConn men wary of Purdue [Waterbury Republican-American] A Purdue Primer [New London Day] Purdue Keeps Proving Pundits Wrong [New London Day] Get to know Purdue [UConn Huskies Basketball] Bandwagon Jumping [UConn Huskies Basketball] Lasting memory [Journal Inquirer] UConn Football links Butler knows what it’s like to play UConn [New Haven Register] Other UConn related links Top 10 Mascots of the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament [Petside] UConn President Upset at Obama Pick [WTIC.com] no comments

I just wanted to pass along some links that I either missed this morning or have come across today concerning the UConn Huskies and their various athletic programs. UConn Women's Basketball links Chomp, chomp [Elm City to Eagleville] Tina Dominates NCAA Opener [Rich Elliott - Connecticut Post] UVM no match for Charles, 34-0 UConn [The Daily Campus] Warm welcome, then a brushoff [Journal Inquirer] Tennessee loses, stock market up 7 percent [UConn | Women's Basketball] UVM falls to UConn in first round [VPR] Maria Conlon: A rookie (blogger) once again [UConn | Women's Basketball] Geno Turns 55 [Rich Elliott - UConn women's basketball] UConn Men's Basketball links UConn, Joe Bruin highlight the Philly Awards [Extra Mustard] Paint(er) Ball [In Storrs Now] Purdue eager to challenge strong, defensive Connecticut Huskies [The News-Sentinel] West Regional Reset: Watch out for Memphis -- if Evans shows up [SI.com] New team, same goal [Journal Inquirer] Watch Out Where The Huskies Go [Emeka, Nadav and Corny] UConn Football links Butler and Brown On ESPN Tomorrow [UConn | Football] Other UConn related links For love of the game [Rob Lunn - NESN.com] Towers Earns Second Appearance On BIG EAST Honor Roll [UConnHuskies.com] Monday's Baseball Game at Northeastern Postponed [UConnHuskies.com] Former Lacrosse Standout Selected to Team Canada for 2009 World Cup [UConnHuskies.com] no comments

For the second straight season, UConn Huskies women's basketball coach Geno Aureimma has been named the 2009 RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Coach of the Year. This is the third time Auriemma has won the award and he becomes the first coach in the 27 year history of the award to win it back-to-back seasons. Auriemma led the Huskies to a 33-0 mark during the regular season which saw them win the Big East Regular Season and Tournament titles. It was the 17th regular season title and 15th tournament title and 13th time that they have won both titles  in the same season. Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma wins Coach of the Year [The Seattle Times] A full look at the press release after the jump. A special thanks to Jayda Evans of the Seattle Times for sending me the press release since it's not out on the WBCA website yet. Geno Auriemma Earns Second Straight Division I Coach of the Year Honor from the WBCA ATLANTA - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has selected Connecticut's Geno Auriemma as the 2009 RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Coach of the Year. This year marks the 27th year that this accolade has been presented, which has been selected by the WBCA since 1983. This is Auriemma's third RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year honor as he received the award in 2002 and again last season. He is the only Division I head coach that has collected the award back-to-back years. "On behalf of the WBCA, I would like to congratulate Geno Auriemma for an outstanding job this season, and we would like to honor your efforts with this award," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "He is among the elite in the coaching profession and very deserving of this award." Auriemma, current WBCA Vice President, recently received his eighth BIG EAST Coach of the Year honor after leading his top-ranked Huskies to a 33-0 ledger; the only undefeated team in NCAA Division I. It marked the fifth time Auriemma coached his team to an undefeated record regular season play. This season UConn captured its 17th overall regular season title and 15th overall BIG EAST Tournament crown, marking the 13th time Auriemma has led his squad to both titles in the same season. In 24 years in Storrs, Auriemma boasts an 85 percent winning percentage, the nation's best, with a career ledger of 690-122. The Huskies, who have claimed three of the last seven NCAA titles (a total of five in the program's history), their last coming in 2004, are making their 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and boast a 65-15 (.813) mark all-time in NCAA play. The Huskies, who have been ranked No. 1 in both national polls the entire season, received an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, marking the second consecutive and the 15th in the program's history. Connecticut has advanced to the Final Four nine times in the program's history, including six of the last nine seasons overall. The Huskies have advanced to the regional round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 15 seasons (1994-present). During nine of the last 15 NCAA Tournaments (since 1994), the Huskies have either won the national championship or have lost to the eventual national champion. "Russell Athletic is proud to honor Geno Auriemma as the winner of the WBCA's Division I Coach of the Year Award. Geno embodies the true values of a dedicated and successful coach," said Catherine Gammon, Sr. Director of Sponsorships, Russell Athletic. Auriemma is one of six RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coaches of the Year selected, which also names winners for each of the other four WBCA collegiate divisions (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA and JC/CC) as well as High School. The winner is selected through a two-level process. The first level is by region, in which coaches from each WBCA geographical region vote for their respective top coach. Auriemma, having received the most votes in WBCA Region 1, advanced as a finalist to the national level of the selection process along with the other seven Regional Coaches of the Year in NCAA Division I. The WBCA would also like to recognize the following regional Division I Coaches of the Year: Region 2 Sue Semrau Florida State University Region 3 Nell Fortner Auburn University Region 4 Curt Miller Bowling Green State University Region 5 Sherri Coale University of Oklahoma Region 6 Jim Foster Ohio State University Region 7 Elaine Elliott University of Utah Region 8 Tara VanDerveer Stanford University Auriemma and the national winners from the other five divisions will be honored at the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon on Monday, April 6, 2009, at 1 p.m. CT in the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront Grand Ballroom. The luncheon is part of the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAAR Women's Final Four in St. Louis, Mo. About RUSSELL ATHLETIC For more than 100 years, RUSSELL ATHLETIC has been designing and producing the most innovative, most comfortable apparel to help athletes at all levels perform their best. From the youth practice fields, to premier collegiate teams, to the most respected professional arenas, whenever you see athletes and teams who demand the highest quality, exceptional durability, and extreme comfort, you'll find RUSSELL ATHLETIC. About the WBCA Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org no comments

