Best 3 teams over last 30 years? | The Boneyard

Best 3 teams over last 30 years?

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I saw the post about best pgs and thought what were the best teams ive seen in that time. Id like to see what everyone else thinks .
My top 3:

1 1990 UNLV Pretty much at or near the top of most peoples list.
2 1992 Duke Yeah i know but that team was fantastic.
3 2004 Uconn No bias here. That team did lose 6 games but once Shad became starter and Ben became Ben it was over.
 
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2004 UConn is always overlooked when these types of lists come out, but that team was easily a top 5 team of the last 30 years. They could replay that tournament 100 times and they would win the whole thing 100/100 times.
 
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2004 UConn is always overlooked when these types of lists come out, but that team was easily a top 5 team of the last 30 years. They could replay that tournament 100 times and they would win the whole thing 100/100 times.
Atleast 95 of those times. That team once it got its stuff together was just a buzz saw. If not for Coach taking his foot off the gas GT couldve been blown out by 25 points in the title game. The duke semi final game was on its way to being a blow out until Mek got benched with the two fouls.
 
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I think maybe the best team of the last 30 years, didn't win the championship. The Flying Illini of 1988 and 89. Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, and Marcus Liberty. No true center but four great players and ballhandlers and shooters who could jump out of the gym.
 
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I think maybe the best team of the last 30 years, didn't win the championship. The Flying Illinoni of 1988 and 89. Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, and Marcus Liberty. No true center but four great players and ballhandlers and shooters who could jump out of the gym.
I thought about teams that didnt win titles but im a bit old fashioned as i kept my list to teams that won titles. I think a good list would be top teams that didnt win titles. I wasnt watching cbb during the 88-89 season but ive seen some teams that didnt win titles that couldve beaten a lot title winners.
 
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2004 UConn is always overlooked when these types of lists come out, but that team was easily a top 5 team of the last 30 years. They could replay that tournament 100 times and they would win the whole thing 100/100 times.
Come on, they were clearly the best team and steamrolled everyone but it took an epic comeback for us to beat Duke. They were the best team but saying we would have won 100 out of 100 is nonsense.
 
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Mr. French

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Love these type of debates and lists -- off the top of my head and no specific order:

90 UNLV, 92 Duke, 99 & 04 UConn, 01 Duke, 09 UNC would be my top 5/6.

There were some teams consistent but didn't wow you, there are some teams that were explosive at their peak but not consistent ... But I thought the best balance of what makes great teams were those 5-6 teams.
 
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They finished second in their conference and lost to a different conference team in the NCAAs. If they weren't clearly the best team in their conference that year, I'm not sure what the argument is for them historically.

The three losses they had in February came immediately after Gill broke his foot. He did return though shortly before the end of the season.


25th Anniversary of the Flyin' Illini
 
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I remember the Illini board going crazy in 2005 discussing which was the best Illini team of all time. '89 was the only one mentioned in the same stratosphere as '05. That's the only time I've ever actually heard much discussion on '89 Illini. I mean I guess it's an option, just one I wouldn't expect to hear much from outside the Land of Lincoln.

Just eyeballing, they don't look overtly talented from a historical point of view. I can think of others that accomplished what they did (or more) with more talent that I'd likely start with.
 
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Hmmm I mean for best teams that *didn't* win a national title...

Kentucky in '16
UNLV in '91
Duke in '99
Illinois '89

That'd be my pick. And not in order, I mean there's a lot of 'order' you can go in.

Best teams of the last 30 years?

'90 UNLV
'92 Duke
'95 UCLA
'01 Duke
'04 UConn

Funny thing is I dunno - It's hard for me to put any UConn team in the top five generally speaking, but both '99 and '04 are a slam dunk for the top 10. '11 and '14 were good teams but they have blemishes on that kind of a resume. The '11 UConn team was every bit as good and a deserving National Champion... but they did fall off the cliff for 9 games. They just did. But I think they were a fantastic team that just kind of lost it for a spat. '14 was a team that just figured it out, but they weren't world beaters during the season.

Some other good ones out there to think about, too. Florida's back to back teams didn't suck. Arkansas was the first team I can honestly say I was scared of... they were soooooooo physical. Kentucky finally breaking through under Calipari... they were a good team, too.

The only ones I don't think there's much of any case for would be Syracuse in 03, I just didn't think much of them. I wasn't wild about UNC's '05 team. Arizona's '97 title winner was basically UConn in '14, who I'd have on the 'definiately no shot at the list' type of thing. Deserved it, figured it out, but no. Kentucky's '98 team was meh. I'm a tin foil hat wearer, but I still feel like something stunk when Duke beat UNLV in '91.

