2004 Final Four UCONN vs Duke

[@capnpopetastic]

An absolute classic. This one was really emotional for me as a fan. My grandmother passed away just a couple days earlier. She watched every UConn game religiously. When Emeka came back in the game from foul trouble and completely took over, it was like a sign from the heavens.

[@jc22558]

One of the best college games ever. What an incredible comeback by UConn. This was the National Championship for that year. Duke was by far the best team UConn beat in the tournament.

[@judd0112]

I just said that!

[@DanielSong39]

@@judd0112 Duke was probably the best team in the tournament (aside from Connecticut)

[@hunterjohnson8202]

For sure

[@freakboy40]

These two teams have a great history of great games.

[@tylerknapp418]

20 years and 3 more chips later, this is still the best Husky team of all time. If 06 hadn’t tripped on GM, they would have been. Love this 04 team though

[@brianconnelly1238]

The meccas of college basketball, the University of Connecticut and Duke University going at it, for the 3rd time in NCAA Tournament, 1990, 1999 and 2004.... All 3 memorable games, with UConn winning 2 of those 3 games

[@surf1729]

This game will forever be remembered as one of the greatest final four games in the history of mens college bball

[@JSARogers]

Calhoun’s second half adjustments! He out coached K every time

[@alirasheed7268]

14 years later Emeka still playing in the NBA what more can I say besides way to go Emekai

[@norm209erempire6]

I remember living in New London, CT in 2004. I was 4 months away from 21. On several occasions, I drove about an hour up to Storrs and partied with some students that lived in Carriage House Townhomes on campus. On this particular night, I figured they'd be doing the same thing since it was a Saturday night, but they weren't there (come to find out they went to San Antonio lol). Still unaware of what exactly I was getting myself into, I found a viewing party in a nearby apartment. That party was intense and the hosts were very welcoming. I couldn't sit down for 5 minutes without being offered a beer or some drunk and hot girl wanting to sit on my lap. After the win, the entire street became a bonfire party. It looked like a barely legal Mardi Gras without the beads. Epic night that ended with me DJ'ing at another nearby party and crashing on the couch.

[@Ruminations1from2Connecticut]

Typical night at storrs. I failed out in late 80s

[@swishtrack]

this was the second best final four game ever...the first: the 1999 national championship game between you guesed it...Duke vs. UCONN and UCONN won 77-74 so ha...we own Duke in final fours although they have broken our hearts too in the tourny

[@sciontcdude]

Uconn had 7 players drafted into the nba on this team including the 2,3 and 7th overall.. I dunno how someone can comment earlier saying duke had a better 1-9

[@lethrneck4]

Uconns run of NBA players from 95-15 was pretty impressive most of thier drafted players had legit NBA careers

[@asufutumaehaefutbw5857]

The 7th overall pick was Luol Deng, a Duke player, just to set the record straight.

[@rm1133]

How about how loaded this UCONN team was, my word. Okafor, Gordon, Villanueva, Boone, Rashad Anderson. Then you look at how loaded the Duke team was! Deng, Reddick, Duhon. Lot of pros in this one. Biggest bucket of the game was Anderson’s 3 that started the run. He misses that, they don’t win.

[@bosi0009]

One of the saddest Duke games to see over and over as a Duke.

[@ronniemartin5088]

My happiest game as a Husky

[@ransom6892]

After this comment was written, UNC defeated Duke in Coach K’s last home game, then retired him for good in the Final 4. A couple years after that, NC State beat them in the Elite 8.

[@dreigivetimpoolmassivewedg7646]

Rashad Anderson is one of those players not a lot of people remember but was a stud. Absolute sniper, good size for a top 10-15 team ever. Pure.

[@larma7]

This UConn team was practically a NBA team.

[@judd0112]

Like all the usual final 4 teams. They weren’t all freshmen thought like Kentucky the one and dones. That was the actual championship that year Uconn breezed through the finals I remember exactly where I was when it was the final 5 min. At bar and they wanted to turn the game off to do karaoke and I freaked out. Basically the game stayed on

[@DanielSong39]

UCONN was favored in this game... hence, Duhon's 3 at the end caused millions of dollars to change hands.

[@jake99776]

Ben Gordon was just lights out that season

[@fishbone3333]

One of the only times I can remember a Duke team choking and succumbing to the pressure. Most Duke teams would win a big game in which they had a 73-64 lead inside of five minutes, but this Blue Devil squad just wilted as Okafor and Company willed the Huskies to victory.

