How bad do you want this one compared to the others? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

How bad do you want this one compared to the others?

1999- First has to be the most important.

2014- That team had no business doing what it did. Coming off the ban made it even sweeter.

2023- Should’ve erased any doubt about blue blood status post 2014. Proved we were back from the basement for good. Most dominant tournament run I’ve ever seen.

2011- Kemba Walker basically got me into this sport, so I’m biased. Calhoun firmly in the goat debate.

2004- Not even sure what to say. Second title is probably less meaningful than third.

2024- 5 titles in, and fresh off number 5 last season, this is probably the least important. But that doesn’t mean my anxiety levels won’t kill me by Monday at 9pm.
 
I want every one of them that is within our grasp as if we may never get close again.

Just because Hurley has been successful now doesn't mean he will be forever, or forever at UConn. I'm damaged by Ollie's collapse - when I thought he was going to be delivering us natties on the reg.
 
In this moment I want it more than anything and that's all that matters.

With this program it's always about proving it. '99 it was about Calhoun proving he could make a final 4 and then it was the smack in the face that we were 10 point underdogs against Duke even though it was us and Duke all year...

In '04 I think most of the country knew we were the best team in the country but we were a #2 seed and it would take us beating a formidable #1 Duke seed to win it, the title game was a formality...

'11 was nuts, (ranked #68 preseason SI) Kemba did 5 in 5 days and got us a #2 seed (not sure on that but not looking it up) we were on a heater with an unreal player and a bunch kids. Calhoun dealing with one health issue after another, a lot of us were talking about the end...

'14 we were locked out of the tournament over complete APR retroactive bullspit, it was Bazz and Boat with a sprinkling of superstar play from DeAndre when it mattered. '11 and '14 were crazy because people were kicking dirt on Calhoun for the first one and '14 was the NCAA screwing us and we were in a conference we didnt belong in...after that things were dark, the good teams the conference had split and it was us playing in gyms that had less juice than some high school gyms and we were getting blown the hell out...

We hired the right guy...fast forward...

Last year we were the best and we didn't really know it...Hurley hadn't been good in close games, had yet to win a tournament game, and we had that January swoon of a bunch of tough road games against great Big East teams. Hurley broke though in Albany and then it's UConn running roughshod over everyone. 11 tournament games in row in the NCAA tournament, it's silly stuff.

Nothing about this program and the disrespect this program has received makes sense. Us, the nutbag Husky fans know the story. Unless you're diehard like all of us you can't really know it because none of it makes sense. It's the strangest most drama filled experience I've ever seen in sports. We're a soap opera and we're so goshdarn good.

One more game
 
I want this one badly, because this team just doesn’t deserve to lose with how amazingly poetic they play on offense, and how tough, determined, and resilient they are on defense. It’s really unlike anything I’ve seen in college, so unselfish sharing the ball, scoring at every position, dangerous yet different off the bench, and on D “no drive, 12 foot in” as Shooter might say. And back to back? Legendary!

i think it’s right behind only ‘99, because that was the 1st and we were so close with Ray a few years earlier.
 
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I want every one. I want this one because the B1G and SEC are about to upend college athletics, so who knows what that's going to mean for the Big East, AAC and other G5 schools in the future? How many more times will we be in this situation if there is a split between the P2 and the NCAA? I look at this as we are holding the line against power conference money, politics and ego for athletic departments that aren't getting $40 million a year. And every title is a middle finger to the ACC for snubbing us and now the Big12.
 
superjohn said:
In this moment I want it more than anything and that's all that matters.

With this program it's always about proving it. '99 it was about Calhoun proving he could make a final 4 and then it was the smack in the face that we were 10 point underdogs against Duke even though it was us and Duke all year...

In '04 I think most of the country knew we were the best team in the country but we were a #2 seed and it would take us beating a formidable #1 Duke seed to win it, the title game was a formality...

'11 was nuts, (ranked #68 preseason SI) Kemba did 5 in 5 days and got us a #2 seed (not sure on that but not looking it up) we were on a heater with an unreal player and a bunch kids. Calhoun dealing with one health issue after another, a lot of us were talking about the end...

'14 we were locked out of the tournament over complete APR retroactive bullspit, it was Bazz and Boat with a sprinkling of superstar play from DeAndre when it mattered. '11 and '14 were crazy because people were kicking dirt on Calhoun for the first one and '14 was the NCAA screwing us and we were in a conference we didnt belong in...after that things were dark, the good teams the conference had split and it was us playing in gyms that had less juice than some high school gyms and we were getting blown the hell out...

We hired the right guy...fast forward...

Last year we were the best and we didn't really know it...Hurley hadn't been good in close games, had yet to win a tournament game, and we had that January swoon of a bunch of tough road games against great Big East teams. Hurley broke though in Albany and then it's UConn running roughshod over everyone. 11 tournament games in row in the NCAA tournament, it's silly stuff.

