Most beloved Teams and Players

[Scottzer]

Teams:
1) 89-90 dream season. I was 10 years old, had never heard of UConn basketball until that season, and I remember seeing big wins vs Syracuse and Georgetown.

2) '99 Title team. Only two losses in, what was still a tough Big East, and pulling off that game against Duke.

3) '11 - Kemba's run as the most clutch Husky of all time was amazing.

4) toss up between '04/'14. 04 was ridiculously talented, with guys like Hilton Armstrong in the bench, but last year was the least talented team to win a title in quite some time. The coaching job Ollie did with that team was incredible, and almost a reciprocal of Calhoun's '11 team that was all young.


Players:
1) Kemba
2) Ray Allen
3) emeka
4) Rip
5) Bazz (I fully admit that I never thought Bazz was good enough to lead a team to a title. Not like Kemba, Kemba just had that greatness oozing out of him.)

My list isn't right, It's purely subjective, and I won't get mad when you say who better fits the list.

 

[sammydabiz]

Teams:
1) 89-90 dream season. I was 10 years old, had never heard of UConn basketball until that season, and I remember seeing big wins vs Syracuse and Georgetown.

2) '99 Title team. Only two losses in, what was still a tough Big East, and pulling off that game against Duke.

3) '11 - Kemba's run as the most clutch Husky of all time was amazing.

4) toss up between '04/'14. 04 was ridiculously talented, with guys like Hilton Armstrong in the bench, but last year was the least talented team to win a title in quite some time. The coaching job Ollie did with that team was incredible, and almost a reciprocal of Calhoun's '11 team that was all young.


Players:
1) Kemba
2) Ray Allen
3) emeka
4) Rip
5) Bazz (I fully admit that I never thought Bazz was good enough to lead a team to a title. Not like Kemba, Kemba just had that greatness oozing out of him.)

My list isn't right, It's purely subjective, and I won't get mad when you say who better fits the list.

Your list, is your list dude, it's neither right nor wrong. Stand by it...Good post tho

Mine:
1. 99'
2. 11'
3. 14'
4. 96'
5. 04'

Players:
1. Kemba
2. Bazz
3. Caron
4. Ricky Moore
5. Madison Square Gordon

 

[Horatio]

Teams- 1999, 2001 ,2009, 2011
Players - Super Tone , Dyson, Caron, Selvie, Kemba and Bazz.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

1. 2011, never seen anything like it, probably never will again.
2. 1999, first chip is always gonna be up there, Rip and co.
3. 2004, as you said the talent on that team was incredible, loved their energy as a team
4. 2014, Watching Bazz, Boat, DD, Giffey and co play such a sound tournament and season was eye candy, especially the defense and beating UK
5. 2009, Although we didn't win it all, the talent on that team was absurd. Maybe we would've if Mich St didnt play a virtual home game, but that's not here nor there.


Players:
1. Kemba, the heart and grit he showed in leading us won't be replicated, led an extremely young team to the top, and hands down should've gotten the Wooden award.
2. Emeka, played with such energy and enthusiasm and led that great all around team, best big man we've ever had.
3. Adrien, not a conventional pick, but was such a beast for us. Extremely undersized and was still able to average a virtual double double. Deserved a championship, we may have gotten one had it not been for that cinderalla team, i forget who that was .
4. Shabazz, the three following kemba are interchangeable so don't get upset at me for having Bazz 4th. Anywho, did literally everything for a team who didn't have the talent alot of other UCONN teams had, did his best Kemba impression and was as clutch as anyone we've had.
5. Boat, im not sure there's been any UCONN player I've rooted harder for. Everything he went through in his career here, he got the championship he deserved, and when it was his turn to lead, he didn't disappoint while others may have. Best on ball defender that i can remember here.

Honorable Mentions:
1. Stanley, loved his game
2. Ray, probably should be higher but i was barely born when he played so i can't make an accurate judgement.
3. AJ, with everything he went through and how good he was, he deserves to be mentioned.

 

[Scottzer]

Your list, is your list dude, it's neither right nor wrong. Stand by it...Good post tho

Mine:
1. 99'
2. 11'
3. 14'
4. 96'
5. 04'

Players:
1. Kemba
2. Bazz
3. Caron
4. Ricky Moore
5. Madison Square Gordon

'99 has to be way up there. My problem with them is just timing within my life (was a student nearby, caught some games in person and watched a good number, but I don't recall Amin and Rip seeming to be larger than life characters like Ray Ray and Kemba.

