While it remains to be seen if former UConn forward Tahirah Williams gets to realize her dream of playing professional basketball, her brother Isaiah Williams was signed by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent.

While fellow University of Maryland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was taken with the seventh overall pick by the Oakland Raiders, Williams went undrafted despite starting 23 games at receiver at Maryland. He finished his career with 64 catches and 902 receiving yards.

Anybody who speculates that UConn is suddenly leaving no stone unturned in its quest for another big kid in the wake of Jessica McCormack's decision to stay home in New Zealand rather than rejoin the Huskies would be disappointed. Sources indicate that while the UConn staff would like to bring in another big kid in next year's class, they think they will be fine with Heather Buck and incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Michala Johnson as its big kids in the 2010-11 season. The only uncommitted junior with a scholarship offer is guard Bria Hartley, who is still trying to set up a campus visit to UConn. The earliest it could happen is June.

UConn does have its eyes on the top uncommitted high school junior post players and are interested in Chiney Ogwumike out of Cypress, Texas and Natasha Howard from Toledo, Ohio - generally considered to be two of the top 10 post players in the class. While Ogwumike has long been considered a layup for Stanford so she could join her sister Nneka, who just enjoyed an outstanding freshman season, in Palo Alto the word is that she does have at least some interest in UConn. At least one UConn coach came away very impressed with Howard and it figures the Huskies will pursue one or perhaps both of them when they are allowed to go back on the recruiting trail this summer.

One name not to concerned with is Monique Oliver, the top 10 ranked player in the current group of high school seniors, who recently decommitted from Southern California. UConn has had no contact with Oliver and is focusing its attention on the junior and sophomore classes.

While UConn coach Geno Auriemma's duties as U.S. Senior National team coach doesn't figure to include him being at the trials for the World University Games and Under-19 teams being held in mid May in Colorado Springs, he may take in the EuroBasket Women's tournament which begins on June 7. Auriemma also figures to attend more WNBA games than he has in the past for scouting purposes.

MONTGOMERY IN DANBURY
For those in the Danbury area Saturday morning, here is some info on a public appearance being made by former UConn guard Renee Montgomery.

WHAT:
Come meet Renee Montgomery, 2009 UConn Huskies women's basketball champion turned Minnesota Lynx professional player, as she samples coach Geno Auriemma's famous tomato basil and fra diavolo pasta sauces at Stew Leonard's Danbury, CT store.

In addition to leading the UConn Huskies women's basketball team to a sixth national championship and third undefeated season, and recently being named head coach to the U.S.A. women's basketball team for the 2012 Olympics in London, Geno Auriemma packages his fresh, all-natural tomato basil and fra diavolo pasta sauces, which are available for purchase at local stores.

Due to his busy coaching schedule, Geno is relying on Renee, one of his 2009 championship players, to sample his two delicious sauces. She will also sign bottles for fans and pose for pictures.

WHO:
Renee Montgomery had a four-year college basketball career with the UConn Huskies women's team, during which she was considered one of the best point guards in the nation and helped her team achieve a 138-11 record. As a senior during the 2008-09 season, Renee helped lead the women Huskies to their sixth national championship and third undefeated season with a game average of 16.5 points and 5.1 assists.

Renee was the number four pick in the WNBA professional draft, landing herself a spot with the Minnesota Lynx.

WHEN:
Saturday, May 2nd from 10:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M.

WHERE
Stew Leonard's Danbury store
99 Federal Road, Danbury, CT
For customer questions: 203.790.8030

Geno will be en route to his "Geno's Fast Break" restaurant at the Mohegan Sun Casino for his second annual "Horsin' Around For the V Foundation" event later that day.

It appears as if all systems are go for the "Plays for a Cure" event tonight at Branford High.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma is expected to be in the house, as advertised, for the fundraiser with proceeds being split between Geno's Cancer Team, Leukemia Society and the Debbie Maloney Memorial.

