My most frustrating season as a fan what was yours?

[RayIsTheGOAT]

2012, and it ain't even close for me.
9 deep!
2011-12 UConn Huskies Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com (sports-reference.com)
in hindsight, prolly should've known that something wasn't right after 8-10 conference record, where the average score penciled out to 65.6 to 65.4.
ugh...

That team had so much talent it's not even funny. Not just a frustrating year, but maybe the weirdest year as a fan. It was like the dark cloud rolling in signaling the end of the Calhoun era.

Still to this day.... WTF happened to that team? I think it was a combination of -- Bazz, Drummond, Boat, Daniels were all too young. Lamb was probably the most talented player on the team, but was sort of mentally checked out to the NBA perhaps. And Oriakhi was bothered by the Drummond thing? Oh yeah, and the impending violations/post-season ban. Just an unfortunate mix of issues. Calhoun seemingly couldn't get through to some of those guys and he accepted that fact.

But regardless, the talent alone should make that a top 10-15 team in the country and a sweet 16 team, at the very least.

There were those 3 games in a row in the middle of the season where we lost by 3 points or less in each game. The wheels kind of just came off.

 

[UconnU]

I’ve watched almost every game for the past 20 years outside of 2017-18. I stopped watching

 

[Tenspro2002]

2015-16. In hindsight it all makes sense now but was so frustrating at the time seeing that team waste all the talent

This is a great answer.

It's a low-key disappointing year because we ended up winning the AACT and won an NCAAT game, but that team had top-15 talent yet played most of the year near the bubble.

When evaluating KO's tenure and when we should have gotten rid of him, a lot of people say "but 2016", but we really should be saying "and 2016". That year presaged the demise of the program over the next 2 years.

 

[Tenspro2002]

2010 is a good sleeper call I believe tgat team was top 5 ( could be wrong but it’s close)during ooc before Bigeast season in January and wheels fell off.

The 2010 team was in the top 25, beat #1 Texas, and still managed to fall off a cliff and miss the Tournament despite (I believe) two other top 10 wins against Nova and WVU.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

The 2010 team was in the top 25, beat #1 Texas, and still managed to fall off a cliff and miss the Tournament despite (I believe) two other top 10 wins against Nova and WVU.

That was a fake #1 Texas, they lost a couple before that.

But that’s besides the point- that remains maybe my favorite Gampel game ever. Then Texas fans were pissed we stormed the court. That was a disappointing year, thought we had some talent that year. Soph Kemba off the bench.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don’t really have one. But the 1998-99 season was both amazing, joyous and bitterswwet. I was in California at the time. I recall meeting a law school friend of mine who went to Iowa undergrad at a bar to watch the Iowa game. But the 1999 NC game I watched alone. Nobody to celebrate with. No UConn fans around. Few people who even cared about college hoops at all. There may have been some alumni, but the www was not what it is now. About six months later I moved back to New England. Never again.

 

[superjohn]

2011-2012 by far

 

[Hoophound]

Has to be KO’s last season. Gampel was empty, the team was horrible and it really felt like the end of UConn basketball. The combination of the Hurley hire and the move back to the Big East saved us. I’m not sure we could get back to what we are used to if we stayed in the AAC. I didn’t want to admit that to myself then but it was really bad.

 

[Spaceman213J]

I would have to go with 2006. The team was clearly talented, but clearly had checked out mentally.

Also, 19-20, and the way Covid ended everything. My heart kind of broke for Vital, and being within sight of tourney action and it all comes to a screeching halt. He deserved better.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

2016-17

This was my first year living on the Storrs campus. I have been a huge fan for a while and they were absolute dogsh** the moment I stepped on campus, and were finally good again the second I graduated.

So it was YOUR fault!

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

So it was YOUR fault!

I’ll take the blame as long as I get a settlement in the ballpark of $10 mil.

 

[olehead]

I have been around UConn basketball for a long time. My most frustrating season goes way back. It was the 1980-81 season. Yes, the decade of the 80s that saw UConn not make an NCAA Tournament appearance. Here is what happened:

8 man rotation:

Corny Thompson
Chuck Alexsinus
Mike Mckay
Vernon Giscombe
Karl Hobbs
Norman Bailey
Bruce Kuczenski
Glenn Miller

This team had a lot of potential for the time period. We had the size, the shooters, the athleticism. Perhaps what held us back was our starting guards were both freshmen. The season started with grand expectations, and the team delivered. UConn was 11-0 which included a blowout win vs Syracuse. The stage was set for what looked like an NCAA Tournament bid, and perhaps a bit of a run.

The losses were so painful. The regular season saw us at 19-5 and 8-4 in the Big East. The 5 losses?

BC by 1
Vill by 4
URI by 3
BC by 5
St.J by 7


All 5 losses were painfully close. We had 2 games left and the finish was even more painful. We lost to Villanova by 1 and Georgetown by 2!

