Huskies of Honor

Huskies of Honor is a recognition program sponsored by the University of Connecticut (UConn). Similar to a hall of fame, it honors the most significant figures in the history of the UConn Huskies—the university's athletic teams—especially the men's and women's basketball teams. The inaugural honorees, inducted in two separate ceremonies during the 2006–07 season, included thirteen men's basketball players, ten women's basketball players, and four head coaches, of whom two coaches—Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma—and two players—Ray Allen and Rebecca Lobo—are also enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[1][3][4][5] Since that time, an additional nine women's basketball players, seven men's basketball players, five national championship teams, one women's basketball assistant coach, and one athletic director have been honored.

Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo, an inaugural inductee into the Huskies of Honor, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.[1]
Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker was inducted into the Huskies of Honor in a surprise ceremony following the Connecticut Huskies men's basketball 2011 National Championship victory.[2]

Men's basketball has been played at the University of Connecticut since 1901, when the school was known as Connecticut Agricultural College.[6] The Huskies first achieved success under Coach Hugh Greer, who over a sixteen-year period led the team to twelve Yankee Conference championships, seven National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Tournament berths, and one National Invitation Tournament appearance before dying suddenly during the 1962–63 college basketball season.[4] It was not until Calhoun took over the university's basketball program in 1985, however, that UConn grew from a regional basketball power to a nationally prominent one.[7] Under Calhoun, UConn won three national championships (1999, 2004, 2011), seven Big East tournaments, and ten Big East[Note 1] regular season titles, while placing twenty-six former players into the National Basketball Association (NBA).[9][10][11][12] Following Calhoun's retirement, new head coach Kevin Ollie would lead UConn to a fourth national championship win in 2014.[13]

Women's basketball was not a major sport at UConn until the arrival of Auriemma in 1985. Under his guidance UConn has enjoyed unprecedented success, winning 11 national titles, including six at the end of undefeated seasons and four consecutive championships from 2013–16.[14] The Huskies also have the two longest winning streaks in NCAA Division I basketball history, at 111 games from 2014–17[15] and 90 games from 2008–10.[16] Connecticut's rivalry with women's basketball power Tennessee has been one of the most celebrated in the sport.[17] Twenty-six former UConn women's basketball players have gone on to play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA),[18] and five—Sue Bird in 2002, Diana Taurasi in 2004, Tina Charles in 2010, Maya Moore in 2011, and Breanna Stewart in 2016—have been selected first overall in the WNBA draft.[19][20] Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, and Morgan Tuck were the first three picks in the 2016 draft; this marked the first time three players from the same college were selected 1-2-3 in the draft of any major sport.[20]

Placards honoring the members of the Huskies of Honor are hung at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, the on-campus home court of UConn basketball. Additional information about each of the honorees is displayed on the concourse between the upper and lower stands.[21]

Honorees

Hall of Fame men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun was an inaugural member of the Huskies of Honor.[4]
Husky of Honor Emeka Okafor was drafted second overall in the 2004 NBA draft.[22]
Geno Auriemma was one of the eleven inaugural inductees in 2006 from the women's basketball program into the Huskies of Honor, and the only one who is a man.[3]
Renee Montgomery was the first player to be named a Husky of Honor while still active.[23]
Huskies of Honor additions December 29, 2013
Key
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Men's basketball

No.NamePositionSeasons[Note 2]HometownInducted
34Ray AllenG1993–96[24]Merced, California[25]February 5, 2007[4]
44Wes BialosukniaG1963–67[24]Poughkeepsie, New York[26]February 5, 2007[4]
24Scott BurrellG1989–93New Haven, ConnecticutNovember 2, 2018[27]
3Caron ButlerF2000–02[28]Racine, Wisconsin[29]February 13, 2016[29]
22Bill CorleyF / C1965–68[30]Williston Park, New York[30]February 15, 2012[31]
3Walt DropoC1942–47[24]Moosup, Connecticut[32]February 5, 2007[4]
42Khalid El-AminG1997–2000[33]Minneapolis, Minnesota[33]February 23, 2014[34]
Harrison Fitch1932–1934[35]New Haven, Connecticut[35]February 19, 2022[35]
22Rudy GayF2004–06[36]Baltimore, Maryland[36]February 25, 2012[37]
32Richard HamiltonG / F1996–99[24]Coatesville, Pennsylvania[38]February 5, 2007[4]
42Tony HansonG1973–77[24]Waterbury, Connecticut[39]February 5, 2007[4]
42Toby KimballF / C1961–65[24]Framingham, Massachusetts[40]February 5, 2007[4]
42Donyell MarshallF1991–94[24]Reading, Pennsylvania[41]February 5, 2007[4]
13Shabazz NapierG2010–14[42]Roxbury, Massachusetts[42]April 8, 2014[43]
2Tristen NewtonG2022–24El Paso, TexasApril 9, 2024[44]
50Emeka OkaforC2001–04[24]Houston, Texas[22]February 5, 2007[4]
13Worthy PattersonF1951–54[45]Greenwich, Connecticut[45]February 15, 2012[31]
25Art QuimbyC1951–55[24]New London, Connecticut[46]February 5, 2007[4]
00Clifford RobinsonF / C1985–89[24]Buffalo, New York[47]February 5, 2007[4]
13Chris SmithG1988–92[24]Bridgeport, Connecticut[48]February 5, 2007[4]
52Corny ThompsonF1978–82[24]Middletown, Connecticut[49]February 5, 2007[4]
15Kemba WalkerG2008–11[2]Bronx, New York[50]April 5, 2011[2]
22Vin YokabaskasF1948–52[24]Bloomfield, Connecticut[51]February 5, 2007[4]
999Jim CalhounHead coach1986–2012[9]Braintree, Massachusetts[9]February 5, 2007[4]
999Dee RoweHead coach1969–77[24]Worcester, Massachusetts[52]February 5, 2007[4]
999Hugh GreerHead coach1946–63[24]Suffield, Connecticut[53]February 5, 2007[4]
9991998–99 teamTeam1998–99February 23, 2014[34]

