UConn Game Thread II

[chairclanger]

This game brings me full circle to the first "Big Game" I attended as a freshman at CU on March 5, 1977. The Jays still played as an independent that year as they would rejoin the MVC in 77-78. We had a good team led by Coach Tom Apke and his younger brother, star forward Rick Apke and point guard Randy Eccker. Marquette came to the Civic, and would go on to win the NCAA tournament 3 weeks later. The Jays grittily hung with them for awhile, but Marquette easily pulled away and won 72-60. Al Maguire had his "aircraft carriers", Bo Ellis, Bernard Toone and Jerome Whitehead, and they just physically overwhelmed us. Cut to last night, #1 UConn comes to town with a physically imposing team. But the Jays aren't the Little Engine That Could anymore. We can go toe-to-toe with the #1 team in the nation, take their best punch, get off the floor and knock them out. As I reveled in the victory, I realized that the most surprising thing about this victory is that I wasn't surprised. How far we have come.

[jays911]

This game brings me full circle to the first "Big Game" I attended as a freshman at CU on March 5, 1977. The Jays still played as an independent that year as they would rejoin the MVC in 77-78. We had a good team led by Coach Tom Apke and his younger brother, star forward Rick Apke and point guard Randy Eccker. Marquette came to the Civic, and would go on to win the NCAA tournament 3 weeks later. The Jays grittily hung with them for awhile, but Marquette easily pulled away and won 72-60. Al Maguire had his "aircraft carriers", Bo Ellis, Bernard Toone and Jerome Whitehead, and they just physically overwhelmed us. Cut to last night, #1 UConn comes to town with a physically imposing team. But the Jays aren't the Little Engine That Could anymore. We can go toe-to-toe with the #1 team in the nation, take their best punch, get off the floor and knock them out. As I reveled in the victory, I realized that the most surprising thing about this victory is that I wasn't surprised. How far we have come.

Truth. But I was thinking last night of the best Jays games I saw live. Last night, the Seton Hall BE clincher, the double overtime win over Florida, the 1999 MVC tourney win with Ryan and Ben, but my number one remains the 1978 MVC title over Bird. Roll Jays.

[Jaybird]

This game brings me full circle to the first "Big Game" I attended as a freshman at CU on March 5, 1977. The Jays still played as an independent that year as they would rejoin the MVC in 77-78. We had a good team led by Coach Tom Apke and his younger brother, star forward Rick Apke and point guard Randy Eccker. Marquette came to the Civic, and would go on to win the NCAA tournament 3 weeks later. The Jays grittily hung with them for awhile, but Marquette easily pulled away and won 72-60. Al Maguire had his "aircraft carriers", Bo Ellis, Bernard Toone and Jerome Whitehead, and they just physically overwhelmed us. Cut to last night, #1 UConn comes to town with a physically imposing team. But the Jays aren't the Little Engine That Could anymore. We can go toe-to-toe with the #1 team in the nation, take their best punch, get off the floor and knock them out. As I reveled in the victory, I realized that the most surprising thing about this victory is that I wasn't surprised. How far we have come.

.

When I was an undergrad, Creighton played Marquette—at the Boys Town Fieldhouse. It was a Saturday afternoon and a few in the crowd were pretty lubricated. McGuire needed a police escort to get out of the building (which, tbh, just meant pushing on the handle of an exit door and he was in the parking lot).
A few seasons later, we played Drake in a MVC tournament game, at Aksarben. Most of us sat on folding chairs. Lost that one too.

Yeah, we’ve come a ways.

[GWJay]

Wasn't able to post real time for some family stuff that came up, but what a god damn game. Proud of this team and nice to see what they're capable of when the bench produces and the shots fall. Complete beatdown of a team that to date looked like a world beater. Amazing how far this program has come in the last decade.

[jaykorver]

The guy cannot help himself

Josh Jones got a video where you can actually hear Hurley. I think he says, "If you reach over, he'll knock you out" with a gesture to the security guard escorting them out.

[Jaybird]

The UConn board insists that the full context was "At MSG, I'll knock you out". Does that sound like phrasing he'd even use talking to a fan who got under his skin? Anyway, it looks like they had their best lipreaders on it, so dunno.

They also had the obligatory doofus who wrote "we played like it was our national championship". Yeah, like we're Evansville bringing the Celtics to town.

[bluejayfan00]

We might have the best media team in the country

[cu8493]

I know their intent is to belittle, but personally I hope the fellas play like it’s our national championship every time we play them.

[bird_call]

Great day to be a Jay!

On a totally unrelated note, alumni relations gave a call today.

[BenningtonBluejay]

Great day to be a Jay!

On a totally unrelated note, alumni relations gave a call today.

Tell them you’ll donate as long as it goes to the coach fund