The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Hamden’s Scott Burrell to join ‘Huskies of Honor’ Nov. 2
He threw “The Pass” that set up “The Shot” that solidified UConn’s “Dream Season.”
Scott Burrell, the Hamden product and one of the top athletes in Connecticut prep history, did that and a lot more in his four years at UConn. Burrell, currently the head coach at Southern Connecticut State, will become the newest member of the Huskies of Honor when his No. 24 jersey is lifted to the rafters at Gampel Pavilion on Nov. 2.
The festivities will occur during a pregame ceremony, prior to UConn’s 7 p.m. exhibition game tilt with Southern Connecticut.
“It’s awesome, I’m happy for my family,” said Burrell, adding that the idea came up a little over a month ago, after getting a
call from athletic director David Benedict. “A lot of people asked me, ‘How come your name’s not there?’ I had nothing to do with it. I’m excited to be recognized as one of the great players in UConn history.”
Burrell starred at Hamden High in football, basketball and baseball and spurned a professional baseball offer from the Seattle Mariners, who made him a first-round pick in the 1989 Major League Draft, to attend UConn.
The 6-foot-7 swingman made an immediate impact in Storrs as a freshman starter during the Huskies’ Dream Season (1989-90), which climaxed with the Huskies’ first Big East Conference Championship and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 11 years. Along the way, Burrell authored perhaps the greatest assist in UConn basketball history, his 94-foot pinpoint pass to Tate George with 0:01 remaining in the NCAA Sweet 16 game against Clemson. George’s subsequent baseline jumper gave the Huskies a thrilling 71-70 victory, sending them to the Elite Eight.
Sitting behind Burrell in
the crowd that day was Dan Hurley, then a junior at St. Anthony’s High. Hurley was named UConn’s 19th head coach on March 24.
“I think that’s the most memorable thing I did,” Burrell said, “but I think people overlook my contributions on the court through the years. When you have superstars coming after you every year, lottery picks, All-Americans, Hall-of-Famers, that’s how people get overlooked.”
Burrell went on to a stellar four-year UConn career under Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun, scoring 1,562 points, grabbing 752 rebounds, handing out 293 assists, and logging 310 steals, and remains the all-time UConn leader in the latter category. As a sophomore in 1990-91, he led the nation with 112 steals. He is the only UConn player to amass at least 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 250 assists and 300 steals. A three-time Big East All-Conference pick and a Big East AllRookie Team selection, he left UConn as the No. 8 all-time scorer and still ranks No. 18. In 2001, he was elected by fan vote to the UConn All-Century Team.
The Charlotte Hornets drafted Burrell with the 20th overall pick of the
1993 NBA Draft, making him the only athlete in professional sports history to be a first-round draft choice in two different sports, a distinction he still holds. He played eight seasons in the NBA with four franchises, becoming the first UConn player to capture an NBA championship with the 1998 Chicago Bulls. He also played professionally in Japan, Spain, the Philippines and China before starting his coaching career in the NBA Developmental League.
Burrell spent eight years as an assistant coach at Quinnipiac under current UConn assistant coach Tom Moore before assuming the head coaching position at Southern Connecticut before the 2015-16 season.
In three years at the helm of the Owls, he has produced 56 victories, two NCAA Tournament berths, a Northeast-10 Southwest Division title, and two NABC Team Academic Awards.
Burrell becomes the 21st player to be honored with a jersey plaque on the Huskies of Honor wall, which also includes three head coaches, one administrator and one team, the 1998-99 National Champions. The administrator is former athletic director John Toner, the head coaches are Hugh Greer, Dee Rowe and Jim Calhoun, while the players list includes Walt Dropo, Vin Yokabaskas, Worthy Patterson, Art Quimby, Toby Kimball, Wes Bialosuknia, Bill Corley, Tony Hanson, Corny Thompson, Cliff Robinson, Chris Smith, Donyell Marshall, Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Khalid El-Amin, Emeka Okafor, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay, Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier.
In April, Burrell told Hearst Media Connecticut he worried that the “UConn Family” might become a little frayed with the firing of Kevin Ollie and what he perceived as a lack of communication between the program and some former players. But that seems to have been remedied, particularly after Benedict reached out to Burrell for the idea of the Huskies of Honor back in August.
The Nov. 2 game will be UConn’s only exhibition game open to the public. The Huskies will play Harvard in a closed-door scrimmage a few days earlier.
It will also be SCSU’s only exhibition game.
“I hope we can keep it close,” Burrell said, with a laugh.