Smith: Huskies Are

Darius Smith has yet to visit the UConn campus, but he hopes to soon.

“Hopefully, after we win the title,” Smith said on Monday.

Smith can refer to the Huskies as “we,” because the 6-foot-2 combo guard out of Chicago has made a verbal commitment to UConn.

“Their coaching style and their playing style â€" it all just took me in,” said Smith, a senior at Marshall Metropolitan High. “They get up and down the court, and I’m that type of guy.”

UConn assistant coach Patrick Sellers was the lead man in Smith’s recruitment, making visits to see him play when the Huskies were in Milwaukee to play Marquette, among several other times.

“I thought he had a house out here,” Smith joked. “The little things Coach Sellers was doing: he’d come up to talk to me, or when he couldn’t even talk to me. His presence was felt.”

In addition to UConn, Smith was heavily recruited by Marquette, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Memphis, UCLA, Duke, Indiana and Missouri. His final five schools were Arizona State, Cincinnati, Duke, Memphis and UConn.

Allegations of illegal recruiting surrounding the UConn program were no bother to Smith. He said he’s comfortable that UConn won’t receive any harsh penalties.

Smith, who is ranked as the No. 21 shooting guard in the nation for his class by scout.com, averaged 23 points per game this season. He’s equally adept at point guard and shooting guard, but will likely be asked to fill the latter role at UConn. With Kemba Walker, the Huskies are pretty well set at the point.

“Whatever they need from h! im to wi n,” said Henry Cotton, Smith’s coach at Metropolitan Marshall who Smith refers to as “dad.” (Cotton and Smith’s mother, Sharon, are good friends).

“He’s a good defender,” Cotton added. “His defense creates his offense. He can create plays for himself and for others, that’s why he chose UConn. (And) you have to defend his shot at all times.”

Both Cotton and Smith said that Smith is already an academic qualifier. Smith said he wants to major in architecture.

Final Four Round-Up

Okay guys. Listen up. We have visitors coming. For one weekend, JUST ONE WEEKEND, can you little brats just shut your mouths and stay in your rooms so our guests can believe that we are an actual real city? That we are civilized, even? Barbara, I WILL take that tiara away. Don't push me. Monica, I will have that flight turned right back around and take you right straight BACK to Jerusalem or Venezuela or Lithuania or wherever it was you went to on the city's dollar for "research." Only this time you're flying COACH. Yeah, I said it.

As for the rest of you, we're going to need you on your BEST behavior for our guests. For just ONE weekend, we are going to stand together and act like a REAL GODDAMN FAMILY. Afterwards, mommy will go back to screwing the married politician and daddy will go back to taking generous "gifts" from the city and little Johnny will go back to petty theft and vandalism, but just for this ONE WEEKEND, let's sweep it all under the carpet, m-kay? I knew I could count on you.

(Don't worry, you'll get your chance to get slobberingly drunk and act like fools on April 10th--Opening Day, the third biggest drinking holiday in Detroit.)

Friday, March 27th

Know Before You Go Final Four Bar Tour

The NCAA Final Four is fast approaching so be sure to “Know Before You Go” with Inside Detroit’s Basketball Bar Bounce Bar Tour on Friday, March 27 from 8:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m. The tour will start at Bookies Bar & Grille located at 2208 Cass Avenue.

The ‘Know Before You Go’ Series was designed to help people feel more comfortable about coming into the city for a large event. The series has become one of Inside Detroit’s most popular tours because participants get to meet the owners and staff of each at each stop and enjoy exclusive shot and drink specials.

“We chose to begin at Bookies Bar & Grille because the NCAA designated them official fan bar of the Eas! t Region al team that advances to the Final Four, and it’s their Grand Opening Party.” said Jeanette Pierce.

Other bars on the tour are: Beaubien Street Saloon, Anchor Bar and Park Bar.

Tickets for the “Know Before You Go” tour can be purchased in advance for $15 or for $20 the day of the event. All tour participants must be 21 years of age or older.

