Secret scrimmage on Saturday

[FairView]

When I was a kid I also had a choice between 2 shoes: P. F. Flyers or Keds.

My siblings and I had a choice between 2 sneakers as well: the Caldor store brand or the Bradlees store brand.

 

[RoadMaster]

When I was a kid I also had a choice between 2 shoes: P. F. Flyers or Keds.

Let's not forget Red Ball Jets..

 

[BobbyJ]

Not so. Generally, there are two types of preseason games. First, there are exhibition games, which can be played against D2 or D3 teams. Those exhibitions are allowed to have spectators and are played like a regular game. Normally exhibitions cannot be played between D1 teams. Secondly, there are scrimmages against D1 teams, which must be held in private and are not supposed to have any official statistics.

However, there is one exception to the rule about exhibition games. If two D1 teams get special permission from the NCAA to play a game for a special charity then they can play a game in front of spectators with a real score being kept etc. In the case of the South Carolina vs Rutgers game that you mention, it was being played to raise money for a specific breast cancer charity. Rutgers and South Carolina were granted a waiver by the NCAA to play this exhibition game in honor of Nikki McCray-Penson, who was an assistant coach on both teams and passed away this summer.

That game was not at all like the UConn exhibition game that will take place next

Not so. Generally, there are two types of preseason games. First, there are exhibition games, which can be played against D2 or D3 teams. Those exhibitions are allowed to have spectators and are played like a regular game. Normally exhibitions cannot be played between D1 teams. Secondly, there are scrimmages against D1 teams, which must be held in private and are not supposed to have any official statistics.

However, there is one exception to the rule about exhibition games. If two D1 teams get special permission from the NCAA to play a game for a special charity then they can play a game in front of spectators with a real score being kept etc. In the case of the South Carolina vs Rutgers game that you mention, it was being played to raise money for a specific breast cancer charity. Rutgers and South Carolina were granted a waiver by the NCAA to play this exhibition game in honor of Nikki McCray-Penson, who was an assistant coach on both teams and passed away this summer.

That game was not at all like the UConn exhibition game that will take place next Saturday.

So other than the level of the opponent they are the same. They are both exhibition games right? My point is that they’re not scrimmages.

 

[baggerbob]

The Syracuse coach seems like a class act from the games I’ve been to and interviews I’ve watched. Hoping for the best for her and not surprised she would want to play against the best (even in a scrimmage).

FLJ has a policy she calls CAB which she expects from all her players.
C for Character, A for Academics, and finally B for basketball.
When you play for her she is with you the rest of your life.
Had she been the coach Stewie would have gotten the home game.

 

[AmeriConn]

My siblings and I had a choice between 2 sneakers as well: the Caldor store brand or the Bradlees store brand.

How about Ames?

 

[TCC Kid]

I’m not sure if the Huskies will be able to defend Red Klotz’ deadly, two-handed set shot…..

Don't knock it unless you tried it---the 2 hand set shot. Didn't Wes B (Uconn 60's) make a living from half court with that?

 

[TCC Kid]

Yes — I was often caught in WTG’s (WT Grant’s store brand).

You hadn't lived until you wore the Naugatuck company store brand (Goodyear). After a game they could smell you in Waterbury. Maybe Torrington.

 

[TCC Kid]

Seems it was Syracuse...

It's hard to tell---I can't see any Cuse player tripping Geno!

 

[stamfordhusky]

So other than the level of the opponent they are the same. They are both exhibition games right? My point is that they’re not scrimmages.

No, they are not the same for one other very important reason. An exhibition game vs a D2 or D3 team is allowed under NCAA rules. An exhibition game vs a D1 team is not allowed, except under a rarely used exception which requires a team to apply to the NCAA and get a special exemption.

 

[Bald Husky]

Yes — I was often caught in WTG’s (WT Grant’s store brand).

I actually worked for WT Grant back in the day.

 

[cohenzone]

Don't knock it unless you tried it---the 2 hand set shot. Didn't Wes B (Uconn 60's) make a living from half court with that?

No.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The Cuse was the Buffalo coach when we played them. Most of the BY has thought highly of her for several years.

 

[huskeynut]

When I was a kid I also had a choice between 2 shoes: P. F. Flyers or Keds.

When I played high school ball we had one choice - Converse high tops in white.

 

[Gus Mahler]

When I was a kid I also had a choice between 2 shoes: P. F. Flyers or Keds.

Whatever was the cheapest at Two Guys. I believe this was an NJ store, Two guys from Harrison.

I loved my P.F. Flyers. Made me feel fast, even though I wasn't.

