Greatest seasons in UConn history ?

[Huskybass]

I have been a fan since 1980. I know there have been similar threads. Gotta think that Kemba's 2010-11 season is the best of the modern era. Others that come to mind are Donyell, Emeka, Ray and Rip. Thoughts on the top 5 individual seasons? Does Bazz belong in the conversation?

 

[alexd]

I have been a fan since 1980. I know there have been similar threads. Gotta think that Kemba's 2010-11 season is the best of the modern era. Others that come to mind are Donyell, Emeka, Ray and Rip. Thoughts on the top 5 individual seasons? Does Bazz belong in the conversation?

I'd add Caron Butler's final season 2001/02:

20 pts, 8 rbs, 3 assts, 2 stls, 40% on three's, 78% from the line....almost singlehandedly willed us to a win over eventual champ MD.

 

[Huskybass]

I agree. Caron had a great second year. Good call.

 

[Ts5034]

2003-2004 was great. I miss the days when we used to blow teams out of the building. Mid 90's like 94-95 and 95-96 was fun as well. 1996 Big East championship game vs Georgetown in 96 was a classic

 

[Waquoit]

It's hard to say any season that didn't end in a title was the best, but I've never experienced anything like 89-90. They called it The Dream Season for a reason. It was an incredible journey the stretched over 6 months. Nothing was expected from that team. It had just lost it's best player in a long time the year before. The program hadn't even been to the NCAA's as a member of the Big East. In fact, I think they had only 1 BET win overall at that point. They play an incredible pre-season game to best the Russian National Team. A team that had beat everyone else except eventual champs UNLV. Their coach said UConn was the best team they faced. I thought it was just perestroika. A few weeks later, they throw up an absolute turd against Nova and we all thought we were back to the pre-NIT champ days. But then they start winning and winning and winning against the iron.

I was in Vegas the week before the BET and I was going to put a few bucks down on the Huskies and they were the 8-5 favorites! I say to no one in particular "UConn is 8-5?!" And the ticket seller says, "Yeah, they're really good this year. I think the're gonna win." A Vegas guy, picking UConn. WTF? They steamroll through the Big East, beating Coleman, and Mtumbo and Owens and Mourning while starting a one-legged center. We get the highs of the "Shot". You shuda been in the bar where I watched it. It was packed and at the end of the game, lifetime enemies were hugging. Of course we get Chrissie killing us, but before that we had Chris Smith hit a 3 with seconds left to send it into OT. That season had a sports lifetime of moments packed into it. IMO, that makes it the best.

My Top 5:
89-90
98-99 - 1st FF and NC
10-11
03-04
78-79 - Corny as a frosh, no Corny no Big East
94-95 (if Corny's year doesn't count as modern era)

 

[Waquoit]

I'd add Caron Butler's final season 2001/02:

20 pts, 8 rbs, 3 assts, 2 stls, 40% on three's, 78% from the line....almost singlehandedly willed us to a win over eventual champ MD.

And proof that the "sit with 2 fouls" rule isn't always the way to go. Glad Ollie doesn't obey it. Still hate the little chairs, though.

 

[Gurleyman]

And proof that the "sit with 2 fouls" rule isn't always the way to go. Glad Ollie doesn't obey it. Still hate the little chairs, though.

Not really proof. It depends on how you interpret the evidence. You can certainly argue that we would have been closer at halftime if he stayed out there. But it is just as easy to say a rested Caron came out like gangbusters and nearly willed us to the win because he wasn't playing tentative due to foul trouble. We did lead late (77-74, in fact), so at that moment in time, the strategy was perfect. Just didn't hold it.

On the flip side I would say that Emeka in 2004 isn't definitive proof of the affirmative, either. We almost made the hole too deep, and if Williams and Randolph didn't both foul out before our late run, they may have won it. When we were down 8 with three minutes to go, the strategy was not working, but the late comeback made it pay off in the end.

 

[Kitaman]

All I know is that Emeka's junior season was one of the most remarkable seasons at UConn. The kid was a beast! Kemba yes, he shined mostly in tourneys, meaning he was money, and had marginal players surrounding him, including a lot of freshman.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This is right around when I started following the team (dating myself a little), but if we're talking about individual seasons, didn't Donyell average like 25 points and 8-9 boards a game in 1994? Dude was an absolute force, except at the free throw line when it mattered.

 

[gampelcrazies]

1987-1988 NIT
1989-1990 Elite Eight
1994-1995 Elite Eight
1998-1999 National Champions
2001-2002 Elite Eight
2003-2004 National Champions
2005-2006 Elite Eight
2010-2011 National Champions
Those are my favorites.

 

[GlastonTim]

I'd add Caron Butler's final season 2001/02:

20 pts, 8 rbs, 3 assts, 2 stls, 40% on three's, 78% from the line....almost singlehandedly willed us to a win over eventual champ MD.