Inside Detroit has hosted its "Know Before You Go" Series for other major events with the most recent one being a St. Patrick’s Day Bar Tour that brought 30 people to Corktown. Other events have included America’s Thanksgiving Parade, Winter Blast, Auto Show and the World Series. In total over the three years of this series hundreds of people have participated.

Inside Detroit Tours & Outings is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. They offer the Downtown Highlights Tour which offers a chance to see and learn about major landmarks, new development and great historical sites. These tours take place every Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for $10 per person. Inside Detroit also offers the Downtown Entertainment Tour every Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for $10 per person.

For more information about the tours or to schedule a personalized tour visit http://www.insidedetroit.org/, call 313-268-6562 or stop into Inside Detroit’s Downtown Welcome Center located at 1253 Woodward Avenue between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Where: Bookies Bar & Grille (start), Detroit
When: 8:00PM-midnight
Tix: $15.00 advance, $20.00 same day
http://www.insidedetroit.org/

Wednesday, April 1st

Hoop it Up Flash Mob

Detroit Synergy and Inside Detroit have the inside scoop (of course!) on when the basketball teams will be arriving at their hotels, and the folks on the pla! nning co mmittee want to make sure that they feel welcomed when they arrive. When their arrival times and locations are announced, you’ll receive an email telling you when and where to show up.

Come on down, whoop it up, cheer on the team, wave a sign and then clear out. That’s it. That’s a flash mob. There’s no obligationâ€"come if you can; if not, no worries.
Send an email with the subject line “flash mob” to info@insidedetroit.org to sign up today!

http://www.detroitsynergy.org/



Friday, April 3rd
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Sneaker Project at the YMCA

In conjunction with the NCAA 2009 Men’s Final Four tournament weekend, The Boll Family YMCA will host its second annual multi-media basketball exhibit, called The Sneaker Project. The four-day event opens Friday, April 3 at 6PM with a reception and runs through Monday, April 6, and celebrates the influence of the sneaker in basketball, design, and as a major cultural influence with today’s youth.

This year’s event also includes an exhibit on the YMCA as the birthplace of basketball and highlights 100 years of creative sneaker design, with sneaker collectors and designers from around the country. Visitors to the exhibit will be able to see a pair of original Chuck Taylor shoes from the early 1900s, a collection of all 23 Air Jordans, a group collection of rare and collectible sneakers owned by local sneaker freaks and win a pair of Dwayne Wade signature shoes.

“What was once strictly a functional shoe has penetrated into all! facets of mainstream America,” explains Gillian Eaton, executive director of Y Arts Detroit. “More than a work shoe, athletic shoes are a major fashion statement. The involvement of artists and designers in customizing sneakers has extended the creative possibilities of the form both on the court and the street.”

In collaboration with the College for Creative Studies, the Boll Family YMCA will also showcase sneakers designed by CCS students. During the fall 2008 semester interdisciplinary design teams consisting of Product Design, Graphic Design and Photography students worked to create innovative basketball shoes for several Michigan-based schools. Nike's Studio Director, Ginny Hopkirk and Global Basketball Design Manager Ron Wright worked closely with the students throughout the project. The final shoe concepts were inspired by the team dynamics, rituals, geographic location, local culture, team history and goals.

With the purchase of a $5 raffle/entry ticket, attendees can win sports memorabilia, meet sneaker collectors, learn about the YMCA as the birthplace of Basketball, get information about shoe design as a career and watch a display of 3-D Shoemaker. Proceeds from the four-day event benefit the YMCA Strong Kids Program. The exhibit will be open from 6PM to 10PM on Friday April 3rd and 12 noon to 5PM on April 4th 5th and 6th

The Boll Family YMCA is located at 1401 Broadway in Detroit, Next to the Broadway People Mover station and just two blocks from FORD FIELD.

For further information call 313-223-2751
Where: Boll Family YMCA, Detroit
When: 6:00PM-10:00PM Friday, noon-5:00PM Saturday-Monday
Tix: $5.00
http://www.ymcametrodetroit.org/

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Monroe Street Madness

Happening all weekend long in Detroit's historic Greektown, this will be Detroit's biggest block party. A daily line up of bands, DJs, food &a! mp; drin k will fuel this four day festival! Watch the games on our 20'' Screen! Ticket giveaway to the Final Game!

