The last time the UConn men’s basketball team visited the White House, the Huskies had company.
On June 9, 2014, in the East Room, President Barack Obama stood in the middle of the podium with the UConn National Championship trophy to his left and another trophy to his right. Behind him was a stage full of husky men and women.
“I have to say, as president, one of my goals has been to eliminate waste and get rid of duplicate software to make things more efficient, but that could be carrying things too far,” he says. said the former presidentearning a collective chuckle from the room.
That year, the UConn women went a perfect 40-0 and captured their second straight title in what ended up being a four-straight haul. The men, under “fresh blood” Kevin Ollie, as President Obama called him, finished the season 32-8 and advanced through the NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed.
“Now, I also have to admit, I didn’t pick the guys to win brackets. Of course, nobody else did unless you go to UConn,” the former president quipped.
The Huskies will be back at that familiar spot at 5 p.m. Friday, guys alone this time with Dan Hurley, now “New Blood,” and President Joe Biden speaking.
The current chief took to Twitter to congratulate the Huskies on the morning after they beat fifth seed San Diego State, 76-59, in Houston to claim the title.
“[UConn men’s basketball] He returned to glory with a string of dominant performances that were often great to watch,” he tweeted from his official POTUS account.
The boss later called Hurley to congratulate him on his first championship, but the original phone call went unanswered at Hurley’s end. Fifth year UConn head coach said the athlete He was on the phone with a class of 2024 recruit and never saw him take another call, but President Biden left a voicemail.
The phone tag game is finally over and the men’s program is scheduled to visit the fifth to the White House since 1999. Jim Calhoun brought his teams in 1999, 2004 and 2011, and heard remarks from President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. (who drank a double dose of huskies) and President Obama.
LSU’s women’s basketball team and superstar Angel Reese, cousin of first-round prospect Jordan Hawkins, will also be honored by President Biden on Friday.