A couple of things on the last season

[scrappy2.0]

I've read *again* where we were lucky, not really good enough, we're not deserving to win it all not a true champion etc..

I wonder how many teams go 8-1 to end the season vs Memphis Cincy Louisville St Joseph Iowa State Michigan State Florida Kentucky Vilanova? Not many if any.

Also not many people realize we kind of changed our rotation VERY VERY late basically removing Omar Calhoun and TYler Orlander and inserting Terrance Samuel. I think if we had done this sooner--were a few wins better regular season. It changed the dynamic of the team and the + and -

Looking back at some of the tapes of the games--we played GREAT defense for the most part in every game sans 2nd half vs Iowa State but we did have a big lead. We had a double digit lead vs EVERY Tourney team accept St Joes--we handily won games. Also looking back at Kentucky--if we didnt get in FT and Kentucky didnt give up man to man because they could not play us straight up and needed a gimic to get back in it--we would've made the last game a joke.

I accept we had trouble against Louisville--each year there is almost always one team that give us fits--used to be Pittsburgh. I remember when we won in 2004 we got absolutely smoked by GT early in the year by 30 or so. But the overall body of work IMHO especially with the last run of wins--we were the best team with the best player.

 

[OkaForPrez]

That Tech loss was in November and Mek had back spasms, probably only played 20 min in that game. I think that was more circumstantial than a problematic matchup. Exhibit A being the Title game. Louisville, in contrast, would beat us today tomorrow and Tuesday.

 

[upstater]

That Tech loss was in November and Mek had back spasms, probably only played 20 min in that game. I think that was more circumstantial than a problematic matchup. Exhibit A being the Title game. Louisville, in contrast, would beat us today tomorrow and Tuesday.

I remember how Syracuse looked against UConn during their national championship in 2003. But really it bogles my mind that anyone would bring that up to detract from Syracuse. In a similar vein, people talk about UConn and St. Joe's as though St. Joe's didn't have Galloway or Kanacevic or as though Kentucky didn't advance after a few buzzer-beaters itself.

 

[Scoe]

That Tech loss was in November and Mek had back spasms, probably only played 20 min in that game. I think that was more circumstantial than a problematic matchup. Exhibit A being the Title game. Louisville, in contrast, would beat us today tomorrow and Tuesday.

We don't know that and we never will know that, thats the great thing about sports. We would have a lot of momentum from beating MSU and Florida, not to mention it would have been our 4th matchup against them, L'ville couldn't beat UK, or Memphis who we beat. Its called March Madness for a reason.

 

[OkaForPrez]

, L'ville couldn't beat UK, or Memphis who we beat.

This is precisely the point. It's about matchups. And Louisville was simply a krypotnite matchup for us. Our biggest advantage through the tournament was disrupting other team's offenses in the half court with our quickness on the perimeter, preventing them from moving the ball side to side. It's one of the reasons we struggled with St. Joes because they ran their offense through a point forward.

Smith and Jones might have been the only backcourt in the country quick enough to counter punch our perimeter defense. And once they got to the 2nd level Pitino exploited our weakside help by throwing the ball off the glass and letting Montrezl eat us alive. It's not that they beat us 3 times. It's that even as we were starting to peak (and we were in the AAC tourney) we still couldn't get within striking distance of them.

Despite this, I still think we were the best team in the country last year when playing our best. It takes that AND avoiding your worst matchup problems to win 6 games.

 

[businesslawyer]

I've read *again* where we were lucky, not really good enough, we're not deserving to win it all not a true champion etc..

I wonder how many teams go 8-1 to end the season vs Memphis Cincy Louisville St Joseph Iowa State Michigan State Florida Kentucky Vilanova? Not many if any.

Also not many people realize we kind of changed our rotation VERY VERY late basically removing Omar Calhoun and TYler Orlander and inserting Terrance Samuel. I think if we had done this sooner--were a few wins better regular season. It changed the dynamic of the team and the + and -

Looking back at some of the tapes of the games--we played GREAT defense for the most part in every game sans 2nd half vs Iowa State but we did have a big lead. We had a double digit lead vs EVERY Tourney team accept St Joes--we handily won games. Also looking back at Kentucky--if we didnt get in FT and Kentucky didnt give up man to man because they could not play us straight up and needed a gimic to get back in it--we would've made the last game a joke.