[@ryan979_]

one of the all time great national semis. both games were epic

[@allengreene9954]

This is very beautiful quality even 12 years later👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@DanielSong39]

@ByronS360 UCONN in 1999 isn't just a Top 5 National Championship upset, it's the #1 National Championship upset. Still, it doesn't take anything away from Texas Western, Villanova, or N.C. St., who provided memorable moments of their own.

[@judd0112]

Go Uconn

[@judd0112]

Thanks for posting it

[@alirasheed7268]

The best college basketball program ever.Go UCONN

[@austinmiller4832]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 UConn is nowhere near the best college basketball program at all.

[@Bobbarker23455]

​@@austinmiller4832yes they are

[@armyvet8279]

No they're not

[@jabbers081769]

CAN YOYU GET THE FINAL PLEASE FROM BEGINNING

[@TheCman273]

2004 was the most exciting final four ever!

[@pp3k3jamail]

No it wasn't

[@TheWakeup011]

I remember this game, we dominated while Okafor was out.......bricked several 3's in transition and should have been up 20. That's why we lost. We had the better team 1-9 but no one to handle Okafor or Gordon. This UConn team was, imo, one of the decade's better teams

[@kendoglarson5419]

I will forever love Emeka for taking over and winning that game for us.

[@kufanboy15]

dang! 04 was a thrilling final 4!

[@walterlv01]

This was the last real exciting semifinal game in the Final Four until the Butler-Michigan State game last year.

[@Beamin-vt7jm]

We went nuts when Emeka managed to scoop that ball off the floor and lay it in.

[@dm1ze]

@larma7 It really basically was. Gordon, Okafor, Boone, Villanueva, Armstrong, D. Brown, M. Williams all played in the NBA

[@ToledoWingNut]

Two great teams. Loved Emeka.

[@CheezyDoDo973]

Uconn had so much talent back then what happened ?

[@iTzJSwag]

CheezyDoDo973 They won 2 titles after you made this comment

[@judd0112]

Comment didn’t age well

[@WHALEDOGS9111]

duke was a 2 point dog with that 3 at the buzzer they cover man the wiseguys r really good with the lines

[@HotRoute7]

WHALEDOGS9111 precisely why I’m more than willing to lay a little extra taking the moneyline. They’re just too dam good

[@CursedBlade7141]

sooo many nba players in thi game. redick,deng,villunueava, okafor,gordon,armstrong

[@Kyle2516]

One other thing, i haven't seen it mentioned, but i think Josh boone won this game for uconn. When okafor was out, boone stepped up and got williams that 3rd foul. One last thing to mention is that had Duke BEAT Maryland in the ACC title game, this would have been the National Championship. Once again Shelden fouled out at the end of regulation, and maryland won. Duke would have gotten the number 1 overall seed, with Uconn the number 2 in the regional on the other side of the bracket.

[@DanielSong39]

@jcaudill6921 Actually Connecticut beating Duke in '99 was the biggest upset in the Final. Connecticut was a 9.5-point underdog in that game. N.C. St. was a 7.5-point underdog; Villanova was a 9-point underdog and Texas Western was a 6-point underdog. Duke was an 8-point underdog vs. UNLV. All of them were great upsets though.

[@marticehasty2837]

DanielSong39 true. But the duke-UConn was bogus. Ppl love duke so that’s where the money goes. That UConn was a great team. Slight upset at most. Whereas nova and nc st were borderline tournament teams the whole season that got hot in March. Those two were much bigger upsets.

[@DanielSong39]

@@marticehasty2837 Yeah the 1999 UConn team was the second best team in the nation The 1999 Duke team was the best team I've ever seen though. The only team that is close is 1996 Kentucky. Can't win them all

[@TheWakeup011]

I can relate, however. That is how I felt about Dean Smith when I became a Duke fan. Always though K got more done with less.

[@plwiza]

My favorite UConn team of all time. EMEKA OKAFOR!!!

[@ChainGangSoulja266]

Honestly I don't think EITHER team should complain bout refs. Starting at 2:33 is the best example. The refs blow calls for BOTH teams. And besides, UCONN would have destroyed Duke if they had Okafore the whole game, Williams was no where near as good...

[@christianschneider6538]

LMAO @ the Duke fans whining about the refs. The refs spotted you a whole half without Okafor (thanks to his bogus 2nd foul) and you couldn't close the deal.

[@fishbone3333]

Exactly....Duke has been the beneficiary of favorable treatment by the refs forever....

[@alirasheed7268]

They took UCONN out of the Big Eat because we was dominating it now villanova is dominating it what a surprise big bynum was going to UCONN but the NBA came calling he went to the Lakers 10 years later 2 championships that would've been with UCONN son instead of 4 titles UCONN would've had 6 titles leading program of this era.

