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Wes Bialosuknia

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Wes spent the summers of '67 and '68 in San Francisco,got to know band members,Jerry Garcia....he knew Jerry's girl, Mountain Girl from grammar school,Carolyn Adams (Violet Ave. School,Hyde Park,NY.) It truly was a magical time. A SF 49er. from Pok.,Monte Stickels took him under his wing...best clubs,concerts etc..... SO,when he ret'd to Storrs,he was confronted by culture shock,probably because of his short "military" haircut. Early in '69,he had to report to Fort Dix,NJ,basic training,then onto Fort Drum,NY for 4 months active duty. Some of his fellow soldiers were shipped to Vietnam and died! That summer brought the 1st,Moonlanding and Woodstock. What next? Back to CT, to play with the Htfd. Capitols,EBA. No European Bball or opportunities to try out for the NBA.....he had 4 more years to complete his Army stint.
Those were screwed up times! The world was spinning out of control,but Wes made the most of it,somehow maintaining his sanity! No other generation was ever exposed to such turmoil. Even our music "Wish you Were Here,Pink Floyd"....did you exchange a walk on part in the War,for a lead role in a cage! on and on....Wes was deeply effected by everything around him,yet managed to land on his feet and meet me! The rest is history. So those who thrive on gossip...try to walk even a few miles in my "Wonderful Wes' Shoes!' The End.
 
First, let me say I hope my wife will someday defend my honor as brilliantly as you have for Wes! I apologize for anyone here who's caused you pain as you mourn your husband. I was in the Field House for almost every one of Wes's games and lots of away games too and I share the comment of others that he was the best pure long range shooter I've ever seen. It's very disapointing that he wasn't invited back to some of those historic moments. He surely belonged there. In various discussions over the years about who were some of the great collegiate shooters I would always mention Wes, often to the blank stares of many, especially from other parts of the country, who simply didn't know who he was. If only Espn and Dick Vitale had been around! I remember Wes being drafted by both the St Louis Hawks and The Oakland Oaks and choosing the ABA team out west. I never knew him personally nor did I ever meet him, but when the lights went off in the Field House (remember that?) and the spotlight was dramatically only on the court, I would stand screaming with a packed house of Husky faithful as the PA announcer would finish the team introductions with, "and at Guard, from Poughkeepsie NY, #44, Wes Bialasuknia. It was magical. May he rest in peace.
 
I did not see your husband play in person during his UConn days but the black and white images of him and his team on Channel 8's telecasts made a lasting impression on me. Wes Bialosuknia is the reason that UConn basketball is magical for me.
 
I saw him play for in my first ever college basketball game which was, if you can believe it, an NCAA tournament 1st round game at the old Keaney Gym at URI. UConn-BC. BC was coached by Bob Cousy. Went to the game because my uncle wanted to get out of the house because they were holding a bridal shower there for his daughter and invited my father and me to go to the game. Man could that guy shoot a basketball! If the 3-point line had existed at the time, he would have had 5000 points.
 
To be completely candid I never met Wes. I have however met scores of people who did have the privilege of meeting him and every one could not speak highly enough of him as a person. I do know that he was a truly exceptional basketball player. I am convinced that he was an even better man.

Mrs. B, I want to second Nostical's thoughts and also apologize for anyone here who may have caused you any pain.
 
