Former UConn guard Lorin Dixon will play in the Polish League all-star game on Feb. 15.

Dixon is averaging 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals in 21 games during her first season with Energa Torun, will play for the foreign squad in the game, which will be played in Gdynia.

Jantel Lavender, Chineze Nwago, Allie Quigley and Taber Spani and Sharnee Zoll will start for the foreign squad which will play a team of Polish natives in the all-star game.

Not sure how I missed this one but since I haven't seen any official releases or stories on UConn incoming freshman Saniya Chong being named the winner of New York's Miss Basketball award, I reached out to Ossining High coach Dan Ricci to see if the award has already been announced. He said Chong was named the winner of the award during the state tournament..

The 5-foot-9 senior guard at Ossining set a New York single-season record with 928 points and is New York's fourth all-time leading scorer with 2,988 points.

Chong is averaging 34.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 4.8 steals per game. She has scored at least 20 points in every game this season including 18 30-point efforts and a high of 51 against Irvington and she a state record with 108 3-pointers as a senior.

She is the sixth UConn recruit to win the award joining last year's winner Breanna Stewart, Bria Hartley, Lorin Dixon, Tina Charles and Sue Bird.

In recent weeks there have been no lack of updates on where Kelly Faris ranks on UConn's career charts.

However, when I think of what Faris contributes to the team it does not come down to the number of points, rebounds, assists or even steals that she gets on a nightly basis but the way that everything she does is about trying to win games. Faris, who will move into a tie with Ann Strother for the number of games played, is currently 10th all-time at UConn in the number of victories she has been on the court for..

Faris could finish as high as No. 5 on this list if UConn were to win the remainder of its games.

Here is the list
1. Maya Moore 150-4
2. Kalana Greene 148-9
3. Tiffany Hayes 147-7
4. Tina Charles 146-6
5. Renee Montgomery 139-11
6. Lorin Dixon 136-4
    Diana Taurasi 136-8
   Ashley Battle 136-13
9. Asjha Jones 135-9
10. Kelly Faris 133-9 (heading into tonight).

CURTIS EKMARK HONORED
Curtis Ekmark, the head coach and father of UConn commit Courtney Ekmark, was named the WBCA National High School Coach of the Year after leading St. Mary's to a 29-1 record and Arizona Division I state title.


Ekmark has a 154-21 record in six seasons at St. Mary's
.
Ekmark will also coach the Purple team in the WBCA High School All-American Game and one of the players he will be coaching is UConn signee Saniya Chong out of Ossining (N.Y.) High School. The roster of the Purple team has some familiar names as former UConn recruiting targets Taya Reimer, Diamond DeShields (who was named the WBCA National Player of the Year), Erica McCall, Stephanie Mavunga and Karlie Samuelson are all on that squad.

The game will be played on Apr. 6 at the New Orleans Arena. Courtney Ekmark, a junior guard, is planning to join Curtis at the Final Four.

Former UConn star Swin Cash will be the honorary co-captain of the Black team while Tamika Catchings will be the honorary co-captain for the Purple squad.

Former UConn star Tiffany Hayes suffered a broken nose and was credited for playing 2:33 and registering an assist in today's exhibition game against Tulsa even though she posted on her twitter account that she wasn't going to play in the game because of the injury.
Former UConn guard Lorin Dixon played 9:15, missed her only shot but was credited with two rebounds and an assist.

As for Hayes, when I spoke with Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors after Hayes was taken by the Dream in the second round she said that Hayes would have to beat out Laurie Koehn and Romina Ciappina for a roster spot. All Koehn did today was drain seven 3-pointers and added one rebound and one steal to her game-high 21 points. Ciappina had a pair of 3-pointers to finish with eight points.

The Tulsa Shock announced that it has invited former UConn guard Lorin Dixon to its training camp which, by my count, makes 12 former Huskies heading to WNBA training camps.

I'm not going to lie about being a little surprised about Dixon getting an invite. It will be interesting to see how she fares in training camp. I do think that her chance of making the Shock would increase dramatically if Tulsa were to schedule North Carolina in a preseason game or at least let Dixon go up against former North Carolina guard Cetera Degraffenreid, who seemed to bring the best out of Dixon.

