I’ve been a fan for 32 years. I think this is my favorite team ever. | Page 2 | The Boneyard

I’ve been a fan for 32 years. I think this is my favorite team ever.

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Letsgohuskies11 said:
That team would have won the whole thing but Dyson went down in that Cuse game and that was that. They made it to the final 4 but i think they beat Michigan state if they had Dyson and then who knows with that UNC team. Would have probably given them a better game than Nova did. I remember that Louisville game where UConn just absolutely shredded their pressure defense.
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The Louisville game stands out in my mind as well. One of the best performances on the road vs a highly ranked opponent that I can remember.
 
I still hold the 89-90 team as my favorite. They were electric, stifling D, and had numerous contributors/weapons. They could match up with all of UConn great teams.

This team is still in its infancy, so who knows. But its way too early for them to knock down my fav.
 
OkaForPrez said:
I know. Hyperbole? I don’t think so.

I was 8 for the dream season. I remember the entire state seemed to stop that March.

I loved the run and gun teams of the mid 90. Doron’s Hail Marys.

I hugged @okaforprez sr as Khalid and crew shocked the world.
I was in school for Mek, Ben and Shad. I love that team. I had the cops called on me by my downstairs neighbors when Shad broke Washington’s Heart (again).

But this team. I think it’s my favorite team ever.

It starts with AJ. He does everything I love most about the game of basketball well. He’s a cheat code. He’s the monstars version of doron in the open court. He has pass options other players simply don’t see or can’t make.

He plays Boatright level on ball defense. He smiles (and leads) like Kemba. He Yams like Rudy and Stix. He’s an amalgamation of all of my favorite players of the past.

Joey Coldcuts. He’s like a college basketball Rudy Rutiger. 5 foot nothin, 100 hundred and nothin. He shouldn’t belong on the court at this level. But we’re running plays for him with 2 on the shot clock so he can hit fade away threes falling into the bench? Stop it Coldcuts. But don’t stop it Coldcuts.

Hawk? Baby Ray? You can love him for his quick butter release, but give me his swag block off the glass for a shot clock violation on D.

Not enough for you? How about a 7’ 2” hometown true frosh who plays like a 5th year senior. Never brings the ball down below his head. Plays physical. Makes the outlet immediately. Drop steps. Mek was an offensive robot as a freshman. I am @OkaForPrez I can say that. This kid is once a generation.

Karaban is getting Nadav comps.

Nadav.
Comps.

That’s a bit generous but he’s at worst a Junior giff 8 games in.

We’re 7 players in guys. I haven’t mentioned our pre season All American.

The guy with the triple double.

The NYC guard who dogs you on D and loves buzzer beaters.

The scoop shot lefty.

And they all blend. Highest assist rate team we’ve had in how long. Ever?

They don’t turn it over.

They guard.

They hit FTs.

They Board.

Stop it. I’m calling it. It’s my favorite team ever and the sooner you figure out it’s yours the sooner you can truly enjoy it.
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You should make this a poll question. Those are all great choices. The dream team was fantastic because it came out of nowhere, perhaps literally when you think about Henefeld. Obviously, the 2011 team with Kemba is on the list because that was an absolutely magical run. The 2014 team gets consideration to given that it especially given that it was coming off the NCAA ban with Shabazz is hungry Husky diatribe being the exclamation point. Obviously, all the national championship teams would have to be on the list, El Admin’s we shocked the world, Okafor dominance in the second half. There’s a lot good choices.
 
1. 1998-'99 - Senior year, 1st year with season tickets. Watched the core in person grow from freshmen in '96-'97 to the Championship. No other team is particularly close.

2. - 6...Vacant out of respect

7. 2003-'04 - Everything seemed to come together for me personally that year, including started dating the woman who would eventually become my wife, UConn Dual Championship, and Red Sox World Series.

8. 1995-'96 - Freshman year. Just a fun team to watch.

9. 2010-11 - Kemba leading the run through Maui brought me back after thinking the game passed Jim Calhoun the year before (I can sometimes admit when I'm wrong.).

10. 2013-14 - Total surprise. Sweet 16 at MSG. Plus the run through 5 Hall-of-fame coaches. Dual Championship repeat and brought my 1 1/2 year old son to the parade.
 
I came to UConn from abroad as a graduate student in 1998, and instantly became huskies fan. Of course we shocked the world in very next year.

So my no. 1 favorite is and always will be 1999 team.

My second favorite is 2011 kemba team, it’s full of magical and inspiring moments that I could relive many life times.

The 3rd is 2014 team -Bazz bookend champ team. It almost felt as if classic Cinderella story, that team caught on fire at the right time.

This years team is climbing up fast to be my next but not yet pose any threat to my top 3.
 
