The
UConn Huskies is the name of the men's and women's basketball teams at University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference.
Men's basketball at UConn began in 1901 with a single game played by Connecticut Agricultural College against Windham High School in January of that year. The college team won, and by 1903, basketball was a varsity sport.
After graduating from the Connecticut Agricultural College, former player Hugh Greer returned to his alma mater, first as a freshman coach and later named head coach of the Huskies six games into the 1946–47 season. Greer led Connecticut to a perfect 12–0 mark for the remainder of his first season. This was the best single season record in school history to that point, 16–2. UConn won 12 Yankee Conference titles under Greer in 16 completed seasons, including 10 consecutive titles from 1951–60. Greer also led UConn to its first seven NCAA berths and one NIT appearance while compiling an overall head coaching record of 286–112. Greer tragically died of a heart attack in 1963, 10 games into the 1962–63 season.
Prior to the 1986 season, Connecticut remained a regional powerhouse and had earned several NCAA tournament berths. The introduction of Jim Calhoun as head coach however transformed UConn into one of the most elite college basketball programs in the nation. After just two years as head coach, Jim Calhoun led the 1988 Huskies squad to an NIT Championship. Their success in the 1990 season and NCAA Tournament earned Calhoun National Coach of the Year honors.
UConn won their first national title with a 77–74 victory in the final game over Duke, coached by Mike Krzyzewski. Richard "Rip" Hamilton of Connecticut was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. This was a significant victory for the program, as it cemented Connecticut's reputation as a true basketball power after a decade of narrowly missing the Final Four.
Connecticut won their second national title with an 82–73 victory in the final game over Georgia Tech, coached by Paul Hewitt. Emeka Okafor of Connecticut was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The following night, the UConn women's basketball team defeated archrival Tennessee, coached by Pat Summitt, 70–61 in the championship game. UConn's Diana Taurasi was named Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year. This marked the only time both the men's and women's programs at a Division I school won national basketball titles in the same year. (The feat had previously been accomplished by Central Missouri State in Division II in 1984.)
Team Website: http://www.uconnhuskies.com
School Website: http://www.uconn.edu