[@mrmojorisin8752]

A graduate student of mine somehow got onto the floor as the game ended. Coach K did the mandatory line congratulations, then ran over to a ref, literally screaming, “You fucked us! You fucked is! You fucked us!” My grad student heard this from 15 feet away. At issue was the no-call with 11.6 seconds left. The replay shows a clean strip by the UConn guy, and that K had no view of what happened because he was seated behind the play. Hilarious!

[@prb85]

This was the only game where Shalik Randolph lived up to his lofty status out of high school. Loul Deng did a lot of good that year but that contested 3 he took @ 6:20 was a killer. As Packer noted, not the shot you take there.

[@lethrneck4]

UCONN is just THAT team that always has dukes number in the tourney when they have met

[@judd0112]

Not every time. Don’t forget the lattiner shot that ended Uconn run. Watch the espn movie why we hate Christian laettnier however u spell it

[@lethrneck4]

@@judd0112 yep, but that was before UConn’s 4 titles, I was in high school for that game, sellers beat laettner up and then he beat us at the buzzer..last time Duke had our number

[@judd0112]

@@lethrneck4 gotta see the espn 30 for 30 special on laetner. It’s called why we hate Christian laettner. And they show the buzzer beater show and they show him and rod sellers goin at it. I think he stomped on him under the hoop when he was down. And no one was ejected. Gotta love those days when not everyone was suck a pussy. If my grandfather was still alive. He was a WW2 marine was on peleliu island. And he/ his generation would seriously lose their minds at what all these people are getting offended about these days. They are prob all rolling over in the grave

[@lethrneck4]

@@judd0112 i do miss the old big east and its tough style of play..really as much as i love UCONN once they left for the AAC and left those rivalries behind being a fan lost a lot of its fun..glad they are back in the big east..seeing them playing the likes of providence, seton hall, st johns, Gtown etc again is awesome! saw the lattner 30 for 30...that was my favorite era of NCAA hoops

[@judd0112]

@@lethrneck4 yeah glad they r back in the big East. But it’s not the same without the Pittsburgh V’s Uconn finals & Syracuse overtime game at msg for the big East tournament. Was the best conference. But the acc used to get all the media. Hopefully it will get back to normal after this strange year of COVID.

[@michaelangelo9024]

Where's UCONN'S program now? Still glad they won this game.

[@integritymatters7727]

Defending 🏆 champs

[@tilakmonk5765]

Where is Sami Ameziane

[@dm1ze]

@jayfey77 So explain why they blew an 8 point lead with 3+ min left, lol.

[@dukeheat]

I'm a Duke fan, but I give Uconn props. They played a really good game. We just came up one point short. It would have been nice though to go up against GT. We would have won the championship.

[@sunsensational]

I don’t know why I felt UConn dominated this game. They pulled it off at the end, probably because they had one of the best rosters in college basketball, but they snuck that out at the end.

[@TheWakeup011]

The media, along with myself and others, were ready to call this Duke team the greatest in recent memory. That's what really made it an epic upset.

[@mr.c1113]

Super old post but how did you have that take considering the team went 31-6? Duke's 1999 and 2001 teams were way better.

[@kenalier]

@@mr.c1113 Even the 2015 Duke team was better than this one

[@AllStar1324]

who won it all in 2004? UConn. Thank you.

[@brianarbenz1329]

How many times have Duke and Connecticut been to the final 4? Together it must be more than the rest of the NCCA combined.

[@dlyons99x]

Uconn going to repeat this year 2012!!! let's go Huskies!

[@alirasheed7268]

And also the Big East is the Greatest conference ever.

[@austinmiller4832]

You couldn’t be more incorrect. historically, it goes ACC, Big Ten, SEC, Big East, Pac 12, Big 12.

[@allengreene9954]

@@austinmiller4832 What are you talking about???

[@joeblow9273]

Dear Jim Nantz.........Chris Duhon's shot MATTERED! It might be the single most money changing shot in NCAA History. IT MATTERED!

[@HotRoute7]

Joe Blow man oh man what a fuck in the ass

[@noahparkercrooklyn]

It didnt change result at all. UConn still won

[@noahlipsky8005]

@@noahparkercrooklynI’ve never been a gambler, but people betting on the game don’t care who wins. They care if they’re team beats the point spread.

[@lynnerose7891]

What is going on with this? Ripped cords and rattled runs before the shot is taken? A clip from several minutes before?

[@truNGiiesofly]

if Notre Dame and Georgetown played in another conference, they're be rank pretty high. Big East is just a beast this year.

[@geebee380]

8:19 DUKE +2.5🤯 it mattered nantz!!

