University of Connecticut Athletics
Game Notes: UConn vs. Quinnipiac
11/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
- Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
ABOUT UCONN: Connecticut begins the 2000-2001 college basketball season ranked No. 13 in the nation in both the AP & USA Today/ESPN National Top 25 polls.
SERIES HISTORY: The Connecticut-Quinnipiac matchup is the second meeting in the sport of men's basketball between the two state schools and both games have opened the regular season. UConn began its 1998-99 NCAA National Championship season with a 102-60 victory over Quinnipiac (Nov. 15, 1998) at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. That contest was the first-ever game as an NCAA Division I basketball-playing institution for Quinnipiac.
UCONN IN 1999-2000: The University of Connecticut basketball program concluded the 1999-2000 season with an overall record of 25-10, the sixth time in the past seven years that the Huskies have won at least 25 games. UConn made its 22nd trip to the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship and its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past 11 seasons. The Huskies finished the regular season with a 21-8 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. UConn was the No. 4 seed in the 13- team BIG EAST Tournament and won three consecutive BIG EAST Tournament games (wins over Boston College, Seton Hall, Georgetown) before lowing to St. John's 80-70 in the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game. Connecticut was seeded No. 5 in the South Region of the NCAA Championship. The Huskies played their First/Second Round games at the Birmingham (AL) Civic Center and defeated No. 12 seed Utah State 75-67 in the First Round before bowing to No. 4 seed Tennessee 65-51 in the NCAA Second Round.
100 YEARS OF UCONN BASKETBALL: The 2000-2001 regular season opener for the University of Connecticut men's basketball program (Quinnipiac on Nov. 17 at the Hartford Civic Center) begins a year during which UConn will celebrate a "Century of Husky Hoops". The first varsity season for Connecticut Basketball was the 1901-1902 season and the 2000-2001 season will complete 100 Years of UConn Basketball.
CONNECTICUT: A PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE: During the past seven basketball seasons (1993-94 through 1999-2000), Connecticut's 196 wins (196-44) is No. 3 in the nation among 318 NCAA Division I schools. The Huskies have averaged 28 wins per season during the past seven years. The only Division I schools with more wins than UConn during the past seven years are Kentucky and Kansas.
13 STRAIGHT NATIONAL POST-SEASON BIDS: The Connecticut basketball program is one of only EIGHT schools (among 318 NCAA Division I institutions) to advance to national post- season tournament competition (NCAA or NIT) in each of the past 13 seasons (dating back to the 1987-88 season). Under the guidance of head coach Jim Calhoun, UConn has earned nine NCAA bids (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000) and four NIT bids (1988, 1989, 1993, 1997). The eight institutions which have advanced to national tournament play for the past 13 consecutive seasons include: Arizona, Arkansas, CONNECTICUT, Georgetown, Indiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Temple.
MOST WINS IN A THREE-YEAR STRETCH: The last three seasons of Connecticut Basketball have produced an overall record of 91-17 (32-5 in 1997-98, 34-2 in 1998-99, 25-10 in 1999- 00), the most wins in any three-season stretch in UConn's 100-year basketball history and an average of 30.3 wins per season.
NATIONAL RANKING FOR 57 CONSECUTIVE POLLS: The University of Connecticut men's basketball program has been ranked in the Associated Press (AP Top 25 National Poll for a school-record 57 consecutive polling periods dating back to the 1997-98 season.
UCONN TOUGH AT HOME: Since the start of the 1989-90 season, Connecticut has posted an overall "home courts" record of 154-26 against collegiate opposition. During the past 11-year span, UConn has been 85-15 at home in the Hartford Civic Center, 64-11 in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, and 5-0 in the Hugh S. Greer Field House. During the past 11 seasons, UConn is 74-22 at home in BIG EAST Conference play (38-8 in Gampel Pavilion, 36-14 in the Hartford Civic Center) and the Huskies are 80-4 at home against non-BIG EAST opponents (49-1 in the Hartford Civic Center, 26-3 in Gampel Pavilion, 5-0 in the Hugh S. Greer Field House).
UCONN 99-13 AT HOME IN LAST SEVEN SEASONS: Since the start of the 1993-94 season, Connecticut has posted an impressive 99-13 "home courts" record in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion and the Hartford Civic Center against collegiate opposition. During the past seven seasons, UConn is 58-7 in home games in Hartford and 41-6 in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. NOTE: The record does not include two "neutral court" wins over Massachusetts in the Hartford Civic Center.
