The USA Today/ESPN Coaches' preseason poll was released today. Defending National Champions Tennessee led the way with 26 1st place votes followed by Connecticut, Rutgers, Maryland, and LSU to round out the Top 5.

USA Today/ESPN Preseason Poll:
1 Tennessee (26)
2 Connecticut (4)
3 Rutgers**
4 Maryland
5 LSU* (1)
6 Oklahoma
7 North Carolina*
8 Stanford*
9 Duke^
10 Georgia
11 Texas A&M
12 Arizona State
13 George Washington
14 California
15 Baylor
16 Ohio State
17 Vanderbilt
18 Michigan State
19 Florida State
20 Purdue*
21 Pittsburgh*
22 West Virginia*
23 Louisville*
24 Texas
25 NC State

*UConn opponent
^Potential UConn opponent (in Paradise Jam)

Wow!! I can't believe it's been exactly one year since I started this blog. Happy 1st Anniversary to ME!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Suprise! Suprise!! Connecticut was picked to win the 2007-08 Big East Conference Regular Season title in a poll voted on by the league coaches. Connecticut was the unanimous pick by all the coaches except for Geno (who can't vote for his own team--so he voted for Rutgers). Louisville's Angel McCoughtry was tabbed as the 2007-08 Preseason Big East POTY and Connecticut's Maya Moore was tabbed as the 2007-08 Preseason Big East FOTY. Eleven players were named to the 2007-08 Preseason All Big East Team including Connecticut's Charles and Montgomery and 3 were named honorable mention including Connecticut's Houston.

2007-08 Preseason Big East Poll:
1. Connecticut (15)
2. Rutgers (1)
3. West Virginia
4. Pittsburgh
5. Notre Dame
6. Louisville
7. DePaul
8. Marquette
9. South Florida
10. Seton Hall
11. St. John's
12. Villanova
13. Syracuse
14. Cincinnati
15. Providence
16. Georgetown

2007-08 Preseason All Big East Team:
Matee Ajavon, Rutgers, Sr., G
Charel Allen, Notre Dame, Sr., G
*Essence Carson, Rutgers, Sr., F/G
Tina Charles, Connecticut, So., C
Krystal Ellis, Marquette, Jr., G
*Angel McCoughtry, Louisville, Jr., F
Renee Montgomery, Connecticut, Jr., G
*Olayinka Sanni, West Virginia, Sr., C
Kia Vaughn, Rutgers, Jr., C
*Marcedes Walker, Pittsburgh, Sr., C
Shavonte Zellous, Pittsburgh, RS-Jr., G
* - unanimous selection

2007-08 Preseason All Big East honorable mention:
Allie Quigley, DePaul, Sr., G
Charde Houston, Connecticut, Sr., F
Kia Wright, St. John’s, Sr., G

Now that the 2007-08 WCBB season has officially started, here is MY 2007-08 Pre-season Top 25:

1. Tennessee
2. Connecticut
3. Rutgers**
4. LSU*
5. Maryland
6. Duke^
7. North Carolina*
8. Stanford*
9. Oklahoma
10. Texas A&M
11. Arizona State
12. West Virginia*
13. George Washington
14. Pittsburgh*
15. Georgia
16. Baylor
17. Notre Dame*
18. Ohio State
19. California
20. Louisville*
21. Michigan State
22. Texas
23. Florida State
24. Vanderbilt
25. Purdue*

*UConn opponent
^Potential UConn opponent (in Paradise Jam)

The USA Senior National Team qualified for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with a victory in the gold medal game over Cuba, 101-71, in the 2007 FIBA Americas Tournament down in Valdivia, Chile. They were led by Diana Taurasi who had a double-double with 15 pts. and 12 rebs. and 18 pts. from Tina Thompson. Sue Bird (5 pts. & 3 asts.) and Swin Cash (2 pts. & 2 rebs) were also members of the team.