I accept we had trouble against Louisville--each year there is almost always one team that give us fits--used to be Pittsburgh. I remember when we won in 2004 we got absolutely smoked by GT early in the year by 30 or so. But the overall body of work IMHO especially with the last run of wins--we were the best team with the best player.

It's your business, but why do you feel the need to defend the fact that we won the national championship? We won it. That is not an opinion, it's a fact. And we won it with none of our last five games going down to the last possession. If someone doesn't feel like we were the "best" team -- whatever that even means if it doesn't mean the team that won the championship -- why is that important to you?

 

[Waquoit]

UConn was a battle-hardened team by the time we hit the Sweet Sixteen. Clearly the best of the FF teams when and where it counted, on the court. I look forward to a day when some jamoke tries to tell me we were lucky to win.

 

[mcs333]

We had the best team, best player and best coach, results NC!

 

[nym410]

Not only did luck have nothing to do with it, after the first half of the Villanova game UConn was a dominant team. They strangled the life out of very good teams and made the #1 team in the country look like Cincy on offense..

 

[caw]

This was an interesting year in college basketball.

There was a ton of parity. The top 20 or so schools were all very good and all had legit shots at winning it all when the tournament started. It was a very strong year for college basketball but there was no dominant team. Even the mid-majors were better than most years.

The tournament came down to matchups and luck.

UL wasn't a better team than UConn this year overall but was a nightmare matchup head to head. Just like Memphis/UK were for UL. That said if the brackets had been seeded slightly differently you could be talking about UL/UK/UF/etc being national champions. Though considering what UConn did, it would probably have come down to UL meeting UConn before the NC for another team to win it. The way UConn played Im not sure another team could have beaten UConn in that tournament. UL was the only team that could really disrupt UConns guards.

 

[caw]

Not only did luck have nothing to do with it, after the first half of the Villanova game UConn was a dominant team. They strangled the life out of very good teams and made the #1 team in the country look like Cincy on offense..

The only luck was not being seeded anywhere near UL.

 

[Scoe]

This is precisely the point. It's about matchups. And Louisville was simply a krypotnite matchup for us. Our biggest advantage through the tournament was disrupting other team's offenses in the half court with our quickness on the perimeter, preventing them from moving the ball side to side. It's one of the reasons we struggled with St. Joes because they ran their offense through a point forward.

Smith and Jones might have been the only backcourt in the country quick enough to counter punch our perimeter defense. And once they got to the 2nd level Pitino exploited our weakside help by throwing the ball off the glass and letting Montrezl eat us alive. It's not that they beat us 3 times. It's that even as we were starting to peak (and we were in the AAC tourney) we still couldn't get within striking distance of them.

Despite this, I still think we were the best team in the country last year when playing our best. It takes that AND avoiding your worst matchup problems to win 6 games.

Past history tells us yes but you just dont know, its sports not a fashion show.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Past history tells us yes but you just dont know, its sports not a fashion show.

Can't argue with Jim.

 

[sparky]

Let the haters hate. I truly KO was the most valuable individual for UCONN. He out coached IZZO, Billy the Kid, and Cal. He made adjustments and they didn't respond. He got his guys to BELIEVE they could win it all, and then just guided them. They best team in the tourney emerged as the champion by beating everyone in their way. We were not really under seeded, so I think the committee got it right. The other teams just didn't have as much heart and ollieisms to carry them to victory.

 

[Palatine]

I've read *again* where we were lucky, not really good enough, we're not deserving to win it all not a true champion etc..

I wonder how many teams go 8-1 to end the season vs Memphis Cincy Louisville St Joseph Iowa State Michigan State Florida Kentucky Vilanova? Not many if any.

