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

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

Waquoit said:
You don't have 89-90. For starters, that team eats the 06 team for lunch.
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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.
 
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Waquoit said:
A renown coach who played both teams said UConn was better.
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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.
 
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Waquoit said:
A renown coach who played both teams said UConn was better.
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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.
 
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superjohn said:
05/06 easily but they were short a guard. If they had AJ Price that team could've gone undefeated.
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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.
 
businesslawyer said:
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.
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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.
 
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.
 
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..
 
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
 
Ewekon said:
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.
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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.
 
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BuffaloHusky said:
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.
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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.
 
I think it has to be the 05-06 team. They were at full strength, just could not stay focused, and if I remember correctly George Mason did not miss a shot in OT.

That UConn team had their entire starting 5 drafted to the NBA, given they had varying levels of success throughout their career but still.
 
Mr. French said:
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.
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That team was GREAT. Doron, Travis and Rudy were seniors, Ray and Kirk were juniors, and Ricky and Rash were freshmen.

Brutal loss to Mississippi State.

The '94-95 team was also great. Lost to the eventual champ UCLA in one of the most entertaining losses we've had. Lost 5 games that season and 3 of them were absolute blowouts, including that humiliating loss to KU on national TV.
 
ColchVEGAS said:
I think it has to be the 05-06 team. They were at full strength, just could not stay focused, and if I remember correctly George Mason did not miss a shot in OT.

That UConn team had their entire starting 5 drafted to the NBA, given they had varying levels of success throughout their career but still.
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I always sound like a Johnny One-Note on the '06 team, but in my view we had ball-handling problems that would have cost us had we handled George Mason, as we should have. And we weren't full strength in the sense that AJ was suspended. I honestly think he could have been the difference. I think UF would have beat us pretty easily. Remember we almost lost to Washington.

(@superjohn and @businesslawyer beat me to this point)

The talent on the '05-06 team was incredible but the whole was less than the sum of its parts IMO.
 
Letsgohuskies11 said:
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.
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UConn was #1 when we went to their house and gave it to them. I believe L'ville was top 5 or just outside. Me and a couple friends left a party at Carriage House in the wee hours Sunday morning to drive to L'ville and attend the game. Left immediately following the game to get back for Tuesday classes.
 
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