Jump to content

UConn Huskies men's basketball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jehochman (talk | contribs) at 03:32, 9 April 2024 (→2023 NCAA Title: Next). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

UConn Huskies
2023–24 UConn Huskies men's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Connecticut
First season1900-01 (1900-01)
All-time record1,804–980 (.648)
Head coachDan Hurley (6th season)
ConferenceBig East
LocationStorrs, Connecticut
ArenaHarry A. Gampel Pavilion 10,167
XL Center 15,564
NicknameHuskies
ColorsNational flag blue and white[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
Alternate jersey
Team colours
Alternate
NCAA tournament champions
1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament Final Four
1999, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1964, 1990, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1956, 1964, 1976, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996*, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament round of 32
1979, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996*, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1951, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1976, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996*, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference tournament champions
1976, 1979, 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2016, 2024
Conference regular season champions
1925, 1926, 1928, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2024
*vacated by NCAA

The Connecticut Huskies men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I men's college basketball team of the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut. They currently play in the Big East Conference and are coached by Dan Hurley.

UConn has won six NCAA tournament championships (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, and 2024), which puts the program in a tie with North Carolina for third-most all-time. The Huskies have won eight Big East tournament championships (tied for most all-time) and 11 Big East regular season championships (most all-time). UConn has 36 NCAA tournament appearances (tied for 13th-most all-time) and has played in seven NCAA Final Fours (10th-most all-time), 13 NCAA Elite Eights (11th-most all-time) and 19 NCAA Sweet Sixteens (tied for 11th-most all-time). UConn won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship in 1988 and the NIT third-place game in 1997, with 13 NIT appearances in total. The Huskies also have one American Athletic Conference tournament championship and two ECAC New England regional tournament championships.

Numerous players have gone on to achieve professional success after their time at UConn. In 2011, six former Huskies were included in SLAM Magazine's 500 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time: Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Clifford Robinson, Caron Butler, Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor.[2] Kemba Walker is generally regarded as the greatest player in the history of the Charlotte Hornets franchise.[3][4][5][6] Other successful former Huskies include Andre Drummond, Rudy Gay, Donyell Marshall, Toby Kimball, Jeremy Lamb, Charlie Villanueva, Scott Burrell, Travis Knight, Kevin Ollie, Jake Voskuhl, Shabazz Napier, Marcus Williams and Jordan Hawkins.

History

Early history (1901–1946)

Men's basketball at UConn began in 1901 with a single game played by Connecticut Agricultural College against Windham High School in January of that year. The college team won, and by 1903 basketball was a varsity sport.[7] The team’s first head coach was John F. Donahue, who coached the school from 1915-1919. The team's first African American player was Harrison Fitch, who was controversially benched by coach John Heldman for a 1934 game against the US Coast Guard Academy.[8] One of the first true stars from Connecticut was Hartford's Bernie Fisher. He was captain of the 1945 team, which was the first UConn team to play in Madison Square Garden.[9]

Hugh Greer era (1946–1963)

After graduating from the Connecticut Agricultural College, former player Hugh Greer returned to his alma mater as a freshman coach. He was later named head coach of the Huskies six games into the 1946–47 season.[10] Greer led Connecticut to a perfect 12–0 mark for the remainder of his first season. He posted a record of 16–2, this was the best single season finish in school history to that point. In 1954, he famously led UConn to a 78–77 victory against undefeated Holy Cross, breaking the Crusaders' 47-game home winning streak and keeping them out of the NCAA tournament.[11] Holy Cross won the NIT title a few weeks later. In 1956, Greer led UConn to the Sweet 16, where they lost in a close game to Temple.[12]

Under Greer, UConn won 12 Yankee Conference titles in 16 seasons, including ten consecutive titles from 1951 to 1960. Greer also led UConn to its first seven NCAA berths and one NIT appearance while compiling an overall head coaching record of 286–112. Greer died of a heart attack in 1963, ten games into the 1962–63 season. He was replaced by assistant George Wigton.[13]

Fred Shabel era (1963–1967)

The following season, UConn named Fred Shabel as Greer's permanent replacement at head coach. Shabel led the program to its first-ever Elite Eight after the Huskies upset Princeton in the Sweet 16. UConn's Dom Perno stole the ball from future Hall of Famer Bill Bradley to seal the 52–50 win. The Huskies earned three NCAA berths in four years under Shabel before he abruptly stepped down as head coach to become the athletic director at the University of Pennsylvania.[14]

Burr Carlson era (1967–1969)

After Shabel's departure, UConn offered the head coaching job to Larry Brown, then a young assistant coach at North Carolina. Brown declined, saying he felt he was too "young" to take a head coaching position. The job ultimately went to Burr Carlson, an assistant under Shabel. Carlson led UConn to back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in over 30 years and was fired.[15]

Dee Rowe era (1969–1977)

Dee Rowe in 2013

UConn named Dee Rowe head coach ahead of the 1969–70 season. Under Rowe, the Huskies returned to form, winning the Yankee Conference title in his first year. Rowe posted six winning seasons in eight years, with two NCAA berths and two NIT appearances. In 1976, UConn won the ECAC New England regional championship to earn an NCAA berth and then beat Hofstra in the first round of the 1976 NCAA Division I basketball tournament to reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time ever.

