So Ray Allen leaves after the 1995-96' season to the NBA...Had he stayed for his senior year at UConn, he would have spent a year with a smooth, lanky 6-7 kid from Coatesville, PA...His name, Richard Hamilton....And his time in Storrs "Shocked the World."
Rip grew up with a close knit group of friends who played football, basketball and baseball together. Each believing they were better than the other. And as the story goes, they all treated each other the same..Only Dad thought Rip had a chance someday to play in the NBA. By his Senior year in HS, he was among the Top 20 players in the Nation as he was chosen as a McDonald's All American...Highly recruited, he made his choice after watching a game at ....Gampel Pavilion. An NBA Style of play with a great knowledgeable fan base...If the NBA would be in his calling, playing for Jim Calhoun, who made no guarantees, would be the right choice....And as it turns out, Richard Hamilton was absolutely correct...
With a incoming class that included Kevin Freeman and Jake Voskuhl, UConn had a fast start to the 96'-97' season...11-3 that included a 15 point win at Georgetown. When #1 Kansas came to town in Hartford, Hamilton had 18 in the first half, however the Jayhawks were better...but it showed what the Huskies could be...unfortunately, Kirk King and Rocky Moore were suspended for the remainder of the season...The Huskies would endure a pair of four game slides that sent the Huskies to the NIT. UConn would beat Iona, Bradley and Nebraska en route to MSG, where the Huskies would lose to Florida St in the Semi's...but rebound with a win in the third place game over Arkansas....Rip, on the Big East All Freshman Team, led the team in scoring with 509pts (16ppg) 38% from 3 and a team high 91 free throws made. He also posted the UConn, Freshman in Game Scoring Record with 31...against Nebraska and Pittsburgh.
His Sophomore Season was a bang !! And they added a freshman point guard from Minneapolis in Khalid El Ahmin..The Huskies took off again....Rip scored 795 points in year two (21.5ppg) made 99 threes and scored 30+ twice..including 38 at Boston College as the Huskies moved into the Top 10 in early January..In fact, he'd score 30+ 6 times in the 97-98 season. While making 156 free throws. Early in the season, he had 28 in a half against Fairfield...and in the second game of the season against BU, had a career high 8 steals...And in game #55, Hamilton scored his 1,000th point, 3rd fastest in program history. UConn went 32-5, won the Big East Regular Season and Tournament Titles. Finishing 6th in the final AP poll....After wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Indiana, UConn went to Greensboro and beat Washington in the Sweet 16...an epic 75-74 win as Hamilton on a third place put back, won the game at the buzzer. You've probably heard Sean McDonough's call once or twice on YouTube (the home radio call is a gem as well :) ) His season earning him Big East Player of the year Honors and named a Second Team All American choice...The season ended two days later with the loss to #1 North Carolina, but it would be the impetus to a memorable 1998-99' season.
In the Nutmeg State, this season was a year of high expectation...A Final Four and National Championship were real possibilities...The Preseason #2 rating only trailed everyone's favorite....The program of the 90's, Duke. By the time December came, the Huskies were #1...Wins over Washington in Chicago and a Gampel win over #9 Michigan St solidified the ranking...starting 19-0, capped by close road wins at Georgetown and #9 St. John's at the Garden...But minor injuries to Rip and Jake Voskuhl proved costly against Syracuse at the Civic Center...losing their first game of the year...It didn't deter the Huskies. A 26-2 regular season, capped by a dominant win over the Orange in the Regular Season Finale to win another Big East Title....And after a narrow escape in the Big East Quarters against Seton Hall, UConn stormed thru Syracuse and St. John's en route to another Tournament Championship...Hamilton again a major player...that included 39 at BC in early January (38 in 98') where again, he'd average 21.5ppg to repeat at Big East Player of the Year. A One seed out west in the NCAA's, UConn rolled past UT-San Antonio and New Mexico in Denver, before surviving a battle with Iowa in the Sweet 16. Cinderella Gonzaga the last obstacle for UConn and their first Final Four. Hamilton led the team in scoring as UConn fought off the Bulldogs and Jim Calhoun gets to a Final Four for the First Time...
Where was Hamilton huge in the win over Ohio State in St. Petersburg, FL....Rip surpassing the 2,000pt mark in his career..Only the second Husky to do so..On March 29, 1999, Duke would play UConn in an epic National Championship Game. Hamilton scoring 27 in the 77-74 win to give UConn and New England a National Championship. Rip named the Final Four MOP, was also named a First Team All American for the season. He wrestled with going pro after the title as he enjoyed college life....But finally made himself available for the draft....The 7th pick overall by Washington, where he was going to live out another dream...Not playing against...but playing with Michael Jordan...
Rip played 14 seasons in the league, scoring over 15,000 points....Twice averaging 20ppg and playing in three All Star Games...But in 2002, Hamilton was traded to Detroit...and the Pistons dominated the East, appearing in straight Eastern Conference Finals and Two NBA Finals..with the Pistons winning it all in 2004. After a 9 year run in The Motor City, Hamilton finished his career in Chicago, retiring in 2015...On February 26, 2017, Rip's #32 in Detroit was retired...Of course was part if the first Group of Huskies that joined the Huskies of Honor in 2007.
Hamilton was at MSG sitting along side Coach Calhoun when Kevin Ollie took UConn to the Final Four in 2014 at the Regionals...In his UConn Tenure, Rip score 2,036 points...2nd All Time..Averaging 19.8 ppg (3rd)...5th in threes made with 237..94 double figure games that included 30 in a row..and 12 +30 point games, (2nd Most)...UConn's only 2x Big East Player of the Year...and The Huskies only 2x All American...
Donyell, Ray and Rip...quite a trio of All Americans...But Guys named Caron, Ben and Emeka were on the way to keep the train rolling...More on those guys soon.....Richard Hamilton...a 2x All American, a National Champion and definately a UConn Legend