Jay Wright expects UConn to be ‘even better’ as Huskies shoot for NCAA Tournament

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'm sure I'm like most people in that when I hear Allan Ray I immediately think of his eyeball hanging out of his head after Carl Krauser poked him.

 

[August_West]

I'm sure I'm like most people in that when I hear Allan Ray I immediately think of his eyeball hanging out of his head after Carl Krauser poked him.

I pretty much have blocked that out of my mind. Thanks for the reminder. The slo mo replay is really special. Ive watched a bunch of stuff in real time including Theismann's leg. Jack Tatum/Daryl Stingley and a host of other insansity. Allan Ray made me cringe the worst.

 

[olehead]

I'm sure I'm like most people in that when I hear Allan Ray I immediately think of his eyeball hanging out of his head after Carl Krauser poked him.

What year?

 

[Chuck]

What a great job Villanova did getting Wright. Being from New Jersey and getting a grad degree from Rutgers, I've generally had a soft spot for the school when not playing UConn. I know, most on this board would consider that gross (both living in NJ and pulling for RU).

Wright was most likely on his way to RU. They got rid of Bannon and were laser focused on Wright. Villanova was always Wright's dream school because of his and his wife's history. Villanova forced out a mediocre, but not horrid, Steve Lappas to jump in front of RU. There's certainly a good chance Wright could've left RU after a couple years to go to Villanova, but you never know what could've been.

 

[August_West]

What year?

2006 BET

 

[olehead]

Just saw it up to a point. Did not want any more of that action. Absolutely disgusting.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I believe I've mentioned this before, Alvin Lee is best known for playing with Ten Years After but he may have jammed with Lowry back in the day.

He would have loved to change the world, but didn't know what to do. Sad that he became something of a fast hands freak show post Woodstock.

 

[mauconnfan]

He would have loved to change the world, but didn't know what to do. Sad that he became something of a fast hands freak show post Woodstock.

TYA very underrated band. Lee was solid!

 

[fatlucy]

Never really considered Nova a rivalry when we were in the big east. We were on another level.

Have you forgotten Kerry Kittles?

 

[glastonbury50]

Have you forgotten Kerry Kittles?

I was born kittles freshman year. They never made a sweet sixteen with him though

 

[Scot-e]

What a great job Villanova did getting Wright. Being from New Jersey and getting a grad degree from Rutgers, I've generally had a soft spot for the school when not playing UConn. I know, most on this board would consider that gross (both living in NJ and pulling for RU).

Wright was most likely on his way to RU. They got rid of Bannon and were laser focused on Wright. Villanova was always Wright's dream school because of his and his wife's history. Villanova forced out a mediocre, but not horrid, Steve Lappas to jump in front of RU. There's certainly a good chance Wright could've left RU after a couple years to go to Villanova, but you never know what could've been.

G -TOWN is gross. PE- TOOWEY! I spit on them.

 

[Son of Robert]

The backcourt that year had Mike Nardi, Allan Ray, Randy Foye and Lowry. You may be think of AlvinWilliam's, Nova guard from the mid-90's.

Alvin Williams, that's the guy, excellent player. I looked him up, went pro in 1997-2007, second round pick, played for Portland and Toronto. 6:5 point guard, shooting guard.

 

[Son of Robert]

I believe I've mentioned this before, Alvin Lee is best known for playing with Ten Years After but he may have jammed with Lowry back in the day.

I knew some aging rocker was going to slide that in there, that was you last time too probably. I finally got the name right thanks to @olehead . That song was classic. For some reason when I think of that one (Love to Change the World), it takes me right to the Amboy Dukes with young Ted Nugent and Journey to the Center of the Mind, which, as you know, was kind of hard to find back then. Those songs are probably close in years.

 

[BGesus4]

That team was led by Randy Foye and Allan Ray. Lowry was good, but he was probably that team's third option.

Foye was a monster.
They were playing today's NBA brand of basketball 15 years early

 

[MDHuskFan]

Foye was a monster.
They were playing today's NBA brand of basketball 15 years early

As a Timberwolves fan I still cry at night occasionally that we traded Brandon Roy for Randy Foye

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I remember Kerry Kittles at Gample as a student. Thrilling game with a disappointing result. To me it’s always been a rivalry

I can only remember a very few who seemed as unstoppable as Kerry Kittles that night
I hated and admired him at the same time. I thought he was a shoe in for super success at the next level although he had two good years before knee injuries hurt his production. I root for success for most of the kids we play. Maybe not Iverson he was hard to support.

 

[Waquoit]

I'd like to see a side by side comparison of records every season. Because I swear I remember a bunch of games when both teams were highly ranked.

