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Wes Bialosuknia

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Maureen, thank you for all of the memories. Growing up in Willimantic, and being one of those early season ticket holders, yeah when they were about 20 dollars or so for all the home games, I remember watching Wes and the Huskies. I was at Fred Shabels basketball camp 2 years when Wes was a counselor. Everyone wore #44. Just think if they sold jerseys back then, the money they would have taken in. I remember when Wes was picked by the old ABA Oakland Oaks. I remember his outrageous shooting night against Boston University. Yeah his scoring nights against Maine. What I also recall was his quiet dignity. Even back then he had an almost bashfulness at all the attention. Reading this and the other threads about Wes, takes me back to when UCONN basketball was a big deal. Thanks for all the memories.
 
In the 60's & early 70's, UConn's admin. had that ivy league, New England mentality. It remained during the 1st 3-4 years of UConn's BE run.
Finally, after years of frustration , the board hired John Casteen, from UVA, with the understanding that a commitment to big time sports programs need to be emphasized.
Guys like Wes, Toby, Bill Corley could have starred in todays college atmosphere. It's too bad that they didn't have that Big East chance.
 
Whenever anyone told Wes that he wasn't strong enough to play in today's game,his answer was,"I'd find a way." He was smart and quick. We watched an old tape with Jane (daughter) last summer. She was in awe at how fast her Dad ran and shot.
 
maurbia44 said:
Whenever anyone told Wes that he wasn't strong enough to play in today's game,his answer was,"I'd find a way." He was smart and quick. We watched an old tape with Jane (daughter) last summer. She was in awe at how fast her Dad ran and shot.
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Post the tape.............Please.:D
 
While the 60's game isn't comparable with today in terms of strength and skill, it's all relative. Wes would have been born with the same natural talent and then his game and body would have developed in today's environment. I suspect that guys that were great players years ago, if born today, would still become very good players. On average, they might not be quite as good because there is much more competition now, but they'd be very capable.
 
Maureen,
A big thanks. I'm another that saw him play in 66/67, and the game he set the record. I followed UConn from the early 60's, and listened to every game on radio, until I became a freshman in 1966.

Wes was the first true star I followed, and it was magically to listen to the radio and imagine what the game looked like I your mind. In some ways, that was better than watching games on TV.

Again, thanks for all the memories and sharing your life with Wes, with us.
 
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What I remember about Wes' game was how well he moved to get open to get that great shot off. In those days, the 3 point shot didn't exist, . therefore few players exhibited those moves. Wes was a unique player in those days.
 
Danzz said:
Just listened to the sound link for the second time. Funny thing is if there were a 3 pt, line Wes could have had 65-70 points. Thank you very much for sharing everything with us. Your post was the best ever on the Boneyard. Wes was a lucky man.
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It is funny that they always say he was shooting 30-35 footers all game. I'm sure Wes had range to about 35-40 feet when on fire but consistently shooting 30 footers in those days is unlikely. They were probably 20'-25' most of the time. This was an era where it was all about getting the ball close to the hoop.
 
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Danzz said:
Just listened to the sound link for the second time. Funny thing is if there were a 3 pt, line Wes could have had 65-70 points. Thank you very much for sharing everything with us. Your post was the best ever on the Boneyard. Wes was a lucky man.
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Its interesting - watching the players, the defense isn't that great nor is the ball handling, but the shooting is fantastic.
 
Hoophound said:
It is funny that they always say he was shooting 30-35 footers all game. I'm sure Wes had range to about 35-40 feet when on fire but consistently shooting 30 footers in those days is unlikely. They were probably 20'-25' most of the time. This was an era where it was all about getting the ball close to the hoop.
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Hard to be exact from those videos but most of his shots looked to be beyond the 3 pt. line. UConn was about outside shooting when Wes was at UConn his junior and senior years. I believe that Wes played with Toby Kimball his sophomore year who provided inside scoring and rebounding. My memory may be a little fuzzy but I believe that freshmen couldn't play varsity in those days . Nothing against Tony Hanson who was an outstanding player but Wes's numbers were for 3 years.
I remember watching the game on TV when Hanson broke Wes's record. Wes was at the game and congratulated Tony Hanson.
 
