UConn's Greatness

[tzznandrew]

People keep citing 1999 as the start date for when UConn became UConn. I'm sorry, but that negates a near decade of awesomeness. From 1990-1998 they had:

• 2 1-seeds
• 3 E8s
• 6 S16s
• 2 First Team AAs
• 5 Regular Season Conference Titles
• 3 BET Titles

We were a Laettner buzzer-beater from a Final Four in 1990.

The program has been at a high level since then. And if you start comparing programs from 1990, rather than 1999, we're still the best program.

1. UConn: 6 Titles, 7 Final Fours
2. Duke: 5 Titles, 10 Final Fours
3. UNC: 4 Titles, 12 Final Fours
4. Kentucky: 3 Titles, 8 Final Fours
5. Kansas: 2 Titles, 8 Final Fours
6. Florida: 2 Titles, 5 Final Fours
7. Villanova: 2 Titles, 4 Final Fours

Those are the programs with more than one title since Calhoun brought to program to prominence. And UConn stands at the head of it all.

 

[ucp990411]

People keep citing 1999 as the start date for when UConn became UConn. I'm sorry, but that negates a near decade of awesomeness. From 1990-1998 they had:

• 2 1-seeds
• 3 E8s
• 6 S16s
• 2 First Team AAs

We were a Laettner buzzer-beater from a Final Four in 1990.

The program has been at a high level since then. And if you start comparing programs from 1990, rather than 1999, we're still the best program.

1. UConn: 6 Titles, 7 Final Fours
2. Duke: 5 Titles, 10 Final Fours
3. UNC: 4 Titles, 12 Final Fours
4. Kansas: 3 Titles, 8 Final Fours
5. Kentucky: 3 Titles, 8 Final Fours
6. Florida: 2 Titles, 5 Final Fours
7. Villanova: 2 Titles, 4 Final Fours

Those are the programs with more than one title since Calhoun brought to program to prominence. And UConn stands at the head of it all.

What about the University of Southern Canada?

 

[Inyatkin]

Additionally, 1985 is when the tournament went to 64 teams, so you can make a good argument that's when the event we know and love really got going. That's just five years before our run started. As long as there has been a March Madness as we know it, UConn has been the best.

I came of age as a fan in the 90s. We were great, but there were so many near-misses that it honestly felt like we would never get over the top. To be sitting here with six titles and seven Final Fours is completely surreal.

 

[AllHusky]

Listening to Full Ride show on Sirius XM College Sports Channel. One guy postulating that if UConn keeps doing its thing will be bad for College hoops. Says Hurley is “Genoesque”

May be premature but the sentiment made me smile

 

[my2cents]

People arguing about whether we are a "Blue Blood" member or not is nuts. We are the next color ABOVE blue.
The KU's, UCLA's IU's have been left in the dust by us. We only lose the comparisons when you include total wins won when peach baskets were used as hoops.

 

[Tenspro2002]

We really got going around 1994 when the recruiting classes we got off of the 1990 run came into their own.

Over those 31 seasons, an entire generation, we have doubled up the next closest competitors (Duke, UNC, Kentucky) in championships.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Kentucky and to a lesser extent UNC need to stop latching onto titles won prior to the modern tournament and in an era where sports were still heavily segregated. Those titles don't count.

UConn's dominance is unmatched. We are THE Blue Blood, not one of them.

 

[tzznandrew]

Kentucky and to a lesser extent UNC need to stop latching onto titles won prior to the modern tournament and in an era where sports were still heavily segregated. Those titles don't count.

UConn's dominance is unmatched. We are THE Blue Blood, not one of them.

I don't know, if I were them I'd be desperate to care about those titles and even the Helms. If you don't have contemporary success, it's better to have something to cling too, even if only your grandparent saw it.

It's funny. Kansas cares about their Helms titles...okay, we still have as many as you. If Syracuse wants to play pretend with their two Helms, cool, we still have double and that makes you as historically significant as Chicago, who has 3 Helms. Because if you want to count those fake titles, they have to count for everyone. As for us, even without a phony title, we're in the league of UNC, Kentucky, etc.

 

[storrsroars]

People keep citing 1999 as the start date for when UConn became UConn. I'm sorry, but that negates a near decade of awesomeness. From 1990-1998 they had:

• 2 1-seeds
• 3 E8s
• 6 S16s
• 2 First Team AAs
• 5 Regular Season Conference Titles
• 3 BET Titles

We were a Laettner buzzer-beater from a Final Four in 1990.

The program has been at a high level since then. And if you start comparing programs from 1990, rather than 1999, we're still the best program.

