Fanta on Fox: Putting UConn's dominant run into perspective: 'They are the best team I've ever seen'

[Mike Honcho]

Putting UConn's dominant run into perspective | FOX Sports

UConn has put together a dominant run in this year's NCAA Tournament. John Fanta reached out to several coaches and media members for their perspective on the Huskies, who are looking to repeat as national champs.

www.foxsports.com

 

[uh-no]

doomed

 

[Palatine]

He is definitely trying to jinx us.

 

[storrsroars]

Donny Marshall has only positive things to say. That's not the season-long BY narrative.

 

[CL82]

Donny Marshall has only positive things to say. That's not the season-long BY narrative.

He's not doing the broadcast so he probably doesn't feel the need to be "fair and balanced."

 

[uconnfan68]

So, still not sure we can win close games?

 

[Huskybass]

I think Danny Hurley has revolutionized college coaching. Excellence is the standard, in all aspects of the program. What a magnificent mentor he had, and I'm sure Geno and JC have inspired and contributed as well.

I love this team. I'm sure Charles Okwandu does as well.

 

[OceanDoggie]

Sean Miller had extremely high praise in that article.

 

[NEforceUConn]

doomed

Doomed

 

[MexicoHusky]

They run the most complex offense I've seen in college. At times it's like watching a game of 5-card-monte

 

[Rocktheworld]

Donny Marshall has only positive things to say. That's not the season-long BY narrative.

It’s always been obvious he over-compensates on the broadcast

 

[fomalhaut]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

 

[BlueHen]

So, still not sure we can win close games?

I'm not sure we can win close games. we have to be in one first.

 

[ctbro1999]

I'm not sure we can win close games. we have to be in one first.

Danny Hurley has never won a close NCAAT game at UConn. What a bum!

 

[Greedo]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

The Kansas loss at least I would attribute to injuries. Cam Spencer was running around like a hobbled deer, and Clingan had foot issues. I think injuries were an issue in the Seton Hall loss as well. We were losing before Clingan left with the ankle injury, but I think he still wasn't himself at that point recovering from his previous injury. I would say the Creighton loss was the only time another team just bested them. And Creighton got absolutely red hot from 3 that game.

I don't think it's a stretch to put this team among the best of all time. To say they're definitively the best of all time may be a tough sell, but they're up there. The wins so far this tournament have been just so absolutely dominant.

 

[superjohn]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

Because they're blowing teams out by an average of 27.5 points per game in the tournament. They have a top defense and offense...

They lost at Kansas (toughest building to play at in the country) when Cam Spencer missed a three pointer at the end. Spencer played on one good ankle that game, Clingan was coming off injury and out of shape, and they didn't have their star freshman and top 5 pick Stephon Castle. Their loss at Seton Hall they were losing by 4 points when Donovan Clingan who was dominating left the game with injury that kept him out the next several weeks. Creighton just flat out beat us easily at Creighton....

Fanta is 28 years old so he wasn't around for the UCLA teams or the undefeated Indiana team. He wasn't even around for 1995-1996 Kentucky...

Men's college basketball is totally different than women's college basketball, they don't have undefeated seasons all the time in the men's game like they do the women's game. The last undefeated team was Indiana in 1975-1976. I'm 44 and the only other team I've seen I would put with this team is Kentucky in 1995-1996 but this team has work to do, two more wins and they join the best teams ever.

 

[ctbro1999]

The Kansas loss at least I would attribute to injuries. Cam Spencer was running around like a hobbled deer, and Clingan had foot issues.

Also, we were missing Castle, who would have made a HUGE difference containing McCullar. Castle plays even just 15 minutes that game, we win it, no question.

 

[UConnJim]

Teams grow and develop during a season. UConn integrated 3 new starters, 2 of them it was their first year at UConn and dealt with injuries to a number of key players. The way UConn is playing now is probably the best I have ever seen a UConn team play.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

doomed

some of you complain that we don't get enough press....and when we do, you act like teenagers with the doom shit.

 

[jibsey]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

The teams greatness has been increasing at a faster pace as the season ends. To understand it you need to know quantum physics.

 

[Scot-e]

some of you complain that we don't get enough press....and when we do, you act like teenagers with the doom .

Doomed!

 

[August_West]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

Jesus. This isn’t women’s basketball . Do you know the last time a men’s team went undefeated? Nineteen Seventy freakin six. You would have to be 55 years old to even begin remembering it. The best teams of all time take losses, because, you know, there is competition and all the talent isn’t concentrated on 4 out of 350 teams. Thank god the women’s game is actually improving in that area now.

 

[UCan3]

Sean Miller had extremely high praise in that article.

