Big East tournament memories.

[UConnSwag11]

UConn well represented http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-east-tournament-memories--infographic--050916961.html

 

[HooperScooper]

If there's any doubt what team ruled this conference for 20+ years all you have to do is look at this and you won't have any doubt.

 

[upstater]

My favorite memory was in 2004. Pitt jumped out to a huge lead in the second half (easily double digits but probably closer to 20). I've never heard fans talk so much trash at a game as the Pitt fans. I was sitting in the front row of the second level, and there were a ton of Pitt fans turning around in the latter rows of the first level, taunting what were mostly UConn fans. One guy sitting near me said to the Pitt fans, "You're going to lose!" One Pitt fan jumps up and says, "Put your money where your mouth is!" The UConn fan near me says, "I've got $200 on me. You game? Maybe your friends can spot you if you don't have it." The Pitt guy really did collect $200 from his friends. They got a G'town fan in the lower section to hold the $400 on him until after the game.

I could get into all the drama that occurred after that, but UConn improbably came back and won, and that Pitt fan was in mourning. I couldn't tell if he was more hurt by the massive collapse or the loss of $200 both for sure but I think losing $200 really hurt him.

I've never been so confident in a team as that 2004 team. I just knew they were going to roll. I was in Chicago for the Alabama game and one other, having drinks with some colleagues from around the country. They were all college bball fans and couldn't believe how calm and confident I was as we watched the game. Even during the early going, I was cracking jokes and laughing at it. They couldn't believe it.

 

[UConnSwag11]

My favorite memory was in 2004. Pitt jumped out to a huge lead in the second half (easily double digits but probably closer to 20). I've never heard fans talk so much trash at a game as the Pitt fans. I was sitting in the front row of the second level, and there were a ton of Pitt fans turning around in the latter rows of the first level, taunting what were mostly UConn fans. One guy sitting near me said to the Pitt fans, "You're going to lose!" One Pitt fan jumps up and says, "Put your money where your mouth is!" The UConn fan near me says, "I've got $200 on me. You game? Maybe your friends can spot you if you don't have it." The Pitt guy really did collect $200 from his friends. They got a G'town fan in the lower section to hold the $400 on him until after the game.

I could get into all the drama that occurred after that, but UConn improbably came back and won, and that Pitt fan was in mourning. I couldn't tell if he was more hurt by the massive collapse or the loss of $200 both for sure but I think losing $200 really hurt him.

I've never been so confident in a team as that 2004 team. I just knew they were going to roll. I was in Chicago for the Alabama game and one other, having drinks with some colleagues from around the country. They were all college bball fans and couldn't believe how calm and confident I was as we watched the game. Even during the early going, I was cracking jokes and laughing at it. They couldn't believe it.

my brother went to the 6 overtime game and he said the chaos that was going on during that game was incredible

 

[mauconnfan]

It will always be Smitty making the clinching layup while getting fouled, then being helped up by Tate asking with a smile "It went in?".........1st one for JC and the beginning of dominance quite honestly!!

 

[alexd]

It will always be Smitty making the clinching layup while getting fouled, then being helped up by Tate asking with a smile "It went in?".........1st one for JC and the beginning of dominance quite honestly!!

I love the video of Tate hitting those final free throws and you can see Gwynn jumping around at mid court behind him...great stuff....

 

[alexd]

My favorite memory was in 2004. Pitt jumped out to a huge lead in the second half (easily double digits but probably closer to 20). I've never heard fans talk so much trash at a game as the Pitt fans. I was sitting in the front row of the second level, and there were a ton of Pitt fans turning around in the latter rows of the first level, taunting what were mostly UConn fans. One guy sitting near me said to the Pitt fans, "You're going to lose!" One Pitt fan jumps up and says, "Put your money where your mouth is!" The UConn fan near me says, "I've got $200 on me. You game? Maybe your friends can spot you if you don't have it." The Pitt guy really did collect $200 from his friends. They got a G'town fan in the lower section to hold the $400 on him until after the game.

I could get into all the drama that occurred after that, but UConn improbably came back and won, and that Pitt fan was in mourning. I couldn't tell if he was more hurt by the massive collapse or the loss of $200 both for sure but I think losing $200 really hurt him.