7 of 12 spots taken for 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics:
(August 8-24, 2008)
Host - China
World Champion - Australia
Africa - Mali
America - United States
Asia - Korea
Europe - Russia
Oceania - New Zealand

Teams* in the 2008 Olympics Qualifying Tournament:
(June 9-15, 2008)
Africa (2) - Senegal & Angola
America (3) - Cuba, Brazil, & Argentina
Asia (2) - Japan & Chinese Taipei
Europe (4) - Spain, Belarus, Latvia, & Czech Republic
Oceania (1) - Fiji

*the Top 5 advance on to the olympic games

The 2007-08 SEASON has ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!

The Huskies will begin their quest for title #6 (and #1 for this group) tonight at UConn's First Night at 7:30pm in Gampel. A live webcast (paid subscription required) will be shown on the NEW Husky All-Access site (a free archive webcast will be available). The Husky All-Access site will televise post-game news conferences as well as the Nov. 6th Exb. Game vs. Div II National Champion Southern CT State Uni.

For Geno & Co. it will be business as usual, as the team focuses to get back to the Final 4 and of course, win the National Championship. This will be the last chance for the Seniors to make it past the Elite 8. The team held its annual Media Day on Wed., and Geno says McLaren has made to most remarkable change of anyone, Dixon is faster than lightning (she broke Abrosimova's mile run record), Charles physically looks great after offseason shoulder surgery, and Houston is getting herself geared up for a big finish!!!

In recruiting news, Geno is showing no signs of letting up on the rest of the country by taking a visit down to Sugarland, Texas to pay a visit to the #1 prospect in the 2009 class, 6'6 C Kelsey Bone. While it was exciting for her and her mother that Geno showed up in person, her mother (Kim Williams) admits that her daughter will go through all the steps of the recruiting process with her eyes wide open and there is no favorite in sight.

And here's a closer look at rest UConn seems to be focusing in on for 2009 (which will have 4 scholarships open).

Congratulations Phoenix Mercury and of course Diana Taurasi (and Kelly Schmaucher) for winning the 2007 WNBA Championship!!! The former UConn great DT along with Finals MVP Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers) and 2006 WC MVP Penny Taylor (Australia) led the Mercury to their 1st Championship and in lightning-quick, dramatic fashion.

Bad News Alert!! :( UConn-commit Caroline Doty tore her ACL playing in a H.S. soccer game and will come up to Connecticut to have surgery late in October. You can hear the disappointment in her words, but she's a fighter. Her focus now is her freshman year at UConn. Good Luck CD!! Take your time and come back stronger and better.

THE BIGGEST NEWS OF THE YEAR:

The #1 Recruit in the country for the 3rd year in a row has just verbally committed to play for the UConn Huskies. 6'4 SF Elena Delle Donne will follow Tina Charles and Maya Moore to the Storrs campus and make her debut in the blue and white in the Fall of 2008. EDD says she plans on rooming with longtime teammate and friend UConn-commit 5'10 SG Caroline Doty. She chose UConn over Tennessee, Middle Tenn State, and Villanova. Welcome to Storrs, EDD!!!!

BUT.....

She wasn't the only big name recruit to verbal to the Huskies over the weekend. In-state recruit and reigning CT H.S. Player of the Year, 6'4 C Heather Buck, committed to UConn on Saturday. She chose UConn over Maryland, Stanford, and Holy Cross. Welcome to Storrs, Heather!!!!

The 2008 Recruiting class now sits at 4 with one scholarship left and an offer still on the table for 6'3 PF Chelsey Lee out of Miami, FL (an AAU teammate of UConn-commit 5'11 SG Tiffany Hayes). Lee will make her official visit to Storrs during the Huskies' First Night (Midnight Madness and the SuperShow rolled into one night) along with Hayes and Delle Donne.

Three Huskies donned the USA red, white, and blue jersey this summer and all 3 returned home with GOLD!!!

First, Seniors Mel Thomas and Charde Houston helped the USA Pan Am team to a gold medal in the 2007 Pan Am Games down in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Thomas averaged 8.3 ppg in 16 mpg off the bench in 3 games and Houston averaged 4.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg in 14 mpg off the bench in 4 games (although she did have one start).

