Akok Akok top five and OVs

[Towney007]

The 2011 team was a fantastic team that was grossly overlooked by everyone (UConn fans, too) going into the season, beat a ton of top 20 teams, forgot how to play basketball for three weeks, then figured it out in time for the post season and knocked out a boat load of good teams enroute to a final four where they got a favorable draw, but I think were still a Final Four caliber team. Every team that wins the tournament has some luck that hits them somewhere along the way. But that team created a lot of its own luck in the tournament and even if say - Kansas doesn't do it's annual pants pooping, there's a good shot we might have still won the whole thing.

The 2014 was kind of the total opposite. A pretty mediocre team that got hot at the right time. But the tournament run was hardly a fluke - they beat Florida (twice) that year, a Kentucky team that wildly underachieved that hammered a whole host of good teams enroute to the final, a very good Villanova team and Michigan State was everyone's trendy pick when the brackets were announced. The only stroke of luck, really - was that kid on Iowa State getting injured. Probably a different game if he's there. But it's hard to call a run like that a fluke. But yeah - as much as I enjoyed that run and as much as you can't take any National Title away, that was our weakest National Championship team and among the weaker of this century. I don't take any offense to that or anything and I don't think it's a slight on that team either. I'd gladly field the four crappiest national titles of all time than win none at all.

 

[Walker11]

Both 11 and 14 finished the regular season ranked in the top 20. And then 11 had an epic run in the BE tournament and 14 lost in the finals. Real flukey. Cuse was the 68th team in a 68 team tournament.

 

[upstater]

Both 11 and 14 finished the regular season ranked in the top 20. And then 11 had an epic run in the BE tournament and 14 lost in the finals. Real flukey. Cuse was the 68th team in a 68 team tournament.

11 was actually a top 10 team before the tournament. #8 in the Coaches, #9 in AP. They were also the 4th most popular pick to win it all prior to the tourney.

 

[Mano]

The 2011 team was a fantastic team that was grossly overlooked by everyone (UConn fans, too) going into the season, beat a ton of top 20 teams, forgot how to play basketball for three weeks, then figured it out in time for the post season and knocked out a boat load of good teams enroute to a final four where they got a favorable draw, but I think were still a Final Four caliber team. Every team that wins the tournament has some luck that hits them somewhere along the way. But that team created a lot of its own luck in the tournament and even if say - Kansas doesn't do it's annual pants pooping, there's a good shot we might have still won the whole thing.

The 2014 was kind of the total opposite. A pretty mediocre team that got hot at the right time. But the tournament run was hardly a fluke - they beat Florida (twice) that year, a Kentucky team that wildly underachieved that hammered a whole host of good teams enroute to the final, a very good Villanova team and Michigan State was everyone's trendy pick when the brackets were announced. The only stroke of luck, really - was that kid on Iowa State getting injured. Probably a different game if he's there. But it's hard to call a run like that a fluke. But yeah - as much as I enjoyed that run and as much as you can't take any National Title away, that was our weakest National Championship team and among the weaker of this century. I don't take any offense to that or anything and I don't think it's a slight on that team either. I'd gladly field the four crappiest national titles of all time than win none at all.

That ‘11 teams conclusion to the season was probably the most satisfying for me as a sports fan.

‘14 was complete vindication and two huge middle fingers to all of MBB.

 

[boog204]

In retrospect, we pretty much got a perfect draw in '14. That sounds ridiculous b/c we beat so many high seeds. But, our strength that year, Bazz and Boat, absolutely destroyed unathletic/big guards. So we drew Appling, Wilbekin, the Harrison's, Kane, Arcidiacono, etc., Boat was determined to defensively strangle the PG and we played ugly ball with enough Bazz, Boat, and DD heroics to win. You add in a bit of DD becoming what we all thought he could be, and I'm actually not looking at it as a fluke that we won. But a fluke that we drew who we did. Really, we were outplayed vs. St. Joes as Galloway and Bembry were athletic enough to put with our pressure; that was the only game that we were lucky to pull out.

 

[AdamaNation]

The 2011 team was a fantastic team that was grossly overlooked by everyone (UConn fans, too) going into the season, beat a ton of top 20 teams, forgot how to play basketball for three weeks, then figured it out in time for the post season and knocked out a boat load of good teams enroute to a final four where they got a favorable draw, but I think were still a Final Four caliber team. Every team that wins the tournament has some luck that hits them somewhere along the way. But that team created a lot of its own luck in the tournament and even if say - Kansas doesn't do it's annual pants pooping, there's a good shot we might have still won the whole thing.

The 2014 was kind of the total opposite. A pretty mediocre team that got hot at the right time. But the tournament run was hardly a fluke - they beat Florida (twice) that year, a Kentucky team that wildly underachieved that hammered a whole host of good teams enroute to the final, a very good Villanova team and Michigan State was everyone's trendy pick when the brackets were announced. The only stroke of luck, really - was that kid on Iowa State getting injured. Probably a different game if he's there. But it's hard to call a run like that a fluke. But yeah - as much as I enjoyed that run and as much as you can't take any National Title away, that was our weakest National Championship team and among the weaker of this century. I don't take any offense to that or anything and I don't think it's a slight on that team either. I'd gladly field the four crappiest national titles of all time than win none at all.

Only losses were in OBE play.

 

[UConnSwag11]

The 2011 team was a fantastic team that was grossly overlooked by everyone (UConn fans, too) going into the season, beat a ton of top 20 teams, forgot how to play basketball for three weeks, then figured it out in time for the post season and knocked out a boat load of good teams enroute to a final four where they got a favorable draw, but I think were still a Final Four caliber team. Every team that wins the tournament has some luck that hits them somewhere along the way. But that team created a lot of its own luck in the tournament and even if say - Kansas doesn't do it's annual pants pooping, there's a good shot we might have still won the whole thing.

The 2014 was kind of the total opposite. A pretty mediocre team that got hot at the right time. But the tournament run was hardly a fluke - they beat Florida (twice) that year, a Kentucky team that wildly underachieved that hammered a whole host of good teams enroute to the final, a very good Villanova team and Michigan State was everyone's trendy pick when the brackets were announced. The only stroke of luck, really - was that kid on Iowa State getting injured. Probably a different game if he's there. But it's hard to call a run like that a fluke. But yeah - as much as I enjoyed that run and as much as you can't take any National Title away, that was our weakest National Championship team and among the weaker of this century. I don't take any offense to that or anything and I don't think it's a slight on that team either. I'd gladly field the four crappiest national titles of all time than win none at all.

In ‘11 the only losses came in conference. Undefeated OOC and every tournament

 

[Matrim55]

The only stroke of luck, really - was that kid on Iowa State getting injured. Probably a different game if he's there.

We lose that game with a whimper if Niang's on the floor tbh. He was a better version of the St. Joe's kid who killed us until he fouled out.

But also: That was the basketball gods paying back our injury karma for Rickey in 1996. If he stays healthy we win it that year – or at the very least play one of the most epic Final Four games ever against UK.

 

[intlzncster]

In retrospect, we pretty much got a perfect draw in '14. That sounds ridiculous b/c we beat so many high seeds. But, our strength that year, Bazz and Boat, absolutely destroyed unathletic/big guards. So we drew Appling, Wilbekin, the Harrison's, Kane, Arcidiacono, etc., Boat was determined to defensively strangle the PG and we played ugly ball with enough Bazz, Boat, and DD heroics to win. You add in a bit of DD becoming what we all thought he could be, and I'm actually not looking at it as a fluke that we won. But a fluke that we drew who we did. Really, we were outplayed vs. St. Joes as Galloway and Bembry were athletic enough to put with our pressure; that was the only game that we were lucky to pull out.

I've said it over and over, but our biggest stroke of luck that year was having Louisville on the other side of the bracket (and losing).

 

[Mots010]

We lose that game with a whimper if Niang's on the floor tbh. He was a better version of the St. Joe's kid who killed us until he fouled out.

But also: That was the basketball gods paying back our injury karma for Rickey in 1996. If he stays healthy we win it that year – or at the very least play one of the most epic Final Four games ever against UK.

I watched Niang chuck up a huge clunker in the in round 1 the following year. It was really bad. 4/15 for 11 points as a 3 seed. I still take UConn in the garden with him playing.

 

[AntG168]

We lose that game with a whimper if Niang's on the floor tbh. He was a better version of the St. Joe's kid who killed us until he fouled out.

But also: That was the basketball gods paying back our injury karma for Rickey in 1996. If he stays healthy we win it that year – or at the very least play one of the most epic Final Four games ever against UK.

I completely disagree

 

[UConn990411]

We lose that game with a whimper if Niang's on the floor tbh. He was a better version of the St. Joe's kid who killed us until he fouled out.

But also: That was the basketball gods paying back our injury karma for Rickey in 1996. If he stays healthy we win it that year – or at the very least play one of the most epic Final Four games ever against UK.

Kind of a strange take to say this with such certainty.