I've never been so confident in a team as that 2004 team. I just knew they were going to roll. I was in Chicago for the Alabama game and one other, having drinks with some colleagues from around the country. They were all college bball fans and couldn't believe how calm and confident I was as we watched the game. Even during the early going, I was cracking jokes and laughing at it. They couldn't believe it.

You gave $400 to a Hoya fan???

 

[8893]

So many favorites over the years, but the blowout of St. John's in '99, the comeback against Pitt in '04 and the HI5TORY in '11 have to be the tops.

My favorite non-memory from the BET was after the '02 or '03 Finals (can't remember if we beat Pitt or lost to them, but it was one of those two), carrying around one of those large orange plastic Knicks mugs they sold at MSG that held something like four beers. Got shut out of the Gingerman post-game because we were obviously in rough shape (and holding large orange mugs bigger than our heads). Somehow got served somewhere else and then jumped on the last train home, expecting to sleep it off. Woke up in New Haven, still in rough shape. Foolishly attempted to drive home, but must have had at least some sense, as I woke up to find myself parked in a commuter lot about ten miles from my house. The sun was rising and I was covered with puke. I drove home and stripped at the front door, leaving my puke-covered clothes in a pile on the doormat. My wife mercifully did not ask many questions, realizing that I knew fully well that this was not acceptable.

I checked the papers for a few days after that, just to make sure no drifters showed up dead along my route. We used the Knicks mug as a bath toy for our daughters for several years after that, and it always gave me a slight headache just looking at it and thinking of that night.

Thankfully, that was a situation I have not come close to repeating since.

 

[tzznandrew]

My favorite memory was in 2004. Pitt jumped out to a huge lead in the second half (easily double digits but probably closer to 20).

One of my favorite games. We jumped out to a 13-2 lead, and then seemingly fell apart.

The lead never got close to 20, though it was double figures:
At half, Pitt led 34-25 (which meant we scored 12 points from the 14:50 mark until the end of the half).
They had us 40-28 with 14:12 in the second half.
We pulled within 6, and then they pushed it back to 51-40 with 8:00 left.
And then they only scored 7 points the rest of the way, while we scored 21...

 

[UConnSwag11]

the loudest moments for me at a uconn game was louisville at the garden for the BET when Marra was shooting those three free throws, Texas at home, and the nova game in '11...

 

[8893]

One of my favorite games. We jumped out to a 13-2 lead, and then seemingly fell apart.

The lead never got close to 20, though it was double figures:
At half, Pitt led 34-25 (which meant we scored 12 points from the 14:50 mark until the end of the half).
They had us 40-28 with 14:12 in the second half.
We pulled within 6, and then they pushed it back to 51-40 with 8:00 left.
And then they only scored 7 points the rest of the way, while we scored 21...

As I've mentioned before, this game is in the pantheon of most painful wins for me (the other ones being Gonzaga '99 and Duke '04). That 9-point lead with 8:00 left felt like 20 points within the context of that game. Then came Ben's coming-out party...

 

[upstater]

As I've mentioned before, this game is in the pantheon of most painful wins for me (the other ones being Gonzaga '99 and Duke '04). That 9-point lead with 8:00 left felt like 20 points within the context of that game. Then came Ben's coming-out party...

This is how I felt as well.

 

[tzznandrew]

As I've mentioned before, this game is in the pantheon of most painful wins for me (the other ones being Gonzaga '99 and Duke '04). That 9-point lead with 8:00 left felt like 20 points within the context of that game. Then came Ben's coming-out party...

Gonzaga was the worst for me. I really thought that if they lost to Gonzaga, it would have been all over forever for the program: it would have been as if George Mason happened, but we didn't have two titles to cry ourselves to sleep with...

 

[tzznandrew]

This is how I felt as well.

It might as well have been. I thought we were behind by 20-ish, so I looked it up and saw two names I never wanted to see again:

Julius Page
Chevy Troutman

The horror...the horror...

 

[UConnSwag11]

One of my favorite games. We jumped out to a 13-2 lead, and then seemingly fell apart.

