Official 2022-23 College Basketball Thread: UCONN - One Shining Moment

[WakeBored]

I don’t know about national “brands,” but I personally don’t consider UConn to be a “blue blood.”

Their first final four wasn’t until 1999 and they only have 6 total.

While they have the most championships since the mid 90s, other teams have just as many or more final fours over that time (UNC, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State).

They had one really good coach for a long time, one guy who caught lightening in a bottle and never really did much else, and another guy who ran away with one but benefitted from the least chalk tourney ever, facing the murderer’s row of seeds 13, 5, 8, 3, 5, and 5. They’ve generally had a fair bit of luck in the tournament—5 championships in 6 final fours is ridiculous.

I would obviously kill for those results, and at the end of the day a fluke championship is still a championship, but I personally don’t think they have the history to be a blue blood just yet.

 

[WFcatamount22]

I don’t know about national “brands,” but I personally don’t consider UConn to be a “blue blood.”

Their first final four wasn’t until 1999 and they only have 6 total.

While they have the most championships since the mid 90s, other teams have just as many or more final fours over that time (UNC, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State).

They had one really good coach for a long time, one guy who caught lightening in a bottle and never really did much else, and another guy who ran away with one but benefitted from the least chalk tourney ever, facing the murderer’s row of seeds 13, 5, 8, 3, 5, and 5. They’ve generally had a fair bit of luck in the tournament—5 championships in 6 final fours is ridiculous.

I would obviously kill for those results, but I personally don’t think they have the history to be a blue blood just yet.

Counter point, for non olds. 1999 was a long ass time ago. Well before any recruit was born, and in a different era of sports in general.

Not saying it’s better now…

 

[WFcatamount22]

This whole public debate on Reese's and Clark's behaviors misses the mark to me.

A - Well no one said anything when Clark did it. Three things. 1 - what Clark did was wrong too and it seemed to be directed at an entire team. 2 - on a national level virtually no one was watching when Clark did it so it is silly to think much, if anything, would be said. 3 - even as Clark's actions were bad, she didn't do it to rub victory squarely in an opponent's face seconds before and after the title game ended and then double down on such behavior post game as ok.

B - Men do it all the time and no one says anything about it. There are countless ways to demonstrate this isn't true. When the Pistons walked off the court without shaking the Bulls' hands it was a huge media deal. When Messi got into it with the Dutch player in a post-game interview, it was a huge media deal (and Messi eventually said it was a low moment for him personally). We could go on and on about incidents of bad sportsmanship by men that have gone down the media criticism rabbit hole. And in most of those cases there was already demonstrated bad blood between the players (maybe that was the case here, but I've seen nothing to indicate it. Rather this seems to come across as Reese was just pissed Clark was garnering all the attention of the media and wanted Clark to know she didn't deserve it).

C - Despite the above lame aims at deflection it seems like no one talking about what an odd flex is it to achieve your highest personal moment you'll likely ever achieve in a team sport you've dedicated your life to by immediately rubbing it in the face of an opponent who, to my knowledge, never called you out publicly in the media or visibly during the game.

Clark often came across as an ass throughout the event during games who post-game would just try to say all the right things. Reese by contrast acted like even more of an ass and then doubled down (repeatedly) post game trying to justify her actions by making comparisons to others. Your standard shoudn't be well so and so can do it why can't I. And it wasn't as if Clark was some model for behavior anyway.

No question they’re differences in what Clark and Reese did. Acknowledging that doesn’t mean what Reese did was wrong in the slightest.

This has built the most momentum for ladies basketball that there has ever been. Mens game has the viewers, don’t have to sell it. Reese is like a prize fighter building the moment. Executed it perfectly.

 

[BarcaDeac]

Kansas has only had two coaches since 1988. By modern era I think mid 90s on makes sense, so yea I think it's just UConn to have final fours under three different coaches, and it's definitely only UConn with national titles under three different coaches.

And UCLA and Kentucky. So all the schools I said.

 

[deacdixieboy]

5 national championships in the last 25 years. 2 more than any other school. Massive fanbase and alumni base in the biggest and most important city in the country. National championships under 3 different coaches in the modern era (don't think anyone else can say they've even made final fours under 3 different coaches in the modern era).

I’m honestly not buying this last part. I lived in that area for 7 years. They may have alums there (everyone does) but that doesn’t mean they have fans there. I’m not sure I ever saw anyone wearing UConn gear and I certainly never heard anyone talking about UConn.

 

[NJDeac’22]

I’m honestly not buying this last part. I lived in that area for 7 years. They may have alums there (everyone does) but that doesn’t mean they have fans there. I’m not sure I ever saw anyone wearing UConn gear and I certainly never heard anyone talking about UConn.

I mean.... you must not spend a lot of time out and about then lol. They're everywhere. There's a row of UConn bars on 33rd street near MSG and the lines to get in last Saturday for the Final Four were so long that people showed up selling ponchos (it was pouring rain) and most of the bars said they hit fire capacity. Compare that to the "Wake bar" where we have to explain to the bar tender what ACC Network is and are put in a side room.

 

[BarcaDeac]

I mean.... you must not spend a lot of time out and about then lol. They're everywhere. There's a row of UConn bars on 33rd street near MSG and the lines to get in last Saturday for the Final Four were so long that people showed up selling ponchos (it was pouring rain) and most of the bars said they hit fire capacity. Compare that to the "Wake bar" where we have to explain to the bar tender what ACC Network is and are put in a side room.

you're comparing a state school the next state over from the biggest city in the country to a small private school in NC. they are not the same. either way, your premise is flawed about their coaches/success. they've had damn good success with 3 coaches in a row, but hardly the only one.

