Comparing this year’s team to ‘23 and ‘24 teams

[UCLJ0211]

It’s been discussed a lot, but thought it would be a good time to revisit the conversation now that we are about halfway through the regular season.

We are sitting at 15-1, 5-0 in the BE with several impressive OOC wins and fresh off a huge comeback win at PC in which we showed Championship Pedigree and resiliency. This team can win in many ways and ultimately wears teams down with our balance and depth.

The ‘23 and ‘24 teams through 16 games were both 14-2. To me, this team looks like it can be better than the ‘23 team but not quite as dominant as the ‘24 team- so I would put them as Hurley’s second best team so far.

We obviously won’t have a definitive answer until the season is over, but it’s an interesting debate. Up to this point in the season- where does this team fit compared to the 23 and 24 teams?

 

[Kemba15]

I don't think we're really that close to the '24 team, even if the record won't be too far off. That starting five may have been the most perfectly constructed starting 5 of any CBB team we have seen this century. We're not built like the '23 team (less athleticism, better shooting, I think) but I think we're overall a more balanced and deeper squad.

 

[shizzle787]

The 2024 team is the best team since at least the 1996 Kentucky team. This year's version is not that team, but it may be better than the 2023 team.

 

[fatlucy]

It’s been discussed a lot, but thought it would be a good time to revisit the conversation now that we are about halfway through the regular season.

We are sitting at 15-1, 5-0 in the BE with several impressive OOC wins and fresh off a huge comeback win at PC in which we showed Championship Pedigree and resiliency. This team can win in many ways and ultimately wears teams down with our balance and depth.

The ‘23 and ‘24 teams through 16 games were both 14-2. To me, this team looks like it can be better than the ‘23 team but not quite as dominant as the ‘24 team- so I would put them as Hurley’s second best team so far.

We obviously won’t have a definitive answer until the season is over, but it’s an interesting debate. Up to this point in the season- where does this team fit compared to the 23 and 24 teams?

DOOMED!

 

[JMick]

I think we're slightly worse than the 2023 team right now. I think we can be just as good by March. I don't think we'll see another team as good as '24 for a long while

 

[LetsGoUC]

2024 team did special stuff, I don't think anyones coming close to that. 2026 team is great so far, but we can judge them come March.

 

[jleves]

2024 team did special stuff, I don't think anyones coming close to that. 2026 team is great so far, but we can judge them come April.

FIFY

 

[ConnHuskBask]

2024 team is one of the best cbb teams of all time. Not a knock on this squad to not even be in the same stratosphere as them.

I don't think this team is close to the 2023 team either. Aside from a crummy Jan, that squad blew everyone out of the water in the ooc slate.

 

[boog204]

Wayyyy too early to do comps. I do think it's safe to say 24 is just off limits regardless of what happens. Even if we ran the table from here on out, 24 was next level good and, barring injurie,s should have only lost 1 game that year. I also think tourney 23 beats this group, as it is at this moment, fairly easily.

 

[80shusky]

I don't think you can compare this team to either of those teams because they had Clingan who changed everything just by walking on the floor. What we have as of right now though is a title contender by the metrics that should be a 1 or 2 seed come March.

 

[RuffRuff]

Doesn't touch 2024. It doesn't create the level of defensive fear in the opposition, no real shut down or rim protector, doesn't create offense off defense. Doesn't have the ball handling, shot creation.

I don't think it has the firepower the 23 team had either. Tarris, as gifted a big man as he is, simply isn't as reliable or defined as Adama. We don't have an AJx on this team. A kid like Mullins could become Hawkins-esque, we'll see. This team is still missing a bit of the "it" factor. We shall see if that develops. That 1 or 2 really dynamic players that an make the engine go consistently. We really want that to be Silas & Mullins, so maybe yesterday was a start. We haven't shown a fifth gear.

To answer, I don't think this team is as good as either of those two - not sure it has to be to win an NC. It feels like we are firmly in a group of 7-8 teams that are all around one another.

 

[mjmoney23]

I do not like comparing teams until the end of the season. Was tough in 24 as they team was a wagon but I always held off until after the season.

 

[businesslawyer]

It’s been discussed a lot, but thought it would be a good time to revisit the conversation now that we are about halfway through the regular season.

We are sitting at 15-1, 5-0 in the BE with several impressive OOC wins and fresh off a huge comeback win at PC in which we showed Championship Pedigree and resiliency. This team can win in many ways and ultimately wears teams down with our balance and depth.

The ‘23 and ‘24 teams through 16 games were both 14-2. To me, this team looks like it can be better than the ‘23 team but not quite as dominant as the ‘24 team- so I would put them as Hurley’s second best team so far.

We obviously won’t have a definitive answer until the season is over, but it’s an interesting debate. Up to this point in the season- where does this team fit compared to the 23 and 24 teams?