I watched the whole thing and kept pausing and rewinding and marking where he was shooting from. Truth is, only like 2 shots were clearly 20 plus feet. He wasn't shooting from Jimmer range. The illusion is created by there being no 3pt line. When he is out there in a sea of wood floor with no lines, the shots look longer because the floor looks bigger.
 
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you evaluate a small sample size/I watched all wes games on tv from his soph, jr, sr yrs.

you may not want to hear it but wes shot from anywhere within the offensive end of the half court line/only rick mount of purdue was even close to wes' drop of the rainmaker
 
Hoophound said:
I watched the whole thing and kept pausing and rewinding and marking where he was shooting from. Truth is, only like 2 shots were clearly 20 plus feet. He wasn't shooting from Jimmer range. The illusion is created by there being no 3pt line. When he is out there in a sea of wood floor with no lines, the shots look longer because the floor looks bigger.
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You have to consider if there was a 3 point line, he would have taken those 17-20 foot shots from 3 point land.

Maybe he would have shot a tiny bit lower a % (maybe) but he would have scored a ton more points.

The guy clearly could shoot with the best of them.
 
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 met Tom Penders several years ago while he was recruiting at a CT HS game. We sat and talked about that 64-65 team, Toby, Wes, Spider, Bill Hollowaty etc. Nice guy. Thank You Maurbia44 for your insight on one of the greatest players to wear the UConn uniform. We are happy to know that as great a basketball player he was, he was a better husband and person!
 
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maurbia44 said:
Whenever anyone told Wes that he wasn't strong enough to play in today's game,his answer was,"I'd find a way." He was smart and quick. We watched an old tape with Jane (daughter) last summer. She was in awe at how fast her Dad ran and shot.
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Living in SECT, I remember going to a benefit game I think sponsored by the Norwich Bulletin featuring Wes on an all star team vs Jimmy Walker [PC] team. Wes more than held his own against the great Walker at that game in Norwich that might!
 
He would have hit lots of 3s at the current distance of 20'9". All I'm saying is that the barrage of 30-40 footers seems a bit exaggerated. I just can't imagine that even being considered sane in any day and age. My father has always told me Wes took a lot of 18-22 footers and made them at a high clip. That video supports his recollection.

Lebron James can stroke one perfect J after another from half court in warmups, but you'll never see it in a game unless it is a buzzer beater. It's just not practical. Shooting from that distance usually means your teammates aren't in rebounding position and neither are you.
 
Thanks everyone for your kind words and critiques of Wes' game, but in the end,that's all it is ......a game!!! He was my "Wonderful Wes" and I'll miss him every day for the rest of my life! He liked Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party" song (his all time favorite court...on Earth....MSG!) "If memories are all I have,I'd rather drive a truck"
 
maurbia44 said:
Thanks everyone for your kind words and critiques of Wes' game, but in the end,that's all it is .a game!!! He was my "Wonderful Wes" and I'll miss him every day for the rest of my life! He liked Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party" song (his all time favorite court...on Earth....MSG!) "If memories are all I have,I'd rather drive a truck"
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I hope this thread keeps going. It is interesting because my parents always talked about Wes and Toby when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's. They were the franchise while they were at UConn in the 60's. It is really cool to watch that game film knowing my father was probably there. There is something special about that. I've really enjoyed getting to know Wes a little bit and getting to see him play for the first time in my life. I'm not much of a sports history buff but I love basketball, UConn and shooting jump shots and Wes is a legend for a guy like me.
 
Hoop, I agree. I was at just about every game Wes played in, as a bunch of us used to drive to the away games as well. The silent video, while memorable, really doesn't do justice to the many bombs Wes would swish through the nets. And while I read the comments about whether they were 30 ft shots, I can assure you that many of them were. He had a very quick release and would often shoot soon after crossing midcourt. He would also circle under the basket and head back way behind the key where Penders would find him for a quick dagger. He was the very definition of a star, yet he never carried himself that way. He was humble, with none of those "look at me" gestures. Class act all the way.
 
