Best time to go to UConn as a basketball fan?

[huskiesnyc]

For the few of us that finished college in 4 years I'm curious when the basketball team had the most success. 4 year period. I graduated from UConn in 05' and was there for 12 NCAA wins and a National Championship. We were more consistent and contenders to win it and had deep tourney runs every year. Those were probably JC's best years. The spoiled 14' alums have 2 NC's to fall back on but the same tourney wins -12. Also less consistent and two years of no tourney wins sandwiched in. Graduating in 99' was probably the best, you guys saw the first NC and some great players. All the respect in the world to the old timers here that graduated in the 60's and are still diehards. Same goes for CT residents that are big fans but didn't go to the school.

 

[Gurleyman]

For the few of us that finished college in 4 years I'm curious when the basketball team had the most success. 4 year period. I graduated from UConn in 05' and was there for 12 NCAA wins and a National Championship. We were more consistent and contenders to win it and had deep tourney runs every year. Those were probably JC's best years. The spoiled 14' alums have 2 NC's to fall back on but the same tourney wins -12. Also less consistent and two years of no tourney wins sandwiched in. Graduating in 99' was probably the best, you guys saw the first NC and some great players. All the respect in the world to the old timers here that graduated in the 60's and are still diehards. Same goes for CT residents that are big fans but didn't go to the school.

I'd say 2 titles probably trumps all. But if we move the goalposts, for sheer fun and enjoyment, if you graduated in 1990 or 1991, you got the NiT title and the Dream Season, which were magical. And perhaps nothing beats the partying in 1999.

But yes - your class probably wins for consistency. Best year was a title and worst was a five seed. You got Caron's year, and the class behind you got George Mason. Edge 2005, even if 2006 was a 1 seed.

 

[CallMeBruce]

For the few of us that finished college in 4 years I'm curious when the basketball team had the most success. 4 year period. I graduated from UConn in 05' and was there for 12 NCAA wins and a National Championship. We were more consistent and contenders to win it and had deep tourney runs every year. Those were probably JC's best years. The spoiled 14' alums have 2 NC's to fall back on but the same tourney wins -12. Also less consistent and two years of no tourney wins sandwiched in. Graduating in 99' was probably the best, you guys saw the first NC and some great players. All the respect in the world to the old timers here that graduated in the 60's and are still diehards. Same goes for CT residents that are big fans but didn't go to the school.

I was also at UConn for those years, and it was incredible. I think that's got to be the best stretch.

 

[Robertelamin]

I was 2004 and it was a great ride other than the NIT in 2001.

 

[Penfield]

I graduated in 2006. Certainly could have ended on a higher note, but I cant complain. Got to see a championship, a bunch of future NBA players, and a ton of great games.

My brother was not so lucky since he graduated in '08. Started the year after the '04 Chip and graduated the year before the '09 Final Four. Two squads w/ Final Four hopes bowing out early, a forgotten season, and a first round loss. One of only 2 graduating classes since 1998 not to get at least a Final Four run. Other being '03.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I was at UConn from 08-09 to 11-12 which was 2 and a NC. Pretty amazing, but I do envy people I've met who just graduated last year. Freshman during the Kemba run, seniors for Dual Champs. The years in between were obviously very disappointing, but I dunno how you beat that 4-year experience.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

For the few of us that finished college in 4 years I'm curious when the basketball team had the most success. 4 year period. I graduated from UConn in 05' and was there for 12 NCAA wins and a National Championship. We were more consistent and contenders to win it and had deep tourney runs every year. Those were probably JC's best years. The spoiled 14' alums have 2 NC's to fall back on but the same tourney wins -12. Also less consistent and two years of no tourney wins sandwiched in. Graduating in 99' was probably the best, you guys saw the first NC and some great players. All the respect in the world to the old timers here that graduated in the 60's and are still diehards. Same goes for CT residents that are big fans but didn't go to the school.

I was at UConn from 08-09 to 11-12 which was 2 and a NC. Pretty amazing, but I do envy people I've met who just graduated last year. Freshman during the Kemba run, seniors for Dual Champs. The years in between were obviously very disappointing, but I dunno how you beat that 4-year experience.

