POLL: which was UConn's best season?

[alexrgct]

So, I am trying to figure out if we could define UConn's best season. What I'd like to do is come to a consensus as to what the criteria are. That part of the exercise can spring organically from this discussion. I guess I have an idea what the criteria are, but I can't really say which criterion matters more than others.

One criterion that I think has to be employed is that only undefeated teams can be considered as the greatest season. Sure, The 2000 team lost a single game by a single point, but it's an imperfection just the same. So my ballot will be restricted to the five undefeated teams UConn has produced. The fact that there are five to choose from warms the cockles of my heart, but in any event, here are some data:

1995:

Overall record- 35-0
PPG- 89.49
Points allowed per-game- 56.31
Average MOV- 33.17
Three closest games- four points over Virginia (regional finals), six points over Tennessee (NC game), 10 points over Kansas

2002:

Overall Record- 39-0
PPG- 87.03
Points allowed per-game- 51.59
Average MOV- 35.44
The closest games- nine points over Virginia Tech, 12 points over Oklahoma (NC game), tied at 14 points over Oklahoma and Tennessee (both 86-72 games)

2009:

Overall Record- 39-0
PPG- 83.95
Points allowed per-game- 53.44
Average MOV- 30.51
Three closest games- 10 points over Notre Dame, 10 Points over Rutgers, 12 points over USF

2010:

Overall Record- 39-0
PPG- 81.21
Points allowed per-game- 46.18
Average MOV- 35.03
Three closest games- six points over Stanford (NC game), 12 points over Stanford (12/23/09), 14 points over St. John's

2014:

Overall Record- 40-0
PPG- 82.08
Points allowed per-game- 47.83
Average MOV- 34.25
Three closest games- 11 points over Baylor, 15 points over Texas A&M (Regional Finals), tied at 17 points over Louisville and Maryland


A lot of questions jump out at me:

• Is it a more impressive season to have gone 40-0 than it is 35-0? What about 40-0 vs. 39-0?
• How important is the MOV criterion?
• How important is the "three closest games" criterion?
• Are there other criteria I should be considering? I left out the number of WNBA draft picks because I didn't consider that as being part of the best team head-to-head; I'm trying to evaluate the best season here.

Thoughts and votes are appreciated. Choose between five offerings of perfection from this great program!

 

[hoophuskee]

I go with 2002 as the best. Still on the fence if 2014 is better than 2010, but I think it is. I reserve the right to change my mind!!!

1-- 2002

2-- 2014

3--- 2010

4----- 2009

5----- 1995

 

[HoopsFan21]

I'm going with 2014. 2002 is a close 2nd, but keep in mind the game and competitiveness of it has changed quite a lot since that season, so doing what the Huskies are doing today is more impressive than say if they had the exact same season ten years ago.

 

[hoophuskee]

Tooo much DT for for 2014 to handle. She's 6'0+ - as Geno said duirng finals of 2002- he could have ran the isolation play DT did to foul out Stacy anytime he wanted but didn't want to play that way.

This 2014 team has no answer for a big 2-guard like DT.

 

[Suebird10fan]

1. 2010
2. 2009
3. tie 2002, 2014
4. 1995

I go with 2010 for the simple reason that all other things being equal great defense trumps great offense. Because of its stifling, smothering defense, the 2010 team had the ability to impose its will on other teams in a way no other team could. Of course, there is a big BUT ... which is the championship game. For one half at least UConn was certainly NOT able to impose its will. Two things to bear in mind though: first, even with Jayne Appel hobbled by injuries that Stanford team with Appel, Pohlen, Pederson, Nneka and Gold-Onwude was really, really good. Other than Baylor 2013 and UConn 2001, I'm inclined to think they were the best team not to win the championship. Second, I think you have to look on it as a bit of a fluke game. The shots just weren't falling for anyone but Maya that night. But with great defense and the incomparable Maya Moore, we prevailed against an unbelieveable team on a night no one had their shooting touch.

 

[Suebird10fan]

By the way, the stat I'd like to see is MoV vs. top 10 teams. Ideally this would be adjusted for whether the game was home/away/neutral. 2014 would hold up extremely well on this stat.

 

[hoophuskee]

I don't think the young kids in the backcourt of 2010 could handle the young kid DT in the backourt. DT is regarded as one of the all-tme greatest ever The 2010 backcourt I believe too young to handle her.

 

[SportsPageMike]

1995 because it was the first.

 

[Sonny44]

2014, when you're as old as I am it's the only one you remember!
Also, the only battle of the unbeatens, may never happen again.

 

[Icebear]

Best season 2014. Best team is a different conversation. This season we were always teetering on the edge between disaster and greatness. In the end it tilted to greatness. It made for a tremendous season.