The lead never got close to 20, though it was double figures:
At half, Pitt led 34-25 (which meant we scored 12 points from the 14:50 mark until the end of the half).
They had us 40-28 with 14:12 in the second half.
We pulled within 6, and then they pushed it back to 51-40 with 8:00 left.
And then they only scored 7 points the rest of the way, while we scored 21...

have any highlights of it or anything?

 

[tzznandrew]

have any highlights of it or anything?

I wish. I just looked it up on ESPN.com.

 

[HooperScooper]

It will always be Smitty making the clinching layup while getting fouled, then being helped up by Tate asking with a smile "It went in?".........1st one for JC and the beginning of dominance quite honestly!!

Man, I didn't get to see that game. I was in grad school at the University of Michigan and I was driving back to school through upstate NY listening to the game on the radio. It was on the Syracuse basketball network. As I got past Buffalo towards Canada the signal started to fade as the game was nearing the final minutes. I had to pull off the side of the road into a scenic overlook to listen to the end. I'm slamming my fists on the dash board in celebration near the end as people are walking past my car looking at me like I was crazy. Made the next 5+ hours of the drive very bearable.

 

[alexd]

Great story Hooper....I've got one for you....

3-11-90...About 200 Hartford area people of Lithuanian decent were gathered at the Lithuanian church hall in Hartford. We had coffee, lunch, beer...we were waiting for news from Lithuania about the Parliament's vote to declare their independence from the USSR, It was also about 55 degrees out. In the parking lot, we had car windows open, with the UCONN/CUSE game blaring....a few footballs being tossed around. Some of us kept running into the church office to get on the phone to call our contacts in D.C. for the latest news from Vilnius, LTU. By the end of the day, Lithuania became the first Soviet occupied country to declare their independence (this was a full 17 months before the Russian coup and the eventual fall of the USSR) and UCONN had their first BET title...I got home that night and watched the game on tape. So for many reasons, 3-11-90 will always be a special day for me.

 

[willie99]

dream season

ray ray beats the answer

butler wins in 2002, team came from nowhere

the 04 run was special, especially sans Meka

the Kemba Walker show


5 great championships right there

 

[HuskyV]

1st year out of UConn I got a call from an undergrad with an extra student ticket for the Sunday championship against Syracuse.

Great scene as we marched into MSG with the the band blaring the UConn Fight Song. Settling into seats 10 rows off the court we refused to take our seats irrititing everyone behind the basket.

Great game - Johnny Gwynn boucing around - rushing the court looking for a cheerleader to hug or player to high five - I end up shaking hands with the UConn AD at mid court.

After post game award presentations we head out to the nearest bar to celebrate some more & see where we would be playing as a 1 seed (unbelievable NIT champs '88 & NIT in '89). The Syracuse faithful had filled the bar before us were drowning their sorrows. They tried to mock our enthuiasm - but they were shot down as I noted that it was sad to hear such bitterness from a 2-seed.

I was hooked for the next 20+ years - often time attending all sessions of the BE tourney.

Will not attend this year - will miss the event. Friday nights & UConn championships were great!

 

[Fairfield 1st]

1996. Ray beats Gtown. I was sitting under the basket that he shot at, and then watched Allen Iverson miss a three that was a lot closer to going in than looked on TV an Othella miss a tip in. What a night. Stayed up the whole night in the City.

 

[mauconnfan]

1996. Ray beats Gtown. I was sitting under the basket that he shot at, and then watched Allen Iverson miss a three that was a lot closer to going in than looked on TV an Othella miss a tip in. What a night. Stayed up the whole night in the City.

Jerome Williams had the missed put back............

Kirk King and Ricky Moore were great in the comeback.............good memory there

 

[Inyatkin]

Jerome Williams had the missed put back............

Kirk King and Ricky Moore were great in the comeback.............good memory there

Kirk King's dunk on Ricky's miss that got us within one should go down as an all-time highlight

 

[Inyatkin]

Seems like the forgotten Big East title team is '98, and that's a shame. It was basically the same team as the year before that couldn't get out of their own way (plus El-Amin, of course). The first two games were pretty ugly. I think we had Rutgers in the semifinals somehow. But the final against Syracuse was awesome. Came back from a pretty big hole thanks to Rashamel Jones having the game of his life.