At the end of the 1975–1976 season, the Yankee Conference dropped basketball, which left UConn as an independent. Rowe coached the Huskies' first season as an independent before retiring at 48 years old. He later cited "burn out" as the reason for his decision.[16]

Dom Perno era (1977–1986)

Former UConn star Dom Perno was tapped as Rowe's successor for the 1977–78 season. Perno oversaw UConn's transition from an independent program to a member of the newly formed Big East Conference in 1979, where UConn was one of the seven founding schools.[17] Under Perno, the Huskies had some early success, winning an ECAC New England regional championship in 1979 and earning one NCAA berth and three NIT appearances over his first five years. However, after four consecutive losing seasons, Perno resigned on April 14, 1986.[18]

Jim Calhoun era (1986–2012)

A headshot of Jim Calhoun
Jim Calhoun in 2003

UConn hired Northeastern head coach Jim Calhoun to take over the program in the 1986–87 season.[19] Calhoun's first team finished the season with a record of 9–19. In 1988, the team showed significant improvement and gained a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. UConn went on a run in the tournament and defeated Ohio State 72–67 at Madison Square Garden to win the NIT, the school's first national basketball title.[20]

The 1990 "Dream Season" would bring UConn basketball back to the national stage. Led by Chris Smith, Nadav Henefeld, Scott Burrell, Tate George, Rod Sellers and John Gwynn, UConn went from unranked in the preseason to winning the Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championships, both for the first time.[21] 1990 also marked the opening of Gampel Pavilion, the program's new on-campus home.[22] In the NCAA tournament the Huskies garnered a #1 seed in the East Region, but trailed Clemson 70–69 with 1 second remaining in the Sweet 16. Burrell's full-court pass found Tate George on the far baseline. George spun, fired, and hit a buzzer-beater that is known in Connecticut simply as "The Shot".[23] They would be eliminated on a buzzer-beater two days later by Duke, losing in overtime 79–78.[24]

During the 1994–1995 campaign, the Huskies hosted Syracuse on ESPN. During an exciting stretch of the second half of that game, ESPN color commentator Dick Vitale claimed that Storrs, CT was the "capital of the basketball world" as both the men's and women's teams were having undefeated seasons so far.[25] The Huskies beat Syracuse but lost to Kansas to end their undefeated season.

UConn continued to rise as a national program throughout the 1990s, winning five more Big East regular season and three more Big East tournament championships, as well as reaching several regional finals. The Final Four still eluded Calhoun and the program until the 1999 NCAA tournament. With Richard "Rip" Hamilton leading the way, they claimed the program's first national title that same year. Calhoun's teams would go on to win two more national championships during his tenure at UConn.

Exterior view of Gampel Pavilion

Calhoun was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005[26], and officially announced his retirement on September 13, 2012.[27]

After the breakup of the old Big East in 2013, UConn remained as a member of the American Athletic Conference, the legal successor to the original conference. Until leaving the AAC in 2020 to join the new Big East, UConn was the only charter member of the original Big East still playing in that conference.

Kevin Ollie era (2012–2018)

Kevin Ollie was named UConn's next head coach following Jim Calhoun's retirement.[28] Ollie played for Calhoun from 1991 to 1995 and was a key player on those early 1990s Husky teams. During his first season, the Huskies record was 20–10. That year the Huskies were banned from postseason play by the NCAA because of a low APR score in 2010.[29] In Ollie's second season, the team made the NCAA tournament. On March 30, 2014, Ollie became the first UConn coach other than Jim Calhoun to lead the Huskies to a Final Four.[30] They won the NCAA tournament on April 7, 2014, defeating the University of Kentucky 60–54.[31] His team was the first #7 seed to ever win the NCAA tournament. Ollie led Connecticut to the American Athletic Conference tournament championship and another NCAA tournament appearance in 2015–16.[32] The Huskies defeated Colorado 74–67 in the Round of 64 but were eliminated by the #1 overall seed Kansas Jayhawks 73–61 in the Round of 32.[33]

Kevin Ollie was fired for just cause related to an NCAA investigation of the program on March 10, 2018.[34]

Dan Hurley era (2018–present)

Hurley during a 2023 departure ceremony for the NCAA Final Four

Former Wagner College and Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley was introduced by UConn on March 23, 2018 to be the next head men's basketball coach following the firing of Kevin Ollie.[34] After losing in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in his third and fourth year, Hurley broke through in his fifth year, winning the NCAA national championship in 2023.[35] The following year, he led UConn to its first Big East regular season title since 2006 and its first Big East tournament championship since 2011.[36] UConn received the #1 overall seed for the first time ever in the 2024 NCAA tournament.[37]

Facilities

Season-by-season records

Main article: List of UConn Huskies men's basketball seasons

National Championships

1999 NCAA Title

UConn won both the Big East and NCAA National Championships in 2011.

