STORRS, Conn. -- It was business as usual at Gampel Pavilion. Well, sort of. Before Connecticut's home opener Friday, a banner was unveiled and a ring presented, but not for a national championship. Instead, both of those items were to honor former Huskies great Rebecca Lobo, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September.
It was the first time since 2012 that no new championship banner was raised to the Gampel rafters to open the season.
The sting from the loss to Morgan William and Mississippi State in last year's Final Four hung in the air.