UConn announced that freshman forward De'Janae Boykin has decided to transfer.

"Recently De’Janae expressed her desire to be closer to (home)," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said in a statement. "She is a great kid and I am glad I was able to get to know De’Janae and her family.  The entire coaching staff and team wish her nothing but the best in the future."

Boykin will complete her final exams before finalizing her transfer.

She did not appear in a game this season due to the combination of a tender Achilles' tendon as well as some academic issues. She did not make the trip when the Huskies played at Chattanooga and DePaul and was also left back on campus when the Huskies headed to play at Colgate.

Boykin missed most of her senior season at Flowers High School due to a wrist injury and then was sidelined by Achilles issue.

I spoke to her at a recent practice when she was back taking part in some of the drills.

"It has been hard. It is kind of like being back in high school when I had to sit and watch so it is pretty hard for me so I am excited that I am able to (practice) now," Boykin said.

Boykin is from a very close family. She transferred from girls' basketball powerhouse Riverdale Baptist to Flowers High School so she could attend the same school as her brother Joshua, who is blind.

“He was kind of scared going to high school and he asked me if I could go to school with him,” Boykin said in a 2014 interview with the Register. “It was a school down the street and I said, ‘Yes, I’ll go to school with you.’ It is great to know I am here for him, he is there and I can help him out whenever he needs something.

“We are very independent. We have always been cool and we always fight like brothers and sisters do all the time. It is special because I always see him and if something happens, I have his back the whole way.”

Today was the first practice open to the media since UConn's season-opening win over Ohio State and both Saniya Chong and De'Janae Boykin were out there during drills.

Chong, who did get into the season opener during the final few minutes, is expected to be a full go for tomorrow's game against Kansas State (7 p.m., XL Center) although UConn coach Geno Auriemma said that because Boykin is still only practicing on a part-time basis as she works her way back from an Achilles' tendon injury, he doesn't not expect her to play in the home opener.

Chong is excited to hit the ground running in her first extended game action after missing both exhibition games and not getting into the Ohio State game until there was 3:21 remaining.

"I feel very excited. I know it has been hard the last couple of weeks for me, in and out all the time but actually being here and finishing up the practices, being a part of the team it feels really good," Chong said.

With sophomore Gabby Williams looking very much like the Huskies' fifth starter, UConn is extremely young on the bench as the only reserves to play more than 10 minutes against the Buckeyes were freshmen Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson. Without Chong, the other reserves have played a total of 704 career minutes so there's a lot on Chong's shoulders.

"We talked to Saniya and said 'you are a leader on this team too,'" UConn senior Breanna Stewart said. "She is a junior, this is her third year of being here and she needs to help us lead the underclassmen. Saying that, just for her to hear in front of the rest of the team, helps her out
She has to be more vocal because if the freshmen see a junior not talking, they think it is OK to not talk too."

Chong has been dealing with IT Band Syndrome which results in pain on the outside of the knee. She had an injection and there's a chance that she will need more of them during the season.

"I think it will be ongoing this season, hopefully one day it will be like 'I want to go now' and hopefully soon," Chong said.

Boykin figures to make her UConn debut sooner rather than later. After missing most of her senior season at Flowers High School due to a wrist injury, it's been hard for Boykin to deal with being sidelined due to another ailment.

"It is kind of like being back in high school when I had to sit and watch so it is pretty hard for me," Boykin said. "I am excited that I am able to (practice) now.I feel comfortable, everything is fine."

Auriemma said that sophomore center Natalie Butler, expected to be out for at least another month due to a thumb injury, did some drills in practice earlier this week. Auriemma can't wait to get the 6-foot-5 Butler back to practice without restriction.

DANGERFIELD NAMED TO NAISMITH PLAYER OF YEAR WATCH LIST
UConn signee Crystal Dangerfield, a senior guard at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., was one of 77 players named to the Naismith Player of the Year watch list.

Dangerfield had 34 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in a season-opening 69-55 win over Brentwood Academy.

Freshmen Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson have been receiving plenty of hype leading into the season. Their names were even mentioned by UConn coach Geno Auriemma along with Saniya Chong and Gabby Williams as a potential fifth starter. However. the third member of the freshman class can play a little bit too.

It hasn't been an easy last year for De'Janae Boykin. Most of her senior season at Flowers High School was spent on the sidelines after she injured her wrist. Then she was dealing with an Achilles' issue when she was at UConn.

Boykin recently returned to practice and wasn't little time making an impression on her coaches and teammates.

"The last three of four days she has been back and she looks good," Auriemma said at Monday's American Athletic Conference media day. "She had the Achilles thing so she is having a hard time going full speed but when she gets the ball around the basket, she knows what she is doing. She's going to be OK, she just needs time."

Senior guard Moriah Jefferson has also been impressed by the work being done by Boykin.

"She's impressive," Jefferson said. "I didn't get to see her play a lot in high school so I didn't get to see what she had and how much she had to battle with injuries but she does a lot of dirty work, she gets in there and finishes around the rim."

GENO ON TONIGHT'S CENTERSTAGE
The CenterStage broadcast featuring an hour of Michael Kay's interview with Auriemma will debut tonight at 10:30 on YES after the Bulls/Nets NBA game and postgame show.

I was in attendance at the taping of the show and Kay certainly did his homework.

Auriemma accepting the job at a local Dunkin' Donuts, his hiring of Chris Dailey as an assistant coach, his meeting with the legendary John Wooden are among the topics to look for. Even people who have seen Auriemma interviewed hundreds of times will enjoy this broadcast.

MILESTONE MOMENT FOR DARNELL NURSE
Ironically one of the topics I brought up with Kia Nurse at AAC media day was how her brother Darnell was handling being sent down to the AHL by the Edmonton Oilers. Little did I know that just two days later he would be called up with the Oilers dealing with some injuries on defense and he scored his first NHL goal last night.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Darnell Nurse this season. He is considered to be one of the top prospects out there and I really thought he would be in the NHL all season.

