On Sunday UConn honored the 20th anniversary of its first championship team, the 1998-99 squad that “shocked the world” and beat Duke 77-74 in Tampa. After a near decade of close-but-not-quite runs through the tournament, this Huskies team ripped through the regular season at 25-2 and won the Big East Tournament in New York before going on an unforgettable run that led to the program’s first title.
Twenty years later, most of the Huskies were back at Gampel Pavilion, re-living the month that turned UConn from a good program into a power. How much do you remember from the six games in March 1999?
Round of 64 – UConn 91, UTSA 66:
The top seed in the West Region, the Huskies opened the tournament in Denver at the old McNichols Sports Arena against Southland champion UTSA. Richard Hamilton exploded for 28 points on 12-of-22 shooting, Khalid El-Amin dished out 10 assists and UConn shot 55 percent as a team in a 25-point win.
Round of 32 – UConn 78, New Mexico 56:
If it was the offense that put on a show in the first round, the defense did in the second. The Huskies held the Lobos to just 26 percent shooting for the game, including just 4-for-21 from three-point range, and UConn led 37-22 at the break. Hamilton and El-Amin each scored 21 points on the other end, and the Huskies were off to their second straight Sweet 16 and seventh in 10 years.
Sweet 16 – UConn 78, Iowa 68:
Now in Phoenix for the regional semis at the US Airways Center, the Huskies faced the fifth-seeded Hawkeyes. Again the offense clicked, shooting 54 percent for the game, led by (you guessed it) Hamilton and El-Amin, who combined for 45 points and nine assists. It was a close game throughout – it was a four-point game with five minutes left – but ultimately the Huskies pulled away in the final minutes to head back to the Elite 8 for the second straight year.
Elite 8 – UConn 67, Gonzaga 62:
The Huskies’ first four appearances in the Elite 8 all ended the same way: on the losing end. The chances were never better than in ’99, as this wasn’t yet the Gonzaga we all know today. This was a plucky 10-seed Cinderella few had heard of before. Still, it was a struggle the entire game. Neither team shot above 37 percent. El-Amin played just four minutes in the first half with foul trouble and finished the game 0-12 shooting.
But, UConn had Rip, and Gonzaga didn’t. Hamilton finished with a game-high 21 points, El-Amin made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left, Kevin Freeman chipped in two more, and for the first time ever the Huskies were off to the Final Four.
Final Four – UConn 64, Ohio State 58:
The four-seed out of the South Region, the Buckeyes boasted future NBA All-Star Michael Redd and Boston College transfer Scoonie Penn. While Redd led the way with 15 points, Penn had a miserable night, shooting just 3-of-13 as he was hounded by defensive stalwart Ricky Moore.
On the other end, again there was no answer for Hamilton, who had 24 points, while El-Amin added 18. Up 36-35 at the break, UConn started to separate itself in the second half, never leading by fewer than five points in the final minute to advance to its first-ever national championship game.
National Championship – UConn 77, Duke 74:
Considered one of the greatest teams to not win a title, this Blue Devils team was loaded. Entering with a 37-1 record, Duke had four players that would be drafted within the first 14 picks of the 1999 NBA Draft, including the No. 1 overall pick and consensus Player of the Year Elton Brand, plus a future Player of the Year in Shane Battier. Despite both being one-seeds, it was one of the largest point spreads in title game history, with Duke entering as a 9.5-point favorite.
A back-and-forth first half featuring six lead changes and seven ties saw Duke head into the locker room up 39-37 as Trajan Langdon and Ricky Moore tried to outduel one another. Langdon finished with 25 points, while Moore had 13, all in the first half, along with eight rebounds.
A close game throughout, UConn led 73-72 with 1:42 left after a Langdon three-pointer. With the shot clock winding down, El-Amin’s short jumper made it 75-72. Two Duke free throws later it was back to a one-point game. With 23 seconds left the Blue Devils got a stop and had a chance to take the lead, but Moore forced Langdon into traveling with just 5.4 seconds left. El-Amin hit two free throws, Langdon stumbled going down the court, and UConn shocked the world.