That left us at 19-7 and 8-6 in the Big East, needing to do some damage in the Big East Tournament. Those 7 losses saw 5 occur by 4 points or fewer. In a perfect world what if we won them all and went 24-2? What if we won just 3 of them we could have been 22-4. there was such a fine line to the way that season played out. Ultimately we lost the first game of the Big East Tournament and went 1-1 in the NIT to finish 20-9. The team shot 51.6% for the season and was arguably our best shooting team in my memory. The top 6 scorers all shot 77.5% or better from the line, and as a team, we shot 78.2%. I went to most if not all the home games split between Storrs, New Haven, and Hartford. For me, it was by far my most frustrating season as a UConn fan, because we were very good, but ultimately a pair of freshmen guards, who performed admirably didn't have the experience to close games.

What was your most frustrating season?

Thank you for this history. Good stuff. My hs coach loved Corny Thompson and Mike McKay. I moved to Ct. in the early 80's so didn't know much about them. But my coach was a huge fan. Told me Thompson was one of the most dominant hs players he had ever seen.

What was the New Haven site for the home games?

 

[olehead]

2012 for me.

Heading into the season: Defending champs, Andre Drummond late commit making it 3-5 incoming recruiting class, Preseason #4 team.

What followed: Ryan Boatright’s NCAA troubles, Jim Calhoun’s health issues, Mumu debacle, started 12-1 but then went 8-13 once the calendar flipped to 2012. Then following that, APR ban for the next season, mass transfers, Jim Calhoun retirement.

blech.

Mumu debacle?

 

[olehead]

2012 for me. Hurley’s first season was actually very frustrating too. Akok on campus but not able to play. Horrible injury luck with Adams and then Gilbert. A bunch of close losses, crazy buzzer beater loss vs Wichita state. The team was trying so hard and just coming up short but a few nice breaks and it wouldve been a 20 win season

I remember that WSU loss. Due to the curse of "Joey Brackets". We were up and playing well and needed that game to keep the season afloat. Lunardi comes on and begins yammin on and on and in the background things are falling apart for us and the Shockers are coming back. By the time Lunardi's off we were fighting for our lives eventually losing on a well contested running shot while fading to the baseline. Pain. Thanks Joey brackets.

 

[olehead]

That team had so much talent it's not even funny. Not just a frustrating year, but maybe the weirdest year as a fan. It was like the dark cloud rolling in signaling the end of the Calhoun era.

Still to this day.... happened to that team? I think it was a combination of -- Bazz, Drummond, Boat, Daniels were all too young. Lamb was probably the most talented player on the team, but was sort of mentally checked out to the NBA perhaps. And Oriakhi was bothered by the Drummond thing? Oh yeah, and the impending violations/post-season ban. Just an unfortunate mix of issues. Calhoun seemingly couldn't get through to some of those guys and he accepted that fact.

But regardless, the talent alone should make that a top 10-15 team in the country and a sweet 16 team, at the very least.

There were those 3 games in a row in the middle of the season where we lost by 3 points or less in each game. The wheels kind of just came off.

That season was weird. So much offensive talent seemingly, yet the offensive struggles were real. Looked like guys were counting their teammates shots that year. It had that kind of strange vibe.

 

[UconnU]

Has to be KO’s last season. Gampel was empty, the team was horrible and it really felt like the end of UConn basketball. The combination of the Hurley hire and the move back to the Big East saved us. I’m not sure we could get back to what we are used to if we stayed in the AAC. I didn’t want to admit that to myself then but it was really bad.

Yea that’s my thinking as well. I was going to go with some standard answer like 2006 or 2012 but that was rock bottom. I completely stopped watching. If I’m not watching than no one is watching because I’m about as big of a fan as you can possibly be. It did feel like the end of UConn basketball. Bad conference, bad team, no one at the games. Hurley had a total rebuild project on his hands when he took over. It wasn’t a minor one.

 

[HooperScooper]

What was the New Haven site for the home games?

New Haven Coliseum. Long gone.

New Haven Coliseum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[XLCenterFan]

17-18 season. Felt like the bottom was falling out of the program with no return in sight. Initially I thought we could remain nationally relevant in the AAC, but this was the year I gave up that belief. We got smoked this year - often. Attendance was way down. Moral at the games and amongst my friends who are UConn fans was awful. I believe this was prior to our planned BE return so it seemed like there was no hope in sight.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I have been around UConn basketball for a long time. My most frustrating season goes way back. It was the 1980-81 season. Yes, the decade of the 80s that saw UConn not make an NCAA Tournament appearance. Here is what happened:

8 man rotation:

Corny Thompson
Chuck Alexsinus
Mike Mckay
Vernon Giscombe
Karl Hobbs
Norman Bailey
Bruce Kuczenski
Glenn Miller

This team had a lot of potential for the time period. We had the size, the shooters, the athleticism. Perhaps what held us back was our starting guards were both freshmen. The season started with grand expectations, and the team delivered. UConn was 11-0 which included a blowout win vs Syracuse. The stage was set for what looked like an NCAA Tournament bid, and perhaps a bit of a run.