'04 only slides down b/c of the ridiculous team talent level. I still remember picking Pitt in my pool that year, forgetting about the talent and just getting fooled by small Losses (that included Okafor).

If the title teams played eachother, I think it's a tough win, but the '99 team beats '04. '11 destroys '14 in the third place game.

 

[D-NICE]

My most beloved team is the 99 huskies beating the dookies in the championship game. Some of my other favorite huskies, other than this list above are:
1.Khalid El Amin
2. Jake Voskuhl
3. Donyell Marshall
4. Chris Smith
5. Donny Marshall
6. Niels Giffey
7. Rudy Johnson
8.Kevin Freeman
9. Nadav Henefeld
10. Tate George (before the ponzi scheme)

 

[champs99and04]

My favorite UConn team ever might be the 2013 team. People forget that they were actually in contention to win the Big East late in the season before injuries derailed them. This despite being extremely limited up front, to the point that Ollie regularly finished games with Giffey at center. I'll never forget the final game of the season - Tolksdorf, Boat, Daniels, Phil, R.J. Evans, and a one-legged Bazz somehow got us over the finish line against a Providence team fighting for their lives.

 

[superjohn]

2014, they squeaked it out against St. Joe's and then pretty much rolled through a gauntlet of teams. Bazz is possibly the most accomplished Husky we ever had, Boat played the best perimeter defense I've seen since Ricky Moore, Niels hustling all over the place and knocking down threes, Deandre playing like a superstar against Iowa State and Florida. Having full confidence we would win every game because we shot ft's at a historic clip. Kids on that team could have quit when the deck was stacked against them and transferred. They stuck it out, played great the year before with nothing but pride on the line and won the whole damn thing last year. Most of all that team was just likable, a bunch of great kids.

 

[sammydabiz]

My favorite UConn team ever might be the 2013 team. People forget that they were actually in contention to win the Big East late in the season before injuries derailed them. This despite being extremely limited up front, to the point that Ollie regularly finished games with Giffey at center. I'll never forget the final game of the season - Tolksdorf, Boat, Daniels, Phil, R.J. Evans, and a one-legged Bazz somehow got us over the finish line against a Providence team fighting for their lives.

Most heart award for sure.... You couldn't help but love that team

 

[Tenspro2002]

2009 deserves some love. If you're nostalgic for our years of season-to-season dominance, this is the last truly dominant team. Went into Louisville and d***-stomped a Top 5 team. Rolled through the NCAA Tournament to the Final Four. Played tough inside and out. They endured some heartbreaking defeats (6 OT, @MSU in the FF), but they were hard not to love.

In that same vein, AJ Price is one of my all-time, underheralded favorites.

 

[Scottzer]

You

1. 2011, never seen anything like it, probably never will again.
2. 1999, first chip is always gonna be up there, Rip and co.
3. 2004, as you said the talent on that team was incredible, loved their energy as a team
4. 2014, Watching Bazz, Boat, DD, Giffey and co play such a sound tournament and season was eye candy, especially the defense and beating UK
5. 2009, Although we didn't win it all, the talent on that team was absurd. Maybe we would've if Mich St didnt play a virtual home game, but that's not here nor there.


Players:
1. Kemba, the heart and grit he showed in leading us won't be replicated, led an extremely young team to the top, and hands down should've gotten the Wooden award.
2. Emeka, played with such energy and enthusiasm and led that great all around team, best big man we've ever had.
3. Adrien, not a conventional pick, but was such a beast for us. Extremely undersized and was still able to average a virtual double double. Deserved a championship, we may have gotten one had it not been for that cinderalla team, i forget who that was .
4. Shabazz, the three following kemba are interchangeable so don't get upset at me for having Bazz 4th. Anywho, did literally everything for a team who didn't have the talent alot of other UCONN teams had, did his best Kemba impression and was as clutch as anyone we've had.
5. Boat, im not sure there's been any UCONN player I've rooted harder for. Everything he went through in his career here, he got the championship he deserved, and when it was his turn to lead, he didn't disappoint while others may have. Best on ball defender that i can remember here.

Honorable Mentions:
1. Stanley, loved his game
2. Ray, probably should be higher but i was barely born when he played so i can't make an accurate judgement.
3. AJ, with everything he went through and how good he was, he deserves to be mentioned.

