Put away your swim trunks and flippie floppies folks, because UConn has pulled out of the Carrier Classic and will be playing all of their basketball games next season on dry land. So there will be no flipping of burgers and the most we might aspire to is having Enosch Wolf at Kinkos straight flipping copies.

The Huskies are were originally rumored to play Arizona, apparently couldn't come to an agreement on an opponent with the organizers and will likely be replaced by Ohio St. and Marquette. It is very clear though that this was UConn's decision and no one else's.

I'm not going to say this isn't dissapointing -- it would have been fun to see the Huskies playing on an aircraft carrier if only to see if Shabazz Napier would be given the government clearance necessary to wander around on the ship -- but I am far less upset about this than I probably would have been if the Huskies pulled out last fall when the game was first announced.

First of all, the Carrier Classic got moved out of San Diego Bay and to South Carolina, which I'm sure is nice, but isn't exactly San Diego (it's not like I'd be going either, but Charelston just does not have the same ring to it, you know?). Second, after the Classic left San Diego, a different set of organizers decided to host their own game there (this one featuring Syracuse and San Diego State). I'm not saying last year's game between Michigan St. and UNC wasn't cool, but I'm not sure it is an event that needs to happen twice in a lifetime, let alone twice in the same season. The thing about novelties is that they wear off.

Still, the exposure and promise of an interesting opponent would have provided some juice to a seaon that will otherwise lack it, but it's also quite possible that UConn and it's inexperienced and Germany-heavy front court might have been run right off the boat with the setting providing hack sportswriters with enough cliches to fill a week's worth of columns that would have irritated me.

The UConn baseball team got a massive win today, defeating top-seeded Louisville 4-1 today in the second round of the Big East tournament. The win guarantees the fifth-seeded Huskies a spot in the tournament semifinals and puts them in a very good position to advance to the championship game of the double-elimination tournament. UConn was led by sophomore pitcher Anthony Marzi, who allowed only three hits. Marzi has put up stellar numbers this season, posting a 2.79 ERA, but a dearth of run support meant that today's win was only his third, against eight losses.

The game was pushed from last night until this morning because of rain, and that might wind up working out in UConn's favor. The Huskies will take on the winner of Louisville and USF tomorrow at 1 p.m. (BigEast.tv, WTIC.com and WHUS will have coverage). However, the fact that the Huskies won their first two games means that if they lose that first game their opponent would have to beat them again in an evening matchup. If top-seeded Louisivlle forced that evening game it would be their fourth in 30 hours. The other possible opponent, No. 4 USF, lost to UConn on Wednesday, but swept the Huskies during the regular season, however the Bulls have never beaten UConn in the Big East tournament.

We'll be following along with the action tomorrow on twitter (feel free to chime in in the comments below). Should the Huskies advance they'll play in the championship game on Sunday, which will be broadcast on ESPNU. If that happens we will be sure to have an OpenThread.

With expansion on the horizon, the Big East has announced a new format for its basketball championship starting in the 2013-14 season. At that point the conference is expecting to have 18 teams (how realistic that expectation is is another matter), so the current double-bye format would not be able to accommodate every team.

All 18 of the conference's teams will be invited to the tournament in New York, though they may not all make it to Madison Square Garden. The bottom four teams will play in play-in games on Monday of the tournament week at a yet-to-be determined site in the New York area. MSG will be considered, but it seems doubtful unless you think a Monday night matchup between SMU and DePaul is going to move a lot of tickets.

The conference's top seeds will no longer receive byes, so the two play-in game winners will then be slotted into a traditional 16-team bracket. The 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds will play their opponents on Tuesday and then get a day to rest while the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds have their games on Wednesday. The advancing teams would all meet on Thursday and play the tournament out as usual.

You have to imagine teams will still want to finish in the top four to get a little extra boost in the tournament, but this removes any bonus for finishing between 5-8 in the league (up until now those teams got single byes). Hopefully those Monday games won't feature UConn anytime soon, but you know some legacy Big East team is going to get stuck there and it will be hilarious.

