Rank UConn's Final 4 games

[RedDog]

Rank UConn's Final 4 games:

1. UConn vs Duke: 1999 National title game - A true classic. The top 2 teams in a tight battle, ending with the nation's top offensive player (Langdon) being stopped by the nation's top defensive player (Moore).

2. UConn vs Duke: 2004 National semifinal - One of the greatest endings ever. We should have won easily (the refs ruined this game) but it was amazing to see our clutch play at the end. It was also nice to see Duke fall apart.

3. UConn vs Kentucky: 2014 National title game - Watching UConn jump out to a 15 point lead, while the squid had to call timeout, was a thing of beauty. It's also nice to see veterans (juniors and seniors) beat the freshman.

4. UConn vs Florida: 2014 National semifinal - No one gave us a chance (everyone forgot that we beat Florida in December). After a rough start, UConn completely outplayed them.

5. UConn vs Kentucky: 2011 National semifinal - Given that the other game was VCU vs Butler, this was the main event. Although UConn destroyed Kentucky in Maui earlier in the season, no one picked us to win. It's always fun to beat the squid.

6. UConn vs Ohio State: 1999 National semifinal - A good game that is somewhat forgotten about. A good game by El Amin (after a really rough game against Gonzaga in the Elite 8) and Rip continued his dominant performances.

7. UConn vs Georgia Tech: 2004 National title game - I would rank this higher if UConn didn't let up and let the final deficit get to single digits. We had a 25 point lead in the second half.

8. UConn vs Butler: 2011 National title game - UConn put on a defensive clinic. It's too bad that our offense struggled, because we should have won by 30.

9. UConn vs Michigan State: 2009 National semifinal - Last for obvious reasons. (I always felt that if Jerome Dyson had not been injured, we would have played a tough game against NC for the title).

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Rank UConn's Final 4 games:

1. UConn vs Duke: 1999 National title game - A true classic. The top 2 teams in a tight battle, ending with the nation's top offensive player (Langdon) being stopped by the nation's top defensive player (Moore).

2. UConn vs Duke: 2004 National semifinal - One of the greatest endings ever. We should have won easily (the refs ruined this game) but it was amazing to see our clutch play at the end. It was also nice to see Duke fall apart.

3. UConn vs Kentucky: 2014 National title game - Watching UConn jump out to a 15 point lead, while the squid had to call timeout, was a thing of beauty. It's also nice to see veterans (juniors and seniors) beat the freshman.

4. UConn vs Florida: 2014 National semifinal - No one gave us a chance (everyone forgot that we beat Florida in December). After a rough start, UConn completely outplayed them.

5. UConn vs Kentucky: 2011 National semifinal - Given that the other game was VCU vs Butler, this was the main event. Although UConn destroyed Kentucky in Maui earlier in the season, no one picked us to win. It's always fun to beat the squid.

6. UConn vs Ohio State: 1999 National semifinal - A good game that is somewhat forgotten about. A good game by El Amin (after a really rough game against Gonzaga in the Elite 8) and Rip continued his dominant performances.

7. UConn vs Georgia Tech: 2004 National title game - I would rank this higher if UConn didn't let up and let the final deficit get to single digits. We had a 25 point lead in the second half.

8. UConn vs Butler: 2011 National title game - UConn put on a defensive clinic. It's too bad that our offense struggled, because we should have won by 30.

9. UConn vs Michigan State: 2009 National semifinal - Last for obvious reasons. (I always felt that if Jerome Dyson had not been injured, we would have played a tough game against NC for the title).

The nations top offensive player was wearing number 32 for white (Hamilton)

 

[Robertelamin]

For some reason I cant remember a single thing about the 99 Ohio State game. Which is weird because I remember UConn playing Gonzaga, Iowa and New Mexico, I forget who they played in the first round

 

[Gurleyman]

For some reason I cant remember a single thing about the 99 Ohio State game. Which is weird because I remember UConn playing Gonzaga, Iowa and New Mexico, I forget who they played in the first round

The primary thing I remember from Ohio State is Ricky's D on Scoonie Penn - especially one particular drive when he cut him off, then cut off Penn's ensuing spin move and forced him to put up a brick off the backboard.

