Let's be honest...UConn hasn't had a dominant type team since 2008-09.

[CAHUSKY]

Right! I thought it was in the Maui invitational. We did lose to a bad team in the early 2000s in Maui. When, and to whom? (Honest question, not trivia)

Without Caron and souleman

 

[ZenConn]

Hell. I'd rather win the title than be dominant. We all forget that all of JC's team peaked in middle/late Feb through March and April. Let's give it some time and see when March starts to roll around.

 

[Tenspro2002]

We all forget that all of JC's team peaked in middle/late Feb through March and April. Let's give it some time and see when March starts to roll around.

That's a cute narrative that people like to tell, but how often was it true? And, especially, when was it true in recent years?

It should have been the case for a young team in 2012, but never happened.

2008? Sort of. We won 9 in a row from mid-Jan through mid-Feb, but then lost 4 of our last 7 to end the year.

2005? Won 7 in a row (good) before losing in the BET semis and then getting bounced in the second round (bad).

2003? Arguably was an improving team, but never won more than 3 games in a row.

I think you have to go all the way back to 2002 to find a team that improved dramatically throughout a season and peaked in March. Those guys won 12 in a row after mid-February before losing to the eventual champs in the Elite 8. But that was a young team, with 4 of their top 6 in minutes going to freshmen and sophomores.

More often than not, the team you see in December/January is the team you see in March, especially for one as veteran as the current group.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

You can have dominance, give me hardware.

 

[ZenConn]

I think you have to go all the way back to 2002 to find a team that improved dramatically throughout a season and peaked in March.

Forget 2011 already?

 

[Tenspro2002]

Forget 2011 already?

I don't consider that to be a case of improving throughout the year. Arguably, they weren't a significantly better team in March than they were in November-January (at which point they were already quite good). And they were mediocre from February up until the BET.

 

[tzznandrew]

Forget 2011 already?

The 2005 team had Rashad Anderson's staph infection. That also contributed to some of the struggles. They went 10-2 down the stretch after starting 12-5. Their two losses were against #2 UNC and the BET semi-final loss to a Syracuse team that was ranked #11. And a Syracuse team they beat 2 other times during that streak. That team clearly hit their stride in early February, carried it through March, but ran out of gas (again, one ball handler, and the Rashad injury hurt).

The 2003 team made a run to the BET Finals. They struggled because that's when Calhoun first came down with cancer and missed a ton of games. They were a Marcus White-ball-caught-in-rim-layup from tying that Texas game with 35 seconds left. In Texas. Against a team that went to the Final Four. They certainly peaked at the end of the year.

In 2008, they did lose 4 of 7 to end that year, true. They lost by 2 against a desperate Villanova team that would go on to make the Sweet 16. They got their butts whipped by a crappy PC team (happens all the time). The next two games were in tournaments. So they ended the regular season on a 13-2 run. And then lost their two tournament games.

One to a West Virginia team (who they beat in the streak) that went to the Sweet 16 and who had a player we couldn't stop (Joe Alexander).

The other to a San Diego team on a last second shot after our best player tore his ACL in the first half.

I think this team peaked in February-March...sometimes, though, injuries play a role in conspiring to make otherwise impressive runs end poorly (see UConn, 1996, Ricky Moore for further evidence).

 

[Inyatkin]

The 2003 team made a run to the BET Finals. They struggled because that's when Calhoun first came down with cancer and missed a ton of games. They were a Marcus White-ball-caught-in-rim-layup from tying that Texas game with 35 seconds left. In Texas. Against a team that went to the Final Four. They certainly peaked at the end of the year..

The 2003 team is probably the best example. They were an absolute mess midyear, getting blown out by a terrible Va. Tech team, among others, then putting it together to beat Syracuse twice and nearly Texas.