UConn legends enjoying the bragging rights of two straight national titles

Greenwich — UConn’s impressive run of winning six national championships in the last 25 years may be a surprise to some in the college basketball world.

But not to Emeka Okafor.

During his playing days, Okafor saw evidence that the men’s program could continue to rack up national championships after he helped the Huskies raise the title trophy in 2004.

“UConn is just a fantastic place,” Okafor said.” Great coaches, great players, a great fan base. There was no reason not to think the championships would stop coming.”

Since Okafor graduated in 2004, UConn has celebrated four more national championships, including capturing a program-record second straight and sixth overall in April. The Huskies moved into a tie with North Carolina for third most titles all-time.

Okafor and some other members of the UConn basketball family showed up for the inaugural UConn Legends Golf Tournament on Monday at Greenwich Country Club. The event supports Bleeding Blue for Good, which provides Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for the school’s student-athletes.

Assistant coach Tom Moore arrived with two national championship trophies. Rudy Gay made the trip from Maryland where he lives. Ray Allen, Donny Marshall, Scott Burrell, Rashamel Jones, Kevin Freeman and Oliver Macklin also were expected to attend.

Of those aforementioned players, Okafor, Jones (1999) and Freeman (1999) played on national championship teams.

But numerous other players helped lay the foundation for the program’s success.

“If you stepped foot on the university campus, if you played a game, whether you want a championship or not, the UConn fan base will just forever love you,” Okafor said. “Whether you win or not, you’re part of the family and you’re part of the legacy.”

Gay, whose NBA career is winding down, is one of those Huskies who gave his heart and soul to the program but never won a national championship. He played two seasons (2004-05, 2005-06) and suffered a painful overtime loss to George Mason in an NCAA tournament regional final in his final career game. He jumped to the NBA, being drafted eighth overall.

His contributions helped move the program forward.

He’s enjoyed watching UConn’s back-to-back national championship run. He made an appearance in the UConn locker room after the 2023 title win over San Diego State at NRG Stadium in Houston.

“It’s great,” Gay said about UConn’s success. “I love it. Obviously, bragging rights. I can go out there and say I’m a part of this. It’s just fun. At this point in my life just to be able to say I did that, I was there. I walked those pathways. Now these guys are becoming pros. It makes me proud.

“You have to keep the tradition going. I guess I was a part of that.”

Since taking over the program in 2018, coach Dan Hurley has made a point to bring in former Huskies to talk to his team, whether after a home game or during a visit to practice.

It’s a way to form a connection between former players like Gay and Okafor and current Huskies like Alex Karaban and Jaylin Stewart. Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun regularly stops by.

The Stars of Storrs, a team comprised of UConn alumni competing in the The Basketball Tournament (TBT), held a practice at Gampel Pavilion last week. Chris Smith, UConn’s all-time leading scorer, is the coach.

Smith, who played for the Huskies from 1988-92, was there during some of the program’s pivotal growth spurts.

“Any chance we get now with the current team, we reinforce that with those guys,” Moore said about the program’s history. “We were just talking to Chris Smith about that the other day when he brought his TBT team to practice. The thing was built with those guys with their blood, sweat and tears from ’86 to ’90 where it got to the point where it could start to go.”

And the UConn basketball program will go for a historic three-peat during this upcoming season.

Not even Okafor could have forecasted that.

g.keefe@theday.com