How long have you been a UCMBB fan?

[gtcam]

Became a fan cuz Al Weston came from my home town. Loved listening to the radio w the Whelton, Hansen, Abro teams, and then of course Corny/McKay/Aleksinas. Still remember listening to the NCAA game lost to Rutgers in 1976....Uconn was very good then, but Rutgers was obviously awesome.

Cromwell boy?
Coached Al's daughter in soccer for years
Very close friend of the late great Pete Denz

 

[WhiteDressWes]

The first Christmas present with a plug I ever received was a clock-radio in 1966. Since it was winter, that meant listening to UConn basketball on WTIC. Also, TIC broadcast Hartford Capitols games from the Eastern Basketball League. I remember Scranton being a big rival.

Wes was voted "most popular Cap".

 

[mauconnfan]

Bob Stack, Bob Boyd, Ron Hrubala, late 60's

used to listen to the games on AM radio

only televised games were against RI & MA on CPTV

Same here. Listened to Erlich under my pillow at night. Kind of knew a little Wes and even went to a game or 2 but the memory of when I began listening, watching and being a huge fan was this team. Then guys like Cal Chapman, Al Vaughn came along and I was hooked.

 

[WhiteDressWes]

I've been a fan since the mid Perno dismal years. We foolishly gave up seasons tickets before Calhoun came onboard. Live and learn!

After 1990, increases in donations would have put those tickets right UP there with Bob Uecker, or worse.

Bob Uecker - Wikipedia

 

[ucjoet]

Same here. Listened to Erlich under my pillow at night. Kind of knew a little Wes and even went to a game or 2 but the memory of when I began listening, watching and being a huge fan was this team. Then guys like Cal Chapman, Al Vaughn came along and I was hooked.

Born in 1959, used to listen on my Grandmother's radio. You turned it on and it took about 5 minutes to warm up. Remember first teams had Bob Stack, Bob Boyd and Ron Hrubala (sp). Also have a vague recollection that one of the announcers would call the Husky dog the Husky Bear. Not even sure if that really happened , but again I vaguely believe it did.

Fell in love with junior college transfer Jimmy Foster and have never stopped following them. Went to UConn and graduated in 82. Have had only 1 bet in my life ( wife's idea), and I named it Calhoun

 

[CTBasketball]

My dad took me to my first game against Syracuse in 1995 when I was 4. I was amazed by UConn's crafty point guard, one of my favorite players to this day: Doron Sheffer.

 

[ucp990411]

Toby Kimball, AL and Ron Ritter, Ed Slomcinski, and one my all time favorites #14 Dan "The Spider" Hesford. My first game was in 1967 The Poughkeepsie Popper torched New Hampshire for 42. Man, so many thrills over the years. KO has got to turn this ship around. It's killing me.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Cal Chapman, Gary Custick, Al Vaughn, Doug Melody and Parsons. Foster, Weston, Wilson, Wright and Big John Thomas came the following year.

 

[Dibbie]

I actually grew up a St John's fan...loved Louie, Mullin, Walter Berry, etc. Went to Uconn my sophomore year in 89, had season tickets to the new Gample and eventually became a die hard fan. Only time I've ever changed team loyalties...

 

[uconnfan68]

Just curious. Personally, my first games were during the end of Perno's run. It was so amazing seeing JC turn everything around.

Mine were around when Perno was playing. Early 60s.

 

[CAST-BONE]

Millennial here, and this is my UConn story..

In 1999 my 5th grade teacher was a UConn Alum and structured Math class on the mens season stats. We all were assigned a player; I got Kevin Freeman, and I watched and tracked his stats every game the entire season. Needless to say watching a magical season of El Amin and Hamilton, Jake Voskuhl fouling out every game, and a trip to Tampa to cut down the nets for the first time had my 10yr old self hooked on all things Huskies. I've bled blue ever since.

Thank you Mrs. OK

 

[dbmill]

1978, my freshman year at UConn. First game I saw was a televised loss to Yale, but I was hooked for life. Before that, I lived in the Danbury area, where at the time there was not much interest in UConn athletics.

 

[shakes65]

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.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

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

 

[Huskybass]

81 or so. Michael McKay and Norman Bailey era. I was in 10th grade and used to watch the games on a black and white TV. I think the games were on channel 20 or some other b grade UHF station. LOVED UConn basketball from the first game I watched.

Went to UConn in the fall of 83. Gerry Besselink was in one of my first semester classes. Great guy. First game I went to was against Seton Hall and PJ Carlisemo. It was $1 and your student ID to get in. Then I started getting paid like $30 to go to the games as an "usher", nothing job. You seat like 8 people and pretty much get paid to watch the game. Sweet gig. Went to almost every home game while there, plus bus trips to MSG like when we won the NIT in my last semester.

Became friends with Greg Economou and got to play pick-up against Earl Kelley.

Those were good days. This thread just made me realize that I haves loved UConn hoops for 35 years.

 

[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.