 

[rocky rococo]

The team A/TO ratios for each year would be interesting to have.

 

[hussybulldog]

I think the best season is 2004 as they were least expected to win the big dance. And Tenn's was the one when they won NCAA with 10 losses. If one has to choose a year from these listed 5 options, I would pick 1995.

 

[dtbtbtb]

While 2002 was the team that got me hooked on the women's game, 2014 had to overcome so manny obstacles and still won every game by over 10 points. The team defense of the 2014 team was IMO the by far the best of all time with all players totally into it and creating an unbeaten basketball team. In theory the 2010 team deserves to be called the best of all time but that horrible first half in the final makes it very hard.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

SportsPageMike- - -I agree, I voted 1995 for being the 1st and opening the eyes of the country to the coaching staff/players and got really good players thinking of UCONN as an option to established programs TN, GA, LA Tech, VA, Stanford, etc.
My 2nd choice would be the 2002 team as they made it seem so easy vs any oppt.
I have a special place in my heart though for the 2000-2001 that lost both Svet & Shea to injuries and lost to TN during the season but if they stayed healthy they would have dominated that FF! They had 7 All-Americans on the roster!
The 2000-2001 Roster: (IMHO the greatest WCBB team ever)
D. Taurasi G AA/WNBA/POY/OLYMPICS GOLD
M. Conlon G
S. Bird G AA/WNBA/POY/OLYMPICS GOLD
K. Schumacher C WNBA
M. Czel G
K. Walters G
A. Jones F/C AA/WNBA/OLYMPICS GOLD
M. Valley G
A. Battle G WNBA
K. Johnson G
S. Abrosimova F AA/WNBA/OLYMPICS SILVER USSR
J. Moore C WNBA
S. Cash F AA/WNBA/OLYMPICS GOLD
S. Ralph G/F AA/POY
T. Williams F AA/WNBA
C. Rigby C

 

[Wbbfan1]

I chose 1995, not because it was the best team, but it was the team that enabled everything else to happen. 1st year UConn was ranked #1 in both polls, 1st National Championship and 1st Undefeated UConn team. Cemented Geno and UConn as a dominant force in WBB.

 

[alexrgct]

I am loving the results of this poll so far!

• 2014 is getting a lot of votes. It really was a wholly satisfying season, on that we should appreciate fully. UConn was unbeaten and barely challenged at all. The core of six players were immensely talented and played the game the right way. The legend of this team will only grow, so it's worth taking the offseason opportunity to smell the roses.
• Every other season is getting at least a vote, and each season was fantastic! 1995 was the NC that got was the culmination of 10 years of building a program. 2002 made UConn one of very few programs to get three NCs (Tennessee, Immaculata, Delta State, Old Dominion, La Tech), and dominated throughout the season. 2009 got UConn back to the top after four seasons of post-Diana hangover and made UConn the only program with three (or even two) undefeated teams. 2010 made UConn the only program with two undefeated teams in a row. And 2014 was the record, where UConn eclipsed Tennessee with nine championships.

I'm not listing the significance of each championship as a way of saying which was better season. I'm just saying each one represented good times all around. And the way UConn is riding two consecutive NCs and is favored to win a third (which would make UConn the only program with two three-peats), one can only conclude that these are the good times.

 

[magic]

Tooo much DT for for 2014 to handle. She's 6'0+ - as Geno said duirng finals of 2002- he could have ran the isolation play DT did to foul out Stacy anytime he wanted but didn't want to play that way.

This 2014 team has no answer for a big 2-guard like DT.

Not sure the 2002 team could have handled the frontline of Dolson, Stewie and KML.

 

[reno tony]

I took 2002 but I wanted to say 2010 was a close second because of Tina/Maya combo plus others. But every time I think of that team the Stanford N.C. game creeps into my mind and I think about what the 2002 team would have done to Stanford that day. It would not have been pretty. Couldn't pick the 2014 team because they just don't have the "Killer instinct" per Geno's words. You could almost see it in the N.C. game. Once they got up by 20 or so they just went on cruise control to keep the game in hand. The 2002 team would have stepped on the gas..... especially since ND is now, what Tennessee was during their era.

45 TO GO​

 

[hoophuskee]

Not sure the 2002 team could have handled the frontline of Dolson, Stewie and KML.

The teams were all so great - I'm not sure any team could be "handled." Just as I beleive that the 2014 guards are so small a player like DT is so phycally strong as well that she'd force a double team. From that point I believe 2014 would have to double team DT. At that point it would be extremely hard for 2014 to handle 2002's frontline as well.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

SportsPageMike- - -I agree, I voted 1995 for being the 1st and opening the eyes of the country to the coaching staff/players and got really good players thinking of UCONN as an option to established programs TN, GA, LA Tech, VA, Stanford, etc.
My 2nd choice would be the 2002 team as they made it seem so easy vs any oppt.
I have a special place in my heart though for the 2000-2001 that lost both Svet & Shea to injuries and lost to TN during the season but if they stayed healthy they would have dominated that FF! They had 7 All-Americans on the roster!
The 2000-2001 Roster: (IMHO the greatest WCBB team ever)
D. Taurasi G AA/WNBA/POY/OLYMPICS GOLD
M. Conlon G
S. Bird G AA/WNBA/POY/OLYMPICS GOLD
K. Schumacher C WNBA
M. Czel G
K. Walters G
A. Jones F/C AA/WNBA/OLYMPICS GOLD
M. Valley G
A. Battle G WNBA
K. Johnson G
S. Abrosimova F AA/WNBA/OLYMPICS SILVER USSR
J. Moore C WNBA
S. Cash F AA/WNBA/OLYMPICS GOLD
S. Ralph G/F AA/POY
T. Williams F AA/WNBA
C. Rigby C

Not only was that 00-01 roster great, it may also have been UConn's biggest (in terms of # of players).

 

[chrissaran]

Stef, UConn's best passing center ever, MoJeff, UConn's quickest player ever, KML, UConn's best pure shooter ever, Stewie, UConn's most difficult matchup ever, and Bria, tough and clutch when she's most needed.

 

[Wally East]

Not sure the 2002 team could have handled the frontline of Dolson, Stewie and KML.

I'd love to see Lobo, Wolters, and Sales take them on.

 

[JRRRJ]

For me, it would be 2002, 2014, 1995, 2010, 2009

The measurables:
Stat 2002/2014
PPG: 87.0/82.1
Opp PPG: 51.6/47.8
FG%: 52.0/50.3
Opp FG%: 32.1/31.0
3FG%: 40.6/36.6
Opp 3FG%: 30.7/26.3
FT%: 72.1/75.0
FTM/G: 15.3/12.2
RB/G: 45.5/42.8
Opp RB/G: 30.0/33.6
Off RB/G: 15.1/12.0
Fouls/Game: 13.6/11.8
FO: 3/2
Assists/G: 21.7/21.2
A/TO: 1.5/1.8
A/FG: .661/.679
Blocks/G: 6.2/8.1
Steals/G: 10.1/9.4
BRATS: 64.7/67.4

The intangibles:
'02 doesn't have to face the big interior on offense: they shoot the 3 very, very well. Even so, who's gonna move Tamika off the block? Nope, sorry. All-time leading percentage shooter for a career. And Ashja's gonna bring out a post to guard her mid-range shot just as well as Stefanie does, or you will pay. As will Swin.

Sometime after the '01 Final Four loss, Diana said something like "we all sat around feeling bad about the loss and we resolved we'd never feel like that again". And they didn't. No team I've ever watched play had the killer instinct like that one, though individual players have. The starters only had to play 131.1 minutes (66%) a game to amass their stats -- 2014 starters played 153.6 (76.8%).

'14 is undoubtedly quicker and more athletic on average. But '02 executed better on average. Their chemistry was fabulous because so many starters were seniors. They played inside/out like nobody's business (825 FTA vs. 648 for '14 in one game fewer).

And who will guard Diana if Geno decides he needs to run the famous isolation play over & over? '14 doesn't have the depth for it. Against '02 that will be a factor (remember all those FTs above?).

I'm making knowledge of the other team's offense a non-factor, although with all it's upperclassmen (and Diana) this would be an edge for '02 if they played each other.

I think '14 is possibly the best starting 5 and it's pretty likely that in the next 2 years, barring injury, I will change my vote. But at this point, '02 is the clear frontrunner. I give them 7 games out of 10.

 

[meyers7]

People keep talking about who was on the team, and who could handle who(m). That's not the OP's question, which SEASON, (not team i.e. who's gonna guard whom) is the best. Not how the teams would do against each other, but how each team did against their competition their year.

I agree with Suebird10fan, the stat I'd like to see is MoV vs. top 10 teams. That I think would be most telling.

 

[baggerbob]

No-one on the 2014 team would be able to guard DT, no-one still can, but by the same token no-one on that team could guard Stewie. There also was no-one on that 2002 team who could come out of no-where for a block, as Stewie does many times. Geno said the 2014 team didn't have the killer instinct, but in a lot of games Geno shut the offense down for the last 5 minutes, he is the one who mellowed.