Best Defensive UConn team since JC?

[Dogbreath2U]

With the talk about how well this team is doing on the defensive end, I was thinking about which team was the best we have had. I think of the '89-90 Dream Season team and the '99 NC teams as being the best defensive teams as a WHOLE.

The Dream Season team was amazing...they swarmed the ball and trapped everywhere. Just great hands and Henefeld was a phenom who broke the NCAA record for steals as a freshman. Chris Smith was a fantastic defender and Burrell was really good for a freshman.

The '99 NC team just knew each other so well and were so smart in providing help. Ricky Moore was the best individual defender at UConn since JC arrived IMHO, but as seniors Kevin Freeman and Jake were really, really good.

Which teams am I forgetting?

 

[August_West]

With the talk about how well this team is doing on the defensive end, I was thinking about which team was the best we have had. I think of the '89-90 Dream Season team and the '99 NC teams as being the best defensive teams as a WHOLE.

The Dream Season team was amazing...they swarmed the ball and trapped everywhere. Just great hands and Henefeld was a phenom who broke the NCAA record for steals as a freshman. Chris Smith was a fantastic defender and Burrell was really good for a freshman.

The '99 NC team just knew each other so well and were so smart in providing help. Ricky Moore was the best individual defender at UConn since JC arrived IMHO, but as seniors Kevin Freeman and Jake were really, really good.

Which teams am I forgetting?

04 was pretty damn good. The okafor factor

 

[nomar]

With the talk about how well this team is doing on the defensive end, I was thinking about which team was the best we have had. I think of the '89-90 Dream Season team and the '99 NC teams as being the best defensive teams as a WHOLE.

The Dream Season team was amazing...they swarmed the ball and trapped everywhere. Just great hands and Henefeld was a phenom who broke the NCAA record for steals as a freshman. Chris Smith was a fantastic defender and Burrell was really good for a freshman.

The '99 NC team just knew each other so well and were so smart in providing help. Ricky Moore was the best individual defender at UConn since JC arrived IMHO, but as seniors Kevin Freeman and Jake were really, really good.

Which teams am I forgetting?

The 2013-14 team, in the tournament, particularly in the Elite 8, played perhaps the best stretch of defense of any UConn team.

Boatright, especially, and Napier were completely locked in. The team's perimeter defense was so good that the other teams' guards couldn't get near the paint. Often times, UConn's guards have pressured the perimeter with the intent of funneling drivers into our shot-blockers. But our guards were funneling their guards backwards. Scottie Wilbekin probably still has nightmares about 2014.

That team had its ups and downs and I wouldn't rank it as the best defensive team in UConn history, but for that stretch of games, wow.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The 2013-14 team, in the tournament, particularly in the Elite 8, played perhaps the best stretch of defense of any UConn team.

Boatright, especially, and Napier were completely locked in. The team's perimeter defense was so good that the other teams' guards couldn't get near the paint. Often times, UConn's guards have pressured the perimeter with the intent of funneling drivers into our shot-blockers. But our guards were funneling their guards backwards. Scottie Wilbekin probably still has nightmares about 2014.

That team had its ups and downs and I wouldn't rank it as the best defensive team in UConn history, but for that stretch of games, wow.

Looking into the eyes of UConn defenders the 2014 run was scary ,it reminded me of the old RockyII or III "eye of the tiger".
I'm not completly sold on this year's addition yet.
The rock fights against Temple ,Tulsa and UC don't coun't
Shut down a good SMU offense even in a split and I will believe.

 

[BUConn10]

Level of competition.

 

[upstater]

2011 was incredible too, so how does one choose? They held teams from the Sweet 16 on to under 30% shooting. Absurd. Roscoe was swatting away everything underneath. Jeremy for once was getting his arms in the way of everything. Kemba stole everything he could.

 

[aceboon]

Level of competition.

Read past the thread title

 

[auror]

Only going back to '02, but '09 was the best defensive team apparently. Blocked a ton of shots, held opponents to low shooting number, and (the opposite of this season) the real key did not foul at all. If you think about it, all 8 rotation players were good defenders (Price, Dyson before injury, Austrie, Kemba, Adrien, Stanley, Thabeet, and Edwards).

AdjD is the column to key in on (and not just the rank, but the raw number).

 

[Rocktheworld]

After a month of "worst defensive team I've ever seen!!" from a few of our brilliant forum peers.

This place is a f-cking pendulum.

 

[James]

Sure but offensively it's probably the most challenged (via that kenpom chart above). One thing pops out is how insanely well calhouns teams hit the offensive glass.

 

[David 76]

After a month of "worst defensive team I've ever seen!!" from a few of our brilliant forum peers.

This place is a f-cking pendulum.

In this case, I think the team changed a lot too. Not just the fans.

 

[upstater]

Came upon this video of the 2009 team and had to remind myself that they were within 3 points of Michigan state with a minute to go. The announcers couldn't have cared less.