* April 3rd, 5:00pm - 2:00am, SPIRIT OF `76 & Guest DJS
* April 4th, 12:00pm - 2:00am, THE REEFERMAN & 95.5 BOMB SQUAD DJS
* April 5th, 5:00pm - 2:00am, SPONGE wsg ASHES OF SOMA & THE DIRTY AMERICANS
* April 6th, 3:00pm - 12:00am, BANDS & DJS

Where: Monroe Street in Greektown

When: See above
Tix: $5.00 per day, $20.00 weekend pass
http://www.monroestreetmadness.com/


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THE BIG DANCE

The Big Dance® is a multi-day music and entertainment event held in conjunction with the Final Four tournament in Detroit. Riverfront is located just east of the Renaissance Center.

Dates: April 3-5
Location: Detroit Riverfront (Just east of the GM headquarters)
Tickets: FREE

Schedule:
Friday, April 3
AT&T Block Party
An evening of live music, food and festivals brought to you by AT&T.
Hours: 6-10:30 PM

Saturday, April 4
Big Dance Saturday
An evening of live music, food and festivals.
Hours: 11 AM - 11 PM

The Pussycat Dolls - Their first album PCD achieved worldwide success, debuting at No. 5 on the U.S Billboard 200 Chart, and produced the No. 1 hit "Don't Cha" and Grammy-nominated "Stickwitu." The Dolls' 2008 follow up, Doll Domination, included hits "When I Grow Up" and "I Hate This Part."
Gavin DeGraw â€" In a few short years, this musician has become on! e of tod ay's premier singer-songwriters. He's done it the old-fashioned way â€" on the merits of his creative abilities, perseverance and a healthy, homegrown perspective. He has established himself as a magnetic voice in popular music and is best known for hit songs, "Chariot," "In Love With a Girl," "Follow Through," and "I Don't Want to Be."

Sunday April 5 - Fergie headlines and Seacrest Hosts
My Coke Festâ„¢
An evening of live music, food and festivals brought to you by Coca Cola®.
Hours: 2 - 9 PM

Emceed by Ryan Seacrest, My Coke Fest will culminate with headliner and popular music diva, Fergie, who will showcase her singular blend of pop, hip hop, and R&B. First gaining musical fame as vocalist for the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie's solo debut album, The Dutchess, produced five top 5 singles (two of which, "London Bridge" and "Big Girls Don't Cry," went to No. 1) making her just the seventh female artist to achieve that feat. As part of the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie has contributed to three Grammy Award winning songs, including "Let's Get it Started." Also featuring Staind, Gym Class Heroes, Janelle Monáe, and Parachute.


Saturday, April 4th

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Final Four Presents the Official Playboy Party

Final Four Special Event is the official Playboy EnergyParty of the Final Four. Hosting the event are Playmates of the Year Kara Monaco (2006) along with 5 of her Playmate friends, Jessica Burciaga (Miss February 2009), Tiffany Selby (Miss June 2007), Lindsay Wagner (Miss November 2007),and 2008 Cyber girl of the year Jo Garcia. Speci! al guest DJ of the night is Playboy model DJ Kay Jay. The highlight of the night will be the Bikini Fashion Show with 20 of the sexiest models in the United States. Don’t miss the acrobat ceiling performers, amazingMiami go-go Dancers and the Metromix Dance Hall. A limited number of tickets will be available to the public.

Where: South Beach Ultra Lounge, Detroit

When: 9:00PM-2:00AM

Tix: $25.00

http://www.finalfourpresents.com/

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An American Dream of Michigan Athletes

What: An upscale charity event hosted by Jimmy King of the Fab Five benefiting the Charles H. Wright Museum. Come join us as we celebrate some of the greatest athletes that have transpired from Michigan collegiate and professional sports for one evening that is sure to go down in history. The Sounboard inside the Motor City Casino Hotel will be transformed into a club-like atmosphere with various surprises happening throughout the evening. Please note that the venue will open at 6:00 PM for you diehard basketball fans to be able to watch the games on the three Big Screens in the comfortable leather seating in the Mezzanine of the Soundboard. For those of you that wish to watch the basketball games will have an opportunity to leave the venue to change your clothes for the evening.

