What is the best UConn basketball game of all time?

[UConnNick]

The NC games, obviously, but in the unlikeliest of wins category, the 1970 slowdown game vs URI for the Yankee Conference title. We had something like two starters and another player declared ineligible a few days before the game due to an alleged theft on campus (all of whom later exonerated). We held the ball for the entire game (no shot clock in those days) and the Rams got increasingly frustrated. It was 14-11 at halftime and we won the game 35-32 at the old Field House. That was Dee Rowe's first season. For those who didn't see it you'd think it was boring as heck to watch, but it was a test of wills, and we outwilled a vastly superior opponent. It was a fascinating game to watch because slowdown games of that era rarely worked for the underdog.

 

[BUConn10]

Best game might be the win at Arizona in 2002. A lot of lottery picks playing at a high level. Caron might have been the eighth best player that night.

Favorite after the final horn is 77-74. Not necessarily the best game because it did get a little sloppy for five minutes in the second half (from about 8:00-3:00, when Rip hit the three to go up five).

Favorite for how much I enjoyed it in progress might be a toss up between Alabama in the Elite Eight, Georgia Tech in the finals, and St. John's in the 1999 BET game. And, hell with it, I love the way we squished Butler like a bug in the second half. Everyone else says it was an ugly final, but it was a defensive masterpiece to me.

Just rewatched that 2002 game @Arizona, thanks for the reminder. Great game, that team just exuded toughness by hanging tough to get the game into OT and then quickly coming back from a 7 point deficit in OT when it looked to be slipping away in a matter of seconds. You could also tell in that game that the freshmen Okafor and Gordon were both going to be stars, EO had a near triple-double with blocks by games end. The only sad thing in that game was being reminded how our teams throughout the 2000's were truly just chock full of NBA talent, both starters and freshmen. It feels like ages (2012 probably was the last year but still then it was only really 2 guys, AD and JL) since we have had one of those teams that has had multiple classes with NBA players, guys that were gonna declare this year and guys that were gonna declare next. These days it seems like they are all "maybe if they get their act together" type draft prospects, with Hamilton being the only UConn player I can ever really see being a 1st round pick, and even that is a toss up and not a guarantee.

 

[UCHuskies08]

UCONN/PITT, March 2011 to win the Big East tournament. Kemba Walker's last second ankle breaker...CLASSIC!

 

[Ts5034]

I get what you're saying, but I remember after that game thinking "S***, Caron is gone. No way we'll be an elite team without him."

So for me, the best loss was actually the Texas game in 2003. We played as well as we could and got beat by a more experienced team, but after that game I just knew we were going to win it all in 2004. I was grinning ear-to-ear.

Great point. I knew as soon as the bracket was released it would be very hard to beat Texas in San Antonio if we both made it to the Sweet 16. I was upset we lost that game but also proud of the fight they showed coming back like they did in what was essentially a road game vs one of the best teams in the country. Five minutes after that game ended, I couldnt wait for the 03-04 season to start because I knew we would have a very talented team that was motivated to avenge that loss.

I will never forget watching the channel 8 news interview with Rashad Anderson that night when he said something like "we will be back here next year in the Final Four, its a guarantee". That Texas game was at the Alamodome which was obviously the site of the 2004 Final Four.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Of course 77-74 is #1. My 2nd favorite game would have to be when we beat G`Town back in `90 because i knew we were for real and the rest of the country started to take notice.

 

[UConnfan4ever]

1988 NIT title game at MSG 72-67 over Ohio State.

 

[Waquoit]

1988 NIT title game at MSG 72-67 over Ohio State.

But the best game in that run was in the Field House against VCU. Loudest crowd in UConn history.

 

[mauconnfan]

But the best game in that run was in the Field House against VCU. Loudest crowd in UConn history.

Agree as they say the dust was falling down right in front of us. Crazy wild crowd. lot of fun that night. In all actuality the Ohio St game was the 4th best game. I think the WVU was better and certainly Lyman DePriest holding Dana Barros to 2 pts in the 2nd half of the semi after he went off for 25 in the first was tremendous also. We were at the Garden for that one, didn't get back for the Buckeyes.

 

[storrsroars]

Best game was easily 77-74.

