Connecticut Huskies Totally Explained

Everything about The Connecticut Huskies totally explained

The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey (Atlantic Hockey) and Women's Ice Hockey (Hockey East). The major sports at the university are football (played at Rentschler Field) and men's and women's basketball (played on-campus at Gampel Pavilion and off-campus at the XL Center), although many of the other sports have large followings and a tradition of success.

Name

UConn's sports teams are nicknamed "Huskies". While it's often assumed that this is a play on the school's colloquial name of "UConn" (which is a homophone of "Yukon"), the use of the Husky as a mascot predates the use of "UConn" as a nickname for the school.
UConn's women's teams are not known as the "Lady Huskies", but merely as "UConn Huskies" in equal billing as the men's teams.

Leagues

UConn's teams participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big East Conference, except for hockey, which isn't sponsored by the Big East. The men's hockey program competes in Atlantic Hockey and the women's hockey program is a member of Hockey East. UConn is one of only 13 universities in the country offering NCAA division I-A football, division I men's and women's basketball, and division I hockey.

Facilities

The most notable athletic facilities are:

Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus, the regular home for both men's and women's basketball
XL Center in Hartford, the second home for both basketball teams
Rentschler Field in East Hartford, home to the football team

Reputation

Approximately 70% of all UConn student-athletes graduate from the university, and almost 50% maintain a 3.0 GPA. The women's lacrosse team had the second-highest team GPA in the country in 2004, and numerous UConn student-athletes, including former basketball star Emeka Okafor, have been named Academic All-Americans.
UConn is best known for having its men's and women's basketball teams consistently ranked in or near the top 10 in the nation in their respective divisions. The men's team (coached by Jim Calhoun) won the NCAA Div. I title in 1999 and 2004, and the women won in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004, including undefeated seasons in 1995 and 2002. Emeka Okafor, Richard Hamilton, Ray Allen, Clifford Robinson, Ben Gordon, Caron Butler, Denham Brown, Charlie Villanueva, Kevin Ollie, Hilton Armstrong, Donyell Marshall, Marcus Williams, Rudy Gay, Josh Boone, Travis Knight, Jake Voskuhl, are among the list of professional basketball players to achieve success after attending UConn.

Basketball

Strong alumni, student, and fan support for UConn's men's basketball teams helped the Huskies' women's basketball program attract Geno Auriemma as head coach. Under the tutelage of Auriemma, UConn has become one of the few schools that consistently competes for the national title in women's basketball. The Huskies are also part of one of the fiercest rivalries in all of women's college sports. In the rivalry between UConn and the University of Tennessee, there's no love lost between Auriemma and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. The two schools have faced each other seven times in the NCAA Tournament, and five times in the NCAA Championship Game. UConn leads 5-2 in those games including a 4-0 record in the finals. UConn leads the all-time series 13-8. Summitt ended the regular season series in the summer of 2007. It is unknown why the series was ended, but media outlets reported that Tennessee reported to the NCAA that UConn committed minor recruiting infractions with the recruitment of Maya Moore which included a tour of ESPN while Moore was a junior in high school. Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti, Carla Berube, Svetlana Abrosimova, Shea Ralph, Nykesha Sales, Kelly Schumacher, Swin Cash, Kara Wolters, Tamika Williams Raymond, Diana Taurasi, Asjha Jones, Sue Bird, Ann Strother, Barbara Turner, Paige Sauer, Rita Williams, Jessica Moore, Ashley Battle, Willnet Crockett, Ketia Swanier and Charde Houston are among the women's professional basketball players or WNBA draftees that attended UConn.
   In 2002, UConn became the only school ever to have 4 women drafted among the top 10 of the first round of the 2002 WNBA draft, with National Player of the Year Sue Bird drafted 1st, Swin Cash drafted 2nd, Asjha Jones drafted 4th, and Tamika Williams Raymond drafted 6th. The 5th starter on the UConn 2001-2002 NCAA championship team was future No. 1 WNBA draft choice and future 2-time National Player of the Year Diana Taurasi. A total of 12 UConn alumnae play in the WNBA in the 2008 season, and another two are on leave due to injury or national team commitments because of the Olympic games.
   In 2004, UConn became the second school ever, and the first in Division I, to win the men's NCAA National Championship and the women's basketball title in the same season. It was also the first school to ever have both teams ranked number 1 in the nation at the same time (1994), and has also spent the most weeks by far with both teams holding the number one spot, with Duke University being the only other team ever to achieve the feat, for a short period during the 2003-2004 season.
   In 2006, UConn became the third school ever to have 4 players drafted in Round 1 of the NBA Draft, and the first school ever to have 5 players selected in the two-round draft. In the first round, Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone were selected. In the second round, Denham Brown was selected. It should also be noted that Rashad Anderson also entered the NBA draft and will play for a leading European professional team in the 2006-2007 season.
   In 2008, freshman Maya Moore made history by being named Big East Player of the Year, the 1st time a freshman was so honored in either men's or women's basketball.
   UConn isn't only a pipeline to both the NBA and the WNBA, but to coaching ranks ranks throughout the sport of basketball. UConn alumnae in the coaching ranks include Jennifer Rizzotti at Hartford, Carla Berube at Tufts, Tamika Williams Raymond at Kansas, Ann Strother at Colorado, Shea Ralph at Pittsburgh, Paige Sauer at Northern Colorado, Stacy Hansmeyer at Oklahoma, Kris Lamb Caruso at Longwood University, Wendy Davis at Western New England, and Morgan Valley at New Hampshire. Maria Conlon was an assistant coach at NCAA Div II Champion Southern Connecticut State Univ and Debbie Baer Fiske is Assoc Athletic Director at St Joseph's College.

