2011 UConn Men's NCAA Championship
The first clue that the 2010-2011 edition of the UConn mens basketball team was something special came in November of last year. The Huskies, unranked in the preseason polls, beat Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky to win the Maui Invitational.
UConn jumped to No. 7 in the next poll. With Kemba Walker leading the way, the Huskies stormed through the post season winning 10 straight on the way to the national title game against upstart Butler.
Playing in front of a crowd of more than 70,000 in Houston, UConn trailed by three at halftime but went on a 20-3 run in the second half. Butler had no answer for Walker and super freshman Jeremy Lamb. The Huskies won easily, 53-41, holding Butler to atrocious 18.8 percent shooting and winning for the second time in as many games despite posting a season-low point total.
It was UConns third national championship.
2:10 AM EDT, April 5, 2011
National Championship: UConn 53, Butler 41
UConn Beats Butler For Third National Title
Somewhere along the line, disbelief was met by something that felt like design, and so in the minutes before midnight Monday at Reliant Stadium, Kemba Walker strolled across the court, kicking up streamers that had fallen from high above, and offered the perfect irony to sum up this remarkable journey.
April 9, 2011
Looking Back
Yes, UConn! Replaying A Magical Season
You know how this complicated and uplifting journey ended.
April 9, 2011
Championship Follow Column
Jeff Jacobs: UConn's George Blaney Not Just Along For The Ride
By his own calculation, UConn associate coach George Blaney had been to 36 Final Fours before 2004. He sat on the board of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. That meant Blaney always had good seats.
April 5, 2011
Championship Column
Jeff Jacobs: Three For Calhoun In The Blink Of An Eye
HOUSTON — In one of those simple, brilliant leads that occasionally grace the sports pages, Courant beat writer Michael Arace sent 17 words back to Connecticut from St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 29, 1999.
1:22 AM EDT, April 3, 2011
Final Four Semis: UConn 56, Kentucky 55
UConn Defeats Kentucky To Reach Title Game
Every game in this march toward history isn't going to be fine art. Every opponent isn't going to fall to the breathtaking drives of Kemba Walker or the effortless grace of Jeremy Lamb.
April 2, 2011
Sweet 16 Column
Jeff Jacobs: Calhoun Vs. Calipari A Show In Itself
Coaches, players, Cinderellas, old New England turf rivals, they were all at a banquet to honor their Final Four achievement Thursday night when Jim Calhoun decided the time was ripe to play the "My Three Sons" card.
Copyright © 2012, The Hartford Courant
E-mail
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon