WhatIfSports: 1999 vs 2004 vs 2011 vs 2014

[nomar]

Just for kicks, I ran some sims. I had to make some adjustments because the lineups and depth charts were set according to season MPG stats. I seeded 1999 #1, 2003 #2, 2011 #3 and 2014 #4, which is just coincidence, although I would imagine a bunch of people would rank 2014 ahead of 2011. In any event, I think everyone agrees that the two strongest teams were 1999 and 2004.

I ran a best-of-7 series for the two "Final 4" matchups (all games on neutral courts) and here are the results:

#1 Connecticut Huskies 1998-99 (“Rip”)
#4 Connecticut Huskies 2013-14 (“Bazz”)

Game 1
Rip 76 Bazz 65 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6971975

Game 2
Bazz 80 Rip 71 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6971995

Game 3
Rip 93 Bazz 68 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972005

Game 4
Rip 78 Bazz 68 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972030

Game 5
Rip 83 Bazz 74 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972025

Rip wins 4-1

 

[nomar]

#2 Connecticut Huskies 2003-04 (“Mek”)
#3 Connecticut Huskies 2010-11 (“Kemba”)

Game 1
Mek 74 Kemba 63 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972098

Game 2
Kemba 73 Mek 69 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972095

Game 3
Mek 74 Kemba 61 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972111

Game 4
Mek 83 Kemba 74 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972107

Game 5
Mek 83 Kemba 73 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972115

Mek wins 4-1

Next up: The Finals.

 

[Gringo]

Just for kicks, I ran some sims. I had to make some adjustments because the lineups and depth charts were set according to season MPG stats. I seeded 1999 #1, 2003 #2, 2011 #3 and 2014 #4, which is just coincidence, although I would imagine a bunch of people would rank 2014 ahead of 2011. In any event, I think everyone agrees that the two strongest teams were 1999 and 2004.

This is interesting. Are you able to adjust the teams to any players or is it based off of year? Can we take players from '99, '04, '07 etc.?

It would be interesting if we can plug the drafted teams into the simulator after the votes and see who the simulator says would win.

 

[nomar]

#1 Connecticut Huskies 1998-99 (“Rip”)
#2 Connecticut Huskies 2003-04 (“Mek”)

Game 1
Mek 94 Rip 60 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972199

Game 2
Rip 81 Mek 78 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972198

Game 3
Rip 94 Mek 89 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972197

Game 4
Mek 74 Rip 73 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972196

Game 5
Mek 90 Rip 70 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972194

Game 6
Mek 75 Rip 52 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972200

Mek wins 4-2

I'm not surprised that the 2004 team won (Emeka was a beast), but I have to laugh at some of those final scores. The 1999 team never would have gotten punked like that. Never.

 

[nomar]

This is interesting. Are you able to adjust the teams to any players or is it based off of year? Can we take players from '99, '04, '07 etc.?

It would be interesting if we can plug the drafted teams into the simulator after the votes and see who the simulator says would win.

That's why I went there, to try to do that, but unfortunately it only goes back to the 1998-99 season for UConn. So I did this instead. But you can build "dream teams" from teams starting in that season. From UConn at least. It looks like it doesn't go back as far for other teams (Alabama only goes back to 2001) and goes waaaay back for others (1948 for UK).

 

[Dogdeacon]

#1 Connecticut Huskies 1998-99 (“Rip”)
#2 Connecticut Huskies 2003-04 (“Mek”)

Game 1
Mek 94 Rip 60 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972199

Game 2
Rip 81 Mek 78 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972198

Game 3
Rip 94 Mek 89 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972197

Game 4
Mek 74 Rip 73 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972196

Game 5
Mek 90 Rip 70 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972194

Game 6
Mek 75 Rip 52 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972200

Mek wins 4-2

I'm not surprised that the 2004 team won (Emeka was a beast), but I have to laugh at some of those final scores. The 1999 team never would have gotten punked like that. Never.

