Got 5 so we might as well talk about them

[ucp990411]

No I'm 29 years old

But you said you didn’t become a UConn fan until 2012-2013. Your parents didn’t teach you what was really important in life?

 

[David 76]

1999 because it was first and most difficult to achieve.
2014 because it was least expected.

 

[navery12]

But you said you didn’t become a UConn fan until 2012-2013. Your parents didn’t teach you what was really important in life?

Correct, I wasn't a UConn fan until I was a freshman at UConn. Not everyone here grew up in Connecticut

 

[superjohn]

This last one is pretty special, most dominant run in the history of the 64 team tournament.

 

[superjohn]

in 2014, I don't think most UConn fans actually believed they had a real chance at winning it all before the tourney started. We knew Shabazz was capable of coming up big in a game, but he went to another level. LeBron James was even giving him praise by the end. Watching his growth and it finally begin to click for Boatright was really cool to watch. Even down the stretch of the championship game when Kentucky had chances to take the lead, I was convinced Bazz would not let it happen. If they had taken the lead, I just thought Napier would just come down and drain one from 28 feet. He was hitting from long, long range.

Not sure how I felt before the tournament started but before the season started I thought 2014 had a chance at winning it all. I thought we would have the best backcourt in the country and it turned out to be true. 2011 blindsided me, I thought we were going to probably stink heading into that season. It seemed we were scrambling a bit for recruits, I wasn't expecting much of anything from all the new faces and I had no idea Kemba was going to turn into the best player in the country. The performance in Maui was shocking.

 

[Austin316]

The “This is what happens when you ban us” is such an awesome, historic statement to make. Cool moment in time as a fan of CBB.

That cemented his UConn legacy.

 

[Austin316]

No particular order. Every championship was awesome.

1999 - Just when you say you can’t, UConn!
2023 - slapped their way to the top. Fun climb!
2011 - Kemba… my favorite. Best run ever.
2014 - This is what happens when you ban us!
2004 - Emeka/Gordon combination was beautiful

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Let’s talk about em…

2011 my fave. Not sure how many know that EZPass is a Kemba nickname. Also when I did my undergraduate studies in Mojo

77-74 was about a month before my 11th birthday, I was so proud to be a young Husky fan. And the merch 2004 as a season is probably the closest I ever came to how Ed Cooley described the fan base lol

2014 the most superstitious. Watched every tourney game in the exact same location down to the seat on the couch.

Was 2011 the year of “WINNING”?

That’s actually a good question in general, what was the mojo call for each championship year a UConn board has been around for?

 

[Tyler2Rings]

I love this thread, its a conversation very few fanbases can have. Just to choose a random example, Kansas fans can really only discuss 3 championships as very few of their fans remember the 1952 title. On the other hand, I am relatively young at ~30 and I have strong memories of 4 championships.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

I agree that 99 was most important. I put the most recent in the same tier as 04 for importance. First in the new Big East, third coach to win here, fourth decade with a win. Plus it ties Duke, who nationally is looked at as the premier program. I think 23 and 04 will have a similar effect of "leveling up" the program.

Edit: For the importance of 23, throw in cementing our place as a perennial BB power in the uncertain age of CR

Just to finish my thoughts on our 5 championships, 2011 and 14 are still incredibly important. I would argue that they wired many in our fanbase to never, ever count a team out.

Fans of Big Ten teams such as Purdue go into March expecting disappointment every year. 11 and 14 conditioned me for the opposite- I always hold hope that the team will play at a higher level on the big stage. It wouldn't matter if we were a 1 seed or First Four

 

[August_West]

You know who doesn’t have 5?


Kansas

 

[ucp990411]

Correct, I wasn't a UConn fan until I was a freshman at UConn. Not everyone here grew up in Connecticut

Ok. You get a pass. Just joking anyway, I know you are a good poster.

 

[ucp990411]

Maybe we can send this thread to Syracusefan.com and ask them which one our five is their favorite?

 

[jibsey]

2004 was amazing as they all are but GT spanked us pretty hard early in the season and I think in the final game it was expected to go that way again. Each title run has it’s own great story and special moments and probably different for each of us.
We had an up and down season in 2011 when people were talking about not even going to the BE tournament and we all know what happened with the famous post. I think that whole deal put the biggest smile on my face and… it’s still there!

 

[XLCenterFan]

They were all awesome. The first was the most special though. Got over the hump, got to the top of the mountain, beat Duke and got Calhoun his first. The win over Georgia Tech was the least impressive. That year we knew it was coming. The last 3 all have been awesome. Semi unpredictable during the regular season, but once the tourney got rolling we were absolutely steam rolling. If those seasons were still going on, we’d still be beating all comers.

 

[XLCenterFan]

It's crazy to think we are even having this fun conversation. 5 titles. Unreal really.

It is unreal. And now we’re in the mix for six!!!

 

[superjohn]

2004 was amazing as they all are but GT spanked us pretty hard early in the season and I think in the final game it was expected to go that way again. Each title run has it’s own great story and special moments and probably different for each of us.
We had an up and down season in 2011 when people were talking about not even going to the BE tournament and we all know what happened with the famous post. I think that whole deal put the biggest smile on my face and… it’s still there!

I was at the Garden for the spanking in the beginning of that season but nobody had Georgia Tech beating us in the national championship game.

2010-2011 Big East was probably the greatest conference ever and it beat us down but they were undefeated out of conference like this season and they amped it up by Big East/NCAA tournament time. A lot of similarities to this team, 2011 had the greatest run ever and 2023 had the largest 64 team tournament scoring margin ever.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I was at the Garden for the spanking in the beginning of that season but nobody had Georgia Tech beating us in the national championship game.

2010-2011 Big East was probably the greatest conference ever and it beat us down but they were undefeated out of conference like this season and they amped it up by Big East/NCAA tournament time. A lot of similarities to this team, 2011 had the greatest run ever and 2023 had the largest 64 team tournament scoring margin ever.

Agreed. 2011 and 2023 had a lot of similarities. Outside of the conference they were dominant. Had some mid-season stumbles that they corrected. I think 2023 team was probably better, but it doesn't matter.

 

[CL82]

It is unreal. And now we’re in the mix for six!!!

 

[Mazhude]

So just to mix it up a bit, which team was the biggest disappointment compared to expectations?

 

[SubbaBub]

It's a 3 way tie. 1999 and 2004 we had the best team all year (and a nightmare mismatch player). The other 3 were the team coming together at the right time to create a magical run (still with at least one nightmare mismatch player).

 

[alexd]

Maybe we can send this thread to Syracusefan.com and ask them which one our five is their favorite?

Maybe ask them which of their Helms titles is their fave.... 1918 or 1926?

 

[Chin Diesel]

You know who doesn’t have 5?


Kansas

But Villanova, Georgetown and Syracuse combine to have 5???

So they have that going for them.

 

[huskyinfl]

04 / 13 were dual championships too. 1999 is the best as it took hold in 88 with the NIT championship.

 

[Kenny11]

I think we will remember the 2023 close to the top eventually. The team was just so well constructed and had so many great kids. Adama will go down as a legend and I don’t think most of us have realized that yet.