2022-23 UConn vs 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014 UConn, how does 2023 compare, whatIFsports will help to find out.

[Travelman6]

UConn fans are truly blessed to have enjoyed so many incredible seasons.

So in this battle royale 2022-23 vs the other 4 top teams.

Using What IF Sports I have created a Best of 7 series between 2022-23 UConn and the other 4 championship teams in a neutral setting.

2022-23 UConn vs 1998-99 UConn
Game 1: 1999 wins 90-81, RIP and El-Amin combine for 55 points!
Game 2: 1999 cruises, 92-65, 5 from 1999 in double digits
Game 3: 1999 wins in a close high scoring affair, 97-92, Hawkins and Newton for 2023 score 21, as well as RIP with 21 of his own, Freeman with 20
Game 4: 2023 grabs their first win, 81-79.
Game 5: 1999 closes the series out, 82-79, RIP leads the way with 31.

2022-23 UConn vs 2003-04 UConn
Game 1: 2004 wins 88-67, Sanogo's 22 not enough. Emeka and Ben combine for 56
Game 2: 2004 wins 82-65, Emeka scores 23, Ben 21, Brown 15
Game 3: 2004 wins in a blowout, 92-57, 6 players from 2004 in double figure scoring
Game 4: 2004 finishes the sweep, 97-77

2022-23 UConn vs 2010-11 UConn
Game 1: 2011 wins 73-72, Walker leads the way with 26
Game 2: 2011 wins 88-82 behind Kemba's 22 and 7 assists
Game 3: 2011 wins 87-76, Kemba goes off for 29!
Game 4: 2011 finishes the sweep, 85-75

2022-23 UConn vs 2013-14 UConn
Game 1: 2023 wins 91-81, 5 players from 2023 in double figure scoring, Napier with 26
Game 2: 2023 wins 79-71, outscoring 2014 by 18 in the 2nd half. Karaban and Sanago with 29 combined
Game 3: 2014 wins 90-81
Game 4: 2014 evens the series with an 87-78 win
Game 5: 2023 gets the win 79-75 behind Hawkins 23, Sanago with 18
Game 6: 2014 evens the series with 81-72 win
Game 7: 2023.....In OT, they take it 92-87!

 

[ucp990411]

You really are dissing 2023. I have always thought the 2004 team had the most talent and the 1999 had the best chemistry and the most character and togetherness. 2011 and 2014 as much as I loved both teams, they don’t really compare. 2023 might be our best team in my opinion. Why? Best defense and a terrific offensive team. And they have Andre Jackson who shuts the opponents best player down every game? How did Bradley do Monday? What about Wong Saturday?

 

[tzznandrew]

2023 is our third best title team.

S Tier: 1999, 2004
A Tier: 2023
B Tier: 2011
C Tier: 2014

 

[PNolanFan]

I got 1999, 2023, 2004, 2014, 2011. I think something that gets overlooked between 14 and 11 is how much better the 14 team was by the end of the year, by the end of that tournament Daniels and Boatright had blossomed in a way that wasnt reflected throughout that year

 

[Waquoit]

You really are dissing 2023. I have always thought the 2004 team had the most talent and the 1999 had the best chemistry and the most character and togetherness.

I usually find myself afflicted with reverse recency bias, my kneejerk reaction is that the new guys aren't as good as the ones that came before. But that's changing. I'm not sure 99 had any more character and togetherness than 23. And I don't think Rip is going for 20 against AJ.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

This team is not giving up 90 points so consistently. They are probably 3rd best overall, but a top 7 defense.

 

[Mr. French]

Despite how good they were this year, I think it's clear that 99 and 04 were much better overall.

I also think 2014 is our most surprising and probably least high end talent, but man they get disrespected around here too. I never thought they were a 7, nor did most here.

If they won it that year as a 5, or had not gotten blown out by Louisville 3x, would we all have that same opinion? Their gauntlet of teams and coaches to beat was probably the most formidable.

 

[tzznandrew]

14 team was by the end of the year

Their tournament run was fantastic and underrated. BUT they got housed by 33 by Louisville in their final game, then killed again in the AAC Finals. They lost by 9 at home to SMU in late February, too.

They had a great run saved by a Brimah put-back.

 

[tzznandrew]

I also think 2014 is our most surprising and probably least high end talent, but man they get disrespected around here too. I never thought they were a 7, nor did most here.

The American was so disrespected across the board that year. Louisville was a 4 where by Kenpom they should have been a 1. Even after the tournament Louisville was the highest ranked team. Cincy was a 5 whose metrics were worse but whose performance was better, and UConn got a 7 when they should have been a 5. SMU was one of the best 30 teams by metrics but wasn't invited.

That team was formidable, and I'm ranking them C-Tier relative to other UConn championship teams. I think they could have beaten a number of champions that came later, even if Reddit universally agrees they are the worst of the last decade.

 

[temery]

Didn't we just do this?

