What's the most excited you've ever been after a UConn victory?

[huskiesnyc]

For many reasons I'm going with our win over Michigan State in the Elite 8 this year. I actually shed a tear after the final buzzer went off. We were very heavy underdogs -as we were in most tourney games this year. Elite 8 games are always the most nerve-racking for me as a fan, and it was pretty sweet to see these kids get back to the Final Four where we belong. MSG, new coach, the most loyal players, timing w/conf realignment, and the injustice of our postseason ban from the previous year.

 

[huskies20]

For me it was the 2004 duke game. It was the only game where I found myself praying that we win.

 

[nomar]

For me it was the 2004 duke game. It was the only game where I found myself praying that we win.

Yeah, the Final 4 game was much more rewarding and exciting than the title game, which was of course awesome but fairly anticlimactic.

I voted for The Shot. My dad and I went absolutely nuts, running through the house. Happiest? No. Most excited? Yes.

 

[uchuskies14]

What about the Kemba Walker shot over the predator?

 

[Adios]

The Shot. I was jumping around, running around, etc. All by myself.

Second would be the last championship win. Cemented blue-blood status. I can't change my vote.

 

[RichZ]

15 years have past since the 99 game. I was probably more shocked/elated/excited then, but I can't really remember it as well as this year's championship that has flooded the emotional part of my brain and won't fade for quite a while.
I remember thinking in 99 that 'if we never win another, I'll still die happy from winning this one."
Then came 2004. Excited, but the championship itself was anti-climatic.
Then came Kemba. A dozen years separated it from the big-one. I was elated, but truth be told, the championship seemed a hair anti-climatic after 5 in 5. The BET under those conditions seemed a bigger feat than the NC! And we know it will never happen again. Then again, I thought we'd never see another Kemba in a UConn uniform.
Who the hell knew we were already looking at him?
Yeah, I'm going with this year's NC.

 

[specialisthusky]

This was tough. I picked the msu game at the garden simply because I was there surrounded by great fans of both teams with my father who had never been to a UConn NCAA tourney game. We were both jumping and screaming as time wound down and is a moment I'll never forget.

 

[aburks41]

I went with the MSU game, only because I was in the Garden for that one and the Iowa State game. It was absolutely incredible but winning the championships are just too surreal that they dont really set in for a couple of days

 

[intlzncster]

Duke UCONN FF 2004

 

[seeya27]

This is a bit like comparing my wedding day against the birth of my two sons. All amazing events.

I too ran around my house and then into the street after Tate's shot. And amazingly there was another guy jumping around at the end of the street. Didn't even know who he was.

But my wife and I went to Tampa in '99 and were initially speechless the moment the buzzer went off. Then we hugged and cried. And then we hugged and cried with UConn "strangers" until the wee hours of morn. Those moments and details will live with me forever. I still get emotional discussing 77-74.

Best non-tourney excitement: beating Syracuse and Gtown in the same week in January 1989. And a thrilling OT win over Lute Olsen in 2003 (or '04).

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

This years NC game was the most unexpected of them all. 99 we were top 5, 04 we were #1 for a good portion of the year, 11, after 5 in 5, we knew it would be special. But this year, no one knew what to expect in the tourney. We almost lost in round 1, the had to play a 2, 3, and 4 seed (the 4 seed being the team that everyone was picking to win it all). Then UF (the other team everyone picked), then kentucky, and all their storylines.

MSU was a great relief, because everyone had built them up so high that you would have thought they were the Spurs. But the amazing feeling after the NC game was just insane.

 

[RMoore1999]

3/29/99

77-74

 

[ctchamps]

The way this is questioned I was going to answer 8 inches. And then I thought of Strummer!

 

[CTBasketball]

Ah. Way too many. NCAA Tournament games (in order).

1. 1999 vs. Duke
2. 2004 vs. Duke
3. 2014 vs. Michigan State
4. 2014 vs. Kentucky
5. 2011 vs. Kentucky
6. 2011 vs. Butler
7. 2011 vs. Arizona
8. 1999 vs. Gonzaga
9. 2014 vs. Florida
10. 1999 vs. Ohio State

This is based off of my reaction.

 

[RM99]

1999!!!

 

[Scot-e]

1999

I don't remember the 7 hour drive home after the game- so happy.

