The UConn men and women have created countless memories through the madness of March and onto the championships won in April. Each day between now and the men’s and women’s Final Fours next month, The Courant will look back through our archives and highlight a memorable men’s and/or women’s game that occurred on that date. Today:
March 29 1999: UConn 77, Duke 74
Of all the great moments in UConn men’s basketball history, this one has to rank No. 1. UConn, which was 33-2, Big East regular-season and tournament champs and a No. 1 seed, came into the 1999 national title game as major underdogs to No. 1 overall Duke, which featured future top overall pick Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon and Shane Battier, and was 37-1 entering the game.
It proved to be a knock-down, drag-out fight worthy of a classic title game. Richard Hamilton poured in a game-high 27 points, and Khalid El-Amin had 12, including two clutch free throws with seconds to go. One final stop sent the arena and the entire state of Connecticut into delirium, and El-Amin raced over to the broadcast table, screaming, “We shocked the world!”
It was the first-ever men’s basketball title for UConn, and the first of three for legendary coach Jim Calhoun.
Our readers weigh in
1999, another memory of St. Pete: “March 29, 1999 in St Petersburg, Fla. Duke, with a 37-1 record, a 9.5-point favorite to beat a Richard Hamilton/Khalid El- Amin-led Huskies team. We found ourselves in a Tropicana Field seating section, totally surrounded by wildly avid Blue Devil fans. Every time the UConn faithful chanted U-C-O-N-N, the nearby “Dukees” would add “sucks”. With seconds left, Ricky Moore caused Duke star Trajan Langdon to shuffle his feet and walk with the ball and the victory was ours! One of my fellow UConn loyalists didn’t miss the moment, standing up and in a loud voice directed at the Duke throng yelled, ‘Who sucks Now!’”
— Tony Retartha, Avon
Share a memory
What’s your favorite UConn March Madness memory? Whether you were in the stands or on your couch, tell us the Husky hoops story that you’re always sharing with your friends and family. We’ll take a look at our responses and run some of the best in print and online. Remember, brevity is always best, so keep it short and sweet. Send your thoughts to sports@courant.com and be sure to include your name and town.