All kidding aside, Dixon was a top prospect coming out of Christ the King who can be a disruptive force on the defensive end. She was not much of an offensive threat at UConn so for her to avoid being among the first cuts I would have to think she'd have to look for her own shot a little more than she did during her collegiate career. I'm hoping she'll be around long enough to take part in at least one preseason game. Tulsa plays at Atlanta in its first exhibition game on May 5 and wraps up its preseason schedule by hosting Seattle on May 11.

By my count seven of the WNBA's 12 teams will have UConn grads competing for roster spots. The Connecticut Sun leads the way with four players (Tina Charles, Kalana Greene, Asjha Jones, Renee Montgomery) while Atlanta (Tiffany Hayes, Ketia Swanier) and Phoenix (Charde Houston, Diana Taurasi) also have more than one former Husky heading to training camp. Chicago (Swin Cash), Minnesota (Maya Moore), Seattle (Sue Bird) and Tulsa (Dixon) have one UConn product each.

Speaking of UConn guards, Bria Hartley was among the 5,500 fans who were at Rentschler Field for UConn's spring football game on Saturday. She was joined by Michala Johnson, who is finishing out the semester before transferring to Wisconsin.

Angie Hembree headed into the Wade Trophy award presentation knowing her former player Maya Moore was going to win the award for an unprecedented third time and promised herself she would not get overly emotional.

Yet, watching Moore accept the honor with her usual amount of dignity, grace and humility, Hembree got a little misty eyed.

"I had the honor of coaching her freshman and sophomore (at Collins Hill High School)before I left for the college ranks," Hembree said. "I told myself I wasn't going to get emotional but I did. She is anybody coach's dream, absolutely if you pick all the qualities of a person and an athlete that who it is is. UConn is lucky to have her because she is a dream to coach and a dream to be around, she is the epitome of what you'd want your children to be. She has done this game well so far and she is going to continue to do that. She is going to continue to make huge waves in the women's basketball arena and I think probably the broadcasting arena and probably whatever she decides she wants to do."

"You guys can't give her enough accolades in my opinion. Her ability to be humble and real and that goes a long way to her mom and what her mom has done. Her ability to see the bigger picture, her spirituality, how important that is to her. Her ability to live in the moment, love where she is and what she is doing."

Also in attendance was Lorin Dixon's high school coach Lorin Dixon. Bob Mackey, who has enjoyed remarkable success at Christ the King, has seen the Lorin Dixon he remembers from her junior and senior seasons at Christ the King.

"I have seen in the last five games the glimpses of Lorin Dixon that I was used to seeing in high school," Mackey said. "It has been tremendous to see. It is just wonderful, she has been filling the void and doing just a great job. She is so talented and it is really wonderful."

Hembree is currently the head coach at Norcross High where she coaches talented sophomore Diamond DeShields, who is very much on UConn's recruiting radar. Hembree doesn't anticipate DeShields to make a college decision any time in the near future.

"I think she is going to take her time, I don't think you'll hear anything this summer," Hembree said. I don't know for sure but my guess is it won't be this summer. She's a great kid, she has a great sense of humor. She plays above the rim, I swear."

Hembree's Norcross team also played against UConn incoming freshman Brianna Banks and Hembree had words of praise for the 5-foot-9 Banks.

"(She) has a great first step, is lefthanded knows how to create off the dribble. She is going to be a big asset. I love her game. She flew under the radar and I don't know why, somebody wasn't watching the radar. She can go, she can scoot."

Lorin Dixon, who played a key role in UConn's 68-63 win over Georgetown, let it be known which of the Huskies took the lead during the second-half huddles.

After the UConn coaching staff addressed the team during timeouts, the five UConn players would gather and it was junior Tiffany Hayes who emerged as the vocal leader.


It was not the first time Hayes spoke up around her teammates this season but with senior Maya Moore being more of a leader by example and the most vocal experienced player being the injured Caroline Doty, Hayes was thrust into a leadership role more on Sunday than at any point in her college career.

"I was basically trying to keep the intensity up and make sure I got Coach (Geno Auriemma's) point across after he left the huddle to make sure they didn't forget," Hayes said. "That is what you huddle for, you keep everybody together. I think somebody has to do it in the last six minutes. I took it upon myself to do it.

