UW’s men’s basketball team returned Tuesday night to the campus that the school bills as the “Basketball Capital of the World.”
Fans lined the streets of eastern Connecticut and cheered as the team bus passed by on the hour-long journey from Bradley International Airport to Gampel Pavilion.
Thousands of fans waited inside the arena as coach Dan Hurley and his UW players defeated Purdue 70-65 on Monday night to win the school’s second straight title and sixth in program history. I tried to listen to him.
Hurley noted that the team began working towards the goal last June, a few months after winning the program’s fifth title.
“And we absolutely won everything,” he said as the crowd began to roar in approval. “We won everything. We won the Big East regular season, the Big East Tournament, the East Division and went on to win our sixth national championship. We won back-to-back games like we talked about.”
The coaches also used the occasion to unveil a state-of-the-art plaque honoring the Final Four’s most outstanding player, guard Tristen Newton, on the arena’s “Huskies of Honor” wall.
“Immortal,” said Harley. “It’s immortal.”
The welcome ceremony capped off a day of celebrations that began with the Huskies’ victory over Purdue in Arizona.
Thousands of students poured onto campus after the final horn of a party that lasted into the early morning hours.
UW Police announced that six people between the ages of 18 and 21 were arrested during the celebration. Charges range from criminal mischief to rioting and obstructing police.
Students who are arrested will also be subject to disciplinary action by the university.
School spokesman Mike Enright said someone grabbed a toppled traffic sign and broke through some of the glass in the student recreation center, but the celebration was peaceful for the most part.
A victory parade is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday through Hartford from the state Capitol to the XL Center, where another victory rally will be held.
“For the second year in a row, the UW men’s basketball team surprised the nation by winning the NCAA Tournament. Now it’s time to give Connecticut the victory celebration it deserves,” said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. he said.
Such celebrations have become somewhat routine at UConn, which has won 11 women’s titles in addition to six men’s basketball national championships over the past 30 years. The school is 17-1 in NCAA basketball title games.
“UW has a big standard right now and that’s winning championships, so we’re going to continue to do that,” UW’s 7-foot-2 sophomore center Donovan Clingan said Tuesday. He spoke to the audience that night.
Last year, more widespread vandalism left 16 people injured, 39 people arrested and six students ultimately expelled.
On Monday, precautions were being taken to prevent a repeat of the incident.
Ahead of the Final Four, the school removed aluminum utility poles along Hillside Road, the main thoroughfare that runs through the center of campus, and replaced them with temporary lighting.
The school also limited the size of campus watch parties. Only 6,700 students were able to gain admission to Gampel’s pavilion, where they were seated in the bowl above his 10,000-seat arena.
Enright said the general public was not allowed to enter the event and, unlike last year, no alcohol was sold or allowed inside.
