UConn Basketball Historical Timeline

BACKGROUND: The Connecticut Agricultural College (C.A.C.) is little more than a handful of buildings and barns in the hamlet of Storrs at the turn of the century. Trains stop three miles away in Eagleville, but journeys there and to the nearby mill town of Willimantic are troublesome, particularly in bad weather.

Isolated C.A.C. students see winter as a tedious interlude between the football and baseball seasons. Athletics offers a natural outlet. Hockey, however, depends too much on New England's inconsistent weather to bring relief.

In 1891, in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith invents a game he called basketball to provide indoor recreation in the cold months for young people. The game's reputation soon drifts southward, to Storrs.

On the eve of a new century, Connecticut Agricultural College students appeal for the creation of a team based on Naismith's game to give them something to do during the winter months.

It is the opinion of the students that basketball could be introduced into our college sports. A large number of students would be benefited by this sport. It is an interesting game to watch and the admission fees from spectators would increase the funds needs for athletics. The Lookout College Newspaper, December 1900.

January 1901Athletics professor T.D. Knowles agrees to form a team to test the popularity of the game of basketball. C.A.C. defeats Willimantic High School 17-12 in its January 1901 debut, much to the delight of the college students.

February 1901It may be justly said that the first attempt of C.A.C. at basketball was a success. With fine sleighing on a fine night, Mr. Knowles took our team to Willimantic to play the team of the Willimantic High School, and to the honor of our team it may be said that the students, the young ladies especially, took enough interest in the boys in the blue and white jerseys to accompany them to Willimantic and to cheer lustily during the entire game. The Lookout, February 1901.

November 1901Knowles elevates basketball to varsity status for the 1901-92 season. On Thanksgiving night 1901, the first C.A.C. varsity basketball team plays a club from the Willimantic YMCA. Connecticut loses, 21-11, but goes on to post a 5-5 overall record in its inaugural varsity season.

February 1905After competing mostly against clubs and high schools in the early years of basketball, the C.A.C. varsity finally plays its first game against a collegiate opponentlosing to Massachusetts 66-22.

February 1908C.A.C., struggling to stay afloat as a varsity program because of an unsuitable home court (games are played in a hall in the Main Building on the Storrs campus which also serves as a chapel and auditorium), records its first victory over a collegiate team, beating Rhode Island 24-21 at home.

November 1908Facing financial budgetary problems and not having an adequate home court on which to play, C.A.C. does not compete during the 1908-09 season.

January 1910Rather than run into debt and jeopardize the school's baseball program, C.A.C. decides there would be no season of competition in 1909-1910. Student leaders emphasize that the moratorium was for that season only, but it will be six years before another C.A.C. varsity team takes the floor.

May 1910Varsity basketball is officially abandoned and track and field is substituted. It is expected that basketball would be revived as soon as there is a proper gymnasium. In the meantime, a self-supporting independent, or club team, the C.A.C. Independents, play various non-collegiate teams, all on the road, during the next few years.

November 1913Construction begins on a armory/gymnasium on the Storrs campus after the 1913 State General Assembly appropriates $60,000 for the project. It will be called Hawley Armory in honor of Willis Nichols Hawley, Class of 1898, a former varsity athlete who died while serving in the military during the Spanish-American War.

February 1915Hawley Armory, a red brick turreted building which becomes the jewel of the Storrs campus, is opened and the newly-named Connecticut Aggies defeat the Bristol A.A. 25-21 in the first game played in one of the most perfect buildings of its kind in the East.

November 1915In what was accurately called the first year of systematic basketball at C.A.C., the Blue and White cagers are led into the 1915-16 season by their first official coach, John F. Donahue of Willimantic. Included in the club's 5-3 record was a road win at Rhode Islandthe first home loss for URI in 10 years.

November 1917Basketball is the only varsity sport which carries on during World War I as football, baseball, track and tennis are suspended. The varsity basketball squads are badly undermanned during the war years and win few games.

November 1919With World War I in the past, C.A.C. basketball opened the 1919-1920 season with a new coach, Milford Ross Swartz, and the Aggies would record the school's first victory over the Massachusetts Aggies, 28-19.

November 1920Louis Albion Alexander, Jr., of Waterbury had enrolled at C.A.C. in the fall of 1919. He would become Connecticut's first true basketball star and he helped generate much of the sport's new popularity at Storrs. During the 1920-21 season, he scored 30 of his team's 39 points in a victory over Clark.

November 1921Alexander is named captain of the 1921-22 team and he does not disappoint. The Aggies post a 15-4 record under new head coach J.W. Tasker and are widely regarded as the best team in New England, establishing Connecticut's reputation as a regional basketball power.