Good statement win for the UConn Huskies women's basketball team yesterday against the Vermont Catamounts. The Big Three were huge but it was the play of Tina Charles that really got the Huskies going. Charles had been non-factor in the last two NCAA Tournaments but she put any notions of that this year to rest with an outstanding performance yesterday missing just 1 shot and playing aggressively on both ends of the floor. The UConn women will now take on the Florida Gators tomorrow night at 7 PM on ESPN in the second round. The UConn men will play Thursday night at 7:07 PM against the Purdue Boilermakers on CBS. UConn women's basketball links

Mel Thomas Interview on NPR [NPR] Gators up next [Elm City to Eagleville] Gators instead of Owls for the UConn women [UConn | Women's Basketball] Dixon Makes Her Mark [Rich Elliott - UConn women's basketball] Kalana Wounded [Rich Elliott - UConn women's basketball] Tina the Terrible [Joe Perez - UConn women's basketball] Gators’ reward for victory? No.1 UConn [Gator Country] UConn conquers gutsy Cats [Burlington Free Press] Charles Has 32 As UConn Women Cruise Past Vermont In First Round [Hartford Courant] Montgomery Bounces Back [Hartford Courant] UConn Women's Extras [Hartford Courant] 100-Point Games In The NCAA Tournament [Hartford Courant] Video: Geno's Auriemma Postgame Remarks [Hartford Courant] UConn women romp past Vermont [Waterbury Republican-American] Montgomery ties UConn record [Waterbury Republican-American] Next: UConn women face Florida [Waterbury Republican-American] Charles in charge as Huskies steamroll [Norwich Bulletin] Bench always eager to contribute [Norwich Bulletin] Charles, Huskies make quick work of Catamounts [New Haven Register] VIDEO: Auriemma and players talk about NCAA win over Vermont [New Haven Register] VIDEO: UConn's Maya Moore and Renee Montgomery on the victory over Vermont [New Haven Register] Charles leads UConn to 1st-round win [Connecticut Post] UConn's Dixon looks to stir things up [Connecticut Post] Tina Takes Over At Gampel [New London Day] NCAA Has Reached A New Low [New London Day] Hunter's Enjoying Herself At Temple [New London Day] UConn men's basketball links UConn To The Sweet 16 ... The Philly Trip [UConn | Men's Basketball] Gavin is going home [UConn Huskies Basketball] Early Dominance Sends Message [Hartford Courant] UConn men learn after 6 OTs [Waterbury Republican-American] Big East thriving so far in tourney [New Haven Register] Price overcomes adversity to lead UConn [Connecticut Post] Loose Huskies Are Enjoying The Ride [New London Day] NCAA West Regional Insider: UConn is looking dominant [The Detroit News] Other UConn related links Huskies Drop Final Game Against West Virginia 7-4 [UConnHuskies.com] Softball Sweeps Seton Hall For First BIG EAST Wins Of The Season [UConnHuskies.com] Your Fat White Guy Moment Of The Week [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy] no comments