SAMUELSON'S FORMER COACH PASSES AWAY
Edison High School girls' basketball coach Dan Wiley died on Monday at the age of 61.

People who followed the career of Samuelson, the highly-touted UConn freshman, might remember that name because he coached Katie Lou when she was a freshman at Edison High School before she transferred to Mater Dei.

While many of their former classmates and teammates might be kicking back and enjoy life this summer, De'Janae Boykin, Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson have plans over these next few months that are anything but relaxing.

The UConn freshmen have been on campus for three weeks and when they aren't taking summer classes, they are hitting the court with the returning members from a squad that has won three consecutive national titles.

At UConn even informal basketball games are "very intense" according to Collier.

The trio has wasted little time in making strong opening impressions on the UConn coaches and players.

"They always have a jump coming in but I think they are doing really well," Morgan Tuck said. "When they come in, they don't know what to expect. They have never had to do some of the things we are going. I think the summer is kind of a good buffer where it kind of gets you in a little. you see what we are about, how hard we work and how we are supposed to conduct ourselves. I think the summer is a good way to dip your foot in and I think they are handling it well."

Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma,was available to the media along with Boykin, Collier, Samuelson, Tuck, Gabby Williams and Moriah Jefferson during Auriemma's annual charity golf tournament at the Hartford Golf Club. He did not hold back with his praise for the three newcomers.

"They came to UConn because they want to be like Stewie (Breanna Stewart), they want to be like Dee (Diana Taurasi) or Maya (Moore) or whatever the case may be, that is all well and good until your (butt) is buried on the bench because you are struggling, now reality hits you in the face," Auriemma said. "They have it and they understand it, they know they have to earn it. These three as a group and as individuals, they are pretty impressive."

Collier and Samuelson will leave in a couple of weeks to join the other members of the U.S. team competing in the FIBA U19 World Championships. In the meantime, they are trying to absorb as much as they can in the pick-up games.

"We've been in the weight room and scrimmaging," Collier said. "Definitely showing what I can work on and how people older than me are playing, It is so different from high school.
It is really hard but I knew it was going to be."

Boykin lost most of her senior season of high school after injuring her wrist. This summer will give her a chance to get all her timing back.

"It's been fun to get back on the court and have time to play, continue to get stronger," Boykin said. "Going against Stewie, going against Tuck it is great. They are competing against us and they are trying to get better in order to get ready for the season. They are telling us to stay focused, getting our minds right and get stronger.

"I didn't have my senior year so this is pretty much my senior year. It is great, it gives me the feeling of getting back on the court."

Auriemma addressed plenty of subjects including a rundown of nearly every player who will be on the 2015-16 team, the rules changes and incredible number of high-profile transfers. There will be more on what he had to say as well as more from Tuck, Williams and Jefferson in the next couple of days.

Here's more from Auriemma on his three freshmen.

"In the end it is on them, how bad do they want to be great, how much time are they willing to put into the game, how coachable are they? What kind of competitive spirit do they have? You don't know these things until you get them. You watch this 21-year-old kid (Jordan Spieth) play golf and he reminds you of the same motivation that drove Tiger (Woods) to be the best. If you have a high school kid, you find that they have those qualities and they have the game to back it up anything is possible. Katie Lou has a lot of advantages that a lot of kids don't have, she is a great shooter, she is 6-3 and has a quick release and she is a smart player. She has a huge advantage of being really well coached in high school. A lot of kids who come to college who were really well coached in high school like Napheesa Collier was, like Katie Lou was, those guys can compete immediately at the college level. They kids who didn't have really good coaching in high school, they are on the ones who struggled the most. Tina, Sue Bird had great coaching in high school. You see some of these kids and they come out, they have the right background, the right makeup, the talent and the heart anything is possible.

"(Boykin) is still not 100 percent yet. She is completely different from the other two guys in some of skills that she has and some of the things that she does are just very subtle. Sometimes with Napheesa and Katie Lou, they are right out there and if you watch De'Janae closely you see some of the subtle things she does that makes her a really good player and contribute to winning. I am excited for all three of them.

"(Collier) competes really hard every possession and has skills, when I watch her now she does things that I didn't even know she could do. These guys are coming into college with the right mix of stuff you need to be really good."

There might not be a high school coach who has had more of a first-hand look at the next wave of UConn players than Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) High School coach Dori Oldaker.

UConn Class of 2016 commit Kyla Irwin was a key member of the State College (Pa.) HS team that eliminated Oldaker's Mt. Lebanon team out of the 2014 PIAA Class AAAA tournament. The teams met again in December in the Altoona Tip-Off Tournament. With Oldaker named the head coach of the U.S. team playing in the FIBA Americas U16 Championships and the trials for the teams currently taking place, the folks at USA Basketball set up a phone interview with Oldaker for me this afternoon.

"A great kid, very talented," Oldaker said. "She can get up and down the floor and I think she will be a swing (forward at UConn). The thing I love about her is that she loves the game. What is nice about her is she can go inside/outside. She is going to be a hard matchup; at the high school level she is a very hard matchup."

Oldaker also coached the U.S. 3x3 team which won the gold medal at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. That team featured UConn incoming freshmen Napheesa Collier, De'Janae Boykin and Katie Lou Samuelson as well as Notre Dame signee Arike Ogunbowale. That quartet went 13-0 with nine of the wins by at least 10 points.

"It was fun watching them in what they are doing at the high school level and it will be fun watching them on TV next year," Oldaker said. "They really compete, they are great kids, they have a great deal of respect and are true leaders, true teammates."

UConn Class of 2017 commit Andra Espinoza-Hunter is one of 158 players currently in Colorado Springs for the U-16 trials but Oldaker politely refrained from discussing any of the players currently competing for the 12 spots on the U-16 squad.