December 1923Sumner A. Dole, a major figure in Connecticut's athletic history, arrives in Storrs in 1923 and becomes head coach of football, basketball and baseball. In addition to Dole's arrival, C.A.C. also joins the New England Conference, which includes all the New England land-grant colleges except Vermont. The one year rule is also introduced, which bans freshmen from competing on varsity teams.

February 1926Connecticut wins the championship of an organized league for the first time when its finishes 11-3 and claims the New England Conference crown. The championship team includes a young man from Suffield named Hugh Greer.

November 1927Louis Alexander returns to Storrs as head coach of men's basketball and promptly leads Connecticut to an 11-3 record and another New England Conference championship.

February 1931Louis Alexander leaves Connecticut for the University of Rochester in New York after leading the school to a 40-22 record during the past four seasons. An irreparable loss, the college newspaper reports.

February 1933The school, promptly by alumni, changes its name to the Connecticut State College.

November 1934Connecticut students conduct a campus vote and select a new nicknamethe Huskieswhile also dropping the name Aggies. The school also introduces a new mascot, a Husky dog named Jonathan.

November 1936Don White, a collegiate star at Purdue, takes over as Connecticut's head basketball coach for the 1935-36 season. He brings with him a new fast-paced approach to the game.

March 1939The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) holds its first tournament.

September 1939The state's land-grant university officially becomes the University of Connecticut.

March 1941The 1940-41 Connecticut team compiles a 14-2 record, led by co-captains Bob Donnelly and John Yusievich.

September 1945Don White leaves Connecticut after compiling a nine-year record of 94-59 to become coach at Rutgers. He is replaced by former Purdue teammate Blair Gullion.

November 1945Walt Dropo returns from military duty in World War II and becomes a three-sports hero at Connecticut. Gullion realizes local star Dropo, who grew up in nearby Moosup, is the classic collegiate star. Dropo leads the UConns in scoring in both 1945-46 and 1946-47.

November 1946Hawley Armory has served Connecticut very well as a home court since its opening in 1915. The game, however, has outgrown the buildingwhich seats only 1,400and fans and students need a larger facility on campus to follow their team. School officials purchase two war-surplus airplane hangers in 1946. They plan to use the steel supports and the roofs to cover a cinder block structure that would hold more than 3,000 fans. Construction should be finished before the end of the 1945-46 season, so Connecticut schedules most of its home games for the final month of competition. Unfortunately, that scenario would not take place.

December 1946Blair Gullion drops a bombshell. Five days before Christmas, Gullion announces he is leaving Connecticut immediately to accept the basketball post at Washington University in St. Louis. UConn's record stands at 4-2 at the time.

December 1946Director of Athletics George Van Bibber wastes little time and offers the head coaching position to alumnus Hugh Greer, the coach of UConn's freshman team. Greer has spent his entire life in the state. After graduating from Connecticut Agricultural College in 1926, he coaches and teaches in Glastonbury and Manchester. He wins five state championships at Ellsworth Memorial High School in South Windsor before he returns to Storrs as frosh coach.

December 1946The same month that Hugh Greer accepts the head coaching post at Connecticut, the New England Land Grant Institutions form the Yankee Conference, the vehicle which helps boost UConn basketball into its initial national spotlight.

March 1947After taking over the 1946-47 Connecticut squad in mid-season, Hugh Greer directs the Huskies to a perfect 12-0 record. The club finishes the year 16-2, the most victories in a single season in school history. Hugh Greer quickly becomes a Connecticut homegrown hero, elevating Husky basketball from a winter pastime into a winter passion for thousands of fans and alumni.

December 1947Construction delays stall the opening of Connecticut's new on-campus arena but the Huskies start the 1947-48 season 4-0 to extend Hugh Greer's record as head coach to 16-0. New York University ends that streak with a 68-55 win over UConn at Madison Square Garden and the Huskies return home to close Hawley Armory.

December 1947The night of December 19, 1947 completes a 34-year era during which Hawley Armory proudly served as UConn's home court. Connecticut beats Wesleyan 54-37 in the final game in the facility which gave Connecticut varsity basketball a second chance back in 1915.

January 1948Connecticut's new on-campus basketball home has three names: the Cage, the Hanger, the Quonset Hut. The facility features steel supports and tin sheets cannibalized from war surplus airplane hangers. A new, portable basketball court covers the clay floor. The capacity of nearly 4,000 means the general public can get tickets for the first time in more than a decade. UConn wins its opener in the new building on January 9, 1948routing Maine 63-29.

March 1948Connecticut posts 17-6 overall record and wins Yankee Conference title in first season of league play.

March 1951Connecticut begins an amazing 10-year run as Yankee Conference champions, posting a school record 22 wins en route to a 22-3 regular season record and earning the school's first invitation to the NCAA Tournament. UConn loses its NCAA clash with St. John's in Madison Square Garden 63-52. Connecticut is now classified as a major college basketball program.

