For all of you young pups, let me take you back to circa 1986. I was fresh on campus, Calhoun arrived as well, and UConn basketball didn't have much buzz to it. I remember a friend asking if I wanted to go watch the girls team play in the field house. I asked, "which team?" Gample was in the planning stages, or soon to be.
Cliff Robinson was our stud. Guy was legitimate. Phil Gamble was banging long balls, had some gritty players in those first few years.
Then something weird happened. UConn make it into "others receiving votes." Might not seem like a big deal, but it was huge to us back then. I checked the paper (I'm so old!) every time the new rankings came out - I think on Monday. We got one vote, then a handful, then back down, then a few more.
Then boom. We were in the top 25.
Couple years later, the Dream Season, and we were off to the races.
It's hard to describe what an exciting time it was. Calhoun's early teams were high pressure, pressing teams that were flat out fun to watch. You got the feeling at tipoff that we could win every game. It was very exciting to watch the ascension of the team.
We were overdue by 99, and a couple of tournament losses hurt really bad (Donyell!!!! grrrrr). But I really wouldn't change how it went down if i could. Beating what was arguably the best Duke team that K ever put on the floor was indescribable.
I'm hoping for a similar trajectory this time, minus the long wait. I expect to see us threaten the top 25 this year or next, and then work and claw our way up the ladder.
You young pups may get to experience some of the thrills of the rocket launch that you haven't gotten in real time.
