UConn is the heavy favorite. This thread is about which team can upset them, not how good UConn is ( which is obvious to all)
Well, you’re right, but there are another 1/2 dozen posts on here that also don’t address the question, including my St. John’s post. St. John’s, of course, isn’t in the tournament, but they almost beat UConn twice.
In the context of this thread, almost doesn’t count is hogwash. On the road at UConn, St John’s was down 2 and at the line for 2 shots with 30 seconds to go. They lost. Then they lost 95-90 to UConn in the Big East semis. This thread is about who can beat UConn, not about who beat UConn. St John’s is capable of beating UConn.
Boston Celtics. They have steamrolled everyone, making our 2nd title look like we barely won. They have lead by at least 30 points in every game in the tourney.
Yogi Berra once said: "I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won twenty-five games. What I don't understand is how he lost five." If he was still alive and watched college basketball he would ask how did they lose three?
If it's a solace, in order for Bama to win this tourney, they would have had to go through 3 #1 seeds, including the overall #1. And in doing so, they prevent UConn from replacing the 04s as the last team to win back-2-back (and most likely back-2-back-2-back).
The Purdue / NC State game should be very interesting. It will be fun to watch "bigger charles barkley" Burns go up against Edey, although I'm not expecting NC State to be successful. I'm still on the Purdue train, as Edey is dominant however assuming they get by NC state, UConn has a big advantage IMO in guard play. Edey will have to continue to play at his super human level in order for Purdue to win.
The Florida repeat team is on the short list of greatest teams of all time. Their legacy is sealed, and I would take that roster against ANY team in the history of men's basketball and would be confident in winning a single elimination game. UCONN would go back to back but it's the 04's every single day for me. I'm trying to think outside of a Florida supporter and that roster is constructed perfectly for a college basketball team. 2 dominant and athletic bigs anchoring the frontcourt 1 athletic wing with length to guard 1-4 1 sniper who was also a lockdown defender 1 PG who orchestrated the BD's offensive philosophy perfectly Deep bench These are singular constructed parts but the intangibles that they all loved playing together and ran it back. They could run up and down the court or slow down in any pace of game and win. I read an ESPN article ranking the greatest national champions of all time. https://archive.is/ORhsQ 55. Florida Gators, 2006 (33-6) All eyes were on Duke and UConn in 2006, and on a bracket drawn up perfectly for the two to meet in the finals. Then LSU shocked the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16 and George Mason eliminated the Huskies in the Elite Eight. With MOP Joakim Noah leading the way, Billy Donovan's No. 3 seed Gators beat the Patriots and then UCLA by 15 and 16 points, respectively. 35. Florida Gators, 2007 (35-5) When Billy Donovan returned all five starters from the 2006 national championship team, the Gators were expected to dominate the entire season. Instead, Florida dropped nonconference games to Kansas and Florida State and entered the SEC tournament having lost three of its past five. From that point, however, things went as expected. The committee rightly looked past the five losses and gave the Gators the No. 1 overall seed. Al Horford scored 18 points as UF defeated Greg Oden and Ohio State by nine for a second straight championship. Clown show. This is absolutely disrespectful to the greatness of those teams. Here I am at work huffing and puffing about this. Maybe the opinion piece of rankings credited accomplishment heavier than roster construction and talent. I don't see a single national champion on that list that I wouldn't be confident Florida would beat.