Festivities Include:
Highlights of the Greatest Moments of Collegiate & Professional Sports
A Silent Auction

Special invited guests include: Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings and many more.

Dress Attire: Dressed to Impress, No Jeans, No Athletic Gear, No Boots or Tennis Shoes

Where: Sound Board inside Motor City Casino

When: 6:00PM-2:00AM

Tix: $40.00 general, $60.00 VIP, $400.00 VIP booth
(All tickets include strolling buffet)

http! ://www.n eptix.com/

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Dance After the Big Dance

Dance! After the Big Dance: Final Four After Party: presented by Six Degrees & Vital Productions at The Andiamo Champions Club (formerly Asian Village). Join us for 1 night only as we re-open The Andiamo Champions Club, formerly the hotspot Asian Village. Overlooking the waterfront, with numerous celebrity performances and appearances directly adjacent, this event promises to be Metro Detroit's and the Final Four's Premier Social Event!

For table/bottle service reservations please contact Dawna at 248.566.4499 or info@vital2u.com

Where: Andiamo Champions Club (formerly Asian Village), Detroit

When: 9:00PM-2:00AM

Tix: $15.00

http://www.vital2u.com/

On To The Sweet 16....Hits and Misses (Part 1)

The first two rounds of the women's NCAA Basketball Tournament were a surprise on several fronts, the most obvious being while the men's tournament held few upsets, and all of the one and two seeds held for the men, in the women's side it was a different story.

So...let's do, ladies first.

On Monday seventh seeded Rutgers beat the two seed Auburn, and the fifth seed Purdue knocked off (3) North Carolina, while (4) Pitt was given a scare by Gonzaga, but won....and last night (1) Oklahoma had all they could handle from (9) Georgia Tech in the Oklahoma City Region.

The Raleigh Region held true with numbers one through four Maryland, Baylor, Louisville, and Vanderbilt (with Baylor winning squeakers in both opening rounds), and the Trenton Region had (who else?) (1)UCONN, (2) Texas A&M, and (4) Cal advancing, while second seed FSU was eliminated by (6)Arizona State.

But the biggest bracket buster OF bracket busters was the Berkeley Region. Though Tennessee was only a five seed, there was still reason to believe that Pat Summitt would find a way to get the Lady Vols into the Sweet Sixteen. Upstart Ball State, in their first NCAA Tournament, knocked Tennessee out in the first round. Yesterday, while Ball State was preparing for its game with (4) Iowa State ( who beat Ball State 71-57), Tennessee was back in Knoxville, having a practice, preparing for next year. But there was! more... (9) seed Michigan State used a suffocating defense and a home court advantage to beat (1) Duke. This was the first time a nine seed had advanced to the Sweet Sixteen since 1998, and it was MSU head coach Suzy Merchant's (pictured above) first trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Third seed Ohio State and (2) Stanford advanced...and the Cardinal should be a favorite to advance to the Final Four in consecutive years, with the next two rounds being held in their backyard.

Overall, I picked 12 of 16....Berkeley was my worst bracket, I picked both Tennesee and Duke to be there in the field of 16, as well as North Carolina (Oklahoma City) and Florida State (Trenton).

Here's the matchups for Saturday and Sunday.

• RALEIGH: SATURDAY
No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 2 Baylor (ESPN, noon)
No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 1 Maryland (ESPN, 2)

• BERKELEY: SATURDAY
No. 9 Michigan St. vs. No. 4 Iowa St. (ESPN, 9)
No. 3 Ohio St. vs. No. 2 Stanford (ESPN2, 11:30)

• TRENTON: SUNDAY
No. 4 California vs. No. 1 UConn (ESPN, noon)
No. 6 ASU vs. No. 2 Texas A&M (ESPN2, 2:30)

• OKLAHOMA CITY: SUNDAY
No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 6 Purdue (ESPN2, 7:30)
No. 4 Pitt vs. No. 1 Oklahoma (ESPN2, 9:30)