Nothing about this program and the disrespect this program has received makes sense. Us, the nutbag Husky fans know the story. Unless you're diehard like all of us you can't really know it because none of it makes sense. It's the strangest most drama filled experience I've ever seen in sports. We're a soap opera and we're so goshdarn good.

One more game
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Beautiful job recapping!

1999 - I was there and UConn beat Duke at their so called coronation. That championship will always be at the top for me. The high lasted quite a while. The congratulations from across the country from fans of other teams (especially UNC) on The Boneyard poured in. That was magical!

Kemba’s 2011 championship with Lamb was awesome too. What a run! I was happy the Big East Tourney started with the top teams getting byes. I was thinking UConn would be in the NCAA field but who knows what the committee might do? Beating Seton Hall and Georgetown cemented the bid and then amazingly UConn took down #1 Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville in the next 3 days! That earned UConn a #3 seed for the tourney after being uncertain of even getting a bid. Kemba and the guys took it from there.

Someone else wondered if anyone could imagine we’d be in this place. Not a chance. There were grumbles about why we were even in the Big East if we were going to be fighting to not have to play in the 8/9 game every year come tournament time. And then Calhoun! I admit I was not aware of who he was when he was hired. And then the transformation began. The state was completely behind the team that qualified for the NIT in ‘88. The Garden was rocking when Cliff Robinson, Phil Gamble and Lyman Depriest took down BC and the Colorado to win it!! And it only got better from there.

And now there is a chance to go back to back winning titles while obliterating the field? WOW!!! New levels of, “Can you believe THIS??” are here!!

Bring home the championship Coach Hurley and staff! Go UConn!!
 
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This one would be special to me. Not because it’s the most special to us here in CT. It’d be arguably the greatest season and most impressive back to back tourney run of all time through the annals of the sport.

The scope and magnitude is historical and national here.
 
As a Seahawks fan who watched her team excruciatingly toss away the one chance it's likely ever going to get to win back-to-back Super Bowls, I can attest to feeling the most pressure since '99 for tomorrow night's game. These chances to repeat never come along for most programs/teams, and not capitalizing on one when it improbably develops will sting for a long time.
 
I want this one as much as any of them. A win here launches UConn into the stratosphere. It won't be a matter of debating if UConn is a blue blood anymore. It will be a matter of debating which other programs deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as UConn.
 
UCFan1513 said:
So bad - this cements us in everyone’s minds as the top dogs and an absolute dynasty. You win one and they forget about you. You win two in a row and sustain that success you’re legendary
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It’s not just the two in a row, it’s also number 6. And with that, we surpass Duke and Indiana with the most all time. We may have to keep winning for the few remaining blue bloods ahead of us acknowledge that we belong. So how bad do I want this? As bad as any of the other 5 championships.
  • UCLA — 11
  • Kentucky — 8
  • North Carolina — 6
  • Duke — 5
  • Indiana — 5
  • UConn — 5
  • Kansas — 4
 
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ninety-nine said:
As a Seahawks fan who watched her team excruciatingly toss away the one chance it's likely ever going to get to win back-to-back Super Bowls, I can attest to feeling the most pressure since '99 for tomorrow night's game. These chances to repeat never come along for most programs/teams, and not capitalizing on one when it improbably develops will sting for a long time.
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Yeah I can come up with more examples. As a NY Giants fan, in 2008 they had a great chance to repeat and started out of the gates hot at 10-1 and then Plaxico Burress had his mishap and with that the Giants stumbled down the stretch and lost their first playoff game. And then in 2009 the Celtics, with our own Ray Allen, started off that season 27-2 and had a great chance to repeat but then Kevin Garnett was lost to a season ending knee injury and that was that. Even winning 2 titles in 3 seasons would have been nice, but they lost to the Lakers in 2010 after the officials gifted the Lakers so many FTs.

Having said all of the above, I will say something contradictory and echo what Billy Donovan told Dan Hurley: don't make this about repeating, it will drive you crazy. Just focus on defeating Purdue, that's it.

www.espn.com

UConn's dominance and the challenges of repeating as national champion

The Huskies are making it look easy to win back-to-back NCAA titles, despite the pressures faced by former champions that preceded them.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
I personally find it wild that this NC is basically a luxury lol

Now that luxury is achieving next-level legendary status, but I agree with @thatguyed that last year was bigger in a way, in that we got ourselves out of the dumps

But sealing this would just be insane
 
This is right up there in the want it category. But when you get to this game, every one of them could fit into that category. Wanting and having are difficult to separate when considering the question. I am happy it is Purdue. This game is good for the sport of college basketball. Two insanely large human beings one who moves like a man who is an immovable crane and one who covers more ground quickly with two steps than more than just a handful of 7+ footers at the next level. And Castle is making every five star look like a four star. He is already a man among boys just incredible how good he is now that he has adjusted and is 100% healthy.

