UConn's 1992-93 WBB season

[alexrgct]

Quick, tell me something, anything, about the 1992-93 WCBB season. Chances are that if you remembered anything off the top of your head, it was Sheryl Swoopes's incredible performance in the championship game to give Texas Tech its only NC.

What you may well not remember is the following things about UConn's season specifically:

• UConn failed to win 25 games.
• UConn did not make the Sweet 16.
• UConn did not finish in the top 10 in the final rankings.
• UConn did not capture at least one of these three titles: Big East regular season, BET, or NC.
• UConn lost consecutive games.

None of that was especially notable in 1993. Why is it notable now? Well, it's notable for one simple reason: since that season, UConn has won at least 25 games, made the Sweet 16, finished in the top 10, captured at least a league title, and has not lost more than one game at a time.

That is astonishing consistency. Even more astonishing is that it's rare that UConn has even approached not meeting any of these thresholds.

Think about it- in by far the worst season UConn has had during this run, 2004-2005, UConn won 25 games, won the BET, made the Sweet 16, and finished ranked #10 in the final ESPN USA Today poll (which is a post-NCAA tourney poll). They needed overtime to do it once, but they avoided losing consecutive games, including on two occasions where they had to follow up a loss by playing another ranked opponent.

By comparison, let's take that last bullet point, consecutive losses, and compare it to some of the other more consistent programs inWCBB. When is the last time any of them lost consecutive games?

Duke- 2007-08
Tennessee- 2008-09
Baylor- 2009-10
Stanford- 2010-11

Meanwhile, UConn hasn't done it since 1992-93.

Simply amazing.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Wow, Alex! Thanks for reminding us how good it's been - and for how long. May it continue ad infinitum, and/or at least as long as we have CD and Geno....(may their years be many)

 

[Biff]

Quick, tell me something, anything, about the 1992-93 WCBB season. Chances are that if you remembered anything off the top of your head, it was Sheryl Swoopes's incredible performance in the championship game to give Texas Tech its only NC.

What you may well not remember is the following things about UConn's season specifically:

• UConn failed to win 25 games.
• UConn did not make the Sweet 16.
• UConn did not finish in the top 10 in the final rankings.
• UConn did not capture at least one of these three titles: Big East regular season, BET, or NC.
• UConn lost consecutive games.

None of that was especially notable in 1993. Why is it notable now? Well, it's notable for one simple reason: since that season, UConn has won at least 25 games, made the Sweet 16, finished in the top 10, captured at least a league title, and has not lost more than one game at a time.

That is astonishing consistency. Even more astonishing is that it's rare that UConn has even approached not meeting any of these thresholds.

Think about it- in by far the worst season UConn has had during this run, 2004-2005, UConn won 25 games, won the BET, made the Sweet 16, and finished ranked #10 in the final ESPN USA Today poll (which is a post-NCAA tourney poll). They needed overtime to do it once, but they avoided losing consecutive games, including on two occasions where they had to follow up a loss by playing another ranked opponent.

By comparison, let's take that last bullet point, consecutive losses, and compare it to some of the other more consistent programs inWCBB. When is the last time any of them lost consecutive games?

Duke- 2007-08
Tennessee- 2008-09
Baylor- 2009-10
Stanford- 2010-11

Meanwhile, UConn hasn't done it since 1992-93.

Simply amazing.

What would be amazing would be the fan reaction to two consecutive losses. I'll give most fans credit for keeping some perspective but I fear that many, it would be apocalyptic. It is for those fans health and safety that Geno needs to keep it going.

 

[alexrgct]

Just for grins, here's another way to look at it.

The last time UConn failed to advance to the Sweet 16, capture at least a league title, win 25 games, or field a top 10 team, or lost consecutive games:

• Bill Clinton was still in his first 100 days of office.
• We were in the middle of the standoff between the feds and the Branch Dravidian compund in Waco.
• Kurt Cobain was still alive.
• So was Richard Nixon
• Very few people knew what the Internet was.
• OJ Simpson was still a beloved former player, NFL analyst, and shill for Hertz.
• Most relevantly, the kids Geno and CD are recruiting to UConn now weren't even in utero.

 

[meyers7]

I didn't think WBB started until 1995???

 

[Icebear]

I didn't think WBB started until 1995???

Certainly UConn WBB didn't.