Best loss? I'm going to go with 78-79 OT in 1990. Tate doesn't lose the ball out of bounds, somebody covers Laettner, UConn is in the FF nine years earlier. Duke loses that game, UConn spares the nation from having to hear about the legend of Laettner.

Best moment in a loss? Clearly Rod Sellers dribbling Laettner's head, lol.

 

[Palatine]

There's no contest. It has to be 77-74. Not only was it historic. It was a great game.

Runner up, who performs the duties of the greatest game if for any reason the greatest game is unable to perform its duties.....Clemson sweet sixteen, the shot. It packed more drama into one second then some teams do into a whole season.

 

[borninansonia]

My favorite moment:

At Pitt after UConn wins, KEA jumps on the table and faces the Pitt fans.

KEA had a stronger will than anyone ever at UConn.

 

[mauconnfan]

So many favorite moments it's hard to drop just one out there. For some reason though as I think of all of them the one that constantly comes to mind for me:

Smitty ahead of the court for a lay in to sew up the W and our first Big East championship, hacked and fouled, falling under the basket. Tate goes to pick him up and while on the ground he looks at Tate and says with a question mark "It went in?" and a huge smile. Just love that defining moment of the 89-90 team.

 

[BugsyCT]

77-74 is in a class by itself. Epic game that stamped UConn as an elite program in the nation's eyes. The celebration that followed, the team's return to Gampel, the parade, a magical time in CT. I think I re-watched/listened to the radio play-by-play every day that summer.

Honorable mention: 1988 NIT semis vs BC (and OSU), 1996 BET vs GTown.

Most stressful win: 1999 Gonzaga, 2011 Arizona (was almost sure they'd hit a 3 at the buzzer)

Toughest losses: 1990 Duke (you know why), 1994 OT loss to Florida (took 20 years but finally got payback), 2006 GMason (team just couldn't miss), 6OT loss to Cuse in BET

 

[BugsyCT]

So many favorite moments it's hard to drop just one out there. For some reason though as I think of all of them the one that constantly comes to mind for me:

Smitty ahead of the court for a lay in to sew up the W and our first Big East championship, hacked and fouled, falling under the basket. Tate goes to pick him up and while on the ground he looks at Tate and says with a question mark "It went in?" and a huge smile. Just love that defining moment of the 89-90 team.

Wasn't that the GTown game in the semis?

 

[August_West]

So for me, the best loss was actually the Texas game in 2003. We played as well as we could and got beat by a more experienced team, but after that game I just knew we were going to win it all in 2004. I was grinning ear-to-ear.

That Texas game still haunts me a little though. I thought we were in position to steal it. We were down double digits and JC did what he hates to do. He went to 2-3 zone for quite a while and we came all the way back. Then once we were back he switched back to man. I would have liked to have seen him stick with what was working a couple more possessions. As soon as we went back to man TJ Ford killed us again. Man was he quick. Switching out of Zone too early and the neck ball from Marcus White after Taliek made a great breakdown/pass leave me feeling a little different than the Maryland game.

 

[mauconnfan]

Wasn't that the GTown game in the semis?

You know now I'm not sure - man tough to get old. Thought it was the BE final but it was against GTown. Good call. So they beat Cuse for the Final? Thought it may have been the other way around.

 

[businesslawyer]

77-74 is in a class by itself. Epic game that stamped UConn as an elite program in the nation's eyes. The celebration that followed, the team's return to Gampel, the parade, a magical time in CT. I think I re-watched/listened to the radio play-by-play every day that summer.

Honorable mention: 1988 NIT semis vs BC (and OSU), 1996 BET vs GTown.

Most stressful win: 1999 Gonzaga, 2011 Arizona (was almost sure they'd hit a 3 at the buzzer)

Toughest losses: 1990 Duke (you know why), 1994 OT loss to Florida (took 20 years but finally got payback), 2006 GMason (team just couldn't miss), 6OT loss to Cuse in BET

No lose, ever, will compare to the Mason loss.

 

[Waquoit]

No lose, ever, will compare to the Mason loss.

I'm going with the Duke game. That was a gut punch like no other, especially coming just 2 days after the shot. It literally put me in a daze. Losses after we finally won the big one don't leave as big a mark.

