UHart To Name New Athletics Complex After NBA Hoops Legend

WEST HARTFORD/HARTFORD/BLOOMFIELD, CT — A $2.4 million outdoor athletics and recreation complex honoring former NBA All-Star Vin Baker will be built on the residential side of the University of Hartford campus, university officials announced this week.

The new facility will include six tennis courts — one lined to accommodate four pickleball courts — and a basketball court, with lighting for evening play.

UHart's campus is located in three separate towns: West Hartford, Hartford, and Bloomfield.

The project is intended to expand recreational opportunities for students while also supporting the university’s NCAA Division III athletic programs.

University leaders said the complex reflects ongoing investments in student life and athletics following the school’s transition to Division III competition after years in Division I.

Baker, widely considered the most accomplished men’s basketball player in the university’s history, will have the complex named in his honor.

He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1993 and played for seven NBA teams over a 13-year career, earning four All-Star selections and winning a gold medal with the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2000 Olympics.

The Old Saybrook High School graduate currently serves as an assistant coach with the Bucks.

“I am deeply grateful for this incredible honor,” Baker, 54, said in a statement. “It has truly exceeded my imagination, and I am beyond excited. The university is very special to me, and there is no bigger honor I've ever received or been prouder of in my basketball career than this.”

The Bucks organization is also supporting the project, with its marketing team assisting in the complex’s design.

UHart Athletics Director Alicia Queally said the facility is intended to serve both varsity athletes and the broader student body.

“We envision this as a space not just for our incredible student-athletes, but for everyone to be able to stay active, compete in a friendly atmosphere, and create lifelong memories,” Queally said. “We’re investing in athletics, recreation, and club sports in a big way for more students to benefit from what those opportunities offer—leadership, teamwork, and dedication. I can’t think of a more fitting way to honor Vin’s legacy.”

The complex is being funded in part by two lead donations.

One gift comes from alumnus Loic De Kertanguy, a former Hartford tennis player whose contribution will name the tennis facility within the complex.

Another donation focused on the basketball court is being led by alumni Anthony Assante and Mike Daglio, who are encouraging fellow members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity to support the project.

University officials say the complex will also help accommodate growing demand for intramural and club sports.

The school currently offers 10 intramural leagues and 12 club sports with more than 200 student participants.

The project follows several recent athletics investments on campus, including the opening of a new track and field facility in fall 2025. Construction timelines for the Baker complex have not yet been announced.

For more information on the project, click on this link.

For more information on Vin Baker's basketball career, click on this link.