The Daily Campus

Issue date: 6/15/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Nick Hart Dan Mahoney was drafted in the fourth round by the Florida Marlins.

For those of us lucky enough to have witnessed the past year in UConn sports, we may have seen one of the most successful in school years history - which saw dual national championships in basketball as well as the first bowl ever for the football team.

2004 was impressive, but the 2008-2009 years surpassed it in the time after the teams finished playing.

Men's Soccer

By most observers' accounts, the men's soccer team disappointed this year. To have the reigning player of the year in O'Brien White and to not even make the Big East championship game was a big letdown. But after the Huskies' season ended with a loss to No. 2 Creighton, two of the team's stars made names for themselves. White, who spent a portion of the season injured, was drafted fourth by Toronto FC in the MLS draft. White was not alone; his teammate Akeem Preistley was drafted by the Kansas City Wizards. The duo were the first to get drafted to a professional league this year, but they were certainly not the last.

Football

Under the leadership of Randy Edsall, the football team has been gaining more and more national prominence, and 2008 was a banner year. Although they did not win a share of the Big East championship like the year before, the rise of Donald Brown gave the Huskies increased exposure. Despite winning the International Bowl, the impact of Brown was not felt until months after, on UConn Pro Day, when Bill Belichick was on hand to watch. Draft day was another day of milestones. Four Huskies were drafted within the first two rounds, including two (Brown, Darius Butler) in the very first. The number was second highest of any school in the country, behind only USC.

Baseball

The baseball team also reached new heights in its draft. The Huskies made a late-season run to the Big East championship game, where they fell short 11-3. Not long after, a school-record seven players were selected in the MLB draft. Dan Mahoney lead the way, selected by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 50 round draft. Dusty Odenbach, Peter Fatse, John Folino, Harold Brantley Jr., David Erikson and incoming freshman Pat Butler rounded out those drafted.

Men's Basketball

Hasheem Thabeet has been making the rounds after the Huskies' loss to Michigan State in the Final Four, appearing on ESPN's First Take and even throwing out the first pitch at a Dodgers game. Thabeet is likely to rival White's fourth overall selection in the MLS draft. It is obviously not uncommon for basketball players to gain national prominence, but none have been quite as goofy as Hasheem.

In terms of drafted players, '08-'09 will have to go down as one of the best athletic years in recent school history, and the rise in prominence of sports like football and baseball might help us break free of the "basketball school" moniker.

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