Connecticut
MBB Celebration Parade Draws 60,000 To Hartford – University of Connecticut Athletics
By PHIL CHARDIS
Special to uconnhuskies.com
HARTFORD – The sequel was even more popular than the original.
UConn men’s basketball fans who couldn’t make it to last year’s National Championship parade through the streets of Hartford got a second chance Saturday and made the most of it. Some 60,000 people, a sizable increase over last year’s total, lined the streets along the parade route and crowded in front of the entrance to of the XL Center for a ceremony to celebrate the Huskies’ second consecutive National Championship.
A blustery wind did not deter the fans who chanted familiar UConn cheers, held up signs of congratulations and tried to catch shirts being tossed by the UConn band, on a flatbed truck, the UConn staff, on the team bus, and from the Huskies themselves, mounted on a double-decker bus in the back of the parade.
“I’ve never part of a parade before,” said grad student Cam Spencer, who chuckled at the many ‘Cam, Will You Marry Me?’ signs along the route. “That was really a lot of fun, one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. To have all those UConn fans there, that was really incredible. It was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget. I’m so thankful for the year I had here and I wanted the fans to know that.”
Once the parade finished, the UConn players and coaches mounted a podium on Trumbull Street in front of the XL Center, where the crowd was addressed by Hartford mayor Arunan Arulampalam, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, UConn Director of Athletics David Benedict, players Donovan Clingan, Alex Karaban, Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton, and Coach Dan Hurley.
“Back to back,” Hurley yelled to the crowd. “Everywhere we went this year, every arena we went into, we said the same thing every time we walked into the arena, ‘The champs are here!’ Well, the champs are here today in Hartford with the best fans in the world. Storrs, Connecticut, is the basketball capital of the world. Back-to-back champs!”
For some of the Huskies, like Bristol native Clingan, it was their second straight parade. All of the players thanked the fans for their support throughout the season.
“One of the coolest things about winning a national title is the parade,” he said. “That is one thing that you will always remember.”
The 7-2 sophomore, who has already declared his intention to forego his last two years of eligibility and enter this year’s NBA Draft, admitted it will be difficult to leave UConn, where he has known nothing but success.
“It is crazy to get to do something so special and leave my mark on the history of this program,” Clingan said. “I cherish these two years. It was very hard for me to go up there and talk to the coaches yesterday and talk about leaving. I am a Husky for life. It is hard, I love UConn. Being able to bring two titles back here is so special.”
The Huskies, who set a program record for wins this season with their 37-3 record and a conference record with an 18-2 BIG EAST mark, wrapped up their second straight NCAA title with a 75-60 win over Purdue last Monday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. They are the first team to win back-to-back National Championships in 17 years.
“The guys who were here last year told me it would be a lot of fun,” said freshman Stephon Castle. “It was everything I expected it to be. Our fans travel really well, they have all year, so I’m not surprised they showed out today.”
For Hurley, as it was last season, the parade represents the culmination of a season of hard work by all those involved with the program.
“Just going back six months, what it took since June, the work that went into it, treating the summer like it was a winter – it’s just a commitment level up through the coaching staff, through the players,” the coach said. “I think the realization you come to is that you’re putting together teams, and not all-star teams, so as you look at the portal and you look at high school recruiting and at your own roster and it’s like just continue to put together these type of teams with our type of guys. We want to maintain our culture and bring back as many players from this championship team as we can. We want to construct a roster very similar to the last two. It worked.”
Two parades are proof of that.
“And next year,” Hurley said, “we go for the three-peat.”
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
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