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White Dress..so he married an RN. Wes was the most interesting guy I'd ever met. He asked me over to his WH. house to check out his cats' wound.I helped him clean it out, then stayed for hours! We talked about everything: music,books,our interests etc....but not sports. He cooked dinner for me...veggies from his garden.He had a golden book collection of trees,flowers,birds,rocks,mammals etc...and, knew names of them. I know because I quizzed him.We listened to his eclectic music collection: jazz,rock,Dylan..He introduced me to Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin,also Al Green. I was a Beatles,Moody blues,and Rod Stewart fan.
The following w/e we hiked and camped on the AT. I loved it!!
We were friends,hung out a lot together,went to the Ct. beaches which he'd never seen.
That fall, '71,I think,we went to a concert at UCONNs' football field. Many people stopped him,asked him about basketball...and,wondered who the "mystery woman" was.(me)
He was so refreshing! a guy who didn't try to "bed me"immediately,Haha!
So,we gradually fell in love and I learned of the "Poughkeepsie Popper." When my Dad met Wes he said "What did you say your last name is?" He took him into my younger brothers' bedroom to show him his clippings all over their wall. To me,Dad said "Have you been living under a
rock,Maureen?"
The next few years were (I'll use that word again) magical! We loved going to concerts (the '70's had the best music) Wes loved Steely Dan,had picked them up hitchhiking from Pok.back to Bard College before they became famous.Two super smart and gifted musicians! Wes leaped out of his seat to catch a drumstick during a SD. concert at the Waterbury Palace,still has it!We saw Queen,Mott the Hoople,ZZ Top there etc...Music,camping,tubing,canoeing,hiking etc...all fun with Wes!
In '73 we cross country camped first making a pact that we'd never give in and stay at a motel. We did it!! In the snow,rain twice....Crazy kids! We zigzaged around the west to go to as many nat'l parks we could fit into our 6 week trip. He showed me San Francisco,where he lived and played. old friends had moved on by then. Saw where he played ABA.I learned a disturbing story about a teammate who threatened him with a gun if he didn't get the ball to him...all the time.The Oakland Oaks was owned by Pat Boone who Wes liked and kept in touch with for several years.Pats' wife and 4 girls attended home games and dressed in green and yellow dresses,Oaks colors.He went on the Pat Boone show several times,met and liked James Arness, people under 40 probably don't know who he is.
Every summer until our kids were out of baby stages,He worked at or ran summer basketball camps,mostly in NY & NJ,once in Simsbury at a prep school,and,of course,St Thomas Moore where it all started.The past 15 yrs or so we attended home games at Gampel.
Hope this answers the many questions I've been asked,especially since Wes passed. He's had several health problems over the past several years,always bounced back.This time,God took him home. Favorite book? Probably "BE HERE NOW" by BABA RAM DASS .
 
maurbia44 said:
White Dress..so he married an RN. Wes was the most interesting guy I'd ever met. He asked me over to his WH. house to check out his cats' wound.I helped him clean it out, then stayed for hours! We talked about everything: music,books,our interests etc....but not sports. He cooked dinner for me...veggies from his garden.He had a golden book collection of trees,flowers,birds,rocks,mammals etc...and, knew names of them. I know because I quizzed him.We listened to his eclectic music collection: jazz,rock,Dylan..He introduced me to Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin,also Al Green. I was a Beatles,Moody blues,and Rod Stewart fan.
The following w/e we hiked and camped on the AT. I loved it!!
We were friends,hung out a lot together,went to the Ct. beaches which he'd never seen.
That fall, '71,I think,we went to a concert at UCONNs' football field. Many people stopped him,asked him about basketball...and,wondered who the "mystery woman" was.(me)
He was so refreshing! a guy who didn't try to "bed me"immediately,Haha!
So,we gradually fell in love and I learned of the "Poughkeepsie Popper." When my Dad met Wes he said "What did you say your last name is?" He took him into my younger brothers' bedroom to show him his clippings all over their wall. To me,Dad said "Have you been living under a
rock,Maureen?"
The next few years were (I'll use that word again) magical! We loved going to concerts (the '70's had the best music) Wes loved Steely Dan,had picked them up hitchhiking from Pok.back to Bard College before they became famous.Two super smart and gifted musicians! Wes leaped out of his seat to catch a drumstick during a SD. concert at the Waterbury Palace,still has it!We saw Queen,Mott the Hoople,ZZ Top there etc...Music,camping,tubing,canoeing,hiking etc...all fun with Wes!
In '73 we cross country camped first making a pact that we'd never give in and stay at a motel. We did it!! In the snow,rain twice....Crazy kids! We zigzaged around the west to go to as many nat'l parks we could fit into our 6 week trip. He showed me San Francisco,where he lived and played. old friends had moved on by then. Saw where he played ABA.I learned a disturbing story about a teammate who threatened him with a gun if he didn't get the ball to him...all the time.The Oakland Oaks was owned by Pat Boone who Wes liked and kept in touch with for several years.Pats' wife and 4 girls attended home games and dressed in green and yellow dresses,Oaks colors.He went on the Pat Boone show several times,met and liked James Arness, people under 40 probably don't know who he is.
Every summer until our kids were out of baby stages,He worked at or ran summer basketball camps,mostly in NY & NJ,once in Simsbury at a prep school,and,of course,St Thomas Moore where it all started.The past 15 yrs or so we attended home games at Gampel.
Hope this answers the many questions I've been asked,especially since Wes passed. He's had several health problems over the past several years,always bounced back.This time,God took him home. Favorite book? Probably "BE HERE NOW" by BABA RAM DASS .
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Thank you thank you.
 