There was one more UConn connection I asked her about. One of Mt. Lebanon's conference rivals is Chartiers Valley. It just so happens that the Chartiers Valley coach is former UConn guard Ashley Battle who played on three national championship teams during her days as a Husky.

"I actually coached Ashley Battle in the Dapper Dan (classic) way back," Oldaker said. "For her to be a high school player, college player and now a high school coach is pretty phenomenal. She is another great person, another great role model to have in our business.

"She understands where players are coming from, she is a player's coach. I think she has done a really nice job at Chartiers Valley."

UConn incoming freshmen Napheesa Collier, De'Janae Boykin and Katie Lou Samuelson are among the players who have accepted invitations to try out for the U.S. U-19 team along with UConn rising sophomore forward Gabby Williams and UConn Class of 2016 commit Crystal Dangerfield.

Samuelson was the leading scorer on the U.S. team which won the FIBA U-17 World Championship for Women as she averaged 13.9 points per game and also had a ream-leading 19 3-pointers. Boykin was also a member of the team. Boykin started all seven games, was second on the team with an average of 6.1 rebounds, was tied for second with 16 assists.

Collier was a key member of the U.S. team which won the FIBA Americas U18 Championships. She finished ranked third in the tournament in scoring (14.0 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (8.6). She also finished fifth with a 56.4 field-goal percentage, third with an average of 1 blocked shot per contest, was fourth in assist/turnover ratio, led all players with a 55.6 3-point percentage and was 10th in steals.

UConn Class of 2016 recruiting target Lauren Cox, the leading rebound on the U-17 team, is among the top candidates to make the team competing in the U-19 World Championship for Women.

The 12-member team will be selected during the trials which run from May 14-17 and will play in the FIBA U19 World Championship in Chekhov, Russia from July 18-26.

The list of players heading to the trials for the World University Games and Pan Am Games will be announced at 2 p.m. UConn's Breanna Stewart said she would be a part of the WUG trials.


HOLMES, WEST VIRGINIA HEADING TO MOHEGAN SUN ARENA
As I previous reported, former Hillhouse star Bria Holmes will get her homecoming game as part of the third annual Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge.

The event wraps up with four games being played at Mohegan Sun Arena including Holmes' West Virginia team playing Yale at 4 p.m. Meriden native and former UConn guard Sadie Edwards' Southern California team will be playing Iona at noon although Edwards will not yet be eligible to play as she won't be able to suit up for the Trojans until the fall semester is completed.

Here is the full schedule

Chapel Hill, N.C. Campus Round ScheduleNovember 20Fairleigh Dickinson at North Carolina
Iona vs. Yale
November 21
Iona at North Carolina
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Yale
November 22Yale at North Carolina
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Iona

Spokane, Wash. Campus Round ScheduleNovember 22West Virginia at Gonzaga
Grand Canyon vs. Southern California
November 23Grand Canyon at Gonzaga
Southern California vs. West Virginia
November 24Southern California at Gonzaga
Grand Canyon vs. West Virginia

Mohegan Sun Arena Schedule – November 29 10 a.m. – Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Grand Canyon
12 p.m. – Iona vs. Southern California
2 p.m. – Gonzaga vs. North Carolina
4 p.m. – Yale vs. West Virginia

Unlike her fellow UConn incoming freshmen, Napheesa Collier was able to experience the utter joy of walking off the court for the final time as a state champion.

However, the journey to a third straight Missouri 4A title wasn't an easy one.

Incarnate Word Academy lost a total of one game during her sophomore and junior seasons. That loss was courtesy of Blackman High out of Murfreesboro, Tenn. featuring UConn Class of 2016 commit Crystal Dangerfield.

Fast forward to the start of Collier's senior season and things got off to a rocky start. Incarnate Word lost the No. 2, 3 and 4 scorers of a 31-1 team.

The season began with a 56-55 loss to Fayetteville (Ark.) in a tournament played in Ft. Smith, Ark. Two days later came a humbling 20-point loss to North Little Rock.

Collier, the team's only senior, knew that things had to change. She raised the level of her own play while contributing to the increased production of a young supporting case as IWA finished the season with 28 wins in a row.

The last team standing between Collier's Incarnate Word squad and a 3-peat was Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School, a team that only lost by eight points in the regular-season meeting between the schools.

Collier would end up outscoring MICDS by herself in the 60-27 victory.

"We had our best practice of the year (before the state final) and we just brought it so hard," Collier said. "It feels great.

"Coming out and losing my 20, it really refocused us so show that we had to work hard, it definitely helped us."

These days Collier's focus is more on the future and not her glorious past.

She will be playing in the inaugural girls' game at the Jordan Brand Classic on Friday at 3:30 at Barclays Center.

"It is the first game so we are the founding girls here so it is going to be awesome," Collier said.

Collier will play for the East squad and will go up against a West team featuring both Boykin and Samuelson. The trio teamed up this summer to lead the U.S. to the gold medal in the 3x3 competition at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. They could be teammates again this summer on the U.S. team playing in the FIBA U19 World Championships. In early June they will all be on the UConn campus taking summer classes and getting introduced to life as a UConn women's basketball player.

"We are going to bring a lot of energy," Collier said. "Coming in as freshmen we are going to have to prove ourselves, D (Boykin) is an inside force and (Samuelson) can shoot the ball really well.

"You have to be able to handle pressure really well, it is a winning program, tough coach, tough players so I think you are going to have to handle pressure."

If Collier needs any advice on how to deal with the pressure, she can look to fellow Jefferson City, Missouri native Maya Moore who happened to be in attendance at the festivities leading up to Friday's game.

"It was awesome to see her again and catch up," Collier said.

When Breanna Stewart headed to UConn she made it clear that among her goals was to win four national titles. She is just one championship shy of making that become a reality.