 

[NJDeac’22]

you're comparing a state school the next state over from the biggest city in the country to a small private school in NC. they are not the same. either way, your premise is flawed about their coaches/success. they've had damn good success with 3 coaches in a row, but hardly the only one.

There is only one flawed argument being made here, and it's that UConn isn't a national brand.

 

[BarcaDeac]

There is only one flawed argument being made here, and it's that UConn isn't a national brand.

your evidence would be like saying there were a lot of Illinois fans at bars in St. Louis or Milwaukee.

 

[DeacDaddy]

I mean.... you must not spend a lot of time out and about then lol. They're everywhere. There's a row of UConn bars on 33rd street near MSG and the lines to get in last Saturday for the Final Four were so long that people showed up selling ponchos (it was pouring rain) and most of the bars said they hit fire capacity. Compare that to the "Wake bar" where we have to explain to the bar tender what ACC Network is and are put in a side room.

Spitballing maybe all those people showed up because their team was in the Final Four.

 

[Pilchard]

UCONN has a legit basketball following for both men's and women's hoop. Their fans save their money in the fall by not paying any attention to football.

 

[deacdixieboy]

I mean.... you must not spend a lot of time out and about then lol. They're everywhere. There's a row of UConn bars on 33rd street near MSG and the lines to get in last Saturday for the Final Four were so long that people showed up selling ponchos (it was pouring rain) and most of the bars said they hit fire capacity. Compare that to the "Wake bar" where we have to explain to the bar tender what ACC Network is and are put in a side room.

That’s for the Final Four. And if you’re comparing that to the Wake bar in NYC for a random November game then I’m not sure you know anything about logic. Wake is a tiny school in North Carolina. UConn is a huge school one state away. I will note that I did not live in NYC. I lived in Boston and RI which are also next to Connecticut and literally never saw anyone with UConn stuff on.

 

[DeacMan]

No question they’re differences in what Clark and Reese did. Acknowledging that doesn’t mean what Reese did was wrong in the slightest.

This has built the most momentum for ladies basketball that there has ever been. Mens game has the viewers, don’t have to sell it. Reese is like a prize fighter building the moment. Executed it perfectly.

They both were wrong.

And I don't think this is at all a watershed moment for women's hoops. Reece will be gone to the WNBA. Clark will no longer be the underdog. And until something iconic happens again - like Clark's run - folks won't pay much attention.

 

[DeacMan]

I mean.... you must not spend a lot of time out and about then lol. They're everywhere. There's a row of UConn bars on 33rd street near MSG and the lines to get in last Saturday for the Final Four were so long that people showed up selling ponchos (it was pouring rain) and most of the bars said they hit fire capacity. Compare that to the "Wake bar" where we have to explain to the bar tender what ACC Network is and are put in a side room.

Pretty shit logic here.

 

[PhDeac]

Reese isn't eligible for the WNBA draft. Ratings were up throughout the women's tournament. The Finals were a culmination of a very successful March for the women's game.

 

[DeacMan]

Reese isn't eligible for the WNBA draft. Ratings were up throughout the women's tournament. The Finals were a culmination of a very successful March for the women's game.

We can all respect and marvel at these athletes for the sphere in which they compete. These athletes work incredibly hard just like the men. But most sports fans are not going to seek out watching it casually with any regularity.

 

[PhDeac]

We can all respect and marvel at these athletes for the sphere in which they compete. These athletes work incredibly hard just like the men. But most sports fans are not going to seek out watching it casually with any regularity.

That's the case for most sports in general nowadays. The NFL, college football, and a few events like the Olympics, World Cup, maybe The Masters are exceptions. All of those dominate a discrete period of time every week, year, four years which makes it easy for causals to pick up.

Women's hoops is just trying to get a large share of the declining group that watches men's college basketball and maybe bring in a few causals on the side. I have a few friends who aren't sports fans in general but regularly attend women's hoops games and follow the women's tournament more than the men's. There's room for growth while dealing with the same viewership/attention issues other sports do.

 

[scooter84]

I live in NC and I don't believe I have ever seen anyone wearing UConn gear. I have seen plenty of people wearing gear from Ky, Kansas, UCLA, Michigan, etc. etc. I do not consider UConn a national brand and don't think anyone really does - that is not to say they don't deserve to be considered a 'blue blood' basketball program, whatever that means exactly. Do you think the ratings would have been so low for the finals if Duke, UNC, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, or one of several other school with more of a national brand had been playing? I doubt it.

As for Reese and Clark, no one cares about my opinion but Clark comes off as an incredibly talented, cocky athlete who talks junk during the game but behaves with total class off the court, while Reese comes off as as an incredibly talented athlete who taunts her valiant but vanquished opponent once the game is decided and then has no class off the court.

 

[wfu22fan]

Lmao. That is an absurdly stupid take. Who in the ACC do you think is a national basketball brand? UConn are bigger than any ACC program not named Duke or UNC.

ESPN has been so successful in their quest to destroy college basketball that you can definitely argue that there are no national basketball brands anymore, but if there are any UConn is certainly one of them.

5 national championships in the last 25 years. 2 more than any other school. Massive fanbase and alumni base in the biggest and most important city in the country. National championships under 3 different coaches in the modern era (don't think anyone else can say they've even made final fours under 3 different coaches in the modern era).

Who cares other than you and people in Conn?

 

[wfu22fan]

Interesting. The more I think about it the more I think national basketball brands don't exist anymore (could you name 3 players from Kansas or Kentucky right now? I can't), but if they did, UConn and UNC would obviously be among them.

That’s why nobody watched the damn game.