Best Opposing Players UConn faced when in Yankee Conference

[Palatine]

Knocking off Soup Campbell and the Friars was a very satisfying win. Kicked their butts pretty good.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Chris Dudley predates the Big East? That’s insane

Why would you write that? Dudley played at Yale in the early to mid 80's.

 

[HooperScooper]

Why would you write that? Dudley played at Yale in the early to mid 80's.

Correct. I went to a D3 school that played Yale when Dudley was there. And beat Yale. I think it was the last time they played a D3 school.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Why would you write that? Dudley played at Yale in the early to mid 80's.

In response to the OP as a player UConn faced while in their YC years.

 

[mauconnfan]

One that got away. Big star at Stamford High. Of all the BC players implicated in the point shaving scandle, Ernie was the only one not convicted (most likely due to the excellent lawyers referred by his HS coach Herm Alswanger). But the association probably cost him a cup of coffee in the NBA.

He was a very good scorer, basketball player. Really liked watching him play. He had a real similar game to another Fairfield County BC star a few years later in John Bagley. Both had those barrel-like bodies but could get to the rim and shot it pretty well too. Hate to say it BC was pretty good back in the day. Having HS teammates on the football and hoops team I admit to liking them (2nd to the Huskies no matter) until the mid 80's then that went away quick when they both left.

 

[uconnric]

First, UConn's YC basketball years were 1946-47 through 1976-77.

If you're talking best YC opposing players, I would suggest:

Dr. J (UMass)
Steve Chubin (Rhody)
Art Stephenson (Rhody)
Sly Williams (Rhody)
Skip Chappelle (Maine)
Clyde Lord (Vermont)

If you're talking any opponent played in the YC years, here's a possible Top Ten from just the 50's and 60's.

Elgin Baylor (Seattle)
Tom Heinsohn (HC)
Bill Bradley (Princeton)
Jeff Mullins (Duke)
Tom Sanders (NYU)
Vinnie Cohen (Syracuse)
Ed Conlin (Fordham)
Hal Lear (Temple)
Guy Rodgers (Temple)
Matt Goukas (St. Joe's)

Stephenson and Larry Johnson were a tough duo for Rhody back then. Stephenson was an undersized center who played much bigger than his height. He was listed at 6'6" but was probably no more than 6'3". Rhody was our arch rival in those days.

Not to forget a kid who played for UMass with Dr. J while I was a UConn student. Rick Pitino.

 

[mauconnfan]

Stephenson and Larry Johnson were a tough duo for Rhody back then. Stephenson was an undersized center who played much bigger than his height. He was listed at 6'6" but was probably no more than 6'3". Rhody was our arch rival in those days.

Not to forget a kid who played for UMass with Dr. J while I was a UConn student. Rick Pitino.

Wasnt there a Mahaney or something at UMass in the Yankee Conference days that could score it?

Pitino wasn’t any good though right? I mean maybe he had game on the restaurant tables like Rafters but basketball not so much.

 

[Waquoit]

He had a real similar game to another Fairfield County BC star a few years later in John Bagley.

Bagley was a great college player, my favorite all-time from BCU. Won a Big East title and led a team of players that couldn't get into UConn to the Elite 8.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Wasnt there a Mahaney or something at UMass in the Yankee Conference days that could score it?

Pitino wasn’t any good though right? I mean maybe he had game on the restaurant tables like Rafters but basketball not so much.

Murphy. He was good. Played with Skinner. After them it was Jim Towne and Mike Pyatt as a tough duo.

 

[cohenzone]

Bob Loyd of Rutgers. Great battles with Bialosuknia.

Was there for the best ever. Two of the top three scorers in the country, put on a show with UConn upsetting favored Rutty.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

We forgot Jim Calhoun
AIC

 

[mauconnfan]

Bagley was a great college player, my favorite all-time from BCU. Won a Big East title and led a team of players that couldn't get into UConn to the Elite 8.

Bagley was the main guy but you're off a little on the team itself. Actually they blew the Jay Murphy (HS teammate and friend) recruiting by Dom Perno sending a volunteer assistant to watch him at Maloney and this kid walked away saying he's "never going to make it in the Big East" to me as I asked him sitting near him at a game after I graduated LOL, clueless. He would've gone to UConn if offered and let's see he averaged 9.3, 11.5, 17.7 and 19.8 in his 4 years I think we could have used him. Also missed on Garris who certainly could have played at UConn as well as Michael Adams. Shrigley and Clark were nice players also all could've played at UConn. BC was solid then, although Bags was our biggest miss no doubt.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Bagley was the main guy but you're off a little on the team itself. Actually they blew the Jay Murphy (HS teammate and friend) recruiting by Dom Perno sending a volunteer assistant to watch him at Maloney and this kid walked away saying he's "never going to make it in the Big East" to me as I asked him sitting near him at a game after I graduated LOL, clueless. He would've gone to UConn if offered and let's see he averaged 9.3, 11.5, 17.7 and 19.8 in his 4 years I think we could have used him. Also missed on Garris who certainly could have played at UConn as well as Michael Adams. Shrigley and Clark were nice players also all could've played at UConn. BC was solid then, although Bags was our biggest miss no doubt.

