Following practice, Heather Buck said that she is planning to sit out the season so she can take advantage of a fifth year of eligibility.

Buck, a three-time Register State Girls' Basketball Most Valuable Player, has been sidelined with mononucleosis since the preseason and UConn coach Geno Auriemma threw out the idea of Buck not playing in any games so she could have four years of eligibility remaining.

After thinking about it for a couple of weeks, Buck believes Auriemma's suggestion made a lot of sense so she is following the path of Jessica Moore who sat out the 2000-01 season and ended up being a 1,000-point scorer and a WNBA draft pick while playing on three straight national championship teams at UConn.

"It's only good for me," Buck said. "It means I have a year to practice and still have four years to play."

Since Buck has not played in a game, she would fill the requirements to receive a fifth year of eligibility. If she plays in a game in the second half of the regular season she would not be eligible to apply for an addition season of eligibility. UConn would play the 16th game of its 30-game regular season on Jan. 13 against DePaul at Gampel Pavilion. That would also mark UConn's first game at Gampel since a Dec. 3 victory over Holy Cross.

Buck will be able to practice and travel with the team and she would be eligible to play for UConn this season but Auriemma doesn't foresee a scenario where he would call on Buck considering how much time she has missed this season due to her illness.

Just some advanced warning to UConn fans, don't panic when you don't see Jessica McCormack on the bench for Wednesday's game against Hartford. She was given the OK to return home to New Zealand for the holidays. As a transfer sitting out this season, McCormack was not allowed to travel with the team so Auriemma didn't see the harm in having McCormack return home for a couple of weeks. She is expected back in time for the start of classes in the spring semester.

Before Tennessee fans throw a hissy fit upon reading reports of Sue Bird being on the court as a practice player at Gampel Pavilion as a select few have done in the past, let it be known that news of Tennessee freshman Amber Gray suffering a concussion as a result of a collision with practice player Alberta Auguste has reached Husky Nation. Speaking of Tennessee, how can you not root at least a little bit for a team whose only senior's last name is "Fuller."

A few more things, former UConn guard Mel Thomas will be at the XL Center Wednesday beginning at 11 a.m. to sign copies of her book "Heart of a Husky." Lastly, fans who listen to UConn games on either WICC-600 or WTIC-1080 should know that conflicts with UConn's football and men's basketball games on Saturday against LSU and Tuesday against South Florida will force the radio broadcast to be moved to WTIC 96.5 FM