There was also a late shot from Rip at the shot clock buzzer when he double clutched in the paint - maybe pushed the lead from 4 to 6 with just under 2 minutes left. Huge shot to hold them off.

 

[Inyatkin]

For some reason I cant remember a single thing about the 99 Ohio State game. Which is weird because I remember UConn playing Gonzaga, Iowa and New Mexico, I forget who they played in the first round

El-Amin behind the back to Freeman? Not ringing any bells? Freeman converted the basket but it wasn't a clean dunk. If it had been you'd probably see it on more highlight reels.

 

[champs99and04]

I'm ranking these based on some combination of how well-played they were and how exciting they were.

1. Duke, 1999 - this one is pretty obvious. Both teams were awesome, and they played, if not their A game, close to it. One of the great title games ever.

2. Duke, 2004 - I think this game was played at a very high level despite the refs. There was just a s*** load of talent on the floor - between Deng, Duhon, Reddick, Williams, Gordon, Chuck, Boone, Hilton, and Emeka, there were nine guys who spent time in the NBA and six of them who had long, productive careers. And I might be forgetting somebody. Coming back from down 75-67 with under three minutes left remains one of the great comebacks in final four history.

3. Michigan State, 2009 - I know we lost, but if you sit back and take the emotion out of it, this was a hell of a game. MSU playing in Detroit in the final four is something you just can't recreate. UConn played decently but MSU just played out of their minds.

4. Kentucky, 2011 - It was far from a well-played game, but the intensity was palpable and the eight-minute stretch without a whistle in the second half was unlike anything I've ever seen. The refs swallowed the whistle in that one and let both teams get away with a lot of contact, and while it may have detracted from the quality of play, I enjoyed it.

5. Ohio State, 1999 - I honestly don't remember much about this game, so I just kind of tossed it in here.

6. Kentucky, 2014 - Our guards versus their front court made for an interesting contrast of styles and appealing match-up. I honestly thought the game was about to become a blowout, but to Kentucky's credit, they fought their way back in it and I'm pretty sure I didn't breathe the entire second half.

7. Florida, 2014 - This one would rank higher if Florida had actually shown up, but after the 16-4 start, they played pretty dreadfully for the remainder of the game. UConn's defense had a lot to do with that, of course, and to a neutral observer, watching a seven seed knock off the number one overall was probably pretty riveting. Maybe I'm delusional, but I thought we were the better team and would beat them again given the chance.

8. Georgia Tech, 2004 - This was our 2004 team at their absolute best. GT never had a chance and we all know the final score is misleading.

9. Butler, 2011 - Probably the worst national championship of all-time. I know our defense was brilliant, but jeez...purely as a college basketball fan and not a UConn fan, that one was pretty depressing.

 

[Inyatkin]

I know Butler 2011 wasn't aesthetically pleasing, but it deserves some love if only for that moment when the big guy on Butler got lost under his own basket. The height of offensive ineptitude.

 

[aceboon]

surprised you have the Florida game so low, I know it wasn't for the title but b/w the defensive game plan and the execution on offense in carving up UF in any defense they threw out there(man to man/zone), it's the defining moment of KO's career so far. The title game was a bit anti-climatic for me because after that performance I just didn't see anyway they would lose. Don't really see what's enjoyable about the Mich St game, seeing AJ go out like that after what he had been through to bounce back wasn't pretty.

I'm ranking these based on some combination of how well-played they were and how exciting they were.

1. Duke, 1999 - this one is pretty obvious. Both teams were awesome, and they played, if not their A game, close to it. One of the great title games ever.

