UConn Men Celebrate National Championship With Fans at Gampel

Moments before the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team entered Gampel Pavilion Tuesday, the atmosphere inside was already electric. Fans and the arena shook with excitement.

As soon as Coach Jim Calhoun, player Kemba Walker and the rest of the team walked down the hall to the stage that had been erected on their court, the fans no longer had to hold it in, they went wild.

The players held college basketball’s top prize aloft and basked in the waves of positive response from the thousands of students, supporters and fans in attendance.

Coach Jim Calhoun had a smile on his face for almost the entire event, which lasted about a half hour. He let the fans know how much their support meant to the team.

“Everything you do tells me how much you love this team,” he said. “You’re the best fans and best students that could possibly support a basketball team.”

Calhoun kept his remarks short, but ended by reiterating how much the support of the fans meant to him and the team.

“Thank you very, very much!” he said.

Thousands of fans packed the pavilion – students, alumni and Husky diehards –Tuesday evening to take part in the third UConn Men’s Championship Pep Rally in 12 years.

Earlier in the day, nearly 100 fans rejoiced outside of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks as the.

In Storrs, screaming fans filled the pavilion, holding signs, banging noise stix, taking photos and high-fiving anyone willing to offer a hand.

Spontaneous chants of U-Conn Hus-kies and U-C-O-N-N UConn UConn UConn rocked the arena.

The rally came to a crescendo when UConn’s head basketball coach Jim Calhoun and the team’s stars were announced.

The crowd exploded into a deafening roar when the team’s roster was called and players took to the stage.

Joe D’Ambrosio, the Huskies play-by-play announcer for WTIC-AM, was the master of ceremonies for the event. He introduced junior Kemba Walker by calling him the most valuable player “from Maui to Manhattan to Monday.”

D’Ambrosio then directed everyone’s attention to the Huskies of Honor wall section in Gampel, where a black cloth covered a new addition to the names and numbers affixed to the wall. D’Ambrosio instructed mascot Jonathan the Husky to remove the covering and Walker’s number and name were revealed.

The thunderous response for Walker, who has not decided if he will turn professional or return to UConn to complete his last year of eligibility, was thunderous. Chants of “Kem-ba Wal-ker!” and “one more year!” rang out as he approached the microphone as well as during his comments. Walker was overcome with emotion and had to pause before he spoke, embracing Calhoun to help gather his thoughts.

“I never thought that I’d see this day,” Walker said.

Walker thanked everyone involved with the team, from the cheerleaders, managers and trainers to his fellow players and the fans.

“This just goes to show hard work really pays off,” he said.

Josh Murphy, a senior at UConn and part of the school band, was excited to be part of such a historic event.

“It was fantastic,” Murphy said of the Huskies’ championship run. “I never thought I’d see it in my time here.”

Sejal Patel, a senior who brought along a sign that read “Kemba Had A Little Lamb – NCAA Champions 2011,” summed up her feelings on the big win succinctly.

“Amazing,” she said.

D’Ambrosio gave the team and fans a warm welcome before Larry McHugh, chairman of the UConn board of trustees, took the podium.

McHugh said everyone was “so proud” of the coaches, players and fans.

“UConn is the best!” he exclaimed.

UConn Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway then spoke, saying Storrs is “still the elite basketball capital of the world.”

Hathaway thanked the school band, cheerleaders, support staff and fans for their dedication.

“Special thanks to Kemba, his teammates and coach Jim Calhoun!” he said with a smile.

Fans looking to congratulate the team can do so on its Facebook page, here. 

Mansfield Local Editor Elyssa Millspaugh contributed to this story.