With Katie Lou Samuelson sweeping the major national player of the year awards as Stewart did as a high school season. I headed up to New York today to talk to Samuelson and fellow UConn incoming freshmen De'Janae Boykin and Napheesa Collier in between practices for Friday's Jordan Brand Classic. I asked her if her goal was also to win four titles with the Huskies when I spoke to Samuelson and she did not hesitate.

"I want to win four national championships," Samuelson said. "I think all of us do. We definitely don't want to bring anything down and we all just ready to go."

This group of incoming freshman is similar to the group that Stewart came in with as all three players are high school All-Americans. There are no under the radar players in either class which is normally the case.

"I think we have a lot of potential, all three of us are All-Americans, we definitely have a lot of talent within us and I think all three of us work together well," Samuelson said. "We played 3 on 3 together (leading the United States to the 2014 Youth Olympic Games title) and we meshed together. Going in we are all excited and we know we can bring different stuff and can each contribute so I think it is going to be good.

"I like the pressure. I am very competitive and I want things to be tough, I think all of us are like that and we are really excited to go to such a great school and we want to keep on winning. We are all supercompetitive, I think that is what brought us together."

Samuelson downplayed the importance of the national player of the year awards that she has received since the season ended.

"Overall, I am super grateful for all of them probably last year I didn't even think I would be in this situation," Samuelson said. "I am very blessed to be here and it is all because of my high school team, all my teammates really made it possible for me."

Samuelson said she hasn't noticed more eyes on her as the UConn commit and national high school player of the year, especially not from the fellow All-Americans who she has gotten to know through AAU and USA Basketball circles.

"With these girls, I know a lot of them and we are all frieds so it is like hanging out with each other and I don't really notice anything else," Samuelson said. "I try not to let anything get to my head."

One thing that Samuelson believes is that all three incoming freshmen have what it takes to thrive in the pressure-packed environment at UConn where one loss become a huge news story.

"It definitely takes a competitive player who wants to win and wants to challenge themselves every single day," Samuelson said. "It is one of the places where we know the target is on our back. Everybody wants to beat UConn. I think that takes a certain type of player and all three of us are really excited about it."

Samuelson knows about playing for a team with a target on its back. Mater Dei finished with a 31-3 record. However, one loss came to Chaminade in the CIF Southern Section Open Division title and Samuelson's career at Mater Dei came to an end with a loss to St. Mary's of Stockton in the CIF Open Division title game.

"We are definitely bummed that we didn't end up winning the state championship but overall we did a lot more than we thought we could at the beginning of the season," Samuelson said. "We were pretty young, we had a couple of freshmen who came in and played huge for us and they helped a lot. Overall, my senior year has just been awesome."

Finally, I heard the story about Samuelson watching UConn win its record 10th national title with her sisters and the rest of the Stanford team so I had to ask her about that.

"It was spring break I was visiting with my sisters (members of the Stanford team) and visiting them, watching games and we were with the whole team in the lounge," Samuelson said. "It was pretty fun, they were waiting for the announcer to say 'after that loss to Stanford' so they were happy about that one but it was fun, we were all just hanging out together.

"I had to be pretty cool, I was at Stanford and I wasn't going to rub it anybody's face."

I didn't get any concrete update on her status but Samuelson wasn't doing the drills in practice when I was there so I am curious how much she will play in Friday's game. I do, however, know what is next. She will head out to Colorado Springs next month for the U.S. U-19 trials and come to UConn in early June  for the start of summer session.

"I am excited for it and excited that it is almost here," Samuelson said. I enjoyed my high school career but I am ready to move on."

Over the years there may not be a high school coach who I have sought out more often to get scouting reports on UConn's incoming recruits than Christ the King's Bob Mackey. So when I heard a familiar voice during the East team's practice in preparation for Friday's Jordan Brand Classic, I add Mackey to those I wished to talk to during my trip to New York today.

Mackey is an assistant coach on the East squad which includes UConn signee Napheesa Collier but I knew he would have plenty of insight on fellow future Huskies De'Janae Boykin. As I expected, Mackey, who was on the Christ the King staff when Sue Bird played there and the head coach when Tina Charles and Lorin Dixon were stars for the Royals, delivered.

"They are going to be incredible assets, (UConn) won't miss a beat," Mackey said. "Those kids know how to play, they know how to space, they know how to see the floor, they are fundamentally sound and they work hard."

The first player I asked Mackey about was Collier since he has had a chance to work directly with her.

"Wow," Mackey said  "She has tremendous upside, the kid can flat out run and she can't be guarded. She's a wing, she is a forward, she is a guard, she can play any position she wants. She is not Breanna Stewart but she is in that realm, she can do just about anything. They are not going to miss a beat, it is going to be a lot of fun to watch.

"I think every kid they recruit, you see some of that (competitiveness). They work hard, they are dedicated and they are coachable. You say I want you to step out three steps and make that back-door cut, they make that back-door cut. You are not going to get a player who say 'wait a minute.' The kids that they recruit are not going to do that."

As for Katie Lou Samuelson and De'Janae Boykin, Mackey was equally impressed.

"I don't want to say she's a better 3-point shooter (than Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who also played at California powerhouse Mater Dei) because I will get my butt handed to me by one of more alumni but they have a pretty good 3-point shooter coming," Mackey said. "I know the best 3-pointer shooter in history just graduated but that kid can shoot. I saw her play as a sophomore and junior, that kid can flat out shoot. She has one of the best 3-point shots I have ever seen. Geno doesn't miss a beat. CD doesn't miss a recruit.

"(Boykin) could be the x factor in that threesome because she has some intangibles in what she does. She can run the floor, can make the pass, can make the shot. She has a lot of versatility. I don't think you are going to see (a drop off). They are really going to complement the system really well, the rich get richer."