[@leveluptwin7129]

Years later and I’m still tryna figure out what da hell was Loul Deng thinking smh!! We could’ve won that fuckin game

[@chitownkidd33]

Unless he was thinking he wanted to put the dagger both those shots were terrible

[@Kyle2516]

The officiating i think was equal in this game. Shelden had cost us alot that year with his fouls and it finally caught up to us. They don't show it but Packer stated toward the end of the 2nd half when Okafor got his second foul and both williams and Okafor were on the bench that whoever got the 3rd foul, there team would lose. Coach K kept in Williams knowing he was a foul machine. Sure enough Williams got his 3rd before the end of the 1st half and that changed the entire game for duke.

[@TheWakeup011]

I tend to agree, but the argument is valid. I wasn't watching back then to get a feel for how good any of those teams really were, which is the only way to definitively settle this. Logic would tell us that an 8 over a 1 is a bigger upset, and I think the announcer (forgot his name) alluded to it that night in '99.

[@DanielSong39]

Logic is wrong. The 8 played 2 previous close games against the 1 by the way so a close game and a possible upset was always a possibility

[@Raford146]

They were. When Okafor was healthy, he was the best big in the country.

[@PENS68]

From 1999-2005 the ACC and The Big East were dominating the NCAA as 6 of the those 7 years, the National Champion came from either the Big East or the ACC: 1999- UCONN 2001 - Duke 2002 - Maryland 2003 - Syracuse 2004- UCONN 2005 - North Carolina The only time was 2000 were the champion was Michigan State from the Big 10. I am counting Maryland as ACC as their National Title from 02 came as a member of the ACC, well before they moved to the Big 10.

[@waltkel9]

great win by uconn

[@ChainGangSoulja266]

@CheezyDoDo973-What u mean? UCONN just made the Final Four last year........

[@ChainGangSoulja266]

your right it was bad reffing. But not just 4 Duke. Okafore was in more trouble than Williams was, and he was the best player in that game. But when UCONN had him bac his presence down low was too much 4 Duke and it ended up making the difference. The ref's did have a loose whistle, but not just against Duke...

[@TheWakeup011]

I doubt that. In fact, I'd argue that if you don't include Callipari, no one recruits basketball ATHLETES like Calhoun.He is a little better with x's and o's but not by much. Outcoached K in '99, simply had the best players this year. Of Uconn's 3 titles, this team was the best imo. Their defense was magnificent.

[@willoliver2389]

This shit still hurts. When I started hated uconn. Go Duke

[@NoDrkButtsWanted]

Hell yeah. UConn had a lot of busts between this team and the 2008 team. I think Drummand and Lamb are going to be busts as well.

[@HotRoute7]

Omg Duhon bent me over so far it came outta my mouth with that backdoor cover. I will gladly take the moneyline on small spreads til the day I croak

[@noahparkercrooklyn]

What are you even talking about. UConn won

[@HotRoute7]

@@noahparkercrooklyn UConn was -2, if you aren’t aware of betting spreads by now you are absolutely LOST

[@TheBooneBrave]

I lost my house because of that stupid meaningless shot at the end of the game by Duhon. Thanks Chris...

[@HotRoute7]

Heath Ziglar I was yelling for okafor to miss that FT to avoid an uncontested 3

[@CR-qu5jc]

Villanueva came up huge in this game!!

[@dm1ze]

@jayfey77 Yet he can't beat Calhoun when it matters, lol. 0-2 against UConn in the FF. And Coach K gets his pick of McD's AA's every year. Calhouns had something like 8 total, and gotten 3 titles. Replace K with Calhoun at Duke and he wins even more than 3 titles, can't say the same if you put K at UConn.

[@knp278]

Calhoun does not 'own' Coach K, as much as I wish he did. You're forgetting 1990 and 1991.

[@ByronS360]

It's not so much my view of UCONN 1999 team but just the standard that everyone placed on Duke. They were supposed to be unbeatable and leading up to that game, practically everyone had Duke as the favorite. It was Uconn's first Final 4 appearnace. We can disagree because you simply look at the fact that its two #1 seeds. Thats true and may take away from it a little but I still say its a Top 5 National Championship upset. If you disagree, name me 5 bigger upsets for the National Championship.

[@DanielSong39]

There are none. The 1999 upset is the biggest in the Final in NCAA Tournament history

[@sensi1985]

Calhoun has Coach K's number

[@Seadawg3178]

I would take Jabari over Luol Deng (although he is a fantastic nba player) Ina draft, but it's funny that Parker has 0 tournament wins. Sure he never played with a great college player like Reddick, but it's still Duke. Of course, the same goes for the UConn side in the case of Andre Drummond. Already an established NBA center, with 0 tourney wins. And he played with Napier, Lamb, Roscoe, Oriaki, etc. Now I really don't know why I posted this.

