How did you become a UConn fan?

[Punkbo]

Not to be all Internet tough guy or anything, but ...if someone took a pom-pom, or whatever, from my kid and broke it in half, he'd be spitting out Chiclets. What an asshat that guy was!

(Just a guess, but it was probably Deepster.)

Back in the mid-70s, I was at a Red Sox game in Yankee Stadium with my dad. There were fights everywhere and we were in the upper balcony. Some drunk guy ripped a Sox pennant out of the hands of a little kid, lit it on fire and gave it back to him. That memory will be engrained in my head forever.

Similar to others, my love for UConn basketball began with Corny Thompson, Mike McKay and Chuck Aleksinas.

BTW, as a Brown grad, I didn’t love your earlier comment.

 

[Castlevania]

Moved from CT to NC in 89 when I was 3. Hated all things Carolina schools for the most part. 1995 Ray Allen vs Allen Iverson. It helped me go against the grain.

I moved from CT to NC in 90, when I was 2 1/2. Greensboro, here.

 

[CL82]

Corny Thompson, Mike McKay and Chuck Aleksinas.

[Insert obligatory "if Jim Calhoun had coached these guys" comment]

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I grew up in Coventry, CT. I remember my dad taking me to see Gampel Pavilion right after it was built but before it opened. I remember crying when Christian Leattner hit that shot against us in the Elite 8.

I was fan ever since then. I was on campus for the 99 title and the 04 title because engineering school at UConn is hard.

I'm in forever.

 

[cwh20]

I grew up in Bristol and my older brother brought me to some of the Connecticut Mutual Classic games. It was the first time being introduced to basketball to guys who could actually play and even just watching Tony Hanson, Joey Whelton and the team warm up was mesmerizing. They were so good. I followed the team ever since. I did attend UConn in the Perno years. Soccer was king. Basketball was fun too especially pulling off the occasional BE upset but UConn wasn’t threatening to win the conference or anything.

I noticed someone mentioned Bobby Dulin so I’ll add this story. We’re hanging out at Chippy’s, the bar across from Muzzy Field when Bruce Kazinski (the first UConn center from Bristol Central) and Dulin walk in. Not a minute later Dulin is threatening my friend for looking at his girl. WTF. He was way wrong and I never liked him after that. Ha ha.

 

[manbyrd]

Grew up out of state and wasn't a basketball fan at all. Transferred to UConn in the fall of '04 and still avoided basketball fandom (the motor city bowl was a bigger deal to me than the '04 championship). If I had to pinpoint the switch it probably started with the 6OT syracuse game and was solidified with Kemba's run in '11. Still holding out hope for UConn football's rise, and will go up to see them play at least once a season.

 

[Aaron1995]

Moved from LA (USC Fan) to Plainfield CT in 1989. Sophomore more in High School. Went to UConn 1991-1995!! The rest is history.

 

[Enrique]

I passively followed starting in 6th grade, because my brother went to UConn in 1965 and raved about Toby Kimball and Wes Bialosuknia. I became a fanatic in the early 70's when they were awful. I felt they had achieved Mt. Rushmore when the won the NIT in 1988. Little did I know. I have been following the Women's ream just as passionately since 1993. UConn is college basketball heaven. Go Huskie!!!

 

[huskyjawz]

Grew up in Trumbull. In the 70's Fairfield U with Joey DeSantis and Fred Barakat were a bigger deal then UConn in the area. My dad and my uncle were UConn alum. I was a ballboy at the Schoolboy Classic at the Bridgeport JCC and got to see Corny, McKay, John Garris, Rafael Addison, John Bagley and others play. Watching games on staticky Channel 20 and with Karl Hobbs and Corny and McKay we competed and won some games against the Cuse and Gtown, etc. The Big East was huge then and I was hooked. I remember watching a game Cliffy's freshman year and calling my cousin and telling him, you gotta see this guy, he is going to be a real player! I got to campus the year after the NIT. I think any student could get season tickets back then, and then the Dream Season happened. It's hard to put into words how magical that year was. Opening night at Gampel; going to my first Big East Tourney and getting to see us win our first. I was behind the basket in the student section at the Meadowlands for the Shot, and then for the heartbreak two days later. We were already planning on driving out to Denver....

 

[aburks41]

Born into it. 3rd generation UConn basketball fan. Earliest memories for me is imitating (poorly) Ben Gordon in my driveway

 

[TheChamps990411]

I’m sure this has been done before, but what better time to reminisce than now.

For me it was after the ‘99 title. We had a student teacher who was a manager for the team, seeing the pictures and hearing his stories were mesmerizing. It felt like I could touch it, like I was a part of it too.

Caron Butler lured me further, only for the ‘03 and ‘04 squads to lock me in for life. I was hooked. I would sneak college basketball magazines, and newspapers into class and read them religiously. I started writing my own college basketball previews, and spending free time drawing terrible tracings of said magazine covers.

After the latter Ollie years, I remember wondering if we had already been blessed with the best years of UConn basketball many of us would see in our lifetimes.

I never imagined that the best was yet to come

Cheers.

It was January 15 1990 i was 14 in jr high and for a couple weeks a few friends just kept talking about Uconn. Uconn this and Uconn that and i asked what was a Uconn? They roasted me for not knowing and explained it was the University of Connecticut in college hoops and that they were really good and that they were playing a huge game that night against Syracuse and that i should watch. So i watched and it was the most exciting thing i had ever watched. It was nonstop relentless action and they won the game and i was absolutely hooked. Have been a fan ever since.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Lifelong fan. I grew up in CT and have followed UConn ever since I can remember. First player I remember well was Chris Smith. I’m 46, so Cliffy was a little before my time. Basically have watched 99% of the games since I became a fan. I joke around on here a lot but I bleed UConn Blue.

