Husky Day At The Capitol

Wed, Apr 17, 2024

By PHIL CHARDIS

Special to uconnhuskies.com

HARTFORD – No doubt there will be numerous celebratory moments over the next few weeks and months for the two-time National Champion UConn men's basketball team. Guest appearances, first pitches at major and minor league parks, the opening bell on Wall St., and a White House visit are all likely part of the Huskies' near future.

But first comes Husky Day at the Capitol.

In what has become an annual event, it's a chance for the Huskies to visit the State Capitol in Hartford and thank the state's legislators for their support for UConn teams and a chance for the legislators to celebrate the success of the UConn teams.

Especially these last two years, celebrating back-to-back national championships, a feat no program had accomplished in 17 years.

In a repeat of last year, UConn Coach Dan Hurley and his staff as well as the UConn players made the Capitol visit on Wednesday, receiving standing ovations in both the Senate and House chambers and words of tribute from the people who make the laws in out state. The mutual admiration event covered just over two hours.

"I don't know how you could quantify the impact that UConn has on the state," Coach Hurley said just before the team bus loaded for the trip back to Storrs. "It's one of the unique relationships in our country between university and state, without a big NFL team. Obviously, we're critically important – our success in sports and in basketball does so much in the state. It impacts Hartford, it impacts the entire state in a number of ways."

The Huskies played eight games at the XL Center in downtown Hartford during the 2023-24 season, five of them sellouts (15,684) and the other three close. That means big business for the capital city in terms of restaurants, taverns and the like.

Meanwhile, the resources that the legislature provides to the Athletic Department of the state flagship university are the backbone of the teams, particularly the two basketball teams.

"I'm a coach and we don't always understand that aspect of it, but you know that without the support from the state, we can't do what we're doing," Hurley said. "We can't compete for championships and get the type of national attention through sports that impacts the university in a positive way."

The Huskies' tour of the Capitol began in Gov. Ned Lamont's office, where the team crowded in for a photo op surrounding the governor at his big desk.

Then, it was downstairs to the Senate, where President Pro Tempore Martin Looney introduced the players individually and lauded the team's cohesiveness and unselfish play.

"We have seen what Coach Hurley has done, with renewed energy, with passion, with fire, with building a team the way it's supposed to be built, with the precision passing, with the defense," he said. "This is how basketball is supposed to be played."

The UConn contingent, with the players stopped for autographs along the way, then walked to the office of Speaker of the House Matt Ritter for a quick visit before filing into the House of Representatives, where they watched a highlight video of their dominating trip through the Final Four on their way to the title. The team was then again introduced individually by different state representatives to ovations.

Hurley then took the podium to thank the politicians for all their support and took time to praise his team.

"I think we'll look back on this team 25, 30 years from now as potentially one of the best teams, at least in recent memory, that's ever played in college," he said.

Hurley then called on freshman Stephon Castle to speak, who was followed to the podium by Samson Johnson, Solomon Ball, Andrew Hurley, Jaylin Stewart, Alex Karaban, Donovan Clingan, Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton. All echoed their coach with appreciation for the support and calls for a "three-peat."