Perhaps most important for UConn fans: the format change will make it impossible to win five games and five days (and make playing five games impossible for all but the worst Big East teams), so unless someone goes on a miracle run next year the achievements of the 2011 team are going to be cemented in history.

College football guru Phil Steele has released his pre-season All-Big East team and UConn leads the way with seven First Team selections. Even with the giant caveat that I indicated in the headline (WVU to Temple is quite the drop-off afterall) that's still pretty impressive. Pittsburgh, Rutgers and South Florida each had five players make the first team.

Lyle McCoombs, last year's breakout running back, led the charge for the Huskies and he was joined on the ofennsive side by tight end Ryan Griffin and guard Adam Masters. Blidi Wreh-WIlson, Sio Moore and Trevardo Williams did their part to rep UConn on the defensive side and Nick Williams got a nod for his punt return skills (Williams also made the 3rd-team as a kick returner). UConn had two second-team nods, three players on the third-team (including Williams) and linebacker Yawin Smallwood was the sole fourth-team mention.

Glib headline aside, this is a recognition that, at least for Big East standards, UConn does have a solid core of talented players this year, and with football season just about three months away it's time to start getting excited.

If you have any final message you want to deliver to Memorial Stadium, you might want to get yourself over to Stadium Road as soon as possible because it doesn't look like you're going to have a lot more time. The photos above are from @UConnHuskies and demolition seems to be well underway. Now all that remains are donors opening up their checkbooks just a bit more so we can replace the old girl with a shiny new basketball facility.

Over the past week or so the UConn hockey team has made a couple of videos supporting the nascent You Can Play project. For the uninitiated, You Can Play project is an anti-bullying initiative aimed at creating a more welcoming atmosphere for LGBT athletes. It's gotten it's start in Hockey (it was founded by Patrick Burke, the son of the Toronto Maple Leaf's GM, read more about his story here) but is starting to spread into other sports as well. The message is simple and straightforward: it does not matter who you are, if you can help the team win, you're welcome to be a part of it -- i.e. you can play.

The hockey team put up their first video about two weeks ago, becoming the first college team in the nation to join the project. The second video, which is above, was released last week.

Kevin Duffy is a very brave man. How do I know that? He ventured into the barren wasteland known as Storrs during the summer, somehow making it through its barren hellscape to bring us back some lovely tidings from the basketball team. He got a chance to sit down with juniors Shabazz Napier and Tyler Olander to talk about UConn's postseason ban, goals for next year and the flood of players transferring out of the program and got some nice quotes (do yourself a favor and read the whole article).

But the biggest thing I took away is that my fondness for Shabazz Napier knows no bounds ans only increases every time he opens his mouth. Part of me is starting to wonder if he's just a 20-year-old version of Jim Calhoun. They're both from Boston, they both have serious impulse control issues, and they both are going to do speak their mind and they'll be happy to let anyone who disagrees know what they can do with themselves.

A couple quotes will suffice to illustrate my point. Here's Shabazz on UConn's postseason ban:

It doesn't really matter what players think anymore. I mean, I don't think it ever did, but this is a great example of not caring what the players have to say. I feel as though, as players, you can't talk, you can't say much...it only gets you in trouble. There's nothing we can really do. I wish there was, but you really can't.

And here he is on the departure of several teammates:

"It's sad that we can't play in the NCAA tournament or the Big East tournament, but those are things you have to deal with. Like I said, some people deal with them, some people run away. It's how you're born. It' s how you live your life."

Never let it be said the man doesn't speak his mind.

*I actually spent two summers in Storrs and in reality it's stellar. Is it empty? Entirely, but the campus is beautiful, the weather is nice, and if you're an upperclassman the chances are good that you'll have several friends around to enjoy it with. Pay heed undergrads: if your best option is going home for the summer, don't. You won't regret a few more months on campus.

Editors Note: Things have been pretty quiet around here over the past month as I've had to contented with a much larger than usual workload in my non-blog life. That's over now, so expect to see more content in the coming weeks. Thanks for your patience.

