UConn enjoys academic and athletic success

Sometimes, when a university has a stellar athletics program, academics get pushed to the backburner. But on Tuesday, UConn made a point that academics are not on the backburner.

In fact, much of the attention was shifted toward educational success.

It all started with Maya Moore, who was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN First Team Academic All-America with a 3.74 GPA.

"I'm excited," she said. "I've never got an award of this caliber in academics."

Education plays a large role in her family, as most of her relatives are in the field one way or another, she said.

To her, the honor shows that her hard work paid off.

She is the first UConn player since Emeka Okafor to be named to the team and the first women's basketball player since Jennifer Rizzotti to be named.

As for her ability to balance schoolwork with high-level basketball, Moore attributed her success to an instilled work ethic. Even after road trips, she said she tries to attend as many classes as possible.

"It's very hard," she said. "I say my prayers: 'Lord, Give me strength to go to classes. You know, you get back in the middle of the night, coming from Wisconsin or something, and you suck it up and go to class. And I know that if I just go, I'll be OK."

She is the youngest player on this season's team and is the first sophomore to ever be named to a first-team selection in the past nine years.

"There is nothing that Maya tries to do that she doesn't put her heart and soul into it, and there isn't anything that she tries to do that she doesn't want to be great at," said coach Geno Auriemma. "It's no surprise to anyone that she's a great student and she's being honored like she is. It's part of her character, it's part of her makeup and it's who she is."

Five Starter Reliance

From this point on, Auriemma acknowledged that the team will need to rely on its starters - Moore, Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery, Kalana Greene and Tiffany Hayes - to ensure wins.

In fact, he said that 80 percent of the team's total offensive will have to come from them, on a bad night.

Charles and Greene have repeatedly commented on the necessity for them to step up their all-around games to continue their success, and to go 30-0.

"Thirty games is unbelievable," Charles said. "Everyone just has to step up and do their share in order for that to happen."

Calling McLaren

Kaili McLaren was noticeably absent from the game for the second time in as many games. Auriemma said that it was a match-up issue, not a knee problem that had been bothering her.

"Kaili's Kaili," he said. "I didn't see any way, shape or form she could guard anybody out there."

The Quotable Geno

"Lose my hair? Nah, I don't need an applause that bad."

- Auriemma on what he needs to do to get as loud of a cheer from the crowd as Villanova head coach Harry Perretta did.

Next Up:

The Huskies wrap up home games on Senior Night Saturday with a game against Seton Hall. The Pirates are 15-11 this season (3-10 Big East) and will face St. John's before traveling to the XL Center. Tip time is set for 7:30 p.m.