1. UConn: 6 Titles, 7 Final Fours
2. Duke: 5 Titles, 10 Final Fours
3. UNC: 4 Titles, 12 Final Fours
4. Kentucky: 3 Titles, 8 Final Fours
5. Kansas: 2 Titles, 8 Final Fours
6. Florida: 2 Titles, 5 Final Fours
7. Villanova: 2 Titles, 4 Final Fours

Those are the programs with more than one title since Calhoun brought to program to prominence. And UConn stands at the head of it all.

During none of that time from 1985-1999 was Storrs, CT "The Basketball Capital of the World". We were simply that era's version of Gonzaga.

 

[jibsey]

We and Hurley are hated now. Get used to it.

 

[CL82]

We and Hurley are hated now. Get used to it.

And… That's a change how again? Connecticut has been in peoples sights for quite a while, and Hurley, he's just an unlikable guy, unless he's your coach.

 

[Gurleyman]

During none of that time from 1985-1999 was Storrs, CT "The Basketball Capital of the World". We were simply that era's version of Gonzaga.

That quote actually comes from Dickie V in 1995, when we were in the process of beating Syracuse at home to inevitably move up to No. 1 in the country - which would mean both teams would be ranked No. 1 at the same time.

It didn’t last long thanks to Kerry Kittles and Eric Eberz.

 

[Mike Honcho]

That quote actually comes from Dickie V in 1995, when we were in the process of beating Syracuse at home to inevitably move up to No. 1 in the country - which would mean both teams would be ranked No. 1 at the same time.

It didn’t last long thanks to Kerry Kittles and Eric Eberz.

Your memory is incredible.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Thinking back to those days in the summer when we were getting little teaser videos from practice then the Euro Tour, plying well without Castle then without Clingan I (we) had lot of confidence about this team and this season being good. I will say that my only game in person this year was SHU at the Pru. Ugh I wont do that again.

 

[Waquoit]

Despite our greatness, I don't think we are being filleted enough.

 

[Poe]

The 86%* Final Four win rate is obscene.

*MSU home game =(

 

[Palatine]

If we're not a blue blood, why are we wearing this crown?

 

[noeynox]

Great OP. Haters like to pretend that all of a sudden in 1999, UConn started getting lucky all of a sudden. Ignoring the grind Calhoun put in to get the program to that moment in 1999. Ignoring greats like Donyell Marshall and Ray Allen not to mention the magic of the Dream Season. Of course non UConn fans wouldn't really be aware of this, but it wasn't magic that started in 1999, it was hardwork by a legendary coach, our Dean Smith, our Adolph Rupp, etc. That led to 99.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

During none of that time from 1985-1999 was Storrs, CT "The Basketball Capital of the World". We were simply that era's version of Gonzaga.

You could be forgiven for correctly dating "Basketball Capital of the World" viability, once MBB broke the barrier and won the top prize. WBB was already in motion. Of course, that wasn't in the OP you quoted. His point was that, even without going back to the Dream Season, UConn MBB has been elite for 30+ years.

More significantly, the only way that UConn MBB (if considered alone) conforms to your "simply that era's version of Gonzaga" moniker is to hyper focus that until 1999, Calhoun was near (or at) the top of the list of best coaches who have never made the Final Four. That was said about Few, until he broke through to the final weekend, but I believe that he's the most solid candidate to hold status as Best Coach without a National Championship, possibly forever, after having has his seeming two best chances spoiled by Baylor in 2021 and UConn in 2023.

But there's one more flaw to your UConn as Gonzaga assertion that a better write wouldn't present as a buried lead: in the 1990s run-up to the 1999 National Championship, UConn competed in what many here considered and still consider the pre-eminent basketball conference. Even those who would disagree, would likely rank the Big East second or third, and even the haters calling it the "Big Least" probably bottomed out at third or fourth.

WCC has never had any such status.

 

[AdamaNation]

What about the University of Southern Canada?

Didn’t see msu either. Or Zina. Or ucla. Or Indiana.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

 

[DRBackup]

Great OP. Haters like to pretend that all of a sudden in 1999, UConn started getting lucky all of a sudden. Ignoring the grind Calhoun put in to get the program to that moment in 1999. Ignoring greats like Donyell Marshall and Ray Allen not to mention the magic of the Dream Season. Of course non UConn fans wouldn't really be aware of this, but it wasn't magic that started in 1999, it was hardwork by a legendary coach, our Dean Smith, our Adolph Rupp, etc. That led to 99.

Nah, we stopped getting UNLUCKY. Getting UCLA in Oakland, UNC in Charlotte, and Florida in Miami certainly wasn't "luck" in our favor.

 

[Mr. French]

We really got going around 1994 when the recruiting classes we got off of the 1990 run came into their own.

Over those 31 seasons, an entire generation, we have doubled up the next closest competitors (Duke, UNC, Kentucky) in championships.

I was 10/11 then, just getting into hoops, and saw Donyell. Instant fan. It’s been a wild 31 seasons since!