Revisiting The Golden Era one more time

[alexrgct]

After the 2015 NC I started a thread with the text below. I thought it would be fun to add some updates and perhaps a tiny bit of commentary. Both are in bold with the original text below:

Let's talk about The Golden Era of UConn WBB. As of last year, I posited UConn's Golden Era from 2007-08 on was even more golden than from 2000-04. Of course, things are all the more more golden now. Consider this:

• From the 2007-08 through the 2014-15 seasons, UConn has gone 296-14. That's an average season of 37 wins and 1.75 losses. Now 334-14, or an average season of 37 wins and 1.56 losses
• UConn's NCAA tournament record is 42-3, or a 93.33% winning percentage. Now 48-3, or a 94.12% winning percentage.
• The Huskies have been to eight consecutive Final Fours when the previous record in WCBB was five. Now nine consecutive Final Fours when the previous record was eight.
• Obviously, UConn has five NCs during this period. That's kind of a big deal, right? Even bigger? A three-peat and two consecutive championships, or three successful title defenses. Of course, now it's six NCs, including a four-peat and a pair of repeat NCs, or four successful title defenses (2010, 2014, 2015, 2016).
• This string of seasons has featured a 90-game winning streak, the longest in CBB history. Additionally, as of now, UConn has won 84 of its last 85 games. Throw in a 75-game (and counting) winning sreak, the second longest in WCBB history, on top of the unforgettable 90-game streak. Additionally, as of now, Uconn has won 122 of its last 123 games.
• UConn's current NCAA tournament winning streak is 18. The current record is Tennessee's. The LVs won 21 games in a row before falling to Duke in the 1999 regional finals. Should UConn get back to the Final Four in 2016, that streak will have been broken. That streak done broke. It's now 24 NCAA tourney games in a row.
• New names have adorned the Huskies of Honor wall: Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Bria Hartley, Stefanie Dolson, and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. Next year, Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson will follow suit. That suit was certainly followed. We also have to add on Morgan Tuck and CD.
• UConn has had the NPOY winner in the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015 seasons. Yup...and 2016.
• Meanwhile, the WNBA championships and Team USA gold medals have had an obvious UConn penumbra cast upon it. Indeed- and this will be all the more true in Rio this year. And don't forget the Lynx last year.
• On top of all of that, as hard as it is to bid adieu to KML and Kiah, I can't wait to say bonjour to Katie Lou, Napheesa, Dajanae, and Natalie. Add that quartet to the kids from this season who will be back for another year, and it's clear UConn will be an overwhelming favorite to four-peat. Well, KLS was excellent, Napheesa is very promising, DJB was a sad story, and Natalie is still maturing. I look forward to saying bonjour to the incoming trio, headlined by Crystal Dangerfield.

Meanwhile, I have nothing to add to this conclusion. Nuff said...

Folks, if you can think of a way it gets any better than this, I'd like to know what it is. When Maya and Tina were on campus, they broke new ground. As Maya was departing, we knew KML was arriving soon, that Bria and Stef were only freshmen, that Stewie and Mo had already committed, and that Morgan was recovering very nicely from his ACL injury in 2009. We knew the wave of success Maya and Tina caused was going to become a tsunami. Everything has transpired as predicted. Everything is perfect.

Everything is golden.

 

[meyers7]

3 eras? Gold, Platinum, Diamond?

 

[meyers7]

• UConn's current NCAA tournament winning streak is 18. The current record is Tennessee's. The LVs won 21 games in a row before falling to Duke in the 1999 regional finals. Should UConn get back to the Final Four in 2016, that streak will have been broken. That streak done broke. It's now 24 NCAA tourney games in a row.

If UCONN could push that to 28, that would be awesome.

 

[UcMiami]

If UCONN could push that to 28, that would be awesome.

I sort of prefer 30, but don't want to put too much pressure on the returning team!

 

[meyers7]

I sort of prefer 30, but don't want to put too much pressure on the returning team!

Next year I'll ber very happy with a FF. Don't want to be too greedy.

 

[alexrgct]

28 would mean the sreak of F4s has been extended to 10, which would put the tally of F4s for Uconn's program to 18. That would make Geno tied with Pat for the record of NCAA F4s! Final Fours, plus Pat's overall wins total, are where I want to see Geno get to. I don't know that there are any worlds to conquer beyond that.

 

[UcMiami]

28 would mean the sreak of F4s has been extended to 10, which would put the tally of F4s for Uconn's program to 18. That would make Geno tied with Pat for the record of NCAA F4s! Final Fours, plus Pat's overall wins total, are where I want to see Geno get to. I don't know that there are any worlds to conquer beyond that.

He has already surpassed Pat's FF win totals! 22 to Pat's 21 and FF win percentage as well (though in third place overall with teams that have many fewer appearances.)

 

[alexrgct]

True, but I'm talking F4 appearances. Geno is at 17, whereas Pat got the LVs to the F4 18 times during the NCAA tourney era. Tennessee made the national semis a couple more times during the AIAW era too, but that doesn't count.

 

[UcMiami]

Total tournament wins - Pat has I believe 112 to Geno's 109 (TN now has I think 123 but 11 are Holly's) - that difference hopefully disappears next year.