The losses were so painful. The regular season saw us at 19-5 and 8-4 in the Big East. The 5 losses?

BC by 1
Vill by 4
URI by 3
BC by 5
St.J by 7


All 5 losses were painfully close. We had 2 games left and the finish was even more painful. We lost to Villanova by 1 and Georgetown by 2!

That left us at 19-7 and 8-6 in the Big East, needing to do some damage in the Big East Tournament. Those 7 losses saw 5 occur by 4 points or fewer. In a perfect world what if we won them all and went 24-2? What if we won just 3 of them we could have been 22-4. there was such a fine line to the way that season played out. Ultimately we lost the first game of the Big East Tournament and went 1-1 in the NIT to finish 20-9. The team shot 51.6% for the season and was arguably our best shooting team in my memory. The top 6 scorers all shot 77.5% or better from the line, and as a team, we shot 78.2%. I went to most if not all the home games split between Storrs, New Haven, and Hartford. For me, it was by far my most frustrating season as a UConn fan, because we were very good, but ultimately a pair of freshmen guards, who performed admirably didn't have the experience to close games.

What was your most frustrating season?

The year we lost to George Mason.

 

[XLCenterFan]

The year we lost to George Mason.

I was there. A total road game. Up 13 at half. Needed a Denham Brown miracle to force OT. That team was absolutely loaded. 6 draft picks I believe.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

2006. Y'all know.

There was, is, never will be a comparable.

I was a sophomore at UConn that year. That team was so hyped, so talented, everyone on campus rightfully expected a title that year. The camping outside before games. The home wins against Pitt and Nova. Jai Lewis.

 

[tcf15]

Mumu debacle?

Early stages of Twitter drama: Alex Oriakhi criticizes Jim Calhoun on twitter... AGAIN

and this all lead to Oriakhi’s dad challenging UConn bloggers to a fight:

Alex Oriakhi’s dad challenged us to fight on Facebook and other thoughts from the Oriakalypse

Your best source for quality UConn Huskies news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.

www.theuconnblog.com

 

[Deleted at users request]

2012 with 2016 being the 2nd for me. Another team that played no where near the talent we had. Watching Gibbs and Purvis run the show made me want to rake my eyeballs.

 

[Chosen]

I have only been a UConn fan since 2007 but I would have to say the 2019-20 season because they won 5 straight including upsetting Houston where Christian Vital made that speech and the tournaments werecanceled. I wonder how far the huskies could have gone

 

[Ratso]

2012 with 2016 being the 2nd for me. Another team that played no where near the talent we had. Watching Gibbs and Purvis run the show made me want to rake my eyeballs.

add cronin or sampson the 2016 team is in the final 4

 

[Travelman6]

That was a fake #1 Texas, they lost a couple before that.

They were 17-1 going into that game, having just lost their first to #10 Kansas State by 9 the game before. Before that 2 game slide, they were head and heels the best so I would not say "fake 1" BUT those 2 losses started a season-ending slide that lasted the entire 2nd half of the season..

After that 2 game stretch, the wheels fell off for them, 7-10 in the last 17 after a 17-0 start including a first-round loss to WForest.

Imagine going from 17-0, well on the way to the overall 1 seed to 24-10 and 9 seed, and bounced in the first round, ouch. Not too many collapses are worse than that.

I was there. A total road game. Up 13 at half. Needed a Denham Brown miracle to force OT. That team was absolutely loaded. 6 draft picks I believe.

That game was the most painful for me. UConn went up something like 6-0 or 8-1 or something like that and I figured they were just going to coast. Still, up 43-34 at the half, I was not super impressed but I figured UConn has that in the bag and would slowly pull away in the second half. It is still kind of hard for me to understand how they lost that game. Just insane.

 

[bfs3]

Last two seasons of Kevin Ollie were my absolute lowest as a fan. Before those two seasons I was still hoping deep down that the AAC would somehow work out. After those two seasons, being in the AAC I was truly wondering if UConn basketball was finished. I never lost that sinking feeling I had when the Big East broke up and we landed on the outside looking in. I was genuinely worried that would kill the program with recruiting.

 

[Inyatkin]

Mine was 2000. After the first title, I thought we were unstoppable, and the rest of the Big East basically had a decade's worth of frustration they unleashed on us. Frustrating start to finish that year.

 

[mauconnfan]

The OP was onto something for the Corny seasons. I mean I really hate to say it because he was a great guy but you need to look no further than Dom Perno to figure out what happened during CT's career. It's crazy just look at the stats Corny has an AA freshman year at 18.6/10.0 but never approached those again. I mean he had solid years but ended his career at 14.1/8.3, how? Mike McKay started out at 15.9/5.4 same freshman year as Corny, 16.7/5.1 his soph year then down hill ended up 14.3/4.1 senior year. Chuck gets there in 80-81 and so do Karl and Vern, but suddenly Bobby Dulin goes from 11.3/4.3 to 6.2/3.1? They were just coached badly there was some major talent there during those days but it wasn't JC LOL.