2. Duke, 2004 - I think this game was played at a very high level despite the refs. There was just a s*** load of talent on the floor - between Deng, Duhon, Reddick, Williams, Gordon, Chuck, Boone, Hilton, and Emeka, there were nine guys who spent time in the NBA and six of them who had long, productive careers. And I might be forgetting somebody. Coming back from down 75-67 with under three minutes left remains one of the great comebacks in final four history.

3. Michigan State, 2009 - I know we lost, but if you sit back and take the emotion out of it, this was a hell of a game. MSU playing in Detroit in the final four is something you just can't recreate. UConn played decently but MSU just played out of their minds.

4. Kentucky, 2011 - It was far from a well-played game, but the intensity was palpable and the eight-minute stretch without a whistle in the second half was unlike anything I've ever seen. The refs swallowed the whistle in that one and let both teams get away with a lot of contact, and while it may have detracted from the quality of play, I enjoyed it.

5. Ohio State, 1999 - I honestly don't remember much about this game, so I just kind of tossed it in here.

6. Kentucky, 2014 - Our guards versus their front court made for an interesting contrast of styles and appealing match-up. I honestly thought the game was about to become a blowout, but to Kentucky's credit, they fought their way back in it and I'm pretty sure I didn't breathe the entire second half.

7. Florida, 2014 - This one would rank higher if Florida had actually shown up, but after the 16-4 start, they played pretty dreadfully for the remainder of the game. UConn's defense had a lot to do with that, of course, and to a neutral observer, watching a seven seed knock off the number one overall was probably pretty riveting. Maybe I'm delusional, but I thought we were the better team and would beat them again given the chance.

8. Georgia Tech, 2004 - This was our 2004 team at their absolute best. GT never had a chance and we all know the final score is misleading.

9. Butler, 2011 - Probably the worst national championship of all-time. I know our defense was brilliant, but jeez...purely as a college basketball fan and not a UConn fan, that one was pretty depressing.

 

[selles]

surprised you have the Florida game so low, I know it wasn't for the title but b/w the defensive game plan and the execution on offense in carving up UF in any defense they threw out there(man to man/zone), it's the defining moment of KO's career so far. The title game was a bit anti-climatic for me because after that performance I just didn't see anyway they would lose. Don't really see what's enjoyable about the Mich St game, seeing AJ go out like that after what he had been through to bounce back wasn't pretty.

Yeah, I honestly think I'd have Florida #2 behind UConn/Duke '99. Like champs, I felt great about our chances going in. But the national media wrote off our performance against Mich St as a function of the MSG crowd and basically assumed our win in the regular season was luck. So it was awesome to dominate, especially after going down so far early. We outplayed, outcoached and out-toughed the team that had been the presumptive favorite for the title since late January.

With the arguable exception of G'town/Cuse in the 1990 Big East tourney, I can't recall a 2 game stretch that made me prouder (or more clearly showed what UConn is about) than Mich St/Florida.

 

[champs99and04]

surprised you have the Florida game so low, I know it wasn't for the title but b/w the defensive game plan and the execution on offense in carving up UF in any defense they threw out there(man to man/zone), it's the defining moment of KO's career so far. The title game was a bit anti-climatic for me because after that performance I just didn't see anyway they would lose. Don't really see what's enjoyable about the Mich St game, seeing AJ go out like that after what he had been through to bounce back wasn't pretty.

I guess I tried to rank them as a neutral observer and not a UConn fan, which is why I had the Michigan State game so high. As for the Florida game, you're right, UConn played brilliantly and I spent the following two hours telling anybody that would listen to me that neither Wisconsin or Kentucky was prepared for what was coming.

 

[aceboon]

Yeah, I honestly think I'd have Florida #2 behind UConn/Duke '99. Like champs, I felt great about our chances going in. But the national media wrote off our performance against Mich St as a function of the MSG crowd and basically assumed our win in the regular season was luck. So it was awesome to dominate, especially after going down so far early. We outplayed, outcoached and out-toughed the team that had been the presumptive favorite for the title since late January.