"I think that was the most I did it in a game. I've done it before but not as intense as that."

DUKE GETS ANOTHER SHOT AT HUSKIES
A loss like the 87-51 hurting UConn put on Duke can sabotage a season but the Blue Devils said the opposite was true. Rather than feeling sorry for themselves, the Duke players said they learned their lessons.

"I think we got blown out by 40 points so I am pretty sure we learned a lot of lessons from that game," senior forward/center Krystal Thomas said. "Defense, offense, the whole game was a great teaching point for us."

Duke did stumble a little bit after the loss, the first of the season for the Blue Devils, losing by two points at North Carolina and by 22 at Maryland but seemed to have rediscovered their game in the postseason winning the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title and advancing to the Elite Eight for the ninth time in the last 14 seasons.

"We definitely learned from it," Duke senior guard Jasmine Thomas said. "We are moving the ball, playing inside/out better than we had back then. It is definitely something we got better at. I think we are excited for the opportunity and the team has definitely grown a lot since then, It is going to be fun for us, we are going to play as hard as we can and it will be a good game."

Realizing that facing a Georgetown team full of aggressive, slashing wing players was a bit of a defensive nightmare for his freshman center Stefanie Dolson, the UConn coaching staff decided the only way the Huskies were to escape with the win would be to go small.

Finally with 11:13 to go and the Huskies down by four, UConn coach Geno Auriemma pulled the trigger. He summoned Dolson to the bench in favor of Bria Hartley. With Hartley being joined by Maya Moore, Tiffany Hayes, Lorin Dixon and Kelly Faris, the Huskies were able to match up better with the Hoyas.

Dixon, the only reserve to get into the game for UConn, responded with the best stretch of her UConn career.

Just 16 seconds after a Connecticut timeout, Dixon stole the ball from Rubylee Wright and hit a layup. Here is what followed

7:14: A Dixon steal results in a Hartley layup
6:41: Another Dixon steal
6:19: After senior All-American Maya Moore passed on a 5-footer, Dixon calmly took and made a jumper to give UConn a 55-53 lead with 6:19 to play.
5:32: Dixon snares an offensive rebound of a Moore miss
5:09: Dixon had another steal. Moore gets fouled on a ensuing possession and makes two free throws to put UConn up 59-53
3:09: After missing a jumper, Dixon keeps the ball alive allowing Maya Moore to grab an offensive rebound and get fouled.
2:15: Dixon sets up Moore for a basket
1:31: Dixon once again assists on a Moore hoop.

"I feel like I was in the right place at the right time during a lot of possessions," Dixon said. "I was trying to get my hands on a couple of (passes)."

When people look at the box score at the game, Moore's 23 points and 14 rebounds and the 17 points by Hartley will jump out but Dixon's four points, two rebounds, four assists and four steals were invaluable to keep the Huskies hopes of a third straight national title alive.

Geno Auriemma admitted after Tuesday's second-round win over Purdue that he would have loved to have pulled out seniors Lorin Dixon and Maya Moore at the ideal time to give the crowd a chance to salute them in their final home game. However, the way the game played out, Auriemma found himself subbiing out Moore, Dixon and freshman Stefanie Dolson together with 2:19 to play.

"She (Moore) didn’t play great, so in those instances you like for it to be, she makes a couple of big plays and comes out on a high, but it just didn’t seem like it was going that way," Auriemma said. "I was hoping to get Lorin (Dixon) out or at the worst at the same time. There just wasn’t that flow going and something I tried to orchestrate."

The fans got their chance to salute Moore after the game. While Auriemma was being interviewed by ESPN's Doris Burke, Moore patiently waited her turn when the fans started to chant her name. She raised her hand into the air several times to acknowledge the crowd but admitted in the post-game press conference that she was a little uncomfortable during that time before turning the question into an opportunity to throw some love Lorin Dixon's way.

"I felt a little awkward," Moore said. "I usually don’t like that sort of individual attention because I play a team sport. I would say I appreciate it the fans have been awesome and they’re just to show how much they appreciate Lorin and I (accomplished). It capped off I think both of our careers perfectly when Lorin ended it with a great play on the defensive end blocking the shot and then hitting it off the point guard and making it our ball, that was just perfect. I wouldn’t have wanted to go out any other way then Lorin Dixon making a great play."

