Bill Murray visits Albany, cheering for UConn at NCAA Tournament
The NCAA Tournament brought thousands of March Madness fans to upstate New York over the weekend, including Oscar-nominated actor Bill Murray.
Murray, whose career includes Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters and Caddyshack, visited Albany to cheer for the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team. His son, Luke Murray, is the No. 4 UConn Huskies assistant coach.
Connecticut beat Iona 87-63 Friday night at MVP Arena in the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. UConn won again on Sunday, advancing to the Sweet 16 with a 70-55 win over Saint Mary’s; The Huskies led with 24 points and 8 rebounds off Adama Sanogo, while Amsterdam native and Albany Academy alumnus Andre Jackson Jr. was reported to be running 13–5 in the second half.
Bill Murray attended both games and was seen dining Thursday night at dp: An American Brasserie, a restaurant located at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Albany. The Times Union reports that he shook hands with fans and posed for pictures, and offered to wager $61 in cash in his pocket that Connecticut would beat Iona. (Rick Pitino, who now coaches Iona, was previously a head coach at Louisville, where Luke was an assistant coach before moving to UCLA.)

Bill Murray watches the first half between the St. Mary Gaels and the Connecticut Huskies during the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 19, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Mike Laurie/Getty Images)
Murray, who has also credited Lost in Translation, Groundhog Day, Kingpin, Stripes and Scrooge, was also seen posing for a selfie with fans in the stands of a basketball tournament.
UConn will next play Arkansas in the regional semi-finals in Las Vegas, where the Huskies will make their first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2014. This was the same year that Connecticut won its last national championship.
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