My Picks-

No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 2 Baylor - LOUISVILLE
No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 1 Maryland- MARYLAND
No. 9 Michigan St. vs. No. 4 Iowa St- MICHIGAN STATE
No. 3 Ohio St. vs. No. 2 Stanford - STANFORD
No. 4 California vs. No. 1 UConn - UCONN
No. 6 ASU vs. No. 2 Texas A&M - ARIZONA STATE
No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 6 Purdue - RUTGERS
No. 4 Pitt vs. No. 1 Oklahoma- OKLAHOMA

OK....lets see how not smart I am!

Unbeaten UConn earns No.1 overall seed for NCAAs

Connecticut's quest for the fifth perfect season in NCAA history will begin at home.

The undefeated Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament Monday night and will open against Vermont at Storrs.

Nine teams have entered the NCAA tournament unbeaten; only four have emerged unscathed. UConn and coach Geno Auriemma were the last in 2002.

Auriemma said he's not worried about the bulls-eye on his team's back.

"We don't care who we play. We don't care where we play," Auriemma said. "We don't care what time we play. I'm anxious to get started, and I know our players are as well."

Oklahoma, Maryland, and Duke earned the other three No. 1 seeds. The Sooners are in the Oklahoma City regional, the Terrapins are headed to Raleigh and the Blue Devils will make the cross-country trek to Berkeley.

Tennessee also extended its run as the only team to make every NCAA tournament but earned a No. 5 — its lowest seed ever, creating a tough road to a third consecutive title.

The Final Four is scheduled for the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on April 5 and 7. When the city last hosted the championship in 2001, UConn lost in the semifinals.

The Huskies (33-0), who have run through their opponents this season winning by an average of 31 points, will be looking for their sixth national championship. A potential second-round opponent for UConn is former assistant coach Tonya Cardoza and Temple. The Owls must beat Florida to meet the Huskies.

If the Huskies advance to the regionals, they'll take a trip down I-95 to Trenton where California, Texas A&M or Florida State could be waiting. The Seminoles lost to UConn by 12 in the Caribbean Classic.

One team UConn won't play until at least the Final Four would be Tennessee.

Coach Pat Summitt said she was not surprised her 22-10 team received a No. 5 seed. The team also took 10 losses into the tournament in 1997, grabbing a No. 3 seed and winning the title.

Tennessee's previous lowest seed was fourth — in 1986, and the team has advanced to the regional semis every season.

The Lady Vols have been a fixture atop the bracket since the first NCAA tournament in 1982. They've earned a top seed 19 times, a No. 2 seed four times and a No. 3 seed three times.

Not this time.

"For once in a long time, we're not the top dog. We're the underdog," Summitt said. "They have nothing really to lose and everything to gain in laying it all on the line."

They'll play Ball State in their opener Sunday.

Duke's a No. 1 seed for the third time in the past four seasons and potentially must beat No. 2 Stanford in the regional finals to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2006. The Blue Devils play Austin Peay in the first round at Michigan State — coach Joanne P. McCallie's former school. She could meet up with the Spartans in the second round if they can beat Middle Tennessee State.

"I don't know if that's some drama by the committee," McCallie said. "For us, it's about us and what we want to accomplish and do. We finally have an opponent, and that's our one concern, the one opponent we have."

If all goes right, Duke could face former coach Gail Goestenkors and Texas in the regional finals.

In that same Berkeley regional Stanford will play UC Santa Barbara in the Cardinal's opener. The Cardinal were a No. 2 seed last season and knocked off Maryland in the regional final before getting to the title game.

Despite having two players taken in the first round of the WNBA draft last season, the Terps earned their top seed in the Raleigh regional after winning the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles. Maryland (28-4), which won the national title in 2006, will face Ivy League champion Dartmouth on Sunday at home in the opening round.

Maryland is one of 12 teams that will be playing its opening round game on its own court or very close to home. The field went back to 16 first and second round sites for the first time since 2004, when it set an attendance record.