With Mackey being one of the truly legendary girls'/women's basketball figures in New York, I also wanted to get his thoughts on the Jordan Brand Classic adding a girls' game for the first time.

"Being a New York and having the Jordan game in New York is appropriate, having the girls game as a component of it I think it phenomenal and it is long overdue," Mackey said. "I think the fact that Women's Basketball Coaches Association isn't running a game any longer is deplorable, it is phenomenal that the Jordan people have picked up the game because I think it is necessary. They represent the game and they are the future stars of college basketball and it is tremendous chance to showcase that."

Finally, I did ask him about the landing spot of former Christ the King star Sierra Calhoun. Actually, I never mentioned the name of the former Duke guard/forward but just said I had a Christ the King related question when he volunteered that he hasn't spoken to Calhoun since before the news broke that she was leaving Duke. I took most of the conversation about her potential landing spot as being off the record so will not be revealing his thoughts on where she might land.

I caught up with Boykin, Collier and Samuelson as well as Meriden's Kiah Gillespie so there will be much more coming in the next couple of days.

It won't be long until Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson will be joining De'Janae Boykin as part of a highly-touted freshman class at UConn.

However, Collier and Samuelson have some business to take care of first.

Collier will try to lead her Incarnate Word Academy team to a third consecutive state title later on today when IWA plays Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School in the Missouri Division 4 title game at Mizzou Arena at 4:50 p.m. (5:50 p.m. here in Connecticut).

Then at 9 (around the time UConn tips off against St. Francis in its 2015 NCAA opener) Samuelson's Mater Dei High School team will look to keep its hopes for a California Interscholastic Federation Open Division title alive against the team which handed the Monarchs both of their losses this season when Mater Dei meets Chaminade in the Southern regional final.

Samuelson already broke the single-game Mater Dei scoring record formerly shared by current UConn star Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis when she dropped 42 on Palisades in the first round of the CIF tournament. If she makes three 3-pointers, something she did 21 times in 30 games this season, she will break Mosqueda-Lewis' single-season 3-point school record. Mosqueda-:Lewis had 116 as a senior while Samuelson currently has 114.
"It is all right because it is going to a worthy person," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "I am glad that she has (the records) and hopefully they will win against Chaminade."

Mosqueda-Lewis is fully aware of the pressures of playing at a program the caliber of Mater Dei and believes Samuelson, who has played for the Monarchs for her final three season, will be better prepared for what is in store for her when she arrives in Storrs.

"There is a lot you have to get ready for coming to Connecticut so I think it will help her get ready for Connecticut."

Obviously the UConn players and coaches will be a little busy at the time of the Mater Dei/Chaminade game but they have been keeping tabs on a player who just recently was named the Gatorade national high school player of the year.

"I thought the picture of her surprise (when WNBA star Elena Delle Donne presented Samuelson with the award) was priceless," UConn associate coach Chris Dailey said. "Her mom had told me she was going to get it and it was going to be a surprise. She works really hard, she is a winner, she wants to win so I wasn't surprised she was chosen. She has a big game so hopefully she will win that as well.

"All three kids that we are bringing in (are accustomed to winning). De'Janae's senior year has been a little bit different because of the injury, she had surgery on the wrist but certainly Napheesa and Katie Lou are enjoying a lot of success as seniors because their teams win. You can score a lot of points but if you are not winning, it doesn't feel as good. Those two in particular know how to win and hopefully they will both win a championship."

NO NATIONAL TITLE FOR BERUBE
Another remarkable season at the helm of the Tufts women's basketball program came to an end for Carla Berube.

Berube, a key member of UConn's first national championship team, led the Jumbos to a second straight Division III Final Four. Tufts cut a 17-point Thomas More lead down to six points on three occasions before losing 62-52 in the national semifinal.

UConn incoming freshmen De'Janae Boykin, Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson as well as Capital Prep star Kiah Gillespie have been selected to play in the inaugural girls' game at the Jordan Brand Classic at the Barclays Center in New York on April 17.

Boykin, Samuelson and Gillespie will play for the West team while Collier will be a member of the East team.

Boykin, a 6-foot-2 forward at Flowers High School in Springdale, Md., averaged 21.5 points in six games this season before being sidelined with a hand/wrist injury.

Collier, a 6-foot-1 forward at Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis, is averaging 26.4 points. 12.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 4 steals and 3.9 blocked shots per game as a senior as she has led IWA to 25 wins in a row.

Samuelson, a 6-foot-3 wing at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., is averaging 29.5 points per game. She has scored at least 30 points 15 times in 27 contests and led Mater Dei to 25 straight victories.

Gillespie, a 6-foot-1 forward who has signed with Maryland, is averaging 31.2 points, 15.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.2 blocked shots per game heading into today's CIAC Class L second-round game against Weaver.

Former UConn star Maya Moore is slated to be on hand to host the festivities for the girls game, which starts at 3:30 p.m. Speaking of Moore, she had 35 points as Shanxi defeated Beijing 72-70 to clinch a third straight WCBA championship. Moore added 16 rebounds and four assists. In the final two games of the championship series she had 81 points, 27 rebounds, seven assists and six steals.

UConn incoming freshmen De'Janae Boykin, Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson were among the 15 players on the Naismith Girls High School National Player of Year midseason list.

The semifinals for the award will be announced on Feb. 3, the finalists will be named on Feb. 17 with the winner being announced on March 6.

More honors could be coming as the 24 players playing in the McDonald's All-American Game will be announced tomorrow at 6 p.m. live on ESPNU.

Boykin is averaging 21.5 points as a senior at Flowers High School in Springdale, Maryland although she has missed the last seven games with a hand injury.

Collier is averaging 28.9 points (shooting 68 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line), 13.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 4.3 blocks per game as Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis has won 13 games in a row after a 1-2 start.

