UConn rivals old and new: Big East feels more complete to Jay Wright, builder of Villanova’s championships

[RichZ]

There is a middle ground that doesn‘t involve thread titles requiring three lines on a mobile browser.

Or you could turn your phone to landscape mode.<G>

 

[Kenny11]

Great team, great coach but I’m not reading this and I haven’t read any of the recent ones. We don’t need these coaches to kiss UConn’s ass or be forced to say nice things about us. Nova is the enemy.

 

[Ha Who]

Great team, great coach but I’m not reading this and I haven’t read any of the recent ones. We don’t need these coaches to kiss UConn’s ass or be forced to say nice things about us. Nova is the enemy.

Ah, the same attitude as Washington

 

[CL82]

Correct, 8th member a year later. The original 4 were Prov, St Johns, Georgetown, and Cuse. They invited the others to form the conference. Nova sat on the fence for a year.

Sort of, but that's like saying PC was the only original BE team since it was Gavitt's brain child. The original BE teams Providence College, St. John's, Georgetown, UConn, Seton Hall, and BC. They were the teams who formed the conference in 1979.

You are right that UConn wasn't dominant from the start, but despite not playing in the Big East for last seven years, no team has won more regular season championship, BET championships or National Championships in the Big East than UConn. (Not even counting the natty we won in the American.)

 

[Waquoit]

... and one could easily argue that the 1979 class of Corny Thompson, Mike McKay, and Chuck Aleksinas was better than any class UConn had until 2002.

Fun Fact: Those guys lost 7 out of their last 8 college games. How good were they really?

 

[BGesus4]

My God it's nice to be able argue about the Big East finally

Had about all I needed of East New Orleans State

 

[upstater]

Fun Fact: Those guys lost 7 out of their last 8 college games. How good were they really?

2 were good enough for NBA

 

[PChoops]

The question I often ask is whether Nova would have won it all in 2016 and 2018 if they still shared a conference with UConn (and Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, etc.) during those years. I think the answer is no. But credit to them; they took full advantage of the conference breakup to build championship rosters. Let’s see what happens now with another big boy in town.

2016 yes.... They killed every team(esp Oklahoma led Buddy Heild team)out on the way to the title game.

 

[CL82]

Fun Fact: Those guys lost 7 out of their last 8 college games. How good were they really?

Corny? Outstanding. Mike? Very good. Chuck? Meh, but we’d love to have a big body like him right now.

How good they might’ve become under Jim Calhoun is an interesting question.

 

[upstater]

Corny? Outstanding. Mike? Very good. Chuck? Meh, but we’d love to have a big body like him right now.

How good they might’ve become under Jim Calhoun is an interesting question.

Aleksinas actually went on to have an international career in Spain, but his one year in the NBA he played 15 minutes a game, 74 games, 4 rebounds and 5 points average.

 

[CL82]

Aleksinas actually went on to have an international career in Spain, but his one year in the NBA he played 15 minutes a game, 74 games, 4 rebounds and 5 points average.

Chuck is dead to me every since he purged UConn from his online presence. Is that the court performance at UConn was disappointing. Great guy off the court though.

 

[PRHusky]

2016 yes.... They killed every team(esp Oklahoma led Buddy Heild team)out on the way to the title game.

That’s not the point. Of course the 2016 team was great (as was the 2018 team). The point is that 2-3 players on those teams would not have attended Villanova if the 2012-2013 Big East remained in place.

 

[CallMeBruce]

That’s not the point. Of course the 2016 team was great (as was the 2018 team). The point is that 2-3 players on those teams would not have attended Villanova if the 2012-2013 Big East remained in place.

[citation needed]

 

[Waquoit]

2 were good enough for NBA

Three if you count Bruce Kuczinski. He started for the Sixers on his birthday.

 

[Ratso]

2016 yes.... They killed every team(esp Oklahoma led Buddy Heild team)out on the way to the title game.

gotta admit we all loved nova taking out kansas in 2016 after they beat uconn. it’s like the BE gods said “we got you”. i’ve always supported BE teams regardless of that realignment nonsense