Soccer

In addition to its basketball success, UConn is known for its championship soccer teams. The men's team has won two NCAA National Championships, in 1981 and 2000, and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America named the undefeated 1948 team the national champion. The men's team won back to back Big East championships in (2004 and 2005) UConn also has the best average attendance in the nation for both men's and women's soccer. Major League Soccer players Chris Gbandi, Damani Ralph, Bobby Rhine, and Shavar Thomas each attended UConn. A consistently competitive and frequent NCAA tournament team, the UConn women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA National Championship title games in 1984, 1990, 1997, and 2003, losing each time to the University of North Carolina.

Football

UConn football moved up to Division I-A status in 2000, was included in official NCAA Division I-A statistics for the first time in 2002, and became a full Big East member in 2004. UConn has been recognized as having the fastest progression out of I-AA in NCAA history, as it was invited into a BCS conference only two years after becoming a full I-A member, was bowl-eligible in its first season in I-A, and was invited to a bowl game in its first season as a conference member. The Huskies defeated the University of Toledo in the 2004 Motor City Bowl by a score of 39-10, with quarterback Dan Orlovsky being named Most Valuable Player. In 2003, the team was also honored for being one of only 7 schools in the U.S. to graduate 80% or better of its members; it was the only public school on the list. In 2007, the Huskies had their best year as they went 9-3, finished 7-0 at home and earned a berth in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, where they were defeated by Wake Forest, 24-10.

List of sports

Baseball

� Playing Facility: J. O. Christian Field

   Head Coach: Jim Penders � Most Victories: 39 in 2006

   NCAA Tournament Appearances: 15 � College World Series Appearances: 5 1957, 1959, 1965, 1972, 1979

   Last NCAA Appearance: 1994 � Big East Tournament Championships: 2 1990 & 1994

   All-Americans: 14 � Olympians: 2

   Players Drafted Or Signed: 119

Notable players

� Charles Nagy

   Walt Dropo � Pete Walker

   Jason Grabowski � Bob Schaefer

   Dan Iassogna � Jim Reynolds

   Roberto Hernandez

Men's Basketball

� Playing Facilities: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion & XL Center

   Head Coach: Jim Calhoun � Most Victories: 34 in 1999

   NCAA Tournament Appearances: 28* � Last NCAA Appearance: 2008

   National Championships: 2 1999 & 2004 � Final Fours: 2 1999 & 2004

   Big East Regular Season Championships: 10 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 � Big East Tournament Championships: 6 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004

