Reply to thread

Message

[QUOTE="Palatine, post: 3154142, member: 974"]
We were not a "struggling" regional program.

We were conference champs of our conference, the Yankee Conference, 18 times in the 29 years we belonged to it. That included a stretch we here we won the conference 10 years in a row. The conference dropped basketball in 1975 and the following year, 1976, we went to the NCAA Sweet 16 and once again made the tournament in 1979.

We joined the Big East in 1979 and settled for NIT appearances in 80, 81, and 82 before winning the NIT in 1988, making the quarterfinals in 1989 and heading back to the NCAA in 1990.

You could say were a strong regional program that "struggled" from 1983 through 1987.  But calling us a program that struggled regionally is an insult to players and coaches who played on winning teams and made numerous post-season appearances.

Yes, Calhoun brought us to a completely different level. But I have never understood those with the need to blow out the candles of others in order to make their candle seem brighter.

Those UConn teams from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and early 80s should be described as a strong regional mid-major program.

And yes, Happy Birthday Coach!
[/QUOTE]

Verification

First name of men's bb coach