Which Final Four team was the best?
- Thread starter Jkiller
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JakeTheDog
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Our 2023-24 team was so special. It was a privilege to watch them dominate wire to wire. I would take our 23-24 squad against anyone in the 64-team era.
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Crucially, Dyson wasn't playing for that 09 final four team by the time they got there, or we might be talking about a 14-0 combined record in semi-final and title games instead of 12-1...
SubbaBub
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- 1999: Moore, El-Amin, Hamilton, Freeman, Voskuhl
- 2004: Gordon, Brown, Anderson, Boone, Okafor
- 2009: Price, Dyson, Robinson, Adrien, Thabeet
- 2011: Walker, Lamb, Smith, Olander, Oriakhi
- 2014: Bazz, Boatright, Giffey, Daniels, Brimah (Sorry Phil)
- 2023: Newton, Hawkins, Jackson, Karaban, Sanogo
- 2024: Newton, Spencer, Castle, Karaban, Clingan
SG: 2004 (BG), 2009 (JD), 2014 (RB), 1999 (KA), 2011 (JL), 2024 (CS), 2023 (JH)
SF: 1999 (RH), 2024 (SC), 2023 (AJ), 2004 (RA), 2014 (NG), 2009 (SR), 2011 (RS)
PF: 1999 (Kelis Fisher), 2004 (JB), 2009 (JA), 2023 (AK), 2024 (AK), 2014 (DD), 2011 (TO)
C: 2004 (EO), 2009 (HT), 2024 (DC), 2014 (AB), 2023 (AS), 1999 (JV), 2011 (AO)
Lots of brutal position battles but alas, we need to draw fine lines.
Using a 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 scoring system.
1999: 2, 4, 7, 7, 2 = 22
2004: 1, 7, 4, 6, 7 = 25
2009: 4, 6, 2, 5, 6 = 23 (-20 for not winning, I make the rules) = 3
2011: 7, 3, 1, 1, 1 = 13 (Kemba is a god)
2014: 6, 5, 3, 2, 4 = 20
2023: 3, 1, 5, 4, 3 = 16
2024: 5, 2, 6, 3, 5 = 21
Final ranking:
1. 2004
2. 1999
3, 2024
4. 2014
5. 2023
6. 2011
7. 2009
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The 2006 team was loaded
Not sure if the 94 team is worth mentioning, but Donyell, Ollie, Ray Allen, Brian Fair, Darron Sheffer, T Knight. That was a capable squad.
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Last was best, but all were great fun!
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I used to be able to answer this so easily with 2004 being one of the best teams ive seen in the last 35 years ive watched cbb but 2024 has really thrown a monkey wrench in that. But then i realize 2024 was made up of mostly bench guys from 2023 i then start think could that team be better than both. I mean remove that nightmare January of the 2023 team and that team is like 30-2 with blowouts of every top team they faced including early in season overall 1 seed Alabama and both losses by a combined 5 points. Once that team got going they wrecked everyone. I have to abstain from a choice as i honestly dont have a clue who the best of 2004, 2023 and 2024 is. Also let me add 2024 is a couple of injuries away from possibly going 39-1.
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I know its all opinion and in good fun but 99` loses to 23` and 24` and 23` utterly wrecks 2014. 2009 healthy beats 14` and 11`.
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Kinda think it’s the opposite. I tend to overvalue history. I think in 10-15 years, 2024 will be seen as arguably the best team in the NIL era.
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Only competition for ‘24 is ‘04.
willie99
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Four lottery picks and an abundance of everything, especially size
I love them all, but I think DC and SJ get manhandled down low by Meka, Josh, Hilton and Chaz
Ben, Rashad and Denham launching threes and TB dishing.
Can't believe how loaded that team was
2004
2024
1999
2023
2011 & 2014
I love them all, but I think DC and SJ get manhandled down low by Meka, Josh, Hilton and Chaz
Ben, Rashad and Denham launching threes and TB dishing.
Can't believe how loaded that team was
2004
2024
1999
2023
2011 & 2014
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I was a 99 guy. They were the best for me. Almost a perfect team for me. Capable of basically everything. But i think 2024 finally provided a team i thought was better.
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Best team in the 64 team era. They fit so well that they were even better than their individual talent but the individual talent was also awesome. Fifth year First team all-American point guard, 5th year shooting guard who was the clutchest guy in the country, freshman stud who did a little bit of everything and was the best perimeter defender in the country, the most perfect complimentary player/connecter at power forward, and the best defensive player since Anthony Davis at center.
Castle was our 5th leading scorer and he might have the best basketball career for any UConn player when it's all said and done many years from now.
jleves
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This question just breaks my brain. First you have to consider different eras where some players stuck around for a while, Rip would have been one and done or two and done in the current era, Same with Emeka and I'm sure a few others. There was no portal for JC to add a key piece or two. And you can't say UConn team x would destroy UConn team y - you have to consider the matchups they were faced with. ie. Could Meka limit Edey? Could the 2023 guards handle the 99 Duke guards? Match ups matter so much in the one and done tournament.
I think I go
2024
2023
2004
1999
2011
2014
And for those that didn't win it or some that didn't get to the F4.
2009 above 2011 & 14
2006 above 2011 & 14 but below 2009 (barely)
94 team may be above 11 & 14 & 06
I think I go
2024
2023
2004
1999
2011
2014
And for those that didn't win it or some that didn't get to the F4.
2009 above 2011 & 14
2006 above 2011 & 14 but below 2009 (barely)
94 team may be above 11 & 14 & 06
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‘24 is almost universally acknowledged as the best college team of the modern era.. as much as I love RIP, KEA, Ricky and the rest of that ‘99 squad, ‘24 was HISTORIC
How blessed and privileged are we for even being able to have the conversation of which team from '95 to '24 was the best final four team?! Six teams that won it all with a few others that shoulda, woulda, coulda. No one in cbb is having this conversation, no one. Bleeding blue forever.
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That 09 team gets no love. They were killers.
Not for nothing, but I always viewed RM as the SG and KEA as the PG.
Also, JD didn't actually play in the final four, so I would ding them for that also, CA started IIRC if you are ranking players that actually played in the FF.
Can't see CS that low amongst the SGs, or how 2023 AK was better than 2024 AK.
i mean except for getting punked by MSU's frontcourt. I didn't have much hope against UNC....though I think we could have put up a better fight than MSU did, especially if Dyson were healthy.
Thabeet hat limits.
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I have such warm spots for ‘09 (I was a freshman at UConn and that team was somehow underrated, we win it all with Dyson) and ‘24 (season ticket holder, went to both TD Garden games in the second weekend). I think I would have to take ‘24 in a slight edge. Idk who deals with Adrien, but all the other matchups would have been amazing
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