Iowa State was the better team that year, but they were far from a juggernaut. UConn beat 2-3 teams that were onjectively better en route to the title.

 

[Hoophound]

We weren’t being denied. Our guys were preordained to make that run. That run occurred when KO was the old KO. He took the kids to San Antonio to visit the building and tell them they’d be back to win the NC in the Spring.

Boys, it was just our time, it was just our time.

 

[Bezzz]

Final 2014 Bracket Challenge. Our group was 2nd in the nation.

 

[gtcam]

We lose that game with a whimper if Niang's on the floor tbh. He was a better version of the St. Joe's kid who killed us until he fouled out.

But also: That was the basketball gods paying back our injury karma for Rickey in 1996. If he stays healthy we win it that year – or at the very least play one of the most epic Final Four games ever against UK.

NO
UConn's bench strength and 6th and 7th men were the difference. ISU had 5 guys who could play, their 6th man was injured and the bench was not strong
Knew if one of their starters got injured/foul issue that UConn could exploit
PLUS it was in the Garden!!!!

 

[the Q]

I've said it over and over, but our biggest stroke of luck that year was having Louisville on the other side of the bracket (and losing).

Agreed. They got a great draw.

And I loved them exposing appling for the overrated dude he was.

KO was brilliant that tourney with the way he used boat on d to attack the offense at mid court. He was stealing 4 or 5 seconds per possession.

 

[rayrayfor3]

Agreed. They got a great draw.

And I loved them exposing appling for the overrated dude he was.

KO was brilliant that tourney with the way he used boat on d to attack the offense at mid court. He was stealing 4 or 5 seconds per possession.

From what I heard, a lot of the tourney strategy/planning was Glen MIller

 

[upstater]

Kind of a strange take to say this with such certainty.

Iowa State was the better team that year, but they were far from a juggernaut. UConn beat 2-3 teams that were onjectively better en route to the title.

Couldn't disagree more with this.

How were they objectively better?

Like I wrote above, UConn was the 4th most popular choice to win it all prior to the tourney, out of over 20 million brackets on ESPN.

That UConn team went undefeated in OOC play against top competition, maybe the best OOC schedule in the country, and the only reason they lost a bunch of BE season games was because of the way refs swallowed their whistles on Kemba's drives. Otherwise, that team was a pretty strong team.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Couldn't disagree more with this.

How were they objectively better?

Like I wrote above, UConn was the 4th most popular choice to win it all prior to the tourney, out of over 20 million brackets on ESPN.

That UConn team went undefeated in OOC play against top competition, maybe the best OOC schedule in the country, and the only reason they lost a bunch of BE season games was because of the way refs swallowed their whistles on Kemba's drives. Otherwise, that team was a pretty strong team.

Are you two talking about two different years?

 

[boog204]

Couldn't disagree more with this.

How were they objectively better?

Like I wrote above, UConn was the 4th most popular choice to win it all prior to the tourney, out of over 20 million brackets on ESPN.

That UConn team went undefeated in OOC play against top competition, maybe the best OOC schedule in the country, and the only reason they lost a bunch of BE season games was because of the way refs swallowed their whistles on Kemba's drives. Otherwise, that team was a pretty strong team.

You're mixing up 11 and 14. We beat Iowa State in 14. They were the better team that year, but we wore them down. I also think if Niang was healthy we would have lost. We had no one to contain Ejim, who I think dropped 36 on us inside, you add Niang in and his versatility and it's a different game.

 

[Nebraskan18]

You're mixing up 11 and 14. We beat Iowa State in 14. They were the better team that year, but we wore them down. I also think if Niang was healthy we would have lost. We had no one to contain Ejim, who I think dropped 36 on us inside, you add Niang in and his versatility and it's a different game.

Ejim had 7 points that game on 3-13 shooting

 

[UconnAlum04]

Sooo....back to Akok?

 

[intlzncster]

Ejim had 7 points that game on 3-13 shooting

He's right about the rest though. Not having Niang saved us that game. Along with a timely Brimah and-1.

 

[Rico444]

He's right about the rest though. Not having Niang saved us that game. Along with a timely Brimah and-1.

Wasn't Brimah and-1 against St. Joe's? Or did he have another one against Iowa State?

 

[upstater]

You're mixing up 11 and 14. We beat Iowa State in 14. They were the better team that year, but we wore them down. I also think if Niang was healthy we would have lost. We had no one to contain Ejim, who I think dropped 36 on us inside, you add Niang in and his versatility and it's a different game.

Yup, I mixed them up.