 

[Inyatkin]

No lose, ever, will compare to the Mason loss.

I still put Mississippi State No. 1. We had at the time no titles, no Final Fours, and everyone was leaving after that year. We went into the game 32-2, our third straight dominating year, and came up short.
And I'm aware it was all wiped out by the NCAA later on, but at the time, for me, that was the worst.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

Obviously outside of a national championship game, I'm going to go with us at a 3seed and SDSU. That team if you listened to the sports talk before the game was supposed to crush us. I remember going into that game just hoping that we could win and prove them wrong. I also knew Leonard was the real deal, i was on the edge of my seat the whole game. It might not have been the most exciting game we have ever won, but it was one of the most satisfying games for me personally. There is one play that is just etched into my head. Someone throws a high arching pass and lamb goes up with his stretch armstrnong arms and just catches it in mid air, then he runs the length of the floor and throws it down... something like that lol. Great fame for me personally.

 

[August_West]

Obviously outside of a national championship game, I'm going to go with us at a 3seed and SDSU. That team if you listened to the sports talk before the game was supposed to crush us. I remember going into that game just hoping that we could win and prove them wrong. I also knew Leonard was the real deal, i was on the edge of my seat the whole game. It might not have been the most exciting game we have ever won, but it was one of the most satisfying games for me personally. There is one play that is just etched into my head. Someone throws a high arching pass and lamb goes up with his stretch armstrnong arms and just catches it in mid air, then he runs the length of the floor and throws it down... something like that lol. Great fame for me personally.

Its amazing we even scored a basket in that game, what with SDSU being so good playing at altitude, and Kawhi Leonard having the biggest mitts this side of Andre the Giant.

 

[businesslawyer]

I still put Mississippi State No. 1. We had at the time no titles, no Final Fours, and everyone was leaving after that year. We went into the game 32-2, our third straight dominating year, and came up short.
And I'm aware it was all wiped out by the NCAA later on, but at the time, for me, that was the worst.

God, this was an awful night. Although if we take games from the Sweet 16, I would argue that the loss to Florida was worse, as we totally choked that away at the end and the #1 seed in our region had already gone out (IIRC we had the Thunder Chickens waiting for us, which would have meant our first Final Four).

 

[August_West]

God, this was an awful night. Although if we take games from the Sweet 16, I would argue that the loss to Florida was worse, as we totally choked that away at the end and the #1 seed in our region had already gone out (IIRC we had the Thunder Chickens waiting for us, which would have meant our first Final Four).

Mississippi ST was like a bad dream. Ray just couldnt get it going for a while. We missed Freshman Ricky who killed his shoulder against Colgate and Mississippi St (especially that kid who was chucking side armed from his hip) couldn't miss. That game seemed to go by so quickly just waiting to wake up, and by the time we did it was too late. Bad, Bad game. That was a GREAT team we decimated people that year.


94 Florida hurt, because yeah, BC (who we were in the midst of a ridiculous winning streak against), had already taken out one seed Carolina and was the only thing standing between us an the FF. And then we spit the bit.

 

[Matrim55]

Mississippi ST was like a bad dream. Ray just couldnt get it going for a while. We missed Freshman Ricky who killed his shoulder against Colgate and Mississippi St (especially that kid who was chucking side armed from his hip) couldn't miss. That game seemed to go by so quickly just waiting to wake up, and by the time we did it was too late. Bad, Bad game. That was a GREAT team we decimated people that year.

Us vs. that year's UK team for the title would have been amazing.

Ricky's shoulder injury absolutely killed us, but we got our bit of turnabout with Niang's injury in '14. I think we'd have lost to Iowa State if he was fit.

 

[August_West]

Us vs. that year's UK team for the title would have been amazing.

Ricky's shoulder injury absolutely killed us, but we got our bit of turnabout with Niang's injury in '14. I think we'd have lost to Iowa State if he was fit.

so can we please make up for Dyson's 09 injury this year? How about AJ's ACL tear in 08 tournament. Or El Amin in 2000 where we were reduced to a Freshman Marcus Cox playing the point in a round of 32 game.

Weve had our share of crippling NCAA injuries.