December 1951Connecticut basketball celebrates its 50th anniversary during 1951-52.

March 1952Vin Yokabaskas scores over 400 points for the third consecutive year and completes his Connecticut career as the school's first 1,000-point scorer (1,275 points in three seasons).

February 1954Connecticut travels to the Worcester Auditorium and ends Holy Cross' 47-game home court winning streak by posting a 78-77 win as UConn's Worthy Patterson hits a driving layup just before the final buzzer. It is a classic matchup between the top two programs in New England.

March 1954The victory over Holy Cross helps Connecticut earn its second NCAA Tournament bid. UConn plays its final game in the Hanger, beating Columbia 80-64 before moving into NCAA competition. The Huskies lose to Navy 85-80 in Buffalo, NY and finish the season with a school record 23 wins (23-3). UConn junior center Art Quimby leads the nation in rebounding (588) and rebounding average (22.6/game).

December 1954The University of Connecticut opens the 4,500-seat Field House on December 1, 1954 and the Huskies belt arch rival Rhode Island 116-77.

March 1955Connecticut plays in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for the first time and bows to St. Louis 110-103, ending the season 20-5. Art Quimby concludes his outstanding college career with school records for points (1,398) and rebounds (1,716). He again leads the nation in total rebounds (611).

March 1956UConn begins a five-year run of NCAA Tournament berths (1956-1960) and the Huskies win their first-ever NCAA game, beating Manhattan 84-75 at Madison Square Garden. The win in the NCAA tourney earns the Huskies their first Sweet 16 berth.

January 1963In his 17th season as head coach of the Connecticut basketball program, Hugh Greer and his Huskies start the season 7-3 but on January 14, 1963 tragedy strikes when Coach Greer dies of a massive heart attack at his home after playing handball with assistant coach George Wigton. Coach Greer compiled a 286-112 record at Connecticut.

January 1963Director of Athletics J.O. Christian asks George Wigton to complete the season as head coach of the Connecticut program. The Huskies go 11-3 during the rest of the regular season, win the Yankee Conference championship, and earn another NCAA berth. West Virginia beats UConn 77-71 in NCAA play. The Huskies are 1-9 overall in eight NCAA tourney appearances.

April 1963UConn names 30-year-old Duke University assistant Fred Shabel as its varsity basketball coach.

February 1964Connecticut and Rhode Island tie for the Yankee Conference regular season title (8-2). A coin flip determines the site of a one-game playoff to be URI's home court in Kingston, Rhode Island.

March 1964Connecticut junior Toby Kimball scores 32 points and pulls down 19 rebounds in the playoff game against URI to lead UConn to a 61-60 victory and an NCAA Tournament berth.

March 1964UConn earns the second NCAA victory in school history when the Huskies beat Temple 53-48 at the Palestra in Philadelphia. In the NCAA Sweet 16 round, Connecticut battles heavily-favored Princeton and All-American Bill Bradley in Raleigh, NC. With the score tied at 50-50 and 32 seconds left in regulation, senior co-captain Dom Perno hits two free throws to give the Huskies a lead. Perno then vaults Connecticut into its first-ever NCAA Final 8 appearance when he steals the ball from Princeton's Bradley to secure the victory. In the regional finals, powerful Duke decks UConn, 101-54.

March 1965Connecticut goes 23-2 during the regular season and heads into NCAA play riding a 15-game winning streak. St. Joseph's (PA) overcomes a seven-point halftime deficit and beats UConn 67-61 in an NCAA first round game in Philadelphia. Toby Kimball scores 21 points and totals 29 rebounds in a stunning effort in his final collegiate game. He concludes his superb UConn career with 1,361 points and 1,324 rebounds. As a senior in 1964-65, he leads the nation in rebounding (483) and rebound average (21.0/game).

March 1967Fred Shabel's fourth and final year as head coach produces a 17-6 regular season record, UConn's 17th Yankee Conference title in 20 years of league play, and the school's 11th NCAA Tournament bid.

March 1967UConn slows the pace in an NCAA First round game against Boston College (played at URI) but the Eagles record a 48-42 victory. Connecticut's all-time NCAA record is 3-12.

March 1967 The NCAA loss to BC is the last college game for UConn's Wes Bialosuknia who concludes his Husky career as the school's all-time leading scorer (1,673 points), a 23.6 career average. Wondrous Wes ends his senior season having scored a single-season school record 673 points (28.0/game). UConn would not return to the NCAA Championship for nine years.

