Video Memories, Starting With The 1988 NIT

[Huskymaniac]

You were there for all of that, and you think that this year's team is going to be as talented as that team?

That 1990 team was deeper and it had a ton of heart and great team chemistry. But this team has a lot of raw talent. Who was the highest rated recruit on that team? Chris Smith? How did he compare to his peers coming out of high school compared to how, say, Daniels did? It has been a long time so I may not remember it correctly but I think Chris was somewhere between 50 and 100. I don't recall any of the other guys as even being top 100 coming out of high school. Daniels was as high as #10, Omar was #58, Boat was #77, Napier was #62 and Nolan and Olander were both 3 star recruits which are at least as good as some of the guys we had coming off the bench (talent-wise) as we had on that 1990 team. The germans are as much of a wild-card as Henefeld was. Even Henefeld didn't really assert himself until about mid-way through that season. No one knew he was going to be that good. And, really, it was more how great of a fit he was for that team than it was his raw talent which really mattered.

Look, we will lack size this year and that will kill this team against some of the teams they face with talented fronts. Worst case scenario is that we have to throw Olander and Wolf out there at center. Honestly, I think Tyler will do fine in most cases and, hopefully, Wolf has been working hard on his game as well. Daniels can play the 4 but may suffer against some of the stronger 4s he plays against. The back court is actually pretty talented. The lack of depth will be the biggest issue. But I still say this team has decent talent. The chemistry and development of the bench players is the big challenege. Get the chemistry anywhere close to what they had in 1990 and we will win a lot of games. I never said they will win the Big East regular season or anything close to that. I just think it won't be the trainwreck some people are assuming it will be. And if we see effort like the 1990 team gave, they will be a blast to watch, win or lose.

 

[alexd]

Thanks zls....These highlights are from the Dream Season VHS tape CBT was selling during the summer of '90....great stuff....what about the '90 postseason highlights???...or are they posted and I just missed them??

 

[zls44]

Thanks zls....These highlights are from the Dream Season VHS tape CBT was selling during the summer of '90....great stuff....what about the '90 postseason highlights???...or are they posted and I just missed them??

I just posted what I'd found from SIMPLE searches.

The onus is on the folks who have these tapes to get them on YouTube!

 

[Huskies4ever]

Thanks zls....These highlights are from the Dream Season VHS tape CBT was selling during the summer of '90....great stuff....what about the '90 postseason highlights???...or are they posted and I just missed them??

I have the VHS. Awesome stuff!

 

[White Dwarf]

Great thread

 

[boog204]

thanks for posting these... I was 10 years old in the dream season and it made me a fanatic. So great to watch Nadav and see how amazing the atmosphere was in the hcc and the beginnings of Gampel.

 

[mauconnfan]

Agreed boog...I was at all of the HCC games that year and a couple of the Gampel games, by far the loudest year in UC hoops history......as I said before I watch those and they eyes tear and the chills get crazy......

I will never forget the GTown game......and then watching it on tape after and reliving it and hearing Mike Gorman, say " Smith wants HE'S GOT IT, it's 10-nothing...steal by George to Smith it's 12 NOTHING.......JT wants a time out......"


WOW

 

[TracerBullet]

Awesome thread!

Steal by Henefeld...take-away by Henefeld...and it goes on and on. I love watching the pressing style of the teams in the 90's. Always wondered why we did not go back to it more consistently when we had the personnel for it.

JC definitely got the most out of the players that he got.

The atmosphere in the HCC was crazy!

 

[Huskies4ever]

That 1990 team was deeper and it had a ton of heart and great team chemistry. But this team has a lot of raw talent. Who was the highest rated recruit on that team? Chris Smith? How did he compare to his peers coming out of high school compared to how, say, Daniels did? It has been a long time so I may not remember it correctly but I think Chris was somewhere between 50 and 100. I don't recall any of the other guys as even being top 100 coming out of high school. Daniels was as high as #10, Omar was #58, Boat was #77, Napier was #62 and Nolan and Olander were both 3 star recruits which are at least as good as some of the guys we had coming off the bench (talent-wise) as we had on that 1990 team. The germans are as much of a wild-card as Henefeld was. Even Henefeld didn't really assert himself until about mid-way through that season. No one knew he was going to be that good. And, really, it was more how great of a fit he was for that team than it was his raw talent which really mattered.