Best thoughts to you & the family, Maureen
Thank you, Wes for making UConn the place it was "in them ol' days"... and bless you for stirring up grand memories, Maureen.
I couldn't afford Storrs to start and was at UConn-Htfd Branch... but made it up to the old Sigma Nu house (& Ma Giorgi's hospitality) when the campus emptied on weekends. Saw some of the Great names... Wes, Tobi Kimball, Penders, Perno ... in that leaky, old Field House.
We toted home many a CBG and tuna grinder from Ally's in Eagleville (bless his memory... a great, warm man) and hoisted a schooner or two at Flats. But it was bball at the Field House that anchored it all. (Never could figure how Holowaty at 6-4" could hold down a forward's spot, but he did!)
Ditto on the length of Wes' game. No one in their right mind would guard a player at that distance. Down court, cross center line, elevate, can a basket! Time and again that sweetness flowed. (If they ever find the managers' old shooting charts and calculate for treys... Wes' numbers would come up closer to 3000 than 2000... )
My thanks....
 
Heard from Toby and Helen Kimball today. They reminded me that,to quote Toby,"Our success as UCONN players can never be taken away from us!" They will always be on the wall of fame! Jeff Hathaway made a DVD of UCONN vs B.U. dated 2/11/1967 of the only old reel Wes had. It's in the sports museum.
 
I just read that Burr Carlson set the bball program back ? I feel a need to defend him. It was mainly due to a lack of ADM. support,andd as Pink Floyd says, "MONEY!" And,as Wes told me many times. Tom Penders would hold the title Most Assists if records had been kept back then.
 
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A life well lived and filled with Faith,Family and Friends! A question I am often asked: "His name alone could have made him a very wealthy man." Wes would laugh when presented that same fact!! Yes,he had Class and Character.
 
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RIP Wes. Thanks for all the memories. The one image I have burned in my memory of Wes was the way he cocked his head to the side right before he released his shot.
 
Wow, I love all those memories of Lou's and Ali John. We used to go there late at night for Fosdicks and Jimbos. And CBG's. While waiting in a jam-packed noisy room Ali would hand out samples. It was chaos and crowded and we stood and waited and we loved it. Then they expanded, put tables in the back and even a waitress or two. It wasn't long before it became less crazy and even less interesting and ultimately, folks stopped coming. What had made it so popular was as much about the characters behind the counter and the wild impatient scene, as it was about the food. I've seen the same thing happen at other establishments. There's something cosmic that makes a restaurant or a bar become "the place to be". Those who decide to mess with that unexplainable chemistry always risk losing the magic. Lou's is a cautionary tale.
 
I didn't know Wes very well, even though we were classmates. I knew him a bit because during our frosh year we were dating girls from the same dorm and would exchange hellos throughout the 4 years. I can say that I almost caused him to be in a car accident in New Haven. It was the aftermath of UConn's first football win over Yale. A crush of overjoyed UConn fans were driving up Derby Ave. Wes in the car next to me, recognized me and we're both gesturing and waving and celebrating. Wes turned away just in time to slam on his brakes because the car in front of him had stopped. I could have been a contributor to him missing the junior year.

