Just imagine, Travis Best could be our coach.

[Palatine]

Remember when? Most of us were ready for the kid from Springfield, the PG with the big national reputation, to run our Huskies. But a kid from L.A. fell in love with the place when he saw horse barn hill and he committed almost immediately. Best went on the a fabulous career at Georgia Tech while Kevin Ollie ran the point for Jim Calhoun.

Funny how that stuff works out.

 

[noeynox]

Remember Travis Best being recruited by us, but was that the sequence of events? Did Ollie commit, before Best leaving him assed out?

 

[Uconnrick]

Remember Travis Best being recruited by us, but was that the sequence of events? Did Ollie commit, before Best leaving him assed out?

If I'm correct in my recollection, JC offered both and KO accepted first. Best's offer wasn't pulled, but he went elsewhere.

 

[alexd]

Many dreamed of an all Mass. backcourt at UCONN of Best and Rick Brunson (Temple)....Instead, we got the west cost duo of Ollie and Fair.

 

[Yonick]

As I recall, Ollie concluded his UConn career in the E-8 vs eventual champ UCLA in Calif. Best concluded his Ga. Tech career losing to Marist
in Albany in the NIT 1st round.

 

[tcf15]

UConn was recruiting two point guards for the 1991 class: Ollie and Connecticut native Travis Best. As signing day approached, the Huskies staff informed both point guards they would take whichever one committed first.

"Kevin called on a Saturday and said he was going to come to the University of Connecticut," Dickenman recalled. "We then called Travis Best's father and said we hope that he enjoys Georgia Tech."

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab...challenge-following-jim-222433157--ncaab.html

 

[Kitaman]

Pal the question reminds me of attending a high school reunion and one of my girlfriends blew up to 230 lbs after marriage and a couple of kids. To think it could have been her. Some thoughts are best left in the trash can or actually shredded. Don't need Best to tell me how fortunate we are, the team's response does it every time I watch them.

 

[Palatine]

Pal the question reminds me of attending a high school reunion and one of my girlfriends blew up to 230 lbs after marriage and a couple of kids. To think it could have been her. Some thoughts are best left in the trash can or actually shredded. Don't need Best to tell me how fortunate we are, the team's response does it every time I watch them.

It sure looks like we got the hot girl who stayed hot. It's hard to imagine how it could have turned out any better. Or should I say, it turned out for the BEST.

 

[RayRay19]

Maybe Shabazz is KO 2.0?...got him over the "stars" selby/knight/joseph...stayed all 4 years...was coached by Calhoun and ollie...who knows maybe that's our head coach of the future

 

[UCweCONN]

Interesting logic by OP....smh.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Pal the question reminds me of attending a high school reunion and one of my girlfriends blew up to 230 lbs after marriage and a couple of kids. To think it could have been her. Some thoughts are best left in the trash can or actually shredded. Don't need Best to tell me how fortunate we are, the team's response does it every time I watch them.

Ah now that's a woman me boy

 

[Blakeon18]

This is a repeat but it seems relevant.

I attended a game at St. Thomas More during KO's frosh year.
The small gym was packed. At some point I became aware that people next to me were
moving around. I looked over and was kinda stunned to see one Jim Calhoun sit down next to me. Friendly...chatty..very entertaining during the game. I forget who he was looking at. I lived near Springfield and had been hoping that Travis would go to UConn...I had seen him play many times. I thought he was simply a better player than KO based on that and on what I had seen of KO's play so far that season.

We had a bit of a debate on the relative merits of the 2 kids. JC admitted that Travis was a better shooter/better scorer but thought that KO was better on D and a better distributor.

KO improved his shooting a fair amount over his 4 years in Storrs and then did so even
more so in the NBA. I think if KO could score in Storrs as he eventually did in the NBA
JC would have 4 rings not 3. Travis had a solid NBA career himself.

All that aside: KO is the right man for the job now...not sure what Travis is doing. Anyone know?


In my 43 years of following hoops in the Springfield area, Travis was the best by far.
Mark Hall [Commerce High] was as talented but...if memory serves....messed up bigtime
off the court and never succeeded at a higher level.

BTW: Commerce High has a junior who showed some real talent last year.... forget his name...maybe 6'8" or so.

 

[Danzz]

Remember when? Most of us were ready for the kid from Springfield, the PG with the big national reputation, to run our Huskies. But a kid from L.A. fell in love with the place when he saw horse barn hill and he committed almost immediately. Best went on the a fabulous career at Georgia Tech while Kevin Ollie ran the point for Jim Calhoun.

Funny how that stuff works out.

Side story about Travis Best. I worked with a guy who played at Holy Cross and in HS he guarded Best in a HS tourney game. Best put up about 50 pts against him and there is pic of them in the HOF.

 

[mauconnfan]

This is a repeat but it seems relevant.

I attended a game at St. Thomas More during KO's frosh year.
The small gym was packed. At some point I became aware that people next to me were
moving around. I looked over and was kinda stunned to see one Jim Calhoun sit down next to me. Friendly...chatty..very entertaining during the game. I forget who he was looking at. I lived near Springfield and had been hoping that Travis would go to UConn...I had seen him play many times. I thought he was simply a better player than KO based on that and on what I had seen of KO's play so far that season.

We had a bit of a debate on the relative merits of the 2 kids. JC admitted that Travis was a better shooter/better scorer but thought that KO was better on D and a better distributor.

KO improved his shooting a fair amount over his 4 years in Storrs and then did so even
more so in the NBA. I think if KO could score in Storrs as he eventually did in the NBA
JC would have 4 rings not 3. Travis had a solid NBA career himself.

All that aside: KO is the right man for the job now...not sure what Travis is doing. Anyone know?


In my 43 years of following hoops in the Springfield area, Travis was the best by far.
Mark Hall [Commerce High] was as talented but...if memory serves....messed up bigtime
off the court and never succeeded at a higher level.

BTW: Commerce High has a junior who showed some real talent last year.... forget his name...maybe 6'8" or so.

Didn't Mark Hall play on that Minnesota team with Trent, McHale and Randy Breuer that came into Hartford and manhandled our Huskies in the NIT? Having moved to WesMass in 1990 I heard Hall was a legend but he was really screwed up off the court from stories I hear.....dead now I believe too......

 

[Blakeon18]

You could be right about Minnesota....Ricky Wallace from Springfield did go to Minny though....might it have been him?
I think you are right about Mark's passing.