Tag: UConn

Justin Joly provides update on visiting Tennessee

UConn transfer tight end Justin Joly provides update on visiting Tennessee.

UConn sophomore tight end Justin Joly entered the NCAA transfer portal on Nov. 30.

Joly has two years of eligibility remaining.

The Vols offered a scholarship to Joly on Monday.

“After a great talk with Alec Abeln, I’m blessed to receive an offer from the University of Tennessee,” he announced.

On Thursday, Joly provided an update on his upcoming visit to Tennessee.

“I will not be going on an official visit to Tennessee this weekend, things have changed and my weekend is now open,” he announced.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound tight end recorded 74 receptions for 828 yards and four touchdowns from 2022-233 at UConn.

Tennessee defeated UConn, 59-3, on Nov. 4 at Neyland Stadium. Joly led the Huskies in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (89) against Tennessee.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football wears Summitt Blue against UConn

RJ Davis gives a positive spin about the loss against UConn

North Carolina Tar Heel RJ Davis gives a positive spin following the 87-76 loss against UConn.

Tuesday night did not go as planned for the UNC men’s basketball program, losing 87-76 to the national defending champions UConn.

The game was a battle of runs, with both teams having success throughout the game despite what the lopsided score suggests. One of those runs came from [autotag]RJ Davis[/autotag], who once again lit up the scoring sheet after finishing 26 points for his fourth straight game of 26 points or more.

After the frustrating loss, Davis spoke with the media about what went wrong, yet how he kept a positive mindset.

“We stuck around there, we were competing on both sides of the floor,” Davis said. “Sometimes the basketball doesn’t bounce your way. One thing I can take from this game is how resilient we are. It’s a lot of improvements and encouraging points that can be taken from this game. I know it’s a long season, and we have a lot of things to work on, but I think the things we have to work on are all positive things…”

Davis followed up about where the team stands nine games into the season.

“I think we are in a pretty good spot. We have a really good basketball team here, from the starters to the bench. We have everyone who contributes and so many different ways. In terms of improvement, I think of the little things. Talking on the defensive end, and taking care of turnovers, and getting back into our transition offense.”

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Huskies catch fire while Heels go cold in Jimmy V Classic

UConn was a great test to see how good UNC basketball was. The Tar Heels kept it close, but shooting woes doomed them in the second half.

Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden was the center of college basketball.

Florida Atlantic, Illinois, UConn and UNC took the hardwood for the annual Jimmy V Classic. FAU and Illinois faced off first, followed by a matchup between Carolina and the reigning NCAA Champions.

While UNC kept closing its second half deficit, its shooting woes ultimately doomed it in an 87-76 loss.

At this stage of the year, UConn was going to be a good gauge of how legit the Tar Heels were. Playing a good team like the Huskies is tough for anyone, but even the best teams are able to keep things close at times.

If you’re Carolina, the most exciting part of Tuesday night were the second-half runs that brought play within a couple possessions. UNC took advantage of a couple rare UConn misses, cashing in on layups, jump shots and getting to the line.

Yet every time the Tar Heels closed the gap, they couldn’t seem to make that one play needed to tie or take the lead. You can attribute this to the Huskies’ hot shooting, with them ending the night over 50 percent from the field.

Cam Spencer was arguably UConn’s best player, going 8-for-13 on field goals, 4-for-5 on free throws, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out a team-high six assists. Four of five Husky starters scored in double-digits and shot over 50 percent, with 7’2″ center Donovan Clingen being the lone exception.

Outside of R.J. Davis and Harrison Ingram, Carolina’s offense was anemic. Despite recording a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double, Armando Bacot only made 4-of-12 shots. Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan also suffered through his worst game in Tar Heel blue, making just 3-of-10 shots and missing all six attempts from deep.

Player of the Game

It’s got to be Harrison Ingram. The Stanford transfer was one of three Tar Heels to score in double figures (20 points), plus he led his team in 3-point percentage (3-for-4).

Best of all, Ingram was the only Tar Heel to shoot over 50 percent (8-for-13).

When Carolina was down by double-digits early in the second half, it seemed like Ingram was the guy who couldn’t miss. He was aggressive – but smart – when shooting the ball. He was at the glass for cleanups and drove the lane for easier baskets.

What’s next?

UNC has some time off for final exams, then heads down to the ATL for a battle with Kentucky, on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. ET in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats, coming off a home loss to UNC-Wilmington, will host Penn before taking on the Heels.

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Social media reacts to UNC’s frustrating loss to UCONN

Social media reacts to UNC’s frustrating 87-76 loss to UCONN, giving them their second loss.

The North Carolina men’s basketball program kicked off its first night in the Big Apple with a meeting against the defending national champions UConn, and it had social media jumping from the start.

After a fiery experience last season, playing in Madison Square Garden, including a Pete Nance bucket to force overtime, UNC found that same spark in Mecca this go-round with the energy oozing from the arena through television screens.

It was clear from the start that the refs would be watching this one closely, calling tick-for-tack calls that gave hoop fans a fit on social media. UConn’s Cam Spencer also grabbed the attention of fans, becoming the annoying little brother with 16 first-half points while yapping at UNC players.

[autotag]Armando Bacot[/autotag] met Spencer’s energy but received a tech in the process, making UNC fans more angry at the refereeing.

The second half was even more of a roller coaster, with UNC crawling back multiple times before frustratingly getting back down double digits. Despite the loss, UNC had some good moments, with [autotag]RJ Davis[/autotag] catching fire and leaving a positive outlook on UNC’s future.