There was that stretch in the 90's when the BE was basically UConn and Nova.

 

[David 76]

Yeah. Nova is our rival. To say different, you just don't know our history.
Plus, they have 3 championships. Kind of around our best years. But they count.

 

[fatlucy]

I was born kittles freshman year. They never made a sweet sixteen with him though

The battles between Kittles, Ray Ray, and Iverson were epic.

 

[nomar]

I remember Kerry Kittles at Gample as a student. Thrilling game with a disappointing result. To me it’s always been a rivalry

I still hate Eric Eberz

 

[CallMeBruce]

There was that stretch in the 90's when the BE was basically UConn and Nova.

Was there? Literally the only season in the 90s they were the top two teams in the league was 94-95, and Nova lost in the first round that year (both Cuse and Georgetown got further in the tournament).

 

[navery12]

Not really sure where to put this, but a nice summary of all the preseason predictions so far

 

[Zissou]

What a great job Villanova did getting Wright. Being from New Jersey and getting a grad degree from Rutgers, I've generally had a soft spot for the school when not playing UConn. I know, most on this board would consider that gross (both living in NJ and pulling for RU).

Wright was most likely on his way to RU. They got rid of Bannon and were laser focused on Wright. Villanova was always Wright's dream school because of his and his wife's history. Villanova forced out a mediocre, but not horrid, Steve Lappas to jump in front of RU. There's certainly a good chance Wright could've left RU after a couple years to go to Villanova, but you never know what could've been.

That’s not quite the history. Lappas was not forced out. He was worried he would not get the extension he wanted so he jumped to UMass. There was actually, reportedly, a bit of an effort to retain Lappas. With Lappas leaving the timing was perfect to consider Jay, who was already considering Rutgers.
It wasn’t as much a master plan move as you indicate.
Nova was lucky that Lappas felt insecure and proactively sought a new home.
Nova was lucky that its AD couldn’t persuade Lappas to stay.
Nova was lucky with the timing, that Jay had ties to Nova, and that Jay wanted Nova.
Jay was young and it wasn’t a high profile hire.
Nova was lucky that Jay proved out to be a great coach that developed from good to great over time.
Nova was lucky to get Jay and is lucky to have Jay.
Nova is fortunate that Jay is mature and sees what he has in career and family in the Main Line and has preferred that to going to the NBA or Kentucky or UCLA.
It’s good to be lucky.

 

[Chuck]

That’s not quite the history. Lappas was not forced out. He was worried he would not get the extension he wanted so he jumped to UMass. There was actually, reportedly, a bit of an effort to retain Lappas. With Lappas leaving the timing was perfect to consider Jay, who was already considering Rutgers.
It wasn’t as much a master plan move as you indicate.
Nova was lucky that Lappas felt insecure and proactively sought a new home.
Nova was lucky that its AD couldn’t persuade Lappas to stay.
Nova was lucky with the timing, that Jay had ties to Nova, and that Jay wanted Nova.
Jay was young and it wasn’t a high profile hire.
Nova was lucky that Jay proved out to be a great coach that developed from good to great over time.
Nova was lucky to get Jay and is lucky to have Jay.
Nova is fortunate that Jay is mature and sees what he has in career and family in the Main Line and has preferred that to going to the NBA or Kentucky or UCLA.
It’s good to be lucky.

It just always seemed too convenient, and it didn’t seem plausible that Lappas would leave Villanova to go to UMass. I assumed Lappas was either secretly bought out or at a minimum told he would be let go at the end of his contract. I guess it was just Villanova luck with a dash of typical Rutgers luck (the RU Screw as they call it)!

 

[Greedo]

That’s not quite the history. Lappas was not forced out. He was worried he would not get the extension he wanted so he jumped to UMass. There was actually, reportedly, a bit of an effort to retain Lappas. With Lappas leaving the timing was perfect to consider Jay, who was already considering Rutgers.
It wasn’t as much a master plan move as you indicate.
Nova was lucky that Lappas felt insecure and proactively sought a new home.
Nova was lucky that its AD couldn’t persuade Lappas to stay.
Nova was lucky with the timing, that Jay had ties to Nova, and that Jay wanted Nova.
Jay was young and it wasn’t a high profile hire.
Nova was lucky that Jay proved out to be a great coach that developed from good to great over time.
Nova was lucky to get Jay and is lucky to have Jay.
Nova is fortunate that Jay is mature and sees what he has in career and family in the Main Line and has preferred that to going to the NBA or Kentucky or UCLA.
It’s good to be lucky.

Jay Wright just fits in at Villanova. The main line is definitely his thing. I can't imagine him going to Kentucky after living on the main line this long. Culture shock.