My girlfriend was enrolled in UConn for both National Championships in '10 and '14.... I don't think anything can trump that. She was a senior when they won last year and it was the perfect way to end her college years. To be able to see Kemba Walker, Napier, and Maya Moore is pretty special

 

[Tenspro2002]

2005 (2002-2005) or 2006 (2003-2006) would take it for me, with the year-in, year-out guarantee of having meaningful, huge games from December through March, and teams that were generally exciting to watch.

Getting two championships (2011-2014) is pretty cool, but you'd have to abide some ugly basketball and uninspiring regular seasons. Particularly considering that most of our big moments in those years came at tournaments (Maui, BET, NCAAT), as a student on campus you wouldn't be left with a lot of excitement at Gampel or XL. The extra parades would be pretty sweet though.

 

[huskyniner]

I graduated in 2009. George Mason was my freshman year and the FF loss to Michigan State was my senior year. Just brutal.

Still had a blast though!

 

[CAHUSKY]

It took me 27 years to graduate and 23 years from the first day I set foot on the UCONN campus in 1991. I would say I enjoyed more success between my first day and graduation day than any other UCONN fan.

 

[Mike Honcho]

I graduated in 2009. George Mason was my freshman year and the FF loss to Michigan State was my senior year. Just brutal.

Still had a blast though!

Ugh. I was at both of those games.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Getting two championships (2011-2014) is pretty cool, but you'd have to abide some ugly basketball and uninspiring regular seasons. Particularly considering that most of our big moments in those years came at tournaments (Maui, BET, NCAAT), as a student on campus you wouldn't be left with a lot of excitement at Gampel or XL. The extra parades would be pretty sweet though.

The only negative thing is getting just 2 years of the Big East.

 

[ThetaZoo]

‘67-71 was not the best 4-year run for UConn basketball. We were 40-55 overall but did share the Yankee Conference championship in 69-70 with UMass. UMass in fact won or shared the conference title all four years. Julius Erving was a freak as a college player just as he was as a pro. The ‘slowdown game’ with Rhody was spell binding, if you can believe that.

 

[nomar]

I'd say the years I was in college, 1995-1999, were a damn fine time to be a UConn student. I didn't go to UConn but I know Excalibur is a '99 grad.

1995-96: The season ended on a down note, but Ray's shot vs Georgetown in the BET Final will always be one of UConn's, and the Big East's, greatest highlights. 32-3, 17-1 in the conference.

1996-97: This was a bridge year, but it was exciting to see the team make that run to the NIT Final 4. We could tell that "Rip" kid was gonna be special.

1997-98: Do we lose that Elite 8 game anywhere but in Greensboro? 32-5, 15-3. And our team was young. We knew big things were coming.

1998-99: They came.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I was in the same class as Ollie. 91-95. Wouldn't trade it for anything. Zero FF's but a couple of deep runs. Couldn't sniff a ticket to the XL for patsy games. Big East battles and many last second spur of the moment road trips to away games. Loved it.

 

[Inyatkin]

Anything that involves 99 can't be topped. The fact that it was my senior year at UConn might have something to do with that opinion.

 

[Jay-Bone]

My freshman year was '99. I can still hear the "f Dook" chants. The after party rivaled spring weekend. I returned to campus for '04 and it wasn't nearly the same. We also had a few women's championships between too....but just about any of the last 15 years had women's success.

 

[UconnU]

03-07 wasnt too shabby, a national title an elite eight. It did end pretty though.

 

[mauconnfan]

Or '67 until now! That's the best time.

 

[pepband99]

Class of '99 and damned proud of it. Being in the band all 4 years meant, essentially, front row to the whole thing.

Even the "down year" of 96-97 gave us the Kansas game - still the loudest I've ever heard the HCC.

30-2
18-15
32-5
34-2

 

[UConn Dan]

Class of 2000 here. Being there for the 99 championship was a college and lifetime experience I will always cherish. After all the close elite 8 losses and heartbreakers it was just so surreal and to actually get to be in Florida for final four as a student - amazing!

I give a hat tip to those graduating in 99 though because they got to be there for Ray Ray and our first ship.