The Huskies were the top seed in the West region, and a win over Gonzaga in the regional final sent UConn to Tropicana Field for the program's first Final Four appearance. They defeated Ohio State 64–58 in the semi-final to face off against Duke in the final. Despite having been ranked #1 for half of the year, the Huskies entered the national championship game as 9-point underdogs.

UConn won their first national title with a 77–74 victory. Richard Hamilton was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

1999 NCAA Tournament
Round Opponent Score
Round #1 #16 Texas-San Antonio 91–66
Round #2 #9 New Mexico 78–56
Sweet 16 #5 Iowa 78–68
Elite 8 #10 Gonzaga 67–62
Final Four #4 Ohio State 64–58
Championship #1 Duke 77–74

2004 NCAA Title

In 2004, the Huskies returned to the Final Four. Once again they faced Duke, this time in the National Semifinal, and used a late run to beat the Blue Devils 79–78. Two nights later, led by Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon, Connecticut won their second national title with an 82–73 victory over Georgia Tech. Okafor was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

One day later the UConn women's basketball team also won a national title, making UConn the first and only school in NCAA Division I history to have its men's and women's basketball programs win a national championship in the same season.

2004 NCAA Tournament
Round Opponent Score
Round #1 #15 Vermont 70–53
Round #2 #7 DePaul 72–55
Sweet 16 #6 Vanderbilt 73–53
Elite 8 #8 Alabama 87–71
Final Four #1 Duke 79–78
Championship #3 Georgia Tech 82–73

2011 NCAA Title

The 2011 Huskies won 11 straight games in postseason play, the final six of which resulted in the program's third national championship. On April 4, 2011, they defeated the Butler Bulldogs, 53–41. UConn junior Kemba Walker was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Many consider UConn's win in the Championship Game to be a great defensive performance, as the Huskies held Butler to only 18.8% shooting from the field (a record for field goal percentage defense in a championship game) and tied a title game record with ten blocked shots.[40] An analysis by Sports Illustrated columnist Luke Winn credited the Huskies' defense by demonstrating, for instance, that they blocked or altered a staggering 26.6% of Butler's shots – compared to just 3.8 % by Pittsburgh and 12.1 % by VCU in earlier rounds.[41] The 53 points scored by Connecticut were, in turn, the lowest point total by a winning team in a championship game since 1949.

2011 NCAA Tournament
Round Opponent Score
Round #1 #14 Bucknell 89–52
Round #2 #6 Cincinnati 69–58
Sweet 16 #2 San Diego State 74–67
Elite 8 #5 Arizona 65–63
Final Four #4 Kentucky 56–55
Championship #8 Butler 53–41

2014 NCAA Title

2014 UConn National Championship teams at the White House

In 2014, led by American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Shabazz Napier, UConn became the first #7 seed to win the NCAA Championship, getting past No. 1 seed Florida, No. 2 seed Villanova, No. 3 seed Iowa State, and No. 4 seed Michigan State, before defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 60–54 in the championship game in Arlington, Texas. UConn is undefeated in the state of Texas in the Final Four (6–0).

As in 2004, the UConn women's basketball team also won a national title, making UConn the first and only school in NCAA Division I history to have its men's and women's basketball programs win a national championship in the same season twice.

2014 NCAA Tournament
Round Opponent Score
Round #1 #10 Saint Joseph's 89–81 OT
Round #2 #2 Villanova 77–65
Sweet 16 #3 Iowa State 81–76
Elite 8 #4 Michigan State 60–54
Final Four #1 Florida 63–53
Championship #8 Kentucky 60–54

2023 NCAA Title

In 2023, the UConn Huskies won all of their tournament games by more than 10 points. This team is considered to be one of the most dominant teams in the history of March Madness. Their path to the championship began against #13 seed Iona in the first round, in which they would trail at the half but eventually pull away in the end. The second round game pitted the Huskies against #5 Saint Mary's, a dominant win. They would then beat both #8 Arkansas and #3 Gonzaga swiftly. The national semifinal would be a 13 point defeat of #5 Miami as they would advance to their 5th national championship.

The national championship would be a 17 point blowout of #5 San Diego State University as UConn easily won their fifth national title, tying Duke and Indiana for the fourth spot in national championships.

2023 NCAA Tournament
Round Opponent Score
Round #1 #13 Iona 87–63
Round #2 #5 Saint Mary's 70–55
Sweet 16 #8 Arkansas 88–65
Elite 8 #3 Gonzaga 82–54
Final Four #5 Miami 72–59
Championship #5 San Diego State 76–59

2024 NCAA Title

Postseason

Source[42]

NCAA tournament results

The Huskies have appeared in the NCAA tournament 36 times. Their combined record is 69–31. They have been to seven Final Fours and are six-time National Champions (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024).

