Opening the Vault

Big news out of Storrs today !!! ...

Ken Davis has written a coffee-table book -- not on coffee tables, but on the history of UConn men's basketball. Looks like a keeper. Here's the press release about the book, and a picture of the cover:

It took nearly a century for a tiny agricultural school in the hills to transform itself into the powerful state university that is UConn, and the Husky basketball program has been an integral part of the school’s rise.

But, “Connecticut basketball is really about the players and coaches who have brought the program though various eras, each dotted with superb stories and unforgettable memories,” says men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun in the foreword to the University of Connecticut Basketball Vault™: The History of the Huskies.

All of those players, coaches and unforgettable memories are here in this 144-page coffee-table book, designed to look like a treasured scrapbook. Opening the Vault is like getting a guided tour through your own personal Husky basketball museum, and who better to be your guide than veteran sportswriter Ken Davis, who has covered the University of Connecticut men’s basketball program since 1985. In the UConn Basketball Vault, Davis mixes great game coverage with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and personal stories to present a view of Husky hardwood history that you won’t find anywhere else.

Not only are all the great stories here, but you’ll also find “hands-on” replicas of unique memorabilia plucked from Connecticut’s extensive campus archives. Explore the book’s dozens of sleeves and pockets to discover a 1920-21 schedule booklet, a handwritten copy of the 1925 athletic budget, a 1948 telegram to the team from former captain Wally Luchuk, publicity questionnaires for stars like Art Quimby and Worthy Patterson, Ray Allen’s 1992 recruiting trip itinerary, program covers and tickets from both the Huskies’ national championships, and much more.

“This scrapbook of pictures and memorabilia, along with the UConn story written by Ken Davis, brings back lots of terrific memories,” says former star Ray Allen, who shares his thoughts in the afterword.

The University of Connecticut Basketball Vault™: The History of the Huskies is part of the Basketball Vault™ series of books from Whitman Publishing, LLC. The 144-page hardcover 12-inch by 10-inch book with slipcase is available for $49.95 in bookstores. The book can also be ordered online at www.WhitmanVaultBooks.com.

“All the games through all the seasons, and especially the championship seasons, are elements in a great story about a university and its basketball program,” says Calhoun. “Those games, and those championships, are what you’ll find in this journey through the years with the Connecticut basketball program. Enjoy the memories!!”