Connecticut
No. 2 UConn routs Arkansas State 103-34 in opener

Azzi Fudd had 21 of her 27 points in the first half as second-seeded UConn rolled to a 103-34 win over Arkansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Freshman Sarah Strong added 20 points and 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in her NCAA Tournament debut. Most of those came in the first half when UConn jumped out to a 66-16 advantage at the half, playing nearly flawless basketball.
The Huskies had runs of 22-0, 12-0 and 13-0 in the first half as UConn won its 31st consecutive first-round game.
UConn (32-3) scored 34 points in the first quarter, making all 11 of its two-point shots. Many of those were layups coming off the press.
Arkansas State (21-11), which likes to apply pressure itself, had no answer for the Huskies.
Crislyn Rose led the Red Wolves with seven points. The team shot 17% from the field (12-for-70), including going 7-for-40 from behind the arc.

Connecticut
Sunny with high temps in 40s, 50s on Thursday

Thursday will be mostly sunny with a brisk breeze and high temperatures in the high-40s to low-50s.
NBC Connecticut
NBC Connecticut
Then, clouds with a few showers or snow showers are on the way after midnight.
Friday will be partly sunny with high temperatures around 60.
We are in for some periods of rain later Friday night and early Saturday.
Then, we could have quite a warm-up as the weekend begins.
Temperatures on Saturday could possibly get into the 70s while they are in the 40s in Boston and 80 in New York City.

On Sunday, we will have a drizzle and showers with a high temperature around 50.
Connecticut
Biological mom of Connecticut House of Horrors victim comes forward as alleged wicked step mother appears in court

WATERBURY — The biological mother of the man who says he was held captive for 20 years came forward Wednesday to blast the alleged wicked step-mother who is charged with abusing her son.
Tracy Vallerand also tried to explain why she gave up the boy shortly after he was born.
“I don’t hate people at all,” Vallerand said of Kimberly Sullivan. “This one, I hate.”
Sullivan, 56, had a brief hearing that ended before she could even enter a plea on the cruelty and kidnapping charges she faces. She is out on $300,000 bail after she was accused of forcing her step-son to live in a tiny 8-foot-by-9-foot room that was locked from the outside.
Sullivan rushed into a waiting car as her two daughters, the victim’s half-sisters, broke toward another vehicle.
Vallerand, 52, was in court with her own daughter, Heather Tessman.
She told reporters that she gave up her son when he was just 6 months old and left his father Kraigg Sullivan to raise him with his new wife Kimberly.
“Things didn’t work out between the two of us, and I was thinking that I was giving my son a better chance at a full life. If I had known…what…I just can’t fathom it. I have no words,” Vallerand said, according to NBC Connecticut.
“There was a park that I was told Kraigg would actually take him for walks. I would park there and be there for hours just trying to see if I’d see him. Never seen him,” she said.
Vallerand said she tried to find her son after he turned 18, but he has no social media. By then, cops said, he had been held in captivity for at least seven years — having allegedly been pulled out of school and confined inside at age 11.
“Can’t fathom it. Then to have her two daughters in the house as well,” she said. “What were they doing? Were they waiting for him to actually die? What were they gonna do then?” Vallerand said.
“What she did is sub-human. You can’t get away with that,” said the victim’s half-sister, Tessman.
After the hearing, Sullivan’s attorney Ioannis A. Kaloidis said that the proceedings had been continued to Friday because the state wants to put her under electronic monitoring.
When asked why Sullivan is shocked by the allegations — even though her adult stepson allegedly hadn’t been seen in 20 years and weighed just 68 pounds when authorities found him — Kaloidis said it’s the state’s job to prove his client actually committed the crimes.
“The great thing about this system is we don’t have to explain it,” Kaloidis said “The state has made allegations. The state has to prove those allegations in court. Those allegations are serious, but those allegations are made by one person.”
“I understand the whole world has jumped on those allegations and has already convicted my client,” he continued. “The good thing about America is that that’s not how we work. She’s presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
“Right now, they’re just allegations,” he said. “I’m sorry that she’s been convicted worldwide and everyone wants to proceed to a lynching, but we have a system. She has rights.”
Connecticut
2025 NBA Draft scouting report: Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut
Summary: Karaban projects as a deep-range sniper, though his shot fell off this past year with UConn. If he’s able to return to his previous form, he mixes in savvy cuts, some post scoring, and glue-guy defense that makes him more than just a shooting role player.
Comparisons: Ryan Anderson
Strengths
Spot-up shooting: Knockdown shooter who can do more than just hit standstill jumpers. He relocates and is a willing screener who can pick-and-pop for 3s. This season, UConn utilized him using more screens and handoffs. A more complicated shooting diet contributed to his lower 3-point percentage, though he still had success and showed a potential for hitting movement 3s.
Does the little things: Smart player with a feel for cutting to the rim and making the extra pass. In spot-up situations, he has a functional handle to aggressively attack closeouts. Even against a switching defense, he has the size and post-scoring ability to beat a small guard with hook shots using either hand and backdowns. So even though he isn’t a primary creator it’s not like defenses can hide an undersized defender on him.
Defense: Karaban is a solid defender who tends to be in the right position and competes on the boards. He’s a high-effort player whether or not his shot is falling.
Concerns
Athleticism: Lacks elite athleticism, which limits his defensive upside, and he’s mostly a below-the-rim finisher.
Shooting form: He’s right-handed but brings the ball to his left side, and releases it low. His shooting numbers also dipped this season with more defensive attention being directed his way. And though he had success shooting off the dribble, it came on a small sample.
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