2004 UConn vs. Gonzaga

[nelsonmuntz]

Way more underclassmen are leaving every single year than the year before, it has been this trend over the past decade or two and way more of them aren't making the league than before. This is such a silly argument, of course the level of play was better back in the day in the college game, you had the best players in the world staying into their upperclassmen years instead of leaving after their first year or skipping college all together.

Prove it. This is math, so you should be able to prove it.

 

[superjohn]

Prove it. This is math, so you should be able to prove it.

1999 40 underclassmen put their names in the draft, 11 went undrafted. In 2004 it was up to 91 underclassmen, 14 went undrafted. In 2019 it was 237 underclassmen, 52 went undrafted.

 

[Rico444]

"If you assume Gonzaga wins it all, I'll put in bold the Final Four teams."

That was assuming a victory tonight. Maybe could have been clearer in phrasing.

Reading is fundamental; thanks for being patient with me!

 

[auror]

1999 40 underclassmen put their names in the draft, 11 went undrafted. In 2004 it was up to 91 underclassmen, 14 went undrafted. In 2019 it was 237 underclassmen, 52 went undrafted.

Yeah. More declare, and also a lot more come back (more come back to school in 2019 than declared in 2004). But that's still net more leaving than in past years. Should be noted that NBA added the 2 way contracts which added more better paying professional jobs that go to a lot of those undrafted guys (and to seniors).

 

[Lefty2one]

You keep asserting the dilution of talent as if it is an accepted fact. It is not. Players started going pro early a long time ago. If you were right, Lebron James would have been playing for Ohio State in 2004. I will check, but I don't think he was.

If anything, the college talent is a little less diluted because fewer Americans are making the NBA than they were 20 years ago. I have not done the research yet, but I also think that in 2021 there are fewer players just lighting their college careers on fire by declaring when they have no chance of making the league, whereas there were dozens that would do that every year in the 90's and into the 2000's. Players get more support from coaches and can do a no-fault declare now, which they couldn't back then. There are probably an extra 30-40 high quality players that stay in college longer now who would have left early in the system that existed 20 years ago.

Our 2004 championship team had the #2 and #3 picks in the draft who were both juniors. The last junior or senior taken in the Top 5 was five years ago and was Kris Dunn, who's been a massive bust and didn't lead Providence very far.

 

[UCDaveD]

Kris Dunn, who's been a massive bust and didn't lead Providence very far.

Things were never the same for him after the infamous casino nightclub dust up between his people and Drummond’s people.

 

[Huskymagic]

UCONN 2014 easily beats this Gonzaga team.

It's time for Gonzaga to join the Big East.

 

[Lefty2one]

2004 UConn vs a team that didn't even win a championship. Fun hypothetical.

 

[aburks41]

LOL

 

[superjohn]

Okafor would've snapped Timme in half. Kispert may have been the Zags best rim protector tonight.

 

[aburks41]

Okafor would've snapped Timme in half. Kispert may have been the Zags best rim protector tonight.

Seriously..I revise my earlier statement that we win by 20. We win by 30

 

[the Q]

We had six future 1st rounders including four lottery picks, plus Rashad and Denham. That team was very up and down due to a variety of issues (Okafor's back, Charlie's eligibility, Gordon's broken nose, Williams' ineligibility) but on all cylinders we paste this Gonzaga team. If you picked any random night from the 2003-04 season then sure, we could lose to Gonzaga. But when healthy and normal we'd smoke this Gonzaga team.

Yup. 2004 was a weird year but that team was so loaded it overcame it all.

 

[huskyfan224]

I’m just happy I let KenPom tell me things

 

[the Q]

Yeah, Kispert is a guaranteed pro. I assume Timme will hang around the league for a while. Ayayi is an interesting prospect.

Suggs and kispert are basically lotto locks.

Ayayi is a borderline first rounder.

Not sure what to make of timme as a pro.

 

[superjohn]

Suggs and kispert are basically lotto locks.

Ayayi is a borderline first rounder.

Not sure what to make of timme as a pro.

Some GM is going to get fired over picking Kispert up there.

 

[B1GEast]

CBS just indicated that the last team to go wire to wire for the win was the 2004 Uconn team

 

[aburks41]

Suggs and kispert are basically lotto locks.

Ayayi is a borderline first rounder.

Not sure what to make of timme as a pro.

Kispert is a terrible athlete. God help whatever sucker takes him in the lotto lol. He'll be out of the league before his rookie contract is up

 

[SportsFan88]

Some of y’all should be ashamed of yourselves LOL. Y’all need to start apologizing for the disrespect to Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, the sniper himself Rashad Anderson and the rest of the ‘04 UCONN Huskies. Sorry to say but we would wipe the floor with this zags team

 

[the Q]

Some GM is going to get fired over picking Kispert up there.

I look at him like devin vessel style last year. He’s a late lotto guy. Wont be a home run but shoots it well enough that he won’t embarrass you.

He’s a fun fit for New Orleans around Zion.

 

[gsmooth]

I’m just happy I let KenPom tell me things

It definitely gives good insight, but this year it wouldn’t be as effective this year as teams didn’t play that many out of conference games. Plus COVID layoffs effec some teams more than others

 

[the Q]

Kispert is a terrible athlete. God help whatever sucker takes him in the lotto lol. He'll be out of the league before his rookie contract is up

Doug McDermott is getting mle money.

Korver played like 15 years

That’s his model.

 

[aburks41]

Doug McDermott is getting mle money.

Korver played like 15 years

That’s his model.

McDermott has NBA level athleticism. And Korver is one of the best 3pt shooters in the history of the sport lol. Kispert is neither of those when he plays against better NBA caliber athletes.

 

[superjohn]

Doug McDermott is getting mle money.

Korver played like 15 years

That’s his model.

it's hard to just have a few examples and expect a guy to become them at the next level. Those guys were both better than him, McDermott a much more complete scorer. Kispert can have a role in the current NBA but he's too high in the mocks, you have to factor in how open he always is in the Zags offense.

 

[huskyfan224]

It definitely gives good insight, but this year it wouldn’t be as effective this year as teams didn’t play that many out of conference games. Plus COVID layoffs effec some teams more than others

Agreed, but I was criticized saying the 09 team would beat this Zags team and it was bc this Zags team is the best in the KenPom era. It’s good to look at, but let’s not forget some of the teams (mainly BigTen) it had highly ranked all year. Plus they’re in a mid major conference.

Zags are good, but outside of maybe Virginia a few years ago, I would take any national Champion over them by double digits the last 20-30 years. It’s also pointless because they just got spanked and aren’t national champions

 

[SportsFan88]

The thing is that he ain’t the player those 2 are/were