Earl Kelley

[TRest]

Right there with you Mau.
Loved watching "The Earl of Storrs".
Would have loved to see him play with Corny and Mike.
With Earl on that team we would have beat the Louie and Bouie Show at Manley in the Spring of '79.

Just thinking back (off the top of my head) Earl's teammates would have been Terry Coffey, Terrance Warren, Sgt, Eddie Williams, Skinner Fredricks and Ray Broxton among others.

The only big I ever remember with Earl would have been Bruce Kuczenski maybe his first couple years.

I was at UConn until 83; those had to be some of the worst rosters ever assembled. I'm astonished that Earl is doing so well, good for him.

 

[8893]

I'll never forget seeing us beat Pearl Washington and Cuse and screaming "Earl Kelley is the REAL pearl!" throughout the Civic Center. To that point, it was probably the most exciting game I'd ever attended in person. I was hooked. I even called my Dad from a payphone in the hallway and held the phone up so he could hear the mayhem.

I'll also never forget seeing Earl come to my dorm, while suspended, to do business there. But that's a whole 'nother story...

Glad to hear he's doing well.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

I was at UConn until 83; those had to be some of the worst rosters ever assembled. I'm astonished that Earl is doing so well, good for him.

Those were the days of the other 4 guys on the court with Earl basically getting out of the way and watch Earl do his thing.

 

[gtcam]

As I said before, Earl was a great talent who walked a crooked road that led him to places he wishes he never visited.
I still say (sarcastically), he is the Number 1 UConn player of all time because it was his gun incident that led to Dom Perno's demise and opening the door to JC

 

[gtcam]

I'll never forget seeing us beat Pearl Washington and Cuse and screaming "Earl Kelley is the REAL pearl!" throughout the Civic Center. To that point, it was probably the most exciting game I'd ever attended in person. I was hooked. I even called my Dad from a payphone in the hallway and held the phone up so he could hear the mayhem.

I'll also never forget seeing Earl come to my dorm, while suspended, to do business there. But that's a whole 'nother story...

Glad to hear he's doing well.

Wow, that game brings back memories - I was there too and that place exploded
The Pearl - I hated that lightbulb head but boy could that dude play.
Another phenom destroyed by the Great Picker himself, JB

 

[Oxford Bob]

My junior year of HS we (Trunbull) played against him in state semi-finals. He went off on us for something like 47 points, we had Harold Jenson of Villanova fame, who scored 40+ points as well, unfortunately they beat us 87-84. It was the greatest HS game I've ever seen or was a part of.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm glad his deal wearing his jock above his shorts didn't catch on.

 

[G0UCONN]

Glad (and honestly somewhat shocked) to hear Earl is doing well. He was basically all we had to look forward to or "brag" about on Perno's last teams. He singlehandedly made us somewhat respectable and was fun to watch. A scoring machine....who I always thought would be a solid NBAer.

Thanks for passing along mau.

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm glad his deal wearing his jock above his shorts didn't catch on.

Me too, but instead we have kids wearing their pants below their respective a***s with their underwear showing

 

[jdb50]

I'll never forget seeing us beat Pearl Washington and Cuse and screaming "Earl Kelley is the REAL pearl!" throughout the Civic Center. To that point, it was probably the most exciting game I'd ever attended in person. I was hooked. I even called my Dad from a payphone in the hallway and held the phone up so he could hear the mayhem.

I'll also never forget seeing Earl come to my dorm, while suspended, to do business there. But that's a whole 'nother story...

Glad to hear he's doing well.

That was the game Earl had the ball for the last shot and hit a nice J from about 20' left elbow I believe. Perno was beyond happy as he walked on air off the court. Earl was always a thorn in Cuse's side. The big win at the Dome Earl had 2 big free throws to seal it at the end and when the ref handed him the ball he looked at the Cuse players and said "That's the game boys", he made em both. Glad he's doing well. Bailey dropping out due to grades was a big loss as he was looking like he would be a productive player.

 

[Waquoit]

Earl was always a thorn in Cuse's side. The big win at the Dome Earl had 2 big free throws to seal it at the end and when the ref handed him the ball he looked at the Cuse players and said "That's the game boys", he made em both.

I was convinced at the time that those Cuse are why Dom kept his job. Of course, the flipside was that Kelley's meltdown finally caused him to lose it.

 

[mauconnfan]

That was the game Earl had the ball for the last shot and hit a nice J from about 20' left elbow I believe. Perno was beyond happy as he walked on air off the court. Earl was always a thorn in Cuse's side. The big win at the Dome Earl had 2 big free throws to seal it at the end and when the ref handed him the ball he looked at the Cuse players and said "That's the game boys", he made em both. Glad he's doing well. Bailey dropping out due to grades was a big loss as he was looking like he would be a productive player.