"We keep everything in mind with the economy and travel for teams," women's basketball committee chair Jacki Silar said. "One of our principles is to try to keep our teams as close to home as possible. This was no different from years past. The committee spends a great deal of time of aligning teams as close to their campuses as possible."

Tournament newcomer South Dakota State will have a bit of a trip heading down to Lubbock, Texas, to face TCU in the first round. The other three teams at its site all hail from Texas. The Jackrabbits finished the season ranked 16th in the poll and earned a bid by winning the Summit League.

Whereas South Dakota State earned a tournament berth in its first year of eligibility, Oklahoma center Courtney Paris is feeling the pressure to produce.

The senior, who set an NCAA record with 112 straight double-doubles, has guaranteed she will pay back her scholarship if she doesn't lead the Sooners to a title.

That path to the championship for the Sooners begins Sunday, when the No. 1 seed in the Oklahoma city regional opens against Southwestern champion Prairie View A&M in Iowa City. Oklahoma could face host Iowa in the second round if the Hawkeyes can beat Georgia Tech.

In the other half of the region, Auburn earned the second seed and will face Patriot League champion Lehigh, making its first appearance since 1997, in the opening round. The Tigers will travel up to Piscataway, N.J., where Rutgers faces tournament newcomer Virginia Commonwealth.

The Rams are one of four teams making their first appearance in the NCAAs. Joining them and South Dakota State are Ball State and Drexel.

Evansville became the seventh team with a losing record to make the field of 64 with its last-second upset victory over Creighton in the Missouri Valley title game Sunday. They'll play No. 2 seed Texas A&M.

The Big East and Southeastern conferences put seven teams apiece into the tournament, and the ACC and Big 12 each had six.

No. 7 Baylor wins Big 12 title, 72-63

OKLAHOMA CITY – Jhasmin Player scored a season-high 25 points, Morghan Medlock came off the bench to add 15 and No. 7 Baylor beat 10th-ranked Texas A&M 72-63 to win the Big 12 championship Sunday.

Despite losing leading scorer Danielle Wilson to a season-ending knee injury in the final week of the regular season, the Bears (27-5) found a new way to win and claimed their second Big 12 title. The other one came in Baylor's national championship season in 2005.

Medlock hit her first seven shots and rallied the Bears from an early 10-point deficit, and Texas A&M could never get back ahead.

Takia Starks scored 22 points and Tanisha Smith added 18 points for the former champion Aggies (25-7).

There were questions surrounding Baylor after leading scorer Danielle Wilson went out with a season-ending knee injury against Texas on Feb. 28, but the Bears may have put all of that to rest with their third win this year against the Aggies and their second in eight days.

Player, who had a similar knee injury end her season, scored 19 of her points in the second half and led the way after Texas A&M chipped away to make it close.

After the Aggies got within 60-58 on Starks' jumper with 4:46 remaining, Player followed Jessica Morrow's two free throws with a three-point play to keep A&M at bay. She then got wide open for a 3-pointer from the left wing that made it 68-60 with 2:47 left and put the game away.

Player launched the ball off the bottom of the scoreboard hanging from the ceiling as players jumped into each others' arms to celebrate the championship on the floor underneath. Wilson, who was averaging 15.1 points before she got hurt, gave coach Kim Mulkey a big hug on the sidelines before walking over toward a pile of Bears players on the floor.

With the win, Baylor may have locked up a No. 2 seed — and perhaps picked up an outside chance for a No. 1 seed — and the opportunity to come back to Oklahoma City for an NCAA tournament regional in two weeks.

Morrow, the tournament's most outstanding player, added 12 points for the second-seeded Bears.

Danielle Gant, playing in her hometown, had 14 points while battling foul trouble for Texas A&M.

Baylor had given up 12 straight points and was trailing 17-7 when Mulkey put Medlock in the game and found an immediate spark.

Medlock scored 11 points in an 18-2 surge by the Bears, much of it coming while Gant was on the bench with two fouls, and Melissa Jones' 3-pointer from the right wing from the right wing put Baylor up 25-19.

The Bears never trailed again, leading by eight at halftime and pushed their edge to 37-28 when Medlock scored on a left-handed layup at the left block early in the second half.