   NIT Appearances: 11 � NIT Championships: 1 1988

   All-Americans: 13 � Drafted Players: 33

   Players Currently In The NBA: 14 (ranks 1^st amongst all colleges) � Basketball Hall Of Famers: 1 Coach Jim Calhoun

*1996 tournament results vacated by NCAA

History and coaches

UConn Men's Basketball was once a regional power, winning 18 Yankee Conference championships between 1947 and 1975, when the Yankee Conference dropped support of basketball including 12 by Hugh Greer. In 1979, UConn was one of the seven founding schools of the Big East Conference, which was created to focus on basketball. In the early days of the Big East, UConn struggled behind national powers Georgetown and Syracuse. Prior to the 1986-87 season UConn hired Jim Calhoun to be the program's new head coach, but the Huskies difficulties continued and they finished the season with a record of 9-19, their fifth straight losing season. But in 1988, the team showed significant improvement and gained a berth in the NIT. UConn went on a run in the tournament and defeated Ohio State 72-67 at Madison Square Garden to win the NIT, the school's first national basketball title.
   The 1990 "Dream Season" would bring UConn basketball to the national stage. Led by Chris Smith, Nadav Henefeld and Tate George, UConn went from unranked in the preseason to winning the Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championships, both for the first time. 1990 also marked the opening of Gampel Pavilion, the program's new on-campus home. In the NCAA Tournament the Huskies garnered a #1 seed in the East Reigon, but trailed Clemson 70-69 with 1 second remaining in the Sweet 16. Scott Burrell's full-court pass found Tate George on the far baseline. George spun, fired, and hit a buzzer-beater that's known in Connecticut simply as "The Shot". They would be eliminated on a buzzer-beater 2 days later by Duke, losing in overtime 79-78.
   UConn rose as a national program throughout the 1990s, winning five more Big East Regular Season and three more Big East Tournament Championships, but the Final Four still eluded Calhoun and the program until the 1999 NCAA Tournament. The Huskies were the top seed in the West region and a win over Gonzaga in the regional finals sent UConn to Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay for the Final Four. They defeated Ohio State 64-58 in the semi-final to face off against Duke in the final. Despite having been ranked #1 for half of the year, the Huskies entered the national championship game as 9-point underdogs. The game was tight throughout, and when the final buzzer sounded, UConn had defeated Duke 77-74.
   The 1999 National Championship wouldn't be the last. In 2004, the Huskies returned to the Final Four. Once again, they faced Duke, this time in the National Semifinal, and used a late run to beat the Blue Devils 79-78. Two nights later, led by Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, UConn beat Georgia Tech 82-73 to win the championship.

Notable players

� Gabriel Albero 1996-1999

   Ray Allen 1993-96 � Hilton Armstrong 2002-2006

   Wes Bialosuknia 1964-67 � Josh Boone 2003-06

   Scott Burrell 1989-93 � Caron Butler 2000-02

   Khalid El-Amin 1997-2000 � Tate George 1986-90

   Ben Gordon 2001-04 � Richard Hamilton 1996-99

   Tony Hanson 1973-77 � Nadav Henefeld 1989-90

   Rudy Gay 2004-06 � Travis Knight 1992-96

   Donny Marshall 1991-95 � Donyell Marshall 1991-94

   Emeka Okafor 2001-04 � Kevin Ollie 1991-95

   Dom Perno 1961-64 � Clifford Robinson 1985-89

� Doron Sheffer 1993-96

   Chris Smith 1988-92 � Hasheem Thabeet, 2006-

   Charlie Villanueva 2003-05 � Jake Voskuhl 1996-2000

   Albert E. Weston 1972-76 � Joey Whelton 1975-78

   Marcus Williams 2003-06

Notable games

February 27, 1954 - Worthy Patterson's buzzer-beater at Holy Cross gave UConn an upset of the then-powerhouse Crusaders, 78-77.

March 14, 1964 - UConn upsets Princeton and star forward Bill Bradley 52-50 in the Sweet 16 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The victory was sealed when Dom Perno stole the ball from Bradley with 19 seconds to play. Perno would later become UConn's coach.

February 28, 1970 - With 4 players unavailable, and a share of the Yankee Conference Regular-Season Championship on the line, UConn beats Rhode Island 35-32 at the UConn Field House, in what became known as "The Slowdown Game". Played before the shot clock-era, UConn dribbles endlessly for 38 minutes to make up for the limited roster and save energy.