March 1967Following the season, Fred Shabel leaves UConn for an administrative position at the University of Pennsylvania. In four seasons at Connecticut, Shabel compiles an outstanding 72-29 record and takes Connecticut to three NCAA Tournaments. He is replaced by former UConn basketball standout Burr Carlson who had served as Shabel's top assistant for three seasons.

January 1968UConn senior Bill Corley enjoys a career day as he scores a school record 51 points in a 96-70 win at home over New Hampshire. Corley also adds a career-high 28 rebounds.

March 1969Burr Carlson steps down as head coach of the Connecticut basketball program after two seasons.

March 1969Donald Dee Rowe is named head coach of basketball at Connecticut.

February 1970Connecticut earns label as Most Improved Team in New England as Huskies post 14-9 mark and win Yankee Conference title, clinching the league crown with famous 35-32 slowdown victory over Rhode Island.

March 1971Bob Staak concludes his three-year UConn career No. 4 on the school's scoring list with 1,288 points.

March 1974Connecticut earns its second berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). UConn knocks off proud St. John's in NIT First Round play before being nipped by Boston College 76-75 in the quarterfinals. The final record of 19-8 is the best single-season victory total in nine years.

March 1975UConn returns to the NIT but bows to talented South Carolina, 71-61.

January 1976Connecticut plays its first game in the Hartford Civic Center, losing to Boston College, 94-83.

February 1976Connecticut sports a 13-9 overall record with three games left in the regular season. The Huskies win all three games and advance to the ECAC New England Tournament.

March 1976A renewed Husky squad upends Massachusetts (73-69) and Providence (87-73) to win the ECAC New England crown and earn the school's first NCAA Tournament berth in nine years.

March 1976Guard Joe Whelton scores 23 points and unsung big man Jeff Carr contributes 17 points and 15 rebounds as Connecticut battles back from a 15-point second half deficit and nips Hofstra 80-78 in overtime in an NCAA First Round clash in Providence. It is UConn's first NCAA win in 12 years.

March 1976Connecticut faces talented Rutgers in an NCAA East Regional Sweet 16 game in Greensboro, NC and the Scarlet Knights end UConn's season with a 19-10 record, defeating the Huskies 93-79. Al Weston concludes his Connecticut career having scored 1,342 points and center John Thomas averages a double-double with 10.6 points and 13.9 rebounds in his final season while being named New England Player-of-the-Year.

March 1977Tony Hanson concludes his superb college career as UConn's all-time leading scorer (1,990 points) and also sets a school single-season record with 702 points (26.0/game).

March 1977Dee Rowe steps down as UConn's head coach after eight years in charge of the UConn program, having posted an overall record of 120-88, including an 88-48 mark in the last five seasons. Coach Rowe becomes UConn's chief athletic fund-raiser.

March 1977Dom Perno, a UConn basketball standout in the 1960s and Dee Rowe's top assistant for five years, is named head coach of men's basketball at his alma mater.

January 1978Roof of the Hartford Civic Center collapses six hours after a Connecticut game (UConn beat UMass, 56-49).

March 1979UConn wins the ECAC New England title by beating Boston College (91-74) and Rhode Island (58-50). Connecticut earns an NCAA berth.

March 1979Connecticut loses to Syracuse, 89-81, in Providence in an NCAA First Round game. Freshmen Mike McKay (21 points) and Corny Thompson (19 points) pace UConn.

March 1979UConn freshman Corny Thompson is named New England Player of the Year and Connecticut ends its season with a 21-8 record, the first 20-win season for the Huskies since 1964-65.

May 1979Connecticut joins the BIG EAST Conference as one of seven charter members. The other institutions in the BIG EAST include: Boston College, Georgetown University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Syracuse University.

February 1980Connecticut plays Rhode Island before a New England college record crowd of 14,581 at the reconstructed Hartford Civic Center.

March 1980UConn wins its first BIG EAST Tournament game, beating Boston College 79-68 in Providence. The Huskies lose in the next round to Syracuse.

March 1980Connecticut earns a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) bid but bows to St. Peter's in Storrs, 71-56. UConn finishes the year with its second straight 20-win season (20-9), the first time the Huskies have had back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1953-55.

January 1981Connecticut starts the 1980-81 season 11-0 and rises to No. 17 in the national rankings.

March 1981UConn earns its second consecutive NIT bid. The Huskies travel to Florida and beat South Florida 65-55 in an NIT First Round game. Connecticut returns to Hartford and drops an 84-66 NIT decision to Minnesota. UConn ends the year 20-9, the first time in school history the program has recorded three straight 20-win seasons.

March 1982Connecticut plays to 11 advance sellouts at home (6 in Hartford and 5 in Storrs) and the Huskies earn their third consecutive NIT bid. UConn bows at Dayton, 76-75, in its NIT First Round contest, ending the season 17-11.