Women's basketball

No.NamePositionSeasons[Note 2]HometownInducted
25Svetlana AbrosimovaF1997–2001[3]St. Petersburg, Russia[54]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
24Kerry BascomC / F1987–91[3]Epping, New Hampshire[56]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
10Sue BirdG1998–2002[3]Syosset, New York[57]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
32Swin CashF1998–2002[3]McKeesport, Pennsylvania[58]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
31Tina CharlesC2006–10[59]Jamaica, New York[60]20100212February 13, 2010[61]
31Stefanie DolsonC2010–14[62]Port Jervis, New York[62]20140301March 1, 2014[63]
14Bria HartleyG2010–14[64]North Babylon, New York[64]20140301March 1, 2014[63]
4Moriah JeffersonG2012–16[65]Glenn Heights, Texas[65]20160227February 27, 2016[66]
50Rebecca LoboC / F1991–95[3]Southwick, Massachusetts[67]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
20Renee MontgomeryG2005–09[68]St. Albans, West Virginia[69]20090215February 15, 2009[23]
23Maya MooreF2007–11[70]Lawrenceville, Georgia[71]20110228February 28, 2011[70]
23Kaleena Mosqueda-LewisF2011–15[72]Anaheim Hills, Anaheim, California[72]20150228February 28, 2015[73]
33Shea RalphG1996–2001[3]Fayetteville, North Carolina[74]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
21Jennifer RizzottiG1992–96[3]New Fairfield, Connecticut[75]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
42Nykesha SalesG1994–98[3]Bloomfield, Connecticut[76]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
30Breanna StewartF2012–16[77]North Syracuse, New York[77]20160227February 27, 2016[66]
3Diana TaurasiG2000–04[3]Chino, California[78]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
3Morgan TuckF2012–16[79]Grand Rapids, Michigan / Bolingbrook, Illinois[79]20160406April 6, 2016[80]
15Gabby WilliamsG2014–18Sparks, Nevada20180226February 26, 2018[81]
52Kara WoltersC1993–97[3]Holliston, Massachusetts[82]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
999Geno AuriemmaHead coach1985–present[83]Montella, Italy / Norristown, Pennsylvania[83]20061221December 21, 2006[55]
999Chris Daileyhead coach, associateAssociate head coach1985–present[84]New Brunswick, New Jersey[85]20160227February 27, 2016[86]
9991994–95 teamTeam1994–9520081116November 16, 2008[21]
9991999–2000 teamTeam1999–200020091223December 23, 2009[87]
9992001–02 teamTeam2001–0220111229December 29, 2011[88]
9992002–03 teamTeam2002–0320131229December 29, 2013[89]
9992003–04 teamTeam2003–0420131229December 29, 2013[89]

Administrators

No.NamePositionSeasons[Note 2]HometownInducted
999John TonerAthletic director1969–87[90]Nantucket, Massachusetts[91]20090228February 28, 2009[90]

Future honorees

UConn officials have indicated that men's basketball alumnus Ben Gordon will be added to the Huskies of Honor in the near future. The university is working with Gordon to determine when he will be able to attend an induction ceremony at a men's basketball game at Gampel Pavilion.[37]

The display

The Huskies of Honor display at Gampel Pavilion, located on either side of the arena on each side of the scoreboards, as of October 17, 2015.
Left are the placards for men's basketball and John Toner; right are the placards for women's basketball.

Notes

References

External links