[@rashaundeberry7470]

Because the one and done has ruined college basketball and it's a shame

[@africaever]

This is 1 of the most coincidential scoring moments in UCONN history. Duke beat Uconn by that exact SAME SCORE! Then the ending for the 2011 final four against Kentucky went the same way with free throws to ice the game. As Okafor did in this one, Napier did in the other, then came the final shot with Kentucky chucking up a meaningless 3 to show a win by a point. Eerie isn't it.

[@dukenthaylor]

@allclear1981 is that right?

[@ItsPureLuck27]

Lol? They also have a ton of excellent players in the NBA. In fact other than UNC, I can't think of a school with as many good players in the league right now.

[@ByronS360]

Seems like UCONN owns Duke in the big games. Uconn beat Duke in one of the biggest upsets in College Basketball history back in 1999 then of course this....in the Final Four in 2004... broke Coach K's heart twice......close games.

[@clutchcity25]

JJ just had 16 this game?? wow. Ben Gordon was a monster at UCONN. Just think if Caron Butler was on this team. WOW!

[@jrsx1]

Good edit, not Sports Center material, but good none the less.

[@TheWakeup011]

Lastly, remember, if these guys swithched, Calhoun would have to recruit guys that would compete in the classroom, or at least graduate from DUKE, something he has not been known for at UConn.

[@DanielSong39]

@jcaudill6921 Perception is often at odds with reality. UConn beating Duke in '99 WAS a bigger upset than Villanova over Georgetown. The point spread archives by the Gold Sheet prove this point.

[@oprah2]

@allclear1981 remeber 2 weeks ago when you said to let you know when duke made it to the final four? :) good call about scheyer youre a basketball genius

[@Nottanemc]

He's played ball. That's all he's ever done as a player - i think you can't call guys like that a bust, because they never seek out the spotlight or the accolades. He didn't posture himself to be picked so high. Put him on the Celtics and he'll be the unsung hero.

[@walterlv01]

This was the "real" National Championship Game in 2004. No disrespect to Georgia Tech, but once they pulled the upset over a better Oklahoma State team in the first semifinal this became the de facto title game. No way were either of these teams going to lose to GT in the final.

[@DanielSong39]

UConn left no doubt!

[@allabouthewaves4354]

I love how some of the people called Drummond and Lamb busts.

[@knp278]

Emeka Okafor. Chike Okeafor plays football.

[@dm1ze]

@Byronscoolvideos And UConn has 3 titles since '99, more than anyone.

[@1REMfan]

dm1ze Make that 4!

[@mbaseballfan96]

number 2 overall picks should not be the unsung hero. they should be THE guy, like Durant, or Jason Kidd. Top 5 picks are expected to be superstars, or at least all stars in the NBA.

[@chucknola484]

JJ Redick is actually a better player in his 30's than he was in his 20's

[@noahlipsky8005]

He found his niche in the NBA. The emphasis on three point shots probably extended his career 5 years.

[@mbaseballfan96]

i just think if you are a top 10 pick and dont make a single all star game you are a bust. i mean tyson chandler could be an exception but what has okafor done since winning ROY?

[@WumbMasta]

@CheezyDoDo973 um... uconn has been in the final four back to back years and oh by the way... are the 2011 national champions

[@87UNC]

this was a good game unc beat uconn that year 2 uconn was very good

[@tknick90]

just hearing some of the names stirs up nostalgia

[@oprah2]

idk duke's pretty good. talk to me when you make the tournament

[@Kyle2516]

One last thing...if you watch this game you realize Duke defintely was the more talented team. My coach, Coach K, was just out coached, period. Unfortunately, Calhoun has Coach K's number

[@warriorinvibration5639]

i'm not sure why duke fans have to bring up academics which have nothing to do with the game on the court also duke has traditionally out recruited UConn with far greater talent historically speaking and has a much more storied tradition not by much the fact that the fans can not give credit where it is due is ridiculous and ironically the sign of a small mind UConn was just better that was a freakishly ridiculous nba UConn team duke should be proud for competing so well besides its payback lol

[@ChainGangSoulja266]

I'm a ACC fan, but I think the Big East is slightly better, but UNC is the best team out of all of them (and yes I no they just lost 2 Maryland, but don't get me started bout the end of the gm reffing, dif. story). And I think Duke is better than all the B.E cept 4 UCONN and PITT. But the B.E is still slightly better, but there's no doubt that these the 2 strongest conferences in the country 2day