Best Uconn team???

[CaNOLEE]

top 3 imo would be...

1. 1999(a little deeper and more balanced team than 2004)
2. 2004(two lottery pics and a solid nba career from Charlie V)
3. 2006(didn't win a ship, but 30-4 and a ridiculously talented and deep team)

Kembas final four freshman team would probably be #4.

Have at it.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I would tend to agree. A lot of people forget that the Duke team that UConn beat in 1999 was one of the best college teams of all time with 5 1st round NBA draft picks starting. The 2004 team didn't have as much opposition although they did a beat a good Duke team in the Final 4.

If the 2004 team had been healthy all year it would have been close, but one other thing is that the 1999 team went 34-2, and the 2 losses were to Syracuse at home when both Hamilton and Voskuhl were out with injuries, and to Miami at home, in Hamilton's first game back from injury when he was clearly off. That team could have gone undefeated and in fact they did go undefeated on the road.

 

[the Blades]

I'd also throw in the 1995 team that lost to UCLA in the NCAA's 102-96 in California vs. Tyus Edney, the O'Bannon's and Tobey Bailey who had the game of his life.... into the mix of great teams....I remember Calhoun's quote of something like " Man we're good ! " It was just the way they played as a true TEAM and could get up and down the court...now that was real basketball.....Even though they lost to UCLA in the Final Eight in front of their homecourt crowd, that team was one of the best that year and they gave the Bruins a tougher game than they had in the final four.....UCLA did go on to win the NC that year.

 

[CaNOLEE]

I'd also throw in the 1995 team that lost to UCLA in the NCAA's 102-96 in California vs. Tyus Edney, the O'Bannon's and Tobey Bailey who had the game of his life.... into the mix of great teams....I remember Calhoun's quote of something like " Man we're good ! " It was just the way they played as a true TEAM and could get up and down the court...now that was real basketball.....Even though they lost to UCLA in the Final Eight in front of their homecourt crowd, that team was one of the best that year and they gave the Bruins a tougher game than they had in the final four.....UCLA did go on to win the NC that year.

 

[CaNOLEE]

I don't know how that just happened.

Khalid, college basketball in general was so much better 15 years ago because you had high draft picks stay 3 years more times than not. Brand left as a soph after our NC, as did William Avery for duke, but both teams had battle tested vets that played at the next level.

Blades, I was at Arizona state at the time, so I saw more of that ucla team than I did uconn. And I had been more of a unlv-fab five-Arkansas guy back then( basically a front runner, just hated duke) but had buddies in Tempe from Tolland, Bolton, Glastonbury, etc... and they got me into Ray Allen and the Huskies. Although, my 8th grade coach took us to watch cliff Robonson when I believe they scrimmaged in Trumbull one year. 1985? Damn I'm old

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

A couple of other UConn teams worth mentioning are the 1994 and 2002 teams. The 1994 team lost a game to Florida in the sweet 16 when Donyell Marshall missed two FTs at the very end of the game. UConn was clearly the better team and could have gone to the Final 4 that year. The 2002 team was on a serious roll behind the unstoppable Caron Butler before losing to eventual champion Maryland in the Elite 8.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Regarding the 2006 UConn team, they were very deep and talented, but as a team they were below average in toughness for a UConn team with the exception of Jeff Adrien, who was the only guy who played tough in the Elite 8 loss to George Mason. I saw that team play a preseason game in Storrs in which they beat Concordia Montreal by 80 points. I think things came a little to easy for them and they didn't play with an edge.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Nobody mentions the 2011 and 2014 national champs because their runs were improbable, but both teams achieved notable NCAA tournament records. The 2011 team won 11 straight postseason games, and set championship game records for FG% defense (19%) and blocked shots (10). The 2014 team shot an NCAA tournament record 88% on FTs, a record I feel will not be broken by a team shooting over 100 FTs in any NCAA tournament. It stands as one of the all time great records in team sports.

 

[the Blades]

A couple of other UConn teams worth mentioning are the 1994 and 2002 teams. The 1994 team lost a game to Florida in the sweet 16 when Donyell Marshall missed two FTs at the very end of the game. UConn was clearly the better team and could have gone to the Final 4 that year.

Don't remind me. I was with my Dad in Miami Arena for that game surrounded by a bunch of Gator fans....that was another Uconn team who had to play vs. an "in-state home team" in the NCAA's....like vs. Texas in TX, UNC in NC, UCLA in Cali and Mich St. in Mich in the FF and they cried about Uconn playing "out of state" in NYC a few years ago...Fruck em'...

The worst thing about Donyell choking on the FT's( all he needed to make was one out of two to win the game in regulation) is that the eilte eight game was vs Boston College
and Bill Curley who never beat a Uconn team from 1988 to 2001. And you wonder why BC wanted to get as far away from Uconn as possible in conference re-alignment

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I have a further recollection of those Donyell missed FTs. I watched the game on live TV and right before he shot one of the FTs he wiped some sweat off his face. I always wondered whether that effected the shot. All he needed was to make one, then UConn wins and advances and probably beats BC to make the Final 4.

 

[CaNOLEE]

Regarding the 2006 UConn team, they were very deep and talented, but as a team they were below average in toughness for a UConn team with the exception of Jeff Adrien, who was the only guy who played tough in the Elite 8 loss to George Mason. I saw that team play a preseason game in Storrs in which they beat Concordia Montreal by 80 points. I think things came a little to easy for them and they didn't play with an edge.

No doubt about 2006, Khalid. They were Golden State. Talented but a little soft. On the other hand, the 2011 and 2014 teams were Cleveland. Tough and gritty with a star player leading them.