Samuelson is averaging 28.9 points per game with 10 30-point efforts in 20 games for Mater Dei HS in Santa Ana, California, the No. 1 team in ESPN's national high school poll and No. 2 in the USA Today national poll. Samuelson had a season-low seven points in Mater Dei's win over Orange Lutheran on Monday. According to a report in the Orange County Register, Samuelson is  expected to miss tonight's game due to a left knee injury suffered in the first quarter of Monday's game. Mater Dei coach Kevin Kiernan told the OC Register that he believes the injury is a hyperextension instead of a more serious injury and there's a chance she could return to the court later this week.

Six winners of the award would play at UConn - Tamika Williams, Diana Taurasi, Ann Strother, two-time winner Maya Moore, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Breanna Stewart.

UCONN/SOUTH CAROLINA GAME IS SOLD OUT
UConn announced that the Feb. 9 game against No. 1 South Carolina is sold out. The game will be played at Gampel Paviluon (which opened to the public 25 years ago today) at 8 p.m.

Also, around 500 tickets remain for the Feb. 28 game against Memphis which will include a ceremony honoring seniors Mosqueda-Lewis and Kiah Stokes as part of the Senior Night festivities.

UConn signee De'Janae Boykin began her senior season by scoring 25 points aided by hitting a pair of 3-pointers and going 9 of 10 from the free-throw line to lead Flowers High School to a 70-37 win over Bowie.

Also, fellow UConn incoming freshman Katie Lou Samuelson continues her outstanding play.

Samuelson had games of 39 and 37 in consecutive games, hitting a total of 10 3-pointers in the wins over Foothill and El Dorado on Thursday and Saturday. In eight games this season Samuelson has scored at least 23 points in every game and had five 30-point efforts.

The final member of the incoming freshman class, Napheesa Collier's Incarnate Word Academy team will open the season on Thursday playing in the Tournament of Champions in Fort Smith, Arkansas. IWA will open against Fayetteville (Ark.) High.

Geno Auriemma is partial to multi-faceted players and with the national letters of intents in the possession of UConn from De'Janae Boykin, Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson, he is now able to talk about the three newest member of the UConn program.

"We've got a really good group coming in next year, as good as any group that anybody's had in a while," Auriemma said.

"You don't see a lot of Stefanie Dolson's or Chiney Ogwumike's, there just aren't that many of them, you get a 6-2/6-3 kid. all three of them are (in that range). They complement each other really well and it will be interesting to see how they mesh with these other guys when they finally get here."

Here are the videos I shot of the three of them when I was out in Colorado Springs.

After waltzing their way through the field in the 3x3 competition at the Youth Olympic Game the United States squad faced a tough challenge in Tuesday's gold medal game.

Netherlands was tied with the U.S. 10-10 with 3 minutes remaining before the U.S. scored the final nine points to win the championship with a 19-10 victory.

UConn commits Katie Lou Samuelson and Napheesa Collier had eight and four points respectively. Former UConn recruiting target Arike Ogunbowale had seven points and De'Janae Boykin played her typical strong all-around game as the U.S. finished with tournament with a 13-0 record.

It was the second gold medal of the summer for all four players as Boykin, Samuelson and Ogunbowale were members of the U.S. team which won the FIBA U17 Wotld Championship while Collier was a star of the U.S. squad which captured the FIBA Americas U18 title.

Earlier in the day Collier, Ogunbowale and Samuelson had seven points each in a 21-12 semifinal win over Hungary. Colllier hit all four of her field-goal attempts including a 3-pointer (worth two points in the 3x3 scoring format) and both of her free throws while Samuelson hit three long-range shots.

Collier finished with a team-leading 113 points in the tournament and was the leading scorer in eight of the 13 games, Ogunbowale had 85 points, Samuelson had 41 points despite missing seven games with a sprained ankle and Boykin had 33 points.

Here are quotes from the four gold medalists courtesy of USA Basketball


De’Janae Boykin

On her thoughts of today’s games:
Today were very tough games. Both games were very physical. But we got together before each game and said that we had to play hard. Both games were very tough, but it feels good to come out with the game

On the 9-0 spark in the gold medal game that changed the energy of the contest:
We weren’t going to come here to lose. We wanted this; we wanted to win.

On winning her third gold medal playing for the USA and first Olympic gold medal:
It feels great. This is the Youth Olympic Games and it’s pretty big. We’re all excited and very happy.


Napheesa Collier

On winning her second gold medal playing for the USA in the month of August:
This feels so good, even a little better because it’s the Youth Olympics.

On today’s games:
I think that we focused on one game at the time.  Hungary was shorter so we could post them up, but the Netherlands was taller so we had to space up our game and change it up. Everything worked out.

On having the support from all other members of Team USA today:
It felt awesome to know the crowd was behind us, and that all of those players and fellow USA athletes came to support us.

Arike Ogunbowale
On her thoughts of today’s games:
It was crazy. We knew they were good teams because we had scrimmaged them when we first got to China, so we knew it was going to be hard, but we came out strong and knocked down our free throws, which was really crucial too.

On today’s game plan, especially since going 0-for-8 from beyond the arc:
Coach Dori pointed out to us that they (Netherlands) were in foul trouble, so we had to drive at them and we continued to do that, and we knocked down those shots late too; that really changed the game.

On winning her fourth gold medal playing for the USA:
It’s such a blessing. Each year I’m grateful to be a part of USA and USA Basketball, and winning the Youth Olympics- this is the highest honor you can get as an 18-and-under player. I feel blessed to have been chosen to do this stuff.

On this whole experience:
I expected it to be great but this has been amazing. The village and the venues are incredible. Nanjing really put a lot of time into this, and it has just been so great to get he opportunity to play here and be with all of these people.

On having a big cheering section today, including USA athletes from other sports:
It’s really cool. They’re from all over the states too, so it’s nice. We have met so many new people, and they came out to support us. We’re going to support them too; we’re going to go see boxing tomorrow. We’re one big family.