MY TAKE ON ANONYMOUS COMMENTS
I've refrained from taking this step (or at least publicizing it) but in recent weeks the number of anonymous comments have been sent into my blog ripping on UConn players have been increasing. They haven't been posted nor will they in the future. Under no circumstances do I have an issue posting comments critical of UConn or anything I write but when they come in anonymously, it just is not happening. I find that to be incredibly cowardly to hide behind your computer screen and rip on college kids so if you have the urge to do so, save your fingers because they aren't going to make it onto this blog.

If UConn defeats Purdue on Tuesday night, she would improve to 148-3 in her time at UConn. The 148 wins would match the NCAA Division I record set by her former teammate Kalana Greene.

Greene was 148-9 in her five seasons at UConn including the injury-shortened 2007-08 season.

Moore and fellow senior Lorin Dixon can become the first UConn players to go four seasons without losing a home game with a victory against the Boilermakers. UConn is 80-0 at home since their arrival - 39-0 at Gampel Pavilion and 41-0 at the XL Center.

"It really makes me think of how privileged I've been to have great coaches and teammates to protect that home court record," Moore said. "I have played with some really special players. Depending on when you come into a program, you don't always get the groups that we have had. We've had some close calls in this building. The one that comes to mind is North Carolina my freshman year and we came back (from an 11-point deficit at halftime) to win that game. There have been some great games here. I don't think there's been any other group that has protected that home court as much as the groups I have been a part of."

Moore has averaged 20.4 points

Here's a look at how some of UConn's best players fared in their final game at Gampel Pavilion.
PLAYER Points Reb Assists Steals Blocks
Tina Charles (2/13/10 vs. St. John’s) 25 21 1 1 3
Diana Taurasi (3/2/04 vs. WVU) 17 4 10 0 1
Sue Bird (3/18/02 vs. Iowa) 22 5 6 5 0
Swin Cash (3/18/02 vs. Iowa) 10 9 3 2 2
Nykesha Sales (2/21/98 vs. ND) 27
Kara Wolters (3/17/97 vs. Iowa) 16 9 2
Jen Rizzotti (3/18/96 vs. Mich. St.) 18 1 6
Rebecca Lobo (3/25/95 vs. UVA) 8 6 2

From fighting back tears when her seemingly endless string of accomplishments over the last four seasons or seeing her No. 23 added to the Huskies of Honor, this was a night that Maya Moore won't soon forget.

She will forever recall the unabashed enthusiasm displayed by her 81 year old grandfather and will never forget how incredibly well the top-ranked Huskies played in the final regular season home game of her collegiate career.

Once Moore saw fellow senior Lorin Dixon crying when she was introduced just before her, she knew there was no way she was going to be dry eyed when she made the walk to center court to embrace UConn coach Geno Auriemma before holding a framed No. 23 jersey over her head.

"I don't know what triggered it," Moore said of her emotional reaction before Monday's game against Syracuse. "To hear it, I don't think about it just the accomplishements and a lot of history is something I don't generally think about a lot. When it is said all at once, it was all overwhelming. I have been given so many opportunities and the fact that I was able to reach my potential with this team, reach moarks that nobody could have predicted. I think it started when Lorin went out and started crying and I started crying.

"He (her grandfather( made this night, I loved it. I was happy. I know it was our Senior Night but he was the happiest one in the building. I love seeing a smile on his face. Even if I wasn't here, if I was somewhere else, he would be just as proud. He just loves me unconditionally and I am glad he was able to be here, see it and be a part of it. I know he will never forget it and he brought so much joy to people around here. I get a lot of the way I treat people, I had a great exasmple from him. He is somebody who will go out of his way to make sure you will feel comfortable. I know when I do that, it makes him proud. I am just being like him when I try to do the same thing. He has a blast. I hope I can see some of the pictures."

UConn coach Geno Auriemma claimed no part in Moore's ascension to greatness, saying it would have happened no matter where Moore went to school but the fact is that the guidance of Auriemma and his assistant coaches have allowed Moore go from highly-touted recruit to become one of the sport's greatest players.

