Tournament Losses

[tzznandrew]

The only things about that loss to Duke that made it tolerable were (i) we were on borrowed time after the Tate George shot 36 hours earlier, and (ii) that entire season from January on was so unbelievably both unexpected and great. If that game happened again now, when we have expectations, it would have been much worse.

Everyone focuses on Laettner's shot. Tate George would be crucified here for dropping the steal. In today's era of "title or the season absolutely sucked, how can you be a lose and suggest otherwise," it likely overshadows the shot against Clemson.

 

[Matrim55]

It was a tough loss, but a good loss. I have it sixth behind Maryland '02, UCLA '95, UNC '98, Michigan State '09 and Texas '03.

 

[JB75]

Laettner buzzer beater is number 1 but for a game that was ours to take and with leading for most of second half against a 1 seed , I gotta say it cud be top 3 toughest “good” losses ever — Number 2 maybe the Florida game in 94 with Donyell missed free throws or Texas game where Marcus white got ball stuck in rim but those were games where we were ranked higher. This was a 1 vs 8 with a chance to extend our tourney winning streak and possible 3 peat. This gotta be number 2.

 

[lateralous]

The only things about that loss to Duke that made it tolerable were (i) we were on borrowed time after the Tate George shot 36 hours earlier, and (ii) that entire season from January on was so unbelievably both unexpected and great. If that game happened again now, when we have expectations, it would have been much worse.

I came to grips with that game a long time ago given everything that has happened since, especially since I think it was probably better to go down in an all-timer of a game like that than be fed to the UNLV woodchipper but...

Tate George had that game in his hands with like two seconds left when he basically had the steal but lost it out of bounds. Not knowing how the future would turn out for UConn, it kind of felt at the time like their one chance at making the Final Four had just slipped through his hands. I was so crushed after that one.

 

[JungleLobo]

I’m still upset about that 2006 team and the GMU game. Too good of a team not to make F4, but like this team, frustrating, except more talented because they had Rudy and Marcus and a couple other NBA first rounders.

That team was more than offset by 2014

 

[lateralous]

Everyone focuses on Laettner's shot. Tate George would be crucified here for dropping the steal. In today's era of "title or the season absolutely sucked, how can you be a lose and suggest otherwise," it likely overshadows the shot against Clemson.

Ha, you beat me to the Tate George "steal" as I was typing up my response.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Everyone focuses on Laettner's shot. Tate George would be crucified here for dropping the steal. In today's era of "title or the season absolutely sucked, how can you be a lose and suggest otherwise," it likely overshadows the shot against Clemson.

I still contend that Tate fumbled that steal because K distracted him. K saw from the sideline what was unfolding, jumped and started rolling his arms like a referee calling a travel, likely trying to plant a seed in the ref's mind. This happened just to the right of George, and as the ball went out of bounds he stared right at K.

 

[Gurleyman]

Everyone focuses on Laettner's shot. Tate George would be crucified here for dropping the steal. In today's era of "title or the season absolutely sucked, how can you be a lose and suggest otherwise," it likely overshadows the shot against Clemson.

I dunno if he’d be killed. Great heady play to jump the passing lane - just didn’t hold on (to this day, i still don’t think that ball went out of bounds until it bounced a couple times and went out at midcourt - but could be an optical illusion). We’d maybe be killed more for leaving the inbounds passer unguarded.

We needed a clutch Smitty 3 and Abdelnaaby blowing a layup off the inbounds at the buzzer to be in that spot too.

 

[Matrim55]

I came to grips with that game a long time ago given everything that has happened since, especially since it think it was probably better to go down in an all-timer of a game like that than be fed to the UNLV woodchipper but...

Tate George had that game in his hands with like two seconds left when he basically had the steal but lost it out of bounds. Not knowing how the future would turn out for UConn, it kind of felt at the time like their one chance at making the Final Four had just slipped through his hands. I was so crushed after that one.

That one hurt so bad but the Mississippi State loss in '96 was the absolute basement for me as a UConn fan. I thought we'd never make the final 4 at that point.

 

[huskyjawz]

I still contend that Tate fumbled that steal because K distracted him. K saw from the sideline what was unfolding, jumped and started rolling his arms like a referee calling a travel, likely trying to plant a seed in the ref's mind. This happened just to the right of George, and as the ball went out of bounds he stared right at K.

First I've heard of this.

 

[OviedoFLHusky]

Good article; doesn't exactly classify the game as a good or bad loss, but possibly an "honorable" loss.

UConn's historic NCAA Tournament run comes to an end, but Huskies go down swinging in honorable performance

 

[lateralous]

That one hurt so bad but the Mississippi State loss in '96 was the absolute basement for me as a UConn fan. I thought we'd never make the final 4 at that point.

As someone like you (presumably) who went through all the heartbreak of the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 losses of the 90's (plus '89) it makes last years 30-0 run, in a game to go to the Final Freakin Four, all the more amazing.

