Tag: UConn Huskies

Big 12 dangled the carrot for UConn, just like they did with Gonzaga

The Big 12 paused conference expansion talk with UConn, just like they did one year ago with the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The UConn Huskies and Big 12 mutually agreed to pause conversations about having the back-to-back men’s basketball national champions join the conference, according to a press release from commissioner Brett Yormark.

As commissioner, it is my responsibility to explore a variety of value-creating opportunities on behalf of the Big 12. Following detailed discussions with my conference colleagues alongside UConn leadership, we have jointly decided to pause our conversations at this time. We will instead focus our attention and resources to ushering in this new era of college athletics.

UConn athletic director David Benedict released a statement as well, seeming to contradict the idea that the decision was mutual:

“Undoubtedly, many of you have followed recent media reports about the Big 12’s renewed interest in UConn as a conference member. It is always our objective to put UConn in the very best position for future success, so we did engage in exploratory dialogue with the Big 12. Ultimately, the Big 12 determined that it will pause on conversations about membership expansion.”

If this story looks familiar, it is because the sequence of events is eerily similar to what happened almost exactly one year ago between the Big 12 and the Gonzaga Bulldogs out of the WCC.

Gonzaga and the Big 12 engaged in conversation, Yormark publicly made it clear he believes Gonzaga is a value add to the conference, the talks seemed to progress quickly, and then ultimately fell apart with enough backlash from voting parties who wanted to first focus on integrating the eight new programs added over the past two years before adding again.

Does this mean the Big 12 will never accept UConn, or Gonzaga? Not necessarily, but there are enough dissenters within the conference presidents and athletic directors to keep this from happening in the short term.

Yormark tried and failed to make Gonzaga a member in 2023, getting feedback that the timing was too soon, and tried again a year later hoping an even bigger brand – in a more appealing market coming off back-to-back national titles and with a football program, albeit a bad one – would generate the necessary votes to expand.

No go once again, and now the wait continues for both the Zags and Huskies.

Can UConn Huskies stun Big Ten opponent in Week 1?

The Maryland Terrapins should secure a Week 1 victory over Jim Mora and the UConn Huskies in College Park.

The UConn Huskies head out on the road on Saturday to take on the Maryland Terrapins. The Huskies, one of the few remaining independents in the sport, come into the year following a 3-9 season in 2023. The Huskies won their season finale over UMass to grab their third win.

For Maryland out of the Big Ten they went to a bowl game a season ago and took down Auburn, 31-13, in Nashville to wrap up the season. Maryland finished the year at 8-5.

This game is slated to be played at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland. FS1 is scheduled to air the affair. The last time these two teams met was back in 2013 when Maryland won the game by 11.

Huskies Seeking Road Upset

It will certainly be a tall task for the Huskies in College Park. Led by head coach Jim Mora, UConn has four transfers starting on offense, including two receivers and quarterback Nick Evers. The head coach is 9-16 at UConn, so finding a turnaround is much needed for his job.

Evers, the former Wisconsin signal-caller, was named the starter earlier this week over Joseph Fagano. Fagano passed the ball 35 times behind Ta’Quan Roberson last season. The top targets are newcomers Skyler Bell and TJ Sheffield, along with Brett Buckman.

One of the joys of being an independent is scheduling. The Huskies will host Merrimack next week, and then go on the road at Duke. UConn then plays six straight home games, leading to three straight on the road to end the season.

Terrapins Looking to Build off 8 Win Season

The eight wins in 2023 was a feather in the cap for head coach Mike Locksley. His pro style offense will feature a new signal caller this fall though with Billy Edwards Jr in the mix. His top targets Octavian Smith, Tai Felton, and Kaden Prather all return.

Edwards Jr. is taking over for Taulia Tagovailoa, who tossed 25 touchdowns last season. Edwards made just 30 passes. Felton is the top receiver returning with 732 yards and leading the team with six touchdowns. Prather was next with five.

Roman Hemby returns. He is one of the more talented running backs in the Big Ten. Hemby rushed 142 times for 680 yards a season ago. Look for him to be involved early and often in this offense.

College Sports Wire Score Prediction

Maryland should handle this one with no problems.  Hemby is going to get a big-time workload for Coach Locksley’s squad. The Huskies are going to have a tough time slowing him down. The Terrapins are not going to need to throw the ball a ton. When push comes to shove, the Terrapins win this game easily.

Our College Sports Wire score prediction for this game is Maryland 34-13 over UConn.

UConn in talks with Big 12 in latest conference realignment rumors

The Big 12 is looking once again to expand, targeting the back-to-back national champion UConn Huskies for conference realignment.

Things appear to be heating up between the back-to-back national champions in College Basketball and the Big 12 Conference.  Friday, the UConn Huskies and the Big 12 were in talks about possible membership.

While the agreement would be for all sports, the big news would come in men’s and women’s basketball, where the Huskies have been the class of college basketball for a long time.