"If you try to put into words all the things she has done, you are not going to be able to do it," Auriemma said. "Trying to do that with Maya, it is going to take you, five, six, seven minutes non-stop 'and this, and she was the first one to do this.' On and on, after all of that is done and you look beyond that, how she did it, how she carries herself. What she has had to do this year has probably made it maybe a little more rewarding.

"She has gone through a whole gamut since freshman year of I am just going to run around and every time I touch it, I am going to shoot it to senior year 'I have to be a leader on this team. I am going to lead by example. I am going to show that I can do other things. Some players never make that jumop an that is why their teams struggle and she was able to make that jump. Everything that she gets, she deserves. I know I would have gotten all of the blame if she had turned out to be a schlep but I don't think I should get any credit. It is all her."


BIG EAST PAIRINGS
UConn earned the top seed and won't play until Sunday's quarterfinals. The game will start at 2 at Hartford's XL Center. Here's the unofficial schedule:

FIRST ROUND (FRIDAY)
Game 1: No. 12 Pittsburgh vs. No. 13 South Florida, noon
Game 2: No. 9 Syracuse vs. No. 16 Seton Hall, 2 p.m.
Game 3: No. 10 West Virginia vs. No. 15 Cincinnati, 6 p.m.
Game 4: No. 11 Providence vs. 14 Villanova, 8 p.m.
SECOND ROUND (SATURDAY)
Game 5: Pittsburgh/South Florida winner vs. No.5 Marquette, noon
Game 6: Syracuse/Seton Hall winner vs. No. 8 Georgetown, 2 p.m.
Game 7: West Virginia/Cincinnat winner vs. No. 7 St. John's, 6 p.m.
Game 8: Providence/Villanova winner vs. No. 6 Louisville, 8 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS (SUNDAY)
Game 9: No. 4 Rutgers vs. Game 5 winner, noon
Game 10: No. 1 UConn vs. Game 6 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 11: No. 2 DePaul vs. Game 7 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 12: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Game 8 winner, 8 p.m.
SEMIFINALS (MONDAY)
Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 8 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Tonight's regular-season finale against Syracuse is far from the only activity on the docket.

Before the game seniors Lorin Dixon and Maya Moore will be honored as part of "Senior Night" festivities. Moore will also be the 13th women's player to be inducted into the Huskies of Honor.

At halftime Moore, Kelly Faris, Caroline Doty and Heather Buck will be among the UConn student-athletes to be honored for attaining at least a 3.0 grade point average in either the fall or spring semester.

After the game, UConn will be presented the Big East regular-season trophy. UConn has clinched the program's 19th Big East title.

Obviously Maya Moore will be the center of attention before Monday's regular-season finale against Syracuse as she all-time leading scorer in UConn history will be honored during "Senior Night" festivities but also, her No. 23 is expected to be added to the "Huskies of Honor."

While Moore's run at UConn has been nothing short of spectacular, fellow senior Lorin Dixon also will receive a well-earned ovation for working her way into a key role for the top-ranked Huskies.

Unlike Moore, Dixon was not an instant sensation from the second she stepped onto the UConn campus. She was left behind to tend to some academic issues when UConn played in the Bridgeport NCAA tournament subregional in 2008. Other than some electrifying games against North Carolina, the early portion of Dixon's collegiate career was one of unfulfilled promise.

However, it has all come together for her this season. Although Dixon will likely get the start tonight as seniors tend to do in their final home game, it is her ability to provide a consistent spark off the bench which has made her senior year one she will always remember.

"It is an enjoyment to play," Dixon said. "Everybody is telling us we are going to be young this year, we aren't that deep and just to see all of that come together, this is what we've been working for the last four years. Watching Bria, watching Tiffany be a part of it, playing a bigger role it is just a great feeling especially this being my senior year for it to happen like this.

"I came in there were the Ketia Swanier's, the Mel Thomas', Renee Montgomery's so I came behind a lot of great guards Kalana (Greene) too so it is really a great accomplishment for me. I came in and was like 'wow, I am never going to play here. These girls are good.' To work my way up and be a part of it, my feeling is that you came far, you worked for it so enjoy it and that is what I am doing in my last year."

