With my e-mail folders filling up by the hour, it is time for a bit for one of those jack of all trade entries so I can keep my e-mail folders nice and tidy.

Let's start with a look to the future. As I'm sure you've heard, Jessica McCormack won't be making her debut with the Huskies until December so there's no reason to fret about news out of New Zealand that surgery on the area around her Achilles tendon has been pushed back a week until the 6-foot-5 McCormack is feeling better.

By returning home for the surgery and withdrawing from school, she will not be eligible until the fall semester is completed.

McCormack's future UConn teammate Kelly Faris will lead her Heritage Christian team in its first game in a quest for a fourth straight Indiana 2A title. Heritage Christian received a first-round bye in the Triton Central regional and will face the host school on Friday at 6 p.m. as Triton Central opened with a 57-41 win over Indian Creek on Tuesday. If Heritage Christian wins, it would be Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the championship game to move to the next step of the state playoffs.

Assistant coach Jamelle Elliott was not at UConn's practice on Monday. The belief was that she was checking out the North Babylon/Copiague game to check out North Babylon guard Bria Hartley. The game report mentioned that coaches from Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Virginia and Pittsburgh were on hand as Hartley's 36 points (10 in the final 1:50) led North Babylon to a 72-56 win over Copiague.

Now for the previously-mentioned housecleaning.


FEBRUARY FRENZY
Sunday's UConn/Pittsburgh game will be part of ESPN's annual "February Frenzy."

During its broadcasts on Sunday and Monday, ESPN will be asking for donations to support the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund of The V Foundation with the aid of a television commercial featuring Yow, the long-time North Carolina State who lost her two decade long battle with cancer last month.

ESPN Classic will show the 1998 East Region final where Yow led NC State to its only Final Four appearance with a win over Connecticut. The game will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.

ESPN recently announced that almost $700,000 during its recent Jimmy V week featuring special V-related content across ESPN platforms to drive awareness of and donations to The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The week began Dec. 3 with a replay of former North Carolina State men's basketball coach Jim Valvano’s speech at the 1993 ESPYs re-aired simultaneously across numerous ESPN networks and the ABC SuperSign in Times Square. Jimmy V Week concluded with the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic Dec. 8 and the Men’s Jimmy V Basketball Classic doubleheader on Dec. 9.

CONNECTICUT SUN ESSAY CONTEST
The Connecticut Sun is inviting Connecticut students in grades 4-8 to participate in the Inaugural Women in Sports Essay Contest in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. All Connecticut students that are interested in participating in the project may submit a one-page essay answering the question: Who is your favorite female athlete and why? All essays must be received by the Connecticut Sun front office by Friday, April 10th. Sun players, along with
members of the organization, will judge the essays.

Entry forms are now available on www.connecticutsun.com. One grand prize winner will receive an exclusive school assembly with Sun mascot Blaze and/or players to recognize the winning student, essay and school. The winner will be recognized at a Sun pre-season game, receive
four tickets to a pre-season game and have their essay posted on www.connecticutsun.com. Five runners-up, one from each grade level, will receive four tickets to a Sun pre-season game and their essays posted on www.connecticutsun.com. The first 50 entrants in the contest will receive a special gift from the Connecticut Sun as well as two complimentary tickets
to a Sun pre-season game.

MERCY HONORED BY SUN
Mercy High of Middletown has been selected as the Connecticut Sun High School Girls' Basketball Team of the Week for the week of February 2-8.

Mercy improved to 11-6 with a 58-49 victory on the road at fifth-ranked Hillhouse on February 5, getting 19 points from Bianca Simmons and 18 points from Villanova signee Rachel Roberts. Amanda Hamilton chipped in with 10 rebounds. Earlier in the week, Roberts had 19 points and eight rebounds while Amber Bepko had 12 points as the Tigers beat West Haven 63-33.