>>“If you know UConn, if you’re familiar with us and are around our brand and know our alumni base, you have a feel for the presence we have in the city,” Benedict said. “If you’re not, I’m not sure you can understand or appreciate that when we show up in the Garden, we’re going to draw fans and a lot of times out-support whoever we’re playing. We want to be in the city, need to be in the city, and the southern part of the state. We’re getting better with that.”<<
>>There’s one tradition Hurley wants to continue.
“The great [UConn] teams have always had the New York guys — Ben Gordon, Taliek Brown, Kemba Walker,” Hurley said. “Playing in the Garden helps. That’s something we want to do out of conference every year as many times as we can. … I remember playing UConn in the Big East Tournament or even in New Jersey at the Meadowlands [as a player at Seton Hall], and there would be a huge, overwhelming [UConn] presence. That’s something we certainly want to reignite.”<<