You're spot on from what you've seen, and you've seen a few years more closely than I. There was that thing about that '11 team, that ability of Kemba to put them on his back, then step down even if it meant losses, and let the underclass men grow, and then take it over all over again in the tourney games when he had to. As much as I hate to make the comparison, Kemba was Laettneresque that season.

We all loved Adrien, even last summer I was telling my family his well he was playing. Now he's in China, but - we loved that guy in a way we won't love Stanley Robinson. Guy had the tools just never quite reached potential.

Bazz absolutely deserves a high spot on this list, I just screwed up in my earlier judgements of him that I never thought he could lead in a Kemba like manner. To me, he just seemed so much less talented than Kemba (which might or might not be accurate for the pro game), but my access kent was way off for college hoops. I never had him that high on my list b/c of guys like Kemba and Ray.

'99 was probably the best team title championship in terms of talent defeated. That '99 team was loaded, Elton Brand, Trajon Langdon. But, they blew out everybody they faced, and UConn went, I think 16-2 in a tough Big East. That team was really tough. Only reason I think they'd beat the '04 team with a ton of talent...

 

[Scottzer]

When

2009 deserves some love. If you're nostalgic for our years of season-to-season dominance, this is the last truly dominant team. Went into Louisville and d***-stomped a Top 5 team. Rolled through the NCAA Tournament to the Final Four. Played tough inside and out. They endured some heartbreaking defeats (6 OT, @MSU in the FF), but they were hard not to love.

In that same vein, AJ Price is one of my all-time, underheralded favorites.

I think of '09, I can't help but think of the real emergence of Kemba in the elite 8 vs Missouri. And then against Michigan state he made freshman mistakes. But, I'll never forget how great you saw he'd be from that Missouri game).

 

[johnhuskies95]

'99 has to be way up there. My problem with them is just timing within my life (was a student nearby, caught some games in person and watched a good number, but I don't recall Amin and Rip seeming to be larger than life characters like Ray Ray and Kemba.

'04 only slides down b/c of the ridiculous team talent level. I still remember picking Pitt in my pool that year, forgetting about the talent and just getting fooled by small Losses (that included Okafor).

If the title teams played eachother, I think it's a tough win, but the '99 team beats '04. '11 destroys '14 in the third place game.

Let's settle down. '11 would not "destroy" '14 in a game. The 2011 team probably had a better regular season and obviously a better conference tournament but the 2014 team went through a tougher path in the NCAA's. 2014 had three really, really good college players and three more who played their roles extremely well. Don't undersell them.

As for my list:

1999
2004
2009
2011
2014

Not in that order and somewhat of a copout to just pick the final four teams but those teams were the most fun to watch IMO, all things considered. I also liked the younger teams who you could tell were going to be really good the next year, like 97, 02, 08, and 13.

Players:
Kemba
Bazz
Adrien
Ray
Caron

 

[Scottzer]

2014, they squeaked it out against St. Joe's and then pretty much rolled through a gauntlet of teams. Bazz is possibly the most accomplished Husky we ever had, Boat played the best perimeter defense I've seen since Ricky Moore, Niels hustling all over the place and knocking down threes, Deandre playing like a superstar against Iowa State and Florida. Having full confidence we would win every game because we shot ft's at a historic clip. Kids on that team could have quit when the deck was stacked against them and transferred. They stuck it out, played great the year before with nothing but pride on the line and won the whole damn thing last year. Most of all that team was just likable, a bunch of great kids.

The most overachieving team since 'Nova from a seeding perspective. And, quite possibly talent wise. I don't know much about '85 Nova, other than that they shot 90 percent in second half vs loaded Georgetown defense.

 

[Scottzer]

Let's settle down. '11 would not "destroy" '14 in a game. The 2011 team probably had a better regular season and obviously a better conference tournament but the 2014 team went through a tougher path in the NCAA's. 2014 had three really, really good college players and three more who played their roles extremely well. Don't undersell them.

As for my list:

1999
2004
2009
2011
2014

Not in that order and somewhat of a copout to just pick the final four teams but those teams were the most fun to watch IMO, all things considered. I also liked the younger teams who you could tell were going to be really good the next year, like 97, 02, 08, and 13.