With the arguable exception of G'town/Cuse in the 1990 Big East tourney, I can't recall a 2 game stretch that made me prouder (or more clearly showed what UConn is about) than Mich St/Florida.

Yea I was going through the games myself and it was either 04 Duke or 14 UF for #2, but 04 Duke was such a painful watch for much of that 2nd half when they were down that I have to give the edge to 14 UF. Obviously the rush of that come from behind victory was great, but it can't beat sitting back and watching your team just take the heart out of the team that hadn't lost a game with their whole lineup all year and that everyone was picking to win.

 

[Gurleyman]

I'm going to take a different approach just for another way of looking at it, and rank them for how much I am enjoyed them during the game, and not afterward:

1) Georgia Tech. I love building a double digit lead at halftime and then slowly pulling away from there
2) Florida. Had a lead the whole second half after the bad start, and it wouldn't have felt like a disastrous loss if they came back. Good position to be in.
3) Butler. Felt very comfortable coming down the home stretch knowing that they couldn't get a bucket against us
4) Ohio State. Maintained a lead the whole second half - had to fight off a few of their runs, but felt like a vacation after Gonzaga
5) Duke '99. Was high pressure and I was a nervous wreck, but enjoyed the game and the way the win was becoming more and more plausible as the game went on
6) Michigan State. Kept hoping we made the comeback to win a virtual road game, but didn't feel the angst about being behind that I might have if the game was in Florida instead of Detroit, so I didn't hate watching it.
7) Kentucky '14. We were up 15...We can't lose this game to Cal, we just can't. Was on eggshells the second half.
8) Kentucky '11. We were up 10...We can't lose this game to Cal, we just can't.
9) Duke '04. Spent an hour convinced we were going to lose because of those cheap fouls on Emeka. Was so pissed. Then we claw back to give me some hope, but they push the lead up to eight and I was even more pissed. Then I quickly became unpissed at the end, but in between the 15-4 start and the final 2 minutes, watching that game resulted in a whole lot of broke items around my apartment and fist marks on all my pillows.

10) Gonzaga '99. Not a Final Four game, but threw it in, just because it might have been the worst game I ever watched from an emotional standpoint, and we won.

I tend to enjoy the games less when the thought of losing to the opponent makes me nauseous, but then it makes the win sweeter when we get it, so on my post game rankings you'd see the 4 Duke and Kentucky games in the top 5 with Florida just for being an awesome performance against a #1 (I'd probably go Duke '99, Duke '04, Kentucky '14, Florida '14, Kentucky '11).

 

[selles]

Yea I was going through the games myself and it was either 04 Duke or 14 UF for #2, but 04 Duke was such a painful watch for much of that 2nd half when they were down that I have to give the edge to 14 UF. Obviously the rush of that come from behind victory was great, but it can't beat sitting back and watching your team just take the heart out of the team that hadn't lost a game with their whole lineup all year and that everyone was picking to win.

My main recollection of that Duke game is being thoroughly p*ssed that we were losing. It all worked out in the end, but it wasn't an enjoyable game in the least until Rashad hit his 3 and we turned the tide. It was a great win in retrospect, but not so great getting there.

 

[selles]

Duke '99, Duke '04, Kentucky '14, Florida '14, Kentucky '11).

Just want to note that we're arguing about which of our multiple Final Four wins over Duke and our multiple Final Four wins over Kentucky were the most impressive.

 

[johnhuskies95]

That '09 team had a way of wearing other teams down outside of Pitt that year. I kept thinking we were going to rattle off a 10-2 run and seize control but it never happened.

AJ and Kemba had rough nights.

 

[SixRings]

I would swap the OP's #3 and #4 2014 (Florida for Kentucky) and then agree completely. I had the honor of being at those games and the FL game was simply an incredible experience.