Dixon and Moore expect to be emotional when they walk out to midcourt to greet UConn coach Geno Auriemma and be saluted by the crowd.

"When they announce it, we can look at each other and say we worked hard to get here, we've won two national championships, we have been to the Final Four every year," Dixon said. "It shows that hard work does mean a lot, me and Maya have been here, we've been through the grind, through the wins and the losses. I feel like we have (experienced) it all and for this to be our senior year and have it happening like this is a great feeling that we can look at each other, appreciate it and say 'we did it.'"

UConn officials are encouraging fans to get to the 7:30 p.m. game a little early as the Senior Night festivities will begin at 7:13 p.m.

With seniors Lorin Dixon and Maya Moore being honored before Monday's regular-season finale against Syracuse, UConn officials are urging fans to get to Gampel Pavilion a little earlier than normal.

While the game against Syracuse will tip at 7:36 p.m., the Senior Night festivities will begin at 7:13 p.m. An added bonus is that Moore's No. 23 is expected to be added to the Huskies of Honor that evening as well. Also, if DePaul and UConn both take care of business leading up to that game, fans could see UConn win its record 19th Big East regular-season title.

Here is CPTV's broadcast schedule for the 28th.

6 p.m.: A look back at the careers of seniors Maya Moore and Lorin Dixon.
7 p.m.: UConn Senior Ceremony
7:30 p.m.: UConn vs. Syracuse
9:45 p.m. (approx.): UConn Women’s Basketball: A Tribute to the Class of 2011 (encore presentation)
11 p.m. The Geno Auriemma Show: Special Edition – Taped earlier this month at the Rocky Hill Marriott, head coach Geno Auriemma and players Maya Moore, Tiffany Hayes and Kelly Faris are interviewed by host Meghan Culmo.

Thanks to Mother Nature, there won't be a typical full house waiting UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies to the Louis Brown Athletic Center but the Rutgers band is here and awaiting Geno's appearance with "where's Geno?" inquiries.

I have no idea what the attendance number will be but I'd be surprised if it was more than half full.

UConn, which is at the scene of its last loss to a Big East opponent, doesn't figure to take Rutgers lightly even if seniors Maya Moore and Lorin Dixon are the only UConn players on the squad when the Huskies lost 73-71 to the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 5, 2008.

I will be providing regular updates during the game on twitter @NHRJimFuller

After rolling to halftime advantages of more than 20 points in the last three games against Pittsburgh, things were a little more challenging on Saturday night.

Pittsburgh cut a 13-point first-half lead down to four and only trailed 34-28 at halftime. With less than 12 minutes to play, the Panthers were only down six with possession of the ball before the Huskies put the game away with a 15-2 run.

"I am proud of how we pulled it out, we couldn't pull it away more than 10 points but we kept fighting," said UConn senior forward Maya Moore. "I think the coaching staff said it really well that it is OK to struggle. We are not machines, we have off nights shooting but as far as the effort that can't happen and I thought in the second half we brought better effort and I thought that is why we are able to pull away more."

UConn coach Geno Auriemma cited an unlikely source for playing a key role - senior guard Lorin Dixon. Dixon missed her only shot, was scoreless and had two rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes but Auriemma felt that Dixon's speed and ability to push the ball helped open avenues for her teammates.

"I didn't see a whole lot, there wasn't a great flow to the game," Auriemma said. "It seemed to be a chore, a struggle to get anything done for whatever reason. Except when Lorin Dixon was in the game, there didn't seem to be a lot of good stuff happening. It seemed to be forced. Lorin I thought changed the game the whole time she was in there. Pittsburgh did a really good job of keeping the tempo at a walk, making sure we didn't get too many run outs. It wasn't until the second half that we really got organized better defensively and it made all the difference in the world."

Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato, while proud of the moxie her team displayed, was not quite as pleased with the disparity in fouls called and free throws taken as the Huskies attempted 20 free throws to just four for the Panthers.

"I'll be very select in my words because I felt like we really did attack," Berenato said. "In the first half we had 22 points in the paint and imagine that, we did not have a free throw. We did not have a free throw until the end of the game. I guess we weren't working hard enough to get to the free-throw line. I don't know. It is amazing to me. We like to attack. It's not like our posts are the only ones to attack, we really like to go up and down. It was a pretty fun game to watch and I guess they didn't want to stop the clock."

