Your first Uconn game

[crazyUCfan23]

97 or 98 at the civic center vs Fairfield. I was four or five.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Too early for Joe D I believe DI? My Meriden Jr Pro coach was captain of one of those Stag squads Tom Bukowski.

Yep early, 70-71ish. Owen Mahorn played the time between the two.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yep early, 70-71ish. Owen Mahorn played the time between the two.

Just looked up Joe 75-79

 

[Blaneylover]

My parents took me for my 12th birthday. January of 1982. UConn vs Villanova. Frank "Happy" Dobbs and Company beat the Huskies at the Civic Center that night.

 

[dbmill]

Had to look it up, UConn vs. Yale, December 1978 New Haven Coliseum. I was nine. UConn lost 92-78. Program has come a long way.

This was the first game I saw as a freshman at UConn. It was on television, and it turned me into a fan of the team. After that, I found myself listening, watching or going to games (at the field house), taking in as much UConn basketball as I could. I also recall going to the first UConn game back at the Hartford Civic Center after it reopened, against Rhode Island.

 

[Madmannsucks]

First game - CT Mutual Classic in 1982. Most memorable games - back to Big Monday wins over Syracuse and Georgetown (loudest games that I ever experienced), Gampel opener vs. St. John’s, 1999 final four, 2014 sweet 16 and final four.

Forgot the CMC....those were the days. Went to several of them.

 

[Waquoit]

Too early for Joe D I believe DI? My Meriden Jr Pro coach was captain of one of those Stag squads Tom Bukowski.

Nope. I'm positive DeSantis played for Fairfield that game (12/78). I remember his bald spot.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Stainmaster Sr. has me beat though; his first in-person exposure to the Huskies was seeing Eddie Slomcenski drop 40 on Maine at the Fieldhouse in January of 1963.

I was there, my first season going with my dad, but not my first game, which for all I know could have been AIC, and in any case was likely the Frosh game beforehand the Varsity.

For a 4th grader, mostly on schoolnights, 30+ miles from home before I-84 was built, it was magical. Even when it's not, it still is.

 

[DALTX]

11/29/86 at the field house, win over UMass (also Calhoun's first as HC).

 

[Vuce]

Fall of 1983 at the Cage at Umass. It was Karl Hobbs senior year. UConn lost by 2 points. I was a freshman in high school. Four years later I would be a freshman at UConn and have had season tickets for the most part since then. Can’t wait for even a preseason game with Hurley at the helm now! And my son will be a freshman at UConn this fall.

 

[Captbluefin]

1/23/96 vs. Central.. The father of the girl I was dating got me seats a few rows up behind the bench for Christmas.. Took pics with disposable camera that I have somewhere.
Ray was something to see in person. I also have a team photo signed of that team..

 

[jkfer98]

Pretty sure it was February 21st, 2005 against Notre Dame at the Civic Center. UConn won 88-74. I was 7 then, currently a sophomore at UConn.

 

[tjhusky]

79 UConn Cuse game at New Haven Coliseum with my brother who was at UConn at that time. Hooked ever since.

 

[UC313]

My first game wasnt a game at all. April of 2000 and i was a student at the Dub (uconn wtby). A buddy and i took the ride up to gampel to celebrate our 1st championship. I was a big fan before that but coach's speech cemented my current fanatic status.

 

[husky8273]

fall of '76 against some team I'll never remember

 

[junglehusky]

91-ish? Post Dream Season getting crushed by GTown at the HCC.

 

[CTMike]

Someone PLEASE help me, I'm trying to remember which game it was but I can't figure it out. I 100% remember Hilton Armstrong was on the team, and he had a good game that day. I also know the game was at the XL Center. I can't remember who they were playing, for some reason when I try to remember the game, West Virginia pops into my head. However, considering they never played West Virginia in Hartford when Hilton was on the team, I'm guessing that is wrong. I was like 5 at the time, so I only remember those few details. But it's the first game I can remember, and I'd really like to know which one it was. Anyone got any ideas?

I consulted the UConn oracle on the Twitter and here was his response:



Williams Hits Game-Winner To Send No. 2 Huskies Over LSU, 67-66

MBB: 1/7/2006 – #2 UConn vs. LSU (W, 67-66)

Ring any bells?

 

[Hankster]

I forget the date but it was Thanksgiving weekend. UConn played Towson State at Hershey park Arena. Reading High school gave an award to Donyel Marshall. Sparce crowd. Penn State had a football game the same afternoon. So, it had to be mid to late 90's.

 

[Zerosumgame]

I always somewhat liked the Huskies growing up because they sent some real nice players to the NBA and had some great teams (as a Nigerian and a B-more kid, loved Okafor and Gay), but didn't really follow them until I got to campus. Growing up in Maryland in the 2000's it was all about Gary Williams, Juan Dixon, Shane Battier, and JJ Redick, so that was my main exposure to the sport.

I transferred to UCONN in 2009 for my sophomore year and bought the remainder of the Gampel season ticket lottery games off of somebody for a stupid price. My first game in December; UCONN vs. Harvard. I remember thinking it would be an easy win against a bad team, but Harvard came to play and were giving us all we could handle. They had this little Asian kid running point and he was ridiculous, just killing UCONN all game and easily outplaying Kemba. Had great handle, could shoot, and even had showed real hops throwing down a dunk. I spent most of the second half just wondering who the hell this dude was and where tf did he come from? We ended up winning a close hard-fought game, and as Knicks fan, it was a little less surprising for me than everyone else when that same dude starting showing out at the Garden 3 years later.

The game against #1 Texas a month or so later is what made me a fan for life, though. Crazy atmosphere, great win, and maybe the most fun I've ever had at a sporting event. Didn't storm the court, though.

 

[Redding Husky]

It was 1983, on campus. The USA network (?) broadcast it nationally. We played Seton Hall for the cellar of the Big East. The Husky mascot got into a fight with the Seton Hall Pirate. Punches thrown.

The B.C. (before Calhoun) years were a trip.

 

[nadav]

Uconn lost to UVA by 13 at the Civic Center was my first recollection. Dec 1987. Some dudes were booing the team and my father went bonkers on them. May have been that year or the one before that we lost to Hartford in the Ct Mutual Classic...saw that as well...but we were only a couple of years from magic!

 

[Skiblets]

Early to mid 80s Syracuse at the Civic Center. Ball at mid court with seconds to go. Jeff King throws into the backcourt. Cuse steals and put in layup to win. Crickets at HCC walking out

 

[uconnphil2016]

Man, I don't remember the first time. Was definitely around 98. I remember being at the parade after the first NC.

My best game experience was actually not even during a live game. I was at Gampel for the video showing of the NC in 2011. I'd broken my pelvis two weeks earlier, got absolutely hammered on tequila and was dancing with my crutches in the air at center court after the win. Crutched all the way from Gampel to Carriage.

 

[6xChamps]

2010-2011 game at Gampel v Louisville. Went to double OT and Lousiville won in OT. Peyton Siva was a mad man down the stretch. UConn got the last laugh that hear though...

 

[dbmill]

It was 1983, on campus. The USA network (?) broadcast it nationally. We played Seton Hall for the cellar of the Big East. The Husky mascot got into a fight with the Seton Hall Pirate. Punches thrown.

The B.C. (before Calhoun) years were a trip.

I was at the game, and I definitely remember the dust up between the two mascots. It was nuts. Also remember going with a a good female friend (not my girl friend) of mine who nearly squeezed my arm off when the game was on the line at the end.