SUPER BOWL 2012

Wish we could give you more info on Ryan Boatright's situation, but as of right now, there's really nothing new to report.

UConn's compliance staff has been working late hours (until 9 p.m. the other night) trying to get some sort of resolution from Indianapolis, but nothing ... yet.

Here's what Jim Calhoun had to say this afternoon:

"Everybody’s working like crazy, trying to get some resolution right now ... There’s no indication of (whether he'll come back at all), the only indication is we’re trying like crazy to get him back."

"One of the worst parts about it, it hangs there. Ryan has a great day of practice today, it hangs there. It hangs with the kids (saying), ‘If we had him.’ We don’t, right now."

“All of us want to have the best team possible. I think we all would admit – good, bad or indifferent – to not play, to play, to not play can wear on you. I know it wears on me. No one cares about that, nor should they.”

Boatright's teammates obviously want him back, as well.

“He’s the same person. He’s not letting it get him down," said Andre Drummond. "He’s still playing twice as hard in practice. He wants to come back really bad, and I just can’t wait for the day that he gets cleared.”

Elsewhere ...

*** DeAndre Daniels, after "probably the best week of practice of his career," will be back in the starting lineup Sunday, ahead of Niels Giffey.

*** Calhoun said Tyler Olander recently has been "logy. He’s looked logy in games, I don’t know why.”

*** Ex-Huskies Donny Marshall, Kevin Freeman, Kevin Ollie and Tony Robertson have been going against UConn in practice over the past week.


***UConn's Super Bowl predictions:

DRUMMOND: "Patriots. They’ve got Tom Brady, what more could you ask for? I’m from New York, I like the New York Giants, but I think the Patriots might get the best of them.”

JEREMY LAMB: “I kind of want the Giants to win. I don’t really watch too much football … I just want to see a good game. But I think the Giants might be able to pull it off.

CALHOUN: “The Patriots will win, I just can’t give you the (details) … Everybody talks about getting injuries from the Patriots, that’s not gonna happen. When Randy Edsall was here, you were much more likely to get a week in advance injury report from him than you would two hours before the Patriots kick off Super Bowl Sunday.”

Kevin Freeman met with reporters this morning at the XL Center to discuss his new position as assistant director of men’s basketball administration. Freeman, 33, is a former Husky captain and member of the 1999 NCAA National Champions.

“It’s an opportunity to get back here,” said Freeman. “It’s full-circle for me. It’s a dream come true to come back here in the fold with UConn.”

He said his role will largely be as a mentor to the players, along with helping director of basketball administration Karl Hobbs with daily activities.

“A lot of the academic stuff,” Freeman said of his duties, “help a lot of guys in a mentorship role as far as degree completion, serve as a liaison to compliance, a lot of compliance issues … I think I can help them with a lot of off-court issues that (the media) might not see, and just being a positive student-athlete.”

Ultimately, he hopes this is his first step on the ladder up to being a head coach.

“Coaching is definitely my ultimate goal, but first you’ve got to experience some of it to see how far you want to go, what you want to do,” he said. “I’ll take it step by step.”

Freeman has spent the past 11 seasons playing overseas in Italy, Australia, Greece, South Korea, China, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela.

“Overseas is really tough. Eleven years over there, being away from my family nine months a year, it takes its toll on you. A true blessing came to me with this opportunity, and I’m going to take full advantage of it.”

Kevin Freeman has joined the UConn men's basketball staff. Here's the release by the school:

Kevin Freeman has been named to the position of Assistant Director of Men’s Basketball Administration at the University of Connecticut, it was announced today by head coach Jim Calhoun. Freeman is a former Husky captain and member of the 1999 NCAA National Champions.

“I am thrilled to have Kevin join our staff here at UConn,” said Calhoun. “Kevin was one of the great warriors we have ever had play for us and is just the type of person that all of our current players should aspire to be like and be around.”

Freeman is the all-time UConn leader in games played at 140, No. 17 on the all-time scoring list with 1,476 points and No. 8 on the all-time rebounders list with 913. He was the Most Outstanding Performer of the 1999 BIG EAST Championship and was named to the 1999 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament team. He was a co-captain of the 1999-00 Husky squad and UConn compiled a 109-32 record in his four seasons, reaching the Elite Eight in 1998 and winning the NCAA title in 1999.

After completing his career at Connecticut, Kevin played 11 seasons of professional basketball, retiring after the 2010-11 season. He played in professional leagues in Italy, Australia, Greece, South Korea, China, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela during his career.

Born March 3, 1978, Kevin is a native of Springfield, Mass and came to UConn after competing as a all-state high school performer at Paterson Catholic HS in New Jersey. Kevin and his wife Nicole have a daughter Kekoa and a son Sire.

Also, Niels Giffey suffered a hyperextended right knee in Wednesday's exhibition win over AIC. He hasn't practiced the last two days and will be a game-time decision for Sunday's exhibition vs. C.W. Post.