Regarding Homer Babbidge, personally I think he was easily the best president the university ever had. I was involved in student government and got to meet him on a few occasions. Athletics were not unimportant to him, but his role was much broader than sports. He moved the university from the Jorgensen era of building construction into an era of academic excellence not matched until the last 5 years or so. He was the perfect combo for a state university CEO because he was a politician, an educator and an administrator. He got enough support from the legislature to upgrade teaching salaries in order to upgrade the quality of faculty. Getting proper funding from the legislature was a tough sell at the time. He had a great way with students. Whether or not he "downgraded" or "deemphasized sports is questionable. It certainly is unclear whether or it was he or J.O. Christian as AD who made the NIT decision, although obviously if Babbidge wanted the university to accept, Christian would not have declined the invite. Students at the time blamed Christian. He oversaw the major student life social changes that led to coed dorms and the end of curfews for women students and ultimately the end of the outright ban on men and women ever being in a dorm room together. In the years just after I graduated, but was attending UConn Law, I became aware of the situations he faced in dealing with student protests against the war, centered around employment recruiting on campus by Dow Chemical, the producers of agent orange. On balance, he handled the situation pretty well, compared to other schools. Not very many people were happy when he left. He stayed 10 years, which he had indicated when hired would be as long as he would stay in the event that they wanted him that long. It was pretty sad that the library named for him was such a mess for so long.

I hope Susan Herbst does as well by the university. Sports are clearly a big part of problems she has to deal with, but by no means is it the main thing.

Sorry for the digression and RIP Poughkeepsie Popper.
 
Nostical said:
Wow, I love all those memories of Lou's and Ali John. We used to go there late at night for Fosdicks and Jimbos. And CBG's. While waiting in a jam-packed noisy room Ali would hand out samples. It was chaos and crowded and we stood and waited and we loved it. Then they expanded, put tables in the back and even a waitress or two. It wasn't long before it became less crazy and even less interesting and ultimately, folks stopped coming. What had made it so popular was as much about the characters behind the counter and the wild impatient scene, as it was about the food. I've seen the same thing happen at other establishments. There's something cosmic that makes a restaurant or a bar become "the place to be". Those who decide to mess with that unexplainable chemistry always risk losing the magic. Lou's is a cautionary tale.
Expand ...

The attraction at Lou's when I was a student was that it was open until the wee hours, well after women's curfew, and got packed with guys. You knew who the rookies were when they called Allie John "Lou" given that Lou was his wife. He also had the grinder concession that sold in dorms in the late evening. He often employed athletes in the delivery role. I loved the CBG and Big Bazoo sandwiches. My last time there was a few years after I graduated. Lou had her huge St. Bernard puppy with her. I had a CBG on my plate, turned my head for a second and that's all the pooch needed to devour the delicacy. Allie kindly replaced my meal.
 
cohenzone said:
The attraction at Lou's when I was a student was that it was open until the wee hours, well after women's curfew, and got packed with guys. You knew who the rookies were when they called Allie John "Lou" given that Lou was his wife. He also had the grinder concession that sold in dorms in the late evening. He often employed athletes in the delivery role. I loved the CBG and Big Bazoo sandwiches. My last time there was a few years after I graduated. Lou had her huge St. Bernard puppy with her. I had a CBG on my plate, turned my head for a second and that's all the pooch needed to devour the delicacy. Allie kindly replaced my meal.
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We should all thank Mrs. Bialosuknia for starting this thread. Not only did she remind us how special a player and a person Wes was, but she gave so many of us the opportunity to take a nostalgic walk down a much treasured memory lane.
 
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WhiteDressWes said:
"What upset Wes most was the fact that his beloved Coach Shabel had moved on to University of Penn. He mainly left because of a lack of adm. support"

At a banquet of the Aetna Men's Club at that time, Coach Shabel talked about that lack of support. UConn's Athletic Department had been planning to go big time, including the football team, which employed Lou Holtz and two other future NFL head coaches, Rick Forzano (Lions) and Sam Rutigliano (Browns). At first, Homer Babbidge was supportive: connecticuthistory.org states that "The former Yale cheerleader also supported UConn athletics" Yalies, who controlled the Legislature, saw UConn as a threat to their dominance. Homer Babbidge then changed his stance on Athletics. Coaches left when told that athletics would be de-emphasized.

