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

[RedStickHusky]

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...

 

[Vuce]

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.

 

[UChusky916]

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.

 

[jake14mw]

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!

 

[CL82]

I think the last time I heard obtuse in a non geometry context was Shawshank redemption…. Nice to meet you Andy Dufresne

Don’t underestimate @RedStickHusky. He knows all the angles.

 

[HuskyHawk]

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.

 

[Ewekon]

a

This is probably my personal favorite team. But this team is really so fun to watch.

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.

 

[Richmondhsky]

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!

 

[UCan3]

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…

 

[UconnFanDC]

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.

 

[Kemba Time]

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…

Don't think you are quite remembering just how dominant the 98-99 and 03-04 teams really were.

1998-99 started 19-0 in a time when our teams basically jumped right into Big East play after a handful of non-conference games. They beat No. 15 Washington by 21 and came back and beat No. 9 Michigan State by 14 four days later in their two biggest non-conference games.

But if you like crushers of spirits, 2003-04 is the team and it isn't all that close. They did what this year's team is doing so far to every team they played outside of Duke DURING the NCAAA tournament.

The ONLY question about that team in November was if Mek's back was going to be OK. He tried to play through back spasms in that first G-Tech game and it was a disaster, but outside of that game the team started 14-0 and beat No. 6 Oklahoma 86-59. I repeat, they beat the No. 6 team in the country 86-59 -- and they beat a top-10 Cuse team 84-56 a couple months later. They won non-conference games by scores of 111-64, 104-54, 101-62.

They had two first-team All-Americans, six first-round draft picks and a nine-deep that looked like this: Okafor, Boone, Rashad, Ben Gordon, Denham Brown, Taliek Brown, Charlie V., Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams.

This team is a lot of fun, but when Mek was healthy, that '03-04 team is one of the greatest teams in recent college basketball memory. This year's squad isn't there yet.

 

[scotty0330]

My favorite teams:

5) 1994-1995 - I think this was Calhoun's first truly great team, and it would have won the title if Missouri had knocked off UCLA in the second round. Every title team needs a little luck, especially with that first one, and UConn didn't get it in 1995.

4) 2003-2004 - UConn's best team ever. Just a powerhouse in every way, whose only weakness was Okafor's back.

3) 2001-2002 - Caron put a not ready for prime time team on his shoulders and was some bad officiating and a Steve Blake 3 away from making the Final Four. Think about the fact that Selvie was the second scoring option.

2) 1998-1999 - First title.

1) 2013-2014 - Consecutive wins over Martelli, Wright, Hoiberg, Izzo, Donovan and Calipari. Truly amazing coaching by Ollie.

I got no problem with the list or order....might switch 1 & 2 but agree with this...

 

[Husky25]

Don't think you are quite remembering just how dominant the 98-99 and 03-04 teams really were.

1998-99 started 19-0 in a time when our teams basically jumped right into Big East play after a handful of non-conference games. They beat No. 15 Washington by 21 and came back and beat No. 9 Michigan State by 14 four days later in their two biggest non-conference games.

But if you like crushers of spirits, 2003-04 is the team and it isn't all that close. They did what this year's team is doing so far to every team they played outside of Duke DURING the NCAAA tournament.

The ONLY question about that team in November was if Mek's back was going to be OK. He tried to play through back spasms in that first G-Tech game and it was a disaster, but outside of that game the team started 14-0 and beat No. 6 Oklahoma 86-59. I repeat, they beat the No. 6 team in the country 86-59 -- and they beat a No. top-10 Cuse team 84-56 a couple months later. They won non-conference games by scores of 111-64, 104-54, 101-62. They had two first-team All-Americans, six first-round draft picks and a nine-deep that looked like this: Okafor, Boone, Rashad, Ben Gordon, Denham Brown, Taliek Brown, Charlie V., Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams.

This team is a lot of fun, but when Mek was healthy, that '03-04 team is one of the greatest teams in recent college basketball memory. This year's squad isn't there yet.

That Michigan State game was legendary.

Michael Buffer made $20,000 before tipoff (LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!) and -- granted I was hung all the way over -- the Gampel crowd gave me a headache that lasted until at least dinner and maybe even the Civic Pub pregame. Nothing helped.

 

[XLCenterFan]

I am 40 and have been a fan since birth. Lifelong CT resident and proponent. Mother went to UConn and father has had 2 season tickets since 1979. I have been along for this ride since I learned how to walk and talk. It was never a choice for me. I was born into it and literally bleed blue. UConn basketball is the same as air and food to me...I need it to live. This is not my favorite team ever though. I was a huge Ricky Moore/El Amin fan, so I loved the first natty team. Also loved the team that lost to George Mason (I was in the building and take partial blame for that loss). The Dream Season had my household captivated and is when I learned to hate Duke.

However, this team/season just feels so awesome. Our dismembering of any and all opponents snuck up on me for sure. The quality of our transfers and freshman has blown away my expectations. This is not my favorite team ever here, but it's up there. Considering how far we fell (which was close to the precipice of being irrelevant IMO), to the way DH has steered us back, has been awesome to witness and be a part of. Let's enjoy this. I feel like I took the past years for granted. It's so hard to win, and we did it often. Then we stopped, and it was a shock. This team is bringing the program and the state back to life.

 

[XLCenterFan]

The context around this team and the pain the fanbase has been through makes it that much more enjoyable. Years where between coaching struggles and conference realignment mess, it seemed unclear whether we’d ever really make it back and here we are.

Also Andre will undoubtedly go down as one of my favorite players of all time.

Spot on. We were on top of the mt. and fell off the cliff.

I remember leaving the Florida game at Gampel a few years ago and overheard some FLA fans saying they thought our reaction was over the top, or we were going too crazy for a game in November. I didn't respond, but I remember thinking "they don't know what we've been through." We almost became irrelevant. AD Dave and DH saved us.

 

[Revrat]

This teams so fun I'm back, and only the old guard would even remember me.

 

[Greathusky]

Like a few others, I go back to the days of Perno, Staak (yes spelled correctly), Wes and Corley.

I remember watching Corley score 51 points against Vermont.

So is this my favorite team so far? Not there yet but close.

Winning the 1999 championship with Ricky Moore hounding Trajan and pissing off the arrogant Duke fans means that team still is number one. But I can be convinced otherwise depending on how far we go this year.

 

[InTheRed]

This season is an incomplete so far. Couldn't begin to rate it yet. Dream season will never be surpassed for me regardless whomever plays at this school. And 1999 will always be #2. A lot of other fun teams and this one seems like it can be great too, but always behind these two.

 

[Deepster]

This thread is so silly. Bunch of fan girls.

 

[Ratso]

op, me too. gampel just got finished. the field house was alive & hip hop still meant something

 

[OkaForPrez]

This thread is so silly. Bunch of fan girls.

Abandoned his post says what?

 

[gtcam]

2003-2004 and 2013-2014 were my favorites but like many said that as a fan base we have been spoiled with so many awesome teams and players

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

This thread is so silly. Bunch of fan girls.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Don’t underestimate @RedStickHusky. He knows all the angles.

Some people used to call me acute one.

 

[Jaker]

98-99 team is still my all time favorite.