March 1982The Thompson-McKay era at Connecticut concludes with a four-year record of 78-37 and four consecutive national post-season tournament invitations. Corny Thompson finishes his career No. 2 on the school's scoring list with 1,810 points and No. 4 on the all-time rebounding list (1,017). Mike McKay ranks No. 4 on the scoring list with 1,633 points.

March 1983UConn freshman Earl Kelley is named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year after averaging 16.7 points per game in his first collegiate season.

April 1986Dom Perno resigns as head basketball coach at Connecticut after posting a 139-114 record in nine years at the helm. The resignation ends an 18-year association between Coach Perno and his alma mater (4 as a student-athlete, 5 as an assistant coach, 9 as head coach).

May 1986Jim Calhoun, head coach of basketball at Northeastern (MA) University, is named head coach of men's basketball at Connecticut.

July 1987Groundbreaking takes place for the $28 million UConn Sports Center Complex on the Storrs campus.

March 1988UConn, with a 15-14 record, earns a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

March 1988In a brief 14-day span, Connecticut Basketball becomes the talk of the entire state and region as the Huskies march to five consecutive victories and win the 1988 NIT Championship. UConn wins at West Virginia in the first round and follows that with wins over Louisiana Tech in Hartford and Virginia Commonwealth in Storrs. The Huskies advance to Madison Square Garden in New York and beat Boston College in the semifinals and Ohio State (72-67) in the NIT championship game. Junior Phil Gamble is named NIT Most Valuable Player. UConn shoots an amazing 54.8% from the floor in the five NIT victories after shooting just 44.9% for the year prior to NIT play. Connecticut ends the year with a 20-win season (20-14).

March 1989Connecticut earns its second straight trip to the NIT. The Huskies beat North Carolina-Charlotte and California in NIT competition before bowing to Alabama-Birmingham in the quarterfinals. Cliff Robinson concludes his UConn career No. 4 on the all-time scoring list (1,664 points) and Phil Gamble ends his Husky career No. 8 on the scoring list (1,371 points).

January 1990Connecticut plays its final game home game in the UConn Field House (Hugh S. Greer Field House) on January 24, 1990, beating Central Connecticut, 99-77. The Field House had served as primary home court for Connecticut Basketball for 36 seasons and UConn compiled an overall record of 282-85 in the facility.

January 1990Connecticut plays its first game (January 27, 1990) at its new on-campus home court, the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. UConn beats No. 15 nationally-ranked St. John's 72-58, just three weeks after St. John's had beaten UConn by 31 points.

March 1990UConn posts a 26-4 regular season record and shares its first BIG EAST Conference regular season title with Syracuse (12-4). Jim Calhoun is named BIG EAST Coach of the Year and Nadav Henefeld is the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year.

March 1990UConn wins its BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal matchup against Seton Hall (76-58) and advances to the BIG EAST semifinals against Georgetown. The game would be televised nationally on CBSUConn's first-ever BIG EAST game on CBS.

March 1990Connecticut, ranked No. 8 in the nation, beats No. 5 nationally-ranked Georgetown (65-60) and No. 4 nationally-ranked Syracuse (78-75) on back-to-back days to win the 1990 BIG EAST Tournament Championship. UConn had been picked to finish 8th in the BIG EAST preseason poll. UConn sophomore Chris Smith is named tournament MVP.

March 1990Connecticut is ranked No. 3 in the nation in the final Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) polls.

March 1990UConn seeded No. 1 in the East in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field. It is Connecticut's first NCAA invitation in 11 years.

March 1990UConn beats Boston University (76-52) and California (74-54) in the first two rounds of NCAA play in the Hartford Civic Center, advancing to the Sweet 16.

March 1990Connecticut nips Clemson 71-70 when senior guard Tate George hits The Shot at the final buzzer, advancing the Huskies to the NCAA Final 8. UConn bows to Duke, 79-78 in overtime, as the Blue Devils hit the winning shot just before the final buzzer.

March 1990UConn ends the 1989-90 season with a 31-6 overall record, shattering the former school record (23) for wins in a single season. Jim Calhoun is the consensus pick as the National Coach of the Year, being honored by AP, UPI, The Sporting News, CBS-TV, Basketball Weekly. Connecticut's Steal Curtain defense leads the nation in steals (484 in 37 games==13.1/game). UConn named New England and ECAC Team of the Year. Nadav Henefeld named New England Player and Rookie of the Year. Tate George concludes his college career No. 1 on Husky list for assists (677).

April 1990-Thousands of UConn fans gather at Bushnell Park in Hartford to honor the 1989-90 UConn team.

June 1990Tate George becomes UConn's first-ever NBA First Round pick, selected 22nd overall by the New Jersey Nets in the 1990 college draft.

