What was the best UConn Men’s Basketball team that didn’t win a national championship?

[bill6319]

What was the Best UConn Men's Basketball Team That Didn't Win A National Championship? — 860 Media Productions

 

[bill6319]

 

[Waquoit]

You don't have 89-90. For starters, that team eats the 06 team for lunch.

 

[CL82]

Healthy Dyson? 2008/2009. Injured Dyson 08-09, I'd go with 97,98.

 

[bill6319]

You don't have 89-90. For starters, that team eats the 06 team for lunch.

Ah I struggled with leaving them out but decided on 1997/98

 

[Chin Diesel]

You don't have 89-90. For starters, that team eats the 06 team for lunch.

Love the Dream Team but they would have had to face UNLV in FF. Don't see how the Dream Team pulls that one out.
OTOH, 05-06 was a legit best team in the country team.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Love the Dream Team but they would have had to face UNLV in FF. Don't see how the Dream Team pulls that one out.
OTOH, 05-06 was a legit best team in the country team.

05-06 team was insane talent wise but for whatever reason they seemed to lose focus or interest in games they should have dominated.

 

[Ewekon]

08 - 09. Nobody beats us with Dyson. Certainly not MSU and that big, late lead MSU had doesn't happen with JD.

Edit: plus that would have been 3 for my UConn class of '11 daughter seen live - and woulda coulda shoulda been 4 of 5 for the old man here.

 

[Waquoit]

Ah I struggled with leaving them out but decided on 1997/98

Bad call

 

[Waquoit]

Love the Dream Team but they would have had to face UNLV in FF. Don't see how the Dream Team pulls that one out.

A renown coach who played both teams said UConn was better.

 

[Ewekon]

A renown coach who played both teams said UConn was better.

K?

 

[ju6381]

A renown coach who played both teams said UConn was better.

That matchup was good for UConn. UNLV would have needed to keep the turnovers down. Reminds me of the UConn-UCLA game and we had a chance to win that game as well.

 

[Waquoit]

K?

Russian National Team

 

[M.S.G.]

'05-'06 was George Mason right?

I think we beat Michigan State with a healthy Dyson in '09 and that championship game with UNC would have been out of this world.. 5 nattys would have cemented our blue blood status.

 

[gampelcrazies]

A renown coach who played both teams said UConn was better.

I wasn’t around for 89-90 but after watching games from both UConn and UNLV I would have to agree and say UConn could have beaten UNLV.

 

[Waterbury]

slicin and dyson woulda had us @ 5 titles in 5 final 4's

 

[superjohn]

05/06 easily but they were short a guard. If they had AJ Price that team could've gone undefeated.

 

[Mr. French]

is it my imagination or is the 95-96 team constantly being overlooked? That team was really good. I'd say definitely better than 97-98 without question.

 

[businesslawyer]

05/06 easily but they were short a guard. If they had AJ Price that team could've gone undefeated.

The '05 -- '06 team was short ball handlers. Really didn't have a back up PG -- Austrie did a great job babysitting the position in December, but he wasn't a true point and he was only a freshman -- and none of the wings were combo guards. Almost all of our other best teams played long stretches of the game with 2 players who could play point: George and Smitty; KO and Smitty; Moore and Sheffer; Moore and KEA; Brown and Gordon; AJ and Kemba; Kemba and Bazz; Bazz and Boat.

Basically every team we had that competed for a championship had 2 players who could play the point at a high level. 05--'06 was certainly a great team, with tons of great players, but the lack of ball handlers was an issue that everyone knew could lead to being upset in the Tourney when guard play becomes more important.

 

[superjohn]

The '05 -- '06 team was short ball handlers. Really didn't have a back up PG -- Austrie did a great job babysitting the position in December, but he wasn't a true point and he was only a freshman -- and none of the wings were combo guards. Almost all of our other best teams played long stretches of the game with 2 players who could play point: George and Smitty; KO and Smitty; Moore and Sheffer; Moore and KEA; Brown and Gordon; AJ and Kemba; Kemba and Bazz; Bazz and Boat.

Basically every team we had that competed for a championship had 2 players who could play the point at a high level. 05--'06 was certainly a great team, with tons of great players, but the lack of ball handlers was an issue that everyone knew could lead to being upset in the Tourney when guard play becomes more important.

That's why I said they were short a guard. I think they go undefeated with AJ. Williams was the best point in the country and they had an unbelievably loaded set of wings and bigs.

 

[BuffaloHusky]

I loved the Dream Team but UNLV had one of the greatest teams of the last 50 years. As for the rest, any of the other teams had a realistic shot at the championship in the years they were competing but 05/06 had the best overall chance.

 

[M.S.G.]

The Dream Team was my introduction to UConn basketball, I still remember being in 7th grade when Tate hit "the shot" then crying at the kitchen table when Laettner ripped our hearts out..

That being said, UNLV would have slaughtered us..

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I think the 01-02 team (sophomore Taliek and Caron, freshmen Gordon and Okafor should be in this mix. Took loaded eventual champ UMD down to the wire in the Elite 8. Looked like the second best team in that tournament

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

08 - 09. Nobody beats us with Dyson. Certainly not MSU and that big, late lead MSU had doesn't happen with JD.

Edit: plus that would have been 3 for my UConn class of '11 daughter seen live - and woulda coulda shoulda been 4 of 5 for the old man here.

I remember watching that 08-09 team, especially when Louisville was maybe the #1 team in country at the time? And UConn just shredded them with Dyson. I think we could have beat MSU with Dyson, the title game would of been very interesting.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I loved the Dream Team but UNLV had one of the greatest teams of the last 50 years. As for the rest, any of the other teams had a realistic shot at the championship in the years they were competing but 05/06 had the best overall chance.

That's the way I looked at it. Not just how good was the UConn team for the year, but who else did they have to go through.

Agree '09 with a healthy Dyson is maybe the best chance. But he wasn't healthy.
05-06 was flawed but still had talent to match anyone.
97-98 was screwed playing UNC in Carolina in E8 but I still think the Carolina team that year was slightly better.
89-90 was my favorite but that dook team that broke our hearts in the Meadowlands got curb stomped by UNLV. Would love to see the Dove and Scotty try and contain LJ, but I think the UNLV team that year runs layup drills on the 2-2-1 pressure UConn used so well that season.