Favorite Non Connecticut Team and/or Player

[TRest]

Rooted hard for all the original BE teams in the dance before the dream season. I still root for any New England team outside of BC that makes the tourney. Loved that Vermont team that beat Cuse.

 

[Umami Zen]

Wayne Gretzky was the first dominating athlete ever I saw that didn't dominate by athleticism. He was NOT bigger and stronger than other players. Nor was he the fastest or quickest guy on the ice. He didn't have the hardest shot.

He was simply smarter and more skilled than those around him. That made him unstoppable. He played the game in the future while other players were confined to the present.

The first UConn opponent that I saw who had some of what Gretzky has was Malik Sealy form St Johns. Obviously Sealy was nowhere near the Gretzky level. But he was so smooth. The game was so easy for him. I would watch him and wish the Huskies could have a guy like that. And we eventually did when Ray Allen came down the heavens.

WG always seemed to be in the right place/right time. When asked how he was able to do this so effectively. He said. he said he tried to be (visualize) where the puck was going to be. Not where it was at that moment.

The hockey equivalent of BB court vision.

 

[Griffman]

Marques Johnson - Always a big UCLA fan.
Adrian Dantley
John Bagley - Probably my favorite player because he was local and just his creativity for a guy who was slow and couldn't jump. Players today should watch tape of him.
Chris Jackson - LSU
Pearl Washington

 

[Husky25]

Paul Westphal passed away 1 month ago, he was a true basketball innovator.

May be so, but Paul Westhead coached the Kimball/Gathers LMU team.

"The System" not only consistently reached 100 points in a 40 minute college game, they averaged over 100 for three straight seasons and set a PPG record. Pretty remarkable considering the shot clock was 45 seconds.

According to the 30 for 30, the goal would be to get a shot up within 7 seconds of inbounding the ball or gaining possession.

 

[wheelerdog]

Mid 70s UCLA and Marques Johnson

 

[Lefty2one]

I loved Troy Murphy's game at Notre Dame.

 

[HobokenHusky]

Steph Curry, before he was THE Steph Curry.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Loved watching the Fab Five and UNLV in the late 80's-early 90's and definitely Jason Williams throwing unnecessary behind the back passes at UF. Rex Chapman at KY, JR Reid and Jeff Lebo at UNC come to mind also.

Constantin Popa was always a favorite of mine for whatever reason. He looked so lost on the court his first year at Miami I almost felt bad for him. But he ended up becoming a pretty good player in the years following.

Edit: Shaq at LSU was must see TV also.

 

[Kolumbo]

I forgot about Vin Baker. He was definitely a local favorite.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I forgot about Vin Baker. He was definitely a local favorite.

Went to an early season UConn/Hartford game when he was a junior. Absolutely torched us in the first half. He didn't have much help so the Huskies ran away with it but he was the best player on the court at the time.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I loved Dejuan Blair. Loved him.

 

[ElmCity40th]

‘89-‘90 UNLV Runnin Rebels
‘93-94 Arkansas Razorbacks
‘95-‘96 Kentucky Wildcats
Eddie House(Arizona St)
Marcus Hatton(St. John’s)

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I don't hate Blair as much as Laettner...but he's up there.

 

[pepband99]

I always love (and remember) the upsetters.

Ali Farokhmanesh (Northern Iowa)
K. J. Maura (UMBC)
T.J. Sorrentine (UVM)
C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)
Basically all of dunk city (FGCU)

The Thursday and Friday of March Madness are holidays in my house.

 

[ucp990411]

As a VT resident I like The Catamounts. As for any other teams, any team that tries to beat the good guys I do not like. Of course I don't like Kentucky, Duke and UNC more than others.

 

[Vuce]

David "Skywalker" Thompson. NC St. (pre-coke/pre-injuries) .

Seeing the NC state reference reminded me that I did love that NC State team in 1983. Valvano was getting national exposure with his unique personality and I remember pretending to be Sidney Lowe or Derek Whittenburg in my driveway. We were fortunate enough to have met Valvano as he was in northern CT recruiting a Springfield kid at Suffield Academy - Vinny Del Negro. Loved that Wolfpack team. A year or two later NC State played in the Tip Off Classic in Springfield and we went to that game every year. We also went to the luncheon the day before where each coach and broadcasters would speak. When Valvano got his turn at the microphone it was half coach stuff and half stand up comedian. The place was roaring with laughter at all his stories. It was so cool to find out later that he had once been an assistant coach at UConn

 

[Husky25]

had a nice little 30 for 30 ESPN about their coach and that run and gun philosophy he lived and died by. Entertaining as anything and after the death of Gathers hard to not root for them in the tourney

The LSU/LMU game from 1990 is on YouTube nearly in its entirety. I've never seen it but watching it now.

