Favorite UCONN moment

[NowInStorrs]

Winning the AAC conference title in 2016

I was there bro. Not many other people were, but I was.

 

[Ken]

1996 Big East Tourney. Ray Allen. Hooked from there!

 

[Dogbreath2U]

During this lull in news, I'm wondering what is your favorite UConn moment.

Mine was in the 1999 finals, when Ricky Moore took it to the rack on the first possession of the game and then screamed at William Avery, 'You can't stop me. You never could stop me'. They were from the same high school

Ricky Moore was the MVP of the '99 NC in my book. The unforgettable film of Ricky after stopping Langdon on the drive, with Billy Packer questioning the wisdom of such a move as it happened. After that stop, he was intensity personified as he walked around the court. Maybe someone can find the video of this reaction, but it was classic. Greatest defender I have seen at UConn in the Calhoun era and beyond.

 

[UConnNick]

So many to choose from it's almost impossible. The first NC was amazing, especially in person, with two Puke fans sitting right behind us in the UConn section, for some unknown reason.

I'm gonna go old school and pick a couple from the 1970's. Jimmy Foster's 27 point performance at MSG in 1974 on St. Patrick's Day to beat heavily favored St. John's 82-70 in the NIT, and the 1976 ECAC New England Championship game at the old Springfield Civic Center, when we beat a Joey Hassett led Pee Cee 87-73 to win the title and get the automatic bid to the NCAAs. That win over the Friars was a forerunner of the changing of the guard in New England basketball. Up until then it had been all PC for many years. After that we were back on the New England map, and except for their unlikely Final Four appearance in 1987, it's been mostly all UCONN ever since. 4 > 0 in NCAA titles says it all.

 

[6xChamps]

I've been to a lot of awesome sporting events in my life, but being at MSG when we beat Michigan St takes the cake. I've never heard such a loud "neutral" court

 

[AZHuskiePop]

For those of tramatized by Christian Lattner shot in 1990.,when we were a Tate George deflection away from our first final four.
Than suffered through a series of close misses in the 1990's even with all our success. Even with all the great players we had somehow managed to blow it in the Tourney.We had never even been to a FF
And then there was 1998-99
We knew we could possibly be the best team in the country going into that year but our old nemesis Duke generated buzz as the greatest team in college basketball history. They were awfully good but not good enough.
When that final whistle blew with us on top 77-74 it seemed if all those ghosts of bygone years were exorcized.. The feeling was like nothing I've ever experienced
Yea I was there for Cuse ,GT wins that put us in the big time but it wasn't the same
Nothing could ever be the same.
Winning in 2014 was close ,

as we were a team written off as dead.
Even if that was the last Hurrah of a UConn big time BB team at least we've had Hurrahs

 

[sammydabiz]

3 all equal for me

-St Petersburg
-Kemba step back
-"This is what happens when you ban us"

#sportsporn

 

[andy34]

winning championships and such are a given, but this moment always sticks out in my mind (4:30)

Oh my god I forgot about this. Easily the most fun game I've ever been to, and without a doubt the loudest.

 

[andy34]

Underrated moment in UConn history that made me too happy to speak...... watching Coach K's whiny presser after we beat them in '04, because I'm petty and enjoy Duke misery almost more than anything else

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I'll never forget this:

Why does The Boneyard ask me "Are you sure you want to like it?"

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Not gonna lie, this is up there for me:

From the forthcoming ESPN 30-30 "I Love Rod Sellers"

 

[80shusky]

I tried to think of one but three came to mind instantly as almost equal. One stands out above the rest due to the company I kept.
2014 - Watched the Elite 8 and Final Four with my father who was four weeks removed from open heart surgery and is a rabid Husky fan.
1990 - The Shot - I was at Woodhaven apartments with a friend watching the game. It was completely amazing. A few days later I watched us lose and drove back to campus (I lived in Tolland Hall) past a giant banner on the dorm Towers (I think) that said "Laettner Must Die".
1990 - Watching UConn beat Syracuse in the BE title game at Teds.

 

[huskyinfl]

I think it's the shot. It really got the momentum building towards 99. For me, everything from 1999 on has been icing on the cake.

Dreamed of one. Never would have believed 4 in 15 years.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

To this day, I am dumbfounded as to how we won the national championship in 2014.
We had no business ripping through that tournament.

However, 5 games in 5 days was pinnacle UConn men's basketball. Unbelievable.

 

[huskyrob1]

Ben's thunderous tomahawk jam against Duke in the NCAA's. Emeka controlled the boards in that game as well, as I recall.

 

[mauconnfan]

So many to choose from and so difficult to narrow to one but gun to the head, it's the 1st NC. Watching the last play unfold standing up in the middle of my living room the moment they won I was like a little baby, tears and smiles but amazed that this happened to our Huskies. I mean I thought the ECAC wins were special and they were, the win over the Johnnies on the the tourney in the 70's heck a win over Hofstra too back then in the tourney. The NIT championship.Then the Shot, what a season how can we top that?