 

[nomar]

You really are dissing 2023. I have always thought the 2004 team had the most talent and the 1999 had the best chemistry and the most character and togetherness. 2011 and 2014 as much as I loved both teams, they don’t really compare. 2023 might be our best team in my opinion. Why? Best defense and a terrific offensive team. And they have Andre Jackson who shuts the opponents best player down every game? How did Bradley do Monday? What about Wong Saturday?

You realize he's not WhatIfSports, right?

 

[nomar]

There's something magical about the '99 team, and they only dropped 2 games, but man, I just think 2004 was our most complete team. The bigs on that team were so much better than the '99 bigs, and there were so many weapons. But definitely 1a and 1b.

I put this team 3rd. Apart from a single 8-game stretch, this team was dominant. 16-0 against OOC teams with a 20 PPG margin? Destroying all 6 opponents in the Tournament? No way 2011 beats them in a 7-games series, much less in a sweep!

Now 2011 vs 2014 would be a heckuva game/series!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

There's no world where this year's team defeats the 99 team and gets swept by the 11 team. Adama and Donovan eat that 11 interior for lunch. Andre (likely) on Lamb would be a fascinating matchup. Newton would of course have his hands full with Kemba, but I think could at least contain him. Karaban on Roscoe is a pretty big mismatch in favor of Karaban.

 

[Waquoit]

The more I think about it, the more I like 2023 over 2004. Emeka takes Adama but is Boone going to be able to guard Karaban at the arc? Denham or Shad guarding Hawk? Ben would have a tough day guarded by Andre. And Taliek would have all the shots he wants.

 

[tzznandrew]

The more I think about it, the more I like 2023 over 2004. Emeka takes Adama but is Boone going to be able to guard Karaban at the arc? Denham or Shad guarding Hawk? Ben would have a tough day guarded by Andre. And Taliek would have all the shots he wants.

1999 was undefeated when leading at half. 2004 faced some real adversity, and their defense was fantastic.

2004 v. 2023, in particular, demonstrates the evolution of the game. But, maybe Boone isn't chasing Alex around, but instead Charlie is. That dude can shoot.

2004 was a better all around team, I think, and the talent then in college was better. But...a thing to note is that, relative to their peers, 2023 is the best UConn team on KenPom.

 

[Mr. French]

You realize he's not WhatIfSports, right?

Or…is he?

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

1999 was undefeated when leading at half. 2004 faced some real adversity, and their defense was fantastic.

2004 v. 2023, in particular, demonstrates the evolution of the game. But, maybe Boone isn't chasing Alex around, but instead Charlie is. That dude can shoot.

2004 was a better all around team, I think, and the talent then in college was better. But...a thing to note is that, relative to their peers, 2023 is the best UConn team on KenPom.

The stats for the 04 team are likely skewed due to Okafor's lingering back injury. If he's healthy, they don't lose 6 games.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

There's no world where this year's team defeats the 99 team and gets swept by the 11 team. Adama and Donovan eat that 11 interior for lunch. Andre (likely) on Lamb would be a fascinating matchup. Newton would of course have his hands full with Kemba, but I think could at least contain him. Karaban on Roscoe is a pretty big mismatch in favor of Karaban.

Disagree on a few points. Newton would be able to contain Kemba. Literally no one can/could. And Roscoe on Karaban is not a mismatch, Roscoe was a very good defender rebounder. That would be close to a wash, but obviously Karaban is significantly more versatile on the offensive end.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

By contain, I meant Tristen could hold him to <30. My guess is the defensive plan would be stop everyone else and let Kemba get his, then outscore them on the other end. Particularly, Jackson's ability to slow and keep Lamb off the board would be the biggest key.

Roscoe was a good rebounder, but he was not a major offensive threat in the way that other guys Alex guarded this year were. He's no Bryce Hopkins. Not to mention I don't believe he'd be able to guard Alex in the way the team used him.

To me 23 handily beats 11 in a 7 game series in 5. Not a chance in hell 11 sweeps 23.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

By contain, I meant Tristen could hold him to <30. My guess is the defensive plan would be stop everyone else and let Kemba get his, then outscore them on the other end. Particularly, Jackson's ability to slow and keep Lamb off the board would be the biggest key.

Roscoe was a good rebounder, but he was not a major offensive threat in the way that other guys Alex guarded this year were. He's no Bryce Hopkins. Not to mention I don't believe he'd be able to guard Alex in the way the team used him.

To me 23 handily beats 11 in a 7 game series in 5. Not a chance in hell 11 sweeps 23.

To be fair <30 is not necessarily a contain, but ai agree this team would PROBABLY win. I think it would go to 7 though. They had closers and the best player by far. Close to a toss up.

 

[tzznandrew]

By contain, I meant Tristen could hold him to <30. My guess is the defensive plan would be stop everyone else and let Kemba get his, then outscore them on the other end. Particularly, Jackson's ability to slow and keep Lamb off the board would be the biggest key.