Nowhere near as good as ‘24, but who is (or will be). Very hard to compare to ‘23, because 23 sucked for a while in January but then played great down the stretch. I think the starting five this year may be better than 23, but not the quality of depth (just DC being on the bench makes that impossible). Of course, 23 won a national championship relatively easily and this team has shown it could be on that level, but so have a number of other schools. We’ll see.

 

[superjohn]

'24 UConn is off limits, it's the best college basketball team of the 64 team era.

'23 UConn had 7 losses before the NCAA tournament beating three ranked teams. '26 UConn has 1 loss without 2 starters to the #1 team in the country in a close winnable game and has 4 wins over ranked opponents. UConn was a 4 seed in '23, I expect UConn to be a 1 seed in '26.

UConn '26 looks to be the better regular season team over '23 unless something goes drastically wrong. It remains to be seen what they'll do in the NCAA tournament.

 

[mjmoney23]

'24 UConn is off limits, it's the best college basketball team of the 64 team era.

'23 UConn had 7 losses before the NCAA tournament beating three ranked teams. '26 UConn has 1 loss without 2 starters to the #1 team in the country in a close winnable game and has 4 wins over ranked opponents. UConn was a 4 seed in '23, I expect UConn to be a 1 seed in '26.

UConn '26 looks to be the better regular season team over '23 unless something goes drastically wrong. It remains to be seen what they'll do in the NCAA tournament.

This is a solid take!

 

[Marat]

I was thinking that neither the '23 or '24 teams would have come back from the game vs PC yesterday.

Realistically '24 would never have fallen behind like that though ! The '23 team had the January games that they lost so that's enough to convince me.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Nothing to do with this convo per se but one of the sports books dropped a hypothetical line suggesting 25-26 Michigan as 4.5 point favorites over 2012 Kentucky (Anthony Davis year)

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I was thinking that neither the '23 or '24 teams would have come back from the game vs PC yesterday.

Realistically '24 would never have fallen behind like that though ! The '23 team had the January games that they lost so that's enough to convince me.

The 24 did actually fall behind PC in Providence by that same amount!

 

[Kemba15]

Doesn't touch 2024. It doesn't create the level of defensive fear in the opposition, no real shut down or rim protector, doesn't create offense off defense. Doesn't have the ball handling, shot creation.

I don't think it has the firepower the 23 team had either. Tarris, as gifted a big man as he is, simply isn't as reliable or defined as Adama. We don't have an AJx on this team. A kid like Mullins could become Hawkins-esque, we'll see. This team is still missing a bit of the "it" factor. We shall see if that develops. That 1 or 2 really dynamic players that an make the engine go consistently. We really want that to be Silas & Mullins, so maybe yesterday was a start. We haven't shown a fifth gear.

To answer, I don't think this team is as good as either of those two - not sure it has to be to win an NC. It feels like we are firmly in a group of 7-8 teams that are all around one another.

I would say we miss the athleticism and two-way players compared with 2023 more than the "it" factor, unless that's what you mean? But I think we have shown the it factor since we're good in close games and have beaten a bunch of awesome teams already,

 

[Waquoit]

We have quality depth that the other two teams didn't have. And the chemistry needed to keep it from becoming a potential source of problems. Last night being a good example.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

The 24 did actually fall behind PC in Providence by that same amount!

That was actually one of my favorite regular season games from that year to re-watch because they started out slow and PC looked like they were going to run them out of the gym and by halftime I think UConn was up by 18 after Hassan hit an off-balance 25 footer at the buzzer. The gym was a morgue.

 

[Marat]

The 24 did actually fall behind PC in Providence by that same amount!

I guess I forgot that, but it was 15-2 to start the game and they were in control most of the game.

 

[uconngb]

What happens if we win another Natty AND beat Seton Hall on the road????

A fella can dream right??

 

[superjohn]

Doesn't touch 2024. It doesn't create the level of defensive fear in the opposition, no real shut down or rim protector, doesn't create offense off defense. Doesn't have the ball handling, shot creation.

I don't think it has the firepower the 23 team had either. Tarris, as gifted a big man as he is, simply isn't as reliable or defined as Adama. We don't have an AJx on this team. A kid like Mullins could become Hawkins-esque, we'll see. This team is still missing a bit of the "it" factor. We shall see if that develops. That 1 or 2 really dynamic players that an make the engine go consistently. We really want that to be Silas & Mullins, so maybe yesterday was a start. We haven't shown a fifth gear.

To answer, I don't think this team is as good as either of those two - not sure it has to be to win an NC. It feels like we are firmly in a group of 7-8 teams that are all around one another.

I actually like this starting 5 more than '23. '23 was for sure more athletic because of Jackson but you can't sag off anyone in this starting 5. One separator for me is Silas is significantly better than Tristen was at this point in his first season. Moreso than the advantage Sanogo has over Tarris.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

All comps with 24 at this point are foolish. AT THIS TIME. I reserve the right to change my mind if we go on to win the NCAA title in a similar manner in which the 24 team did, destroying everyone on their path. And I believe we have that kind of ceiling.