Nice job, although conceptually the 2004 team seems stronger, the 99 team played in an era of better teams and was toughened up by their competitors and the difficulty of being the first UConn team to knock down the wall into the final four. 1999 might in fact wear down and lose a 7-game series, but in a 1 game format they were not losing. That was one of my favorite retorts when people said that 99' UConn beat a stacked Dook team that would have won 8/10; "Dook didn't know it was one game for the national championship... UConn did."

 

[Matrim55]

I'm not surprised that the 2004 team won (Emeka was a beast), but I have to laugh at some of those final scores. The 1999 team never would have gotten punked like that. Never.

Yup!

Calhoun has said in the past that the '04 team was his best, but that '99 team was a different kind of animal. They were absolute pros, and the most confident group I've ever been around (I covered them with the Daily Campus that year and now work in pro sports, so I've been around a bit).

All due respect to our other 3 title teams, but I don't think that '99 team gets beat with a trophy on the line.

 

[SubbaBub]

99 had a bunch of guys who did there jobs and complemented each other. 04 had more pure talent but also complemented each other. Emeka is the difference maker.

I'd still like to how 94-96 teams stacked up. There was another championship somewhere in there to be had.

 

[Deleted member 3149]

The best matchup would be 2011 vs 2014 in a title game in April. Both teams had the "no way they're losing to anyone" feel to it.

 

[Dogdeacon]

The best matchup would be 2011 vs 2014 in a title game in April. Both teams had the "no way they're losing to anyone" feel to it.

Shabazz & Niels aren't going to accept reserve roles on the 2011 team (Olander will play for both). So we are going to have to wait until Samuels and Brimah opt out of their bench positions in favor of being starters on the 2016 title squad to make it a fair fight.

 

[HuskyJJ]

Could you run a 2014-2011 game?

 

[Mano]

I'd suppose that most people would use time travel for personal gain or to go back and kill Hitler when he was still an art student or something, but I would definitely use it to do this.

I bet the '95 and '09 teams would do pretty well too.

 

[nomar]

Could you run a 2014-2011 game?

Sure. When I have a minute.

 

[jleves]

I'd suppose that most people would use time travel for personal gain or to go back and kill Hitler when he was still an art student or something, but I would definitely use it to do this.

I bet the '95 and '09 teams would do pretty well too.

That's funny - I've had a dream of using a time machine to do dream matchups and selling tickets to them. Imagine what you could get putting the best college players in their prime against each other. That's how I would use a time machine and while going back to get Rip or Ray or Oak, I'd pick up a winning lottery ticket to boot.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Just for kicks, I ran some sims. I had to make some adjustments because the lineups and depth charts were set according to season MPG stats. I seeded 1999 #1, 2003 #2, 2011 #3 and 2014 #4, which is just coincidence, although I would imagine a bunch of people would rank 2014 ahead of 2011. In any event, I think everyone agrees that the two strongest teams were 1999 and 2004.

I ran a best-of-7 series for the two "Final 4" matchups (all games on neutral courts) and here are the results:

#1 Connecticut Huskies 1998-99 (“Rip”)
#4 Connecticut Huskies 2013-14 (“Bazz”)

Game 1
Rip 76 Bazz 65 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6971975

Game 2
Bazz 80 Rip 71 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6971995

Game 3
Rip 93 Bazz 68 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972005

Game 4
Rip 78 Bazz 68 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972030

Game 5
Rip 83 Bazz 74 http://www.whatifsports.com/ncaab/boxscore.asp?gameid=6972025

Rip wins 4-1

Would it be possible to do our UConn draft thing with this? I've heard of the site but not familiar if you can piece together a custom team or if you're only using real teams. If possible, this would be a great way to do the next UConn draft, or even for shiz and giggs, see what they'd do with the 2 that are currently up.

 

[nomar]

Would it be possible to do our UConn draft thing with this? I've heard of the site but not familiar if you can piece together a custom team or if you're only using real teams. If possible, this would be a great way to do the next UConn draft, or even for shiz and giggs, see what they'd do with the 2 that are currently up.

You can design a custom team but the UConn players only go back to 1998-99...

 

[PcketknfNiels]

You can design a custom team but the UConn players only go back to 1998-99...

Maybe they'll go back more now after our 4th title if Kentucky really has guys going back to the 40s