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1951 N/A Sweet Sixteen St. John's L 52–63
1954 N/A First Round Navy L 80–85
1956 N/A First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		 Manhattan
Temple
Dartmouth		 W 84–75
L 59–65
L 64–85
1957 N/A First Round Syracuse L 76–82
1958 N/A First Round Dartmouth L 64–75
1959 N/A First Round Boston University L 58–60
1960 N/A First Round NYU L 59–78
1963 N/A First Round West Virginia L 71–77
1964 N/A First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 Temple
Princeton
Duke		 W 53–48
W 52–50
L 54–101
1965 N/A First Round Saint Joseph's L 61–67
1967 N/A First Round Boston College L 42–48
1976 N/A First Round
Sweet Sixteen		 Hofstra
Rutgers		 W 80–79OT
L 79–93
1979 #5 Second Round #4 Syracuse L 81–89
1990 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #16 Boston University
#9 California
#5 Clemson
#3 Duke		 W 76–52
W 74–54
W 71–70
L 78–79OT
1991 #11 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #6 LSU
#14 Xavier
#2 Duke		 W 79–62
W 66–50
L 67–81
1992 #9 First Round
Second Round		 #8 Nebraska
#1 Ohio State		 W 86–65
L 55–78
1994 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #15 Rider
#10 George Washington
#3 Florida		 W 64–46
W 75–63
L 60–69OT
1995 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #15 Chattanooga
#7 Cincinnati
#3 Maryland
#1 UCLA		 W 100–71
W 96–91
W 99–89
L 96–102
1996* #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #16 Colgate
#9 Eastern Michigan
#5 Mississippi State		 W 68–59
W 95–81
L 55–60
1998 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #15 Fairleigh Dickinson
#7 Indiana
#11 Washington
#1 North Carolina		 W 93–85
W 78–68
W 75–74
L 64–75
1999 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 #16 UTSA
#9 New Mexico
#5 Iowa
#10 Gonzaga
#4 Ohio State
#1 Duke		 W 91–66
W 78–56
W 78–68
W 67–62
W 64–58
W 77–74
2000 #5 First Round
Second Round		 #12 Utah State
#4 Tennessee		 W 75–67
L 51–65
2002 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #15 Hampton
#7 NC State
#11 Southern Illinois
#1 Maryland		 W 78–67
W 77–74
W 71–59
L 82–90
2003 #5 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #12 BYU
#4 Stanford
#1 Texas		 W 58–53
W 85–74
L 78–82
2004 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 #15 Vermont
#7 DePaul
#6 Vanderbilt
#8 Alabama
#1 Duke
#3 Georgia Tech		 W 70–53
W 72–55
W 73–53
W 87–71
W 79–78
W 82–73
2005 #2 First Round
Second Round		 #15 UCF
#10 NC State		 W 77–71
L 62–65
2006 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #16 Albany
#8 Kentucky
#5 Washington
#11 George Mason		 W 72–59
W 87–83
W 98–92OT
L 84–86OT
2008 #4 First Round #13 San Diego L 69–70OT
2009 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four		 #16 Chattanooga
#9 Texas A&M
#5 Purdue
#3 Missouri
#2 Michigan State		 W 103–47
W 92–66
W 72–60
W 82–75
L 73–82
2011 #3 Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 #14 Bucknell
#6 Cincinnati
#2 San Diego State
#5 Arizona
#4 Kentucky
#8 Butler		 W 81–52
W 69–58
W 74–67
W 65–63
W 56–55
W 53–41
2012 #9 First Round #8 Iowa State L 64–77
2014 #7 Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 #10 Saint Joseph's
#2 Villanova
#3 Iowa State
#4 Michigan State
#1 Florida
#8 Kentucky		 W 89–81OT
W 77–65
W 81–76
W 60–54
W 63–53
W 60–54
2016 #9 First Round
Second Round		 #8 Colorado
#1 Kansas		 W 74–67
L 61–73
2021 #7 First Round #10 Maryland L 54–63
2022 #5 First Round #12 New Mexico State L 63–70
2023 #4 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 #13 Iona
#5 Saint Mary's
#8 Arkansas
#3 Gonzaga
#5 Miami
#5 San Diego State		 W 87–63
W 70–55
W 88–65
W 82–54
W 72–59
W 76–59
2024 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 #16 Stetson
#9 Northwestern
#5 San Diego State
#3 Illinois
#4 Alabama
#1 Purdue		 'W 91–52
W 75–58
W 82–52
W 77–52
W 86–72
"W 75–60

*NCAA vacated all of UConn's games in 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Totals above do not include vacated games.

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Year → '79 '90 '91 '92 '94 '95 '96 '98 '99 '00 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '08 '09 '11 '12 '14 '16 '21 '22 '23 '24
Seed → 5 1 11 9 2 2 1 2 1 5 2 5 2 2 1 4 1 3 9 7 9 7 5 4 1*

*#1 Overall seed

NIT results

The Huskies have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 13 times. Their combined record is 15–12. They were NIT champions in 1988.

Year Round Opponent Results
1955 First Round Saint Louis L 103–110
1974 First Round
Quarterfinals		 St. John's
Boston College		 W 82–70
L 75–76
1975 First Round South Carolina L 61–71
1980 First Round Saint Peter's L 56–71
1981 First Round
Second Round		 South Florida
Minnesota		 W 66–55
L 66–84
1982 First Round Dayton L 75–76
1988 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfials
Semifinals
Final		 West Virginia
Louisiana Tech
VCU
Boston College
Ohio State		 W 62–57
W 65–59
W 69–60
W 73–67
W 72–67
1989 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		 Charlotte
California
UAB		 W 67–62
W 73–72
L 79–85
1993 First Round Jackson State L 88–90
1997 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		 Iona
Bradley
Nebraska
Florida State
Arkansas		 W 71–66
W 63–47
W 76–67
L 65–71
W 74–64
2001 First Round
Second Round		 South Carolina
Detroit		 W 72–65
L 61–67
2010 First Round
Second Round		 Northeastern
Virginia Tech		 W 59–57
L 63–65
2015 First Round Arizona State L 61–68

Coaches

The following is a list of Connecticut Huskies men's basketball head coaches. The team is currently coached by Dan Hurley.

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1900–1915[43] No Coach 15 45–44 .506
1915–1919[43] John Donahue 4 11–23 .324
1919–1921[43] M.R. Schwartz 2 14–14 .500
1921–1922[43] J. Wilder Tasker 2 15–5 .750
1922–1923[43] Roy J. Guyer 1 8–6 .571
1923–1927[43] Sumner Dole 4 39–25 .609
1927–1931[43] Louis Alexander 4 35–19 .648
1931–1936[43] John Heldman, Jr. 5 19–42 .311
1935–1936[43] J. Orlean Christian (interim) 1 3–10 .231
1936–1945[43] Don White 9 94–59 .614
1945–1946[43] Blair Gullion 2 14–7 .667
1946–1963[43] Hugh Greer 17 287–113 .718
1963[43] George Wigton (interim) 1 11–4 .733
1963–1967[43] Fred Shabel 4 72–29 .713
1967–1969[43] Burr Carlson 2 16–32 .333
1969–1977[43] Donald "Dee" Rowe 8 120–88 .577
1977–1986[43] Dominic "Dom" Perno 9 139–114 .549
1986–2012[43] Jim Calhoun 26 625–243 .720
2012–2018[42] Kevin Ollie 6 127–79 .617
2018–present[42] Dan Hurley 6 140–58 .707

Huskies of Honor

Main article: Huskies of Honor

On December 26, 2006, UConn announced inaugural inductees into the "Huskies of Honor" recognition program, a class of 13 players and 3 coaches that were later introduced at halftime during the February 5, 2007 UConn-Syracuse game.[44] Former athletic director John Toner was inducted on February 28, 2009.[45] On April 5, 2011, Kemba Walker was the first men's basketball player to be added to the program since the inaugural inductees, an honor he was bestowed after leading the team to a national championship.[citation needed]

The Huskies of Honor are each recognized by a four by five foot panel which displays his name, jersey number and years of service, and a plaque which summarizes each's career accomplishments;[44] Both the panels and the plaques are on permanent display at Gampel Pavilion on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs, Connecticut.[46]

Players

Coaches and administrators

Teams

Retired numbers

Main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers
Ray Allen's #34 (here playing for the Boston Celtics).
UConn Huskies retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Years played No. ret. Ref.
34 Ray Allen SG 1993–1996 2019 [47]
32 Richard Hamilton SG 1996–1999 2024 [48]

On December 7, 2018, UConn announced that the #34 worn by Ray Allen would be permanently retired, effective with ceremonies to be held during the Huskies' final 2018–19 home game on March 3, 2019. In its announcement, UConn stated that going forward, number retirement would be reserved for former Huskies players inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as Allen was earlier that year.

At the same time, the Huskies announced that the #50 worn by Rebecca Lobo, a 2017 Naismith Hall inductee, would be retired by UConn women's basketball, with ceremonies held during the season's final women's home game on March 2, 2019.[49]

UConn's announcement did not make it clear whether both numbers would be retired across both men's and women's programs, but a university spokesperson clarified that the retirements applied only to the teams that Allen and Lobo competed for, meaning that #50 will remain available in men's basketball and #34 in women's.[50]

On January 30, 2024, UConn announced that the #32 jersey worn by Richard Hamilton would be retired at Gampel Pavilion at halftime of UConn's game against Villanova on February 24.

Notable victories

  • December 10, 1921 – UConn upsets Army at West Point, 33–31. Phil Dean hits a game-winning shot with under 30 seconds left to secure the win over an Army squad ranked #3 in the nation that season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.[51][52]
  • February 27, 1954 – Worthy Patterson's buzzer-beater at #7 Holy Cross gives UConn an upset of the then-powerhouse Crusaders, 78–77.[11]
  • March 13, 1956 – UConn defeats Manhattan 84–75 to win an NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament game for the first time.[12]
  • March 14, 1964 – UConn upsets Princeton and star forward Bill Bradley 52–50 in the Sweet Sixteen. The victory is sealed when Dom Perno steals the ball from Bradley with 19 seconds to play. Perno would later become UConn's coach.[53]
  • February 28, 1970 ("The Slowdown Game") – With four players unavailable and a share of the Yankee Conference Regular-Season Championship on the line, UConn beats Rhode Island 35–32 at the Field House. Played before the shot clock-era, UConn dribbles endlessly for 38 minutes to make up for their limited roster.[54]
  • March 30, 1988 – UConn defeats Ohio State 72–67 at Madison Square Garden to win the 1988 National Invitation Tournament.[20]
  • January 27, 1990 – UConn beats #15 St. John's 72–58 in the first game played at Gampel Pavilion.[22]
  • March 11, 1990 – UConn beats Syracuse 78–75 at Madison Square Garden to win its first Big East men's tournament championship.[21]
  • March 22, 1990 ("The Shot") – Tate George makes a shot at the buzzer to beat Clemson 71–70 in the 1990 Sweet 16 at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[23]
  • March 9, 1996 – With 4 minutes remaining, UConn trails Georgetown 74–63. The Huskies close the game with a 12–0 run and win the Big East Championship 75–74 on an off-balance floater from All-American Ray Allen at Madison Square Garden.[55]
  • March 20, 1998 (Hamilton "Rips" Washington's heart out) – Down 74–73 in the Sweet Sixteen to the eleven seed Washington Huskies, two seed UConn gets three shot attempts off in the final 15 seconds with Rip Hamilton's buzzer beating jumper winning it 75–74.[56]
  • March 20, 1999 – UConn defeats Gonzaga 67–62 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the first time.[57]
  • March 29, 1999 – UConn wins its first NCAA Championship, defeating Duke 77–74 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.[58]
  • March 27, 2004 – UConn defeats Alabama 87–71 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the second time.[59]
  • April 5, 2004 – UConn wins its second NCAA Championship, defeating Georgia Tech 82–73 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.[60]
  • March 28, 2009 – UConn defeats Missouri 82–75 to win the Arizona Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the third time.[61]
  • March 12, 2011 ("Five Games in Five Days") – In the final of the Big East tournament, UConn defeats Louisville by a score of 69–66 to claim their seventh Big East Championship. The victory capped an unprecedented run wherein the Huskies won five tournament games in five consecutive days. Four of those wins came against top-25 opponents. Junior All-American guard Kemba Walker scored a tournament-record 130 points in the five-game run, and was named tournament MVP.[62]
  • March 26, 2011 – UConn defeats Arizona 65–63 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the fourth time.[63]
  • April 4, 2011 – UConn wins its third NCAA Championship, defeating Butler 53–41 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.[64]
  • November 9, 2012 – In Kevin Ollie's first game as Connecticut head coach, UConn beats the #14 Michigan State Spartans 66–62 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.[65]
  • March 30, 2014 – UConn defeats Michigan State 60–54 at Madison Square Garden to win the East Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the fifth time.[30]
  • April 7, 2014 – UConn wins its fourth NCAA Championship, defeating Kentucky 60–54 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.[31]
  • March 11, 2016 – With 0.8 seconds remaining and UConn down by 3, freshman point guard Jalen Adams hits a 70-foot 3 pointer to tie an American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament quarterfinal game against Cincinnati and force a fourth overtime. UConn wins the game 104–97, and then wins the final against Memphis two days later to advance to the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[66]
  • March 25, 2023 – UConn defeats Gonzaga 82–54 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the sixth time.[67]
  • April 3, 2023 – UConn wins its fifth NCAA Championship, defeating San Diego State 76–59 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.[35]
  • November 27, 2023 – UConn defeats New Hampshire 84–64 to set an NCAA record with its 24th straight non-conference victory by double digits.[68]
  • March 30, 2024 – In a game that notably included a 30–0 run, UConn defeats Illinois 77–52 to win the East Regional Final and advance to their seventh Final Four.[69]

Awards

Source[42]

Huskies in the NBA

Since the 1990s, UConn has been recognized as being a consistent pipeline for players to enter the National Basketball Association. During the 2006–2007 season, there were an NBA-high 14 former Huskies on active rosters. During the 2013–14 season, 13 former Huskies were on active NBA rosters. UConn has sent a total of 41 players to the NBA and ABA.

UConn has had 15 players selected as lottery picks in the NBA draft:

UConn Lottery Picks
Player Year Pick # Team
Donyell Marshall 1994 4 Minnesota Timberwolves
Ray Allen 1996 5 Minnesota Timberwolves
Richard Hamilton 1999 7 Washington Wizards
Caron Butler 2002 10 Miami Heat
Emeka Okafor 2004 2 Charlotte Bobcats
Ben Gordon 2004 3 Chicago Bulls
Charlie Villanueva 2005 7 Toronto Raptors
Rudy Gay 2006 8 Houston Rockets
Hilton Armstrong 2006 12 New Orleans Hornets
Hasheem Thabeet 2009 2 Memphis Grizzlies
Kemba Walker 2011 9 Charlotte Bobcats
Andre Drummond 2012 9 Detroit Pistons
Jeremy Lamb 2012 12 Houston Rockets
James Bouknight 2021 11 Charlotte Hornets
Jordan Hawkins 2023 14 New Orleans Pelicans
  • The 2006 Draft class was notable for tying the record of most first-round picks from one school, with four. With five players drafted in the two rounds, UConn tied for the second-most ever taken in an NBA draft.[70]
  • Two players (Clifford Robinson, 1992–93, and Ben Gordon, 2004–05) have been winners of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
  • Emeka Okafor was the winner of the 2004–05 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
  • Ray Allen was the winner of the 2002–03 NBA Sportsmanship Award, and retired as the all-time leading scorer in 3-point field goals made.
  • Five players (Scott Burrell, '97–'98, Travis Knight, '99–'00, Richard Hamilton, '03–'04, Ray Allen, '07–'08 and '12–'13, Caron Butler, '10–'11) have won NBA championships.