96-97 rebuilding - NIT - you could see the talent would be there
97-98 - the missing piece of puzzle added - Khalid. Nice NCAA run ended by a great UNC team.
98-99 - first championship and against Duke - no words
99-00 - tough to make another run without Rip

 

[ATLDYKA]

'87 - '91 and still say that no season will ever be better then the dream season even if they didn't win the championship. Being at those back to back games against Syracuse and Georgetown at the Civic Center were incredible. Then the Big East Tourney just as great. Then being there when they opened up Gampel against St. John's.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

For the few of us that finished college in 4 years I'm curious when the basketball team had the most success. 4 year period. I graduated from UConn in 05' and was there for 12 NCAA wins and a National Championship. We were more consistent and contenders to win it and had deep tourney runs every year. Those were probably JC's best years. The spoiled 14' alums have 2 NC's to fall back on but the same tourney wins -12. Also less consistent and two years of no tourney wins sandwiched in. Graduating in 99' was probably the best, you guys saw the first NC and some great players. All the respect in the world to the old timers here that graduated in the 60's and are still diehards. Same goes for CT residents that are big fans but didn't go to the school.

I'm one of those spoiled '14 alums so obviously I'm gonna say between 2010-14 from Kemba and the miracle run in '11 to Shabazz becoming Kemba-reborn in '14. Strangely enough, before last seasons' title you could argue that my undergrad years were the ones with the most turmoil (APR, conference arse-duck*in, Coach Calhoun leaving, all that shiz). It was destiny to win it all in '14.

 

[Waquoit]

Maybe not the best era, but certainly one that had everything was 78-82: The Corny Years. The first year was a season of hope (after a losing season) with a great recruiting class coming in. The Field House was rocking during a thrilling one-point win against local power Fairfield early on. That kicked off a 9-game win streak. They ended the season by knocking off reigning regional champ Rhody twice late to get a ticket to the Big Dance. Once there, they couldn't quite get over the hump against Syracuse, a missed wide open dunk by McKay killed all momentum. But that season was good times, it was like a mini-Dream Season. Aspirations weren't that high back then. Just making the dance was a huge deal where the program was back then.

The next year they join the Big East! The Big-Time! And another 20-win season, and a win in the BET. They weren't quite good enough for iron of the league but they were a team on the come.

The third year is where they really screwed the pooch. UConn wins their first 11 games to get ranked for the 1st time in who know's when. Then we lose at BC by one point. And BC goes on to win a weak Big East that year, two games over UConn. UConn should have been the champs, they had the team to do it that year. Winning a title would have really moved UConn forward. We had some nice wins, a bunch of close losses followed by a soon to be traditional 1st round loss in the BET. They got smashed in the NIT by Trent Tucker's amazing shooting. The best shooting display in building history.

So in three years UConn has gone from exciting young team that makes the NCAA's, to a team on the come against tougher competition, to a team of disappointment. What would it be the fourth year: a new top or a bitter ending? Anticipation was high to begin the year. The Big East Tournament was in Hartford that year because of UConn's modern building and rabid fan base. They started out going 16-4, including a win over Big East champ Villanova. They also gave National Finalist Georgetown their worst beating of the year, by 9, in Washington. But for some reason they just started losing and kept losing. The last sequence of UConn's lone Civic Center BET game was especially disheartening. For some reason, the Morris Mtn. gets the ball alone just across mid-court. Does he wait for the guards to come get the ball? Hell no, he was going to win the game. He looks up at the hoop and starts dribbling, all 6'11 275 of him. Charge! St. John's gets the ball, pass to a wide-open Chris Mullen baseline, ball game. They finish that last 1-7 stretch with a 1-point, OT loss at Dayton that wasn't even televised.

So in my four years, I started with a program that was thrilled, ecstatic with 1-point win over Fairfield and Rutgers on way to a tourney berth, to a team that thought it just may be able to compete with the big boys, to a team that beat the big boys more than once, to a program that just crashed and burned. After that season, all the 5-stars were gone, replaced by 3 and 2 stars*. UConn became a punchline, most known for always losing in the 1st round of the BET.


*The one exception being a player that was such a loose cannon Syracuse threw him back.

 

[dsturdy5]

So put a big * next to this response since I graduated on time but was in a 5 year program.

97-98 was my first year on campus, graduated w/my masters in 2002.

98-BET champs, Elite 8, incredible team.
99-Yeah, you know, BET champs, National Champs.
00-Disappointing end but still a BET final
01-YUCK but still some good games (Arizona!)
02-My favorite non-FF UConn team. BET champs, elite 8, kind of a nice bookend to my first year.