Sports: Fans get first look at UConn’s basketball teams
UConn men’s, women’s basketball teams have a little fun at Gampel
Storrs — First Night is a time for the UConn basketball teams to cut loose and have some fun before the serious season begins. It's a welcome break from practice. And, judging from Friday's enthusiastic crowd at Gampel Pavilion, Husky fans also love it.
"It's exciting," junior Tyler Polley said. "You know when First Night comes, the season is right around the corner."
The coaches — Dan Hurley for the men and Geno Auriemma for the women — also take a break.
"For me, it's one of the few times the whole year where I get to walk into something with the team that I don't even care," Hurley said. "Usually, I'm on the verge of throwing up in the toilet somewhere on game night. So I get to walk into Gampel with people in the stands and just get to spectate. That's not usually the way I get to feel."
First Night featured a 3-point shooting contest — won by Polley and Molly Bent — and dunk competition during which 6-foot-5 sophomore Olivia Nelson-Ododa brought down the house with a slam. Two special guests created a buzz. Kemba Walker, who led the Huskies on a magical postseason run that ended with the 2011 national championship, visited campus for the first time in about eight years.
The rapper T-Pain performed after the basketball portion of the festivities.
They both had their share of fans on hand Friday night.
"T-Pain is a classic, so I'll definitely stay for (the concert)," freshman Jalen Gaffney said.
Gaffney, who's from Columbus, N.J., was more excited to see Walker. He remembers going to Rice
High School in New York City to watch Walker play. He's a big fan of Walker, who's now playing for the Boston Celtics.
"It will be cool seeing Kemba back on campus after so many years just because how great he is, an NBA all-star player from New York," Gaffney said. "He brought UConn a championship, so it will be great to see him here.
"I met Kemba when he was at Rice. I have an autographed sweatshirt from him. It will be cool meeting him again years after meeting him. I was six or seven."
While some UConn basketball newcomers experienced First Night during recruiting visits, others were soaking it all in for the first time on Friday.
Huskymania can be a bit overwhelming to freshmen.
Auriemma talked about a recent conversation with an unnamed player about the biggest challenge coming to play at UConn.
"She said, 'Coach, I don't know how I'm going to react playing in front of that many people. The most people I've ever played in front of was like 200 people.'
"Sometimes there's that many people at our practice. So being in that environment tonight is going to excite them and energize them. It's going to give them a sense of euphoria and make them go, 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what did I get myself into?' This is way bigger than I thought.
"It's going to be cool to see their faces, to see them react. And that's what it's supposed to be. It's fun for the students and fun for the fans. Ultimately, it's fun for the players. So that's the whole point of tonight. Everybody is going to have fun.
"Except me. I don't really get a kick out of this. I've got to go because they tell me I've got to go."
Hurley didn't plan on sticking around for the T-Pain concert, either. No shocker there. "I love T-Pain," Hurley said with a smile.
So what's Hurley's favorite T-Pain song?
"Somebody helped me out here," Hurley said. "Somebody in the student line said a song but I just forgot it. Sorry, T-Pain."
News and notes
UConn has Javonte Brown-Ferguson, a 7-foot center from Thornlea Secondary School in Ontario, on campus for an official visit. He's a top 50 center that's likely to reclassify to the Class of 2020. Bristol Central 6-10 sophomore Donovan Clingan also was in attendance, taking an unofficial visit . ... While Akok Akok's foot problem kept him out of just one practice, Gaffney is still sidelined with a sprained ankle. "You hope he's back at some point next week at least doing some nonlive stuff at the beginning of the week and hope he's full-go by the time we play the exhibition," Hurley said . ... The UConn men host Saint Michael's College on Oct. 30 in Hartford in exhibition action while the women play their first of two exhibition games Nov. 3 in Storrs. g.keefe@theday.com