Imagine Wes' legacy had this not happened.

Mo: check your alerts regarding my Boneyard name
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chapwilvaug72 said:
Watching Wes in mid '60's on Ch. 8 New Haven is the reason I became interested in hoops & mainly UCONN hoops. The fieldhouse back then was very dusty and smoggy on game night. I assume it was due to the packed house walking on the indoor track. Wes must have had radar or sonar because the place was so cloudy I do not know how he located the rim. Also, I remember the big netting all around that must have been left up from baseball practice. The fieldhouse was a true pit of a home court advantage. Wes took fg attempts from so deep it was beyond reason. The arc was a true rainmaker & he is the origin of the term pure shooter. I like your term "dead eye." You solved this nature vs. nurture issue.

It is interesting that you mention Niels as a favorite shooter of Wes. Wes shot the ball with more fluidity and quicker release than Niels and also a million times more confidence. Wes was a large volume shooter and rightly so. Wes shot fg rate of 44.8%, but keep in mind his shots were from the next building. I compare Wes with Bob Staak at UCONN who shot a fg rate of 46.6%. Staak shot long range also, but within reason; not the next building. I saw Staak in person many times from '68-'71. He was 6'4. Also, another guard with big skills was Bob Boyd from 68-71 who shot long range at a rate of 42%. I saw Boyd many times in person and he was 5'11. In summary; there is nobody like Wes in college basketball history with the exception of Rick Mount of Purdue.
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Leotis Wilson was another outstanding long range shooter who shot well beyond the NBA pt. line before there was one.
 
Lee Otis no doubt threw up some bombs, probably shot from the furthest out but not the best shooter still a good one, streaky. Another who could bomb was Al Weston……………

But to be clear, none as good as Wes.
 
mauconnfan said:
Lee Otis no doubt threw up some bombs, probably shot from the furthest out but not the best shooter still a good one, streaky. Another who could bomb was Al Weston……………

But to be clear, none as good as Wes.
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True
 
maurbia44 said:
I just read that Burr Carlson set the bball program back ? I feel a need to defend him. It was mainly due to a lack of ADM. support,andd as Pink Floyd says, "MONEY!" And,as Wes told me many times. Tom Penders would hold the title Most Assists if records had been kept back then.
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I'm sure you're right, Maureen.

A few years ago, Tom tried to convince me he averaged 16 assists per game during his UCONN career. While there's no question he was a great point guard, I kidded him and indicated 16 per game is quite a stretch. Either way, nobody can prove him wrong because they didn't keep track of assists back in those days!
 
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mauconnfan said:
Lee Otis no doubt threw up some bombs, probably shot from the furthest out but not the best shooter still a good one, streaky. Another who could bomb was Al Weston……………

But to be clear, none as good as Wes.
Expand ...

Lee Otis tore up the house league the year before he played on the varsity, routinely scoring 40+ ppg. He averaged almost 14 ppg during his lone season in a UCONN uniform. I believe he was declared academically ineligible for the following season.

Although not nearly as impactful at the time, his rise from the intramural league to the varsity is reminiscent of Nadav Henefeld's one season at UCONN. It's the type of thing that's never likely to happen again. The 1974-75 team lost 71-61 in the first round of the NIT to a South Carolina team that was loaded...Alex English and Mike Dunleavy played on that Gamecock team. "The Mad Bomber" is certainly well deserving of his rightful place in Husky lore.
 
Maureen, thank you for the radio clip. I remember listening to the game that night. Wes was on fire. It was like he couldn't miss. As a young teen in CT, I idolized Wes. As I said in a post last fall, I would spend hours out in my driveway shooting hoops and pretending I was Wes Bialosuknia. For all his success, it is clear he remained a humble man who had his priorities in order. Thank you for coming to the Boneyard and giving us some insight into Wes after UConn. As fans, we've been blessed with so many good players, so many good teams and so many good memories. Wes will always be ranked among my favorite players and remembered as the one who hooked me on UConn basketball. Thanks for providing us with the opportunity to revisit some great memories.
 
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