Yeah class act. He didn’t have to say the things he did - respect.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

Sometimes, i just cant with people. smh

 

[uconnfan68]

Yeah class act. He didn’t have to say the things he did - respect.

He called us Dook-like.

 

[BlueMAB]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

 

[87Xfer]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

Serious question?

Take this to the womens forum.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don't really follow the men, but wonder how a team that's lost three games can be the greatest team he's ever seen. Did he just start watching today?

The best explanations are contained within several thoughtful answers. The most significant element of the "greatest team... ever seen" claim is its built-in combination of limitation & integrity.

Fanta is 28 years old.

The human brain doesn't really develop sufficient capacity to conceptualize, formulate, and express a claim like the one quoted above until, say, 12 years of age. That means he could only possess the rare combination of awareness, attention, perception, and articulation since, at best, 2008.

The possibility that full "best ever" consideration had formed within a year or two of the notion ever having been possible seems extremely unlikely.

At that point, it would take a certain type of precosciously nerdy young teenager to be working on, working out, or working though such processes. Such kids exist.

I wouldn't be approaching your question and writing this response if I didn't have some of this type of energy in me, but it's uncommon and weird for the most part.

I wouldn't go anywhere near such an analytical breakdown and sincere response if I didn't first commit to not dismissing or disrespectful your query. That too is a rarity.

I'm regarding this as an opportunity to distract myself from multiple other discussions here that I consider off-purpose and against my rooting interest during these predictably anxious days of uncertainty prior to each weekend and each game in a win-or-go home setup that plays out as, in essence, 3 consecutive weekend tournaments that end most teams' seasons. In other words, I'm choosing to reply rather than speculating on future rosters, recruiting, the Transfer Portal, team vulnerabilities, opposing team fanbases offenses & idiocies, etc., etc. It's as though I think my absurd discussion is more elevated, less harmful, purer in aspiration, 'better' than the other stuff, which can be petty, low-consciousness, karma-distupting, and such.

In candor, I know that I'm 100% as foolish, counterproductive, worthy of ridicule, or just plain bad/dumb/wrong as anyone else here. The enterprise is branded as "Madness," and my enthusiasm is labeled with a shorted word form of fanaticism. I'm wasting precious life energy.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

[I FORGOT THAT I WAS EDITING AND EXCEEDED THE TIME LIMITED. HERE'S THE COMPLETION OF THE ALREADY 'DISCLAIMED' OVERNIGHT RAMBLINGS]

Upon such a dubious foundation, I offer the simple response that John Fanta did not start watching basketball yesterday, but that he's only obligated by the words he chose, to consider teams since 2010.

I find it notable and commendable that he has responsibly framed his opinion in fully personal terms. He shows respect for his limited historical perdpective. I admire that.

I'll estimate that only half of the period he is considering exists during the period when he has pursued, to increasing success, a professional commitment to watching a lot of basketball. By contrast, I began watching my first college basketball games more than six decades. I'm disinclined to brush off anything Fanta says simply in the basis of having seen more over a longer period of time. He's not claiming that he has basis to make all-time pronouncements.

All things considered, I have been owed & delighted by UConn's game performance this season in unique ways. I'm deeply interest in watch what the do next, on Saturday night. I find nothing offensive or implausible in learning that someone who currently pays broad and close attention to the subject of my most passionate current leisure time interest has come to regard what he has been witnessing as being special in a way not unlike what I'm doing.

As a footnote of sorts, I'll add that this is my 4th consecutive season of watching the UConn Women's team playing at least 30 games, after decades of limiting my viewing to the biggest regular season matchups and tournaments not really until semi- or quarter-final games.

I've been present for unprecedented player losses due to injuries, massive lineups disruptions, the ending of various win streaks that I believe will never be equaled or exceeded again, and the challenges & drama that surround all of this. For UConn to have returned to the Final Four this season amazes enough to label it (from my limited perspective) the best season of coaching I've ever seen from Geno. Maybe somebody wants to wonder if I just started watching last Monday. That's okay by me, and no backhanded slap at you. I'm richly engaged with the his year's team & season, players & coaches...and I was last year, the year before, and the year before.

I've gotten great joy watching the best of the various teams and the astonishing roster of players since, I'll figure, 1995, sometimes more present than others. But this injury-plagued, National Championship drought period that began during the time of the the second wave of COVID-19 and a broadened pool of skilled players in many conferences has special meaning.

[Over & out, too tired to re-read, proofread, correct, or edit, but I can't be too far off, and I hope that the worst of my errors will bring laughter to those who catch them. I definitely laughed at myself when I learned that I'd exceeded my time limit to edit]

 

[UCan3]

He called us Dook-like.

Ut oh, now I have a beef LOL