Fans welcome home national champion Huskies
Apr. 4—STORRS — The University of Connecticut men's basketball team packed Gampel Pavilion one last time Tuesday night.
Less than 24 hours after their 76-59 victory over fifth-seeded San Diego State in the national championship game, the Huskies returned to Storrs for a celebration with "the best fans in the country," according to head coach Dan Hurley.
"We reminded people last night where the basketball capital of the world is and that's Storrs, Connecticut," Hurley said.
Fans stood on overpasses on Interstate 84 and lined up along Route 195 to cheer on a bus full of Huskies as they returned to Gampel Pavilion with the program's fifth national championship trophy.
That was in contrast to the scene just after the game ended late Monday night, when thousands of students emptied onto the campus to celebrate. Some fans pulled down signs and light poles, smashed windows and caused other damage on campus. Fifteen people had been arrested Tuesday and 16 were taken to the hospital during the celebrations. None of the injuries were thought to be serious, the school said.
A victory parade and rally is scheduled to be held in downtown Hartford on Saturday. The parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the state Capitol building with a noontime rally outside of the main entrance of the XL Center.
Hurley recognized the significance of playing in the NCAA tournament, the Final Four, and the importance of basketball as a sport in the State of Connecticut. The men's program has now won five titles, all since 1999, while the women's program has taken home 11 titles since 1995.
The 2023 edition of the Huskies was the first team in NCAA tournament history to win all six postseason games by at least 13 points. They trailed for a total of 22 minutes during their run.
"It's literally basketball country," junior guard Andre Jackson Jr. said of Storrs. "There's not much else to do."
Athletic Director Dave Benedict, University President Radenka Maric, Board of Trustees Chairman Daniel D. Toscano all addressed the crowd before junior Adama Sanogo, sophomore Jordan Hawkins, Jackson and Hurley stole the show.
They all thanked UConn Nation for their support, from their 14-0 run to start the season, to their eight losses in conference play, and throughout all of March Madness.
"We did that, didn't we?," Hawkins said on winning the title.
Jackson and Sanogo, the team's two captains, credited the team for sticking together and never giving up, even after losing five out of six games during a stretch in January.
Jackson said this team forged a true brotherhood and pushed through adversity when it needed to the most.
Sanogo said this group will forever be able to come back to campus, look up in the rafters at the 2023 championship banner and say "We did that."
"I'm just trying to wrap my mind around it that we actually did it and its not a dream," Jackson said of the championship win.
It took Hurley and his staff five years to bring the program back to the top of college basketball. The Huskies did not make the NCAA Tournament in his first two campaigns and they suffered first-round losses in each of the previous two NCAA Tournaments.
Fan Mike Denomme, 65, of Griswold, said he had no doubt the Huskies would win Monday night.
"To bring this team from where it was,to where it is today, it was awesome," he said of Hurley.
Denomme, with his wife Diane by his side, said he coached the entire game from his couch Monday night and thought his team played excellent. As a fan of the program for 40 years, he said this group was a winner no matter what.
"Win or lose, they would've been champions in our hearts anyway," Denomme said.
Michael Szewczyk, a sophomore, said he was in line Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. for the celebration, before realizing he could go to his dorm for a bit and come back in the afternoon. He earned his spot at the front of the line, something he said he did for every home game.
Szewczyk said he's been a fan since 2018 and watched the team through its highs and lows. He said it was euphoric to watch the team win it all after pouring so much of his own energy into cheering it on.
"We're not done," Szewczyk said. "Watch out."
Hurley said the chase for title number 6 starts later this week after everyone gets some sleep. He said he's gotten about 20 minutes of rest since cutting down the nets Tuesday night.
Hurley said the coaches and players will meet later this week to begin preparations for next season. Some players will decide if the NBA is in their future while others may return for the pursuit of another title. The team will likely look to the transfer portal for additions, as it did this past season. Key players such as Tristen Newton, Hassan Diarra and Joey Calcaterrra all transferred into the program for the championship journey.
He said he wants the emotions to calm a bit before those conversations happen.
"Just let us get a little bit of sleep and we'll start working on number six," Hurley told the crowd.