Anyway that moment Rash was running with the ball I have never been so happy about a sporting event in my life and amazed with what just happened. Proud of the program, the coach the kids just a moment I could never forget. I was supposed to be at Rookies with my boys but blew them off because I wanted to soak in every pregame show every moment I couldn't have had at a bar. While I sometimes wish I went because we went there for every other tourney game, I was pretty happy standing there alone taking in that special time with my young sons and wife sleeping.

Unbelievable what they've done for me as far as sports entertainment.

 

[raf46]

1999, not even close... First moment is Ricky causing the travel and the Ricky intense face in all its glory. Someone has it as their avatar here. Second moment is after Langdon tripped and Rash picks up the ball, tears in his eyes, and says "oh my god!" The fact that we won was amazing, obviously, but there are something so special (to me at least) that it was Rash who came up with the ball. Loved Rash and his selflessness over four years. Went from budding scoring star (he was averaging high teens for a bit his soph year) to defensive specialist b/c that's what the team needed.

Will never forget those couple of seconds after the final buzzer. Somehow, my neighbor, a very prominent football player, managed to get butt-naked in those milliseconds and started running through the halls. Then the windows broke. Then the fire started. Smelled just like victory.

we are so on the same page!!

 

[UConnNick]

For those of tramatized by Christian Lattner shot in 1990.,when we were a Tate George deflection away from our first final four.
Than suffered through a series of close misses in the 1990's even with all our success. Even with all the great players we had somehow managed to blow it in the Tourney.We had never even been to a FF
And then there was 1998-99
We knew we could possibly be the best team in the country going into that year but our old nemesis Duke generated buzz as the greatest team in college basketball history. They were awfully good but not good enough.
When that final whistle blew with us on top 77-74 it seemed if all those ghosts of bygone years were exorcized.. The feeling was like nothing I've ever experienced
Yea I was there for Cuse ,GT wins that put us in the big time but it wasn't the same
Nothing could ever be the same.
Winning in 2014 was close ,

as we were a team written off as dead.
Even if that was the last Hurrah of a UConn big time BB team at least we've had Hurrahs

Although losing on a last second shot to the most repugnant player and program in CBB history really stung at the time it happened, let's face it, if we had advanced and made it to the title game, UNLV would have destroyed us just like they destroyed the aforementioned repugnants, and I kinda enjoyed watching that game. What I think hurts far worse now in retrospect was not making the FF in 1994 and 1995, with two teams that had a legit shot to make some noise in it and perhaps win the whole thing. Plus it is unfortunate that Donyell and Ray left UConn without a national title.

 

[Inyatkin]

Nothing tops 77-74 but this comes closest. From losing to winning in an instant. The ball bounced around so long after Rip's initial miss I was sure the clock was going to run out. And then he hits it with that 7-footer in his face, and I think I woke up my entire neighborhood.

 

[UConnNick]

From the forthcoming ESPN 30-30 "I Love Rod Sellers"

OMG, I'd completely forgotten he didn't even get called for a foul. Rod, the Silent Assassin! I know he got suspended after they saw the film, but he didn't get thrown out of the game. Show that video to a bar full of CBB fans to this day and wild cheering will erupt.

Rod Sellers = America's Favorite Player

 

[UCDaveD]

Omitting the obvious ones...

Jamelle Horne's open 3-pointer bouncing away as time expired in the 2011 Elite 8. The range of emotions felt during those final few seconds were unreal.

 

[mauconnfan]

Nothing tops 77-74 but this comes closest. From losing to winning in an instant. The ball bounced around so long after Rip's initial miss I was sure the clock was going to run out. And then he hits it with that 7-footer in his face, and I think I woke up my entire neighborhood.

Yeah this had maybe the best call by McDonough too.

 

[boog204]

Okay if we are digging a bit deeper...

1) Ray's dunk vs. 'Nova after that snowstorm and they had beaten us by 300 the previous year.
2) The opening run (14-0?) I think vs. G-Town during the dream season.
3) The opening run (14-0?) vs. St. Johns in the Big East Final in 1999.
4) Us absolutely slaughtering Virginia, at their place, when they were ranked in the top 10.
5) AJ dropping 36 on Marquette in a wildly entertaining game in 09.
6) Kemba vs. Kentucky in Maui in 2011. He hits a beautiful step back, two three's, then fake's the 3 for a gorgeous pass to Jamal Coombs-McDaniel for a layup. Feel like it was part of a 21-2 run or something.
7) It's a little foggier, but Lyman eating up Dana Barros in the NIT in 87.
8) Burrell jumping over Rodney Rogers
9) Cal and BU literally not being able to get a shot off against our press/defense in 90.
10) Vs. "The Untouchables" (Kansas) in 96 vs. Rip running the point. We went up big early on in front of a ridiculously raucous HCC crowd. Only time I remember us losing and getting a standing O.

 

[UCFan1513]

Wow, remembering all of this we have to be the program with the most magical/crazy moments in the last 20 years. Unless that's just the homer in me talking

 

[HuskylnSC]

Thanks for the memories. That was a great trip