Perhaps the biggest surprise in Sunday's UConn/Hartford game is that Michala Johnson was the first player summoned from the bench in the second half.

Johnson, who did not play in the first half, rewarded her coaches' confidence with a solid 14 minutes of work in the 75-39 win over Hartford.

"It felt really good," said Johnson after scoring five points and adding five rebounds. "I wanted to work harder, I wanted to be a little more aggressive. I am more comfortable now. I know it took me some time but after two (knee) surgeries it has taken me some time."

It might be a reach to expect Johnson to make a major impact during this NCAA tournament but this offseason could be a time for the wiry Johnson to add some muscle to her frame so she can match up against physical post players. She has already added 20 pounds since arriving at UConn but will need to add more weight before she becomes a game in, game out contributor. Still, the progress she has made in the last five or six weeks is hard to ignore.

"Some of it was situational, it wasn't really her fault," UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey said of the time it has taken Johnson to become a regular contributor in practice. "It was a matter of getting used to practicing. She has not really had that kind of practice in two years. It is obviously a different level but she tries. She gives us good effort, she tries to do what we ask her to do. There has been a significant (improvement) probably since about the (Feb. 12) Providence game. She has a knack around the basket, she rebounds and she finishes pretty well around the basket. We are trying to keep encouraging her to run the floor. it is tough coming off two ACLs and not just one."

ATLANTA DREAM POINT GUARD IMPRESSED WITH HARTLEY
Kansas State was eliminated from the tournament with a loss to Purdue in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader at Gampel Pavilion. However, before the Wildcats took to the court, assistant coach Shalee Lehning was scouting the UConn/Hartford game. Yes, the same Lehning who has started 53 games for the WNBA's Atlanta Dream over the last two seasons. So I asked her what her impressions of UConn freshman guard Bria Hartley were.

"I love her, she is so young but you would never know it," Lehning said. "She is in total control, she is not afraid of anything. She goes in there, takes the big shots. She is obviously a great point guard playing on a great team and what she really does well is manages the game with a bunch of stars around her. She knows how to get to people the ball when they need it. She is also not afraid to take her own shot herself. That is half the battle when you playing on a team as good as Connecticut - learning to make the right decision."

Lehning, a former star point guard for Kansas State, understands the difficult transition from high school to college for a point guard.

"I think it is a huge adjustment that people overlook a lot of times," Lehning said. "It is just a bigger, faster, stronger game. Especially coming to play at a school like UConn, you have to learn how to make decisions faster, you have to get in better shape and you have to learn mental toughness and I think they obviously do a great job of that here at UConn."