From the good to the bad, let’s look at how social media reacted to UNC’s frustrating loss to UConn.

Tennessee offers UConn tight end Justin Joly

Tennessee offers UConn tight end Justin Joly.

UConn sophomore tight end Justin Joly entered the NCAA transfer portal on Nov. 30.

“I am entering the transfer portal with two years of eligibility,” Joly said.

Tennessee offered a scholarship to Joly on Monday.

“After a great talk with Alec Abeln, I’m blessed to receive an offer from the University of Tennessee,” Joly announced.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound tight end recorded 74 receptions for 828 yards and four touchdowns from 2022-233 at UConn.

Tennessee defeated UConn, 59-3, on Nov. 4 at Neyland Stadium. Joly led the Huskies in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (89) against Tennessee.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football wears Summitt Blue against UConn

READ: Updated Tennessee football NCAA transfer portal tracker

Report: Sam Presti, Nick Collison spotted at UConn vs. Kansas game

Report: Sam Presti, Nick Collison spotted at UConn vs. Kansas game.

The highest-anticipated college basketball game on Friday was the clash between No. 4 UConn at No. 5 Kansas.

The top-five ranked showdown featured Kansas collecting a 69-65 win over UConn. The game featured several highly-touted potential prospects for the 2024 NBA draft, including Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Alex Karaban and Kevin McCullar Jr.

Kansas came away with a 69-65 home win over UConn. The Jayhawks are now 7-1 on the season while the Huskies dropped to 7-1.

Such a talented game warrants a high turnout for NBA team representatives. That was the case as all 30 teams had at least one scout at the contest.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, this included general manager Sam Presti and front office member Nick Collison, who played his college ball at Kansas, per Yahoo’s Krysten Peek.

While the Thunder’s first-round pick likely won’t be in the lottery, they have several other ways to get in that range — including the LA Clippers’ unprotected first-round pick and the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick.

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Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron out ‘a few weeks’ with injury

We now know the extent of Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron’s injury, and it appears that we will see her again soon.

We now know the extent of Notre Dame guard [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag]’s injury, and it appears that we will see her again soon.

Late in the first quarter during the NBC broadcast of the Irish’s Shamrock Classic against Illinois in Washington, Citron was shown with her leg in a brace and elevated across multiple seats on the Irish’s bench. Fortunately, the situation doesn’t seem particularly dire as a rough prognosis for her return was given:

After the Irish finished a win, [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] gave a more specific update:

Given this timetable, we’ll see if Citron will be out for the remainder of nonconference play except for the Jan. 27 game at UConn. The Irish begin ACC play New Year’s Eve at Syracuse, so that seems to be far out enough that it could be a target date for Citron’s return. Hopefully, she’s back sooner, but this is not something you want to rush, especially with [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] dealing with her own similar injury.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Watch: Notre Dame gets big win over UConn in 2010

Remember this game?

Notre Dame’s season is about to begin, and it probably is going to be a rough one. So the only thing to do in this situation is look back on better times. In this case, let’s watch ESPN’s highlights of the Irish’s 58-50 victory over UConn in 2010, even though much of the clip talks about the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament bubble possibly bursting:

Indeed, the Irish’s victory in this Big East matchup was a big blow to the Huskies. More importantly, it improved the Irish’s NCAA Tournament resume, and they indeed made the Big Dance while the Huskies had to settle for the NIT.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the game is that the Irish won it without the injured [autotag]Luke Harangody[/autotag]. Instead, [autotag]Tory Jackson[/autotag] scored all but two of his 22 points in the second half to lead the way.

Even though it’s been 10 years since the Irish left the Big East, do you still miss it? This clip definitely might make you.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Josh Heupel recaps Nico Iamaleava’s performance against UConn

Josh Heupel recaps Nico Iamaleava’s performance against UConn.

Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava appeared in his third game this season for Tennessee against UConn.

Iamaleava completed 5-of-9 passing attempts for 86 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 25 yards on one attempt in the Vols’ 59-3 win.

“Just the way the season has unfolded, we haven’t had a lot of opportunities for some of the guys that are a little bit down on the depth chart or not starting to get some of that action,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “Nico went out, and I thought he handled all parts of the game really well for the most part. There were a couple of learning opportunities for him. I thought he was timely in using his feet and accurate with the football for the most part. There were a couple of things that he would want back, but a really solid performance from him.”

PHOTOS: Tennessee football wears Summitt Blue against UConn

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Josh Heupel discusses Dee Williams playing on offense

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discusses Dee Williams playing on offense.

Senior defensive back and returner Dee Williams appeared on offense in Tennessee’s, 59-3, win versus UConn on Saturday.

Williams recorded his first reception with the Vols, totaling 11 yards.

Third-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed Williams playing on offense against UConn.

“Planned on playing him last week, too,” Heupel said. “Just the way things unfolded, some of the structure stuff, weren’t prepared to get him in the game in the situations that we were in. He’s continued to grow and has a real grasp of a lot of what we’re doing offensively. The opportunity was there this week to play him and anticipate doing that forward, too.”

Williams has appeared in 18 games at Tennessee from 2022-23, totaling 168 kick return yards, 501 punt return yards, two punt return touchdowns, six tackles, one forced fumble and 11 receiving yards.

He transferred to Tennessee from East Central Community College ahead of the 2022 season.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football wears Summitt Blue against UConn

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire