G
Grandview
The Connecticut Women's Basketball team is a love. Although I am from NY, one Saturday afternoon in the early 2000s. I was standing in line at the movie house in Torrington with a friend behind four grey haired, elderly ladies. One glanced at the schedule for the shows and commented to the others, "Great, the movie will be over by 7 PM and we will get just back in time to see the start of the girl's game". Connecticut loves the Huskies. Today the women's program are 9 time National Champions.
In 1995 I visited the UConn campus for the first time in a long time. The buildings looked mostly the same, but it seemed to me that the place was largely in disrepair. The "new" Babbage Library was already under renovation because the windows installed two years earlier were faulty. Large sheets of plastic flapped in the stiff wind that comes off the hill on North Campus. There hadn't been a new academic building built at the Storrs campus in over 23 years.
That year the Husky Women, led by Rebecca Lobo, were the first Connecticut undefeated team, and won the UConn's first National Championship in women's basketball. That success, along with the growing strength of the men's basketball team, led by UConn's "Ambassador of Kwan", Ray Allen, led to a rebuilding and transformation of the campus. Governor John Roland rolled out a one billion dollar bond issue to renovate the campus, which passed, and that victory was attributed to the success of the UConn basketball programs. Another billiion dollar bond issue followed in 2000, along with five hundred million in private contributions to beautify the campus and regenerate the interest lost in The University.
Since 1995, Connecticut basketball teams led by coaches Geno Auriema, Jim Calhoun, and this year by former Husky player Kevin Ollie, have combined to win 14 National Championships. This past year our nations most powerful basketball confrence, The Big East, crumbeled under tha pressure of reorginization of conferences, which was to due to financial pressure to bolster huge income producing football programs. Notre Dame, which is still an independent in football due to their hording of the large NBC TV contract, abondon the remaining instituions in the Big East to join the ACC. After the game, I remember several years back when UConn's football team defeated the Fighting Irish in football, and can only smile that ND was steamrolled last night in Nashville.
I hear rumors that more great things are instore for Connecticut Basketball. Let's hope that includes more evenings like the last two. One thing is for sure, UConn Basketball warms up the cold New England winters. Congratulations to the teams and to all fans; Students, Alumni, all of Connecticut, and fans-from-afar. We are all smiling today!
(Way to) Go Huskies!
In 1995 I visited the UConn campus for the first time in a long time. The buildings looked mostly the same, but it seemed to me that the place was largely in disrepair. The "new" Babbage Library was already under renovation because the windows installed two years earlier were faulty. Large sheets of plastic flapped in the stiff wind that comes off the hill on North Campus. There hadn't been a new academic building built at the Storrs campus in over 23 years.
That year the Husky Women, led by Rebecca Lobo, were the first Connecticut undefeated team, and won the UConn's first National Championship in women's basketball. That success, along with the growing strength of the men's basketball team, led by UConn's "Ambassador of Kwan", Ray Allen, led to a rebuilding and transformation of the campus. Governor John Roland rolled out a one billion dollar bond issue to renovate the campus, which passed, and that victory was attributed to the success of the UConn basketball programs. Another billiion dollar bond issue followed in 2000, along with five hundred million in private contributions to beautify the campus and regenerate the interest lost in The University.
Since 1995, Connecticut basketball teams led by coaches Geno Auriema, Jim Calhoun, and this year by former Husky player Kevin Ollie, have combined to win 14 National Championships. This past year our nations most powerful basketball confrence, The Big East, crumbeled under tha pressure of reorginization of conferences, which was to due to financial pressure to bolster huge income producing football programs. Notre Dame, which is still an independent in football due to their hording of the large NBC TV contract, abondon the remaining instituions in the Big East to join the ACC. After the game, I remember several years back when UConn's football team defeated the Fighting Irish in football, and can only smile that ND was steamrolled last night in Nashville.
I hear rumors that more great things are instore for Connecticut Basketball. Let's hope that includes more evenings like the last two. One thing is for sure, UConn Basketball warms up the cold New England winters. Congratulations to the teams and to all fans; Students, Alumni, all of Connecticut, and fans-from-afar. We are all smiling today!
(Way to) Go Huskies!