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Does anyone have the link for the Big east Tournament presale? All I am finding is links to stubhub and vividseats
 
Kitaman said:
I still hold the 89-90 team as my favorite. They were electric, stifling D, and had numerous contributors/weapons. They could match up with all of UConn great teams.
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You never forget your first time.
 
Letsgohuskies11 said:
That team would have won the whole thing but Dyson went down in that Cuse game and that was that. They made it to the final 4 but i think they beat Michigan state if they had Dyson and then who knows with that UNC team. Would have probably given them a better game than Nova did. I remember that Louisville game where UConn just absolutely shredded their pressure defense.
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I don’t think there was a team in the country better able to guard Tyler Hansborough than ours. I wanted to see Adrien, Thabeet, and Stix punch his poop in so bad. (The swear detector on here is REALLY good)
 
HailUConn said:
I came to UConn from abroad as a graduate student in 1998, and instantly became huskies fan. Of course we shocked the world in very next year.

So my no. 1 favorite is and always will be 1999 team.

My second favorite is 2011 kemba team, it’s full of magical and inspiring moments that I could relive many life times.

The 3rd is 2014 team -Bazz bookend champ team. It almost felt as if classic Cinderella story, that team caught on fire at the right time.

This years team is climbing up fast to be my next but not yet pose any threat to my top 3.
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Post/handle (if you're from Germany)
 
Captbluefin said:
We are all here, and the banners hang as a result of 89-90

That season sucked me into being a lifelong Husky fan at the age of 17
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I agree, 89-90 is still # 1, you never get over your first love. That season ended so abruptly in dramatic fashion that it is still frozen in time.
 
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caw said:
Still have a soft spot for the Ray, Sheffer backcourt from 95-96.

Newton/Jackson/Hawkins are making it close though.
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They may have gone all the way if Ricky Moore didn’t get injured
 
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I love this team a ton...but that Dream Team, yo. Fun fun fun!!!
 
jibsey said:
I don’t think that the fan base ever looked collectively at our teams in 2011 and 2014 and talked National title in November. We weren’t supposed to beat Duke, and Georgia Tech had smoked is early in that year. 2011 we went on an incredible run through an impossibly tough BE. 14‘ was my favorite until now because of Bazz who I will always revere. Do I have to have the ring for it to be my favorite team? Sadly, yeah because that is a big part of how I remember them. This team with AJAX out there could be that for me.
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You seem to be mixing up years, neither the 2011 team or the 2014 team played Duke or Georgia Tech. The 2004 team that was smoked by Georgia Tech early in the season who beat Duke and Georgia Tech in the final 4 was supposed to be the best team in the country from the very start.
 
HailUConn said:
I came to UConn from abroad as a graduate student in 1998, and instantly became huskies fan. Of course we shocked the world in very next year.

So my no. 1 favorite is and always will be 1999 team.

My second favorite is 2011 kemba team, it’s full of magical and inspiring moments that I could relive many life times.

The 3rd is 2014 team -Bazz bookend champ team. It almost felt as if classic Cinderella story, that team caught on fire at the right time.

This years team is climbing up fast to be my next but not yet pose any threat to my top 3.
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The hungry Huskies
 
I was a toddler in 1990 so set that one aside.

A team that should be getting more love in this thread is 2009. Businesslike, methodical, consistent. Beat eventually overall #1 seed Louisville by 20 on the road. Really the last vintage UConn team that were title contenders throughout the year. Maybe they didn't have the plucky, gritty factor or the unexpected surprise factor, but they got the job done.
 
Definitely a fun deep to watch, but to be a favorite, they need a Whitehouse visit before I can call them my favorite.

The 04 team was a hot knife through butter team. This team has that type of feel to it, but still a long way to go. A lot of basketball left to play. I just want them to stay healthy.

There's also that terrible memory of that 06 team.
 
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i guess that the bazz/boat team is my second favorite, thus far.
grit, determination, and a bit of good fortune to shake up the world, an all that.
second cuz, you know, Cliff and that championship.
they say that u never forget ur first. true dat.

too bad ol jerome got broken. that guy was magic. big fun.
'in your face' ball. of course, winning ain't everything, it's the only thing, so his squads couldn't make the list. still fun, tho.
 
willie99 said:
I've been a fan since we had a 6"5' white center named Ron Hrubala. Bob Staak, Bob Boyd, listened to the games on the radio. I was like 10.

I love so many of the teams and their runs. All our championships were great. Caron Butler still my all time favorite player, a man's man

But with a gun to my head, the GOAT is the Dream Season. Because it was just that, a dream. I will forever be greatful for my avatar
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I attended UConn then, and Hrubala played forward in 68-69, and in 69-70. Budzinsky was the center in 68-69 and Koski in 69-70.

