Which Final Four team was the best?

[Tenspro2002]

2024 reached the Final Four in part thanks to a 30-0 run against the #1 offense in the country. Come on, people.

 

[jleves]

Not for nothing, but the statistics on that poll are super messed up. Maybe because multiple votes are allowed (which doesn't make sense - there can only be one best - who chose more than 1?).

It says total votes are 183, but I count 216 (at this time).

99: 8%
04: 16%
09: 0%
11: 2%
14: 2%
23: 4%
24: 68%

 

[willie99]

That's funny stuff

You actually know where guys would be drafted in different eras, that's super special.

Your point about Armstrong is at least palatable. You're arguments about Meka and Sanogo are laughable and discredits anything else you might think.

2004 >>>>>>>>>>>>>2024, it's not rocket science. So there, take that

Next week, Cam over MSG and he would have been a lottery pick in 2004

 

[SubbaBub]

Sigh. Oak was the national DPOY and beat the guy who won the same award the next two years and his team that had 6 NBA players on it. I'm pretty sure he's going to match up with the guy who gave up 37 and spent 10 minutes on the bench against the only real center he played.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

That's funny stuff

You actually know where guys would be drafted in different eras, that's super special.

Your point about Armstrong is at least palatable. You're arguments about Meka and Sanogo are laughable and discredits anything else you might think.

2004 >>>>>>>>>>>>>2024, it's not rocket science. So there, take that

Next week, Cam over MSG and he would have been a lottery pick in 2004

It’s wild that you’re posting stuff like this and lecturing people. It’s genuinely crazy. I appreciate your fandom boss but this is legitimacy too stupid to respond to.

 

[caw]

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.

We will disagree on Ricky, because KEA was the PG and leader of the offense hands down. RM also defended the 2 a lot.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

2004 only really lost when Okafor was hurt.

This is revisionist history. They got pumped at home by unranked providence. Emeka was the leading scorer. They lost to unranked Notre Dame. Emeka was the leading scorer. They lost to a barely ranked Syracuse. Emeka played 30+ minutes and scored 2 points.

It was a great team. It was not as historically dominant as 2024. You can’t just make stuff up to support your argument.

 

[Jkiller]

I guess another interesting thought experiment is, which team had a better coaching staff:

99: Calhoun, Moore, Hobbs, Lietao
04: Calhoun, Blaney, Moore, Clyde Vaughan
09: Calhoun, Blaney, Patrick Sellers, LaFleur
11: Calhoun, Blaney, Ollie, LaFleur
14: Ollie, Hobbs, Miller, Moore
23: Hurley, Kimani, Moore, Murray
24: Hurley, Kimani, Moore, Murray

 

[willie99]

I guess another interesting thought experiment is, which team had a better coaching staff:

99: Calhoun, Moore, Hobbs, Lietao
04: Calhoun, Blaney, Moore, Clyde Vaughan
09: Calhoun, Blaney, Patrick Sellers, LaFleur
11: Calhoun, Blaney, Ollie, LaFleur
14: Ollie, Hobbs, Miller, Moore
23: Hurley, Kimani, Moore, Murray
24: Hurley, Kimani, Moore, Murray

That's a tad bit harder

 

[Mr. French]

I’m just excited for when Cam Spencer becomes the single greatest player in NCAA history.

 

[Waquoit]

The win at Stanford was special.

That's one of the great forgotten games. They were ranked 4th and UConn beat them without Rip.

 

[SubbaBub]

This is revisionist history. They got pumped at home by unranked providence. Emeka was the leading scorer. They lost to unranked Notre Dame. Emeka was the leading scorer. They lost to a barely ranked Syracuse. Emeka played 30+ minutes and scored 2 points.

It was a great team. It was not as historically dominant as 2024. You can’t just make stuff up to support your argument.

24 isn't offering anything other than opinion.

04 had three NBA all-rookie first team players, including the rookie of the year as well as a bunch of 1st rounders.

Bet most people forgot that.

 

[Waquoit]

24 isn't offering anything other than opinion.

04 had three NBA all-rookie first team players, including the rookie of the year as well as a bunch of 1st rounders.

Bet most people forgot that.

Good start. true. But that class was lacking in staying power. Ben disappeared right after signing his 2nd contract. Emeka was always hurt and the other guys went nowhere.

 

[husky8273]

why do the voting percentages total to 117%?

 

[HooperScooper]

why do the voting percentages total to 117%?

On the bottom of the the poll:
Multiple votes are allowed.

 

[uconnblueinky]

How many Connecticut NCAA tournament losses were to the eventual champion?

 

[freescooter]

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.

Until 2004 Calhoun said the team that lost to UCLA was his best team. I would say 2004, 2024, 1999, 2023, 2011, 2014. But I can see why people rank the first 3 differently.

 

[controlfade]

I still stick with 99 - that team finished with 2 loses and if I am correct finished 3rd in the poll before the Tournament behind Duke and Michigan State (who they beat up as well).
Also, no team has a win nearly as good as the 99 Championship team.
99, 24, 04, 23, 11, 14

 

[freescooter]

The game is different now which makes it tougher to compare teams too. Eurostep was traveling until 2009 and was called that way in college though less so in the NBA. A major reason for the 2009 rule Change was to bring consistency to the way NBA refs called traveling. The 3 was a secondary weapon, not the primary one.

 

[freescooter]

I still stick with 99 - that team finished with 2 loses and if I am correct finished 3rd in the poll before the Tournament behind Duke and Michigan State (who they beat up as well).
Also, no team has a win nearly as good as the 99 Championship team.
99, 24, 04, 23, 11, 14.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Sigh. Oak was the national DPOY and beat the guy who won the same award the next two years and his team that had 6 NBA players on it. I'm pretty sure he's going to match up with the guy who gave up 37 and spent 10 minutes on the bench against the only real center he played.

Is the implication that Okafor would have locked down Edey?

 

[Lafayette]

If this is truly Final 4 voting, 2024 has it in spades.

Clingan became a blocking machine, Castle could shut down anyone, And Newton/Spencer/Castle had height on opposing guards. Ok and AK as the 4th / 5th option was deadly.

 

[Lafayette]

Raining threes? You mean like Ben Gordan & Rashad Anderson

Not over Newton, Castle and Spencer.

 

[Lafayette]

24 isn't offering anything other than opinion.

04 had three NBA all-rookie first team players, including the rookie of the year as well as a bunch of 1st rounders.

Bet most people forgot that.

24 offered ROY, 1st team Defensive and a 2nd team defensive and 4 drafted. That's a far cry from "isn't offering anything other than opinion". They also ran teams ragged on offensive sets to tire them out. As did '23. But this is about Final 4 teams - was it '04 or '24 that had the biggest margin of victory in the dance?

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

How did the 2014 team recieve any votes?

I would go in order..

2024
2004
1999
2023
2011
2014
2009 (would be higher but didn't win)