Got 5 so we might as well talk about them

[The Yakk]

Maybe I was dumb to be relaxed, but I was. I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life. Never before or after have I seen a player have the defensive season that Ricky Moore had that year. Maybe I should have foreseen a controversial foul call, but all I saw was Langdon getting up a forced, low percentage shot.

Billy Packer agreed with you.

"What is coach K doing?"

 

[UofCT]

Like many of you, I was at the game in Houston this year and I still don’t think it has sunk in.

 

[QDOG5]

This changes daily but for today...
1999
2003
2023
2011
2014

 

[Palatine]

I still think that Arizona is going to make that shot and go to the Final Four. When it missed I couldn't believe it. The last Arizona possession lasted an hour. And then it was over. After we brought home the NC in 2011, I thought we will never be this lucky agin. I thought we used up all our karma. And then we won two more.

 

[uconnfan68]

Okay, but if you're going to tell me you were relaxed when Langdon had the ball and started toward the hoop I'm calling bullisht. At minimum I was 100% convinced he was going to be shooting free throws. Honestly, I was amazed there was no foul call on the next possession when he fell as time expired.

Almost passed out, from the thrill of winning.

 

[Umami Zen]

Okay, but if you're going to tell me you were relaxed when Langdon had the ball and started toward the hoop I'm calling bullisht. At minimum I was 100% convinced he was going to be shooting free throws. Honestly, I was amazed there was no foul call on the next possession when he fell as time expired.

@BigErnMcCracken .. Only one more person in the World that was more amazed at the no call than you.. Coach K

 

[Edward Sargent]

99 was the first but after that 14. Watched St Joes on a plane and MSU in an airport bar

 

[CL82]

The moment of sheer happiness for me will always be one possession earlier, with Duke down 1 and plenty of time, when the sainted Coach K decided to let Langdon try to take Ricky Moore one on one. The game was over the moment it was clear that that was Duke’s plan.

"Take him Trajan"

 

[CL82]

@BigErnMcCracken .. Only one more person in the World that was more amazed at the no call than you.. Coach K

That was absolutely the plan when he flopped at the end.

 

[bfs3]

Honestly all I care about is number 6. It’s a pretty serious character flaw but I’ve just come to accept it.

 

[navery12]

Probably 2014 for me, but it's only a sample of 2 since I wasn't a UConn fan before the 2012-13 season. But it's also tough, because I didn't truly appreciate how difficult winning a championship was in 2014 since it happened so early in my time as a UConn fan. And there was never a doubt in my mind we were winning the championship this season

 

[Spaceman213J]

in 2014, I don't think most UConn fans actually believed they had a real chance at winning it all before the tourney started. We knew Shabazz was capable of coming up big in a game, but he went to another level. LeBron James was even giving him praise by the end. Watching his growth and it finally begin to click for Boatright was really cool to watch. Even down the stretch of the championship game when Kentucky had chances to take the lead, I was convinced Bazz would not let it happen. If they had taken the lead, I just thought Napier would just come down and drain one from 28 feet. He was hitting from long, long range.

 

[Kitaman]

Okay, but if you're going to tell me you were relaxed when Langdon had the ball and started toward the hoop I'm calling bullisht. At minimum I was 100% convinced he was going to be shooting free throws. Honestly, I was amazed there was no foul call on the next possession when he fell as time expired.

Actually I was more surprised the refs called a travel on a dook player (Langfon) at a critical time. I recall asking in the Yard if he should have called it. Coach k and dook were walking on water with refs back then, but Calhoun had matching cred.

 

[zls44]

The last three feel like the universe evening out 1990-98.

 

[uconnfan68]

The last three feel like the universe evening out 1990-98.

The last 2 felt like UConn evening out 2013.

 

[HooperScooper]

The last 2 felt like UConn evening out 2013.

 

[coachRD]

It is a kind of "which of your kids do you love the most" question. The differences are fractional, almost so slight as to be nonexistent, but I think I'd go with:

2011 - This championship gets bolstered by the incredible championship run in the Big East tournament. That was just magical and by the end of it I felt like no one in the country could beat us. Of course Kemba also pumps up this championship. We've had a lot of great players at Connecticut, but I don't think we've ever had a more charismatic or electric player than Kemba Walker. He was a special kid.

2014 - I struggled with this a little bit versus 1999. Watching Bazz and Boatright just utterly dominate opposing guards completely taking other teams out of what they wanted to do was amazing. This team had a certain sense of inevitability about it as well. You knew we were going to make our free throws down the line and I love the fact that Calipari didn't even try and foul us. I will always love Bazz standing up at the end of the game and calling out the NCAA, just classic. 'You banned, this is what you get.' Beating Kentucky doesn't hurt it this championship either.

1999 - You never forget your first. Ricky Moore's unstoppable first half offense and dominating second half defense was incredibly impressive. Of course the fact that we beat a supposedly unbeatable Duke team also helps this championship. Rip Hamilton's relentless energy and KEA's "we're going to shock the world/we shocked the world" help this championships ranking.

