Our biggest home game since …

[Kemba Time]

36 hours from tip-off and I can think of nothing else except for what it is going to feel like walking into the building with an opportunity to beat Villanova and announce to the college basketball world once and for all that UConn is B-A-C-K in all capital letters.

Big East rivalry. Name-brand opponent. 16k IN the building (although I guess there’s the possibility 4 thousand ticket buyers stay home to watch Goodfellas on AMC if Mike Anthony’s counting). And UConn playing it’s best basketball at the right time with a real chance to win this game.

So I thought it would be fun to pose this for question, when is the last time a regular-season home UConn game felt as big as Nova-UConn on Tuesday night?

 

[shizzle787]

Probably the Syracuse game in 2013.

 

[businesslawyer]

There weren‘t any in the AAC after everyone left, but when Louisville came into Gampel during the 2014 season when I thought both teams had Final Four possibilities and All American level talent, that was a big night. And it was a Saturday night game to boot.

 

[UCLJ0211]

Not sure if this was the biggest game, but was certainly my most recent favorite at Gampel.

 

[WrenchFan69]

There weren‘t any in the AAC after everyone left, but when Louisville came into Gampel during the 2014 season when I thought both teams had Final Four possibilities and All American level talent, that was a big night. And it was a Saturday night game to boot.

Didn't we host College Gameday that day as well?

 

[tcf15]

Probably 12/18/2021 against Providence according to this thread:

Is Saturday the biggest day for this program since the 2014 natty?

I can’t remember the fan base being more excited for a game since then. Full house…. National TV… Huskies. PC fans in the building beware…

the-boneyard.com

 

[KingAG]

Seton hall

 

[Dutch Boyd]

Not sure if this was the biggest game, but was certainly my most recent favorite at Gampel.

Was lucky enough to be there that night. Sitting right behind Red jumping and hugging complete strangers like little kids after that shot.

 

[Tenspro2002]

36 hours from tip-off and I can think of nothing else except for what it is going to feel like walking into the building with an opportunity to beat Villanova and announce to the college basketball world once and for all that UConn is B-A-C-K in all capital letters.

Big East rivalry. Name-brand opponent. 16k IN the building (although I guess there’s the possibility 4 thousand ticket buyers stay home to watch Goodfellas on AMC if Mike Anthony’s counting). And UConn playing it’s best basketball at the right time with a real chance to win this game.

So I thought it would be fun to pose this for question, when is the last time a regular-season home UConn game felt as big as Nova-UConn on Tuesday night?

Not sure about the last big regular season home game, but the premise is absolutely correct that if we're going to proclaim "UConn's back" we have to beat Villanova.

Otherwise we're basically relegated to also-ran in the BE, consistently good but unequivocally not the class of the conference.

 

[Chief00]

I hope the team can prepare for the game tomorrow without various distractions. I am sure Coach Hurley would love that. We need to be totally locked in to beat these guys.

 

[Waquoit]

Florida wasn't in the Top 10 when Shabazz beat them so real time it wasn't as big. They went on a long winning run after that loss.

 

[UconnU]

I feel like recently we’ve always played Nova at the XL center. Make them come into Gampel. I remember being at the 2011 game at Gampel where Kemba hit the floater to win by 1 as one of the more electric atmospheres I’ve ever experienced.

 

[Palatine]

I feel like recently we’ve always played Nova at the XL center. Make them come into Gampel. I remember being at the 2011 game at Gampel where Kemba hit the floater to win by 1 as one of the more electric atmospheres I’ve ever experienced.

They play us in the Wells Fargo Center not the on campus Finneran Pavilion. Only seems fair.

 

[karstenkibbe]

Not sure if this was the biggest game, but was certainly my most recent favorite at Gampel.

Watching this clip again reminded me just how great Bob Wischusen does play-by-play for any sport. He doesn’t say a word for 35 seconds after Bazz hits the shot. That’s what a pro does. He doesn’t inject himself into the aftermath. He lets the images and raw emotion project without interruption. I wish he was calling Big East games on FOX.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Probably the Syracuse game in 2013.

“The taste of UConn game “
Top 10 Syracuse, ESPN game day
With the announcers pimping Syracuse’s invincibility. Wolfe was just kicked off the team and freshman Nolan got the start who didn’t have a clue. One of the top all-time UConn non tourney games.

 

[ToolzieFan]

I feel like recently we’ve always played Nova at the XL center. Make them come into Gampel. I remember being at the 2011 game at Gampel where Kemba hit the floater to win by 1 as one of the more electric atmospheres I’ve ever experienced.

Yeah, I’d love to see the Nova game at Gampel next year. Even though Nova is a game that will sellout the XL Center, it should be on campus at least half the time.

 

[tennmike]

If you go by the adage, "the next game is the most important," then I would say that this upcoming home game is the biggest since February 19, 2022.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Not sure about the last big regular season home game, but the premise is absolutely correct that if we're going to proclaim "UConn's back" we have to beat Villanova.

Otherwise we're basically relegated to also-ran in the BE, consistently good but unequivocally not the class of the conference.

Do you think there’s no middle ground between first in the Big East and also-ran? It’s fair to say that beating Nova is necessary if we want to be “back” as the best in the Big East and as a national title contender. Still, let’s take a look at where we are: top-25, 3rd in the Big East, selling out both venues (even on weeknights), frequent national TV games, high-level recruits, nationally respected, and our fan base is as passionate (online and in real-life) as it has been in years. UConn sure seems back to me.

 

[NowInStorrs]

Watching this clip again reminded me just how great Bob Wischusen does play-by-play for any sport. He doesn’t say a word for 35 seconds after Bazz hits the shot. That’s what a pro does. He doesn’t inject himself into the aftermath. He lets the images and raw emotion project without interruption. I wish he was calling Big East games on FOX.

I hope Bill Walton is taking notes somewhere.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Do you think there’s no middle ground between first in the Big East and also-ran? It’s fair to say that beating Nova is necessary if we want to be “back” as the best in the Big East and as a national title contender. Still, let’s take a look at where we are: top-25, 3rd in the Big East, selling out both venues (even on weeknights), frequent national TV games, high-level recruits, nationally respected, and our fan base is as passionate (online and in real-life) as it has been in years. UConn sure seems back to me.

The feeling in the BE right now is "it's Nova's conference and everything goes through them".

We're on the right track, but if we're really going to be back, we need to be at worst a 1B to their 1A in the conference.

 

[BattersonBoyz]

“The taste of UConn game “
Top 10 Syracuse, ESPN game day
With the announcers pimping Syracuse’s invincibility. Wolfe was just kicked off the team and freshman Nolan got the start who didn’t have a clue. One of the top all-time UConn non tourney games.

That one wasn't the ESPN game day game unfortunately, that was when we played Cuse in Gampel in 2012.

Great game all around though, we left them with a bad taste of UConn in they mouth for sure.

 

[Kemba Time]

I feel like recently we’ve always played Nova at the XL center. Make them come into Gampel. I remember being at the 2011 game at Gampel where Kemba hit the floater to win by 1 as one of the more electric atmospheres I’ve ever experienced.

UConn has played Villanova at home once since 2013, at XL in 2018 when Nova was No. 1 in the country and UConn, well, was not.

Prior to that it alternated fairly regularly with Nova actually playing at Gampel quite a bit — think this was when XL tended to get the Cuse or G-Town games and Nova was the big one in Storrs.

University of Connecticut Athletics Men's Basketball History vs Villanova University

The official University of Connecticut Huskies Men's Basketball History vs Villanova University

uconnhuskies.com