University of Connecticut Athletics
Men's Basketball Game Notes: UConn vs. New Hampshire
12/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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ABOUT UCONN: The University of Connecticut, ranked No. 16 in the nation in both the Associated Press (AP) and USA Today/ESPN polls, enters the New Hampshire game (Sat., Dec. 2, 8 p.m.) with a 5-1 overall record and UConn is riding a four-game winning streak. The Huskies opened the season with a victory in Hartford over Quinnipiac (86-72) and UConn then posted a 2- 1 mark at the Maui Invitational in Maui, Hawaii, losing to Dayton (80-66) and then defeating both Chaminade (77-61) and Louisville (83-71). The Huskies beat Brown University in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday (Nov. 28) by an 88-78 score and added a 72-60 win over Houston on Thursday (Nov. 30) in Gampel Pavilion.
THIRD GAME IN FIVE DAYS AT GAMPEL: The game against New Hampshire is Connecticut's third non-conference home game in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in a five-day period in the same week. Following the New Hampshire game, UConn is idle for one week before hosting nationally-ranked Arizona on Saturday, December 9, in Gampel Pavilion. The Connecticut-Arizona game will mark the first time in the 12-year history of the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion that UConn has played four consecutive regular season games in the facility.
ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE: The University of New Hampshire comes to Storrs with a 1-2 overall record. The Wildcats opened the season with an 80-78 loss at Army, followed with a 96-89 win in overtime at Dartmouth, and dropped a 67-60 decision at home to Stony Brook.
UCONN-NEW HAMPSHIRE SERIES HISTORY: The matchup between Connecticut and New Hampshire is the 112th game in the history of men's basketball competition between the two schools, dating back to the 1906- 07 season. The only Connecticut basketball rivalry with more games played than New Hampshire is the UConn-Rhode Island series which totals 144 games. UConn leads in the series with New Hampshire, 86-25, but the two schools have only met eight times since Connecticut joined the BIG EAST Conference in 1979. UConn posted an 85-32 victory on December 12, 1990 in Gampel Pavilion in the last meeting between the two schools, which was the only time UConn has played UNH since Jim Calhoun took over as Husky coach (1986-87 season).
CONNECTICUT HAS 201 WINS IN LAST SEVEN-PLUS SEASONS: During the past seven-plus basketball seasons (beginning with the 1993- 94 season), Connecticut has won 201 games (201-45), ranking the Huskies No. 3 in the nation among 318 NCAA Division I schools for total victories during that span. The Huskies have averaged 28 wins per season during the past seven years. The only Division I schools with more wins than UConn since the beginning of the 1993-94 season are Kentucky and Kansas.
NATIONAL RANKING FOR 59 CONSECUTIVE POLLS: The University of Connecticut men's basketball program has been ranked in the Associated Press (AP) National Top 25 poll for a school-record 59 consecutive weeks (including the AP poll of Nov. 27, 2000), dating back to the 1997-98 season.
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. UConn is No. 2 in the nation in total victories during the past three seasons.
Total Wins---(1997-98 through 1999-2000)1. Duke 98-112. CONNECTICUT 91-173. Michigan State 87-204. Kentucky 86-235. Cincinnati 83-165. Stanford 83-167. Kansas 82-248. Utah 81-189. North Carolina 80-2810. Arizona 79-1910. Murray State 79-19
100 YEARS OF UCONN BASKETBALL: The 2000-2001 season will be 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.
UCONN TOUGH AT HOME: Since the start of the 1989-90 season, Connecticut has posted an overall "home courts" record of 157-26 against collegiate opposition. During the past 12-year span, UConn has been 86-15 at home in the Hartford Civic Center, 66-11 in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, and 5-0 in the Hugh S. Greer Field House. During the past 12 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 83-4 at home against non-BIG EAST opponents (50-1 in the Hartford Civic Center, 28-3 in Gampel Pavilion, 5-0 in the Hugh S. Greer Field House).
