UConn boys hoops now officially 'Blue Bloods'; free throw champs from Putnam

Just thought I’d empty out my reporter's notebook while hoping Mother Nature doesn't wreak havoc on what promises to be a riveting LIV vs. PGA golf tournament this weekend. Oh, it's called the Masters ...

*Who would have thought many moons ago that when Jim Calhoun arrived in Storrs from Boston after elevating Northeastern from a Division II program to four NCAA tournament appearances, UConn would someday have the same amount of men’s basketball championships as Indiana and Duke?

Yup, the Huskies are certified “Blue Bloods” now after rolling to their fifth NCAA championship. That’s the same as the Hoosiers and Blue Devils and one more than Kansas.

UConn coach Danny Hurley and Company will take aim at North Carolina, which has six titles, next season. UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8) are the top title holders.

Kudos to Hurley. The Huskies' rise back to the top of the college basketball world wasn't easy. The return to the Big East Conference, the transfer portal, and the recruitment of some perimeter sharpshooters played a pivotal role.

Hurley, who can recruit with the best of them, seems intent on finishing what Calhoun started and creating his own legacy. Tar Heels, Wildcats, and Bruins watch out! There is a new “Blue Blood” in town.

*The Southeastern Connecticut Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame will hold its annual awards banquet on Sunday, April 30 at 5 p.m. at Lake of Isles Golf Club and Resort. Fourteen local football players will be receiving the chapter’s annual scholar-athlete award. This year’s honorees are Willie Klinefelter (Montville), Dy’Shawn Mooney (New London), Danny Sims (Griswold), Evan Ezzell (Plainfield), Charles Cabusao (Fitch), Zachary Robinson-Smey (Windham), Jackson Poulton (Ledyard), Nicholas Maksim (East Lyme), Ben Jax (Killingly), Caleb Beetle (Norwich Free Academy), Jack Holmes (Bacon Academy), Jack Scahill (Stonington), Nathan DePerry (Waterford), and Seth Cunningham (Thames River Cooperative).

"Our chapter's fourteen recipients represent some of the best and brightest from more than 5,000 high schools covered by the national football foundation chapter network,” said Jim Buonocore, the Southeastern Connecticut Chapter vice president and Ledyard athletic director. “We are very proud of our local award winners for their hard work and success on the football field and in the classroom. These young men are outstanding representatives of their school communities and this honor represents all that is great about high school football. We look forward to recognizing our scholar-athletes and adult award winners.”

The chapter’s other award winners include Windham’s Randall Prose (Active Coach), The Chronicle’s Mike Sypher (Bill Cawley Media Award), Eastern Board’s Adam Scott (Officials Award), Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s Rodney Butler (Person of the Year), United States Marine Corps’ Capt. Fredrick Hewett (Distinguished American), Lake of Isles’ Bethany Arico (Presidents Award), and East Lyme’s Steve Hargis (Dick North Administrator Award).

*Memo to Danny Hurley: There are a couple of sharpshooters in Putnam.

The day after Putnam Science Academy coach Tom Espinosa guided the Mustangs to a fourth prep basketball national championship, his sons TJ and Bryce competed in the regional round of the Elks Free Throw Shooting Competition at the University of Southern Maine.

TJ, a seventh-grader at Putnam Middle School, sank 23 of 25 foul shots to win the 12-13 regional championship. Bryce made 19 free throws and was the runner-up in the 10-11 division.

TJ, who represents Putnam Elks Lodge 574, advanced to the national finals on April 20-23 in Chicago.

Coach Espinosa better start building a bigger trophy room in the Espinosa household.

*The Boston Bruins are on the verge of NHL history this weekend. With four games remaining, the beloved B’s trail the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings by just one game for the most regular season wins (62) in NHL history. The Bruins host New Jersey on Saturday night (after press time) and travel to Philadelphia on Sunday night. They host Washington on April 11 before ending the season in Montreal on April 13.

Wouldn’t it be great to see the Bruins get the record 63rd victory against the team's longtime rivals, the hated Canadiens?

*Bruins sensational forward David Pastrnak has scored 57 goals and counting while trying to become the first Bruins player to reach 60 goals since Phil Esposito in the mid-1970s.

Esposito, by the way, has the top four goal scoring seasons in Bruins' history: 76 in 1970-71, 68 in 1973-74,  66 in 1971-72, and 61 in 1974-75.

I wish I still had my “Jesus saves, but Esposito scores on the rebound” bumper sticker.

*If Adam Duvall continues his Jim Rice impression and Chris Sale can stay healthy, things could get interesting on Yawkey Way this season.

*STUCK IN THE ‘70s: On April 9, 1972, the Boston Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks, 127-118, in Game Six of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta. The Celtics were led by John Havlicek (26 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists), Dave Cowens (26 points, 20 rebounds), and Steve Kuberski, who came off the bench and scored 22 points. Pete Maravich poured in 37 points for the Hawks.

The Celtics lost to the New York Knickerbockers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Jimmy Zanor can be reached at jzanor@norwichbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: UConn Huskies, Boston Bruins, Red Sox, Putnam free throw shooters