Also not many people realize we kind of changed our rotation VERY VERY late basically removing Omar Calhoun and TYler Orlander and inserting Terrance Samuel. I think if we had done this sooner--were a few wins better regular season. It changed the dynamic of the team and the + and -

Looking back at some of the tapes of the games--we played GREAT defense for the most part in every game sans 2nd half vs Iowa State but we did have a big lead. We had a double digit lead vs EVERY Tourney team accept St Joes--we handily won games. Also looking back at Kentucky--if we didnt get in FT and Kentucky didnt give up man to man because they could not play us straight up and needed a gimic to get back in it--we would've made the last game a joke.

I accept we had trouble against Louisville--each year there is almost always one team that give us fits--used to be Pittsburgh. I remember when we won in 2004 we got absolutely smoked by GT early in the year by 30 or so. But the overall body of work IMHO especially with the last run of wins--we were the best team with the best player.

Forget it. We hang the banner. Period. The end.

BTW, everyone needs some luck to win a NC. That shot at the end of the Arizona game in 2011, I still think it's going in.

 

[WillMadsDad]

mcs333 said it best = best team, best player, best coach = NC. And you need a combination of this at the end of the regular season in order to win a championship. If media wants to award NCs at the end of the regular season, then congrats to Florida.

Ollie out coached Izzo, Donovan, Calipari.
The defensive schemes against teams that were, on paper, bigger / more talented negated that supposed advantage.
Napier was the best college player .. period. McDermott was an awesome scorer - I'd take Napier all day with Leadership, D, Calhoun's fighting spirit, 26-footer 3 pt'ers, etc. etc.
Best back court in the nation can really do wonders for the ENTIRE team.

So F the media / haters - those jokers do not understand the game of basketball. Only what other media outlets feed them.

The coaching / player development of this program is in it's own elite class - no one is remotely close.

 

[jibsey]

The Sa

 

[jibsey]

Sorry, the Samuel thing was interesting because he was such an ignition switch when KO put him in and it wasn't like it stood out as far as his individual skills set. He has really quick hands because it seemed he was always causing turnovers leading to breaks. He's not really a standout shooter but he erases deficits when he's in.

 

[WillB4]

You can only beat who they put in front of you. Every one they put in front of the Huskies was vanquished. Championship won. End of story.

 

[Huskies4ever]

mcs333 said it best = best team, best player, best coach = NC.

I just think that anytime you have great guard play, and play great defense, you have a chance to make a deep run in March. UConn had that in spades. Add to the fact that, SN was the best player on the floor, you become that much harder to defeat. The way RB, DD, NG, and TS stepped up was phenomenal. I love KO as much as the next Husky fan, but I wouldn't call him the best coach, though maybe someday he will be.

 

[CAHUSKY]

We won, they didn't, f&ck them.

 

[Rocktheworld]

You can only beat who they put in front of you. Every one they put in front of the Huskies was vanquished. Championship won. End of story.

Yeah nobody ever shuts up about mid-majors like Wichita State or Gonzaga dominating their crap conferences and earning high rankings and praise, always saying "oh well all you can do is play your schedule!" but then the tournament comes, when teams have zero choice of opponents (as opposed to OOC during regular season), and then suddenly everyone loves to talk about this team or that team getting a harder or easy path, as if it's ever "easy" to win a NC.

 

[David 76]

We won. The idea is to win 6 games in the tournament and we did.

I don't think we were lucky. But our last 2 championships were big upsets. We went on a roll with 2 great point guards, 2 great coaches and enough talent to get the job done. Did another team have more talent then us in 2014? I think so, But no one had a better team than us in March (or April).

I like the idea that after battling to break through for a decade to win a championship, then repeating in 2004, we've now shown we can get on a roll and win from out of nowhere.

 

[uconNYC]

There was nothing lucky about our championship. We comfortably beat the preseason #1, regular season #1 and the team most people expected to win the title (MSU). None of our wins relied on flukie buzzer beaters or terrible calls by the referees.

UConn has traditionally stepped it up come tournament time. Our coaches know how to prepare teams for the big moments.

 

[Gurleyman]

We were extremely lucky. When you evaluate the entire run to the championship, not once did we have an outbreak of cholera. Nor was a single player - all season long - attacked by jackals.

The cards just fell in our favor.