March 30, 1988 - UConn defeats Ohio State 72-67 at Madison Square Garden to win the NIT.

January 27, 1990 - UConn beats #15 St. John's 72-58 in the first game at Gampel Pavilion.

March 11, 1990 - UConn beats Syracuse 78-75 at Madison Square Garden to win its first Big East Tournament Championship.

March 22, 1990 - Tate George hits "The Shot" to beat Clemson 71-70 in the 1990 Sweet 16 at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

March 9, 1996 - With UConn trailing Georgetown, led by Allen Iverson, 74-63 with 4 minutes remaining, the Huskies close the game with a 12-0 run and win the Big East Championship 75-74 on an off-balance floater from All-American Ray Allen at Madison Square Garden.

March 29, 1999 - UConn wins its first National Championship, defeating Duke 77-74 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

April 5, 2004 - UConn wins its second National Championship, defeating Georgia Tech 82-73.

Women's Basketball

� Playing Facility: Gampel Pavilion & XL Center

   Head Coach: Geno Auriemma � Most Victories: 39 in 2002

   NCAA Tournament Appearances: 20 � Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2008

   National Championships: 5 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 � Final Fours: 9 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008

   Big East Regular Season Championships: 15 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008 � Big East Tournament Championships: 14 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008

   All-Americans: 11 (19 appearances), including Maya Moore, only the 2nd freshman nationally named an All-American � National Players Of The Year: 6

   Drafted Players: 19 � Players in the WNBA: 12 (+2 on leave)

   Basketball Hall Of Famers: 1 � Only Woman's basketball program to have had every game in a season televised, an annual feat since the 1994-1995 season.

Notable players

Tamika Williams Raymond

Meghan Pattyson Cumho

Caroline Doty

Men's Cross Country/Track and Field

� Head Coach: Greg Roy

Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships: 5 1987, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 � Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships: 2 1982, 2002

Big East Relay Championships: 2 � All-Americans: 32

Women's Cross Country/Track and Field

� Head Coach: Bill Morgan

Olympians: 1 (In Women's Bobsled) � Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships: 1 2008

Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships: 1 1995 � NCAA All-Americans: 9

Field Hockey

� Playing Facility: George J. Sherman Sports Complex

   Head Coach: Nancy Stevens � Most Victories: 23 in 1999

   NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19 � National Championships: 2 1981 & 1985

   Final Fours: 9 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007 � Big East Regular Season Championships: 10 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

   Big East Tournament Championships: 10 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 � All-Americans: 46

   Olympians: 2

Football

� Playing Facility: Rentschler Field

   Head Coach: Randy Edsall � Most Victories: 10 in 1998

   NCAA Appearances (I-AA): 1 1998 � Bowl Game Appearances: 2

   Last Bowl Game Appearance: 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl � Big East Championships: 2007 (shared with West Virginia)

   First Team All-Americans: 9 � Drafted Players: 14

   Players Currently In The NFL: 3 � All-Time NFL Players: 72

History and coaches

In the late 1990s, UConn decided to go from I-AA, where it had sporadic success, including making the 1998 I-AA playoffs, to I-A. UConn played as a I-A Independent from 1999 to 2003. During this time, the Huskies went from 2-9 to 9-3, and moved from Memorial Stadium to Rentschler Field. In 2004, the Huskies were admitted as full football members of the Big East, and went 3-3 in conference play, en route to a 7-4 regular-season record. The school made its first-ever appearance in a bowl game, winning the 2004 Motor City Bowl over Toledo by a score of 39-10. 2007 was a breakout year for the UConn Football team. They achieved a national ranking for the first time, becoming the second fastest team ever to attain a ranking after moving to division I-A, shared the Big East Championship with a 5-2 conference record, went 7-0 at home (only the second Big East team to ever do so), finished the season 9-3, and climbed as high as 13th in the BCS standings. The team was rewarded for their efforts with an invitation to the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Notable players

� Deon Anderson - currently on the Dallas Cowboys

   Dan Orlovsky - currently on the Detroit Lions � Alfred Fincher - currently on the Detroit Lions