The best part of this list is that we are 8 - 1 in these games. Do you people realize how f------g good we are? Thanks for the "and one" Amida or we are a paltry 6 - 1.

 

[tykurez]

8. UConn vs Butler: 2011 National title game - UConn put on a defensive clinic. It's too bad that our offense struggled, because we should have won by 30.

The combined FG% in the 2011 Final Four was 35%. Take out Butler's 18% shooting(!!!) in the final and the average was 38%. There were a lot of factors that went into the poor offensive displays at Reliant Stadium other than UConn's stellar defense ... most notably the rims that looked like they just came out of the shrink wrap and sounded like a garbage can.

 

[Waquoit]

That MSU game has to rank at the bottom. We were spinning our wheels the entire game, those goobers could have been had even without Dyson. And those Sparty fans are just the worst.

 

[freescooter]

I guess I rank Championships on one level and everything else on another. Even Semi-final games aren't comparable in terms of pressure and impact of the result.

Duke 1999 was a classic basketball game that pitted the 2 best teams in the country against each other. And both played like it. I mean how many times has the NCAA Final been #1 vs.#2 where both teams played at their highest level. It came down to the final play. Something that few people commented on at the time but I thought was significant was that the ref made the travelling call on Duke. It was obvious but how many times have the Dukies gotten away with things late? In any case, Langdon wasn't getting away from Ricky Moore. Plus it was our first which made it extra special in my mind.

I put Kentucky 2014 as #2 because it was another really good game, not equal to 1999, but good. And because it was Kentucky.

2004 Georgia Tech. UConn put on a clinic for 30 minutes. That game could have been whatever we wanted to whatever we wanted them to get. It is hard to think of a game as a mismatch for the national championship, bu that one was it. the Duke game before it was a much better match up though it was a poorly officiated game and that took away from its luster a little I thought. Still, semi-final games are not championship games.

Butler, 2011. that was a hard game to watch, and it was really another mismatch. Huskies put on a defensive clinic but really that Butler team was badly over matched, too. the down side of an over-achieving mid-major getting to the title game I think.

 

[Gurleyman]

I guess I rank Championships on one level and everything else on another. Even Semi-final games aren't comparable in terms of pressure and impact of the result. Duke 1999 was a classic basketball game that pitted the 2 best teams in the country against each other. And both played like it. I mean how many times has the NCAA Final been #1 vs.#2 where both teams played at their highest level. It came down to the final play. Something that few people commented on at the time but I thought was significant was that the ref made the travelling call on Duke. It was obvious but how many times have the Dukies gotten away with things late? In any case, Langdon wasn't getting away from Ricky Moore. Plus it was our first which made it extra special in my mind. I put Kentucky 2014 as #2 because it was another really good game, not equal to 1999, but good. And because it was Kentucky. 2004 Georgia Tech. UConn put on a clinic for 30 minutes. That game could have been whatever we wanted to whatever we wanted them to get. It is hard to think of a game as a mismatch for the national championship, bu that one was it. the Duke game before it was a much better match up though it was a poorly officiated game and that took away from its luster a little I thought. Still, semi-final games are not championship games. Butler, 2011. that was a hard game to watch, and it was really another mismatch. Huskies put on a defensive clinic but really that Butler team was badly over matched, too. the down side of an over-achieving mid-major getting to the title game I think.

Butler wasn't hard to watch if you were rooting for UConn. Every stop we got I was salivating at how close we were to a banner. Artistic merit means nothing at that point.

Butler was not badly overmatched against Syracuse, Pitt, Duke, Florida, or Michigan State in their two-year run. They looked overmatched exactly once. Maybe it was us and not them, no?

