Connecticut’s Madison Square Garden home-court advantage is back...

[Waquoit]

...reads the headline in today's NY Post. The article written, by a longtime Post columnist, begins "This was the price Big East foes knew they would be paying when UConn was invited back to where it belongs after its seven-year hiatus. Husky fans streaming into the Garden, turning it into their house again, just as they did in the good old days..."

If UConn men's sports and fans have any identity to the world at large it's the men's BB team and especially the men's BB team at MSG. Look what happened to the program when it was taken away and now look what has happened when it returned. At least the AAC-for-lifers and the "but MSGers" have been proven wrong yet again. Maybe they'll give it up now.

 

[elmcityboy]

wow. great article. love the quotes from calhoun about cole and hurley.

 

[elmcityboy]

how about this for a headline?

In New York, the ACC tournament lives in the shadow of the league it decimated

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article259260064.html#storylink=cpy

 

[HooperScooper]

“It was just electric,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said.

He had been worried about how his players might handle their first real live Big East Tournament with a full house. “That’s why you come to a place like UConn to play. The big dogs play in the quarters and semis. The place was rocking.”

Wait until Villanova.

“Tomorrow’s gonna be insanity in here,” Hurley said.

Get that place rocking tonight!

 

[Durks07]

...reads the headline in today's NY Post. The article written, by a longtime Post columnist, begins "This was the price Big East foes knew they would be paying when UConn was invited back to where it belongs after its seven-year hiatus. Husky fans streaming into the Garden, turning it into their house again, just as they did in the good old days..."

If UConn men's sports and fans have any identity to the world at large it's the men's BB team and especially the men's BB team at MSG. Look what happened to the program when it was taken away and now look what has happened when it returned. At least the AAC-for-lifers and the "but MSGers" have been proven wrong yet again. Maybe they'll give it up now.

They won't. Obvious facts never mattered to that crowd.

 

[Peacefrog]

Kind of corroborates what I claimed in another thread regarding fan base attendance. Somebody said it was mostly Villanova followed by an even split between us and Hall. Nope. Easily the most cheering for UConn. I was standing out front waiting to meet up with someone and saw all the fans entering. Comfortably more UConn fans than for other teams.

 

[Waquoit]

Kind of corroborates what I claimed in another thread regarding fan base attendance...

I've heard Creighton represents well, do you have a take on their fans at MSG? Especially since they are on a roll.

 

[BigEastCT]

Providence Fan was the loudest, huge following this year

Get on the Train Uconn Fans.....need some noise

 

[Greedo]

“Coach Hurley can really recruit,” Calhoun said. “He makes me look sane. I think we’re different kind of personalities. I do think that we do share something — we drink an adrenaline shot every morning just to get a little bit going (laugh).”

When it was suggested that Hurley might drink an adrenaline shot a little more than he did, Calhoun laughed and said: “He’s drinking by the gallon.”

This made me laugh.

 

[Rasputin]

"Because they had left in 2013 for the American Athletic Conference" I hear and read this all of the time and it always makes me mad. It is just lazy, inaccurate reporting.

 

[Deepster]

Madison Storrs Garden.

And no, PC definitely wasn't louder. The building was maybe 2/3's full for that game and they were shaking in their boots about losing to a 9 seed for 99% of that game.

 

[gsmooth]

his was the price Big East foes knew they would be paying when UConn was invited back to where it belongs after its seven-year hiatus. Husky fans streaming into the Garden, turning it into their house again, just as they did in the good old days..."

I think the Big East really benefits from this. I mean, that is a big reason why the Big East invited UConn back, it wasn't just out of charity. It's no secret the ACC and Big 10 are trying to made inroads into NYC and UConn really locks up NYC for the Big East. The ACC being in Brooklyn is laughable, NYC really doesn't give a damn about that tournament. Go back to Greensboro, NC.

Now I want to see a really good St. John's team. If they can consistently be a 2nd round or Sweet 16 team, yes I know I am asking a lot, UConn and St. John's games will be that more attention grabbing at MSG and will captivate NYC. Think back to 1999 when St. John's was a whisker away from playing in the Final Four after losing to Ohio State in the Elite 8. Remember in the regular season when they hosted #2 Duke and then a week later hosted #1 UConn? Both of those game created a lot of buzz in NYC.