UCONN IN HARTFORD: Since January of 1976, the Hartford Civic Center has hosted games involving the University of Connecticut men's basketball program. UConn has played 204 times in the Hartford Civic Center. The Huskies are 128-64 against collegiate opposition in Hartford and 139-65 overall (including exhibitions). The 204 games in Hartford have attracted 2,876,156 fans, an average attendance of 14,099.
UCONN 60-4 VS. NON-CONFERENCE TEAMS IN HCC UNDER JIM CALHOUN: In his first 14 years as head coach of the Connecticut Basketball program, Jim Calhoun has compiled an outstanding overall record of 60-4 in the Hartford Civic Center against non-BIG EAST Conference teams. The only losses in Hartford to non-BIG EAST clubs were against Purdue and Hartford (1986), Virginia (1987), Kansas (1997).
UCONN HAS 13-GAME WINNING STREAK VS. NON-CONFERENCE TEAMS IN HCC: Connecticut will enter its season-opening game against Quinnipiac riding a 13-game winning streak against non-BIG EAST opponents in games played in the Hartford Civic Center. The last loss to a non-BIG EAST rival in Hartford took place on Jan. 19, 1997 (a 73-65 loss to Kansas).
HUSKIES HAVE 10 REGULAR SEASON DATES IN HARTFORD: The University of Connecticut men's basketball program will play 10 regular season games at the Hartford Civic Center during the 2000-2001 season. UConn will play nine regular season home games in Hartford and will also battle the University of Massachusetts in a "neutral site" game in Hartford (MassMutual U Game on Dec. 12). The nine home games include: Nov. 17 vs. Quinnipiac; Dec. 22 vs. Fairfield; Dec. 26 vs. Rhode Island; Dec. 28 vs. Stony Brook; Jan. 10 vs. Pittsburgh; Jan. 24 vs. Villanova; Feb. 6 vs. Providence; Feb. 13 vs. Boston College; Feb. 26 vs. Notre Dame.
UCONN HEAD COACH JIM CALHOUN: Jim Calhoun (American International '68) is in his 15th season in charge of the Connecticut basketball program. In his 29th season as a collegiate head coach, Jim Calhoun has an overall career record of 579-267 (68.4%), having spent 14 seasons as the head coach at Northeastern University before taking over at Connecticut in 1986-87. Calhoun sports a 329-130 (71.7%) record at UConn and he registered a 250-137 (64.6%) mark at Northeastern. He is the only basketball coach in NCAA Division I history to have recorded at least 250 wins at two different schools. Jim Calhoun is the winningest coach in both UConn and Northeastern basketball history.
JIM CALHOUN HAS 105 WINS IN HARTFORD: UConn head coach Jim Calhoun will enter the 2000-2001 regular season opener vs. Quinnipiac with a 14-year record of 105-31 (77.2%) against collegiate opponents in Husky games played in the Hartford Civic Center (including two neutral court wins over Massachusetts). In Jim Calhoun's first 14 years at Connecticut, the Huskies recorded a 60-4 mark against non- conference opponents in Hartford and a 45-27 record against BIG EAST Conference foes. During the past seven seasons (1993-94 through 1999-00), the Huskies have posted a superb 60-7 record in Hartford.
JIM CALHOUN-WINNINGEST DIVISION I COACH IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY: Jim Calhoun's 28-year career as a collegiate head coach ranks him as the winningest NCAA Division I coach in New England history. Jim Calhoun enters the 2000-2001 season with 579 career wins. He posted 250 wins in 14 years at Northeastern (MA) University and has added 329 wins at UConn in his first 14 years at Connecticut.
JIM CALHOUN NO. 15 ALL-TIME IN NCAA WINS: UConn head coach Jim Calhoun, who directed Connecticut to the 1999 NCAA Division I National Championship, currently ranks No. 15 all-time in NCAA career victories. Calhoun is 24-12 overall in NCAA play (21-7 at UConn, 3-5 at Northeastern).
