Thoughts from the UConn championship

[CBB_Fan]

UConn has had a very great run these last 15 or so years, arguably as successful in the tournament as Duke was in Krzyzewski's best years (though Duke was a top team much more frequently outside it). But where were they before that? In 1998, here is what UConn had to their name:

Championships: 0
Runner-Ups: 0
Final Fours: 0
Elite 8s: 1

Many of us know that we were going through the dark years at that time. And yet:

Championships: 0
Runner-Ups: 0
Final Fours: 1
Elite 8s: 3

In the span of one coach and his assistant, UConn went from irrelevant to contending for blue blood status. It helped that they grew with the Big East, but it still shows that in this era of the sport, a great coach can lift a program in a very short amount of time. I think Marshall can do that for us.

[choida]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcz_kDCBTBk

[ddminct]

Just one small correction after '98 season they did have 3 Elite 8 appearances. '64, '95 and '98

[WuShock16]

...and 1990. Tate George heroics sent UConn to Elite 8. Christian Laettner heroics kept them out of the Final Four.

[WSUwatcher]

Interesting info, even with the corrections.

One other thought that comes to mind: this sure ended up a much better season for the former Big East than it did for the new version, didn't it?

[Cdizzle]

Interesting info, even with the corrections.

One other thought that comes to mind: this sure ended up a much better season for the former Big East than it did for the new version, didn't it?

That's because TEAMS win games, not conferences. Most of the top teams went to conferences other than the nBE. And the good teams that did go to the nBE didn't have good seasons (GTown, Marquette).

[WSUwatcher]

Hmmm, dizzle... Sounds like the old maxim that teams get bids to the tournament, not conferences. (Like the SEC this year, for example, which only got two at large spots for its 13 non-tournament winners, but nevertheless performed extremely well once NCAA play began thanks to the impressive work by those teams).

[CBB_Fan]

...and 1990. Tate George heroics sent UConn to Elite 8. Christian Laettner heroics kept them out of the Final Four.

You are right, I'm must have been counting from 1988 instead of 1998.

[ddminct]

...and 1990. Tate George heroics sent UConn to Elite 8. Christian Laettner heroics kept them out of the Final Four.

OMG how sad is that. I am getting old. I was at both of those games.

[another shocker]

OMG how sad is that. I am getting old. I was at both of those games.

i think that we are starting a series with uconn next year.

[Dave Stalwart]

i think that we are starting a series with uconn next year.

Hcgm is a prophet.

[WSUwatcher]

I didn't realize until reading the coverage afterward that UConn had never lost a championship game. I guess there's always a first time, but wow -- 4-0 for their men, 9-0 (!) for their women? Better catch them before the finals, just in case.

[1972Shocker]

I didn't realize until reading the coverage afterward that UConn had never lost a championship game. I guess there's always a first time, but wow -- 4-0 for their men, 9-0 (!) for their women? Better catch them before the finals, just in case.

That's pretty amazing especially for the men. It is a impressive feat for the women as well but they are basically in the same position as UCLA was during Coach Wooden's great run. They cherry pick the best players at a time their sport lacks depth/parity. Probably even more so than during UCLA's great run. However, the women's game could remain in that mode for a long, long time.

[60Shock]

Gotta admit it is pretty special when both your men's and women's teams win national championships.