Katie Lou Samuelson
On their gold medal game:
It was such a physical game. Netherlands played so hard and so well, and we finally pulled out at the end, but it was such a good game.

On her performance today:
My shooting wasn’t on today so I knew that I had to get to the basket. At that point when I got the - and one, I think all of us were just like, ‘ok, this is enough. We need to take it away right now.’

On winning her fifth medal playing for the USA and winning her fourth gold:
It’s amazing. There’s nothing that compares to this and this is an Olympic medal.  It’s so cool to be able to be on this USA Youth Olympic Team.

On this whole experience:
It’s been incredible. I’ve met so many people from so many different sports that I never would have met without this opportunity.

UConn commit Napheesa Collier, fresh off an impressive showing at the FIBA Americas U18 Championships, is putting on a show for the United States team in the 3x3 competition at the Youth Olympic Games.

Collier had 23 of the team's 42 points in a pair of wins in preliminary round play on Tuesday.

Collier had 12 points (going 11 of 15 from the field) in a 21-2 victory over Indonesia while former UConn recruiting target Arike Ogunbowale had six points and UConn commit De'Janae Boykin three points.

In the 21-6 win over Egypt Collier had 11 points on 8 of 14 shooting while Ogunbowale and Boykin added seven and three points respectively.

They were both (Indonesia and Egypt) very tough teams, so we can't come out slacking; we played pretty hard," Boykin said. "Our second game was physical. We just have to come out and do our best."

UConn commit Katie Lou Samuelson continues to be held out of the competition as she recovers from a sprained ankle suffered in a scrimmage shortly before the tournament began.

DOMOND HIRED AT GRAMBLING
Former Bridgeport Central star Nadine Domond posted on her Instagram account that she has been named the head coach at Grambling.

Domond has been involved with basketball since her playing days ended and has been a well respected trainer with Duke rising senior Elizabeth Williams, who is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft, among her most prominent clients.

In the eyes of Bret McCormick, who runs the All-Star Girls Report, UConn has the top recruiting class among current rising high school seniors.

UConn commits Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier and De'Janae Boykin are rated as the No. 1, 3 and 6 players respectively in the class. Also, Meriden's Kiah Gillespie out of Capital Prep, who recently committed to Maryland, is the No. 24 rated player in the class while Shelton's Stephanie Jones, a Boston College commit who attends Loomis Chaffee is ranked No. 156 and New Haven's Alyssa Alston checks in at No. 166.

The three UConn commits will join former UConn recruiting target Arike Ogunbowale (ASGR's No. 4 rated player) as members of the United States team playing in the 3x3 basketball event at the Youth Olympic Games. The U.S. opens pool play against Romania on Monday. Preliminary round play runs through Aug. 24. The round of 16 and quarterfinals are scheduled for Aug. 25 with the semifinals and finals planned for Aug. 26.

De'Janae Boykin and Katie Lou Samuelson have their gold medal courtesy of their work for the U.S. team that won the FIBA U17 World Championship for Women. Now it is time for their future UConn teammate Napheesa Collier to get to work.

Collier is a member of the U.S. team playing in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship which kicks off tomorrow in Colorado Springs with a preliminary round game against Mexico at 8 p.m. (6 p.m. in Colorado). The U.S. will also face El Salvador and Canada in preliminary round play on Thursday and Friday. The semifinals will be played on Saturday and the gold-medal game is scheduled for Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. in Colorado).

After that is over Collier will get to team up with Boykin, Samuelson and former UConn recruiting target Arike Ogunbowale on the U.S. team competing in the Youth Olympic Games from Aug. 16-28 in China.

Speaking of Samuelson, the 2014-15 Mater Dei schedule has been posted and she will begin her senior season playing for Mater Dei in the Palisades Tournament from Nov. 24-28.

FARIS COMING TO CHESHIRE

Former UConn star Kelly Faris will be taking part in strength and conditioning clinic at the 3E Crossfit gym at 1701 Highland Avenue in Cheshire. The event runs from 6:45-8:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The cost is $60 for kids ages 12-17. For more information and to see if spaces are available for the event you can call (203) 439-9118

UConn commit Katie Lou Samuelson had 10 points, the fourth time in five games that she reached double digits, as the U.S. rolled to an 86-45 win over Canada in the quarterfinals of the FIBA U17 World Championship for Women. Samuelson added five rebounds while fellow UConn commit De'Janae Boykin had two points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Joyner Holmes led the U.S. with 24 points while UConn Class of 2015 recruiting target Arike Ogunbowale had 16 points, a team-high eight rebounds and her four steals matched the total of UConn Class of 2016 recruiting target Sabrina Ionescu for the team lead. The U.S. will play Hungary in Saturday's semifinals. The game time was originally listed as noon here in Connecticut on the USA Basketball release which would place it in the time slot when ESPNU is televising the semifinals. However, it is now listed as starting at 2:15 p.m. which is what the official site had as the listed time. ESPNU has an episode of E;60 followed by a previously recorded recap of the NCAA Division I Track and Field championships so I have to wonder if ESPNU would consider shifting its schedule around to show the U.S. game. I would recommend tuning into ESPNU tomorrow to see which semifinal they will be showing.

The U.S. held Canada's Bridget Carleton, an Iowa State commit who came into the game as the tournament's second-leading scorer, to seven points (11.5 under her tournament average) on 3 of 14 shooting.

Here are quotes from Boykin, Holmes, Ogunbowale and UConn recruiting target Lauren Cox courtesy of USA Basketball.

De'Janae Boykin
On tonight's game:
Today as a team, we did really great. We played together, as always.

Was there any worry of complacency, since you had previously beaten Canada?
They came out with great intensity, and so did we. We just kept it up.

Has the team continued to improve?
We have continued to improve every time we have played, working together and learning to play with each other.