   Brian Kozlowski � Nick Didio

   Nick Giaquinto - only former Husky to win a Super Bowl, as a member of the Washington Redskins team that won Super Bowl XVII

Notable former coaches/assistant coaches

� Lou Holtz

Skip Holtz � Kirk Ferentz - also played as a linebacker at UConn

Norries Wilson � Steve Spagnuolo - defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl XLII Champion New York Giants

Men's Golf

� Head Coach: Ron Dubois

NCAA Appearances: 1 1980 � Big East Championships: 1 1994

Men's Ice Hockey

� Playing Facility: Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum

   Head Coach: Bruce Marshall � Most Wins at D-I: 20 in 1998-99

   Most Wins Overall: 22 in 1991-92 (UConn played in Division III for men's ice hockey only until 1998-99) � MAAC Hockey League Championships: 1 2000 (League is now known as Atlantic Hockey)

   All-Americans: 9

Notable players

� Beau Erickson

Todd Krygier � Jonathan Anderson

Women's Ice Hockey

� Playing Facility: Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum

Head Coach: Heather Linstad � Most Wins: 16 in 2004-05

Women's Lacrosse

� Playing Facility: Morrone Stadium/Sherman Sports Complex

Head Coach: Megan Cersosimo � Most Wins: 12 in 2005

ECAC Championships: 1 2006 � All-Americans: 2

Women's Rowing

� Home Surface: Coventry Lake

Head Coach: Jennifer Sanford

Men's Soccer

� Playing Facility: Joseph J. Morrone Stadium

   Head Coach: Ray Reid � Most Victories: 21 in 1980

   NCAA Tournament Appearances: 27 � Last NCAA Appearance: 2007

   National Championships: 3 1948, 1981, 2000 � College Cups: 5 1981, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000

   All-Americans: 33 � National Players of the Year: 3

   Big East Regular Season Championships: 9 1985, 1987, 1988, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 � Big East Tournament Championships: 7 1983, 1984, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

   MLS Draft Picks: 14

Notable players

� O'Brian White

   Akeem Priestley � Damani Ralph

   Joe Morrone, Jr. � Chris Gbandi

   Dan Donigan � Julius James

   Bryheem Hancock � Mpho Moloi

   Len Tsantaris � Kevin Burns

   Patrick Kania � Max Baber

   John O'Connor

Women's Soccer

� Playing Facility: Morrone Stadium

   Head Coach: Len Tsantaris � Most Victories: 23 in 1997

   NCAA Tournament Appearances: 25 (One of two schools, along with the University of North Carolina, to qualify for every NCAA tournament.) � Last NCAA Appearance: 2007

   NCAA Championship Game Appearances: 4 1984, 1990, 1997, 2003 � College Cups: 8 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2003

   All-Americans: 24 � Big East Regular Season Championships: 8 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005

   Big East Tournament Championships: 2 2002, 2004 � All-Big East Selections: 59

Notable players

� Sara Whalen

Kristen Graczyk � Moira and Tara Buckley

Susan Lauer � Mary Lou Breen

Softball

� Playing Facility: Connecticut Softball Stadium

   Head Coach: Karen Mullins � Most Victories: 45 in 1993

   Women's College World Series Appearances: 1 1993 � Big East Regular Season Championships: 6 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997

   Big East Tournament Championships: 7 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2001 � All-Americans: 7

Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving

� Playing Facility: Dan Levine

Head Coach: Dan Levine � Big East Champions: 5

Olympians: 1

Men's Tennis

� Playing Facility: UConn Tennis Courts

Head Coach: Glenn Marshall � Most Victories: 20 in 2000

Women's Tennis

� Playing Facility: UConn Tennis Courts

Head Coach: Glenn Marshall � Most Victories: 14 in 2002

Women's Volleyball

� Playing Facility: Gampel Pavilion

Head Coach: Holly Strauss � Most Victories: 35 in 1979

Big East Regular Season Championships: 2 1994 & 1998

Pageantry

� Mascot: Jonathan the Husky Dog

Marching Band: UConn Marching Band, known as "The Pride of Connecticut."

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