SNY president provides answers on network's plans for UConn - Connecticut Post
Raab said that the search for on-air talent has begun. It is being handled by executive producer Curt Gowdy Jr. Individuals who have experience being around the program will have an advantage. And longtime CPTV announcers Bob Picozzi and Meghan Culmo will be considered.

Jeff Hathaway: Jeff Hathaway, Former-UConn AD, Named To Same Post At Hofstra - Hartford Courant
Less than a year after he resigned under pressure in Storrs, Hathaway was named vice president and athletic director at Hofstra University, a Division I school in Hempstead, N.Y., that plays in the Colonial Athletic Conference. Hofstra hasn't had a football team since 2009.

UCONN Transfer Roscoe Smith on His Official Visit to UNLV | Bleacher Report
With the UNLV Runnin' Rebels jumping back in the national radar after signing Rivals No. 7 ranked recruit , Anthony Bennett, the Rebels are looking to strengthen one of the best ...

UConn first to offer QB Richard Lagow - On The Trail Blog - ESPN (Insider)
In his first season as a starting quarterback, Lagow threw for 1,646 yards and 13 touchdowns for Plano. In addition to the UConn offer, Lagow has been receiving interest from Rutgers, Texas Tech, Houston and Arizona State.

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UConn and Hockey East have entered into serious negotiations about the Huskies joining the conference, and an invitation could come as soon as next month according to the AP. Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna told the wire service that the Huskies aren't so much a target of the league as they are the target of the league:

"Our attention is pretty focused on the University of Connecticut. There are other institutions that have had casual conversations. But I think it would be disingenuous to suggest that there is someone else, that our conversations are this far along."

I could offer to read between the lines of that statement for you, but I'm not sure they are even lines to read between, as it looks like UConn will be heading to Hockey East barring a surprising turn of events. UConn officials are on board as well. Connecticut governor Dan Malloy has made no secret of his desire to see the Huskies join the nation's premier hockey conference and new athletic director Warde Manuel told the AP he's on board as well, calling the chance a great opportunity.

The logistics of the move seem to be in place already, with Manuel saying that the Huskies would start off by moving Hockey East games off-campus to Hartford's XL Center before looking at updating the on-campus Freitas Ice Forum down the road. Here's Manuel:

"It would be starting off playing Hockey East games in XL and then looking down in the future at what we would be able to do for a campus facility as well. "Whether it would be new or renovated, it would be where the hockey rink is currently in that Freitas footprint."

Statements like that lead me to believe that UConn has looked at the costs of upgrading hockey (the school had a consulting firm look into it and published the results last month) and decided it is a price worth paying. XL center officials are on board as well, so if all goes well at next month's meeting of Hockey East schools it should be smooth skating ahead.

The move also fits in nicely with recent public statements by Malloy and Manuel expressing a desire to resume serious competition with Boston College. If the governor and the athletic director are making unprompted public statements in the same voice you can bet there is a coordinated plan behind it, and joining Hockey East is an easy way to reopen the connection between the schools. And not to put too fine a point on it, but better relationships between UConn officials and BC can only increase the chance that this isn't the last time UConn joins the Eagles' conference.

Connecticut governor says time for UConn and Boston College to put differences behind them - The Washington Post
Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says it is time for the University of Connecticut and Boston College to put hard feelings behind them and work to re-establish an important New England rivalry on the football field and basketball court. In an interview with The Associated Press Thursday, Malloy, an alumnus of Boston College, said he has expressed those sentiments in talks over the past year with Boston College President William Leahy.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and UConn athletic director Warde Manuel Want Renewal Of UConn-BC sports Rivalry - Courant.com
It does not hurt that Manuel and his BC counterpart, Gene DeFilippo, are friends. "I talked briefly with Gene [Wednesday]," Manuel said Thursday. "Gene and I have been friends for a long time. … It's a process that will happen over time."

UConn spring wrap - Big East Blog - ESPN
1. Ryan Wirth steps up. UConn is taking a major hit to the middle of its line with Kendall Reyes and Twyon Martin both gone. Defensive tackle Wirth had one of the best springs for UConn and capped it with a terrific spring game, getting 4.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and a safety. He could be a really good replacement up front.