Mau, several of those players from CT that played at BC were inadmissible to UConn at the time.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Was there for the best ever. Two of the top three scorers in the country, put on a show with UConn upsetting favored Rutty.

If I recall correctly, there was a a day in which in the afternoon, Wes scored enough points to become the NCAA Div 1 leading scorer, and that evening Lloyd scored enough points to regain the lead.

Can you, @oldschool, or anyone else, confirm this?

 

[mauconnfan]

Mau, several of those players from CT that played at BC were inadmissible to UConn at the time.

Oh really... so reading Waq's reply it does say "couldn't get in to" not couldn't play at UConn. That would be my bad, my apology to Waq and thanks for the clarification. Not sure on who or why but that's whacked now that I think about it.

I do need to edit on this with Murph though, a complete swing and miss by the staff is all that was period! Didn't know about Garris and Adams, maybe even Bags. But why was BC more lenient than us at the time for accepting student athletes?

 

[dvegas]

Not the Yankee Conference, but Villanova's 1985 National Championship team featured three players from Connecticut - Howard Pressley, Harold Jensen and Steve Pinone. Good job recruiting in-state Dom . . . . known as "Dim Porno" in the 4/1 edition of the "Daily Scampus"

 

[cohenzone]

If I recall correctly, there was a a day in which in the afternoon, Wes scored enough points to become the NCAA Div 1 leading scorer, and that evening Lloyd scored enough points to regain the lead.

Can you, @oldschool, or anyone else, confirm this?

Not sure about that. But I do recall Wes scored 40 and Lloyd 39. Wes owned the first half and Lloyd the second.

Believe it or not, UConn fans haven’t typically been rah-rah except during games. Wes was in a class of mine at the time. The guy who taught the class, Louie Gerson was a big hoops fan. The class was in the big lecture hall in what we called the Social Sciences building and happened to be the morning after the game. Class had started and Wes came in a few minutes late. Gerson, still reliving the game, said something like “Amazing game Wes”. Total silence in the room. Gerson shrugged and said, “well, nice game Wes.” You had to be there.Pretty awkward.

ETA: this spurred me to Google Gerson. I think I knew he had escaped the Holocaust. He lived until 2016, age 94. He outlived Wes.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Not sure about that. But I do recall Wes scored 40 and Lloyd 39. Wes owned the first half and Lloyd the second.

Believe it or not, UConn fans haven’t typically been rah-rah except during games. Wes was in a class of mine at the time. The guy who taught the class, Louie Gerson was a big hoops fan. The class was in the big lecture hall in what we called the Social Sciences building and happened to be the morning after the game. Class had started and Wes came in a few minutes late. Gerson, still reliving the game, said something like “Amazing game Wes”. Total silence in the room. Gerson shrugged and said, “well, nice game Wes.” You had to be there.Pretty awkward.

ETA: this spurred me to Google Gerson. I think I knew he had escaped the Holocaust. He lived until 2016, age 94. He outlived Wes.

I think that I was at that shootout, head-to-head game, but at my stats-obsessed young age, UConn having the nation's #1 scorer was a big deal, so that other day sticks out as an 'easy come, easy go' kind of thing.

 

[Waquoit]

Mau, several of those players from CT that played at BC were inadmissible to UConn at the time.

UConn took pride in not letting in BB players in those days. Gave them an excuse for mediocrity.

 

[alphasigko]

First, UConn's YC basketball years were 1946-47 through 1976-77.

If you're talking best YC opposing players, I would suggest:

Dr. J (UMass)
Steve Chubin (Rhody)
Art Stephenson (Rhody)
Sly Williams (Rhody)
Skip Chappelle (Maine)
Clyde Lord (Vermont)

If you're talking any opponent played in the YC years, here's a possible Top Ten from just the 50's and 60's.

