Which Final Four team was the best?
- Thread starter Jkiller
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2024 was the most complete team, and best at sharing the hall. I don’t quite know how to compare them vs ‘99 and ‘04 when defense was a little more physical.
Talent - top to bottom, I probably still go with 04. Villanueva and Armstrong on the bench is insane.
The biggest question in my mind is which teams would have beaten 99 Duke. I was youthfully optimistic heading into that game, not fully appreciating how good that team was. Both 04 and 24 would have the talent to pull it off, but I wouldn’t expect any of our other title teams to get it done.
Talent - top to bottom, I probably still go with 04. Villanueva and Armstrong on the bench is insane.
The biggest question in my mind is which teams would have beaten 99 Duke. I was youthfully optimistic heading into that game, not fully appreciating how good that team was. Both 04 and 24 would have the talent to pull it off, but I wouldn’t expect any of our other title teams to get it done.
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i think the 99 team is the most underrated team and beat a Duke that is viewed as one of college basketballs greatest team ever. Ill stick with the 99 team personally.
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2024 was a truly absurd collection of basketball talent. i think it will only continue to look more absurd as our nba guys grow.
SubbaBub
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In no world is Ricky a Shooting Guard.
Question was FF teams. JD was hurt that matters.
As for the 2024/2004/1999 question, arguments can be made for all being the best but if they all played. No one is beating Emeka, Gordon and Boone with Anderson and Brown supporting cast.
Rip was undefendable by guys way better at defending than any of our other teams could throw at him including freshman Castle. The 24 team doesn't rebound the same against either 99 or 04 with Free and Boone. And Voskhul could definitely defend Clingan as he defended better centers.
All three are good, but if you line up all 6 champs 2004 stands out with 99 slightly ahead of 24 but still close behind. Both earlier teams were also very dominant during the regular season with multiple weeks at #1. 2004 only really lost when Okafor was hurt.
Waquoit
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But zero team chemistry.
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Not so sure. They were the cardiac kids in the tournament. I remember Anderson hitting several clutch threes to extend several games.
That 06 team broke my heart. So did the 94 team. I still think about those missed free throws.
I don't think the 06 team lacked chemistry, I think they just never understood how good they were. They often let less talented teams stay with them. They lacked a killer instinct.
Waquoit
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They didn't get punked. That big goof had the game of his life al la Toby Bailey and Sparty was playing a home game in front of 70,000. That team had trouble scoring even with Dyson. They hung tough but just didn't get much traction.
Waquoit
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Tell me about it. They showed pluck and grit in that great comeback against Albany.
SubbaBub
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They should have been winning by 15 every game. That was the problem.
The 94-96 teams were just as good. Only shows how much tougher the competition was back then.
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Imagine putting Thabeet above Clingan. SMH. And putting Cam Spencer second from the bottom at SG is nuts. And I'd say KEA was the PG in 99 and Moore was the SG.
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Possibly one of the craziest things I've ever read on this forum.
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They were. I always go back to that team's peak - at #1 ranked Louisville won by 17
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Neither is KEA. And KEA was more point guard than Ricky by that time.
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'24 had 3 top line guards who could handle, drive, pass, and shoot it. '04 had one in Gordon. Clingan makes Okafor and Boone look like small children. He would take away things at the rim and allow everyone else to guard the perimeter.
2004 lost games when Okafor was healthy.
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FfldCntyFan
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The 99 team had quite a bit of talent (I'll go to my grave believing we win that matchup with Duke seven times out of ten, possibly eight out of ten).
That team also had a resolve that I have not seen anywhere since then. If the '06 squad had close to that resolve they would have gone undefeated, destroying everyone in their path.
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I am crazy to suggest that '24 would have been easily as favored over '99 Duke as that Duke team was over UConn?
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I think that 2005-2006 team is a little overrated by people on this board.
They weren't playing up to their talent by Big East tournament time which was disappointing but the team was flawed and outside of Rudy none of the talent panned out in the NBA.
They had a great front court but they were a guard or two short. Marcus Williams was awesome but Austrie was just serviceable as a freshman and should've been pretty far down the bench instead of starting most games. Florida was a guard or two short that season as well but they had a better front court than UConn. Nova was much better than both of them at guard but was seriously shorthanded in the front court.
willie99
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You must be a young, good for you.
Imagine thinking 3 tall and talented lottery picks and a 4th 7 footer also drafted in the first round couldn't handle DC and SJ?