2023 - This one benefits from recency bias. It felt so good, though, to be back on top. This program has been written off for dead so many times and so many try to discount or ignore our consistent excellence. This year's championship was just an exclamation point about who we are. Andre Jackson is a special kid who is easy to root for. Sanogo had a great run for us and it was good to see it culminate in the championship. Clingan and Karaban were both surprises. You knew they were going to be good, but to be as effective as they both were in there freshman years was the difference between this being a good team and a great team.

2004 - It feels weird to rank this team last in anything. It had to parade high school all Americans (Anderson and Brown) and six future NBA players (Gordon, Okafor, Villanueva, Armstrong, Williams and Boone). It may well be our most talented team. Watching Calhoun out coach Krzyzewski was just a pleasure. It was a little scary when Okafor had to sit down, but in the end that was likely the difference.

I agree 100% with every word you wrote. Excellent synopsis of each title run!

 

[ucp990411]

Probably 2014 for me, but it's only a sample of 2 since I wasn't a UConn fan before the 2012-13 season. But it's also tough, because I didn't truly appreciate how difficult winning a championship was in 2014 since it happened so early in my time as a UConn fan. And there was never a doubt in my mind we were winning the championship this season

So you are 11 years old?

 

[Kathy]

1999 because it was the 1st and it was Duke - felt vindicated for the Dream Season.
After that it has to be 2014 - the least expected. 2011 was amazing because of Kemba, but after our run through the BE Tournament I knew we had a darn good shot at a championship.

 

[navery12]

So you are 11 years old?

No I'm 29 years old

 

[Chin Diesel]

They're all fun to appreciate.

1999- You never forget your first. After Dream Season and then the great teams in the mid-90's that didn't even make a FF, you almost have to see to believe.
2004- Had the best team in the country when everyone was healthy and it was nice to see that.
2011- Kemba, Kemba, Kemba. Team was undefeated in tournaments that season. One and done kings.
2014- Most surprising for me. Bazz and Boat took millions out of the pockets of Florida and Kentucky guards in the FF. After four years of college, Tyler O finally gets over the hump for ring #2, so he can officially get the monkey off his back of only having as many rings as the nose picker.
2023- Saw great things in the beginning of the season. Mid-season correction and then from second half of Iona on out, one of the most dominant runs in NCAAT history. History will be very kind to this team and its NCAAT performance.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Not sure what “Marvel at” means in this context.
2014 was the most unexpected. By far. That team is like the NC State team. No business winning really.

1999 was the most enjoyable. In 1999 I knew it was Duke or UConn, kind of like 2021 I knew it was Baylor or Gonzaga. But you can’t beat the joy of winning the first.

2023 and 2011 were similar in some ways both teams were great early, stumbled and then had an aura of inevitability as the tournament happened.

2004 was just the best team in the country hands down. . In 2004 I expected UConn to win.

 

[Hunt for 7]

The first one was the best. Even though we were a great team Dook looked better on paper but we had the it factor. It’s really hard to rank all the rest but because they all have their own splendor. 2014 with Bazz and a 7 seed. But this year is still number two. The shear dominance puts it up there. IMO the way we ran the table and dominated is a story that would already be a 30 by 30 episode if it was Dook.

 

[EZPass]

Let’s talk about em…

2011 my fave. Not sure how many know that EZPass is a Kemba nickname. Also when I did my undergraduate studies in Mojo

77-74 was about a month before my 11th birthday, I was so proud to be a young Husky fan. And the merch 2004 as a season is probably the closest I ever came to how Ed Cooley described the fan base lol

2014 the most superstitious. Watched every tourney game in the exact same location down to the seat on the couch.

 

[Scoe]

Their special in their own unique ways. I can’t pick a favorite that’s just unfair. I’ll explain each one in order.

1999

When we got to the FF it was pure elation and the Final Four was enjoyable. You had to grow up in CT to really understand how big this championship was for the state. We were a laughing stock to the general sports fan losing the Whalers and getting fooled (well Rowland getting fooled) by the Pats and Robert Kraft.

I was 15 at the time. Funny story, my uncle called me for help on his bracket he lived in NC btw, without hesitation I had UConn beating Duke and he was the only one at his job who picked UConn to beat Duke everyone thought he was crazy he won his pool off $300, he didn’t give me any of the money I still give him a hard time about it, how he owes me and I’m the reason he won that pool lol.

2004

The 2nd championship in my eyes puts you in blue blood status. Where exactly who knows thats up for debate (just talking 2 championships of course). I was never worried all year (ok was a little worried against Duke). All year I said they will be fine. I had friends who said they were worried I never gave in.

When we beat Duke that literally felt like the national championship I had to remind myself we had Ga Tech on Monday night wasn’t worried at all, think losing to them earlier in the year was an advantage.

2011

Kemba what can you say. Never will we see a run like that ever again 5 games in 5 days. The Maui tourney was a lot of fun too. The tourney we were already battle tested that fortunately a bit of luck was on our side.

As ugly as the Butler game was what people don’t understand is our entire starting lineup had 2 fouls in the first half. Had that not been the case we beat Butler by at least 20.

I’ll get to 2014 and 2023 later.