Let the fun begin. UConn’s path to its fourth National Championship has been laid out and it’s, well, difficult. The Huskies are a 9 seed in the Hillbilly South Region and will be pitted against 8th seeded Iowa St. with overall top seed Kentucky looming should UConn advance.
Instead of breaking down the ins and outs of the bracket, here at A Dime Back we choose to bask in the glory of the past. So hop in our time machine, better known as the NCAA Vault, and come along on our fantastic voyage*.
Click the headlines to watch the games in their entirety.
It’s Late, it’s Great…
Let’s get this party started in 1990. The “Dream Season” gained its name for a reason. UConn had won the Big East Tournament for the first time and captured the regular season title as well. A squad led by Chris Smith, Scott Burrell and freshman sensation Nadav Henefeld stormed into the national spotlight and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, where they met the Clemson Tigers. After the thrilling victory, UConn was dealt a heartbreaking case of revenge by Duke in the Elite Eight.
Hamilton. HAMILTON!
The 1998 season tends to be a forgotten one. For all intents and purposes, it was the exact team that would win the championship one year later. Who would think that an extra year of collegiate experience would help players? In this Sweet Sixteen game, the Huskies matched up with the Huskies. The Washington Huskies, of course, the upstart 11 seed that would give 2 seed UConn a fight till the end.
Shocked the World
The greatest game ever played. Ok, maybe not, but probably the best coached game of Jim Calhoun’s career. The heavily-favored Duke Blue Devils cruised to the Final Four behind their powerhouse center Elton Brand and the deadly outside shooting of Alaskan guard Trajan Langdon. When they met UConn in the National Championship game, everyone thought the result was predetermined. The Huskies and their Hall of Fame coach had other ideas. Calhoun orchestrated a vicious defense of Brand by throwing double teams at him using the Huskies’ front court depth and threw the Dukies off their game. Add an aggressive offensive flurry by Senior Ricky Moore and clutch performances by Rip Hamilton and Khalid El-Amin, and UConn shocked the world for their first National Chamionship.
Related viewing:
UConn’s Final Four matchup with Ohio St.
Caron’s Team
2002 was a strange year for the Huskies. They had young talent, namely two freshmen named Okafor and Gordon, but they were raw. The unquestioned leader of the team was Caron Butler, whose performance that year for the Huskies was legendary. It was on Butler’s back that UConn rode into the Sweet Sixteen to meet the surprising 11th seeded Salukis of Southern Illinois. UConn would lose the next game to the eventual champion Maryland Terapins and Caron would move on to the NBA.
History Repeating
The Championship game may have been against Georgia Tech, but the semi-final against Duke was the real test for the 2004 Huskies. UConn went into the game as 3 point favorites
and quickly found themselves in trouble as superstar center Emeka Okafor went to the bench with early foul trouble. Without their big man, Ben Gordon led the charge for UConn and kept the Huskies in the game just in time for Okafor to seal it at the end.
Related Viewing:
Elite Eight vs. Alabama
(Worth watching for Rashad “Slash” Anderson’s shooting alone)
National Championship vs. Georgia Tech
Precursor to Disappointment
This game, despite being a UConn victory, serves as a cruel reminder of the unrealized talent on the 2006 team. Rudy Gay was the star, but the leader was point guard Marcus Williams. It’s funny in hindsight to hear one of the announcers call Williams the best point guard in the country. This Sweet Sixteen matchup with Washington turned out to be the last victory for Williams, Gay, Rashad Anderson, Denham Brown, Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone; all of whom left or graduated after the season. They famously lost to 11th seeded George Mason in the Elite Eight. Two things stand out as you watch this game. First, they all look like they hate playing together. Maybe that’s real or maybe just hindsight. Second, those retro uniforms look great.
A Star is Born
A Yahoo! Sports report surfaced immediately before this game that UConn had committed major recruiting violations. A black cloud was cast over a team that had pushed itself to a 1 seed and was on the verge of the Final Four. A UConn team led by guard AJ Price and Big East Co-Player of the Year Hasheem Thabeet was suddenly being discussed more for off the court malpractice than for on court achievements. Missouri was a trendy pick coming into the game. Analysts predicted a distracted UConn team that would be rattled by coach Nolan Richardson’s “40 minutes of Hell” defense. Instead, it was UConn that delivered the distraction in the form of freshman point guard Kemba Walker. Missouri, hailed for their speed, couldn’t stay in front of lightning quick rookie. The Huskies eventually prevailed and appeared in their 3rd Final Four before losing to Michigan State in the semi-finals.
Related Viewing:
The Shutdown
UConn had cruised into the tournament after winning five games in five days to capture an improbable Big East crown. That momentum never ceased as the Huskies fought through a tough Kentucky team to meet the surprise Butler Bulldogs for the National Championship. It sure wasn’t pretty. The two teams battled each other and themselves until Kemba Walker and company emerged with UConn’s third championship.
Related Viewing:
Sweet Sixteen vs. San Diego St.
*Yes, I was looking for an excuse for a Coolio reference. So what?