OK, we all can have our own opinion
willie99
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2004: Gordon, Brown, Anderson, Okafor, Boone
Villanueva, Armstrong, Denham Brown, Ed Nelson (and since people have mentioned Dyson's injury, well Marcus Williams was on this roster too)
I'm thinking not many people realize or remember how deep this team was. The great equalizer being only 5 of them can play at one time
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I wouldn’t call you crazy if you said they would win by 9 plus points. But, the spread versus that Duke team would have been far tighter if we were only favored by 6 vs Purdue.
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I remember '99 and the '04 teams well and love them, but I think the '24 team was something special. I look at those 2 matchups and its fun to try to figure the way they go. The funny thing is that I think the '99 Duke team loses by 15+ to the '24 team. Brand would have really struggled against DC and Langdon would have been locked up by Castle.
'24 v '99 Rip vs Castle - RIP's ability to use screens would have been tough for Castle, but he would have had Clingan who may be the best I've seen at showing and recovering which would have had an impact on RIP's midrange game
Who does Ricky guard and take out-either Spencer or Newton
El-Amin was in foul trouble against Avery and I think would have trouble with Newton's physicality or Spencer's size and old man's game
El-Amin on offense would struggle against Newton's size
Karaban's threat of shooting would pull Freeman from the hoop and allow for some offensive rebounds and though he would develop more offense later, he wasn't a real big offensive threat except for a few offensive rebounds
Jake's no threat on the offensive end allowing Clingan to eat up a lot of inside space like he did against most teams
If JC made the mistake of putting Khalid on Castle, then Castle uses his size and strength to his advantage (I love El-Amin, but it just wouldn't be a good matchup against the '24 team)
I give the '24 team the advantage
I think the '04 team vs '24 is the hardest to break down.
Okafor was improve offensively, but not a real outside threat and would have some trouble with DC. It's a fun matchup because they were both so well coached and fundamentally sound.
Boone vs Karaban- each guy has the edge on the offensive end. Boone would have to go out to the 3 point line limiting his help defense, but could be huge on the boards when his team has the ball
Gordon vs Castle would be great and is Big Ben to quick and craft with the ball or does Castle's strength and size give Gordon problems. Could be determine on the way the game is called. Spencer v Anderson is a wash. If one does have the advantage, I go with Cam with his ability to score inside the arc as well. Taliek is a great defender, but how does he do against Newton.
In the end, I think Newton is the difference. I think what style the refs allow could play a big part between the 2 teams. I think the difference it the All-American point guard in the end. I think it comes down to the last few possessions.
Now, they didn't make the final four, but I think the '94 team is a team that would give the '24 team a really tough time, but that's another discussion.
'24 v '99 Rip vs Castle - RIP's ability to use screens would have been tough for Castle, but he would have had Clingan who may be the best I've seen at showing and recovering which would have had an impact on RIP's midrange game
Who does Ricky guard and take out-either Spencer or Newton
El-Amin was in foul trouble against Avery and I think would have trouble with Newton's physicality or Spencer's size and old man's game
El-Amin on offense would struggle against Newton's size
Karaban's threat of shooting would pull Freeman from the hoop and allow for some offensive rebounds and though he would develop more offense later, he wasn't a real big offensive threat except for a few offensive rebounds
Jake's no threat on the offensive end allowing Clingan to eat up a lot of inside space like he did against most teams
If JC made the mistake of putting Khalid on Castle, then Castle uses his size and strength to his advantage (I love El-Amin, but it just wouldn't be a good matchup against the '24 team)
I give the '24 team the advantage
I think the '04 team vs '24 is the hardest to break down.
Okafor was improve offensively, but not a real outside threat and would have some trouble with DC. It's a fun matchup because they were both so well coached and fundamentally sound.
Boone vs Karaban- each guy has the edge on the offensive end. Boone would have to go out to the 3 point line limiting his help defense, but could be huge on the boards when his team has the ball
Gordon vs Castle would be great and is Big Ben to quick and craft with the ball or does Castle's strength and size give Gordon problems. Could be determine on the way the game is called. Spencer v Anderson is a wash. If one does have the advantage, I go with Cam with his ability to score inside the arc as well. Taliek is a great defender, but how does he do against Newton.
In the end, I think Newton is the difference. I think what style the refs allow could play a big part between the 2 teams. I think the difference it the All-American point guard in the end. I think it comes down to the last few possessions.
Now, they didn't make the final four, but I think the '94 team is a team that would give the '24 team a really tough time, but that's another discussion.
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Fair. However, I disagree with El Amin struggling against anyone. He seemed to be able to shoot, score and pass against anyone. He was a special talent. Keep in mind, he had a few cups of coffee in the NBA and probably should have stuck. He was a very good player. His career overseas was stellar.