Look, we will lack size this year and that will kill this team against some of the teams they face with talented fronts. Worst case scenario is that we have to throw Olander and Wolf out there at center. Honestly, I think Tyler will do fine in most cases and, hopefully, Wolf has been working hard on his game as well. Daniels can play the 4 but may suffer against some of the stronger 4s he plays against. The back court is actually pretty talented. The lack of depth will be the biggest issue. But I still say this team has decent talent. The chemistry and development of the bench players is the big challenege. Get the chemistry anywhere close to what they had in 1990 and we will win a lot of games. I never said they will win the Big East regular season or anything close to that. I just think it won't be the trainwreck some people are assuming it will be. And if we see effort like the 1990 team gave, they will be a blast to watch, win or lose.

I'm expecting better chemistry than last season, and I think KO will get his kids to play hard.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Great thread

+1

 

[Huskies4ever]

Agreed boog...I was at all of the HCC games that year and a couple of the Gampel games, by far the loudest year in UC hoops history......as I said before I watch those and they eyes tear and the chills get crazy......

I will never forget the GTown game......and then watching it on tape after and reliving it and hearing Mike Gorman, say " Smith wants HE'S GOT IT, it's 10-nothing...steal by George to Smith it's 12 NOTHING.......JT wants a time out......"


WOW

That was such a great call by Gorman. Sends shivers down one's spine. And as you mentioned how loud it was. I have the VHS of that season, and I've never heard the Civic Center rockin' like that. Electrifying!

Gorman is great. Unfortunately, he has to work with Tommy Heinsohn

 

[mauconnfan]

That was such a great call by Gorman. Sends shivers down one's spine. And as you mentioned how loud it was. I have the VHS of that season, and I've never heard the Civic Center rockin' like that. Electrifying!

Gorman is great. Unfortunately, he has to work with Tommy Heinsohn

"They're going banana's in the Hartford Civic Center and I mean BANANA'S........." Gorman

 

[Giscombe12]

Labor of love.

The real thanks goes out to the people uploading this stuff. If you've got something cool on a VHS tape, please try and share it with the rest of us. It isn't that difficult to do! And it preserves it for later generations and all that jazz.

The first two are mine & I apologize for the audio not synching properly. I tried several times & finally gave up.

I have the full Huskymania video (where the Dream Season highlights are from) but was worried about copyright garbage. I have some other games as well that I'm hesitant to upload in their entirety. One of these days I'll just do it and see what happens.

 

[alexd]

The Dream Season was my first season with season tix (worked out pretty nicely!!)...but my buddy and i boith missed the GTown game. I was at a family wedding. Some guy at one of the back tables had a small TV plugged in and about 20 of us were gathered around him watching the 2nd half and downing beers. I think I asked the wedding band if they knew the husky fight song....LOL...Great times! I had set the old VCR to tape the game...Got home at 2 AM and stayed up until 4:30 AM watching it.

Agreed...Gorman was great that season. Everytime I hear him doing a Celts game, I still think of the 89/90 Huskies.

 

[OkaForPrez]

First Gameday of the season bump.

 

[UConnSwag11]

bump

 

[Danzz]

Incredible highlights. After watching all the highlights came away with remembering what a great player Chris Smith was. IMO, except for Kemba, Chris was the greatest guard in UConn history. Thanks for the memories!

 

[mauconnfan]

Had to watch them again ....LOL....

Another great Gorman line in the 89-90 highlights at the end of the 1st Gampel game vs the Johnnies......."...CT is #1 in Big East..........and they have found a home"