The talks were between UConn athletic director David Benedict and Big 12 athletic directors. While no agreement has been made, and no details on the talks have been disclosed, one high-ranking Big 12 official had this to say:

I think the word is ‘premature’. There’s a far distance between conversations and anything that would happen. The presidents haven’t seen the case yet.

The initial talks say the move for football would not start until the 2031 season. This would give the program an opportunity to “catch up” when it comes to terms with other Big 12 schools, and through NIL.

The Huskies have a strong presence in the New York City area and most of the East Coast. This would give the Big 12 its first real presence on the East Coast. Currently, the Big 12 has 16 teams with Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State joining this season.

Stay tuned. If this story is anything like other conference mergers, this could move quickly, and next thing you know the Huskies and Jayhawks are battling it out on the court twice a season!

UConn star Paige Bueckers lands first of its kind NIL deal with Unrivaled

Paige Bueckers becomes the first college athlete with an ownership stake in a professional sports league in first of its kind NIL deal.

Although she likely would have been among the top players selected in the 2024 WNBA draft, Paige Bueckers opted to return to UConn and run it back for another season and a chance to win a national championship.

It helps that her earning potential through NIL is significant as one of the faces of college basketball, and already the star guard signed a first-of-its-kind deal with the new Unrivaled Basketball league.

Bueckers’ deal makes her the first college athlete with ownership equity in a professional league, and she is expected to play in the Unrivaled league as well as the WNBA after her college career comes to a close, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Unrivaled is a three-on-three women’s basketball league set to begin play in January of 2025. It features 30 players on six teams and was founded by former UConn teammates Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier as an alternative for WNBA stars to stay in the country and play during the offseason – rather than going overseas.

“It’s the ability for players to stay home, to be in a market like Miami where we can just be the buzz and create that with the best WNBA players,” Stewart told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “We can’t keep fighting [the WNBA’s prioritization rule]. It is a rule that takes away our choices, which should never be a thing, especially as women, but it is still a rule.”

Unrivaled plans to offer the “highest average salary in women’s professional sports league history” and has already received financial investments from the likes of Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe.

Bueckers, a two-time Big East Player of the Year, has led UConn to the Final Four three times with one national championship appearance in 2022.

Two time national champion point guard signs with Indiana Pacers

Former UConn Huskies point guard Tristen Newton inks two-way deal with Indiana Pacers.

The Indiana Pacers inked former UConn Huskies guard Tristen Newton to a two-way contract on Saturday.

Newton was the 49th player selected in the 2024 NBA draft, joined in the draft class by fellow UConn starters Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, and Cam Spencer.

The 6’5 guard averaged 9.0 points, 4.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across five Summer League games, although he shot just 20% from the field and 18.2% from the three point line.

“Tristen Newton, tremendous [growth] from game one to game five,” Pacers summer league head coach Jannero Pargo said. “Understanding our offense more, playing more confident. Being able to call plays and run our sets and be more comfortable out there.”

Newton averaged over 15 points, six assists, and six rebounds in his final season with UConn, leading Dan Hurley’s team to back-to-back national championships as the primary ball-handler.

Now, his experience, winning mentality, facilitation, and positional rebounding skills will give Indiana additional point guard depth available throughout the season, although Newton will likely spend most of his time in the G League with the Mad Ants.

Duke basketball makes the top 10 for top-100 shooting guard Braylon Mullins

Duke basketball made the top 10 for newly offered four-star Braylon Mullins, a talented Class of 2025 sharpshooter from Indiana who keeps rising in the rankings.

Despite being the most recent team to offer four-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins, Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils clearly made a strong enough impression. Mullins released his top 10 schools on Monday and included Duke as he prepares to meticulously wrap up his recruitment.

Duke has watched Mullins play on multiple occasions over the spring and summer circuit, but the offer didn’t come until this past weekend. Mullins has been electric on the Adidas circuit, eviscerating defenders on the court with some electrifying performances. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound four-star sits at No. 73 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite Rankings, but the late riser very well may finish within the top 50 or higher when the rankings get updated. He’s already catapulted up to No. 23 on the 247Sports Rankings.

Alongside Duke, the caliber of schools recruiting Mullins is as impressive as it gets. The Connecticut Huskies, winners of the last two national championships, remain in hot pursuit. UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, and others have all put themselves into the running for Mullins.

Duke has yet to coordinate an official visit with Mullins but his father told On3’s Joe Tipton that plans were being made to schedule one. Mullins has scheduled official visits with the Tar Heels, the Wildcats, the Hoosiers, Michigan, and Tennessee.

Mullins would be a terrific shooting guard fit on Duke because of his ability to shoot the ball at an extremely efficient clip.

 

Donovan Clingan blocks five shots in first half in Summer League loss

Former UConn center Donovan Clingan is a shot blocking machine so far with Portland in the NBA Summer League.

Heading into Friday’s contest, former UConn star Donovan Clingan was averaging 4.3 blocks per game – the highest average in Summer League history.

‘Cling Kong’ wasted no time increasing that number, blocking five shots in the first half of Portland’s loss to Charlotte – once again looking like a dominant enforcer around the rim.

