How long have you been a UCMBB fan?

[David 76]

I go back to Dee Rowe and Weston, Whelton and Hanson when I went to UConn 72-76

 

[Chin Diesel]

Late 70's with Corny Thompson and Mike McKay..

 

[Waquoit]

1978, freshman year as well (which was also Corny & McKay's freshman year).

That was when we had those two huge pre-conference season wins, versus Rutgers and Fairfield.

 

[navery12]

Seems like I'm the most recent fan by a pretty considerable margin. But I'd only consider myself to be a UConn fan since I started school there in 2012

 

[Dove]

Started to listen to Floyd Richards and George Ehrlich in late 50s when I was in high school in Poughkeepsie. Huskies featured Jack Rose, Al Cooper, Wayne Davis, John Pipczynski, Pete Kelly, Joe Uhl, Rollie Sheldon, Bob Countryman, et al. Consistently won the YanCon and was solid across the schedule.

Arrived at Uconn in 1960 with Dom Perno, Ed Slomcenski, Al Ritter and Billy Della Sala. Great years followed and I stayed through June '65 to watch my fellow Poughkeepsian, the late Wonderful Wes Bialoksunia, Toby Kimball, Spider Hesford, Billy Holowaty, Ronnie Ritter, PJ Curran, Dickie Thompson and Tommy Penders.

Last game I saw as a student was 67-61 loss to third-ranked St. Joe's in NCAA regional game in Palestra which was St. Joe's home court. Made no difference back then. Had them at the half, but Matty Guokas and Cliff Anderson were too much in second half. Toby pulled down 29 REBOUNDS and 21 points, but Wes was tied up pretty well by Guokas and only scored 13 points.

Year before Perno stole ball from Bill Bradley and we knocked off Princeton in second round of NCAAs, only to fall to powerful Dukw squad in Raleigh. UConn showed both games at Jorgenson Auditorium on big screen. This team was not nearly as strong as 64-65 squad, but had best NCAA run until 1990s.

Still going strong as big fan in Schenectady where I proudly wear my blue/white colors in a sea of Orange. Remain hopeful that present team will develop in California and Maui. Team needs to play aggresively, but stay loose and gain its confidence. And somewhere, there have to be some outside shooters, and REBOUND. And, I will be at MSG on December 5.

Way to go shakes !!

 

[jdb50]

My Dad brought me to the New Hampshire game in 67 for my first live game when Wes hit for 42. Had big dreams about being nationally relevant in hoops some day which was nice to see happen. Sometimes one step forward, two steps back but we got there. The day JC took the job is still one of the greatest in Husky history.

 

[Dove]

Late 70's with Corny Thompson and Mike McKay..

I can't remember anything before 1980 (damned model glue!!) But for some reason I do remember seeing guys like Roosevelt Bouie and Kelly Tripucka.

As for UCONN...The Hobbs Era was my earliest memories of being a fan.

 

[Leebo]

Born in 86, don't remember ever not being a UConn fan.

 

[HuskyNationJE]

Was born in 84 and have home videos of me in a onesie, I'm assuming in 85 watching UConn with my dad so I'm crediting myself the entire year...so since the day I was born. Even if I can't remember the days, the videos are proof enough for me. Come from a long lineage of UConn people and my nutty was a nutty UConn fan so I inherited that love/nuttiness early.

 

[uconnbill]

Watching UConn on Cptv with Tony Hansen as kid then watching Corny, Mike McKay and the likes seed the deal especially since i knew Corny from the Village in Middletown

 

[UConnNick]

Early 60's. I was as much a fan of the football team as the BB team. We were there at the Yale Bowl when Gene Campbell made the pick six when UConn beat Yale for the first time ever in 1965. The whole crowd of 40k seemed to go crazy.

I remember listening to George Ehrlich on the radio broadcasts, as well as Channel 8 sports anchor Dick Galiette and "Tiny" Markle on the TV games.

