Pump Up the (Paradise) Jam 2018

[Vowelguy]

Jim Fuller‏@NHRJimFuller
#UConn's Geno Auriemma said Huskies will be playing in 2018 Paradise Jam in U.S. Virgin Islands

 

[HuskyNan]

Awesome tournament in an awesome locale! I will be there!

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Me too!!! Keep us posted Nan with ticket info and such!

 

[j66kicker]

Jim Fuller‏@NHRJimFuller
#UConn's Geno Auriemma said Huskies will be playing in 2018 Paradise Jam in U.S. Virgin Islands

Woohoo!!!!

 

[tonehill68]

Jim Fuller‏@NHRJimFuller
#UConn's Geno Auriemma said Huskies will be playing in 2018 Paradise Jam in U.S. Virgin Islands

Did they announce any other teams playing or is it too early? Thanks

 

[JordyG]

I was there last year. I thought they changed the name. My bad.

 

[geneticrex]

Awesome tournament in an awesome locale! I will be there!

Any room in the suitcase???

 

[MilfordHusky]

Paradise Jam??

 

[DaddyChoc]

I think I'll try to make it to this one

 

[DaddyChoc]

is the flight into St Thomas? Which carrier do most people use for this location, package deal, all-inclusive? Got to get my money together

 

[Kibitzer]

Permit a reminiscence.

Many years ago Mrs. Kib and I decided to give ourselves, and each other, the Christmas gift of the November trip to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam. (That's how we rationalized the expenditure when our budget was tight.)

Some pleasant recollections:

Aahh, that sun! Those beaches! in late November;
We won (beat Duke and Stanford);
Special enjoyment sitting by TJI during games;
Sloshing down Heinekens at halftime (games in HS gym);
Getting a glimpse at where the Rockefellers hang out; and.
Gabbing with players at the airport (no charter for them).​

For those of you thinking of torturing yourselves with a week in Paradise with the UConn Huskies, let me summarize our experience:

 

[HuskyNan]

The tourney is played in a game about the size of a high school gym, lol, and it was 80% UConn fans last time. We sat right behind the bench and could hear everything Geno was saying. He was in rare form and the team had their towel up in front of their mouths so you couldn't see them cracking up. It was awesome.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Next November (2017... not 2018)
The women’s tournament will take place Thursday, Nov. 23 through Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. The tournament field will include Butler, Drexel, George Washington, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The women’s tournament features two four-team divisions competing in round-robin play for separate tournament championships.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is hosted at the University of the Virgin Islands’ state-of-the-art Sports and Fitness Center, an $11 million venue with a capacity of 3,500, new hardwood floor, new scoreboard, four locker rooms, and fiber-optic internet connectivity.

 

[UcMiami]

Jim Fuller‏@NHRJimFuller
#UConn's Geno Auriemma said Huskies will be playing in 2018 Paradise Jam in U.S. Virgin Islands

So that would not be next year but the year after. Geno is trying to add incentives for Azura to return for her 5th year!

 

[Vowelguy]

Correct 2018. As in 2 years from now.

 

[j66kicker]

Permit a reminiscence.

Many years ago Mrs. Kib and I decided to give ourselves, and each other, the Christmas gift of the November trip to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam. (That's how we rationalized the expenditure when our budget was tight.)

Some pleasant recollections:

Aahh, that sun! Those beaches! in late November;
We won (beat Duke and Stanford);
Special enjoyment sitting by TJI during games;
Sloshing down Heinekens at halftime (games in HS gym);
Getting a glimpse at where the Rockefellers hang out; and.
Gabbing with players at the airport (no charter for them).​

For those of you thinking of torturing yourselves with a week in Paradise with the UConn Huskies, let me summarize our experience:

Ahh... memories. I definitely gotta try to get to this next one too. Team will likely stay at Marriott Frenchman's Cove. If you're a diver Bolongo Bay Beach Resort has a diving operation onsite, definitely worth bringing your gear for a couple mornings of boat dives - look for big turtles. Also saw smaller turtles near the surface just snorkling in the bay right in front of the hotel. Ferry/tour to St. John's, sunset catamaran cruise. All the women getting together and cooking a bunch of jerk chickens for Thanksgiving dinner. Practice up on your driving on the left (or share a minivan with Philster - he's a pro) . Basketball not til nighttime every night, so you get the full day every day to be a tourist.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The tourney is played in a game about the size of a high school gym, lol, and it was 80% UConn fans last time. We sat right behind the bench and could hear everything Geno was saying. He was in rare form and the team had their towel up in front of their mouths so you couldn't see them cracking up. It was awesome.

Coach was in good form in the post-game presser last night. The Horde cracked up at least a couple of times.

 

[tomcat]

Based on our experience when went last time, it is probably worth it to go as part of the official package, as outrageous as the price may be. The alternative is to stay in a hotel or condo and schlep across the island on truly terrifying roads and have to deal with islanders who are not part of the tourist industry and thus are not necessarily enthralled with tourists at all. We enjoyed the beauty of the place, and the beach where we stayed was unsurpassed for views, but dealing with the people was something else. If you are part of the package, you travel as a group and all the details are taken care of. In this locale, that's probably the best thing you can do.

 

[Carnac]

I think I'll try to make it to this one

Me too.

 

[Plebe]

Coach was in good form in the post-game presser last night. The Horde cracked up at least a couple of times.

Is there any video of the presser?

 

[j66kicker]

Is there any video of the presser?

See 3rd post in this thread:

Dayton post-game interviews: KLS, Gabby, Napheesa

 

[HuskyNan]

Based on our experience when went last time, it is probably worth it to go as part of the official package, as outrageous as the price may be. The alternative is to stay in a hotel or condo and schlep across the island on truly terrifying roads and have to deal with islanders who are not part of the tourist industry and thus are not necessarily enthralled with tourists at all. We enjoyed the beauty of the place, and the beach where we stayed was unsurpassed for views, but dealing with the people was something else. If you are part of the package, you travel as a group and all the details are taken care of. In this locale, that's probably the best thing you can do.

My family and I stayed at a hotel suggested by ThisJustIn, right in Charlotte Amalie in the center of St. Thomas on the southern shoreline. We could walk all over downtown from there. We did rent a car and drove all over the island - going to the beaches to play in the waves, driving to Red Hook so the guys could go on a fishing charter, and taking the ferry to St. John's to go to Cinnamon Bay. To me, schlepping across the island was the best part of the trip! And it was surprisingly affordable for a family of four. We loved the whole experience so much, we consider it one of our best vacations ever and we're all looking forward to going back.

Just a suggestion - if you see some official UConn tees or whatever for sale at the games, buy them right away. UConn stuff sells out in a snap.