What is the best individual, single-game performance in UConn history?

[gsmooth]

Incredibly, this Maryland loss was the only Final Four loss UConn has ever had.

That game against Maryland was in the Elite Eight before the Final Four. The only Final Four loss UConn had was in 2009 against Michigan State. If UConn doesn't go 21-33 at the FT line they probably win that game.

 

[Matrim55]

Emeka against heavily favored Duke.

Duke was not favored in that game. You're mixing it up with the 1999 title game.

 

[Dutch Boyd]

A random one...

Okafor at UNC in 2004. 29 & 13 with six blocks against Sean May, who many people considered the second best big man in the country. May was 3/14 from the floor.

We were #1, UNC was somewhere in the top 10. This was their core that won the title the following season.

Gordon had just broken his nose and was wearing mask. He shot horribly. Okafor and Rashad carried us and brought us back from a sizeable deficit but ultimately we lost on a late three from Rashad McCants.

Okafor was as good as any Husky has ever been that day, dominating both ends of the floor against another elite big.

All these years later I’m still pissed we lost that game. We were better and that would have been an awesome win. This year against Kansas will probably feel like that one down the road.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Duke was not favored in that game. You're mixing it up with the 1999 title game.

Ok genius

 

[Matrim55]

View attachment 99974
Ok genius

You’re using a link that says we lost to Duke in 1999 & 2004. I think you need better sources.

 

[superjohn]

View attachment 99974
Ok genius

UConn was 2.5 point favorites in 2004, sweet screenshot though!

 

[TheHorde]

PRO BASKETBALL; St. John's Can't Stop Marshall or Connecticut (Published 1994)

www.nytimes.com

This was the best one I’ve seen in person. Donyell went 20 for 20 from the line and had 18 rebounds. That was an amazing UConn crowd that took over the Garden on a Saturday night.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

You’re using a link that says we lost to Duke in 1999 & 2004. I think you need better sources.

I think the women lost to Duke in 1999.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

UConn was 2.5 point favorites in 2004, sweet screenshot though!

The spread is always changing right up to jump ball. Nice try though.

 

[gsmooth]

View attachment 99974
Ok genius

UConn was favored by 1.5. In fact, it was one of the more famous bad beats because Chris Duhon made that half court shot at the buzzer which meant anyone that chose UConn -1.5 lost.

 

[Matrim55]

UConn was favored by 1.5. In fact, it was one of the more famous bad beats because Chris Duhon made that half court shot at the buzzer which meant anyone that chose UConn -1.5 lost.

Here’s a story on that from the LV Review Journal:

UConn bettors still haunted by most infamous bad beat in NCAA Tournament history

Perhaps the most infamous bad beat in NCAA Tournament history took place in the 2004 Final Four, where Duke’s Chris Duhon banked in an otherwise meaningless 38-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to...

www.reviewjournal.com

 

[Waquoit]

Ok genius

LOL!

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Here’s a story on that from the LV Review Journal:

UConn bettors still haunted by most infamous bad beat in NCAA Tournament history

Perhaps the most infamous bad beat in NCAA Tournament history took place in the 2004 Final Four, where Duke’s Chris Duhon banked in an otherwise meaningless 38-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to...

www.reviewjournal.com

The book was closed at -1.5 once the game was underway, but up to that point the spread went back and forth before game time. Duke was favored by a couple pts earlier on.

 

[Matrim55]

The book was closed at -1.5 once the game was underway, but up to that point the spread went back and forth before game time. Duke was favored by a couple pts earlier on.

No they weren’t. And either way, your original point was that Duke was “heavily favored.” Which is just wrong.

Here’s Rovell writing at that time. Nothing on the line moving — nothing on UConn going from underdogs to favorites, which would have been in the lede if that had been the case:

Duke covers spread on 'meaningless' shot

It was a shot that meant nothing to some and everything to others.

www.espn.com

It’s fine to be wrong on the internet. Just take the L and move on.

 

[swami7774]

Caron Butler carrying the team on his back and nearly beating Maryland all by himself in the '02 regional finals.

 

[DennieEddy]

Actually, I'm more concerned about who's coming in as recruits, who's staying from the 2023-2024 roster, and who may be coming in the portal...rather than the best UConn men's game in history.

 

[DennieEddy]

Nobody has won 3 since UCLA in the 60's & 70's.

Is there a chance in this "one and done" world? I would have thought that would have been a consideration. GUESS NOT.

 

[DaMuttzNutt]

That game against Maryland was in the Elite Eight before the Final Four. The only Final Four loss UConn had was in 2009 against Michigan State. If UConn doesn't go 21-33 at the FT line they probably win that game.

And beat NC’s ass in the championship game. Thabeet would have handled Tyler and our 1-4 was just good as theirs

 

[LetsGoUC]

Sydney Wilson vs Wichita State in 2019

 

[greydog]

I was there and totally agree. Ray was unbelievable!

I was there too, surrounded by UCLA fans, all of them asking 'who the hell is #34'?

 

[HooperScooper]

I was there too, surrounded by UCLA fans, all of them asking 'who the hell is #34'?

Ray averaged 21 points per game in 1994-1995 and was a Third Team All American. If UCLA fans didn't know who he was then I would have questioned how much they paid attention to college basketball outside of their own team. Lol

 

[huskyjawz]

I was there too, surrounded by UCLA fans, all of them asking 'who the hell is #34'?

I was at Maryland game in Cuse, so my vote goes to Caron even though it was an L.

 

[REB1094]

The first UConn game I ever watched was Kemba dropping 40, but that was a freebie game so it can't count here. Because that was my first, I can't speak to games before that which means I'm probably missing most of the best games

For some reason I always think of Brimah's 40 points against Coppin St lol, but also a freebie game

Bouknight 40 against Creighton was crazy to watch, but that ended in an L

Clingan vs Illinois' box score isn't GOAT-level, but that was one of the best individual performances I've seen. He owned everything, everywhere, all game