I'm all over the place now, but that's my initial thoughts...
 

pj

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Funny thing is I dunno - It's hard for me to put any UConn team in the top five generally speaking, but both '99 and '04 are a slam dunk for the top 10. '11 and '14 were good teams but they have blemishes on that kind of a resume. The '11 UConn team was every bit as good and a deserving National Champion... but they did fall off the cliff for 9 games. They just did. But I think they were a fantastic team that just kind of lost it for a spat. '14 was a team that just figured it out, but they weren't world beaters during the season.

The 2011 team was outstanding in March but they needed time for the freshmen to develop. Midseason, Kemba was focused on passing to the freshmen (under Calhoun's instruction) more than winning games; and he was beat up and tired (because opposing coaches had figured out they had to beat up Kemba to stop him). In the NCAA, the officials don't allow as much violence, the freshmen were better, Kemba was rested, and the team was outstanding.

2004 was the most talented UConn team but 1999 may have been the best team. They had tremendous defense and team cohesion; everyone knew their role. They only lost 2 games, both with key injuries, and the Duke team they beat for the championship may have been the best team ever to not win a championship.
 
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I remember the Illini board going crazy in 2005 discussing which was the best Illini team of all time. '89 was the only one mentioned in the same stratosphere as '05. That's the only time I've ever actually heard much discussion on '89 Illini. I mean I guess it's an option, just one I wouldn't expect to hear much from outside the Land of Lincoln.

Just eyeballing, they don't look overtly talented from a historical point of view. I can think of others that accomplished what they did (or more) with more talent that I'd likely start with.
I honestly don't know what you are smoking. All five played in the NBA, at least two of them, maybe three were first round draft choices, a fourth went high 2nd round IIRC.
 
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I think maybe the best team of the last 30 years, didn't win the championship. The Flying Illini of 1988 and 89. Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, and Marcus Liberty. No true center but four great players and ballhandlers and shooters who could jump out of the gym.

Great team good call. They probably were just that big guy to bolster down the paint from being an all time great team, really talented.
 
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I honestly don't know what you are smoking. All five played in the NBA, at least two of them, maybe three were first round draft choices, a fourth went high 2nd round IIRC.
He's smoking something. That Illini team was loaded. Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, and Marcus Liberty. Michigan was also loaded that year with Loy Vaught, Sean Higgins, Terry Mills, Glenn Rice, and Rumeal Robinson but they were gifted that title. I still consider Seton Hall the National Champions from '89. The phantom foul is by far the worst call I've ever seen in a big spot.
 
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The 2005-2006 team wasn't slouchy. Emeka, Ben and Taliek left but we trotted out Marcus at pg (NBA), Hilton and Josh (NBA), Rudy Gay (NBA) along with Denham and Rashad as Seniors.

Then we had Ed Nelson and Jeff Adrien (NBA). Oh and remember Marcus Williams?

It was the last game (i.e. who we lost to) that negated their legacy. But they were awesome and formidable and could hang with many of our great teams.
 
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He's smoking something. That Illini team was loaded. Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, and Marcus Liberty. Michigan was also loaded that year with Loy Vaught, Sean Higgins, Terry Mills, Glenn Rice, and Rumeal Robinson but they were gifted that title. I still consider Seton Hall the National Champions from '89. The phantom foul is by far the worst call I've ever seen in a big spot.

We haven't mentioned Bardo either, loved his game solid, big guard for the Illini
 
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Great team good call. They probably were just that big guy to bolster down the paint from being an all time great team, really talented.
Bill Freider the former Michigan coach said IHO, they were the best team he ever saw since Bobby Knights undefeated Indiana team. I don't know if they really needed that 7 footer, Gill, Battle, and Anderson though all only 6'6", played much taller. IIRC, Liberty was the tallest guy on the team at 6'8".
 
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He's smoking something. That Illini team was loaded. Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, and Marcus Liberty. Michigan was also loaded that year with Loy Vaught, Sean Higgins, Terry Mills, Glenn Rice, and Rumeal Robinson but they were gifted that title. I still consider Seton Hall the National Champions from '89. The phantom foul is by far the worst call I've ever seen in a big spot.
People forget that Illinois beat Michigan by pretty good margins, twice that year, during the regular season before Gill broke his foot.
 
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People forget that Illinois beat Michigan by pretty good margins, twice that year, during the regular season before Gill broke his foot.
Yep, Illinois was the better team IMO but that Michigan squad had some pretty damn good NBA talent. The Seton Hall squad didn't really have any NBA talent but they rolled everyone before the refs screwed them in the title game.
 
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He's smoking something. That Illini team was loaded. Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, and Marcus Liberty. Michigan was also loaded that year with Loy Vaught, Sean Higgins, Terry Mills, Glenn Rice, and Rumeal Robinson but they were gifted that title. I still consider Seton Hall the National Champions from '89. The phantom foul is by far the worst call I've ever seen in a big spot.
Vaught and Rice were the stars on that team. Higgins never panned out though he was highly highly recruited.
 

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