A UConn-St. John's game in NYC can have a battle for New York feel and would only help the Big East. Yes, I know UConn is a Connecticut state school, but having MSG games where both teams are really would be great for the Big East and make for great TV.

 

[Husky25]

Scene: Manhattan, 2014.

Fanbases for Michigan State, Iowa State, and Virginia were making fun of us at some random bar before the session for running up the secondary ticket market. I specifically remember a group of MSU fans actually asking how we would feel about spending so much money after getting trounced (They evidently got a ticket from the school allotment).

Unclear if they expect ISU and UVA fans to unload E8 tickets for relative pennies on the dollar to UConn fans in nearly every section.

 

[superjohn]

No idea on fan turnout because I wasn't there but on TV UConn fans were clearly the loudest in either session.

 

[uconngb]

"Because they had left in 2013 for the American Athletic Conference" I hear and read this all of the time and it always makes me mad. It is just lazy, inaccurate reporting.

Not to mention the "epic" 6 overtime game against Syracuse in 2011 that actually happened in 2009

 

[HooperScooper]

I think the Big East really benefits from this. I mean, that is a big reason why the Big East invited UConn back, it wasn't just out of charity. It's no secret the ACC and Big 10 are trying to made inroads into NYC and UConn really locks up NYC for the Big East. The ACC being in Brooklyn is laughable, NYC really doesn't give a damn about that tournament. Go back to Greensboro, NC.

Remember when the Big 10 thought Rutgers would help them make inroads into the NYC area? I laughed then and I laugh harder now.

 

[Poe]

Would be nice if St. John’s and Georgetown joined Uconn and Nova at being good

 

[Husky25]

Remember when the Big 10 thought Rutgers would help them make inroads into the NYC area? I laughed then and I laugh harder now.

Except for the BTN is on cable and satellite systems in the NYC Media market, which means even if a subscriber is not interested, they still pay the fees. Is the media consumption landscape ever changing? You bet, but Rutgers to the Big Ten was a solid business decision at the time.

 

[Peacefrog]

I've heard Creighton represents well, do you have a take on their fans at MSG? Especially since they are on a roll.

I've heard that as well but I didn't see (or hear) very many. Marquette was not well represented either. Nor was Butler but all those school's fan bases have much further to go in all fairness. Also, I saw a fair number of UConn fans at all the games. Other school's fans seemed to primarily go for their team's game and then bail.

There were an awful lot of Providence fans there for their game. I agree that they might not have been the loudest because they seemed to be nervous the entire game. I think even they are questioning exactly how good they are or are not. I commented to my benefactor during that game (thanks FrfldCtyFan) that you could almost feel the apprehension in the air. A collective sigh of relief when it was over.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Got tickets for tonight and tomorrow. No matter what happens tonight, don’t get the chance to be at the garden for a final too often.

With that being said: HUSKIES

 

[businesslawyer]

Remember when the Big 10 thought Rutgers would help them make inroads into the NYC area? I laughed then and I laugh harder now.

It was about football attention, and it was far from a stupid play.

 

[CL82]

Remember when the Big 10 thought Rutgers would help them make inroads into the NYC area? I laughed then and I laugh harder now.

Still, they got inclusion in cable packages base plans at a premium price making millions for the conference, so I expect that they may be laughing the hardest of all.

 

[CL82]

It was about football attention, and it was far from a stupid play.

Nope, it was all about getting a school in the NYC DMA. Mission accomplished.

 

[businesslawyer]

Nope, it was all about getting a school in the NYC DMA. Mission accomplished.

As opposed to Seton Hall?

No one thought Rutgers was an add that needed to be made for anything to do with basketball. Even more than the location, Rutgers came in when the conference was trying to build a critical mass of football schools.

 

[AdamaNation]

I've heard that as well but I didn't see (or hear) very many. Marquette was not well represented either. Nor was Butler but all those school's fan bases have much further to go in all fairness. Also, I saw a fair number of UConn fans at all the games. Other school's fans seemed to primarily go for their team's game and then bail.

There were an awful lot of Providence fans there for their game. I agree that they might not have been the loudest because they seemed to be nervous the entire game. I think even they are questioning exactly how good they are or are not. I commented to my benefactor during that game (thanks FrfldCtyFan) that you could almost feel the apprehension in the air. A collective sigh of relief when it was over.

Last night was like 45-50% UConn out of all the fans there.