Dom Perno, Toby Kimball, the incomparable Wes Bialosuknia, Little Tommy Penders, Bill Corley, Bob Boyd, Ron Hrubala, Bobby Staak, Cal Chapman, Gary Custick, "The Pine Brothers", Jimmy Foster, Tony "The Tiger" Hanson, John Thomas - the pride of Bogalusa, LA, Lee Otis Wilson, a/k/a "The Mad Bomber", Joey Whelton, Al Weston, Randy Lavigne, Jeff Carr, Corny Thompson, Karl Hobbs, Earl "Machine Gun" Kelley (PC be damned!), Timmy Coles, Uncle Cliffy, Tate George, Steve Pikiell, "The Microwave", Phil Gamble, The Dove, Scottie Burrell, Chris Smith, Donyell and Donnie, the Marshalls, Doron Sheffer, Ray Allen, Travis Knight, Ricky Moore, Rip Hamilton, Khalid El-Amin, Edmund Saunders, Albert Mouring, Big Jake, Caron Butler, Tony Robertson, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, Charlie Villanueva, Taliek Brown, Rashad Anderson, Josh Boone, Marcus Williams, Jerome Dyson, "Stick" Robinson, Craig Austrie, Jeff Adrien, Kemba!, Charles ("I Love This Team!") Okwandu, Jeremy Lamb, Niels Giffey, Tyler ("One More NC than Boeheim") Olander, "Boatshow", and last, but perhaps the best ever, Shabazz ("Don't Eat at 7 Eleven!") Napier.

The Elite 8 run in 1963, the St. Patrick's Day Massacre at MSG over St. John's in the 1974 NIT, the ECAC New England championship over PC at the Springfield Civic Center in 1976, the Sweet 16 run to Greensboro in 76, the five Final Fours...we were at all but the first of these events listed.

Wow, an amazing list of players and memories. It will not end. This list of players will continue to grow. They will thrill us, sometimes exasperate us, and win more championships.

Go Huskies!

 

[Mr. French]

Born in 1983.

I generally followed college hoops in the early 90s but more so NBA, and my first memory of developing a fandom in college was 1994 -- seeing the '94 all-America team and instantly loving Donyell USA today cover, him, kidd, hill, montross and big dog Robinson).

My first real season watching them as MY team was '95 -- I didn't see the 94 loss to Florida, but remember ray ray's coming out party with Dicky V ranting about him in one of the ESPN opening games next season, and he's been my favorite player ever since.

 

[Mr. French]

I was born in 85. I started watching around the Donyell Marshall time period. The Ray Allen, Ollie, Doron Scheffer teams were the first ones I watched religiously.

Just about how I am.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

Used to listen to games in the '70s on a transistor radio - Tony Hanson, Joey Whelton. Went to every Big East tournament between '91 and 2012. Got placed in a largely Georgetown section in 1996. They were having a great time with 3 minutes left. Stood up after Ray hit the leaner in the lane and after the misses at the other end, amid shocked Hoya fans, and said to them "Nothing quite like celebrating too early!"

 

[UConnFranklin]

I've been a UConn basketball fan since I can remember. My father and I used to sit at the kitchen table and listen to games on WTIC. He would keep score, marking rebounds and points scored by individual players. The coach was Hugh Greer. I remember Toby Kimball, Ed Slomshinski (sp), Spider Hesford, Dom Perno and of course the greatest UConn shooter of all time, Wes Bialisuknia (sp). I remember the sad death of Hugh Greer and the transfer of coaching to Fred Shabels. Wonderful memories. UConn is in my blood. I'll never leave them.

 

[jibsey]

Started to listen to Floyd Richards and George Ehrlich in late 50s when I was in high school in Poughkeepsie. Huskies featured Jack Rose, Al Cooper, Wayne Davis, John Pipczynski, Pete Kelly, Joe Uhl, Rollie Sheldon, Bob Countryman, et al. Consistently won the YanCon and was solid across the schedule.