There will be four basketball games, each between 15-20 minutes featuring squads of teachers and students from Branford public schools, a team of Channel 8 on-air personalities (John Pierson, Noah Finz and Marc Robbins from the sports department along with Keith Kountz and Chris Velardi). There will also be a game between Branford's firefighters and police.

The event runs from 7-9 p.m. with tickets for the event $5 for adults and $3 for students.

I figured I would share with you a little more information on netball, the new sport of choice for Jessica McCormack.

This is an e-mail I received from a reader in Australia.

"The sport has a fanatical following amongst women in Australia and New Zealand. Best described as "women's basketball" it differs from basketball in primarily having thrown passes, that can only be done when the player has stopped and there is no dribbling. The game has been getting a lot more general free to air TV time. On the other hand normal basketball cannot get free to air (time) and is struggling to stay alive."

As for the impact of McCormack's decision not to return to UConn, I don't think it will be that much of an issue next season since UConn has Tina Charles and Kaili McLaren coming back and adds Heather Buck, who will benefit from a season worth of practices against Charles, to the mix. But with Charles and McLaren going into their senior seasons, it's no wonder that adding another post player is a bigger recruiting need for UConn than it was a few weeks ago. If Baylor's incoming freshman Brittney Griner is half as good as people claim she is, being thin in the post will be a major issue in the coming years. UConn is off to a good start in the next recruiting class with commitments from 6-foot-5 Stephanie Dolson and 6-3 Michala Johnson but clearly should bring in another big kid in the next class unless they weave some magic for the incoming freshman class.

UMMC Ekaterinburg captured the Russian championship, winning the final game in the best of three series against Spartak Moscow Region 70-68 before a crowd of 6,000 on Tuesday.

Connecticut Sun forwards Sandrine Gruda (seven points, three rebounds and two blocks) and Asjha Jones (two points, three rebounds) helped Ekaterinburg get a little payback against the team which beat them in the EuroLeague semifinals.

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, teammates of Jones on UConn's 2001-02 national championship team, had 17 and nine points respectively for Spartak while adding six rebounds each and combining for nine assists.

MAKING THE ROUNDS
This figures to be a rather hectic week for UConn coach Geno Auriemma but considering the reasons behind his busy schedule, something tells me he won't mind.

As previously mentioned on this blog, Auriemma is expected to be on site for the "Play for a Cure" event at Branford High School Thursday from 7-9 p.m. for a series of charity basketball games featuring teams of teachers and students from Branford public schools, a group of Channel 8 personalities and a showdown between the city's police and firefighters. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students. All the proceeds will benefit Geno’s Cancer Team, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Debbie Maloney Memorial Foundation.

Saturday will be Auriemma's second annual "Horsin' Around" at Geno's Fast Break
Restaurant at the Mohegan Sun Casino from 3:30-7:30 p.m. featuring both live and silent auction with all the money raised being donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Live and silent auctions will be part of the program.

For information on the Branford event, 488-8304. For more information on the Horsin' Around event visit www.genoscancerteam.org or call (860) 558-1987.

Just heard back from Jessica McCormack who confirmed that she is not planning to return to Connecticut.

McCormack transferred to UConn after playing at Washington as a freshman. She would have been eligible to play for UConn in the upcoming season but since she returned home to New Zealand to have surgery on the area around her Achilles' tendon, she would not have been eligible to play until the end of the fall semester.

Now she won't be returning at all.

"I made the decision after really evaluating and reflecting what is making me happy at the moment and basketball is just not doing it for me right now," McCormack said in an e-mail. "This decision has nothing whatsoever to do with the school, coaches or team. They were all fantastic and I appreciated everything."

McCormack will enroll at the Auckland University of Technology and play netball with the hope of making the New Zealand national team once she is given a clean bill of health.

"Rehab is going well," McCormack said. "I have just started pool work so its all going along smoothly. I will be talking time away from basketball and concentrating on netball for the moment."