UCONN 102-13 AT HOME IN LAST EIGHT SEASONS: Since the start of the 1993-94 season, Connecticut has posted an impressive 102-13 "home courts" record in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion and the Hartford Civic Center against collegiate opposition. During the past eight seasons, UConn is 59-7 in home games in Hartford and 43-6 in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. NOTE: The record does not include two "neutral court" wins over Massachusetts in the Hartford Civic Center.
UCONN 66-11 IN GAMPEL PAVILION: Connecticut sports a 66-11 record against collegiate opposition in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion since the building opened in January of 1990. The Huskies are 38-8 in BIG EAST play in the building and 28-3 against non-BIG EAST opposition.
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 584-268 (68.6%), having spent 14 seasons as the head coach at Northeastern University before taking over at Connecticut in 1986-87. Calhoun sports a 334-131 (71.8%) 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-WINNINGEST DIVISION I COACH IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY: Jim Calhoun's 29-year career as a collegiate head coach ranks him as the winningest NCAA Division I coach in New England history. Jim Calhoun enters the New Hampshire game with 584 career wins. He posted 250 wins in 14 years at Northeastern (MA) University and has added 334 wins at UConn in his 15 years at Connecticut.
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 (334-131=71.8%).
JIM CALHOUN NO. 9 IN WINS AMONG ACTIVE NCAA DIVISION I COACHES: Jim Calhoun's 29-year overall collegiate head coaching record of 584-268 places him No. 9 in total wins among NCAA Division I active coaches. The active Division I coaches currently ahead of Jim Calhoun in total victories include: Jim Phelan, Lefty Driesell, Jerry Tarkanian, Lou Henson, Denny Crum, Eddie Sutton, John Chaney, Lute Olson.
RECORD-SETTING SPAN: During the past 12 seasons (beginning with the 1989-90 season), head coach Jim Calhoun has directed the Connecticut basketball program to an overall record of 287-85 (77.2% 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--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.
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 164-31 AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE FOES UNDER JIM CALHOUN: The Connecticut men's basketball program has posted an overall record of 164-31 (84.1%) against non-conference teams in Jim Calhoun's 15 years in charge of the UConn program.
UCONN HAS 70-GAME WINNING STREAK VS. NON-BIG EAST NEW ENGLAND FOES: Connecticut enters the New Hampshire game riding a stunning 70-game winning streak against non-BIG EAST Conference New England collegiate opponents. 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 15 years at Connecticut is 74-3 (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 loss to Hartford in the Connecticut Mutual Classic.).
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.
AVERAGING A DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Senior Edmund Saunders is averaging a "double-double" in points and rebounds through the first five games of the 2000-2001 season. The 6-8 Saunders has posted a "double-double" in four of UConn's first five games and enters the Houston game averaging 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
EDMUND NO. 2 IN FIELD GOAL SHOOTING: UConn senior Edmund Saunders stands in the No. 2 spot on Connecticut's career field goal percentage shooting list. In his three collegiate seasons, the 6-8 Saunders has converted 215 of 391 field goal attempts in 73 games for a 55.0% field goal shooting performance.
GORDON SIGNS WITH UCONN: Ben Gordon, a 6-2 combination guard at Mount Vernon (NY) High School, 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."
HUSKIES IN THE NBA: A total of eight former UConn basketball stars are currently on active rosters with professional teams in the NBA. Clifford Robinson (Phoenix Suns) is in his 12th NBA season. Donyell Marshall (Utah Jazz) is in his seventh NBA season. Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks) is in his fifth NBA season. Travis Knight (New York Knicks) is in his fifth NBA season. Kevin Ollie (New Jersey Nets) is in his fourth NBA season. Richard Hamilton (Washington Wizards) is in his second NBA season. Khalid El-Amin and Jake Voskuhl (Chicago Bulls) are both in their first NBA season.
UP NEXT-ARIZONA: Connecticut will play its fourth consecutive game in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs on Saturday, December 9, when the Huskies host nationally-ranked Arizona at 4 p.m. in a key intersectional contest which will be televised throughout the country by CBS Sports.