 

[Huskies4ever]

For many reasons I'm going with our win over Michigan State in the Elite 8 this year. I actually shed a tear after the final buzzer went off. We were very heavy underdogs -as we were in most tourney games this year. Elite 8 games are always the most nerve-racking for me as a fan, and it was pretty sweet to see these kids get back to the Final Four where we belong. MSG, new coach, the most loyal players, timing w/conf realignment, and the injustice of our postseason ban from the previous year.

For me, it was 1999. I was in college, and had a hard time sleeping that night.

I thought we stood a very good chance against "One of The Best Teams In Collge Hoops History". I thought our backcourt and our defense would neutralize theirs, our bench was deeper and higher quality, and Jake and KFree were very good defenders. Rip and Khalid were gonna put a lot of pressure on their defense. Duke dominated their opponents and came in on a 32 game win streak. There was no way Duke was 9 points better than our Husky Heroes, though. UConn was number one more weeks than Duke (10-9), and UConn played better against shared opponents. No one was talking about our Huskies, the Final Four was the Duke Invitational. UConn was 33-2 going into that game, playing against great competition. Their only losses, they were not healthy. It's not like they should not have been give a chance. Plus it was a championship game for the ages, and our number 1. You never forget your first.

 

[BoatShow]

I was pretty excited walking out of the XL Center having beaten Cuse for the last time in the foreseeable future.

 

[huskiesnyc]

For me, it was 1999. I was in college, and had a hard time sleeping that night.

I thought we stood a very good chance against "One of The Best Teams In Collge Hoops History". I thought our backcourt and our defense would neutralize theirs, our bench was deeper and higher quality, and Jake and KFree were very good defenders. Rip and Khalid were gonna put a lot of pressure on their defense. Duke dominated their opponents and came in on a 32 game win streak. There was no way Duke was 9 points better than our Husky Heroes, though. UConn was number one more weeks than Duke (10-9), and UConn played better against shared opponents. No one was talking about our Huskies, the Final Four was the Duke Invitational. UConn was 33-2 going into that game, playing against great competition. Their only losses, they were not healthy. It's not like they should not have been give a chance. Plus it was a championship game for the ages, and our number 1. You never forget your first.

As good as Duke was I still can't believe we were 9 point underdogs in that game. Like you said we were freaking 34-2 that year and one of the most dominant teams in college bball history. That was one year where going into games you just knew we were going to pound teams down.

 

[champs99and04]

For whatever reason, I tend to be more excited about victories early in the season, or non-NCAA tournament games. Maybe I'm a pessimist by nature, but I spend the majority of tournament games, and the hours beforehand, thinking of ways that it could go wrong. So, although the games mentioned above usually become more satisfying in hindsight, at the time I feel more relief/disbelief than anything else. The Michigan State game this season was a perfect example of this - it was such an awesome experience that I was in a daze for a solid 24 hours afterwards.

So to me, there's nothing more exciting than realizing early in the season, "holy hell, this team has a chance to be damn good". The Kentucky walloping in Maui a few years ago and the beat down of Louisville in 2009 both qualify in that regard.

But, I don't think I'll ever feel more euphoric after a game than I was when Kemba beat Pitt at the buzzer back in 2011. Part of the reason I felt that way was I didn't feel they had a chance, and had all but written them off by that point. I'll never forget ditching school early that day, dumping my backpack, and literally sprinting the entire two miles home to get there for the second half. Truly a classic.

 

[Huskies4ever]

The Kentucky walloping in Maui a few years ago and the beat down of Louisville in 2009 both qualify in that regard.

But, I don't think I'll ever feel more euphoric after a game than I was when Kemba beat Pitt at the buzzer back in 2011

These are all great for different reasons:

Destroying UK in Maui was a foreshadowing of the potential that team had. Put Kemba and the team on the map.

Beating Louisville showed we were as good as advertised.

Cardiac Kemba proved that we were on track to greatness, and in the most exciting fashion.

 

[ucp990411]

Mine would be:
1999 Duke
2014 Kentucky
1999 elite 8 vs Gonzaga

 

[CTBasketball]

2008 vs. Indiana got me pretty pumped as well.

 

[Kitaman]

99 I remember the next morning so vividly on my train commute to NYC. Everyone was happy on that train.

A top 5, but regular season game that excited me:

 

[dsturdy5]

Aside from those mentioned above, I'd include the BET victory over Louisville in 2011. I ran outside and sprinted around my driveway when that was over.