Help me understand: how inevitable was the 2014 versus others pre-season?

[alexrgct]

OK, some people like suspense, but they didn't get it in 2013-14. UConn was preseason #1 and favored to win it all...and UConn was ranked #1 wire-to-wire and finished 40-0. Well no, there wasn't much suspense, but I LOVED every second of it.

So I was thinking, how has the inevitability of this season compared to the other eight NCs? Here is my understanding:

• 1995- UConn had been 30-3 in 1994, losing in the regional finals to eventual national champion UNC. It was certainly not a given UConn would win it all, as no one knew for sure that the Huskies were capable of reaching the mountaintop. It may have been possible but not inevitable.
• 2000- UConn had a disappointing 1999 season, a recruiting class of one, and for who was for all intents and purposes a freshman starting point guard. No one knew for sure how good Sue would be or if this was THE year for UConn.
• 2002- Not as loaded as the disappointing 2001 team, but a lot to be hoped for of a returning starting five who made it to the Final Four a season prior.
• 2003- With Sue, Swin, Asjha, and Tamika all graduating, "only" Diana returned. Surely this would be a year UConn experienced a hangover from the 2002 masterpiece, right? Right?
• 2004- After UConn shocked everyone and won it all in 2003, it returned essentially the same team going into 2003-04. It seemed like the Huskies were heavy favorites to three-peat.
• 2009- This seemed like a very promising year for UConn. It wasn't inevitable with EDD's departure and that disappointing 2008 loss in the national semis, but that Maya kid was only going to be better as a sophomore. Tina was still a question mark. Overall, UConn was preseason #1, but I don't think everyone assumed a dominant 39-0 run.
• 2010- Losing Renee was big, but the general consensus was that, with pair of aces Maya and Tina and everyone else returning, this team was going to win it all.
• 2013- UConn was preseason #2. I figured the Huskies as 50-50 vis a vis Baylor.

In short, the most seemingly inevitable seasons, regardless of how they played out, were 2004 and 2010, with no other championship than 2003 being especially surprising.

DO I understand everything correctly? And has there been any year as predictable in the preseason as this year's dominant championship run?

 

[Wally East]

2002 felt like destiny as did 2010. To me, the feeling I had this year was about on par with both of those years.

 

[meyers7]

2002 felt like destiny as did 2010. To me, the feeling I had this year was about on par with both of those years.

Agreed, I'd have been very surprised if we didn't win it those years.