NBA Players Past and Present[71][72]

* Bold indicates active players.

References

  1. ^ "University of Connecticut Brand Colors" (PDF). Brand.UConn.edu. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time". Basketball-Reference.com. 2011. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  3. ^ Eudy, Will (2023-09-05). "Where Are They Now? Every Former Charlotte Hornets Lottery Pick". Sports Illustrated Charlotte Hornets News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  4. ^ Bonnell, Rick (December 19, 2019). "Hornets All-Decade team: No-brainer Kemba Walker, but then it gets kind of dicey". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  5. ^ Boone, Roderick. "Glen Rice: Kemba is Hornets' greatest; playing against Jordan and lining up next to 'Grandmama'". The Athletic. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  6. ^ Pagaduan, Jedd (2023-08-01). "Hornets: 10 greatest players in franchise history, ranked". ClutchPoints | Charlotte Hornets News. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  7. ^ Batt, Melissa Watterworth (2016-03-25). "Looking Back at The Humble Beginnings of UConn Women's Basketball". Archives and Special Collections Blog. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  8. ^ Amore, Dom (2021-02-14). "'Honey' Fitch, UConn's first Black basketball player, endured racism in 1930s to blaze the trail for future Huskies". The Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 2021-02-14. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  9. ^ By (2008-01-01). "SIX DECADES LATER, FISHER'S GOT GAME". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  10. ^ Trutor, Clayton (2023-09-19). "The 1951 UConn team was Hugh Greer's breakthrough squad". The UConn Fast Break. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  11. ^ a b "CONNECTICUT NIPS HOLY CROSS, 78-77; Patterson's 2-Pointer Stops Crusader Five's Streak of Home Victories at 47". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  12. ^ a b "UConn men's top 10 most memorable Big East (and other) moments at Madison Square Garden". Hartford Courant. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  13. ^ Break, UConn Fast. "The story of UConn's first Elite Eight appearance". UConn Fast Break. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  14. ^ Jr, John Mason (2023-02-24). "Opinion: Fred Shabel should be in UConn's Hall of Fame". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  15. ^ "UConn coach Larry Brown? It nearly happened". New Haven Register. January 4, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  16. ^ By (2004-02-11). "ROWE'S PASSION FOR LIFE GOING STRONG". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  17. ^ McNamara, Kevin. "Big East born 40 years ago today". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  18. ^ "TimesMachine: Tuesday April 15, 1986 - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  19. ^ By (2005-03-16). "THE MISSING PIECE". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  20. ^ a b Archives, L. A. Times (1988-03-31). "NIT Final : Connecticut Overcomes Ohio State". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  21. ^ a b "TimesMachine: Monday March 12, 1990 - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  22. ^ a b "COLLEGE BASKETBALL; UConn Gains Tie At Top in Big East". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  23. ^ a b Courant, Hartford (2010-06-29). "March 24, 1990: It's Late, It's Tate, It's Great". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  24. ^ Holmes, C. J. "This Day in Madness: Two years before Kentucky, Christian Laettner stunned UConn". The Athletic. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  25. ^ Anthony, Mike (November 3, 2023). "UConn won dual NCAA titles in 2004 and 2014. Can Huskies make basketball history again in 2024?". CT Insider. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  26. ^ "UConn's Calhoun feels at home in Hall of Fame". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  27. ^ "UConn's Jim Calhoun announces retirement". ESPN.com. 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  28. ^ Best, Kenneth (2012-09-13). "Calhoun Exits Sidelines, Ollie Takes Over as Head Coach". UConn Today. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  29. ^ AP Staff (2012-04-20). "NCAA defends Connecticut Huskies postseason ban stemming from APR" (online news report). ESPN.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  30. ^ a b "UConn upsets Michigan St 60-54, back to Final Four". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  31. ^ a b Felt, Hunter (2014-04-08). "UConn defeats Kentucky to win NCAA Championship". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  32. ^ "UConn 72-58 Memphis (Mar 13, 2016) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  33. ^ Birch, Tommy. "Kansas powers past UConn in Des Moines". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  34. ^ a b Amore, Dom (10 March 2018). "Kevin Ollie Fired After UConn Claims 'Just Cause'; Coach Says He Will Fight". courant.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  35. ^ a b Dotson, Kevin (2023-04-03). "Connecticut routs San Diego State to win its fifth NCAA men's basketball title after dominating tournament". CNN. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  36. ^ "With its first Big East Tournament title in 13 years, UConn will arrive at Big Dance as beast of the bracket". CBSSports.com. 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  37. ^ Athletic, The (2024-03-18). "UConn No. 1 overall seed". The Athletic. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  38. ^ a b c "History of UConn Athletics". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  39. ^ Ment, Aaron (February 17, 1953). "Connecticut Meets Brown Bear in Cage Tomorrow". The Connecticut Campus. pp. Vol. 39, No. 46, Pg. 3. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  40. ^ ESPN Staff (2011-04-04). "Butler vs. Connecticut—Game Recap" (online news report). ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-16. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  41. ^ Winn, Luke (2011-04-13). "The last word on defense: A comprehensive title-game study" (online news report). Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  42. ^ a b c d "2023-24 MBB Media Guide (PDF)" (PDF). University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  43. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r CSTV (2011). "2012-13 Connecticut Basketball History: UConn Men's Basketball Information Supplement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  44. ^ a b UConn Staff (2006-12-26). "Men's Basketball Huskies of Honor Announced". uconnhuskies.com. Storrs, Connecticut: University of Connecticut. Archived from the original (university news release) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  45. ^ UConn Staff (2009-02-28). "John Toner inducted into [school's "Huskies of Honor" program]" (university news release). uconnhuskies.com. Storrs, Connecticut: University of Connecticut. Archived from the original on 2016-04-11. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  46. ^ "UConn Men's Basketball 2019-20 Media Guide" (PDF). uconnhuskies.com. 2019. p. 154. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  47. ^ UConn Huskies retire Ray Allen’s number Archived 2022-11-21 at the Wayback Machine By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press - 3 Mar 2019
  48. ^ [https://www.courant.com/2024/01/30/uconn-mens-basketball-to-retire-richard-hamiltons-jersey-no-32-in-february/ UConn men’s basketball to retire Richard Hamilton’s jersey No. 32 in February ]
  49. ^ "Allen and Lobo to Have Numbers Retired" (Press release). Connecticut Huskies. December 7, 2018. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  50. ^ Putterman, Alex (December 7, 2018). "Ray Allen, Rebecca Lobo to have UConn numbers retired". The Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  51. ^ Espn (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  52. ^ Mathewson, R. (1921-12-15). "Connecticut Campus, Volume 8, Number 12, December 15, 1921". Daily Campus Archives.
  53. ^ Columnist, Chip Malafronte, Register Sports. "NEW HAVEN 200: Dom Perno, UConn stole victory from Bill Bradley, Princeton in NCAA tournament". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2024-03-26.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  54. ^ By (1997-02-23). "THE MIRACLE GAME". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  55. ^ Dugandzic, Matthew (2023-03-12). "The time Ray Allen hit a game-winning jumper that gave UConn the Big East championship". Sports Illustrated Milwaukee Bucks News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  56. ^ Video, B/R. "Take Your Shot: How a Magical Sweet 16 Buzzer-Beater Changed Rip Hamilton's Life". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  57. ^ "Katz: Revisiting the game that changed it all for UConn and Gonzaga". ESPN.com. 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  58. ^ "Twenty years later, UConn's upset of Duke still reverberates". ESPN.com. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  59. ^ Finley, Bill (March 28, 2004). "Unchallenged, UConn Reaches The Final Four". The New York Times. pp. Section 8, Page 1. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  60. ^ Writer, EDDIE PELLS-AP Sports (2004-04-06). "UConn easily wins title, 82-73 over Georgia Tech". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  61. ^ Bagnato, Andrew; Press, The Associated (2009-03-29). "UConn outlasts Missouri 82-75 for Final Four berth". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  62. ^ Thamel, Pete (March 13, 2011). "For a Fifth and Final Day, Walker Carries UConn". The New York Times. pp. Section SP, Page 1. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  63. ^ Bishop, Greg (March 27, 2011). "Huskies Pull Together". The New York Times. pp. Section SP, Page 1. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  64. ^ Simpson, Jake (2011-04-05). "UConn Beats Butler: 5 Thoughts on the Ugly 2011 NCAA Title Game". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  65. ^ "UConn men upset Michigan State". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  66. ^ O'Donnell, Ricky (2016-03-11). "UConn-Cincy is the craziest game this year". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  67. ^ "March Madness 2023: UConn destroys Gonzaga, returns to Final Four for first time since 2014". CBSSports.com. 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  68. ^ "UConn beats UNH by 20 to claim NCAA record". ESPN.com. 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  69. ^ "UConn romps back into Final Four with 25-point blowout of Illinois". espn.com. 2024-03-30. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  70. ^ AP Staff (2006-06-29). "UConn ties draft record with four first-round picks" (online news report). ESPN.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2010-05-25. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  71. ^ "Connecticut Players in the NBA - RealGM".
  72. ^ "Players Who Played for UConn".
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UConn_Huskies_men%27s_basketball&oldid=1217993156"