Most "talented" team 1-10 in Uconn history

[mauconnfan]

Sad when you think about it, we really should have won 3 in 4 years. That team shouldn't have lost ever.

Are you talking about the '11-'12 team? Shouldn't have lost? You're a bit crazy with that thought…..they were what they were. No Kemba, a very good returning soph guard who needed to find his way through a bit of sophomore slump both mentally and physically, another soph with great potential in Lamb who didn't quite get t0 the hype of his frosh finish although still solid, a PF who lost his mind while not getting any better over the summer, whining and sulking and brought Roscoe and the team with him. While AD was tremendously talented he wasn't as big of an impact as expected mainly because of his fundamental shortcomings……this was not a very good team in so many ways and wouldn't make the top 10 of the least 25 years.

 

[mauconnfan]

Jim Calhoun is a golden god in my eyes, and always will be, but I think it is fair to say that his worst coaching job by far was the'12 season. I can blame that on some health issues certainly, but he has to to be responsible for some of that hot mess.

Very little blame though. Every once in a while a coach can't control the effort and the minds of kids who have their own thoughts and theories as to how they need to be treated. You win a NC and nothing changes, you expect the kids to work hard over the summer get better, work on weaknesses, leave the title at home and come in ready to compete for another one. 2 of the returning players were not ready early and played like JC owed them something because of the prior year, despite both playing like crap. We wonder why Shabazz was so vocal, sometimes when he shouldn't have been? He knew who was stirring the tpot but never named names. We know now…..there's a reason he stayed and others left. He and the others were loyal and they never bitched…….that year is on those who bailed. They played awful and weren't prepared choosing to live off of their laurels. Bazz, Lamb, Giffey and AD amongst others deserved better but even mores JC deserved more from those guys.

 

[intlzncster]

You're still comparing him to one of the ten-best shooting guards ever. In order to be not just better than Allen, but better "by a wide margin," Drummond would have to turn into Shaq.

A combo of Shaq, Olajuwon, and Abdul Jabbar would probably meet the criteria.

 

[Tenspro2002]

AD is a straight beast. He's only 21 and he's just learning. I can't imagine what he's gonna be like in 3-4 years. 25 and 15 certainly isn't out of the question. He avg'd 14 last year with absolutely ZERO offensive game (not to mention shooting 40% FT's). I don't see a center in the league at the moment with his upside.

And what if he doesn't develop an offensive game? Let's be blunt, between his year at UConn and 2 in the NBA, he hasn't shown much in that area. In high school, he got by on account of his insane physical gifts, and 4 years later that's still what he's trying to do.

Let me make this clear though: I think Drummond is a great ambassador for UConn, and his making the national squad only further helps his and our profile (provided he plays and the team wins). Though I don't recall his UConn career with a lot of fondness, I recognize that he's doing great things for us as an alum.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Actually, I'm starting to come around on the Drummond is on his way to being an all-time great. Advanced stats show that there are almost no players as young as Drummond who have played as well as he has in the history of the league.

 

[Robertelamin]

AD seems like Dwight Howard 2.0, which is pretty darn good and without the drama but to pass Ray he will have to be a first ballot hall of famer and a top 30-40 player of all time. It is possible but it is pretty lofty expectations.

 

[mauconnfan]

Pretty good young tandem coming through the ranks in AD squared……..Andre and Anthony Davis are young and the ceilings are high for these 2 "children" of the NBA. Davis has an edge because of his offensive game for now but it will be fun to watch that pan out and see who ends up hitting that ceiling first!

 

[aceboon]

Pretty good young tandem coming through the ranks in AD squared……..Andre and Anthony Davis are young and the ceilings are high for these 2 "children" of the NBA. Davis has an edge because of his offensive game for now but it will be fun to watch that pan out and see who ends up hitting that ceiling first!

Davis is better on the defensive end as well, besides the shot blocking around the rim there aren't many players I've seen with his ability to step out and block jumpers on the perimeter as well.

 

[Lefty2one]

Yeah, Davis is just ridiculous. I think he's going to take the torch and be the best player in the NBA once LeBron and Durant exit their primes.

 

[TheChamps990411]

It depends on how you look at it, that team has zero chemistry and at times stunk but there was a lot of talented players in that group. Clearly in terms of play on the court there were a ton of UConn teams that were better but not too many had the individual talent of that team.

Honestly the more i think about the 11/12 team the more disappointing it is. Your backcourt is lamb/bazz and your frontcourt had oriakhi,drummond,smith and giffey. i think oriahki kept that team from being good. i think he was a cancer that ate away at that team from day 1.

 

[Chief00]

2004 was loaded.

I would also argue 08-09 (pre-Dyson knee injury), 05-06, 94-95, 95-96, and of course 98-99.

I will never buy into the popular narrative that if Dyson did not get injured they would have won it all in 2009. More talented yes - but quite frankly I don't think they would have made it to F4. Sadly team chemistry improved and Stanley played his best ball after Jerome went down. Kemba also got more time. Remember, I don't believe Jerome ever won a post season game in his UConn career - so what is that conclusion based on?

 

[David 76]

If the players on the 11-12 team had the most talent, they didn't have it available in 11-12. AD was totally raw. Bazz hadn't gotten his leadership down...

 

[joober jones]

I think Nelson was a red shirt transfer on the '04 team so I'm not sure if we can count him.

 

[CTBasketball]

I will never buy into the popular narrative that if Dyson did not get injured they would have won it all in 2009. More talented yes - but quite frankly I don't think they would have made it to F4. Sadly team chemistry improved and Stanley played his best ball after Jerome went down. Kemba also got more time. Remember, I don't believe Jerome ever won a post season game in his UConn career - so what is that conclusion based on?

He won a game in the 2010 NIT.

 

[Chief00]

He won a game in the 2010 NIT.

Thanks for the clarification. But, you realize you proved my point!

 

[TouchdownHusky]

The correct answer is 1993-94.

For all the proof you need, the bench guys were Ray Allen, Kirk King, Travis Knight and Rudy Johnson - those guys started (with Sheffer) two years later on a team that went 34-3.

Starters were KO-Sheffer-Donny-Donyell-Hayward. Also had Brian Fair off the bench.

Absolutely the most talented team IMO. The 'o4 in a close second, followed by the "underachievers" on the '06 squad.