Khalid had it and Calhoun knew it. Verballed to Minnesota the year before but rescinded and Calhoun swooped in and got his man. 99 was awesome obviously winning the championship but 98 was great also seeing that young team grow stronger by the game and took the tar heels in North Carolina to take them out. Great scene jumping on the scorers table in Pittsburgh after that great finish and just totally deflating the whole building and just broke there hearts.
I've written some of what follows before, but always from a different point of view, and likely in a different relationship with time.
My first UConn game was in early 1963, if not just before that New Year.
For the next 35 years, Husky basketball was the unsurpassed bonding vehicle for my father and me.
My Dad chose hospice in mid-December 1997 and was gone before the year changed. He saw ONLY Khalid El-Amin's earliest freshman games. He got to see just enough to know that KEA had
something.
I've been gifted with a couple dozen seasons he never got to see. He no doubt saw Walt Dropo. I've seen 4 National Championships. He never saw a Final Four.
Best wishes to KEA!