UConn coach Calhoun scores big in poll on salary

HARTFORD, Conn. – Few Connecticut residents are calling foul on UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun's recent outburst to a blogger who pressed him on his $1.6 million annual salary.

More than three of every five Connecticut residents surveyed in a new Quinnipiac University poll say Calhoun, the highest-paid public employee in the state, should keep his entire salary rather than donate a portion to help ease Connecticut's fiscal problems.

Eighty percent also said he should not be disciplined for his angry response to freelance journalist and political activist Ken Krayeske, who questioned Calhoun about his salary at a Feb. 21 post-game press conference.

Calhoun had a 68 percent favorability rating in the Quinnipiac poll results released Wednesday. Only 12 percent described their opinion of him as unfavorable.

Douglas Schwartz, the poll's director, said politicians would love to have Calhoun's level of support.

"You might think based on headlines about the issue that there'd be more of a negative reaction," he said. "This poll says that when it comes to how people feel about Calhoun, the positives are pretty strong."

Calhoun's 68 percent approval rating far outpaced those of U.S. senators Joe Lieberman and Christopher Dodd, though Gov. M. Jodi Rell's approval rating is higher.

The third-ranked Huskies, playing this week in the Big East tournament, are contending for a third national title under Calhoun. Kyle Muncy, a spokesman for UConn's athletics department, said Wednesday that neither Calhoun nor the department would be responding to the poll results.

The poll came after the press conference in which Krayeske questioned whether Calhoun's salary was appropriate amid Connecticut's spending cuts, anticipated budget shortfalls and other fiscal problems. Calhoun lost his temper and angrily told Krayeske to "shut up." Rell later called it an "embarrassing display," and two state lawmakers called for Calhoun to be disciplined.

The coach's salary is "about right," according to 48 percent of those surveyed, while 43 percent said it is too high. Fifty-one percent approved of the way Calhoun answered the question, while 43 percent disapproved.

Calhoun, who has two national titles, is in the final year of his contract.

Women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma, who has brought five national championships to Storrs, recently signed a five-year deal that begins July 1 and will give him an average annual salary of $1.6 million. Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall signed a five-year deal a year ago that pays him an average of $1.5 million per year. The poll did not ask about the salaries paid to Auriemma or Edsall.

The telephone survey of 1,335 people was conducted from March 3 to March 8, and has a sampling error margin of 2.7 percentage points.

___

On the Net:

Poll results: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID1273

DePaul 0-18 in Big East with 48-40 loss to G'town

WASHINGTON – DePaul missed 14 consecutive shots in one stretch of a 48-40 loss to Georgetown on Saturday, the Blue Demons' school-record 18th consecutive defeat, making them only the third Big East team to go through the conference schedule without a victory.

DaJuan Summers scored 15 points — 13 after halftime — and no one else scored more than seven for Georgetown (16-13, 7-11). The Hoyas led by as many as 14 in the first half but did not play particularly well in their final home game of a disappointing season.

Will Walker scored 20 points to pretty much single-handedly keep DePaul (8-23, 0-18) close. It was his floater in the lane that capped a 9-0 run for the visitors to open the second half and tie the score at 24-24.

But 3-pointers by Summers and Jason Clark helped Georgetown regain momentum.

Indeed, after Walker's bank shot made it 34-31, Summers scored six points and assisted on the other basket during an 8-0 run that put the Hoyas ahead for good.

DePaul never had lost more than 13 games in a row before this season and is the first Big East team to fail to win a conference game since Miami went 0-18 in 1993-94.

While DePaul has struggled throughout conference play, Georgetown knocked off then-No. 2 Connecticut back in January, en route to being ranked as high as No. 9 in the AP Top 25. But the Hoyas lost 10 of 13 games heading into Saturday and will appear in the No. 12 vs. No. 13 game at the conference tournament.

It's the worst showing by Georgetown in five seasons under Coach John Thompson III.

At least his team showed characteristic defensive intensity Saturday.

