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Early season schedules are always a little bizarre but this year's slate really takes the cake.
UConn will play six games in 2 1/2 weeks including a recently-completed stretch of three in six days and then will not play for a week and a half (you can thank the final exam period for that). Other than the trip to Utah to face Brigham Young, the furthest UConn has to travel to play its first seven games is a trip to New York to meet Penn State in the Maggie Dixon Classic. The next eight games, however, feature three games in Cancun and one each in South Carolina, Florida and West Virginia.
Obviously Sunday's game against Oklahoma will be the biggest test of the young season with national player of the year candidate Courtney Paris likely to put more pressure on UConn than any inside player the Huskies have faced since last year's game against LSU and Sylvia Fowles.
The high-profile game will also allow UConn coach Geno Auriemma and Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale to do their part in the fundraising department as they will donate items to be auctioned off all in the name of raising money for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund(tm).
Auriemma will be auctioning off a Brioni tie while Coale will be auctioning off a black Cole Haan handbag. Bid will open Sunday at 8 p.m. at both www.wbca.org or www.genoscancerteam.com and will close on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.
I guess it is time for a disclaimer to anybody who took umbrage with my previous post about the potential of Elena Delle Donne returning to Connecticut if the Delaware volleyball team gets sent to New Haven to play in the Division I volleyball tournament. At no point in that post was I being critical of Delle Donne's decision to play for the Blue Hens or passing judgment on her. Anybody suggesting I need to "move on" or "give her a break" perhaps is the person with the issues to deal with. I have focused my UConn coverage on the members of the current UConn team and not dealt with the Delle Donne angle since the announcement of her enrollment at Delaware became known. It is a trend I plan on continuing. I merely pointed out that there is a chance Delaware could be sent to the NCAA subregional at Yale, if the Bulldogs are chosen as a host site and that there would be significant media attention because it will be Delle Donne's first public appearance in Connecticut since she decided to leave UConn. It will create a feeding frenzy from the media which is something I am quite certain Delle Donne and the rest of the Delaware volleyball team could do without. It would be naive to think otherwise and for their sake, I would be thrilled to see them sent to another venue so the focus is where it belongs, on the noteworthy achievement of playing in the NCAA tournament. I never said or hinted that I thought there would or should be be any backlash from the Connecticut fans at Payne Whitney Gymnasium if Delaware plays in the NCAA tournament in New Haven. I would be quite stunned if that was the case.
A couple more items:
Connecticut Sun ticket vouchers will go on sale on Monday.
"The Gift of Basketball" packages will be available for purchase until Dec.
19 (while supplies last). For just $99 or $79 (plus the cost of shipping
and handling), Sun fans will receive four vouchers for any 2009 home game,
in seats priced at $20 or $16. Both packages come with a special
commemorative acrylic snowman ornament as well as an invitation for two to
an exclusive Sun practice during the 2009 regular season.
"The Gift of Basketball" packages will be available online at
www.connecticutsun.com. For more information on Connecticut Sun tickets,
including 2009 season packages that are on sale now. Call 1-877-SUN-TIXX (786-8499) for more info.
Former UConn guard Mel Thomas will be on hand for appearance to promote her "Heart of a Husky" book on Dec. 18 at the Waterford Public Library beginning at 7 p.m. and Monaco Ford in Glastonbury on Dec. 20 from noon-3 p.m. There are plans to have her doing a book signing on Dec. 31 at the XL Center, the same day UConn and Hartford will square off.
For more info, visit www.melthomas.com.
UConn will play six games in 2 1/2 weeks including a recently-completed stretch of three in six days and then will not play for a week and a half (you can thank the final exam period for that). Other than the trip to Utah to face Brigham Young, the furthest UConn has to travel to play its first seven games is a trip to New York to meet Penn State in the Maggie Dixon Classic. The next eight games, however, feature three games in Cancun and one each in South Carolina, Florida and West Virginia.
Obviously Sunday's game against Oklahoma will be the biggest test of the young season with national player of the year candidate Courtney Paris likely to put more pressure on UConn than any inside player the Huskies have faced since last year's game against LSU and Sylvia Fowles.
The high-profile game will also allow UConn coach Geno Auriemma and Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale to do their part in the fundraising department as they will donate items to be auctioned off all in the name of raising money for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund(tm).
Auriemma will be auctioning off a Brioni tie while Coale will be auctioning off a black Cole Haan handbag. Bid will open Sunday at 8 p.m. at both www.wbca.org or www.genoscancerteam.com and will close on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.
I guess it is time for a disclaimer to anybody who took umbrage with my previous post about the potential of Elena Delle Donne returning to Connecticut if the Delaware volleyball team gets sent to New Haven to play in the Division I volleyball tournament. At no point in that post was I being critical of Delle Donne's decision to play for the Blue Hens or passing judgment on her. Anybody suggesting I need to "move on" or "give her a break" perhaps is the person with the issues to deal with. I have focused my UConn coverage on the members of the current UConn team and not dealt with the Delle Donne angle since the announcement of her enrollment at Delaware became known. It is a trend I plan on continuing. I merely pointed out that there is a chance Delaware could be sent to the NCAA subregional at Yale, if the Bulldogs are chosen as a host site and that there would be significant media attention because it will be Delle Donne's first public appearance in Connecticut since she decided to leave UConn. It will create a feeding frenzy from the media which is something I am quite certain Delle Donne and the rest of the Delaware volleyball team could do without. It would be naive to think otherwise and for their sake, I would be thrilled to see them sent to another venue so the focus is where it belongs, on the noteworthy achievement of playing in the NCAA tournament. I never said or hinted that I thought there would or should be be any backlash from the Connecticut fans at Payne Whitney Gymnasium if Delaware plays in the NCAA tournament in New Haven. I would be quite stunned if that was the case.
A couple more items:
Connecticut Sun ticket vouchers will go on sale on Monday.
"The Gift of Basketball" packages will be available for purchase until Dec.
19 (while supplies last). For just $99 or $79 (plus the cost of shipping
and handling), Sun fans will receive four vouchers for any 2009 home game,
in seats priced at $20 or $16. Both packages come with a special
commemorative acrylic snowman ornament as well as an invitation for two to
an exclusive Sun practice during the 2009 regular season.
"The Gift of Basketball" packages will be available online at
www.connecticutsun.com. For more information on Connecticut Sun tickets,
including 2009 season packages that are on sale now. Call 1-877-SUN-TIXX (786-8499) for more info.
Former UConn guard Mel Thomas will be on hand for appearance to promote her "Heart of a Husky" book on Dec. 18 at the Waterford Public Library beginning at 7 p.m. and Monaco Ford in Glastonbury on Dec. 20 from noon-3 p.m. There are plans to have her doing a book signing on Dec. 31 at the XL Center, the same day UConn and Hartford will square off.
For more info, visit www.melthomas.com.
posted by Jim Fuller at
4:12 PM
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