Changing UConn History

[tcf15]

I asked this question on Twitter and there was a pretty good response, so I'm interested to hear what everyone here has to say.

You can change the outcome of only one game from the Calhon-era of UConn basketball. Which game is it and why?

 

[Kembacity]

George Mason...

Because it probably results in another title... Coach K would have just evened with us rather than taking a lead

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

UConn 103 UCLA 102.- Ray Allen with game winning three.

 

[8893]

Donyell hits ONE FREE THROW with 3 seconds to go against Florida in '94. We have a clear path to our first NC five years sooner.

 

[bear]

2006 George Mason every time.

 

[Matrim55]

1. Donyell's free throws
2. Ricky doesn't get hurt
3. UCLA (they were clearly the better team, but I think we'd beat anyone else that year)

Honorable mention: SMU in this year's AAC title game. Wish Boat had gone out with an NCAA appearance, and I wish RP & DHam had gotten that experience. And I think it would have cut down on the idiotic threads here over the past month.

 

[partyATkemba]

Undisputed George Mason for me, but there's been no love for the 6-OT game? I wish we would have pulled that one out.

 

[8893]

Is the 2011 Fiesta Bowl eligible?

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

If that 06 team won a title they are probably regarded put onto that list of one of the best college basketball teams ever with 4 of the 5 starters being 1st round draft picks.

 

[Jaker]

2002 elite 8 game against the Terps, if we had gotten past them we win our second nc, although Gordon and okafor probably would of left after 2003, so we would not of won in 2004.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Tate hangs on to it, gets fouled, hits both, UConn wins 80-77 in OT. That team deserved a Final Four. Christian Laettner's shot never happened.

 

[Kembacity]

Undisputed George Mason for me, but there's been no love for the 6-OT game? I wish we would have pulled that one out.

I'm fine with that being the way it was. Just honored for our guys to have been a part of that epic game

 

[Ts5034]

For me its George Mason. If we won that game it would have been two Final Fours in three years ans if we won the NC it also would have made it 2 Championships in three years. That would have been a good notch in our belts that not a lot of teams could say they have.

 

[Waquoit]

Tate hangs on to it, gets fouled, hits both, UConn wins 80-77 in OT. That team deserved a Final Four. Christian Laettner's shot never happened.

That's the one. Getting over the Final Four hump 10 years earlier would have been huge. We would be in a real league today.

 

[GemParty]

I would have liked a crack at UNC, the year we lost Dyson & lost to Michigan State.

 

[LStudfellow]

The 1990 Elite 8 Game against Duke. I did color commentary on that game for WHUS... after all the guts we showed to fight back in that game, all Tate had to do was deflect the ball up the court (not even catch it) and the game was over. And to have Laettner double pump and still swish that 18-footer at the buzzer... that was a punch to the gut like no other. I was thisclose to going to Denver on the school's dime. Besides, that team gave us the most unexpected 3 month ride ever, and they deserved to get that shot, even if we would have probably lost to UNLV. That team showed us all what a group of over-achievers could accomplish by putting the team in front of individual accomplishment... and they forever changed the culture of UConn basketball from that year forward.

For all of you who name the loss to George Mason in 2006 - yes, that was a heartbreaking loss, but if you think we would have gone on to win the National Championship that year you are out of your mind. Florida would have kicked our asses in the next game. That whole tournament we were playing like individuals, and Florida was playing like a team. They kicked George Mason's butts, and would have definitely put a similar beat-down on us. Anyone who says otherwise is not being honest with the way Florida was playing compared to us throughout that tournament.

 

[Tk79]

None of the above. Had we won any of those momentous games in the past, it could have set off an unpredictable chain of events leading to a different future for UConn basketball. I don't want any uncertainty, so I'll take the 4 chips since 1999 and be thankful.

That said, I guess this past season's SMU game wouldn't have impacted past championships, so i'll vote for that one...

 

[LStudfellow]

I would have liked a crack at UNC, the year we lost Dyson & lost to Michigan State.

Good call GemParty. This one is probably my 2nd choice - before Dyson got hurt, that team was right there with UNC as the best team in the country. In all my time watching UConn basketball, the single best one game performance by a UConn team might have been that Big Monday game at Louisville on February 2nd. We beat the #7 Rick Pitino coached team on their floor by 17... and could have won by 30. With all the struggles we had with Louisville over our years together, that one game was an absolute destruction by us against them. Then we lost Dyson 9 days later.

I think we beat Michigan St. with Dyson despite their "home court" advantage in the Semis that year... then we throw up the ball and go toe-to-toe with the 'Heels. THAT would have been a great match up.

 

[Yankees32123]

I have to agree with Tk79. Gimme the AAC championship this year. We need to start dominating this league or we'll be stuck in it forever.

 

[Stinger92860]

Has to be George Mason..that would be 5 titles

 

[Gurleyman]

If that 06 team won a title they are probably regarded put onto that list of one of the best college basketball teams ever with 4 of the 5 starters being 1st round draft picks.

If that 06 team somehow won a title, it would have still only been the second best UConn team of the Josh Boone Era. Never mind all of college basketball history.

They lost in a 1-8 game in their conference quarters, trailed by 12 in the second half of a 1-16 game and needed a miracle (and help from the stripes) to get out of the Sweet 16.

If anyone was old enough to be a Husky fan in 1990 and would reverse Mason '06 over Duke '90, they're crazy. Duke was heartbreaking, Mason felt like chickens coming home to roost. Although I totally agree with tk's point about history being altered. The euphoria of 1999 was enhanced by our searing hatred of Duke. That wouldn't have been there if Tate held the ball or if Chrissy missed.

 

[CAHUSKY]

I think the George Mason game just because it hurt so fricken bad. The one that no one has mentioned that still grates at me is the 1996 loss to Mississippi State. We should have made the final four that year for sure.

 

[pnow15]

George Mason victory would have been followed by a game with Florida, a team that had two future Hall of Fame players on it.
No certain victory there.

 

[HuskyNationJE]

Final 4 against MSU in 09 because we would have remained flawless in the Final 4 and I think would have been a great matchup against UNC in the championship game. Especially watching MSU getting massacred and it would have been sweet to beat UNC. I agree with George Mason but the game should have never been that close in the first place. 09 Final 4!

 

[willie99]

we beat the Twerps in 2002, bringing the toughness of our tough program to new levels