Someone we always seem to forget | The Boneyard

Someone we always seem to forget

lonsharkin51

lonsharkin51

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While basking in the afterglow of No. 5 and in all this talk of our past championship teams, I realized that we had another championship team that no one ever mentions that was Calhoun's first step on the way to making UConn UConn. I know we think we're above NITs now, but in '88 we weren't, and winning one was a minor big deal. So here's to you, Uncle Cliffy, and to all you did in Storrs and the NBA. I think it's important that we not forget you. RIP.
 
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hear he hear ye
IMG_20220202_134413_burst_01.jpg
 
lonsharkin51 said:
While basking in the afterglow of No. 5 and in all this talk of our past championship teams, I realized that we had another championship team that no one ever mentions that was Calhoun's first step on the way to making UConn UConn. I know we think we're above NITs now, but in '88 we weren't, and winning one was a minor big deal. So here's to you, Uncle Cliffy, and to all you did in Storrs and the NBA. I think it's important that we not forget you. RIP.
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I never forget Cliff. He was my first favorite Husky. I remember watching him languishing in the Green Room like it was yesterday. He showed all of 'em.
 
You know what the saddest banners at Gampel are? The players of the year banners. Theyre in a dark corner and looks like a movie theater sign listing movies and start times. I couldn't even read the writing without my glasses. Players of the Year deserve a better banner.
 
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MDHuskFan said:
It’s amazing to think about what their careers would have been like if Adama was in Cliffs time & Cliff was Adamas
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That's such a great point. If Cliffy was playing today he's easily a top 10 pick and a perennial all-star and if Adama played in Cliff's time he's easily a top 10 pick..

The NBA never embraced the big men who could handle and shoot until Dirk was lighting up the league and now they treat 6'9 post scorers like Adama like they have cooties.

It makes me so sad Cliff only lived to see 53 and makes me even sadder Stanley only lived to see 32.
 
Yes we do tend to forget. But it was a big thing for us/me. It was a championship and the NIT still had some juice at the time. Not like it was in the 50’s and 60’s, but that was a good team . Gamble could shoot it. Depreist was a defensive stopper. Of course Cliff and I think Tate was on that team a freshman. They were long that year all the guards were tall. Tate was 6’5” and I think gamble was 6’4”. Depreist was a bit undersized maybe 6’5” or 6’6” and besides the defense he was a good rebounder.
 
And had to go back and look. Jeff King who had a nice stroke for a 6’10” guy, Murray Williams 6’6” and athletic and Spider Usery 6’5”. So our shortest regular was Gamble at 6’4”. I think Pikell played some but was that the year he hurt his shoulder and made a free throw left handed?
 
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If we are going to talk about players who came up big in that NIT run, we can start and end with Jeff King. He was the key guy. Gene Bartow said so. He was so down after that bad late turnover in an earlier game agninst Cuse, it was so great that he was able to end his career with that great photo sitting of him sitting on the rim in MSG. Still on view in Gampel.
 
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I’ll also throw Smitty in this thread. He’s still heavily involved in the UConn family, goes to games all the time, helped Coach Calhouns charity work consistently. Oh and he’s still the schools all time leading scorer.
 
Deepster said:
I’ll also throw Smitty in this thread. He’s still heavily involved in the UConn family, goes to games all the time, helped Coach Calhouns charity work consistently. Oh and he’s still the schools all time leading scorer.
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Good call Deep. He’s overlooked too often and he was a huge part of the beginning for JC. Monster recruiting win early in the process.
 
Fewer people forgot. In a thread on championship gameday I said this was gonna be for Stanley and Cliff.
 
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