Then Freshman Maya Moore led the USA Under 19 team to a gold medal in the 2007 Under 19 World Championships for Women in Bratislava, Slovakia. Moore averaged a team leading 16.3 ppg to go along with 6.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.9 spg, and 0.9 bpg in 23.2 mpg. In the gold medal game, Moore had 19 pts., 13 rebs., 6 asts., and 3 stls. (all game highs).

GO UCONN!!!! GO USA!!!!

I tried to stay away from the UConn-Tenn series ending drama for as long as possible, but the recent articles involving Tenn's allegied attacks at UConn's recruiting tactics have just plain P'd me off. In my honest opinion, I do NOT believe for ONE milla-Second that UConn did nor has done anything wrong in the recruiting battle for past and current un-named recruits (left un-named b/c I personally feel it is wrong to involve them by name even if some names have become public already). For whatever reason, Tenn has decided to not renew the series and they are the ones left with having to look at themselves in the mirrors every morning. It is a shame that women's college basketball as a whole will be damaged GREATLY FOREVER by this decision, but the decision has been made. Maybe the WCBB world will rally together and show their undeniable displeasure with this decision and call for some action.

SO I SAY TO ANYONE WHO READS THIS POST AND IS UPSET WITH THE DECISION TO END THE UCONN-TENN SERIES, SEND YOUR THOUGHTS........HERE!!!

Today, Houston and Thomas were named to the 2007 PanAm Games USA Basketball roster. They will compete down in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil starting on July 20th.

Injury update:

Charles progressing nicely from right shoulder surgery. Still no contact until August. Continuing to work with the left hand.

In UConn recruiting news, Elena DelleDonne has cut her list down to 4. She has also decided to take a 2-month hiatus from the competitive basketball world (which by the way I think should be mandatory for all competitive athletes throughout their respective careers, to decrease injury and burnout as well as increase passion and commitment for their sport - SO KUDOS TO YOU EDD!!!). The Final 4 schools still in the running for the Phenom's services are Connecticut, Middle Tenn State, Tennessee, and Villanova. All have been kindly asked by EDD to not contact her at all during this 2-month period or they risk jeopardizing her decision to attend their school.

AND DONE!!!

The perennial UConn-Tenn game is OVER. No reason (as if any would be good enough) was given by Tennessee officials on why they decided NOT to renew the series contract. Also over, is the inaugurial ESPN Women's College Game Day that would have featured the game on ESPN instead of CBS. UConn will replace the series be renewing their series with SEC-rival LSU.

Seniors Houston and Thomas and incoming freshmen Moore and Dixon have been invited to the USA Basketball trails in Colorado Springs, CO May 17-20. Houston has a shot at the U21 and PanAm squads, Thomas the PanAm squad, and Moore and Dixon will fight for spots on the U19 squad. Rumor has it Montgomery and Greene declined invites for unspecified reasons.

Also, Geno Auriemma, Connecticut was just named the Vice President of the WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) under President Sherri Coale, Oklahoma for 2 years beginning in August 2007 upon which he will succeed Coale and become (only the 3rd male) President for 2 years beginning in August 2009.

Most of the 2007-08 UConn Schedule has been released...the Huskies will open with a home meeting against Stony Brook on Nov. 11th. They will also play an exhibition game against the newly crowned but coachless D-II Women's Basketball National Champions SCSU. The annual Rutgers home and away rivalry will continue for the 3rd straight year in the New Big East.

Just one more honor for Mrs. Maya Moore...

Today she was named (Suprise, Suprise!!!) 2006-07 USA Today National H.S. Player of the Year and 1st team All USA Today. Her coach Tracy Tipton won Coach of the Year as well. UConn recruit Elena DelleDonne comes in at a surprising member of the 3rd team (I think everyone expected her to be higher...I think her team's record may have played a part and the fact that she's only a junior...not that either were justifiable reasons).