Berenato was also asked about UConn playing the rest of the season with six or seven players in the main rotation following Samarie Walker's decision to transfer. It is something she dealt with in the last year on her own team. She didn't seem to think it should be a cause for concern.

"I just think that if you look at his stats, he only plays about seven people anyways, that is where it comes into play," Berenato said. "The tricky part is your practices. I know they have a fun squad of men's practice players, it really affected us. We had a few injuries. (Assistant coach) Mallorie Winn plays for me. I just don't see Shea (UConn assistant coach Shea Ralph) playing for them in their practices because they have so many practice players. I don't look at that as a negative. I think whatever hand you are dealt with, with him seven, eight or nine. You want the people who want to be there and you want the people there who are committed. You only need five to win and there are many games in the history of basketball that have probably been won (with five players). If I were a player, (Stefanie) Dolson averages 19 minutes, I am think cha ching, cha ching. If I am Heather Buck, I am thinking cha ching, cha ching that is more minutes for me."

First let me admit that I was shocked by Samarie Walker's decision to leave the UConn program. As my story in Friday's Register documents, she was talking very much like a member of the UConn program when I interviewed her on Jan. 14, the day before she would play her last game at UConn.

There were some signs that something might be up. First came in the preseason when UConn coach Geno Auriemma wondered aloud why Walker's hamstring issues were keeping her off the court longer than anticipated. Just a couple weeks ago he said "Samarie I don't think has made as much progress that she did in the first month, she has slowed down for whatever reason and that is something that has to get better and it has to be addressed."

True to his nature, it was addressed. Auriemma and his coaching staff are a demanding bunch. You don't win six of the last 11 national championships, win 90 straight games and develop the number of WNBA players that they do at UConn by casually looking the other way when players aren't performing to their expectations. They demanded more out of Samarie in practice and she either wasn't willing or able to oblige. I truly expected as did one of my sources close to the program that she would be at practice on Thursday and would begin the process of working herself back into the good graces of her teammates and coaches. Instead she decided she couldn't make it work.

Next up for Samarie is to figure out what she wants to do. She can remain in school at UConn and transfer at the end of the spring semester. After sitting out next season, she would have three years of eligibility. She could leave in the coming days although she only has until Jan. 31 to withdraw from class without it impacting her academic standing or grade-point average.

As for UConn, this is a big blow simply because UConn wasn't a deep squad to begin with. The Huskies' starting lineup of Maya Moore, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Faris, Bria Hartley and Stefanie Dolson is talented enough to make a serious run at a third straight national title. The problem is that the margin of error is extremely slim. Many eyes will turn to Heather Buck and see if the sophomore center can be a consistently effective option off the bench.

It's tough to read too much into what happened at North Carolina when the Huskies relied mostly on a six-player rotation and still ran a veteran Tar Heels squad off the court because it was North Carolina. I doubt any other top team will settle for jacking up 3-pointers when the Huskies use Maya Moore at center like UNC did and teams like Duke, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and West Virginia will not let Moore and Tiffany Hayes take whatever shot they want whenever they want to like the Tar Heels did. What happens if Dolson gets two fouls before the first TV timeout against Duke or West Virginia or Moore picks up a couple of silly fouls and is forced to sit out for an extended period? It's pretty difficult to play Lorin Dixon and Heather Buck together because they simply are not offensive threats so now opponents can focus on the other three players on the court. But there will be stretches when they have to play together. The other issue is if Dolson is struggling to defend an opposing center, UConn no longer can pluck an athletic replacement like Walker off the bench to try to change things up like it did against Baylor.

Personally, I'd like to see Auriemma give Buck and Michala Johnson quality minutes and let them learn on the job so that come NCAA tournament time, they can be counted on for 20-25 minutes a game between the two of them. I'm not sure if he'll do that or if Buck and Johnson will give him a reason to do just that.