The answer is the next one is the one I want the most!
 
We’re losing A LOT of talent after this season so I really want this one badly. You never know when you’ll have this kind of elite team again with the game of musical chairs that goes on in college sports these days.
 
Crowning Monday night would be a stamp to this team as one of all time great teams that ever stepped on the bb court in the history!
 
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Except for the first, the next one is always the one I want most.
 
A loss would be 2009, 2006, 1995, 1994 level sucky.
 
Every one I've wanted just as badly because you never know when the next opportunity to be in that position is coming.

But considering we have a chance to go back-to-back and would give us 6 titles (tied with UNC and only UCLA & UK would have more), and our starting center is a local kid that's not only from my hometown, but just 2 & 3 years ago I was driving him and his team to some big high school games (for the same HS I went to), I REALLY want UConn to win this one.
 
I’m hungry I want it and I want it now I don’t wanna wait. I guess I gotta wait, so fired up for Monday night let’s go.
 
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Bongo Fury said:
Prove to Big 12 and ACC they are silly to undervalue UConn
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I think about this scene when I think about UConn dismantling the power conference dominance.

Russell Crowe Gladiator GIF
 
Tenspro2002 said:
Did you ever think we'd get there in our lifetime?
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Admittedly, I was an elementary school age kid when I started joining my dad on weeknights to go to my first Husky games, so my perspective on nearly everything has shifted across the better part of a lifetime.

I didn't see a UConn National Championship until I was 45 years old.

The next time, I was 50. Then 57, then 60, then 69. My father never saw one.

Like a meditator who is instructed to return to awareness of each breath and then gets distracted, and restarts, and gets distracted, and restarts, ad infinitum, I tell myself regularly, "One game at a time." That's all there ever is.

Tomorrow is the 'one game-est' one game of the season, which completes tomorrow, no matter what.

So tomorrow, I really, truly get to root for a National Championship without getting ahead of myself, or off purpose...but only as a byproduct of what I most wish for.

My wish is for this single-season team to play well, in a way that serves us (and all others who watch) another generous helping of something delicious we've been feasting on since November.

Tomorrow's the day to find out how much and how well the team fulfills my wish, against the counter efforts of its most highly-regarded competition across the span of the 2023-24 season.

I know I'll be sad when this team's game-play ends on Monday night. I believe that I have reason to think I have a good chance to be happy with the final score that I'll see, but I have no guarantees. Throughout I'll be grateful that I've been onboard for the journey, and I'm thankful for all of you who have been in it with me.

Go Huskies!
 
I responded on the thread itself and the link below will bring you to the thread with an awesome (and nostalgic) article on that tournament win.

Thread on 1988 NIT win

If someone were to have told me during the 1984-1985 or 1985-1986 season that in my lifetime we would reach the point (where a win tomorrow would take us) where only UCLA and Kentucky would have more men's basketball national titles than us I would have felt they were either crazy or pulling my leg.

As eternal an optimist as I was in those days about what the basketball program could end up being with the correct leadership, viewing a consistency where over a decade we would finish in the top half of the conference more often than not, maybe make one run each decade at the conference title and going to a couple NCAA tournaments and a few NIT tournaments in a given ten year stretch as a legitimate goal.

I'm not sure that anyone that wasn't born before the mid to late 1970's can truly comprehend what a hurculean achievement this has been, the mountains that Jim Calhoun figuratively moved the massive rebuilding job Dan Hurley has accomplished.

One year before we won that NIT, Indiana, who had a strong a history as any school in the sport just won their fifth, with a head coach who was four years younger then than Dan Hurley is today. Not only were they not able to win another since then (I still find it surreal that we can pass them), they have yet to find a replacement for coach Knight who can consistently do anything. Yes, there are a couple of things that we have somehow made look easy (winniing natinal titles, finding coaches capable of building consistently elit programs) but the truth is they are not. Every school seems to run into some difficulty finding replacement coaches, we somehow have been blessed.

I want the W tomorrow night. I want it as bad as I've wanted any W that any team I've followed in ant sport was after. I want it because I appreciate how truly remarkable it is, which is something that some may not yet understand.
 
1999…I was almost happy that we just go over that Final Four hump.
2004…wanted to win that one very badly.
2011…really wanted that one for Kemba.
2014…was just shocked we were there.
2023…I knew we were going to win.
2024…I really, really, really, really, really, really, really want this one more than any of the ones before it. I don’t know why, but I really want it for this group.

Basically a nervous wreck 25 hours out.
 
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