The funny thing is Cuse wanted him real bad and he stayed home, which was unusual in those days. Corny, Earl and finally Chris Smith were the guys I respect the most for doing the unthinkable when being swarmed by bigger names.

 

[Waquoit]

The funny thing is Cuse wanted him real bad and he stayed home, which was unusual in those days. Corny, Earl and finally Chris Smith were the guys I respect the most for doing the unthinkable when being swarmed by bigger names.

Didn't Cuse back off late? Isn't that how he ended up at UConn?

 

[imno1]

The funny thing is Cuse wanted him real bad and he stayed home, which was unusual in those days. Corny, Earl and finally Chris Smith were the guys I respect the most for doing the unthinkable when being swarmed by bigger names.

Another player who stayed home that doesn't get enough praise is Tony Hanson. He had on of the best individual seasons in UConn history.

 

[mauconnfan]

Another player who stayed home that doesn't get enough praise is Tony Hanson. He had on of the best individual seasons in UConn history.

Good one. I wasn't quite studying recruiting then so didn't know who was interested but after seeing him play I'm guessing there were many.

Jim Abro too and Mike McKay

 

[imno1]

Since we are at it who's on the UConn all time instate team
Chris Smith
Earl Kelly
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Scott Burrell

Who am I missing

 

[mauconnfan]

Since we are at it who's on the UConn all time instate team
Chris Smith
Earl Kelly
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Scott Burrell

Who am I missing

New thread - all in state (stayed)

 

[mauconnfan]

Since we are at it who's on the UConn all time instate team
Chris Smith
Earl Kelly
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Scott Burrell

Who am I missing

Tough call with McKay. Also Abro, Carr, Whelton, Chapman, Dulin, Kuczenski, Hayes, Austrie on and on and on.....lol

 

[Waquoit]

Since we are at it who's on the UConn all time instate team
Chris Smith
Earl Kelly
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Scott Burrell

Who am I missing

Ryan Gomes?

 

[mauconnfan]

Ryan Gomes?

That stayed wise guy! LOL

 

[60'sfan]

Since we are at it who's on the UConn all time instate team
Chris Smith
Earl Kelly
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Scott Burrell

Who am I missing

How about Andre Drummond? Although he was born in New York, he played his high school basketball in Connecticut.

 

[imno1]

How about Andre Drummond? Although he was born in New York, he played his high school basketball in Connecticut.

Yeah I thought about Drummond but I think the guys on my list had better careers at UConn.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Since we are at it who's on the UConn all time instate team
Chris Smith
Earl Kelly
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Scott Burrell

Who am I missing

Edmund Saunders-he doesn't start on the team above but would be a key reserve.

 

[mauconnfan]

Edmund Saunders-he doesn't start on the team above but would be a key reserve.

Edmund had some real good moments, could have had a lot more great one's. Great talent.

 

[Waquoit]

Edmund had some real good moments, could have had a lot more great one's. Great talent.

Yeah, didn't he have another year of eligibility and UConn said thanks but no thanks?

 

[mauconnfan]

Yeah, didn't he have another year of eligibility and UConn said thanks but no thanks?

Good question. Certainly could use him now.

 

[G0UCONN]

He doesn't belong on the list but I was real happy when Doug Wiggins stayed and thought he would be a player --- but it was not to be.

 

[UConn77]

Another player who stayed home that doesn't get enough praise is Tony Hanson. He had on of the best individual seasons in UConn history.

That was my senior year, 1976-77. Tony did have a great season. He was also a great guy.

 

[ktuck911]

When I saw the headline of this thread I half-expected to read something bad had happened to Earl Kelley, probably because almost all of the stories about him since that Syracuse game 30+ years ago have been bad.

Earl Kelley absolutely cemented my love of basketball. Dude was the only BE caliber talent on his UConn teams (Tim Coles was his one big guy, at best 6'6" defending Patrick Ewing) and Earl kept UConn somewhat competitive when the talent wasn't there. He also took control from the coach which arguably led to a rudderless program. I remember watching him show up for practice 15 minutes late smoking a cigarette or teasing James Spradling (that he was a bad-ass dunker) in the old gym, it was both funny and nasty. As a player Earl was phenomenally good and entertaining to watch shoot or drive to the hole. He would put the ball in the hoop from impossible angles via backspin, topspin, side-spin whatever it took. Despite all his failings at UConn I still expected him to make it in the NBA when he got drafted in the 6th round or whatever it was.

Very happy to hear he is on his feet and doing well.

Earl Kelley shoulda been in the league... He was as good as all the Big East great guards during his time there. He was going to do big things his final season. I believe Clifford Robinson was a frosh then... I remember seeing them on the basketball court outside of South Campus the Summer of '85 (Clifford was thin then but slam on those outdoor rims like it was goin outta style).. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way for him.. Glad to hear he's doing well now though.. Earl Kelley fan for life here...

 

[puppygenius]

Earl Kelley was my first UConn hero.... THE FIRST!