John R. Wooden is a living legend and a walking memoriam of basketball greatness – the first person ever to be enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. Winner of 10 NCAA National Championships in 12 years at UCLA while he was mentoring gangly teenagers Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton into the NBA greats they would soon become.
He's also the namesake of the John R. Wooden Award, which is given to the best women's basketball player in college hoops every year.
Yes, that John R. Wooden.
The Big East conference has a record six candidates on the 20 player midseason list for the Wooden award. The players include a Connecticut trio of Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles, Louisville's Angel McCoughtry, Pittsburgh's Shavonte Zellous and Rutgers' Epiphanny Prince.
Still unbeatable
There are now three things in life that are certain: Death, taxes, and the weekly love-fest for the Connecticut Huskies. The fabulous team from Storrs, Conn. has dominated the headlines of women's basketball, because simply put, they are women's basketball.
After taking down Georgetown on Saturday, the Huskies moved to 21-0 on the year, remaining the only team in Division I basketball — men's or women's, with a spotless record. Connecticut moves to 21-0 to open a season for the second consecutive season — equaling its best start since 2002-03 when it opened a perfect 31-0. The only thing more impressive than the Huskies' record is their average margin of victory, which is a staggering 33 points per game.
Pink is the new pink
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association has declared Feb. 13-22 the official "Pink Zone" to help raise breast cancer awareness and the entire Big East will be participating. The week will be dedicated to former North Carolina State coach Kay Yow, who just recently passed away after a battle with breast cancer. Highlights of the week will include a Feb. 15 game between Connecticut and Pittsburgh, and a Feb. 17 game between Rutgers and DePaul. The Big East ladies will look pretty in pink, providing a high level of competition and drawing viewers in for the momentous week.
Player of the week
St. John's senior Monique McLean was a duel threat this week — starring on and off the court. First she was featured on "Inside the Big East" on ESPNU to talk about her impressive season and record setting performances. Then she went out on Saturday and scored 25 points — 18 in the second half — in a win over Seton Hall to back up the bragging.
McLean's air time was well deserved. The 5-foot-11 star is No. 23 in the country in scoring with 19.0 ppg, and is No. 14 in the country with a 44.6 3-point field goal percentage. If the versatile scoring machine can notch three points in her next game, she will move into fifth on St. John's all-time scoring list.
Game of the week
Rutgers at UConn, Feb. 3, 8 p.m.
Tuesday night's matchup between Connecticut and Rutgers is a shining moment in women's hoops for a few reasons. It features two of the Big East's most storied programs, both of which are led by future Hall of Fame coaches. Connecticut is on the fast track to the Pantheon of basketball — that is, being considered amongst the best teams to ever grace the court. And this game will be the first-ever women's basketball telecast on CBS College Sports Network in High Definition. So tune in, watch the game, and enjoy seeing coach Geno Auriemma's neck veins bulge out in crystal-clear HD.