Players:
Kemba
Bazz
Adrien
Ray
Caron

No doubt a few teams should have won a title, and teams like '11 and '14 that shouldn't have. I thought maybe '96 should have, but maybe I'm confusing that with '97. (High School for me, so I don't recall perfectly).

Your point on the '14 team is great. I went over that FF path a zillion times as ESPN talked about how hard Kentucky's path was, and found ESPN's reporting off. I think UConn beat four top 20 teams to win the title, and a remarkable difficult run. But, with upperclassmen. That Kemba team was like Kemba playing on Kentucky - that one piece that makes it all work. The piece Cal will never have, b/c he recruits for short term college and ideally long term NBA pros.

 

[TXHuskyFan]

I still remember picking Pitt in my pool that year, forgetting about the talent and just getting fooled by small Losses (that included Okafor).

Were you hoping to win a bunch of pizzas with that pick, following in the footsteps of the '99 traitor?

 

[Scottzer]

Were you hoping to win a bunch of pizzas with that pick, following in the footsteps of the '99 traitor?

No, this was before becoming aware that the program could pull things off. I remembered a couple teams in the mid 90s that were good enough to win, but didn't. And then, when '99 happened, it kind of seemed like a gift/revenge combo.
That year, if you asked me if any team had the same talent level, I would have said no in a heart beat. But, the 6 losses (and I didn't realize it at the time), established a new minimum precedent for losses in title winning seasons. In fact, it seams title teams want to come close to the bubble. (2011 might have missed the tourney w/o 2 big east tourney wins).


Part of what I was talking about was 04. I'm drunk now.

 

[Ts5034]

Obviously all four of the championship teams were unique and special for their own reasons. 1999 was the first, and theres nothing like the first so I dont think anybody will ever forget the feeling they had when we beat Duke that night. 2004 was just a fun year because we carried the torch wire to wire. Pre season #1 and finished it off with the National Championship. I miss when we used to destroy teams like we did so many times that season. Everybody knows why 2011 and 2014 were special. But...of the teams that didnt win championships, I think the 2002 team was very special led by Caron and a Freshman Okafor and Gordon. There were some memorable moments that season like the OT win at Arizona and the entire Big East Tournament capped off with the double OT win vs Pitt. I remember how upset I was after we lost to Maryland in the Elite 8. For me, that loss really hurt. We had a 3 point lead in the last few minutes but we couldnt finish it off. I would love to see what that team could have done if they beat Maryland. Its very possible that we could have been the ones to cut down the nets.

 

[Scottzer]

That, for me, was one of those seasons I didn't get to catch much of. (End of college / finishing thesis kind of things. That year was taxing on my soul.

 

[UConNick]

No, this was before becoming aware that the program could pull things off. I remembered a couple teams in the mid 90s that were good enough to win, but didn't. And then, when '99 happened, it kind of seemed like a gift/revenge combo.
That year, if you asked me if any team had the same talent level, I would have said no in a heart beat. But, the 6 losses (and I didn't realize it at the time), established a new minimum precedent for losses in title winning seasons. In fact, it seams title teams want to come close to the bubble. (2011 might have missed the tourney w/o 2 big east tourney wins).


Part of what I was talking about was 04. I'm drunk now.

I'm gonna strongly disagree with the statement that we might not have made the '11 tournament. Where does that narrative come from? We beat Texas, UK, Michigan St, Nova... Spent at least 2/3 of the season ranked in the top 10. They were 19 @ 21-9 going into MSG after that late letdown stretch. Loss to DePaul, 21-10, probably an 8. Loss to Georgetown, probably at least a 6, more likely a 5. That team wasn't missing to tourney. But I'll excuse that statement due to your inebriation.

As for me, 2009 is my favorite non-title team (being a freshman here for that run last year makes my overall favorite choice easy). I loved Adrien, loved AJP, loved Thabeet. If Dyson doesn't go down, I firmly believe we could've gone toe-to-toe and won against a UNC team that has a good case for best squad of the decade.

 

[Scottzer]

I'm gonna strongly disagree with the statement that we might not have made the '11 tournament. Where does that narrative come from? We beat Texas, UK, Michigan St, Nova... Spent at least 2/3 of the season ranked in the top 10. They were 19 @ 21-9 going into MSG after that late letdown stretch. Loss to DePaul, 21-10, probably an 8. Loss to Georgetown, probably at least a 6, more likely a 5. That team wasn't missing to tourney. But I'll excuse that statement due to your inebriation.

