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

[Rich]

Probably the team that lost to James Madison, with Rudy Gay, etc. That was a miserably disgusting end to that season.

 

[ASweet3781]

Best- 2009 with Dyson. Probably nostalgic in light of the Sticks news but they probably were the best overall UConn team to not win it. I don't think anyone was beating UNC that year though.

The 2 that came the closest had just 1-2 plays went the other way- 1995 (Screw you Missouri) and 2002 (if we closed out Maryland nobody left could beat us with the way Caron was playing. He was in Kemba/Shabazz mode).

 

[Kitaman]

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.

What was our defense ranked that year?

The BE was solid that season and no one could stop turning the ball over when they played us. We had few weaknesses that year, and didn't need a shot blocker, although Burrell was quite often above the rim.

Love me some Microwave off the bench. He would come in when the opponent was gassed, frustrated from all that ball hounding and looking for a break.

That defense was never duplicated at UConn.

 

[Mr. French]

Probably the team that lost to James Madison, with Rudy Gay, etc. That was a miserably disgusting end to that season.

Different founding father, but they were perhaps the most talented.

 

[Hoophound]

2006 was talented but they were maddening. They just weren’t that good. That was the shakiest team with the best record I’ve seen.

 

[Waquoit]

2006 was talented but they were maddening. They just weren’t that good. That was the shakiest team with the best record I’ve seen.

The whole was much, much less than the sum of the parts.

 

[Mr. French]

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.

Likewise, 09 was thin on wings, particularly shooting wings... which is why Dyson going down crushed us.

If everyone recalls, Stanley started playing well and with confidence after the Dyson injury and into the tourney, but before that he was so up and down, and those 2 were the only high caliber wings, neither a great shooter.

If they had 1 sniper in 09 they’d have been unstoppable.

 

[Waquoit]

I drove my buddy and brother to that 2009 Final Four. The buddy was a complete bitch the entire way. Didn't see that coming. What I remember (besides EVERY MSU fan being crap) from the game was that some big doof on MSU went Toby Bailey on us. Otherwise, we win even without Dyson. UConn never got going the entire game but they never put us away.

 

[Chin Diesel]

In my heart I felt that if that 89-90 team had gotten past that damn Duke team they would have won out
The team had a real mojo working.
Were they the most talented? No, but it surely was on a mission and an extremely cohesive unit (in my mind, more so than some of the more talented teams)
UNLV was athletic beyond words but was no match for a technically proficient UConn team

Dream Season was my first UConn love.

No way that UConn team beats UNLV or Arkansas that season.

 

[Vuce]

Arkansas? Very good season but do not agree there’s “no way” UConn would have beaten them. The Huskies played Duke much tougher and that was the school that knocked both out of the ncaa tournament. We were 31-6, they were 30-5. UConn played in tougher league (Big East vs SWC). Would have been a very good game and far from no way that we’d beat them. We played 10 ranked teams that year (going 6-4) while Arkansas played 3 (and lost them all). Agree with you that UNLV would have been a tall order that year

 

[metsfan2323]

It's a great debate because there is no clear answer. The one thing that hits you in the head when you dig deep into this debate is just how great Jim Calhoun was, he guided UCONN to 4 titles (yes I am giving him credit for 2014) and there were so many other teams that were so very, very close:

A tipped ball out of bounce in 1990
A free throw in 1994
A Tyus Edny full court buzzer beater in 1995
A faulty Ricky Moore shoulder in 96
One play short in 02
I'll blame Josh Boone getting mono in 05 for the lethargy in 06 because he was never the same after the illness
Dyson's knee in 09

 

[Ewekon]

'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.

To this day I have to say: Bucky fuggin Dent and George fuggin Mason. Just always comes out that way.

 

[Waquoit]

No way that UConn team beats UNLV or Arkansas that season.

Look at the NBA talent that team beat just off the top of my head: Mourning, Mtumbo, Coleman, Owens, Dale Davis, Eldon Campbell.

 

[huskyrob1]

94 was really good too.

as was 95


any of those couldve won a title.


96 was a bitter pill.

Calhoun has always said his best team without a NC was 94, and pretty sure he meant 93-94, Donyell's last season, and Ray was a freshman.

 

[businesslawyer]

To this day I have to say: Bucky fuggin Dent and George fuggin Mason. Just always comes out that way.

To this day, I can't listen happily to Living on a Prayer

 

[August_West]

Calhoun has always said his best team without a NC was 94, and pretty sure he meant 93-94, Donyell's last season, and Ray was a freshman.

That title was ours if yelp could sink a free throw

 

[UconnU]

2005-2006

 

[superjohn]

Look at the NBA talent that team beat just off the top of my head: Mourning, Mtumbo, Coleman, Owens, Dale Davis, Eldon Campbell.

They weren't beating UNLV.

 

[bill6319]

It's a great debate because there is no clear answer. The one thing that hits you in the head when you dig deep into this debate is just how great Jim Calhoun was, he guided UCONN to 4 titles (yes I am giving him credit for 2014) and there were so many other teams that were so very, very close:

A tipped ball out of bounce in 1990
A free throw in 1994
A Tyus Edny full court buzzer beater in 1995
A faulty Ricky Moore shoulder in 96
One play short in 02
I'll blame Josh Boone getting mono in 05 for the lethargy in 06 because he was never the same after the illness
Dyson's knee in 09

This was perfectly said. It’s incredible the amount of talented teams Calhoun, year after year competing for a national championship

 

[B1GEast]

94 Donyell - Florida
95 Ray Allen - UCLA
02 C Butler - Maryland
06 R Gay - G Mason
08 AJ Price - injury

 

[metsfan2323]

They weren't beating UNLV.

Likely true but not a complete given. Our full court press was so amazing, who knows how they would have handled it. Nobody thought we were beating Duke in 99 either.

Crazy thing is it may have been bad for UCONN history to win it all in 1990, no doubt the NBA would have thrown a ton of money at JC if he won it all in 1990 and he was still a young man, it may have been tough to resist.

 

[Palatine]

1994-95 This team got better every game. If we beat UCLA in the regional final.....

Scored over 90 points in all four NCAA games.

 

[Mr. French]

Calhoun has always said his best team without a NC was 94, and pretty sure he meant 93-94, Donyell's last season, and Ray was a freshman.

This is one of multiple examples (someone else pointed this out too) where 1 year difference was needed...sophomore Ray, soph Ben and Mek, a matured Kemba... even think about 05 and 06 with AJ ... we just missed out on a few legendary teams.

 

[Ratso]

05 great chance, 06 easily. 09 that was tough final 4 to be honest but another power calhoun team.

 

[Ratso]

Calhoun has always said his best team without a NC was 94, and pretty sure he meant 93-94, Donyell's last season, and Ray was a freshman.

93 was my last year on campus, never had a chance to see ray in college