Our View: UConn women deserve SNY deal - Norwich, CT - The Bulletin
The deal is one piece to help ensure that UConn continues to be the dominant presence in women’s basketball. But to make this leap into the national television stage, UConn had to cut ties with its longtime broadcaster, Connecticut Public Television. While CPTV’s financial offer was only slightly less than SNY’s $4.55 million over four years, it could not offer the same exposure.

UConn Ends Season With 8-0 Loss To Louisville - University of Connecticut Official Athletics Site
The Husky softball team ended their 2012 season with a 8-0 loss in five innings against the Louisville Cardinals in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship on Thursday afternoon. UConn, who reached the postseason for the first time since 2009, concludes its season with 21-27 (9-13 BE) overall mark. The Cardinals advance to the semifinals and improve to 51-3 on the season.

We kid because we love, and we better love because an extremely large percentage of UConn's roster next year is going to be made up of Germans thanks to the arrival of Leon Tolksdorf, a 6'8" forward who will presumably be playing the role of Roscoe Smith on the 2012-13 UConn Huskies. Tolksdorf with be joining fellow countrymen Niels Giffey and Enosch Wolf, and will help give the Huskies some much needed size in the front court.

If you're anything like me, you'd never heard of Tolksdorf until a few hours ago, but two videos on YouTube seem to indicate he'll be at a combo-forward and has at least some promise. It's not immediatley clear to me where he played last year, but wherever it was he apparently averaged 17 ppg and 12.4 rebounds per game. If he can put up even a third of those numbers next year he'll be a success. The first is below, the second is after the jump.

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Buried at the bottom of the AP's interview with Warde Manuel was a delightful non-succession nugget: Memorial Stadium is being torn down starting next week. The stadium was the home of UConn football for fifty years, but hasn't hosted a game since 2002. Over the past decade it has served the dual purpose of being a delightful set of stairs for athletes to train on and being an eye-sore the rest of us couldn't wait to see destroyed as we longed for a basketball practice facility.

Those of us in the second camp won't have our entire wish granted yet -- UConn is still raising money for the new facility -- but tearing down the old stadium is an important first step and creates the impression of real progress, and Manuel hopes that actual construction could start within the year.

Here's the relevant portion of the AP report:

Manuel also said that UConn will begin in the next week tearing town its old on-campus football stadium, Memorial Stadium, to make way for its new basketball practice facility. But he said the school is still working to raise the needed money (estimated at between $35-40 million) to fund the facility.

"We are hoping at some point this year to be in a financial position to put a shovel in the ground and break ground on the actual construction," he said.

Kevin Ollie may one day succeed Jim Calhoun as UConn's head basketball coach, but he won't be doing it as UConn's coach-in-waiting. At least not yet.

New UConn athletic director Warde Manuel spoke with the Associated Press and said that as of now he has no plans to name a coach-in-waiting to follow the Hall of Fame coach:

"Jim's going to participate in the future direction of the program when he decides that he's not going to coach anymore. But at this time, I haven't made a commitment to a coach in waiting. That doesn't mean that in the future I wouldn't change my position. But right now, I'm not naming a coach in waiting for men's basketball or any program."

Furthermore, Manuel said he's working under the assumption that Calhoun will return to the sidelines next year:

"I don't sit here wondering on a day-to-day basis who is going to be my coach next year. Unless something changes that I don't foresee ... Jim's our coach and I'm moving forward in that direction."

The AP also reached out to Calhoun, who said he was fine with the decision. Calhoun still has not reached a decision about returning next year, but said for now he was dealing with recruits and working on the future of the program and making sure its next 25 years would be as strong as the last 25.

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Big East: John Marinatto Is Out As Big East Commissioner - Courant.com
Yet until the day the Big East splits, the commissioner must have two things: 1. The verve, the smarts and the diplomatic skills to gain mucho respect from the member schools. 2. The ability to nail down the kind of television money to make the other problems seem smaller. Marinatto was 0-for-2 on that count.