 

[UC313]

Born in 1980, student at the Waterbury branch 99 and 2000, Storrs from 01-02. Tate George’s shot is what set the hook for me. My old man came to CT from north jersey and needed a sports team and caught Huskymania.

At the time the clearest television we owned happened to be in my bedroom. My mother and father were sitting on the floor at the foot of my bed. I was along the side of the bed with my head covered in a garfield sleeping bag when Scotty heaved it to Tate. I didnt see it until the replay but im pretty sure my pops hit the ceiling when it went in. I dont think ive missed a game in 25 years. Its the glue that holds me and my dad together.

My son is 11 and ive been taking him to games since he was 6. Hes not an every game watcher yet but im hoping i get to share our time together watching the Huskies like me and my dad. I started dating 2 years ago after my wife passed in 2000. The girlfriend caught the bug after i took her to the Villanova court storming game.

 

[simplyben]

1986/1987 watching Phil Gamble play at the Field House. I thought winning the NIT in 1988 was the greatest thing ever.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

My dad’s side of the family made it a a habit to watch all the men’s and women’s games together. The ‘04 season was particularly special watching Emeka and Diana. .

 

[ninety-nine]

I grew up in Bristol and my older brother brought me to some of the Connecticut Mutual Classic games. It was the first time being introduced to basketball to guys who could actually play and even just watching Tony Hanson, Joey Whelton and the team warm up was mesmerizing. They were so good. I followed the team ever since. I did attend UConn in the Perno years. Soccer was king. Basketball was fun too especially pulling off the occasional BE upset but UConn wasn’t threatening to win the conference or anything.

I noticed someone mentioned Bobby Dulin so I’ll add this story. We’re hanging out at Chippy’s, the bar across from Muzzy Field when Bruce Kazinski (the first UConn center from Bristol Central) and Dulin walk in. Not a minute later Dulin is threatening my friend for looking at his girl. WTF. He was way wrong and I never liked him after that. Ha ha.

Oh, man, I miss Chippy's pizza. I remember being 13 years old, sneaking into the bar area to play Donkey Kong and Pengo and eat pizza. One time, this drunk guy sitting at the bar wanted me to leave, so he grabbed the joystick and killed my Mario. I was not a happy tween. Good times.

 

[cohenzone]

I was a fan as Jr High student in the late 1950s after a relative took me to a game at the old fieldhouse. Locked in as UConn student during the Kimball- Bialosuknia years.

 

[WillB4]

Cousin was a team manager with Toby and Wes, hooked me then and forever

 

[Waquoit]

I thought winning the NIT in 1988 was the greatest thing ever.

That team was an underdog in the first round. They had to play at WVU. I remember it being a boring rock fight but justice prevailed.

 

[Martin]

When I was a kid my dad informed me that Jim Abromitas grew up in our neighborhood. I thought “Abro” was the coolest thing. I didn’t start following the team until Chris Smith came along. Been a follower since.

 

[Hoophound]

I went to a game at the Fieldhouse with a friend and his dad when I was a young kid. We played Seton Hall on January 30, 1985 and won. Many archives show the game was at HCC, it was not. Seton Hall didn’t get HCC status until a few years later when they improved.

Earl Kelley was the man and Ray Broxton dunked. I had been a fan (I even watched Hartford Hawks games back then) but being there in person changed everything. Aside from my immediate family, nothing has brought me more joy in life than UConn basketball.

 

[NatiHuskiFan]

Born & raised in Cincinnati. Aunt & Uncle, who live in Connecticut, would send me UConn gear as a young lad in the 90’s for any holiday/birthday. Adopted them as my team. Talk about great extended family!

Brah are you still in the Nati’? I thought I was the only one!

 

[NatiHuskiFan]

I get asked this all of the time now that UConn has become a powerhouse nationally. Somehow I have never stepped foot in Connecticut, but my basketball fandom has just about made it my identity. It is 1 of 8 states I have left.
My dad went on only one work trip ever and it was in the mid 80s to Connecticut. He bought me a sweatshirt that I chose to wear all the time as a preschooler. The Dream Season is my first recollection of March Madness and really sports in general. I can’t remember anything about the 90 Reds World Series, but I can remember where I was during those UConn March Madness games.

I’m hitting close to my 5 year wedding anniversary this week and I was talking with my younger brother a few weeks ago about part of his best man speech where he cracked a joke about my UConn fandom and “they’ll be back again some day”. I would have never imagined it would be as soon as it has been.

 

[FortTheEad]

My most vivid early memories of UConn basketball are of the women's team when I was about 8. I remember watching games with my Dad on CPTV and getting hooked following the undefeated 1995 team.

It's all coming back to me now: the trips to Bob's to get the official Final Four & championship t-shirts.

And how the CPTV halftime, pre-and-post game coverage was them begging for donations and hawking Huskies tote bags. I'd get all anxious watching the pledge drive, thinking they'd take the games off the air if they didn't raise enough money lol.

 

[JayKoz]

Have always lived in CT, born in ‘85, grew up watching some great UConn players/teams. Ended up going to UConn starting in 2003.

There was really never a question. My family is UConn through and through.