1. Dean Smith 65-27 (.707) 2. Mike Krzyzewski 50-14 (.781) 3. John Wooden 47-10 (.825) 4. Bob Knight 42-21 (.667) 5. Denny Crum 42-23 (.646) 6. John Thompson 34-19 (.642) 7. Lute Olson 32-21 (.604) 8. Jerry Tarkanian 31-14 (.689) 8. Jim Boeheim 31-20 (.608)10. Adolph Rupp 30-18 (.625)11. Eddie Sutton 30-20 (.600)12. Rick Pitino 26-7 (.788)12. Nolan Richardson 26-14 (.650)12. Guy Lewis 26-18 (.591)15. JIM CALHOUN 24-12 (.667)16. Roy Williams 23-11 (.677)17. Steve Fisher 20-6 (.769)17. Al McGuire 20-9 (.690)17. Joe Hall 20-9 (.690)17. Rollie Massimino 20-10 (.667)
JIM CALHOUN IMPRESSIVE IN POST-SEASON: UConn head coach Jim Calhoun currently sports an impressive 76.2% winning percentage (32-10 overall) in national post-season tournament play in his first 14 years as Husky head coach. Jim Calhoun is 21-7 in NCAA play at UConn and is 11-3 in NIT competition. That post-season winning percentage is higher than Coach Calhoun's overall winning percentage at Connecticut (329-130=71.7%).
JIM CALHOUN NO. 9 IN WINS AMONG ACTIVE NCAA DIVISION I COACHES: Jim Calhoun's 28-year overall collegiate head coaching record of 579-267 places him No. 9 in total wins among NCAA Division I active coaches. Entering the 2000- 2001 season, the active Division I coaches currently ahead of Jim Calhoun in total victories include: Jim Phelan (809), Lefty Driesell (733), Jerry Tarkanian (733), Lou Henson (726), Denny Crum (663), Eddie Sutton (659), John Chaney (632), Lute Olson (613).
RECORD-SETTING SPAN: During the past 11 seasons (1989-90 through 1999-2000), head coach Jim Calhoun has directed the Connecticut basketball program to an overall record of 282-84 (77.1% winning effort), the sixth best overall record (total wins and winning percentage) among the 318 NCAA Division I teams in the nation. Prior to Jim Calhoun's tenure as head coach, Connecticut had only won as many as 23 games in a single season twice in the first 86 years of the program's history (1900-1986). Since the 1989-90 season, UConn has "averaged" 25.6 wins per season.
UCONN IN SEASON OPENERS UNDER JIM CALHOUN: Connecticut is 10-4 in regular season opening games during head coach Jim Calhoun's first 14 years in charge of the program. The four setbacks all took place in early-season tournament formats on neutral courts (1989-90 vs. Texas A&M at the Great Alaska Shootout, 1992-93 vs. Purdue at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic, 1996-97 at the BCA Classic, and at the 1999-2000 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
UCONN HAS 46-GAME WIN STREAK VS. IN-STATE RIVALS: Connecticut carries a 46-game winning streak against in- state opponents into the 2000-2001 season-opening game against Quinnipiac. The last UConn loss to an in-state rival took place 15 seasons ago (Jim Calhoun's first year at UConn) on December 29, 1986, a 49-48 loss to Hartford. Since that setback, Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut program have won 46 consecutive games against seven different in-state opponents (Fairfield 13, Hartford 12, Yale 11, Central Connecticut 7, Quinnipiac 1, Sacred Heart 1, Southern Connecticut 1).
UCONN HAS 68-GAME WINNING STREAK VS. NON-BIG EAST NE FOES: Connecticut will enter the Quinnipiac game riding a stunning 68-game winning streak against non-BIG EAST Conference New England college rivals. The streak dates back 15 seasons to UConn head coach Jim Calhoun's first year at Connecticut, the 1986-87 season. Jim Calhoun's overall record against non-BIG EAST New England schools in his first 14 years at UConn is 72-3 (all three losses in his first season in 1986-87). The last Connecticut loss to a non-BIG EAST New England opponent took place on December 29, 1986 (49-48 to Hartford in the Connecticut Mutual Classic).
UCONN 170-100 AGAINST BIG EAST TEAMS UNDER JIM CALHOUN: The Connecticut men's basketball program has posted an overall record of 170-100 (63.0%) against BIG EAST Conference teams during Jim Calhoun's first 14 years in charge of the UConn program (150-90 in regular season play, 20-10 in BIG EAST Tournament games).
UCONN 159-30 AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE FOES UNDER JIM CALHOUN: The Connecticut men's basketball program has posted an overall record of 159-30 (84.1%) against non- conference teams in Jim Calhoun's first 14 years in charge of the UConn program.
UCONN--BIG EAST TEAM OF THE 1990'S: During the decade of the 1990's, the Connecticut men's basketball program was the winningest program among all BIG EAST Conference schools. From 1989-90 through the 1998-99 season, UConn sported a 10-year overall record of 257-74 (77.6%). In that same span, UConn's conference-best regular season record in BIG EAST games was 127-49.