Clingan finally had an offensive breakout as well, scoring 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in his finest all-around performance as a pro.

The 7’2 big man from UConn also displayed an outside shot, knocking down a pair of threes on seven attempts as he works to add that versatility to his game ahead of his first NBA season.

Clingan was the seventh player selected in the 2024 NBA draft, and he heads to a Portland franchise that has an established starting center in DeAndre Ayton and a young, high-upside core of guards in Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons.

While Zach Edey drew most of the headlines for his excellent first Summer League game a few weeks ago, Clingan already looks like an All-Defensive caliber rim protector – and while his shooting percentages leave quite a bit to be desired, the way he moves without the basketball, his passing and screen setting skills, and developing outside shot give him sky-high potential.

Developing behind Ayton and growing with this young core in Rip City could be the perfect scenario for the native of Bristol, who has a very good chance of becoming the best NBA player in this draft class.

Texas basketball to host defending champs in home-and-home series starting in 2024

The back-to-back defending champion UConn Huskies will face the Texas Longhorns, with the first matchup coming on December 8 in Austin

Starting in the 2024-25 men’s basketball season, the Texas Longhorns and UConn Huskies will begin a home-and-home series. After winning back-to-back national championships they will face off with Texas with the first matchup coming on Dec. 8 in Austin. Almost a year later, Texas will travel to Storrs on Dec. 12, 2025.

When these two teams meet in December, Texas will seek revenge. The last time these two teams faced off occurred during the Empire Classic when the Huskies emerged with an 81-71 victory in the 2023-24 season. Alex Karajan led the way offensively for the Huskies with 15 points. Tyrese Hunter had 13 points and seven assists for Texas.

In the all-time series, the Huskies are 3-1 in Austin and 7-3 against the Longhorns overall. In the Huskies’ last visit to Texas in 2015, they won 71-66. For the Longhorns, this game will represent a prime opportunity to prove themselves against one of the best programs in the country.

As the Longhorns prepare for the 2024-2025 campaign, their non-conference schedule is full of exciting matchups. They will also play the Ohio State Buckeyes and NC State Wolfpack. However, their latest meeting with UConn is one that fans are circling on the schedule.

While the season is still months away, excitement is building for what the 2024-2025 season and non-conference play will bring.

UConn and Texas agree to home-and-home series starting in 2024

UConn and Texas will meet at home in each of the next two college basketball seasons, starting in Austin this December.

The back-to-back defending champion UConn Huskies have agreed to a non-conference home-and-home series with the Texas Longhorns, an elite matchup between two college basketball powerhouses.

The matchups are already set, with the first game taking place December 8, 2024 in Austin while the return game will be almost exactly one year later on December 12, 2025 in Storrs.

These two programs met last season in the Saatva Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden, with the Huskies securing an 81-71 victory behind 20 points from Alex Karaban and 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench from Samson Johnson.

UConn loves non-conference challenges, having played Kansas, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Alabama, Oregon, Iowa State, and Florida in the past two years alone.

Meanwhile, Texas is looking to spruce up the non-con as they transition into the SEC, where they will go from competing against Kansas, Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State to now facing Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and Florida.

The Huskies and Longhorns have met 10 times in total, with UConn holding a 7-3 advantage after last year’s victory.

Duke basketball offers 2025 shooting guard Braylon Mullins

Braylon Mullins is the latest 2025 player to receive an offer from Duke.

Duke’s 2025 high school recruiting board keeps taking shape as the Blue Devils extended another offer on Sunday, this time to shooting guard Braylon Mullins.

The newest recruiting target hails from Greenfield, Indiana, and plays his high school ball for Greenfield-Central High School. He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 180 pounds, and a terrific spring and summer have vaulted his stock through the roof. He started this offseason as the No. 94 prospect on 247Sports’ rankings, but offensive strides as a scorer (25.0 points per game last season) and a playmaker (3.2 assists) helped him rise all the way to No. 23 in the updated rankings.

His skill set at such a young age is worthy of praise and definitely contributed to his rise. He’s dominated the Adidas 3SSB Circuit and has seen the offers flood in from the nation’s best basketball programs, including Connecticut, North Carolina, and Indiana.

In an interview with Steve Clark of 247Sports, Mullins revealed that he already has eight official visits lined up. The list includes the Huskies, the Tar Heels, the Hoosiers, Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee, all of whom will eagerly await his arrival. These visits are not just a testament to Mullins’ talent but also a source of excitement for the basketball community, as they eagerly await his potential choices.

Duke’s interest in Mullins has been palpable this summer, with the Blue Devils watching him play on numerous occasions. While they hadn’t made an offer yet, it was clear that they were familiar with his game and were admirers of his skills. After another impressive weekend on the circuit, the Blue Devils finally made their move and offered Mullins on Sunday, adding to the anticipation of his potential recruitment.

Will Duke’s offer change things and have Mullins push the Blue Devils into the mix? We have no clue, but it should certainly give Mullins something to think about as he attempts to narrow down his recruitment ahead of his final year of high school.