Elgin Baylor (Seattle)
Tom Heinsohn (HC)
Bill Bradley (Princeton)
Jeff Mullins (Duke)
Tom Sanders (NYU)
Vinnie Cohen (Syracuse)
Ed Conlin (Fordham)
Hal Lear (Temple)
Guy Rodgers (Temple)
Matt Goukas (St. Joe's)

Dr J stands above them all! Saw him 3x vs UConn in the 2 years he was at UMass Drove up to Amherst his Soph year.

 

[Improviser]

Not sure about that. But I do recall Wes scored 40 and Lloyd 39. Wes owned the first half and Lloyd the second.

Believe it or not, UConn fans haven’t typically been rah-rah except during games. Wes was in a class of mine at the time. The guy who taught the class, Louie Gerson was a big hoops fan. The class was in the big lecture hall in what we called the Social Sciences building and happened to be the morning after the game. Class had started and Wes came in a few minutes late. Gerson, still reliving the game, said something like “Amazing game Wes”. Total silence in the room. Gerson shrugged and said, “well, nice game Wes.” You had to be there.Pretty awkward.

ETA: this spurred me to Google Gerson. I think I knew he had escaped the Holocaust. He lived until 2016, age 94. He outlived Wes.

Yes, he taught political science and was quite the lecturer. He used to describe the dormitory rooms as "palatial suites," to add a little humor to his lecture. Lots of good political science teachers then, like Alvin Dozeman, Max Thatcher, to name a few.

 

[Improviser]

Wasnt there a Mahaney or something at UMass in the Yankee Conference days that could score it?

Pitino wasn’t any good though right? I mean maybe he had game on the restaurant tables like Rafters but basketball not so much.

Brian Mahaney from Manhattan. Google description below:

Brian Mahaney (born December 17, 1948) is an American retired college basketball coach and former professional player. He was head coach of the St. John's Red Storm team from 1992 to 1996, as well as the Manhattan Jaspers from 1978 to 1981.

Mahaney played collegiately at Manhattan College. A 6'3", 175-pound shooting guard, he was drafted in 1971 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fifth round of that year's NBA draft; however, he played instead in the rival American Basketball Association as a member of the New York Nets (now the NBA's Brooklyn team) for only 19 games in the 1972–73 season. That was the only time he played professionally. After that he went into coaching.

 

[cohenzone]

Yes, he taught political science and was quite the lecturer. He used to describe the dormitory rooms as "palatial suites," to add a little humor to his lecture. Lots of good political science teachers then, like Alvin Dozeman, Max Thatcher, to name a few.

Had em all. I helped Dozeman organize Vietnam discussions before the war got super hot. Thatcher was a bit of a misogynist. He would refer to females as pin heads with women sitting there. I liked Gerson. I was a polisci major. My two favorite profs were Staton (sp?) Watts and Richard Turner. Both taught comparative government and were so interesting I’d forget to take notes. Also Fred Kort who outlined his lectures on the board, very structured right down to how he rolled up his sleeves. His son was (is?) an orthopedist in Vernon who treated a tendonitis issue I had years ago. Major digression from the topic.

 

[Improviser]

Had em all. I helped Dozeman organize Vietnam discussions before the war got super hot. Thatcher was a bit of a misogynist. He would refer to females as pin heads with women sitting there. I liked Gerson. I was a polisci major. My two favorite profs were Staton (sp?) Watts and Richard Turner. Both taught comparative government and were so interesting I’d forget to take notes. Also Fred Kort who outlined his lectures on the board, very structured right down to how he rolled up his sleeves. His son was (is?) an orthopedist in Vernon who treated a tendonitis issue I had years ago. Major digression from the topic.

I must digress too if I am permitted, and say about Dr. Kort (who I had as an instructor in the late 1960's) that he was brilliant and organized, and when I revisited UConn maybe in the late 1980's or early 1990's, about 20 or more years after my graduation, I saw him at the then new and beautiful indoor pool at UConn. I introduced myself though I don't think he remembered me. I chatted with him and his wife. He was an avid swimmer she told me and that he went every day to the pool. He appeared fit and trim. He was gracious and though he did not remember me, asked about what I had been doing since graduation. In every way, he was a distinguished gentleman. At the website, UConn Advance - August 30, 2004 - Emeritus Professor Fred Kort Dies At 85 is his obituary I found online. A very interesting life story.

 

[huskyrob1]

Bagley was a great college player, my favorite all-time from BCU. Won a Big East title and led a team of players that couldn't get into UConn to the Elite 8.

I knew Bagley, a really nice guy. Saw him all the time at the Fitness Edge gym in Fairfield just after his playing career. Use to fly out to Chicago two or three times a week for a business he had based out there.