Arrived at Uconn in 1960 with Dom Perno, Ed Slomcenski, Al Ritter and Billy Della Sala. Great years followed and I stayed through June '65 to watch my fellow Poughkeepsian, the late Wonderful Wes Bialoksunia, Toby Kimball, Spider Hesford, Billy Holowaty, Ronnie Ritter, PJ Curran, Dickie Thompson and Tommy Penders.

Last game I saw as a student was 67-61 loss to third-ranked St. Joe's in NCAA regional game in Palestra which was St. Joe's home court. Made no difference back then. Had them at the half, but Matty Guokas and Cliff Anderson were too much in second half. Toby pulled down 29 REBOUNDS and 21 points, but Wes was tied up pretty well by Guokas and only scored 13 points.

Year before Perno stole ball from Bill Bradley and we knocked off Princeton in second round of NCAAs, only to fall to powerful Dukw squad in Raleigh. UConn showed both games at Jorgenson Auditorium on big screen. This team was not nearly as strong as 64-65 squad, but had best NCAA run until 1990s.

Still going strong as big fan in Schenectady where I proudly wear my blue/white colors in a sea of Orange. Remain hopeful that present team will develop in California and Maui. Team needs to play aggresively, but stay loose and gain its confidence. And somewhere, there have to be some outside shooters, and REBOUND. And, I will be at MSG on December 5.

If you are from the Capital District during those days do your remember a player on Troy H.S. Named Roosevelt Phillips, same years that Lew Alcindor played on Power Memorial?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Late 70's for me...started in maybe 78-79? McKay, Bailey, Corny, Chuck A....those guys. Used to watch on TV (when televised) and also went to several of the Civic Center games with my dad. We lived in Manchester.

 

[RoderickSpode]

I was 6 during the 1989-90 season so wasn't really a fan yet -- I was aware of the team and the top players, and even met Tate George at an event in Willimantic after the season ended. Didn't see the shot vs Clemson in real time, but wore out my dad's Huskymania VHS tape a few years later when I started following the team. The first season I really got obsessed was 1994-95.

 

[KembaStepback]

I was torn on how to answer. I was born in 83. My first UConn memories are the Chris Smith/Scotty Burrell teams. So I GUESS that's national power days, but could be when Calhoun came aboard.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

Born in 95, started watching in 05 roughly. Didn't become as big a fan as I am today until the 2010-11 team. I was hooked for life ever since Maui that year.

Same. Like exactly.

 

[Excalibur]

Started paying attention in the year of the NIT championship. First game was against Syracuse in 1988. Tie game with 8 seconds left. Jeff King can't get the ball in bounds, and throws it up for grabs. Steven Thompson intercepts and gets a breakaway dunk to win the game. I was 11.

 

[Vancat]

Fun to see the poll numbers change. Looks like Pre-Perno is in the lead right now.

 

[Sky ball]

1967...I clearly remember my dad taking me to the old Fieldhouse to see the 14th ranked University of Hawaii Rainbows. They had really cool uniforms. My serious fandom started in the Corny Thompson/Mike Mckay era.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Early 70's.
Been going to games since 1975.
Been a season ticketholder since 1977.

 

[Sky ball]

I've been a UConn basketball fan since I can remember. My father and I used to sit at the kitchen table and listen to games on WTIC. He would keep score, marking rebounds and points scored by individual players. The coach was Hugh Greer. I remember Toby Kimball, Ed Slomshinski (sp), Spider Hesford, Dom Perno and of course the greatest UConn shooter of all time, Wes Bialisuknia (sp). I remember the sad death of Hugh Greer and the transfer of coaching to Fred Shabels. Wonderful memories. UConn is in my blood. I'll never leave them.

Wasn't there a player during the Wes B years that was even better but got hurt? I am think he was a year or two older?