Is 1999 Duke the best basketball team ever?

[HooperScooper]

Duke fans were incredibly obnoxious in 2004 as well.

But at least that year they were gone by Sunday morning.

 

[jleves]

Michigan State and St. John's weren't any good that year?

Sorry as I said or implied, my memory of the teams was vague. No Idea how good either was that year, but they are certainly significant teams which only reinforces my argument.

 

[Guapo]

Was there, too. Duke fans were so obnoxious before the game. Nowhere to be found after the game.

Duke fans? Obnoxious? You don’t say...

 

[tentoes4rings]

Ok, after 4 pages of this, i have to watch this game again! I actually have it on vhs tape somewhere, lol. The amazing thing about that team is I believe we beat every team in the top 10 of the final AP poll, amazing!

 

[seeya27]

Duke fans? Obnoxious? You don’t say...

I was in Tampa for the '99 game sitting in the Michigan State section, just a couple of rows up from Magic.

It's the FF and all fan bases are a bit arrogant in settings like that. But the OSU and Duke fans were notably haughty and unfriendly. Even outside of the arena and around town.

I can't help but draw comparisons to the 18-1, second place Patriots. Both the Duke and Patriot fan bases were intolerable during their championship losses. And as a Giant and Husky die-hard, they were amongst the most enjoyable sporting days of my life. (Although any Husky championship is exhilarating).

I'll never forget walking around outside the arena after the game -- and having total strangers with UConn gear coming up and bear hugging me. It was uninhibited joy. Magical and an adrenaline high like nothing I have ever experienced.

 

[uconnfan68]

I must admit that I thought Brand would pump fake twice and Jake would be on the bench for the last 18 minutes of the first half. As usual, I was dead wrong. JC did a great job massaging Jake's minutes. He ended with 28 played.

Lots of double teams that Brand and Duke never saw coming. Way too quick.

 

[Kitaman]

Ok, after 4 pages of this, i have to watch this game again! I actually have it on vhs tape somewhere, lol. The amazing thing about that team is I believe we beat every team in the top 10 of the final AP poll, amazing!

High Def not invented yet, I wonder how your VHS quality compares to this:

 

[Zissou]

Duke, UNLV, Houston, Georgetown, Butler, UNC. There could be a case for teams that coulda'

But for best champions, 2018 Nova is pretty obvious. Talk about crushing opponents. If that's the measure how can you argue for a team that lost over a team that truly crushed its opponents?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Duke, UNLV, Houston, Georgetown, Butler, UNC. There could be a case for teams that coulda'

But for best champions, 2018 Nova is pretty obvious. Talk about crushing opponents. If that's the measure how can you argue for a team that lost over a team that truly crushed its opponents?

They lost 4 games. A very good team. Not close to the best all time. OT win in Big East championship isn’t crushing people. Got very lucky not to play any high seeds in the NCAA tournament, KU highest at #4.

 

[Kolumbo]

Every time I see this thread on the list, all I can think is:

 

[Kolumbo]

Just watched a clip which ended with Georgetown beating Phi Slamma Jamma. Impressive.

Phi Slama Jama: The greatest team to never win it all | NCAA.com

 

[businesslawyer]

No, it was William Avery, his childhood friend. They grew up together, with Ricky a couple of years older. Avery was the more talented player, but was a sophomore. It was the most fascinating story line of the game. Ricky Moore, defensive specialist, starts the game by repeatedly roasting one of the top PGs in the country. He then held Avery in check on the other end (Avery shot 3-12, Ricky 6-10).

Rip and Langdon did most of the damage on the offensive end.

Ricky Moore shutting down the player he was guarding, no matter how good, was hardly a story. It happened close to 100% of the time he stepped onto the court his senior year.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ricky Moore shutting down the player he was guarding, no matter how good, was hardly a story. It happened close to 100% of the time he stepped onto the court his senior year.

Sure. But Ricky facing off against one of his closest childhood friends, who lived a few houses away and was like his little brother, was the biggest story line leading up to the game. And when he started scoring on him early it became even bigger.

 

[auror]

Duke, UNLV, Houston, Georgetown, Butler, UNC. There could be a case for teams that coulda'

But for best champions, 2018 Nova is pretty obvious. Talk about crushing opponents. If that's the measure how can you argue for a team that lost over a team that truly crushed its opponents?