Walker made a jumper 23 seconds into the game — and DePaul did not score another point until he dropped in a baseline floater about 10 1/2 minutes later. That ended a stretch in which the visitors went 0-for-14 on field-goal attempts and 0-for-2 at the foul line.

With the Hoyas missing plenty, too, the two teams went 5 1/2 minutes without a field goal by anyone.

After Walker's second basket, DePaul missed its next seven shots, before Matija Poscic became the first visiting player other than Walker to score, more than 15 minutes into the game.

Jessie Sapp, Georgetown's only scholarship senior and a starter in 22 games this season, was honored before tipoff on Senior Day — but wasn't in the opening lineup. Still, when he made a 3-pointer to give him five points with 7 1/2 minutes left in the first half, it put Georgetown ahead 15-4 — and also meant Sapp had outscored DePaul all by his lonesome.

Georgetown was up 24-15 at halftime, thanks in part to six points and five rebounds from Greg Monroe, but he didn't attempt a shot in the second half. Aside from Walker, who had nine points on 4-for-10 shooting, the rest of DePaul's roster went a combined 2-for-19 in the half, 10.5 percent.

UConn finishes regular season unbeaten

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Renee Montgomery scored 23 points and top-ranked Connecticut beat Rutgers 69-59 on Monday night to finish off the fifth undefeated regular season in program history.

UConn (30-0, 16-0 Big East) last went unbeaten in the regular season in 2002-03. The Huskies finished that year with their second straight national championship after losing to Villanova in the Big East tournament. Monday's win also marked the seventh time UConn has run through the conference unbeaten.

Tina Charles added 14 points for the Huskies, who will next play in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament Sunday. Rutgers (18-11, 9-7) will be the seventh seed and play Saturday in the second round of the tournament.

Kia Vaughn scored a season-high 24 points and Epiphanny Prince added 11 to lead the Scarlet Knights, who had won four straight by an average of 16 points before Monday's loss.

UConn, which became the first team since Duke in 2006-07 to finish the regular season unblemished, had run through its opponents this season winning by an average of 28 points. No team has been able to come within single digits of the Huskies all season — although they needed some last-second free throws from Maya Moore to continue that streak.

Leading 36-20 at the half, UConn looked as if it was on its way to another rout. The teams traded baskets over the first 4 minutes of the second half and Connecticut led 43-26 before getting sloppy with the ball.

The Huskies turned it over on five of six possessions as Rutgers went on a 12-3 run over the next 5 minutes to cut the deficit to 47-38 on Nikki Speed's jumper.

Rutgers trailed 51-42 and had the ball, but Prince missed a layup and Vaughn couldn't convert the follow.

Montgomery drilled a 3-pointer — her seventh of the game — on the other end to start a 7-0 run and restore the double-digit lead. Rutgers wasn't finished, closing to 62-54 with 1:29 left after Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma was given a technical foul for arguing a call.

Rutgers came within 65-59 on Vaughn's layup with 22 seconds left, but ran out of time as UConn hit its free throws.

UConn has now won 30-plus games in four straight years and 15 of the past 17 seasons. The only times they didn't do it were in 1998-99 and 2004-05.

The Huskies raced out to a 21-5 lead 8 1/2 minutes into the contest. That early spurt quieted the sellout crowd of just over 8,000. Montgomery scored the first 11 points of the game hitting three 3-pointers and a jumper.

Heather Zurich finally got the Scarlet Knights on the board with a 3-pointer. Another 3 by Montgomery and two baskets by Charles and the Huskies were up by 16.

Rutgers tried to storm back by going on an 11-2 run over the next 5 minutes to cut the deficit to 23-16 on Speed's 3-pointer. But that's as close as the Scarlet Knights could get in the first half as Connecticut answered with a 13-4 spurt to take a 16-point lead at the break.

UConn, which has won 112 straight games against non-ranked opponents, shot 55 percent from the field. It marked the first time an opponent has made over half its shots against Rutgers in 69 games.

The Scarlet Knights honored seniors Vaughn and Zurich before the game. Vaughn is the fourth player in school history to have at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. With her seven rebounds Monday night she moved past Regina Howard into second place on Rutgers' career list.