UCONN HAS DOMINATED THE BIG EAST: Connecticut has won outright possession of five BIG EAST Conference regular season titles in the past seven years. UConn has also won three of the past five BIG EAST Tournament championships. In 1997-98 & 1998-99, UConn became the first program in BIG EAST history to win the BIG EAST regular season and tournament titles in back-to-back seasons.
WINNING AT HOME IN THE BIG EAST: During the last 11-year span (since the start of the 1989-90 season), Connecticut has paced the entire BIG EAST Conference in regular season league wins at home. During the past 11 seasons, UConn has posted a 74-22 record at home in BIG EAST games. During the same 11-year span, Syracuse is No. 2 to UConn in BIG EAST wins at home with a 68-28 record.
HUSKIES ALSO WIN ON THE ROAD IN BIG EAST: In addition to leading the BIG EAST Conference in league wins at home during the past 11 seasons, the Connecticut basketball program is also the clear leader in BIG EAST road wins during the past 11 seasons. Since the 1989-90 season, UConn has posted a BIG EAST "best" 63-33 road record in regular season league games. Syracuse (57-39) is the only other BIG EAST school sporting a winning percentage in BIG EAST road games during the past 11 seasons.
EDMUND NO. 3 IN FIELD GOAL SHOOTING: UConn junior Edmund Saunders stands in the No. 3 spot on Connecticut's career field goal percentage shooting list. Beginning his third collegiate season, the 6-8 Saunders has converted 186 of 342 field goal attempts in 68 games for a 54.4% field goal shooting performance.
ALBERT LEADS THE BIG EAST: UConn senior Albert Mouring led the entire BIG EAST Conference in three-point field goal shooting during the 1999-2000 season. Mouring connected on 86-of-180 three-point field goal tries (47.8%), setting a UConn single-season record in the process and finishing the year ranked No. 6 in the nation in NCAA Division I circles in long-range accuracy. In BIG EAST Conference play, Albert was even better, hitting on 50.6% of his three-point tries (43-of- 85).
GORDON SIGNS WITH UCONN: Ben Gordon, a 6-2 combination guard at Mount Vernon (NY) HS, signed a National Letter of Intent with the Connecticut Basketball program during the November signing period and plans to enroll at UConn for the 2001-2002 academic year. Gordon, rated among the Top 20 scholastic recruits in the nation and the USA Today New York Player of the Year as a junior, averaged 24.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 steals during his junior season at Mount Vernon in 1999-2000. "Ben is obviously an important recruit for us," said UConn head coach Jim Calhoun. "We believe he is one of the top 20 high school players in the country. He's a terrific shooter who can put it down, score, and do a lot of things on the court."
ALL 29 ON TV: The UConn basketball program will have complete live television coverage of all 29 regular season games during the upcoming 2000-2001 regular season. A minimum of 10 regular season games will be televised nationally (3 on CBS, 1 on ABC, 5 on ESPN, 1 on espn2) and at least 17 games will be produced by ESPN Regional and aired in the Connecticut market on WTXX-TV (Channel 20).
OPENER VS. QUINNIPIAC ON WTXX-TV: The Connecticut- Quinnipiac regular season opener on Friday, November 17, will be televised live throughout the region on WTXX-TV (Channel 20). Matt Devlin (play-by-play) and Ron Perry (analyst) will call the game.
TICKETS AVAILABLE: Tickets for the Connecticut-Quinnipiac regular season opener, priced at $25, are on sale at the Hartford Civic Center Box Office, at TicketMaster outlets throughout the state, by calling TicketMaster at (860) 525- 4500 or (203) 624-0033, or at www.ticketmaster.com.
HEADING FOR MAUI: Following the opener at home against Quinnipiac, the UConn basketball squad heads for Hawaii and competition in the Maui Invitational (Nov. 20-22). Connecticut will begin play in Maui against the University of Dayton on Monday, November 20, at 4:30 p.m. (EST). That game will be televised live in Connecticut on WTXX-TV (Channel 20) and will also be broadcast live on the UConn/WTIC Radio Network, with WTIC (AM-1080) in Hartford serving as the flagship anchor station. Also competing in the three-day, three-games Maui Invitational are nationally- ranked teams Arizona, Maryland and Illinois along with UNLV, Louisville, and host Chaminade.
