2004 vs. 2011......Which team is better?

[TheRogers]

2004 without question

+1

 

[Dogbreath2U]

It would be interesting if we could remember just how we felt about the 2004 team going into the season (rather than looking back on a championship season). We knew it would be a good team, but there were some question marks. No one knew if Ben was ever going to translate his potential into reality. How far could a Taliek-run team go?

I still think it would be 2004 as the more talented team, but who knows what things will look like at the end of this year?

 

[Silk City]

04 had two "Kemba" tier players in Okafor and Gordon, this year probably doesn't have any. And as someone said, even after the top two the 04 team is still pretty much even with this one. Plus 04 had the Rashad factor which remains to be seen in this team--I don't think you can discount the value of a guy that can be counted on to make timely shots like that. It's tough to compare any team with a team that won it all and 04 is as tough as any. You're talking about the greatest UConn team of all time in my opinion.

 

[tzznandrew]

It would be interesting if we could remember just how we felt about the 2004 team going into the season (rather than looking back on a championship season). We knew it would be a good team, but there were some question marks. No one knew if Ben was ever going to translate his potential into reality. How far could a Taliek-run team go?

I still think it would be 2004 as the more talented team, but who knows what things will look like at the end of this year?

Maybe. But that team had just come off a run to the BET Finals and lost in the S16 to Texas, in Texas, on a fluke (White getting the ball stuck between the rim and the backboard). They came into the season ranked #1, and were getting heaps of praise as the most talented team since the 2001 Duke team.

There are always questions, but that team had but a few.

 

[RuffRuff]

And yet I would still take the 99 team in a head to head matchup. That team beat what could have been the most talented team in the last 20 years head to head. They really only lost one game

 

[District-Husky]

I have the 2004 Sports Illustrated NC cover in my office. That team was impressive. I don't think any other UConn team could beat the 04 team.

 

[champs99and04]

What holds the '04 team back, slightly, in terms of historical respect/reputation, is that for all their talent, they lost 6 games.

The '04 team is in that group with '01 Duke (4 losses), '05 UNC (4 losses), '07 Florida (5 losses), and '09 UNC (4 losses). I think they take all of those teams, but that's elite company. If we're talking about the decade around them (99-09), add in the '99 UConn (2 losses) team.

How many of those games was Emeka hurt for? I don't really remember. But the way UConn just rolled through the field that year was really impressive. They won their first four games by over 20 points, the Big East tourny without their best player, and they made Georgia Tech look like a D-2 team until they let their foot off the pedal in the second half, when really, they could have won by forty. The only real challenge was Duke, which, I think was also a really loaded team, and even that game I think UConn could have ran away with if it were not for the tight officiating.

 

[champs99and04]

And yet I would still take the 99 team in a head to head matchup. That team beat what could have been the most talented team in the last 20 years head to head. They really only lost one game

I think people underrate the 99 team because there was really only one NBA player on that team. But you're right, they really only lost one game the whole season when healthy.

 

[freescooter]

Oh good grief, Why not ask which was better the 1999 UCONN team or the 2017 UCONN team? Given that the 2011-12 team has yet to begin PRACTICE while the 2004 team won a national championship, Thsu as an official entity, the 2011-12 team doesn't officially exist..I guess a real team would beat a theoretical one every time. For what its worth, I think both the 1999 team and the 2004 team would have beaten the 2011 champs like a drum.

 

[champs99and04]

04 had two "Kemba" tier players in Okafor and Gordon, this year probably doesn't have any. And as someone said, even after the top two the 04 team is still pretty much even with this one. Plus 04 had the Rashad factor which remains to be seen in this team--I don't think you can discount the value of a guy that can be counted on to make timely shots like that. It's tough to compare any team with a team that won it all and 04 is as tough as any. You're talking about the greatest UConn team of all time in my opinion.

Am I crazy to think Jeremy Lamb might just get to that level this season? At the end of last season Jeremy was one of the most impressive looking freshman I've seen in a UConn jersey. And if you watched any of the world games this summer, you'd know it wasn't just because of Kemba. As far as pure scoring ability, there haven't been too many better than Lamb. As far as Okafor, we may never see as dominant a big man on both sides of the floor at UConn for some time. I do think Oriakhi is developing into a poor man's Okafor, and I think Drummond will be better than either Boone or Chuck. I certainly think the talent is comparable, but not having that Emeka type leader might be what sets the two teams apart.

 

[hungry husky]

I vote 2004

 

[bobbygt]

you're cruel!

 

[JaYnYcE]

2004
Josh Boone
EmekaOkafor
H. Armstrong
Rashad Anderson
Denham Brown
Talik Brown
Ben Gordon
Charlie Villanueva
Marcus Williams
Ed Nelson
Shaman Tooles
Marcus White
Six NBAers on that team!

2011/12
Andre Drummond
J. Lamb
Shabazz
Oriaki
Roscoe
D. Daniels
Boatshow
Olander
Giffey
Wolf
Olander
Bradley

I have to give the edge to 2004. That team was stacked.

The edge! LMAO


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[hungry husky]

Am I crazy to think Jeremy Lamb might just get to that level this season? At the end of last season Jeremy was one of the most impressive looking freshman I've seen in a UConn jersey. And if you watched any of the world games this summer, you'd know it wasn't just because of Kemba. As far as pure scoring ability, there haven't been too many better than Lamb. As far as Okafor, we may never see as dominant a big man on both sides of the floor at UConn for some time. I do think Oriakhi is developing into a poor man's Okafor, and I think Drummond will be better than either Boone or Chuck. I certainly think the talent is comparable, but not having that Emeka type leader might be what sets the two teams apart.

Hindsight is 20/20. I'm so disappointed in this team.