 

[oldude]

Don't knock it unless you tried it---the 2 hand set shot. Didn't Wes B (Uconn 60's) make a living from half court with that?

Wes Bialosuknia is the answer to a trivia question. He led the ABA in 3-pt shooting when the 3-pt shot was first adopted, during his one and only year in the pros. With that said, Wes B had more of a one-handed push shot rather than a two-handed set shot.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Wes Bialosuknia is the answer to a trivia question. He led the ABA in 3-pt shooting when the 3-pt shot was first adopted, during his one and only year in the pros. With that said, Wes B had more of a one-handed push shot rather than a two-handed set shot.

Wes may have lead in 3-point percentage, but he is not listed as the league leader. I suspect it is because Wes did not have enough attempt (only made 29 3-pointers for the season).

 

[oldude]

Wes may have lead in 3-point percentage, but he is not listed as the league leader. I suspect it is because Wes did not have enough attempt (only made 29 3-pointers for the season).

Yes, Wes shot .397 from the arc for the Oakland Oaks during the 1967-68 season. However, Darrel Carrier, of the Kentucky Colonels is listed as the 3-pt leader at .357, hitting 84/235 shots.

Wes didn’t get enough PT to throw up that many shots, but the “Mad Bomber”, as he was known, held another professional record for a very long time, hitting 9 straight 3-pt shots.

 

[f1f1ferrari]

Whatever was the cheapest at Two Guys. I believe this was an NJ store, Two guys from Harrison.

OMG Two Guys! My first twelve years were in Jersey and I haven't heard mention of Two Guys in decades! Serious blast from the past!!

 

[cohenzone]

Wes Bialosuknia is the answer to a trivia question. He led the ABA in 3-pt shooting when the 3-pt shot was first adopted, during his one and only year in the pros. With that said, Wes B had more of a one-handed push shot rather than a two-handed set shot.

He was a classmate of mine. I saw all of his home games. He shot from deep a lot, but not nearly half court. There was no college 3 point line. He shot a jumper, not a set shot. It will never be known what his stats would have been with a 3 point line. He would have been guarded differently. He often had fairly open shots because few players regularly shot from so far out as he did, maybe 23-25 feet. The top of the key is 19 feet. A pretty low % shot without a 3 point line. He was one of the best foul shooters in college ball.

 

[SCNCHuskie]

You hadn't lived until you wore the Naugatuck company store brand (Goodyear). After a game they could smell you in Waterbury. Maybe Torrington.

Growing up in Naugatuck, we used to go to the store that sold their seconds and bought “almost” perfect sneakers for under one dollar. We would literally have 100 pair of sneakers, long before that was cool. I remember a classmate of mine had Converse, and we all thought it was crazy because for the cost of that one pair you could’ve bought 25 from Uniroyal.

It wasn’t the sneakers that smelled like rubber, it was that entire side of town. Our side of town smelled like burning coconut.

 

[Huskee11]

Bialosuknia was nicknamed “the Poughkeepsie Popper”. He was about 6’2” and that was fairly tall for guards back then. One of his best moves was to back down his opponent to around the key area and shoot over him, pivoting and shooting in one motion.

He was at UConn when I was in junior high/early high school in Connecticut. You cannot overstate how big a deal he was to Connecticut in general and in particular to us young guys learning to play.

Some of his teammates were Toby Kimball, another UConn legend; Tom Penders, who went on to be a successful head coach; and Bill Holowaty, legendary Eastern Connecticut baseball coach.

My recollection is that those UConn teams wore black Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, most of them high tops.

 

[SJF]

So does anyone know the secret score of the secret scrimmage on Saturday against a secret team?

 

[cohenzone]

Bialosuknia was nicknamed “the Poughkeepsie Popper”. He was about 6’2” and that was fairly tall for guards back then. One of his best moves was to back down his opponent to around the key area and shoot over him, pivoting and shooting in one motion.

He was at UConn when I was in junior high/early high school in Connecticut. You cannot overstate how big a deal he was to Connecticut in general and in particular to us young guys learning to play.

Some of his teammates were Toby Kimball, another UConn legend; Tom Penders, who went on to be a successful head coach; and Bill Holowaty, legendary Eastern Connecticut baseball coach.

My recollection is that those UConn teams wore black Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, most of them high tops.

Don’t remember what sneakers they wore. I wasn’t paying attention to their feet. Kimball and Wes played one year together, my soph year they lost 2 regular season games. Lost to St Joe’s in the NCAA tournament in what was basically a home game for St Joe’s in Phiily. Wes had trouble in that game because he was bring guarded by AA Matt Goukas who was in those days a freakish 6’6” guard. Kimball set what i think is still an tournament game rebound record , an insane 29.

