Bazz Tribute | The Boneyard

Bazz Tribute

Round of 32 Villanova in 2014.

Shabazz played like he was in Valhalla.

In the '14 championship game against Kentucky, Shabazz drove, floated through the air forever (his athleticism was underrated), switched hands in midair and used the hand that formerly held the ball to ward off the defender as he swooped it in high off the glass. One of the most memorable things I saw him do other than shooting it from well beyond NBA 3 pt range repeatedly against Villanova.

I remember Tom Crean, Calipari and Izzo remarking that coaching against Napier left them powerless. Crean thought he was the savviest college PG he'd ever seen, played like a pro; Calipari despaired at his FT shooting and told his team never to foul Napier; Izzo said his defensive sets were useless against Napier, Napier would always find a way to dissect them.
 
The thing I always remember about Deandre is the smile he and Iowa State's Dustin Hogue shared when they realized that neither one of them could be stopped. They hit bucket after bucket in that S16 game. Then as they were defending each other they both started laughing together that they were so hot.

In the middle of a S16 game!
 
I've been listening to and watching UConn bball since the 1970s (listening on transistor radio because that's how things were in the 70s).

The 2014 team is my favorite UConn team of all time.

For several reasons:

1. The NCAA banned them unfairly in 2013.
2. Their conference mates took off for the ACC & Big12 while their Catholic counterparts created a whole new conference.
3. Calhoun had retired 1 year prior.
4. They had several transfers from key returning players (something unheard of in the Calhoun era)...
5. All these factors made people think the program had been left for dead.
6. I walked down to the arena in Buffalo from my house with a friend during the first tournament weekend, stopping at several bars along the way. Syracuse and Villanova fans were in the building that weekend and I got ridiculed for my UConn sweatshirt at so many bars.
7. The player who exhibited more unbridled joy than any Husky I had ever seen, Amidah Brimah, saved us from an end that could have hurt this program badly and really validated all the laughter and ridicule of UConn.
8. My father passed away in late February of that year. 3 weeks later I was watching the Michigan St - UConn game in MSG and thinking about how my Dad -- an immigrant from Greece who loved basketball so much, he used to shut down his luncheonette early in downtown New Haven and drive us up to Hartford for UConn games throughout the 1980s. The win over Michigan St. really spurred an overwhelming emotional reaction for me. I felt like I'd grabbed a electric fence and held on for dear life. The next few games were just icing on the cake.

9. When Shabazz declared to Emmert, "This is what happens when you ban us..." that topped off what was for me the most dramatic year as a UConn basketball fan.
 
Last edited:
.-.
You’re making me want to go back and re watch it all. I freaking loved Shabazz so much. Brought my young kids to see him play as a Washington Wizard shortly before Covid in 2020 and he went off for 29, his career high.
 
upstater said:
I've been listening to and watching UConn bball since the 1970s (listening on transistor radio because that's how things were in the 70s).

The 2014 team is my favorite UConn team of all time.

For several reasons:

1. The NCAA banned them unfairly in 2013.
2. Their conference mates took off for the ACC & Big12 while their Catholic counterparts created a whole new conference.
3. Calhoun had retired 1 year prior.
4. They had several transfers from key returning players (something unheard of in the Calhoun era)...
5. All these factors made people think the program had been left for dead.
6. I walked down to the arena in Buffalo from my house with a friend during the first tournament weekend, stopping at several bars along the way. Syracuse and Villanova fans were in the building that weekend and I got ridiculed for my UConn sweatshirt at so many bars.
7. The player who exhibited more unbridled joy than any Husky I had ever seen, Amidah Brimah, saved us from an end that could have hurt this program badly and really validated all the laughter and ridicule of UConn.
8. My father passed away in late February of that year. 3 weeks later I was watching the Michigan St - UConn game in MSG and thinking about how my Dad -- an immigrant from Greece who loved basketball so much, he used to shut down his luncheonette early in downtown New Haven and drive us up to Hartford for UConn games throughout the 1980s. The win over Michigan St. really spurred an overwhelming emotional reaction for me. I felt like I'd grabbed a electric fence and held on for dear life. The next few games were just icing on the cake.

9. When Shabazz declared to Emmert, "This is what happens when you ban us..." that topped off what was for me the most dramatic year as a UConn basketball fan.
Expand ...
That team was special a 7 seed and totally disrespected the whole tournament
I laugh at people complaining about a tough road , in 2014 we beat
a very under seeded and red hot A10 Champs
The New Big East Champs
The Big 12 Champs
The Big 10 Champs and tournament favorites
The SEC Champs and the number 1 team in the country
Then the Red Hot and loaded Ky team
I think we were the dog in all but the first game ever to 8 seed Ky
They held some of those teams to some of their lowest scores of the season with a suffocating team D . Plus they had some very good shooters
There fourth best shooter Ryan Boatright was .379 from the 3
SB .405
DD .417
Giff .483

They were too small to un athletic they were so unimposing on paper teams couldn’t figure out why they lost ,
Plus that was a huge win for the program that said UConn wasn’t a one coach dynasty
Probably made the Hurley higher easier
Were they as imposing as some of our great teams with future NBA locks no , but as a team the exceeded the sum of their parts by a mile .
For a coach that’s the ultimate high.
Nothing ever tops the emotions of 77-74 especially for us Dream Teamers , but that was close .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
167,809
Messages
4,540,166
Members
10,415
Latest member
B2BCT911


Top Bottom