If Caron had the ball for every possession and was the only player to shoot at the end of the Maryland game....UConn wins that game. He was a stud!

 

[Gurleyman]

The interesting thing about Caron's season that year is that he didn't turn the corner until February. He was uneven before then. When we won our statement overtime game at Arizona, he was probably our fifth best player that day. Emeka should have had a triple-double (19-15-9 and they missed two or three blocks), Ben had 23 points, 9 assists and 1 TO off the bench, Taliek had 21 on 8-11 shooting, five assists, one TO, and Tony had 14 points on seven shots.

Then we lost three of our next four, Caron figured it out, and we won 12 in a row.

 

[nomar]

My Top 5:

1. 1999 - We got the "best program/coach never to make it to the Final 4" monkey off our back. And we beat Duke -- in a classic, wire-to-wire game -- to do it!
2. 2011 - Two reasons why it's not #1: (1) it wasn't our first; and (2) there was a rough patch. Still, obviously, the last 11 games were the greatest run by ANY TEAM in the history of college basketball.
3. 2004 - The Final 4 comeback was incredible.
4. 1990 - It's called the Dream Season for a reason.
5. 2002 - That was our best "house money" season. I still hate Steve Blake.

As for individual players, I would say Kemba's junior season was the best. I think Donyell's junior season is the runner up.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Interesting how many posts ignore the "best individual season" focus in OP's query.

Kemba
Caron -- As others have said, once he found his shot, he was the best player in the NCAA and a joy to behold
Emeka
Donyell
Rip

 

[Horatio]

Caron's last season and Last game. I loved 2006 til disaster struck. 2009 I thought we were done when Dyson went down but they got it done. 2010 and last season were slow death .

 

[ShocktheWorld]

I have been a fan since 1980. I know there have been similar threads. Gotta think that Kemba's 2010-11 season is the best of the modern era. Others that come to mind are Donyell, Emeka, Ray and Rip. Thoughts on the top 5 individual seasons? Does Bazz belong in the conversation?

Kemba in 2011
Donyell in 1994
Ray Allen in 1996
Ray Allen in 1995
Rip Hamilton in 1999

I don't think Bazz is even close. That list doesn't include Caron in 2002 or Emeka in 2004. I don't think Bazz is as good as AJ Price.

 

[Waquoit]

The interesting thing about Caron's season that year is that he didn't turn the corner until February. He was uneven before then. When we won our statement overtime game at Arizona, he was probably our fifth best player that day. Emeka should have had a triple-double (19-15-9 and they missed two or three blocks), Ben had 23 points, 9 assists and 1 TO off the bench, Taliek had 21 on 8-11 shooting, five assists, one TO, and Tony had 14 points on seven shots.

Great post. Until he turned the corner, the jury was still out. Once his jumper started falling consistently he became the best player in the country.

 

[Palatine]

How about the 1976 sweet sixteen run?

 

[Huskybass]

Kemba in 2011
Donyell in 1994
Ray Allen in 1996
Ray Allen in 1995
Rip Hamilton in 1999

I don't think Bazz is even close. That list doesn't include Caron in 2002 or Emeka in 2004. I don't think Bazz is as good as AJ Price.

Bazz is better than Price ever was in a UConn uniform, its not even close.

 

[Huskybass]

Bazz averages more points, rebounds and steals than Price ever did and his free throw % is considerably higher. Their assist numbers are about the same. Bazz is also unbelievable in overtime games. Bazz is also the undeniable leader and star of this team.

 

[ShocktheWorld]

The stats between the two are close across the board. Price was the star and leader of his teams, even though Thabeet got the attention. AJ Price was terrific for UConn, as is Bazz. I love them both.

 

[DOZE860]

Bazz is better than Price ever was in a UConn uniform, its not even close.

i dont know about that statement.. Price wasn't recruited to be a point guard, he was a 2, that transitioned to a point. i would say that they are about even, although bazz does play defense better than Price, but to say that Bazz is head and shoulders better than Price ever was, i would not go that far. Price did get his team to a FF, ya know..

 

[blackbird]

Bazz isn't close to the point guard AJ Price was. He doesn't have the court vision, and has worse decision making.

Price remains criminally underrated. I think he's probably the best pure point Uconn has had. (Kemba was not a pure point when he graduated..)

Not that I don't love Bazz. He's just got more flaws in his game than AJ did. And people forget (or never realized) how good and how important AJ actually was.

 

[Huskybass]

Price would have been fantastic if he had a typical career without games lost due to medical issues and suspension. The numbers are pretty similar between Bazz and Price, but Bazz does average more points, rebounds and steals... probably due to necessity. I just think that Bazz gets the nod because he has carried this team. Eleven points in overtime on two occasions is something few have accomplished.