 

[Zarathustra]

OMG Two Guys! My first twelve years were in Jersey and I haven't heard mention of Two Guys in decades! Serious blast from the past!!

I have family from Harrison and Kearney, N.J. Many visits to those small towns... also viewed from the Penn RR out of Newark!

 

[hoopsdiva]

So has anyone heard any comments about the scrimmage itself? Which players got minutes, who played well individually or together? Is Geno still in a good mood?

 

[Charliebball]

OMG Two Guys! My first twelve years were in Jersey and I haven't heard mention of Two Guys in decades! Serious blast from the past!!

how about EJ Korvettes........

 

[EricSD]

Maybe the next horde article will have some quotes from Geno. Keep checking this for updates, but it's devolved into sneaker talk. Maybe lock it up and if we get any Geno comments, someone can post that in a new thread?

 

[The deacon]

He was a classmate of mine. I saw all of his home games. He shot from deep a lot, but not nearly half court. There was no college 3 point line. He shot a jumper, not a set shot. It will never be known what his stats would have been with a 3 point line. He would have been guarded differently. He often had fairly open shots because few players regularly shot from so far out as he did, maybe 23-25 feet. The top of the key is 19 feet. A pretty low % shot without a 3 point line. He was one of the best foul shooters in college ball.

Bialosuknia was nicknamed “the Poughkeepsie Popper”. He was about 6’2” and that was fairly tall for guards back then. One of his best moves was to back down his opponent to around the key area and shoot over him, pivoting and shooting in one motion.

He was at UConn when I was in junior high/early high school in Connecticut. You cannot overstate how big a deal he was to Connecticut in general and in particular to us young guys learning to play.

Some of his teammates were Toby Kimball, another UConn legend; Tom Penders, who went on to be a successful head coach; and Bill Holowaty, legendary Eastern Connecticut baseball coach.

My recollection is that those UConn teams wore black Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, most of them high tops.

Don’t remember what sneakers they wore. I wasn’t paying attention to their feet. Kimball and Wes played one year together, my soph year they lost 2 regular season games. Lost to St Joe’s in the NCAA tournament in what was basically a home game for St Joe’s in Phiily. Wes had trouble in that game because he was bring guarded by AA Matt Goukas who was in those days a freakish 6’6” guard. Kimball set what i think is still an tournament game rebound record , an insane 29.

Loving your recollections, gentlemen. I was a high school kid when Wes was playing at UConn and I listened to all the games on the radio, usually with my Dad, a Pennsylvania grad. He was especially excited when the Huskies got to play St. Joe's in the Palestra in Philly, where he had sat in on many games years before.

Cohenzone, could well be that's Toby's 29 rebounds were a tournament record, and I'm quite sure at the time (and likely for years to come), it was also a Palestra record... no mean feat.

As for Bialosuknia's struggles in that game, Matty Goukas' height certainly was a factor. The reality was that St. Joe's was a great defensive team and Goukas was simply a better player, headed for an excellent NBA career, than the Huskies star.

I believe Wes was second in the nation in scoring in his senior year at something like 28.8, and still holds the career average record for UConn at 23.6.

As for the moniker 'The Mad Bomber," I never heard that during or since Wes' UConn days. I always heard him referred to as "The Poughkeepsie Popper.

 

[cohenzone]

Loving your recollections, gentlemen. I was a high school kid when Wes was playing at UConn and I listened to all the games on the radio, usually with my Dad, a Pennsylvania grad. He was especially excited when the Huskies got to play St. Joe's in the Palestra in Philly, where he had sat in on many games years before.

Cohenzone, could well be that's Toby's 29 rebounds were a tournament record, and I'm quite sure at the time (and likely for years to come), it was also a Palestra record... no mean feat.

As for Bialosuknia's struggles in that game, Matty Goukas' height certainly was a factor. The reality was that St. Joe's was a great defensive team and Goukas was simply a better player, headed for an excellent NBA career, than the Huskies star.

I believe Wes was second in the nation in scoring in his senior year at something like 28.8, and still holds the career average record for UConn at 23.6.

As for the moniker 'The Mad Bomber," I never heard that during or since Wes' UConn days. I always heard him referred to as "The Poughkeepsie Popper.

Yup on the nickname recollection. Other nickname was Wondrous Wes.

 

[f1f1ferrari]

how about EJ Korvettes........

I've heard of it, but don't remember it from my childhood