A New Season and New Hope
The Story: The football team hosted its annual Media Day yesterday afternoon, with Randy Edsall and players addressing their hopes for the coming season with fall camp set to begin.
THOMAS DONE, BUT STILL GREAT NEWS: Senior linebacker Eli Thomas has fully recovered from a stroke suffered last year but, sadly, will not be cleared to play by UConn’s doctors, ending his playing career. Thomas is awaiting the birth of a child and his comeback from a near-death experience inspired his teammates. Elected one of the team’s captains this season, Thomas is going to stick around campus and the team and finish school. Good for him.
WHO WON’T BE AROUND: Cornerback Ryan Carroll and running back Kyhon Gillespie aren’t academically eligible this season. Carroll is the bigger loss as he made eight starts as a true freshman last season, and Gillespie, from Hartford, will essentially miss a second season after he missed nearly all of 2018 with a torn ACL. Also, freshman defensive end Jeff Woods, who enrolled in January, has left the program and will transfer. With all that attrition over the years, the Huskies have only five scholarship seniors on the team.
WHO WILL BE AROUND: The Huskies landed one more player for this season: Russell Dixon, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound wide receiver from Ottawa. Edsall said Dixon is expected to head to Storrs immediately and will join the team at the start of camp.
MORE CAPTAINS: Edsall named senior tight end Donovan Williams and junior safety Tyler Coyle captains this season, joining Thomas, senior right tackle Matt Peart and punter Luke Magliozzi, who is a 25-year-old sophomore.
EDSALL ON INDEPENDENCE: What did Edsall say about UConn going forward as an FBS independent beginning in 2020? Nothing. He isn’t going to talk about it and didn’t talk about it. His stance is going to make a lot of non-local reporters upset because that is going to be the story every week in the AAC.
“I’m not worried about 2020. I’m worried about 2019,” Edsall said. “That’s all I’m worried about. So you don’t even need to ask me any more questions about that. I’ve stated it too many times.”
Big Names Fill Men’s Hoops Schedule
The Story: The men’s basketball team’s non-conference schedule was released, with games against Indiana, Villanova and Florida on tap this season. And yes, we love that Villanova game and date. It’s kind of like a Big East preview.
THE SCHEDULE:
Fri., Nov. 8 – Sacred Heart
Wed., Nov. 13 – St. Joseph’s
Sun., Nov. 17 – Florida
Thu., Nov. 21 – vs. Buffalo (Charleston Classic)
Fri., Nov. 22 – vs. Xavier or Towson (Charleston Classic)
Sun., Nov. 24 – vs. TBD (Charleston Classic)
Sat., Nov. 30 – Maine
Wed., Dec. 4 – Iona
Tues., Dec. 10 – vs. Indiana (Jimmy V Classic at MSG)
Wed., Dec. 18 – Saint Peter’s
Sun., Dec. 22 – New Hampshire
Sun., Dec. 29 – NJIT
Sat., Jan. 18 – at Villanova
Morning Read
BENEDICT SPEAKS: Dave Benedict spoke with The Husky Insider Podcast about realignment, football independence and ESPN+. (The UConn Blog)
GOLDEN GIRLS: Sophomores Christyn Williams and Olivia Nelson-Ododa helped Team USA win a gold medal in the first three-on-three women’s basketball competition at the Pan-American Games. (Journal Inquirer)
BOATING IN SLOVENIA: Former UConn guard Ryan Boatright has signed with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, a new team in the Slovenian league, after spending last season in the G League and in Spain. (Cedevita Olimpija on Twitter)
WOMEN’S HOCKEY ADDS SEVEN: UConn signed seven newcomers to the women’s hockey program. (UConnHuskies.com)