John Marinatto resigns as Big East commissioner
"After a great deal of thought and prayer, I have decided to step down as commissioner of the Big East Conference," Marinatto said in a statement. "I have been associated with this league for my entire adult life and have had the tremendous honor of serving as its Commissioner since 2009."

The Day - Local Roundup: Fuller's homer wins it for UConn | News from southeastern Connecticut
Fuller, the former Old Lyme High School and UConn-Avery Point standout, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning Sunday to give the UConn baseball team a 6-4 win over Cincinnati in a Big East Conference game.

The Day - UConn women release non-conference slate | News from southeastern Connecticut
The Huskies' nonconference schedule was released Monday, including a game at Stanford on Dec. 29 and one against Baylor at home on a date to be announced. UConn plays Notre Dame in the Big East Conference.

UConn Women Lose Top Recruit To North Carolina - Courant.com
She is the second top UConn recruit to choose North Carolina over the Huskies, joining Xylina McDaniel, a forward UConn hoped would join the Class of 2012. Duke, Maryland and Tennessee also were in the running for DeShields.

Today's May fifth, which makes it a) Cinco de Mayo, b) Kentucky Derby Day, c) a Saturday and d) way past Jim Calhoun's self-imposed deadline to announce wether or not he'd coach next year. You see, back in March Calhoun said he'd make up his mind and let us all in on his secret shortly after the Final Four was done (it wrapped up on April 2). At the time he said this:

"Despite what other people think, I realize it's not the best thing for UConn to have this situation. We need to, for recruiting purposes and other things, keep the program stable, and I don't think this can be a long-term situation, nor will it be. By the time the college basketball season is over, word will be coming out of Storrs about our future. I don't think there's any way we can leave ourselves out there."

So yeah, announcing a decision is important, and Calhoun clearly realizes it, so what's going on? I have no idea, and that worries me. But not for the reason you might think.

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Phil Nolan, a 6'10" power forward from Milwaukee committed to UConn today, providing a rare flash of good news in what has otherwise been a rather dismal offseason for the Huskies. Nolan only played seven games at Milwaukee's Riverside University High last year, but averaged 16.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 blocks in those games (for a more in-depth breakdown, head over to Kevin Duffy's blog). Both Rivals and Scout have Nolan listed as a three-star prospect. Scout has him as the 30th best power forward in his class, Rivals has him at No. 21.

I have to admit I don't know much about Nolan (other than that he needs to hire a better highlight-film editor), and I doubt many UConn fans do. UConn has apparently only been on his trail for a few weeks (a scholarship wasn't offered until Monday) and he has yet to meet Jim Calhoun or Kevin Ollie in person. But today that doesn't matter, because Nolan comprises the first UConn story in months that looks forward in a positive way. He might be great, he might be average, he might be terrible. I don't know, but I know it doesn't matter to me right now. What matters is that Phil Nolan is here. He's coming to Storrs. He wants to be a Husky. Phil Nolan is, in his own way, the future. I'm happy he's here.

Journal Inquirer > Archives > Sports > UConn men to face N.C. State at Garden
UConn’s game against the Wolfpack will be the second half of a doubleheader at Madison Square Garden that will begin at 7 p.m. with a game featuring Georgetown and Texas. Both games will be aired on ESPN.

Make-over likely for UConn men: A look at small ball - NewsTimes
These Huskies, playing for nothing more than pride, could run Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, Omar Calhoun or R.J. Evans alongside DeAndre Daniels and Tyler Olander. "That's a pretty good lineup right there," Wright said. "I think one thing Jim (Calhoun) has done in the past is start big and go small off the bench. This year, I think you'll see them start small and maybe bring some big guys off the bench."

Westlake's Tommy Hopkins Commits to UConn Football | The Daily Mount Pleasant
Hopkins, a 6-foot-6 offensive tackle listed at 282 pounds, is considered one of the top high school football recruits in New York. In addition to UConn, major Division 1 programs such as Penn State, Rutgers, Boston College and Virginia all showed interest in the Hawthorne native. Hopkins was one of 500 players in the nation invited to participate in the U.S. Army National Combine in January, a selective premier showcase for high school football players.

UConn K Dave Teggart Signs With Bears | NBC Connecticut
While Teggart is no doubt appreciative of the opportunity, he'll face long odds to make the squad. Incumbent Robbie Gould is one of the league's most consistent kickers. But getting an invitation to minicamp and training camp isn't always about making the squad this year, especially for kickers and punters. It's about doing the most with your opportunities, converting the chances you're given, and impressing enough people around the league so that they remember you whenever a need for a kicker arises.

Former UConn Long-Snapper: Jets To Take A Look At Derek Chard, a former UConn long-snapper - Courant.com
On Wednesday, the Burlington native who went to St. Paul-Bristol signed a one-year contract with the Jets. He hopes to be their long-snapper on punts, field goals and extra points. "I'm just glad I got another shot," Chard said by phone Wednesday. "I think I can definitely stick around, so I'm happy."

GoLocalProv | Sports | Brown’s Search for Basketball Coach: The Short List
Glen Miller coached the Brown Bears from 1999 until 2006, during which time the team went 93-99, and he coached Penn after he left. Miller is currently an assistant coach at UConn, but he would love to come back to lead Brown.

UConn’s Bradley: "I’m still undecided." - UConn Basketball - Connecticut News
According to CBSSports.com’s Jeff Borzello, he’s likely headed somewhere else. Borzello tweeted that Bradley’s transfer to Western Kentucky should become official by the end of the week. Bradley insisted he’s "still undecided," and said he would have an announcement right after finals exams, which conclude Saturday.

Remaining UConn players want Calhoun to return - NewsTimes
"Everyone understands that their back is to the wall," Napier said. "And when your back is to the wall, the best thing you can do is fight with the person beside you. Some people just turned and ran, but that's on them."

Kemba Walker Back On UConn Campus - Courant.com
The defining moment of the season came against Washington on Jan. 28, when Walker had 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. "It was a pretty good year for me, individually," he said. "The triple-double I had was probably the game where [I knew I belonged] — a good, all-around game."

UConn's Kashif Moore, Mike Ryan In NFL Together — For Now - Courant.com
The three-year deals are locked in only if the players make the final roster. The players can be cut at any time after mini-camps, which start May 10, and the contract is voided. Moore did receive a signing bonus of $5,000, which he'll get regardless of what happens.

From UConn to KU to Atlanta: Frey signs with Falcons as free agent
Frey will compete for a spot in an Atlanta backfield that includes Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling.

Kendall Reyes: Chargers Take UConn DT Kendall Reyes In Round 2 - Hartford Courant
For a while it looked like Reyes might have a shot at going in the first round when a run on defensive tackles had Dontari Poe of Memphis going to the Chiefs at No. 11, followed by Fletcher Cox to the Eagles at No. 12. Michael Brockers of LSU went to the Rams at No. 14 and that was it for defensive tackles in the round. The Patriots were believed to have some interest in Reyes with either their No. 27 or No. 31 pick, but there were still players higher on the Patriots board available. They traded up to No. 21 and took a defensive end, Chandler Jones. They also moved up to No. 25 and took another defensive player, inside linebacker Don'a Hightower out of Alabama.

SUNDAY GRAVY: UConn football not known for producing NFL stars - San Antonio Express-News
Since joining the Big East in football, UConn has been quite successful in churning out NFL draft picks. Entering this year, only Pittsburgh (20) and Louisville (18) had more drafted players than UConn’s 15 during that time frame. But success in the NFL has been a far different story for UConn.

DB Gary Wilburn: Tennessee Titans-Bound | UConn Football
Yes, Gary Wilburn got a call from the Tennessee Titans – well his agent first – he said about 30 minutes after the draft Saturday inviting him in for a free agent tryout. Congratulations to wide receiver Kashif Moore who got the same deal going with the Cincinnati Bengals.

UConn: UConn Husky Day At State Capitol - Hartford Courant
"My position hasn't changed," said Malloy, who has been critical of the NCAA's decision to ban UConn from the 2013 NCAA Tournament because of past academic problems. "They want to have the highest [academic] standards, and we support that — we also want extremely high standards. But no one else would make a rule and apply it retroactively. I don't think the public understands that."

Erudite UConn fan lashes out at Alex Oriakhi via text | The Dagger: College Basketball Blog - Yahoo! Sports
You've got to hand it to Oriakhi's anonymous hater for covering all the bases in less than 30 words. Racial reference? Check. Curse words? Check. Death threat? Check. A spelling error most grade schoolers could avoid? Check.

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Last week, for the first time in several months, I felt good about UConn basketball. Frustrating as it may be, I had started to make my peace with the fact that the Huskies would be missing the NCAA tournament, and I was excited to see UConn's lineup next year, which was stocked with likeable players that played a speedy brand of basketball that'd be fun to watch. At the very least the Huskies trio of talented guards, combined with their length at the wing position meant that UConn would play a fast and fun style that could build excitement for a 2013-14 tournament run.

And then Roscoe Smith decided to transfer.

By itself the move isn't the end of the world -- Smith was likely to be UConn's third- or maybe fourth-best player next year -- but it was entirely unexpected and almost equally inexplicable. This isn't Andre Drummond or Jeremy Lamb, two lottery picks who we expected to leave even before it became clear that UConn wouldn't play in next year's tournament. Nor is it Michael Bradley, a never-used bench player leaving because of medical issues. It's not Alex Oriakhi either, who transferred in a unique situation that would let him avoid missing a year of competition.

No, this is a player who was a lock to be a starter next year and the year after. But now he's leaving and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. Roscoe Smith could play, he really could. He was a key member of UConn's best lineup last year (Boatright, Napier, Lamb, Smith and Drummond) and whenever he was allowed to act as an undersized power forward he flourished. I have no reason to believe he wouldn't have continued to do so.

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Roscoe Smith to Transfer - Connecticut News
Smith’s impending exit deals another crippling blow to UConn’s depleted frontcourt, which has already lost Alex Oriakhi to transfer – he committed to Missouri Friday – and freshman Andre Drummond to the NBA Draft. Reserve big man Michael Bradley also filed for transfer, leaving Tyler Olander as the only post player with significant experience.

UCONN FOOTBALL: Summer questions- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut
Who’s the quarterback?: The coaching staff insists none of the five in contention did enough to claim the job outright this spring. But it’s hard to believe Juco transfer Chandler Whitmer doesn’t have the inside track on the job after his performance in the Blue-White scrimmage Saturday.

Blue-White Game: In UConn's Blue-White spring football game, the crowd saw some good things - Courant.com
As expected, the defense was outstanding. The two defensive units gave up a total of 287 yards. Sophomore linebacker Yawin Smallwood led the White team with seven tackles and Stevenson led the Blue with 10 and the two picks.

Chris Elsberry: Whitmer takes early lead in UConn QB derby - NewsTimes
The receiver, DeShon Foxx, had gone to the sidelines and then cut a couple of yards upfield. The cut was something Cochran didn't expect. His pass went straight out of bounds. It wasn't exactly the debut that everyone had been waiting for.

The Day - Pasqualoni takes it all in | News from southeastern Connecticut
Whitmer, who has three years of eligibility remaining, was 18-of-27 for 187 yards, while the other three quarterbacks (Scott McCummings missed the game with an injury) combined to complete only 14 of 38 passes for 132 yards and three interceptions.

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The headline the Hartford Courant pumped into my twitter feed this morning was hard to ignore: "NCAA Defends UConn ban; Rejects Arguments of Connecticut's Congressional Delegation." First of all, it's nice to see that the NCAA responded to an attention-grabbing political stunt with an even more pointless attention-grabbing political stunt. Unless there is a special Congressman-only appeals process I'm unaware of I'm not sure how the NCAA is in a position to "reject" anything.

But I digress. The real issue here is the NCAA's response, which comes courtesy of spokesman Bob Williams, who said that schools have known since 2006 that higher standards were coming so UConn should have been prepared. Here's Williams:

"Every other team at the University of Connecticut met the standard. Every other team in the entire Northeast did. So obviously the standard was well known and others met the standard. The real issue is the academic performance of the UConn men's basketball team."