 

[msgordon]

looking at that chart, the 04 and 09 teams were so impressive because they played great d while maintaining a fast tempo and offensive rebounding%. this teams defense is very strong, and there is no denying their raw effeciency in terms of points allowed per possession, but for obvious reasons defense becomes easier to play when you are playing at a slower pace and not sending guys to the offensive glass. so while this team has the highest ranked (currently #2) defense since kenpom started tracking, i would argue that 04 and 09 were "better" in that their level of defense allowed the team to maintain a higher point differential and overall level of play. (that is not to say this team is playing suboptimally, i dont believe we are built to run/crash the glass, and playing to our strengths is part of what has allowed our halfcourt defense to thrive). hopefully that makes sense, and i realize i did not answer the question in the OP

 

[Silk31]

Only going back to '02, but '09 was the best defensive team apparently. Blocked a ton of shots, held opponents to low shooting number, and (the opposite of this season) the real key did not foul at all. If you think about it, all 8 rotation players were good defenders (Price, Dyson before injury, Austrie, Kemba, Adrien, Stanley, Thabeet, and Edwards).

2009 was the year that really stood out to me on defense. We were so tough to score off of with Thabeet and Adrien down low and Sticks and Dyson on the wings.

Specifically in the frontcourt that was probably one of our best defensive years but if we are talking backcourt defense then Bazz & Boat harassing defenders was also very fun to watch

 

[msgordon]

another thought on that chart...the fact that we still led the country in efg% d in '07 when we had a whole new roster and pretty much stunk is crazy

 

[polycom]

While we had a good all around game yesterday... Memphis had a horrible game. 58% from FT on 30+ shots.

 

[Waquoit]

Memphis had a horrible game. 58% from FT on 30+ shots.

That's what happens when you just chuck it up there like you're in a hurry to leave.

 

[tcf15]

Sure but offensively it's probably the most challenged (via that kenpom chart above). One thing pops out is how insanely well calhouns teams hit the offensive glass.

Tom Moore. Check the OR% at Quinnipiac each year Moore has been there:

 

[intlzncster]

After a month of "worst defensive team I've ever seen!!" from a few of our brilliant forum peers.

This place is a f-cking pendulum.

Been described as Bipolar before. I just don't like making fun of Bipolar people by associating them with some of the nutbags on here.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

jimmy c was one of the best defensive coaches in college basketball history. his kids were tough, his schemes were great and he made adjustments on D that few coaches would ever think of.

When you think of a great coach, you usually think of their offensive system. Calhoun was the opposite.

 

[auror]

Sure but offensively it's probably the most challenged (via that kenpom chart above). One thing pops out is how insanely well calhouns teams hit the offensive glass.

Ollie definitely comes from the NBA school of thought that getting back in transition is more important than sending guys to the glass.

 

[dennismenace]

The 2013-14 team, in the tournament, particularly in the Elite 8, played perhaps the best stretch of defense of any UConn team.

Boatright, especially, and Napier were completely locked in. The team's perimeter defense was so good that the other teams' guards couldn't get near the paint. Often times, UConn's guards have pressured the perimeter with the intent of funneling drivers into our shot-blockers. But our guards were funneling their guards backwards. Scottie Wilbekin probably still has nightmares about 2014.

That team had its ups and downs and I wouldn't rank it as the best defensive team in UConn history, but for that stretch of games, wow.

Agreed.

2011 was incredible too, so how does one choose? They held teams from the Sweet 16 on to under 30% shooting. Absurd. Roscoe was swatting away everything underneath. Jeremy for once was getting his arms in the way of everything. Kemba stole everything he could.

That was described by many as the ugliest of NC games but like other great UConn teams that won when it counted it was defense that carried the day. Here is a link to the story
with a lot of quotes from JC. This was a great story about the team and JC.

http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=310940041
[

 

[Dogbreath2U]

For our younger members, I would encourage you to watch some of the games from the dream season, especially the ones with Syracuse (Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens, etc.), Georgetown (Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo), and BET games. I had forgotten just how amazing that year was. Henefeld was the glue, but the whole team played defense like their life depended on it. Rod Sellers could hardly get off the ground with a knee injury and still played. We had a frontline of 6'6", 6'7", and 6'5" playing against huge teams (Clemson, G-Town, Syracuse) and they beat those teams. That team played some great basketball.

 

[UChusky916]

The 2013-14 team, in the tournament, particularly in the Elite 8, played perhaps the best stretch of defense of any UConn team.

Boatright, especially, and Napier were completely locked in. The team's perimeter defense was so good that the other teams' guards couldn't get near the paint. Often times, UConn's guards have pressured the perimeter with the intent of funneling drivers into our shot-blockers. But our guards were funneling their guards backwards. Scottie Wilbekin probably still has nightmares about 2014.

That team had its ups and downs and I wouldn't rank it as the best defensive team in UConn history, but for that stretch of games, wow.

This picture pretty much sums up our defense in that run:

 

[bcisco]

Came upon this video of the 2009 team and had to remind myself that they were within 3 points of Michigan state with a minute to go. The announcers couldn't have cared less.

Still one of the most insane dunks in Uconn history, gets lost in the fact we lost the game