Before #TheFastBreak begins, we want to take a moment to share some exciting news! A couple of colleagues from The UConn Blog team just launched The UConn Hockey Hub, which brings you the most in-depth coverage of UConn men’s hockey! We encourage fans of the Huskies’ icecapades to check it out and look forward to enjoying all the incredible UConn hockey content they’re going to create!

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Weekly Rewind

The latest UConn athletics news

• UConn men’s basketball begins long-awaited season Wednesday @ 8 PM:

• SNY announces UConn basketball schedule including 18 women’s games
• After replacing original opening weekend opponent UVM with UMass and flipping prized recruit Ryan Tverberg from Harvard, UConn men’s hockey starts season with 5-1 loss Friday and shootout victory Saturday
• UConn women’s basketball enters 2020-21 campaign with bountiful backcourt and strong bunch of bigs driving high expectations
• Hurley’s roster of Huskies exemplifies quality and quantity with formidable frontcourt, gaggle of guards, and high-flying wings
• Azzi Fudd breaks down her decision to play for UConn:

• CBSSports ranks UConn #8 program in men’s college basketball history
• Four UConn women’s basketball players land on Naismith watch list while James Bouknight represents Huskies on men’s side
• WR Jayden Gibson receives UConn football offer while fellow class of ‘22 target RB Jackson Paradis awaits highly-anticipated call from Huskies
• Evina Westbrook #9 on Floorgame’s WNBA 2021 draft board
• Latest Bracketology projects UConn men’s basketball as 10-seed
• UConn hockey’s Vladislav Firstov one of Wild’s Top 25 Under 25

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U Gotta See This

Video recommendations

Lights out:

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UConn, Great Pic

Photos of UConn’s finest

Christmas lists just got a little longer:

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Coach’s Corner

Find out what UConn coaches are up to on and off the court

• Geno’s assessment of his Huskies cites plenty of room for improvement, despite team’s firm standing in national title discussion
• Dan Hurley’s URI tenure helps set expectations for year three at UConn while his recruiting successes improve Huskies’ prospects of restoring program prestige
• Matt King helping UConn football get their lift-on during extra time-off

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Big League Buzz

Catch up on former UConn players working across the sports world

• Ray Allen shares strong feelings about James Harden’s fit with Nets
• George Springer pays a visit to Elliot Ballpark
• UConn men’s soccer alumni finding postseason success while playing pro, including Andre Blake who snagged some hard-earned MLS hardware:

• Trade rumors swirl around Celtics’ Kemba Walker
• Renee Montgomery dishes on importance of female allyship
• Andre Drummond picking up $28 million option with Cavs
• Ryan Boatright takes his talents to the Baltics:

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Memory Lane

Revisit special moments in UConn sports history

• You can at UConn:

• ‘90s fashion on fleek:

• Undoubtedly a day that will live in infamy for the Fightin’ Irish:

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Weekly Fancast

Once UConn sports return, we’ll provide info for the week’s upcoming games in this space. Until then, enjoy some classic recommendations from the vault!

Nobody does press conferences like coaching legend Jim Calhoun. The maestro of three UConn national championship teams and current head coach at the University of St. Joseph in West Harford, CT had to fight to get to the top and sometimes that gladiator persona comes out during sessions with the media. This was especially true during his 26 seasons at the helm of the Huskies.

Perhaps his greatest profanity-riddled tirade happened when he was asked one too many questions about Providence star Ryan Gomes, who was out of Waterbury, CT and had been passed on during recruitment by Calhoun in favor of Emeka Okafor and Caron Butler. The question arose after UConn’s 66-56 defeat at the hands of the Friars, where Gomes went off for 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Calhoun did not appreciate Dave Solomon of the New Haven Register reminding him of this decision at the podium right after Gomes’ play made him question it on the court.

As you’ll hear, Calhoun was less than impressed with Gomes’ physique and wasn’t sold on what Providence so eager to buy during his recruitment. He did, however, lament Gomes going to nearby Providence where he could wreak havoc on the Huskies in the Big East. While it’s undeniable that Gomes performed well during his college career, Emeka helped the Huskies cut down the nets later that year and Caron is a UConn great with strong NBA credentials, making it hard to question Calhoun’s call after all.

Once you’ve made sure there aren’t any children in the room, click play and listen to Coach Calhoun passionately defend his decision on that faithful day in 2004:

To hear Coach Calhoun speak in a much gentler tone while looking back on his time in Storrs, check out this extra-special episode of the Sliders & Curveballs podcast. Co-hosts Mike DAvirro and his eight-year-old son, Joseph, welcomed the coaching legend to their show and discussed the incredible players, accomplishments, and moments that made Calhoun’s time at UConn so memorable!

If you like what Mike and Joseph are laying down, make sure to check out other episodes of Sliders & Curveballs including their 2020-21 UConn men’s basketball preview where the guys welcomed Hartford Courant sportswriter Dom Amore to the show!

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Cause We Care

Learn about non-profits and causes worthy of UConn Nation’s support

UConn Athletics recently announced that fans will be able to get a cut-out of themselves placed in the Gampel stands for the upcoming season! Each personalized cut-out costs $50 and proceeds will go to the Fight On Fund that benefits UConn student-athletes. To make sure Jonathan XIV doesn’t feel secluded during the games, fans can opt to get a cut-out of their UConn-loving pets as well! Either way, it’s a fun way to support the Huskies while we wait for the next chance to watch a game inside Gampel’s friendly confines.

CLICK HERE to seize this FANtastic opportunity and get yourself to Gampel:

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Final Play

A parting sentiment from The Fast Break team

We can’t wait to see these two in UConn red, white, and blue:

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