 

[JB75]

That one hurt so bad but the Mississippi State loss in '96 was the absolute basement for me as a UConn fan. I thought we'd never make the final 4 at that point.

Yeah miss st loss was up there too. Erik dampier and dahntay jones squad

 

[ValleyGuy]

2003 loss to Texas in S16. That team came back hungry to win a title in 2004.

Then you’d have to say rhe New Mexico State loss was better. Didn’t lose a tourney game for 2 years after that lol and made Hurley focus on getting better offensively.

Obviously kidding, that loss was gross…

 

[IndyLives]

This Tourney loss basically epitomized the season. We let games slip left & right the entire season because we never learned how to close a game, which is atypical of a talented UConn team. This one does hurt a lot because it feels like we should have won the game, and we let another Title run slip away.

I found this stat amazing. Prior to today's loss, UConn had won 26 straight Tourney games when they had a lead at any point in the 2nd half. Wow.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

That team was more than offset by 2014

Also that team was on borrowed time from the second the tournament started. Of all the tough tourney losses '06 has never stuck with me as particularly hard to get over.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Played their hearts out and came up short against a better team. It's deflating because we were right there, but you can't win them all.

Something felt slightly off all year with our roster construction or how all the pieces fit together, but in spite of that, we made the tourney, won a game, and gave the best team about all they can handle.

On to the offseason.

 

[IndyLives]

I dunno if he’d be killed. Great heady play to jump the passing lane - just didn’t hold on (to this day, i still don’t think that ball went out of bounds until it bounced a couple times and went out at midcourt - but could be an optical illusion). We’d maybe be killed more for leaving the inbounds passer unguarded.

We needed a clutch Smitty 3 and Abdelnaaby blowing a layup off the inbounds at the buzzer to be in that spot too.

The biggest mistake on that play was not guarding the in-bounder, especially when he's Laettner. Sure enough, he had an easy mid-range jumper for the win.

Pitino made the same mistake a few years later!

 

[lateralous]

This Tourney loss basically epitomized the season. We let games slip left & right the entire season because we never learned how to close a game, which is atypical of a talented UConn team. This one does hurt a lot because it feels like we should have won the game, and we let another Title run slip away.

Exactly. I'll add that this team never had the attention to detail needed to be a serious contender and that's ultimately what helped do them in down the stretch of todays game

In the end, I don't think I'll look back at this loss as overly painful in time. It was a good effort. I kind of expected a game where they might finally put it all together for a night and knock off a top seed but with the way this whole season has gone, you can't convince me they wouldn't have turned around and pissed away the next one.

I actually thoroughly enjoyed most of this roller coaster ride this season and I kind of held out hope that they could flip a switch way too long (I finally saw the light during the seton hall, come out flat vs Nova, get crushed by St Johns streak) but this was never THAT team.

Looking forward to next year with Reed Jr and Ball leading the way

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Of all the tough tourney losses '06 has never stuck with me as particularly hard to get over.

Same here. They were basically asking for someone to knock them off from the minute the tournament started. There were a cfew times that year where I was sure they would give JC a stroke with the way the veins on his neck would bulge when he was yelling at one of them. They just never really wanted it badly enough.

 

[NYC_HUSKY22]

Be careful what you wish for, the 23 and 24 titles would likely vanish with it.

Karaban might come back next year because of NIL.

you're not wrong

 

[JohnFSilver]

i've seen all the wins or losses since 90. This wasn't a poor loss, as they say. Worst NCAA loss in program history is to George Mason, then awful losses to Mississippi State, Florida (Donyell Miss FT) and NC State .

New Mexico and Maryland are worse losses in the hurley era.

This had some Texas in Sweet 16 vibes. It wasn't crushing, but it was a shoulda, woulda coulda.

Had a chance, that hurts, but unlike Mason, which gets worse with age, this is a good showing against a terrific team.

 

[AdamaNation]

Agreed. I still think of that George Mason loss. I’ll forget about this one rather quickly.

That was the worst loss ever!!!!!!!

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I came to grips with that game a long time ago given everything that has happened since, especially since I think it was probably better to go down in an all-timer of a game like that than be fed to the UNLV woodchipper but...

Tate George had that game in his hands with like two seconds left when he basically had the steal but lost it out of bounds. Not knowing how the future would turn out for UConn, it kind of felt at the time like their one chance at making the Final Four had just slipped through his hands. I was so crushed after that one.

UConn lost to a Duke team whose point guard had a bad case of the runs and had to race back to the bathroom several times during the game. That is what I remember about the game.

 

[alphasigko]

1) There is no such thing as a "good" loss, and,

2) This one really stings because we did, or did not do, things that let the win slip thru our fingers in the last 2 minutes.

IMO this is #3 in disappointment behind #1-Laettner and #2-GMU.