Last but certainly not least, I feel compelled to address to issue of UConn's recruiting methods. I've received e-mails that UConn needs to look at the way it recruits. The fact of the matter is that is not a recruiting issue but a practice issue. The Huskies set the bar high, they expect nothing but the absolute best out of their players. It's a reason why kids from all parts of the country come to Connecticut, it's why UConn has won seven national championships, why Auriemma was the quickest Division I women's coach to 750 wins as he will be the quickest to 800 wins and why come April, UConn will have produced four No. 1 overall picks in the WNBA draft since 2002. I remember when an entire recruiting class blew up on them when Kia Wright, Kiana Robinson and Liz Sherwood all transferred out before the start of their sophomore year and the attack dogs were out saying no top players would come to UConn. Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore had no such reservations nor did Tiffany Hayes or Bria Hartley. UConn's incoming recruiting class includes the No. 1 ranked player in Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and the No. 1 player in the next recruiting cycle (Brenna Stewart) is very much on UConn's radar. UConn will continue to recruit the nation's best players and when they get to Storrs will continue to expect nothing but their absolute best. Will that mean a team member may look at themselves in the mirror and say "I just can't deal with all of this" and head home, perhaps but life will go on both for that player and the UConn program.

After coming off the bench against St. John's because the coaching staff wanted senior Lorin Dixon to get to start her final collegiate game in her native New York, freshman Bria Hartley is back in the starting lineup against Louisville.

Maya Moore, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Faris and Stefanie Dolson will also start for UConn while Becky Burke, Shoni Schimmel, Tia Gibbs, Monique Reid and Keshia Hines will start for Louisville.

The Mater Dei High School team, led by UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and UConn recruiting target Jordan Adams, just arrived and are sitting behind the bench. The duo had 17 points each as Mater Dei crushed Murry Bergtraum last night at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield. Here's the story I wrote after catching up with Mosqueda-Lewis and Adams after the game.

While it's easy to look at the 21 points scored by Maya Moore and Tiffany Hayes and the 64.3 field-goal percentage in the first half by UConn and saw it was just another day when the Huskies were simply too explosive for their opponent in Wednesday's 84-52 win over St. John's at Madison Square Garden.

But considering how well St. John's played UConn in the regular season in the last two seasons, it was impossible to overlook the defensive effort by the Huskies. UConn tipped a myriad of passes by the Red Storm, something they have not been doing in recent weeks. The performance did not go unnoticed by UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

"We have spent a lot of time in the last couple of days on the defensive end," Auriemma said. "We probably played more zone today than we have in a long, long time trying a a couple of different kind of zones so we aren't giving teams a chance to get into a nice little rhythm and I thought the kids worked really hard at keeping St. John's away from the lane. We did tip a lot of passes, we did cause a lot of tipped balls. I think when you have Kelly (Faris) and Maya (Moore) on the back end of that zone, it really makes it active. It is a very aggressive defense with those guys back there."

Auriemma rewarded senior guard Lorin Dixon, who grew up in Springfield Gardens, N.Y., by giving her just her third start of the season and first in the last nine games.

"For us, you are trying to do the things that make kids feel good about themselves," Auriemma said. "For Lorin, it's the last trip she is probably going to make down here as a player. Playing St. John's in Madison Square Garden, it has to be a great thrill for a kid. No matter how many times you play here, you always look forward to playing here. It is different from any other place and I think she appreciates that more than other players because she grew up here."

The win was Auriemma's 750th. He is the seventh Division I women's coach to reach that milestone. It's ironic that of the Huskies next four games, two are against coaches in the 750-win club (North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell and C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers).

Senior Lorin Dixon gets the start at point guard for UConn ahead of fellow New York native Bria Hartley. I haven't heard a specific reason for Dixon making her third start of the season but it would be typical for UConn coach Geno Auriemma to reward Dixon by letting her start in her final collegiate game game at UConn.

The other starters are the same (Maya Moore, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Faris and Stefanie Dolson) while Sky Lindsay, Da'Shena Stevens (a former Trinity Catholic star), Nadirah McKenith, Centhya Hart and Shenneika Smith will start for St. John's.

With a win, UConn coach Geno Auriemma would become the seventh Division I women's basketball coach with 750 career wins.

I don't anticipate updating the game on this blog but will be tweeting during the game @NHRJimFuller