 

[freescooter]

Well, sure we were a better team than Butler by a lot. But sometimes teams get hot in the 1-and done format and stuff happens. George Mason for instance. 2011 Butler was not as good as 2010 Butler. But they got hot and made a run with an experienced team and coach. But they are a lesson on what happens when a mid-major gets hot and goes deep. Once in a while it ends like Butler 2010. Mostly they end up over matched in the Final Four. 2010 was the exception, not the rule.

 

[businesslawyer]

4. Kentucky, 2011 - It was far from a well-played game, but the intensity was palpable and the eight-minute stretch without a whistle in the second half was unlike anything I've ever seen. The refs swallowed the whistle in that one and let both teams get away with a lot of contact, and while it may have detracted from the quality of play, I enjoyed it.

The stretch without a whistle was something I don't think I've ever seen in a game of this magnitude and made it unique. The teams went through a long, scoreless draught where no one had legs and next point (especially if it was ours) might be the moment that decides the game. What a shock that the one player of ten who came up with the mental will to get to the rack and get fouled was Kemba.

That, along with the fact that this game, while the national semifinal, was clearly for the championship (as opposed to MSU '09 where we were playing for second place) puts this #3 on the list behind just the two Duke games.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Well, sure we were a better team than Butler by a lot. But sometimes teams get hot in the 1-and done format and stuff happens. George Mason for instance. 2011 Butler was not as good as 2010 Butler. But they got hot and made a run with an experienced team and coach. But they are a lesson on what happens when a mid-major gets hot and goes deep. Once in a while it ends like Butler 2010. Mostly they end up over matched in the Final Four. 2010 was the exception, not the rule.

That's crazy. They make two final fours in a row and you're labeling it a mid-major rule that they'll collapse when matched up against elite schools? And this diminishes UConn's win. Meanwhile in those two years Butler beat Syracuse, Pitt, MState and Florida and gave Duke a great game?! Butler was a great team in 2010 and a very good team in 2011 (Beat majors #4 Pitt, #16 Wisconsin, #13 Florida). Atypical of your mid-major rule. And you can't argue that VCU in semifinal was a mid-major break since that school has had staying power in NCAAs immediately after beating good teams and losing to very highly ranked teams (+ the coach you would have picked over Kevin Ollie). And one of these days a mid-major is going to win a national championship.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I'm going to take a different approach just for another way of looking at it, and rank them for how much I am enjoyed them during the game, and not afterward:
10) Gonzaga '99. Not a Final Four game, but threw it in, just because it might have been the worst game I ever watched from an emotional standpoint, and we won.

Gonzaga game was unquestionably the most excruciating ever and all the 'we may never make the final four' baggage from 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998 was on the table. Lose that game and UConn becomes the Cubs* and there is no hope of Billy Goat Curse Breaking.

*In 1999 we would have said Red Sox and at the time there was no hope of a 2004 Curse of the Bambino breaking.

 

[Gurleyman]

Well, sure we were a better team than Butler by a lot. But sometimes teams get hot in the 1-and done format and stuff happens. George Mason for instance. 2011 Butler was not as good as 2010 Butler. But they got hot and made a run with an experienced team and coach. But they are a lesson on what happens when a mid-major gets hot and goes deep. Once in a while it ends like Butler 2010. Mostly they end up over matched in the Final Four. 2010 was the exception, not the rule.

The list of midmajors in the Final Four is not terribly long, especially since VCU and Butler played each other in a semi. But Wichita State was in to the end against Louisville last year, and Butler was right in it in two of their three games against major conference teams. George Mason hung in for a while and ended up losing by double digits to Florida, which beat UCLA even worse in the final so maybe that speaks more to how well Florida was playing at the time than how poorly George Mason did.

But if you call George Mason overmatched, you have three examples of midmajors playing well in the Final Four (Butler vs. Michigan State, Butler vs. Duke, Wichita State vs. Louisville) and two when they don't (Butler vs. UConn, George Mason vs. Florida), and one which was a wash (Butler vs. VCU).

So what's the exception and what's the rule?