It's 29-28 with nearly 11 minutes to go in the first half. Frantic pace, but it's not as if the defense was awful.

Few other notes:

1. Shaq was a 17 year old freshman
2. SEC conference games allowed for 6 personal fouls/game. 5 OoC.
3. At that time in the season, 5 schools were averaging over 100 points/game.
4. Even with all the fast break kick outs for a 3PTFGA, LMU still shot 16 free throws within the first 12 minutes
5. Though Westhead developed The System with the Showtime Lakers, this is a Moneyball philosophy, IMO. A team today could only play like this if:
   1. They had nothing to lose. I don't think a Top 25 team could do it. Only an upstart. The top tier coaches have too much money on the line.
   2. They were undersized and/or have at least three, preferably four, shooters on the floor at all times.
   3. They were intent on taking advantage of inefficiencies, one in particular, of their opponent(s): Conditioning.

BTW It's 72-58 at the half.

 

[Umami Zen]

Seeing the NC state reference reminded me that I did love that NC State team in 1983. Valvano was getting national exposure with his unique personality and I remember pretending to be Sidney Lowe or Derek Whittenburg in my driveway. We were fortunate enough to have met Valvano as he was in northern CT recruiting a Springfield kid at Suffield Academy - Vinny Del Negro. Loved that Wolfpack team. A year or two later NC State played in the Tip Off Classic in Springfield and we went to that game every year. We also went to the luncheon the day before where each coach and broadcasters would speak. When Valvano got his turn at the microphone it was half coach stuff and half stand up comedian. The place was roaring with laughter at all his stories. It was so cool to find out later that he had once been an assistant coach at UConn

Jimmy V was one of a kind. Hilarious sense of humor. Vinny D had "game".

 

[Ricker]

This walk through memory lane has jogged my memories:
I need to add the Al Maguire led Maurice Lucas Marquette team - also had an excellent clutch point guard
Dantley made me think of Austin Carr at Notre Dame that was exciting to watch
I liked Mark Aguire at Depaul
Rooted for South Carolina somewhat when they were in the ACC with (Dunleavy?)
Rooted for Maryland for a short while when Tom Roy was there, followed by Len Elmore, & Bias
Surprised no one has mentioned Magic, Bird, or the Quinn Buckner Indiana teams, (I only rooted for Ind St)

 

[Duncan Idaho]

This walk through memory lane has jogged my memories:
I need to add the Al Maguire led Maurice Lucas Marquette team - also had an excellent clutch point guard
Dantley made me think of Austin Carr at Notre Dame that was exciting to watch
I liked Mark Aguire at Depaul
Rooted for South Carolina somewhat when they were in the ACC with (Dunleavy?)
Rooted for Maryland for a short while when Tom Roy was there, followed by Len Elmore, & Bias
Surprised no one has mentioned Magic, Bird, or the Quinn Buckner Indiana teams, (I only rooted for Ind St)

South Carolina had Alex English, he was really good and before him Johnny Roche. Thanks for the memory jog.

 

[Magic32]

I really liked Harold Pressley's game and would root for him. Besides, how could you not like Rollie?
I also tend to root for NC State ever since the '83 game.
Favorite player all time is Magic. Loved that championship game.

 

[Get a Job]

I really liked Harold Pressley's game and would root for him. Besides, how could you not like Rollie?
I also tend to root for NC State ever since the '83 game.
Favorite player all time is Magic. Loved that championship game.

Post/handle/avatar

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Basically all of dunk city (FGCU)

That's a good one. Man, that was a fun team to watch.

 

[OkaForPrez]

With no hesitation the Gansey/Pittsnoogle WVU team that did beat Chris Paul’s WFU team in the tourney was my favorite non-UConn team since UConn became UConn. I loved watching Gansey play basketball. Maybe the most underrated and underappreciated college basketball player ever.

I'm so glad you said this. I think about that WVU team so often when I think of most fun to watch. The 1 3 1 Trap they played on defense and the Princeton back door offense they played with 5 outside was so fun to watch. Add the Pittsnoggle pinch of hillbilly and the Magic of gansey and you truly have one of the best teams of all time.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Shaka's Havoc VCU teams were fun. 2013 La Salle. Northern Iowa team that beat KU.