March 1991UConn wins six of its last eight regular season games and earns another NCAA bid. Connecticut, seeded No. 11 in the Midwest Region, beats No. 6 seeded LSU and Shaquille O'Neal in NCAA First Round play (79-62) and follows with 66-50 win over Xavier to advance to Sweet 16 competition for second straight season. Eventual national champion Duke ousts Huskies in regional semifinals, 81-67.

March 1991Connecticut is ranked No. 15 in the nation in the final USA Today poll. The two NCAA wins increase to five the total number of NCAA wins in the past two seasons (UConn had totaled four NCAA wins in its first 13 NCAA appearances from 1951-1979).

February 1992Senior Chris Smith passes the 2,000-point scoring plateau and becomes UConn's all-time leading scorer, passing Tony Hanson.

March 1992UConn is back in the NCAA Championship for the third consecutive year. The Huskies are seeded No. 9 in the Southeast Region and beat No. 8 seed Nebraska 86-65 in Cincinnati before bowing to No. 1 seed Ohio State in second round play. Connecticut finishes the year 20-10 and the Chris Smith-Rod Sellers four-year period at UConn concludes with an overall record of 89-40, the winningest four-year period in school history to that point. Chris Smith departs as the school's all-time leading scorer (2,145 points).

March 1993UConn earns its sixth consecutive national post-season tournament bid with a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Huskies drop a 90-88 overtime decision to Jackson State.

March 1993Scott Burrell completes his college career ranked No. 8 on the all-time UConn scoring list (1,562 points) and also ranks No. 1 in career steals (310). Burrell also becomes the first athlete at the NCAA Division I level in history to score more than 1,500 points (1,562), collect at least 750 rebounds (750), hand out at least 290 assists (293), and record at least 300 steals (310) in his career.

June 1993Scott Burrell is picked No. 20 in the first round of the NBA college draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

March 1994UConn, picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST in preseason polls, wins the regular season title by a conference record three full games and posts a BIG EAST record for league wins (16-2) in a single season. The Huskies are an impressive 26-3 in overall regular season play. Jim Calhoun is named BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Donyell Marshall is BIG EAST Player of the Year, and Doron Sheffer is BIG EAST Rookie of the Year.

March 1994UConn is upended by eventual tourney champ Providence in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals, but the Huskies (27-4) are ranked No. 4 in the nation in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll and are seeded No. 2 in the East Region of the 1994 NCAA Championship. UConn beats Rider and George Washington at Nassau Coliseum in New York to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the third time in the past five seasons. The Huskies lose in overtime, 69-60, to Florida at the Miami Arena in the regional semifinals. UConn is ranked No. 7 in the nation in the final USA Today poll, ending the season 29-5.

March 1994Donyell Marshall becomes Connecticut's first consensus First Team All-American while also being named ECAC and New England Player of the Year. He sets a UConn single-season record with 855 points and concludes his three-year college career with 1,648 points, No. 7 on the school's all-time scoring list. Donyell announces he will turn pro after his junior season.

June 1994Donyell Marshall is selected No. 4 in the first round of the NBA college draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the highest selection ever of a UConn player in the pro draft.

February 1995On February 13, 1995, the Connecticut men's basketball team, sporting a 19-1 overall record, is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time in school history by both AP and USA Today.

March 1995UConn, picked to finish third in the league in preseason polls, finishes 16-2 in BIG EAST Conference competition for the second consecutive season and wins unprecedented back-to-back regular season titles.

March 1995Connecticut earns its fifth NCAA bid in the last six years and is seeded No. 2 in the West Region. UConn knocks off Tennessee-Chattanooga and Cincinnati in the first two rounds in Salt Lake City to advance to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in six years. In Oakland, California, the Huskies beat No. 3 seed Maryland 99-89 to set the stage for a Final 8 showdown with No. 1 seed UCLA. The Bruins outlast UConn 102-96 in a classic matchup and go on to win the national title. UConn ends the year 28-5 and is ranked No. 6 in the final USA Today national poll and No. 8 in the AP poll.

March 1995The UConn senior class of Donny Marshall, Kevin Ollie, Brian Fair, and Nantambu Willingham end their college career with a four-year overall record of 92-33.

March 1995Ray Allen becomes the first Connecticut basketball star to be named a collegiate All-American after his sophomore season, earning a spot on the prestigious John Wooden All-America team.

February 1996UConn sets a BIG EAST Conference and school record by winning 23 consecutive games from November 25, 1995 to February 17, 1996.

March 1996Connecticut wins its third straight BIG EAST regular season title, breaking its own single-season record of 16-2 by posting a 17-1 conference mark. UConn's three-year record in BIG EAST play expands to a record-shattering 49-5. The Huskies have been in first place in the league for 54 consecutive games over three full seasons. Jim Calhoun is BIG EAST Coach of the Year and Ray Allen is BIG EAST Player of the Year. Connecticut sets a school record with 27 regular season wins (27-2).

March 1996UConn beats Seton Hall, Syracuse and Georgetown in a three-day span to win the 1996 BIG EAST Conference Tournament. UConn, trailing by 11 points with less than five minutes to play, holds Georgetown scoreless for the rest of the game. At the same time, the Huskies tally 12 unanswered points, capped by Ray Allen's off-balanced leaner in the lane with 13 seconds left to play, and pull out an improbable 75-74 triumph.

March 1996Connecticut is ranked No. 3 in the nation in the final Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll for 1995-96.

March 1996Connecticut is seeded No. 1 in the Southeast Region of the NCAA Tournament and travels to the RCA Dome in Indianpolis for First/Second Round play. UConn tops Colgate in the first round and beats Eastern Michigan in the second round. The Huskies earn their third straight Sweet 16 berth and their fifth trip to the Final 16 in the past seven years. UConn's season comes to a close with a 60-55 loss to Mississippi State in Lexington, Kentucky and the Huskies are ranked No. 8 in the final USA Today national poll.

March 1996Junior Ray Allen is a consensus First Team All-American and the first two-time All-American in UConn basketball history. He completes his three-year collegiate career No. 3 on the UConn scoring list with 1,922 points. Ray announces he will turn pro after his junior season.

March 1996Doron Sheffer completes his three-year career at Connecticut having scored 1,329 points while handing out 559 assists. He becomes the only player in UConn history to score at least 1,000 points and add at least 400 assists in three college seasons.

March 1996UConn's 1995-96 senior class of Travis Knight, Eric Hayward and Rudy Johnson conclude their college careers with an overall record at Connecticut of 102-25.

June 1996Two UConn stars are selected in the First Round of the 1996 NBA college draft. Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks) is the No. 5 pick overall and Travis Knight (Los Angeles Lakers) is the No. 29 pick.

March 1997Connecticut earns its 10th consecutive trip to national post-season tournament play with a berth in the 60th National Invitation Tournament (NIT). UConn posts a 4-1 mark in the NIT, placing third in the 32-team field, and finishing the overall season 18-15.

December 1997UConn head coach Jim Calhoun reaches the 500-win plateau as a collegiate head coach with a victory over Fairfield. He also becomes the only Division I coach in New England college basketball history to win 500 games and becomes the only coach in NCAA history to have won at least 250 games at two different NCAA Division I schools (Northeastern and Connecticut).

March 1998UConn starts the youngest five-man team in the league (one freshman, three sophomores, one junior) but still wins outright possession of an unprecedented fourth BIG EAST regular season title in the past five years, posting a 15-3 conference record. UConn is 71-19 in BIG EAST play during the past five seasonsthe best five-year record in league history.

March 1998Connecticut sweeps the top three individual awards in the BIG EAST Conference. Jim Calhoun becomes the first coach in league history to be named BIG EAST Coach of the Year four times. Sophomore Richard Hamilton is named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Freshman Khalid El-Amin is named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year.

March 1998UConn adds its second BIG EAST Tournament title in the past three seasons when the Huskies beat Providence, Rutgers and Syracuse in a three-day span. Khalid El-Amin is named tourney Most Outstanding Player. Richard Hamilton and Rashamel Jones are named to All-Tournament Team.

March 1998UConn ranked No. 6 in the nation in the final Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll.

March 1998UConn earns its 11th consecutive national post-season tournament berth, gaining the school's 20th NCAA bid. The Huskies are seeded No. 2 in the East Region and post first and second round wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Indiana at the MCI Center in Washington, DC. UConn advances to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the past nine years.

March 1998Richard Rip Hamilton hits an off-balance fallaway shot in the lane as the final buzzer sounds, lifting UConn to a 75-74 victory over Washington in the regional semifinals. Connecticut plays in its third Final 8 game in the 1990s but bows to North Carolina, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, 75-64, in Greensboro, NC. UConn is ranked No. 7 in the final USA Today national poll and is rated No. 4 in the nation in the final RPI power rankings.

March 1998UConn ends the year with a single-season school record for wins (32-5) and lifts Connecticut's record during the past five season to 137-32, an average of 27.4 wins per season and the winningest five-year period in school history.

March 1998Connecticut sets a single-season record for attendance as 512,213 fans witness UConn's 37 games, an average attendance of 13,844.

March 1998UConn's 3-1 showing in the 1998 NCAA Tournament improves the Huskies' NCAA record under head coach Jim Calhoun to 14-6 in the past nine seasons.

March 1998Sophomore Richard Hamilton earns consensus All-American honors and is also named ECAC and New England Player of the Year.