2018 Villanova had one of the best offensives ever, but just a good defense. 99 Duke's offense was a half notch down but their defense was like 3 notches better. The best team of all time pretty much has to be great at both.

Adjusted for schedules and pace, '99 Duke outscored its opponents by 0.09 per possession more than '18 Villanova. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it was basically the difference between us and Houston last year when fully healthy in overall quality. Each game has about 70 possessions, so it works out to about a 6 point margin. Vegas would likely make Duke something like a 5.5 point favorite on a neutral court over Nova.

 

[Horatio]

High Def not invented yet, I wonder how your VHS quality compares to this:

Thank you sir. Glorious. I’ll plan a nice time to watch this today. This is probably the programs greatest moment.

 

[Deadrody]

I say anyone with a Twitter account get over there and ratio the CRAP out of that Tweet. It's already underwater and soon, it could be SO much fun to see all the UConn replies drown out the ridiculous premise.

 

[Deadrody]

That's K's m.o. Recruit McD's All-Americans and rest on their skillz

Is it your implication that Duke was not stacked?! I disagree.

Regarding Burgess, meh. He only played 2 years at Duke and had OK numbers on a team of all-stars. He was like the 7th best player because look who was in front of him.

You basically ignore the fact that - especially back then - a good deal of recruiting rankings were adjusted due to who was recruiting them. And, honestly, it hasn't changed all that much since. Either that or the vaunted Coach K has done less with more McD's AAs than any coach in the game.

 

[Deadrody]

Just watched a clip which ended with Georgetown beating Phi Slamma Jamma. Impressive.

Phi Slama Jama: The greatest team to never win it all | NCAA.com

Ironic, in that the Georgetown team was pretty damned good as well. It would be an interesting experiment to know how good that team would have been the following year WITH Michael Graham.

 

[Excalibur]

Sorry as I said or implied, my memory of the teams was vague. No Idea how good either was that year, but they are certainly significant teams which only reinforces my argument.

I should have put a smiley on it because I didn't intend to be a D!c& about it . . .

I remember discussing it with people leading up to the game, particularly the results vs. SJU and MSU (final 8 and final 4 teams, respectively).

 

[JB75]

No. I’d take the 96 Kentucky team over them that beat umass and Camby in final 4. That squad had: Antoine walker, Ron Mercer, Tony delk, Derek Anderson, Walter McCarty , jeff Shepherd and a few others I’m forgetting. Sick squad.

 

[JB75]

That duke team wasn’t even best team of the 90s. Most likely top 5 of the decade tho.

 

[JB75]

The 99-00 Cincy team you are referencing certainly looked the part of a Final Four team pre-KMart injury. Losing the national player of the year to injury in the conference tourney completely took the wind from their sails, as they dropped 2 of their last 3, including the conference tourney final and NCAA round of 32.

And they still got the number 1 seed I believe. Based on body of work. Pretty sure they got bounced in second round. But that team was tuff before Kmart got hurt

 

[JB75]

Sorry to blow up the board but wow I forgot about those UNLV teams - they wud run duke off the floor. The Laettner, hurley , Grant Hill teams of that era we’re better than 99 duke as well

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The ONLY argument 98-99 Duke can make is for the Greatest Team to NEVER Win a Championship. And even then they lose to 90-91 UNLV. Teams that didn't win aren't the greatest anythings except 'Greatest Losers' and people should never try to make this into an argument.

If anything these ratings only show you the flaws in the ratings methodology since clearly the ratings do not mimic history.

I think Houston is the best team not to win. 1982,83,84
That team had two NBA HOF players and 5-6 guys that played professionally two or three with NBA stints.
They went to Three final 4’s and were runner up twice losing to the NC all three times
Guy Lewis wan’t just a bad coach he was criminally bad.
Maybe the most talent ever assembled on one team .

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I think Houston is the best team not to win. 1982,83,84
That team had two NBA HOF players and 5-6 guys that played professionally two or three with NBA stints.
They went to Three final 4’s and were runner up twice losing to the NC all three times
Guy Lewis wan’t just a bad coach he was criminally bad.
Maybe the most talent ever assembled on one team .