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TO: Mrs. Wes

It is more than just a game. It is the evolution of a vast underdog all the way to top dog. Wes was at the inception of the slow climb that gained momentum with the many sweet 16 and elite 8 flops of the 90's to the 5 final fours and quarto titles, with a sprinkling of Corny, Hanson et al in between. As someone said after title 4-it's a morality play. It's the eventual spanking of the elitists by the paddle of the blue collar work ethic. It is the story of the hungry huskies who are never satiated due to their ongoing fight for truth, justice and the American way.
 
chapwilvaug72 said:
TO: Mrs. Wes

It is more than just a game. It is the evolution of a vast underdog all the way to top dog. Wes was at the inception of the slow climb that gained momentum with the many sweet 16 and elite 8 flops of the 90's to the 5 final fours and quarto titles, with a sprinkling of Corny, Hanson et al in between. As someone said after title 4-it's a morality play. It's the eventual spanking of the elitists by the paddle of the blue collar work ethic. It is the story of the hungry huskies who are never satiated due to their ongoing fight for truth, justice and the American way.
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You are so right! Our Huskies were/are Supermen......from the Beginning !
 
Hoophound said:
He would have hit lots of 3s at the current distance of 20'9". All I'm saying is that the barrage of 30-40 footers seems a bit exaggerated. I just can't imagine that even being considered sane in any day and age. My father has always told me Wes took a lot of 18-22 footers and made them at a high clip. That video supports his recollection.

Lebron James can stroke one perfect J after another from half court in warmups, but you'll never see it in a game unless it is a buzzer beater. It's just not practical. Shooting from that distance usually means your teammates aren't in rebounding position and neither are you.
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From what I remember they were a few feet past the top of the key, ie. current NBA 3-pt range. Bob Staak did it too.
 
I must live under a rock,to quote my father! I've never seen this video. Seeing Wes so young and healthy brings me to tears...but happy ones! Toby was "a man among boys" as Wes often said,and Tom must have averaged 16 assists per game...easily.
When I first met George Ehrlich,he called me Mrs. Wonderful Wes...now Wayne Norman,who was as close to Wes as a brother over the past several years, calls me Mrs. Popper. I love it!!!
Thank you Boneyard members for allowing me to share memories of our life. Although Wes put basketball aside to pursue other interests,he'd always stop at courts,seek them out....wherever we went,from Acadia Nat'l Park,Watch Hill,RI., even after climbing mountains. He'd pop open the trunk, grab his ball and shoot a few.
 
maurbia44 said:
I must live under a rock,to quote my father! I've never seen this video. Seeing Wes so young and healthy brings me to tears...but happy ones! Toby was "a man among boys" as Wes often said,and Tom must have averaged 16 assists per game...easily.
When I first met George Ehrlich,he called me Mrs. Wonderful Wes...now Wayne Norman,who was as close to Wes as a brother over the past several years, calls me Mrs. Popper. I love it!!!
Thank you Boneyard members for allowing me to share memories of our life. Although Wes put basketball aside to pursue other interests,he'd always stop at courts,seek them out....wherever we went,from Acadia Nat'l Park,Watch Hill,RI., even after climbing mountains. He'd pop open the trunk, grab his ball and shoot a few.
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Your husband brought a lot of joy to the UConn family and the state at large. I'm sure the responses you've received on this site and elsewhere as regards the high regard Wes was held in reinforce that. I know I will always remember and have educated my kids (2 are in UConn) as to the legend of the Poughkeepsie Popper! Or as me and my contemporaries like to call him the Popper. At Gampel our seats were right across the court from you (when you sat behind the UConn bench). If you and Wes were at the game, sooner or later one of us would spot you and make note to the rest of us that "The Popper" is in the house. Somehow it made the game feel that much better. Thank you for providing all the stories and clips, and I hope you keep it up.
 
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