In 68-69, the record was 5-19, and may have been the worst one in school history. Dee Rowe took over in 1969-70, and the record improved dramatically to 14-9, with pretty much the same roster.

Games were played in the Old Field House, which I think is now a renovated Geyer Gymnasium.
 
Started following Huskies hoops in the Corny Thompson days. I was a CT kid stationed in MD and getting Georgetown games on local TV. Sleepy Floyd was the og big east star, but it was a big deal to get to see UConn. Favorite team was 03/04; loved Charlie V and Josh B playing together and Rashad hitting daggers...
 
I’m going with 1990 too. Came out of nowhere and took down powerhouses Gtown and Cuse to win our first Big East regular season and tournament championships. Moved into a brand new Gampel in January (it was amazing seeing a team that good place up close in the Field House - still hard to believe). To top it off the NCAA Tournament had one of its sites as the Hartford Civic Center and the Huskies were placed there! JC National Coach of the Year. That team led to everything after - the Donyell recruiting class committed to UConn after that. If you wrote a movie script for that season, it would be looked at as a great fictional story complete with the Rocky type ending as someone else said. But it’s hard to believe it actually happened.

Speaking of that - anyone know what ever happened to the Dream Season podcast? I think it went about 4 episodes and he was just getting to the actual season before it stopped. Sounds like it was a lot of work but he had interviews banked and other stuff.
 
I love this team too, but favorite of all time? No.

This team has been a joy to watch, and the games have been substantially less stressful for me... better for my mental and physical well-being.

The team shares the ball with a high numbers of assists on baskets, balanced scoring, defends, and rebounds... all while taking care of the ball.

I'm certain this team's balance and effectiveness is why we've also seen a calmer Dan Hurley on the sidelines this year.

Let's see how this team reacts when faced with some real adversity. I like how they've managed scoring runs from opposing teams by punching back with their own timely runs and plays. But I can't wait to see how they play against a tough Creighton team, who has had our number historically.

I can tell you this is the most complete UConn team I've seen since 2009 or 2006. No glaring weaknesses yet, and our team must be a real pain to scout against.
 
Ha, I love this thread! I really don't know which is my favorite, but this one is so much fun to watch, and came out of nowhere for me. The new guys have really surprised me. Definitely the most fun team to watch in a long time!
 
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I've been a fan since about 1978 or so. Is this one my favorite? No. The Dream Team, 1989-90, that was my favorite. It was our first great team, I was there for a lot of it, and they played a style that was more entertaining than any other UConn team I've seen. The had 484 steals. 13.1 steals a game. It was mesmerizing basketball. That hasn't happened often since (only a few teams) and nobody else who did that played in a major conference.

This team is a lot of fun. I enjoy the characters and style of play. It has a good chance to be top 5 favorite UConn teams, and is helped by the fact that we haven't really had a team like this in quite a long time.
 
a
HuskyWarrior611 said:
This is probably my personal favorite team. But this team is really so fun to watch.
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OK. Chuck's speech and KEA's statement of "we shocked the world" are numbers 1A and 1B to me. This team has the "we will OUTWORK YOU"
swagger of Caronimo. Love 'em already.....45 years and counting.

PS. My '99 championship week also included the Stones in Hartford...when they were only semi old. I swapped nights because my tix were for game day. Wow I'm gettin' up there.
 
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I’ve been a fan most of my life, my dad took me to games when I was little guy. Joey Whelton Was five years older than me, taught me to be a better shooter. Didn’t go to UCONN but was at the end of the World Party and storrs. Played against John Thompson and Jeff Carr Mens leagues and I was in high school. My favorite team has to be 99, started it all. Everyone’s comments are spot on, so many teams, so many players that have made an impact. 99 is the best because they gave me bragging rights here in Virginia! my 32-year-old son and I have watched all four national championship games together, it would’ve been great if my dad had been there to see the first!
 
I have been a fan too long to admit here :) but I will say this,,

Will this team win the Big East?
Will this team go to Sweet 16?
Will they go to a final 4?
Will they win it all?

I don’t know. Every game comes down to a few last possessions and we’ll see how we do when that happens.

What do I know?

This is the best looking team we’ve ever had this early in the season.

We had better INDIVIDUAL players - looking at pure NBA Talent - but never the depth, teamwork and the ability to crush a team’s spirit like this team.

And It’s not even close.

Even the Emeka days, Ray Allen Days, we were squeaking by on occasion but can’t remember a team like this.

Long way to go though…
 
Welp, not my favorite team and too early to even put them in a comparison category until they even play conference play. Shabazz or Kemba lead teams were my favorite.
 
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