Best Defensive team in UConn history

[ColoradoUCFan]

We are in the final 4 for one reason. This team is great in defense. I mean really exceptional. I don't think the pundits are talking enough about this. Every team we're beating is struggling on offense. Isn't the cause obvious? MSU couldn't accomplish anything in the paint. Payne was relegated to a jump shooter. Dont forget the two fast breaks we initiated today off of great defensive plays on the pick and roll. And what about the 5 second violations we've been causing? I'm going to throw our defensive rebounding into the conversion. We have dramatically improved over the season & Giffey has been a beast during the tournament. Our team just has awesome defense. I know the late 80's early 90's teams had a stifling full court press, but our half court defense is just awesome and better than anything we've ever seen at UConn.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Emeka Okafor says hello.

 

[TheChamps990411]

This team is really good on defense but i thought the 2011 team by the time they got to the championship game was lights out on defense. they challenged everything just ask butler.

 

[CTBasketball]

I think the 1990 team was the best, but its really all speculation. The game has changed so much over the years.

 

[Limbo Land]

Henefeld, Depreist, Burrell, I think they still #1 but this team is more of a swarm defense and just never leave you alone. That defense just had a way knowing where the ball was going to be. Let see what we can do with FLorida this time with us playing so well.

 

[Gurleyman]

The Ricky-led team in 1999 has to be in the discussion. They'd put ferocious clamps on you during winning time. In addition to Ricky's brilliance, Freeman could cover guys like Artest or Redd outside, or defend in the post, and Jake was just always solid even if he didn't block shots like his successors.

 

[Waquoit]

My favorite comment was that the UConn D was almost as good as Virginia's.

 

[BlueMAB]

The dream season and 2004.

However, the defensive performance that Ryan Boatright put on today was up there with the best ever from a UConn player. Up there with Ricky Moore in the 1996 BET Chp, and Ricky Moore (part 2) in the 1999 NC game.

 

[cordeodato]

Agreed on the 1999 team Gurleyman. I remember thinking during the course of that year, that UConn team was not the pressing team Calhoun ever had, but it was the best defensive team he had.

 

[selles]

Everyone in this thread is basically right. The best UConn teams reach a level of absurdly good, swarming man to man defense that takes the breath away. It started with the Dream Season, continued in 99 when the whole team was so good in the tourney you sometimes couldn't tell the difference between Ricky and Rip on D, continued in 2004 when we locked down Pitt and Duke to make up late deficits, and continued again in 2011 when elasti-Lamb was plucking balls out of the air and Scoe was brawling all over.

This team is right there with all of them. The D today, especially when the chips were down in the second half, was amazing.

 

[stick]

I love this team but it's nowhere near top 5 uconn defensive teams of all time.

 

[Pmurph678]

2009 with Thabeet and Dyson was the best defense I remember

 

[DogMania]

As good as they are playing D, I'd still put them behind 99, 04 and 11. The level of offense we've faced hasn't been stellar. Good, but not great. Those other 3 teams shut down some impressive offenses.

With that said, this team is playing D at a very high level. I'd still describe them as special. Considering the personnel on this team, the level of defense is quite impressive. Props to KO and his staff and props for the players for buying in, learning and playing their hearts out.

I noted a whole bunch of times in the chat how high their level of intensity was. I guess as far as intensity is concerned, meaning playing with a lot of energy and sustaining it, I'd put it up there with the 2011 team. That team really stepped up the D with good but not great defensive talent.

2004 had some exceptional defensive players (Emeka, Taliek, and others) and the 1999 team had Ricky, KFree, Jake and some other very good defensive players, and I'd be remiss to not mention the 1990 team that had DePriest, Hennefeld, Williams, Burrell, Sellers and some other players who played the best 2-2-1 press I've ever seen.

 

[intlzncster]

With that said, this team is playing D at a very high level. I'd still describe them as special. Considering the personnel on this team, the level of defense is quite impressive. Props to KO and his staff and props for the players for buying in, learning and playing their hearts out.

I noted a whole bunch of times in the chat how high their level of intensity was. I guess as far as intensity is concerned, meaning playing with a lot of energy and sustaining it, I'd put it up there with the 2011 team. That team really stepped up the D with good but not great defensive talent.

What I loved, was no matter how cold or frustrated our guys got on offense, the defensive intensity was always there. Also, they didn't get down when they let in a bunny or when MSU hit a ridiculous shot after a good D possession.

 

[TKs]

Typical UConn team, tough, hard nosed, athletic defense (old Big East style). Shot blocker in the paint. Great, clutch sharp shooter leadimg the offense. Not always pretty but VERY effective.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Okafor may be the most dominant defender I have seen in college since stacy augmon. Okafor would impact the other team's possesion when he was 15 feet away.

 

[BoatShow]

Nova, ISU, and MSU just all happened to really struggle and produce well below their yearly numbers against us. Unrelated to our defense though. Coincidence.

 

[Tenspro2002]

How quickly we forget 2011.

That was not a sterling offensive attack by any means (for , we started Oriakhi, Olander, and Roscoe), but our team defense was tremendous. The paint, the perimeter, and everywhere in between, we never gave anyone an opening.

 

[boba]

What I loved, was no matter how cold or frustrated our guys got on offense, the defensive intensity was always there. Also, they didn't get down when they let in a bunny or when MSU hit a ridiculous shot after a good D possession.

Who was it that said offense can come and go but defense is here to stay? Sometimes the shots just don't fall (Giffey!) but defense, that never leaves unless you let it go. Giffey's shot wasn't falling but his rebounding was a thing of beauty. They simply never give up, and Shabazz and Ollie won't let them.

 

[BlueMAB]

Shot blocking is not defense. See Thabeet and Donyell, Big East Defensive Players of the Year who could not guard a chair

I don't know if this is sarcasm or not, but either way it's left me speechless.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't know if this is sarcasm or not, but either way it's left me speechless.

Yeah, there's many different ways to be a strong defensive player. Emeka was the best all around defender in the post imo.

But Hasheem was far and away the most intimidating. He had guys running the other way.

I think Yell is underrated defensively here (and as a player). He was dominant.

 

[UChusky916]

Shot blocking is not defense. See Thabeet and Donyell, Big East Defensive Players of the Year who could not guard a chair

lol wut!?

 

[James]

This team is better defensively than 2011. Boatright and Napier (who guarded a 6'5 lotto pick) are really just insane , mainly boatright. His defense is something I ,or barkley, have never seen to date . Oh and Daniels is basically a rich mans roscoe smith at this points . Throw in a vet like giffey(who spent the summer guarding nba players), and our depth at the 5, there is pretty much no weakness on d. If there is a mismatch we force it out of the post player, and we are reading shots and how they come off the rim for boards. Wilbekin will have his hands full

 

[Waquoit]

This D is awesome. They just shut down a high-powered attack and the consensus pick to win the whole thing in one weekend. That ranks with anything coming before it.

 

[boba]

This team is better defensively than 2011. Boatright and Napier (who guarded a 6'5 lotto pick) are really just insane , mainly boatright. His defense is something I ,or barkley, have never seen to date . ...

Ask Allen Iverson if he would like to face Ricky Moore again. I always thought Ricky would get a shot in the NBA if just to shut down AI or any other opposing guard. I like that he is on the staff now, and suspect he is contributing directly for the shutdown defense we see and love.