Crystal, as a freshman, apparently lives in a dorm room.
Hey Kib- I'm not sure that it has changed much based on what you say about Crystal from the past groups of very special UCONN players (and they are
all special I might add)
I definitely remember freshman basketball players living in Hilltop (a dorm and series of apartments on campus). We are only going back a little more than a decade here (I graduated 2005) but distinctively remember wishing I was living where the players had lived...and freshman were always in Hilltop and the uperclassmen were always in a suite in South (another dorm on campus). Men and women. Upperclassmen were comfortably sharing spaces (as they should) and freshman had the quintessential college dorm community experience in a location preferential to their development as first-year players under Geno, CD & Co. Indeed, Hilltop sits rather close to Gampel, practice facilities, etc.
I had last visited campus for the SCar game @ Gampel (not this season and not the last...but the one before!) It was during that awful snowstorm when I blew 2 tires on my Isuzu about a mile and a half from campus on RT 195 in the dark and wet. Cold, and very upset, I pushed the car into a nearby parking lot with the help of a friend who came along (his first UCONN game and he wore that awfully bright and bombastic Tennessee orange color T-shirt - to my great horror!) Eventually, we trekked our way to Gampel with enough time to just make the tip (I've never pushed so hard in my life to get somewhere - my friend in twice better shape than I had great trouble keeping pace). And go figure, not one passing car stopped to offer help.
But upon that brisk and cold march thru the foot of snow and sleet (it felt like climbing Mount Doom, driving you fail to realize the inclination of 195) I happened to notice just how much the campus has changed; the new additions and extensions spread out covering once empty spaces. Hilltop suddenly became Hilton. Shippee/Buckley East Nowheresville is now <<downtown>> Storrs, and yes a 5* restaurant enshrined to King Geno himself to boot. Mind you, I
lovingly call him the King.
As one of my fondest memories of life @ Storrs I recall an encounter with the unflappable Diana Taurasi in front of the apartments at Hilltop (where I lived as a senior). She had graduated the year before and was on campus visiting Maria Conlon (I have since run into MC twice since I graduated, both times in NYC where I proudly announced her presence and greatness to anyone around who would listen, much to her great embarrassment.) Anyway, there I was standing with DT and MC shooting the breeze (I was *ing my pants, of course with my obvious crush on DT) and realized they were there in the Hilltop apartments because it houses quite a few sports players as well, all of whom they were getting together, reunion style perhaps). If I may take a moment to gloat, it was DT who recognized
me! I guess she had not forgotten that student fan in the Husky mask with the "Marry me DIANA" sign I hoisted for 2 seasons.
So long story short, it doesn't shock me to know Crystal is housed in a dorm (most likely the refurbished Hilton, excuse me - Hilltop) whilst Gabby, Kia and maybe even the sophomores have a shared living arrangement in a very nice spot on campus. I hear South is now housing underclassman so I only wonder where they are currently housed.
Apologies for such a long post to simply make a small observation.
