Best Opposing Players UConn faced when in Yankee Conference

[huskyrob1]

This includes non-Yankee conference opponents during those years

I think of the following:

Steve Chubin : Rhode Island
Dr. J: UMass
King Gaskins and Ron Texiera: Holy Cross
Jimmy Walker, Ernie D, Marvin Barnes: Providence
John Austin: BC
Dave Bing: Syracuse
Chris Dudley: Yale

I cannot think of any from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire

Makes me wonder, did UConn ever play Fairfield Univ during the Joe DeSantis - Mark Young era?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Makes me wonder, did UConn ever play Fairfield Univ during the Joe DeSantis - Mark Young era?

Yep. Season finales with Fairfield plus one year in a post season.

 

[Sphinx]

One of the great frustrations of my 67 seasons following UConn basketball is that we never evened the score with Holy Cross.

We held ground with them in the early-mid 50's, but then they dominated us from 1958-59 into the early 70's, until we drew a little blood in the Tony Hansen era. We played them twice a year for much of that period, winning only three times. We lost to them at Storrs even in the Kimball-Bialosuknia year, when both Toby and Wes were injured and missed the game. We did win the return match at Worcester a couple weeks later. For them, it was the great Blaney-Shea-Brandt teams, then the Keith Hochstein teams, then the Buddy Venne, Jack Foley and Ron Perry Jr. teams.

We entered the Big East when Holy Cross turned down Gavitt's invitation, making the fundamental decision to de-emphasize basketball. We went power conference and they went mid-major. To my recollection we never played them in the Perno-Calhoun era, when we might indeed have evened the score. So sad. I remember the lie-awake nights in the 60's, plotting ways to poison Keith Hochstein's water bottle.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

One of the great frustrations of my 67 seasons following UConn basketball is that we never evened the score with Holy Cross.

We held ground with them in the early-mid 50's, but then they dominated us from 1958-59 into the early 70's, until we drew a little blood in the Tony Hansen era. We played them twice a year for much of that period, winning only three times. We lost to them at Storrs even in the Kimball-Bialosuknia year, when both Toby and Wes were injured and missed the game. We did win the return match at Worcester a couple weeks later. For them, it was the great Blaney-Shea-Brandt teams, then the Keith Hochstein teams, then the Buddy Venne, Jack Foley and Ron Perry Jr. teams.

We entered the Big East when Holy Cross turned down Gavitt's invitation, making the fundamental decision to de-emphasize basketball. We went power conference and they went mid-major. To my recollection we never played them in the Perno-Calhoun era, when we might indeed have evened the score. So sad. I remember the lie-awake nights in the 60's, plotting ways to poison Keith Hochstein's water bottle.

Perno played them throughout his tenure. Calhoun played them early in his.

 

[Steve UConn72]

I remember a game in the very early 70's against Manhattan at the Garden - we were the undercard to the highly anticipated game between Notre Dame and Fordham - and a guard named Henry Seawright (sp? ) had a career game, pouring in 30+ points, handing Dee Rowe's Huskies a painful loss. It's hard to believe, given all the recent success, that UConn had ONE winning season in my four years (1968-72) and went 5-19 my freshman year. Dee always said his biggest mistake at UConn was going 14-9 his first year (1969-70). It took him a couple-three years to post his next winning season.

 

[Sphinx]

Perno played them throughout his tenure. Calhoun played them early in his.

I see you are right. 7-3 against them under Perno & Calhoun. Makes me feel a little better, although they hold the 42-22 all-time "edge."

 

[Waquoit]

Makes me wonder, did UConn ever play Fairfield Univ during the Joe DeSantis - Mark Young era?

Corny's freshman year he beat the DeSantis-led Stags by a point in the Field House. It was pandemonium! I think Young had moved on.

 

[August_West]

I remember Yale beating uconn at new haven coliseum late 70’s. Sucked.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

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?

Mau
In the early to mid 70s BC was facing bankruptcy and possible acquisition by area schools. Not sure if it had the academic reputation it has today. They may have started turning it around about Bag's time.
Edit; I meant and Cobb's time.

 

[dvegas]

I remember Yale beating uconn at new haven coliseum late 70’s. Sucked.

House of Horrors. Lost to Fairfield at the Coliseum in 83 or 84. Great place to see the GD or WWWF, not so much for UC

 

[Waquoit]

House of Horrors. Lost to Fairfield at the Coliseum in 83 or 84. Great place to see the GD or WWWF, not so much for UC

Except for the time we sitting right behind the hoop for a BC game. Michael Adams came flying into us after getting clobbered on a drive. My friend loses half his beer and says something to Adams. Adams said "Screw you". Except he didn't say screw. The buddy says (wisely) retorts "Your mother!" Adams was not happy. He goes to the foul line glaring at my friend the entire time and proclaiming how bad he is going to kick his ass after the game. Swished both. We left early.

 

[Pawsox]

Saw the name, King Gaskins from Holy Cross, mentioned earlier. King ended his career at my school (South Alabama), playing for Cliff Ellis. He came to us via a junior college after leaving Holy Cross. I was friends with most of the basketball players at that time and King fit right in even though he was a Boston native living in Mobile, Ala. He still had game as he was the MVP of a Christmas tournament and was the best player on the court for either team. He left the team right after that tournament and there were a lot of theories, but Ellis never divulged the real reason.