Roscoe was a good rebounder, but he was not a major offensive threat in the way that other guys Alex guarded this year were. He's no Bryce Hopkins. Not to mention I don't believe he'd be able to guard Alex in the way the team used him.

To me 23 handily beats 11 in a 7 game series in 5. Not a chance in hell 11 sweeps 23.

I think 2023 beats 2011 in 6, and 2014 in 5.

More a comment on those other two title teams than a slight on 2023: in each matchup, which team do you trust more if it's within 5 with under 4 left?

 

[Tenspro2002]

UConn fans are truly blessed to have enjoyed so many incredible seasons.

So in this battle royale 2022-23 vs the other 4 top teams.

Using What IF Sports I have created a Best of 7 series between 2022-23 UConn and the other 4 championship teams in a neutral setting.

2022-23 UConn vs 1998-99 UConn
Game 1: 1999 wins 90-81, RIP and El-Amin combine for 55 points!
Game 2: 1999 cruises, 92-65, 5 from 1999 in double digits
Game 3: 1999 wins in a close high scoring affair, 97-92, Hawkins and Newton for 2023 score 21, as well as RIP with 21 of his own, Freeman with 20
Game 4: 2023 grabs their first win, 81-79.
Game 5: 1999 closes the series out, 82-79, RIP leads the way with 31.

2022-23 UConn vs 2003-04 UConn
Game 1: 2004 wins 88-67, Sanogo's 22 not enough. Emeka and Ben combine for 56
Game 2: 2004 wins 82-65, Emeka scores 23, Ben 21, Brown 15
Game 3: 2004 wins in a blowout, 92-57, 6 players from 2004 in double figure scoring
Game 4: 2004 finishes the sweep, 97-77

2022-23 UConn vs 2010-11 UConn
Game 1: 2011 wins 73-72, Walker leads the way with 26
Game 2: 2011 wins 88-82 behind Kemba's 22 and 7 assists
Game 3: 2011 wins 87-76, Kemba goes off for 29!
Game 4: 2011 finishes the sweep, 85-75

2022-23 UConn vs 2013-14 UConn
Game 1: 2023 wins 91-81, 5 players from 2023 in double figure scoring, Napier with 26
Game 2: 2023 wins 79-71, outscoring 2014 by 18 in the 2nd half. Karaban and Sanago with 29 combined
Game 3: 2014 wins 90-81
Game 4: 2014 evens the series with an 87-78 win
Game 5: 2023 gets the win 79-75 behind Hawkins 23, Sanago with 18
Game 6: 2014 evens the series with 81-72 win
Game 7: 2023.....In OT, they take it 92-87!

I don't know, dawg.

I can see this team losing to 1999, but giving up like 86 ppg?

A 4-game noncompetitive sweep against 2004? Behind 2011 and barely even with 2014?

This is selling 2023 way short.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Given these results, it is obvious that the team playing in Travelman's Whatifsports multi-verse is an amalgamation of the 22-23 team's body of work over the entire season and not the peaking juggernaut that steamrolled the NCAA tournament. Not sure if Travelman can rig his program (wouldn't have enough data) so just the last 6 games of 22-23 are compared to other teams during their respective tourney runs.

So really this is comparing seasons, so by definition 1999 & 2004 (healthy) are the best. Any of us would love to watch either of those series and probably switch rooting alliances each game if not each possession.

I'm surprised that 2011 dominated yet that argues strongly that 2011 is when UConn became 10-1 in Final Fours UConn.
Arguably the two prior titles were won by teams forged in steel over multiple years peaking in a year to dominate CBB over a season. In 2011 Kemba put us all on his back and said, 'nope, we are UConn, we have an undeniable will to win, we find any damn way we need to win and UConn will not be denied.' Kemba further forged the UConn brand in beskar. So even when you put UConn against UConn, UConn wins*.

*Note that after the first 3 x 7 game series UConn is 12-1 in Final Fours

 

[tzznandrew]

I don't know, dawg.

I can see this team losing to 1999, but giving up like 86 ppg?

A 4-game noncompetitive sweep against 2004? Behind 2011 and barely even with 2014?

This is selling 2023 way short.

You really are dissing 2023. I have always thought the 2004 team had the most talent and the 1999 had the best chemistry and the most character and togetherness. 2011 and 2014 as much as I loved both teams, they don’t really compare. 2023 might be our best team in my opinion. Why? Best defense and a terrific offensive team. And they have Andre Jackson who shuts the opponents best player down every game? How did Bradley do Monday? What about Wong Saturday?

 

[boba]

here’s the thing with these comparisons: Who is the coach? JC would win most match ups, period. Then it’s a seven game series?! JC wins with the #7 seed 91 team, the one that shut down Shaq and lost to OSU. Everything matters, not just the players. Now JC with AJ, Sanogo, and Hawkins? They make that UNLV monster shart the bed. It’s not an accident nor a mistake that he was inducted into the HOF.