May 1998UConn All-American Richard Hamilton announces he'll return to UConn for his junior year.

June 1998UConn and Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) introduce a two-hour documentary titled UConn Men's Basketball: An Illustrated History. The video chronicles the 100-year history of the Connecticut men's basketball program.

July 1998UConn All-American Richard Hamilton sustains a broken bone in his right foot during tryouts for the U.S. World Championship Basketball Team. He is to be sidelined for a minimum of two months following surgery.

July 1998UConn guard Khalid El-Amin earns a gold medal as a key member of the United States men's basketball team which wins the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York.

August 1998The UConn men's basketball team tours England and Israel on six-game summer tour, posting a 3-3 record and renewing friendships with former UConn standouts Nadav Henefeld, Doron Sheffer, Chris Smith, and Joey Whelton.

November 1998UConn ranked No. 2 in the nation behind Duke in Associated Press (AP) national preseason poll.

November 1998UConn jumps to No. 1 in the national polls, the second time in school history (February 1995) that the Huskies have been the nation's top-ranked program.

January 1999Jim Calhoun earns his 287th victory as UConn's head coach, passing Hugh Greer as the winningest coach in Connecticut Basketball history.

January 1999UConn, ranked No. 1 in the nation for 10 consecutive weeks, beats St. John's 78-74 (Jan. 30) at Madison Square Garden to improve its record to 19-0, leaving Connecticut as the final unbeaten team in the nation.

February 1999UConn clinches outright possession of the BIG EAST Conference regular season championship for an unprecedented fifth time in the last six years (16-2 league record).

March 1999UConn becomes the first school in history to win both the regular season and tournament titles in back-to-back years as the Huskies sweep past Seton Hall, Syracuse and St. John's at Madison Square Garden to win its fourth BIG EAST Tournament title in the decade of the 1990s.

March 1999UConn, the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Championship, beats Texas-San Antonio and New Mexico in Denver, Colorado to advance to the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in the past 10 years.

March 1999Connecticut tops Iowa and Gonzaga at the West Regionals in Phoenix, Arizona to earn the school's first berth in the NCAA Final Four.

March 1999Connecticut beats Ohio State 64-58 in the NCAA National Semifinals.

March 29, 1999UConn wins the 1999 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship by beating Duke 77-74 before a sold out crowd of 41,340 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The national championship battle is the 2000th game in UConn men's basketball history, dating back to 1900. Connecticut's overall record is 1,246-754.

March 1999Connecticut becomes the first school since Texas Western in 1966 to win the National Championship in its first Final Four appearance.

March 1999UConn establishes a new single-season record for overall attendance as 578,370 fans watch Connecticut's 36 games, an average attendance of 16,066.

March 1999UConn's perfect 6-0 run in NCAA play to the 1999 National Championship improves the Huskies' NCAA record under head coach Jim Calhoun to 20-6 in the past 10 seasons. Prior to Jim Calhoun's tenure as Connecticut coach, UConn had won four NCAA games in school history. Jim Calhoun's overall national post-season tournament record at Connecticut is an impressive 31-9 (20-6 in NCAA play, 11-3 in NIT play).

March 1999UConn's 1998-99 senior class of Ricky Moore, Rashamel Jones, Antric Klaiber and E.J. Harrison conclude their final year with a school record 34 wins and a national championship. The overall four-year Husky record for the Ricky/Rash senior class is 114-24, a school record for wins in a four-year period.

March 1999Connecticut's 34-2 record in 1998-99 improves the Huskies' overall record during the past six seasons (1993-94 through 1998-99) to a stunning 171-34, an average of 28.5 wins per season and the winningest six-year period in school history. Only Kentucky and Kansas have more wins than UConn during the last six seasons among the nation's 31- NCAA Division I schools.

March 1999UConn completes a record-setting run through the decade of the 1990s with a 10-year overall record of 257-74 (77.6% winning effort).

March 1999Junior Richard Rip Hamilton is named Most Outstanding Player at the 1999 NCAA Final Four and becomes a two-time All-American as a consensus First Team pick for 1998-99.

March 1999Connecticut concludes the 1998-99 season ranked No. 1 in the nation in the final USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll

April 1999The NCAA National Champion UConn Huskies are named the 1998-99 ECAC Team of the Year and Richard Hamilton is honored as the ECAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

June 1999UConn's Richard Rip Hamilton is selected as the No. 7 pick in the First Round of the 1999 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.

July 1999UConn's Kevin Freeman earns a gold medal as a key member of the USA Basketball championship team in the 1999 World University Games.

August 1999UConn senior Kevin Freeman and junior Khalid El-Amin are two of 25 college stars named to the John R. Wooden Pre-Season Top 25 All-American Basketball Team.