As for me, 2009 is my favorite non-title team (being a freshman here for that run last year makes my overall favorite choice easy). I loved Adrien, loved AJP, loved Thabeet. If Dyson doesn't go down, I firmly believe we could've gone toe-to-toe and won against a UNC team that has a good case for best squad of the decade.

I dunno, I was afraid of a tourney abortion after a 9-9 conference record. Well aware they never lost out of conference, and beat good teams early, but a later season slump is always scary. At the time, and as that season went, my confidence level in the team reached bipolar levels. After 2 games in the tourney, I thought they'd win it all. Stupid confidence.

'09 was a really nice team, but best of the decade is tough. '04 was the highest talented team the school has ever had. '05 ranks among the greatest underachievers...

 

[johnhuskies95]

The '09 team just asserted their will on teams. They dominated Louisville, the future #1 overall seed at their place without even making a 3.

Shooting 63% on free throws against MSU was a killer.

 

[uconNYC]

Bazz and 2014. But the 94-96 period was the most exciting period for me.

 

[Towney007]

Yeah my favorite period might have been '94-'96.... Getting suck playing away games vs Florida in 94 and UCLA in 95 didn't help (I always thought we got hosed out of a #1 seed in 94); but those teams - especially '95 - were better than they were given credit for.

'94 was especially painful when B.C. knocked out North Carolina and basically opened up an easy route to the Final Four, too... that killed me. We just kinda ran into UCLA in 1995 - and i'm not sure we beat them, Arkansas or North Carolina that year - but we were right in that conversation. There was no OUTRIGHT star on that team (Ray was still a baby) - but sum of the players made them awesome - Ollie, Sheffer, Knight, Heyward (!!), Donny Marshall, Fair, King, Johnson.. it was like a schmorgasboard of my favorite UConn role players.

The '96 team was frustrating for no other reason than in probably any other year during that time period - they'd win a National Title. I thought the gap between UConn, Kentucky, UMass and the field that year was pretty significant. The Mississippi State loss stung, but people also forget that Miss St. was a concensus Final Four contender in the pre season (I believe they were ranked in the top 5 - I have an old preview mag that had them at #2) and underperformed almost the entire regular season. They were a different team in the tournament. Not that it takes the sting out all these years later, but it really bothers me that people knock the Mississippi State team so bad... they were legit.

'99 sticks out for obvious reasons - and having been really conscious throughout the whole period - was surprised to see them be the 'dogs to Duke they were in the final. Glad to see they proved people wrong.

I'd agree that 2009 and 2002 were probably the next two best teams outside of your tournament winners. I'd argue the '09 team was the most talented group we've ever had - although it's hard to argue with the 2004 team in that regard. I think 2004 is easily the best team out of our tournament champs.

'11 and '14 seemed like receipts for all those near misses, though. Strange as it seems - I felt like the '14 team was always that good and something just clicked between the AAC tournament and the NCAA tournament with them. I still can't put a finger on it - but I don't think they outplayed their talent or anything. I think they fulfilled it. Kemba's team was just a Kansas redux. Doesn't happen often, but once in a while a player just hijacks the tournament on their own, runs away and hides. That was that squad. And i'm fine with that. I think a lot of the knocks on that team are pretty fair. I'm still convinced the '96 Team might have been the best team in the 90's outside of UNLV in '91 to not win a title, so i'll take the IOU.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Strange as it seems - I felt like the '14 team was always that good and something just clicked between the AAC tournament and the NCAA tournament with them. I still can't put a finger on it - but I don't think they outplayed their talent or anything. I think they fulfilled it.

I agree with this. Coming into the year I thought that they would be really good. The offense played really well in the beginning of the season and then tapered off for awhile in conference play. I remember even though Maryland wasn't that good they looked great against them for the first 30 minutes in the first game of the season.

8 losses is not great if you're comparing them to other vintage UConn teams. But 3 of those losses were to Louisville who was the #1 team in KenPom and Sagarin(granted they were blown out all three times), and 2 were to an SMU team that just seems to have Ollie's number. Houston and Stanford were really weird and then Daniels was out against Cincinnati on the road. To me last year's team had 5 or 6 loss talent, not that it matters much. Boatright's numbers were down as a junior compared to his sophomore year, it's not a coincidence that the team really turned it on when he started to play a lot better.