On the team's defense:
Our defense has improved. Coach stresses defense all the time, and I really love defense myself. Defense is really a key point for this team.

How does it feel to reach the semifinals?
We are very excited, especially since today was the Fourth of July. This is our day basically, and to win feels great. We started the day off right, and we are one step closer to our goal.

Lauren Cox
On tonight's game:
I thought we played really well. Canada is a great team. We came out and played good defense.

On getting a win on the Fourth of July:
It was awesome playing on the Fourth of July. It's our country's day, and we are out here playing in a world championship representing our country, so it was awesome.

On the USA's depth:
We can put any five players in, and they can go win games. We don't have any drop off in intensity.

Was there any danger of being complacent having already beaten Canada in exhibition?
They had people out hurt when we played them last time, so were had to worry about them. They are a great team that can shoot the three, drive and play good defense, so I think we prepared really well for that.

On the USA's defense:
Coach always says, 'defense wins games,' and we are really trying to be known for our defense and lock down teams.

On reaching the semifinals:
It is really exciting. It is one step closer to our goal of winning a gold medal.

On Hungary:
It is going to be a tough game. It will be a challenge. We are going to work hard in practice tomorrow and watch film.

Joyner Holmes
On tonight's game:
I think we had great chemistry today, and we played very well. We got defensive boards, offensive boards and transition points, so I think we played well. A lot of our points come from our defense, because we get a lot of transition points.

What were some of the things the team was focused on?
We wanted to keep them off the boards, and we did that, and just playing together,

How do you feel about your performance?
I'm felt I did well, and I'm proud of myself, but I am going to just continue to keep working and getting better every day.

Arike Ogunbowale
On tonight's game:
I thought we played really well as a team. We kept our intensity up and played pretty good defense.

Did you get the start the team wanted?
We came out really hard. We have played them before, so we tried to pick the tempo up even more than in the last game.

On the USA's depth:
It makes it really easy for and the other guards on the team to be able to play with 11 other great players.

Was this the team's best game?
I don't know if it was our best game, but I think we have really improved since the exhibition tournament in France. I think we are taking the right steps.

On the USA's defense:
Coach really emphasizes defense, and when our defense is on, our offense just comes, so we have to really keep up the defense.

Was there any trouble staying focused?
I think we are pretty much always focused and motivated. We want to win the gold, so that motivates us.

On Hungary:
They are a physical team, and they are a good team, so we have to come out strong.

UConn Class of 2015 recruiting target Arike Ogunbowale and Asia Durr finished with 19 and 14 points respectively and combined to go 6 of 8 from 3-point range as the United States rolled to a 91-35 win over Mexico to advance into the quarterfinals at the FIBA U17 World Championship for Women.

UConn commit Katie Lou Samuelson finished with 10 points, her third double-digit scoring games in the tournament, and a team-high nine rebounds. Fellow UConn commit De'Janae Boykin added four points, five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Jordan Holmes had 14 points, Kristine Anigwe had 12 points and UConn Class of 2016 recruiting target Sabrina Ionescu added six points, eight rebounds and five assists as the U.S. improved to 4-0 in the tournament.

Next up is a quarterfinal matchup against Canada, a 52-40 win over Brazil, on Friday. The game will tip at 3:15 p.m. in the Czech Republic which is 9:15 a.m. here in Connecticut.

Heading into the quarterfinals Samuelson is the tournament's sixth-leading scorer averaging 13.8 points per game and is second with 10 3-pointers made trailing only the 13 made by Canada's Bridget Carleton (a 2015 recruit who has committed to Iowa State). Durr is tied for ninth in scoring with an average of 12.8 points per game. Ionescu is in the top 10 in assists, steals and assist/turnover ratio while Ogunbowale leads all players with a 53.8 3-point percentage. Also, UConn recruiting target Lauren Cox is fifth in rebounding and fourth in blocked shots.

Here are quotes from Ionescu, Ogunbowale and Samuelson courtesy of USA Basketball

Sabrina Ionescu
On tonight's game:
I think we played really well. We executed everything that we were supposed to, and I think we came out with a lot of intensity and we reached our goals that we set before the game.

What were some of those goals for tonight?
We tried to play good defense and keep the score down, so I think us reaching all the goals that we set before the game helped us come together and play well as a team.

On the USA's 91 points:
Our shots were on, our post players finishing and I think collectively with our defense, it helped us produce offense. We played with great defensive intensity, and I think that helped us offensively.

What are your thoughts on facing Canada in the quarterfinals?
I think if we come out and do what we do, we will be fine.

Arike Ogunbowale
On tonight's game:
I think we played really well. We worked hard and kept our intensity up the whole game.

On the first quarter:
They are well-coached team. They played well, and they are scrappy. It was just a good game.

On the second quarter:
We just had to pick up our defensive intensity and play our game.

On the USA's 91 points:
We shared the ball a lot. We moved it around, executed our plays and played as a team.

On playing Canada:
We just have to play how we play. They are a great team, so we have to play like a great team as well.

Katie Lou Samuelson
On tonight's game:
I think we did well. We could have played better defense in the first half, but we stepped it up in the second half. All around, it was a good win.

On the first quarter:
They definitely came out playing hard, and we just needed to respond better. They played us really well and played to our weaknesses. We just had to adjust after that, and we brought it together.

What things was the team focused on in tonight's game?
We were trying to improve our man defense. We have been playing zone, and we definitely need to get better playing man defense, so we tried to step up and work on that. At times we played really well, and at times it was a little sloppy, but I think we are definitely getting better overall.

On the USA's 91 points:
A lot of people were in double-figures today, and we shared the ball really well. I think we are doing good at evenly contributing through the whole entire team, and that's the reason we scored so many points.

On playing Canada in the quarterfinals:
The last time I played Canada was in the gold-medal game (at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship), and they played us great. It was tied at halftime. We are going to have to play our best and be ready for them.