In an expanded version of the same report Williams said that he understood UConn was disappointed, "but the process is inherently fair. They've essentially had since 2006 to ensure that their academic performance was above 900."

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that is complete and utter bullshit.

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UConn football: Running back D.J. Shoemate Is Leaving UConn - Hartford Courant
"I'm pretty easy about it and I've come to the realization," Shoemate said. "I've known for a couple of weeks now — maybe a month — that my college career as a football player would come to an end. I have a lot of peace in knowing that I will be getting my degree this spring and walking in the ceremony in May. I know I'm capable of many other things outside of playing football, so …"

UConn spring football -- Huskies ready for action
The Huskies, who are coming off a disappointing 5-7 campaign that left them bowl-less for the first time in five seasons, held their penultimate practice of the spring football season on Tuesday at the Mark Shenkman Training Center. The team will get together once more on Thursday and, on Saturday, the Huskies will split up into two groups for the annual Blue-White Game. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and, for the first time, will be televised by SNY-TV.

UCONN FOOTBALL: Ken Sweitzer among honorary captains for spring game- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut
Sweitzer is one of the most successful quarterbacks in UConn history. He was an Honorable Mention All-America pick in 1980 and ’81 and was the 1981 Yankee Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He remains fourth in school history in both total offense and passing yardage. He was also named to the 100th anniversary team. Sweitzer was also an All-Yankee Conference and All-ECAC punter and started his Husky career as a wide receiver before switching to quarterback as a junior. He is currently the owner of Sweitzer Insurance, LLC., in his native Madison.

Michael Bradley Update - UConn Basketball - Connecticut News
"Coach Calhoun has been working very hard to keep me at UConn and see if I can still visit my grandma," Bradley said Tuesday. "If that can’t happen, though, then I’d have to look at going somewhere else."

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WNBA Draft: UConn's Tiffany Hayes Picked By Atlanta Dream in 2nd Round of WNBA Draft - Hartford Courant
Hayes was taken by the Atlanta Dream as the second pick of the second round (14th overall), the Dream's first pick of the day. Atlanta is the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion.

Draft winners and losers - ESPN
• Atlanta: The Dream didn't need much and didn't have a first-round pick. But they got UConn guard Hayes with the second selection of the second round (No. 14 overall). Considering the successful history of UConn alums in the WNBA, Hayes could be a steal that low.

UConn roster for 2012 becomes clearer—for now - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News
So the program, according to The Courant’s tally, figures to have 12 scholarships and nine are accounted for: Olander, Wolf, Giffey, Napier, Boatright, DeAndre Daniels, Roscoe Smith, incoming freshman Omar Calhoun and, once he signs his letter of intent, Evans.

NFA grad R.J. Evans to suit up for UConn next season - Norwich, CT - The Bulletin
R.J.’s father, Ray Evans, said it’s the culmination of a quest that begin during spring break. The 6-foot-3 senior — who scored 111⁄2 points a game for the Crusaders last season — was out of academic options at Holy Cross. It does not offer graduate programs, which meant R.J. would have to work on some form of new academic major or minor, in addition to his economics degree if he had wanted to play for the Crusaders.

Chris Elsberry: Suck it up, UConn, take your punishment and be quiet - Connecticut Post
Everyone who has voiced an opinion over the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance's decision to deny UConn's second attempt for a waiver to make the men's team eligible for the 2013 NCAA tournament -- UConn president Susan Herbst, athletic director Warde Manuel, and especially you, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy -- just stop complaining and move on.

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UConn transfer Alex Oriakhi just told CBSSports he is headed to Missouri. Story coming soon.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) April 13, 2012

That tweet more or less sums it up, but former UConn center Alex Oriakhi will finish his career as a Missouri Tiger, according to CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman. I don't have much to add besides saying I'm happy for Alex. The move will reunite him with former AAU teammate Phil Pressey and I have maintained that the Tigers style of play, experienced backcourt and lack of front-court depth made Mizzou the perfect landing spot for AO. We wish him the best.