Now that we are in the final month of the year, we at Sparty & Friends are taking a look back at the very best from this first decade of the 21st century in professional and college sports. We may be a little bit early with these lists, so they could change. How are we early? Because the 2009-10 sports season doesn’t conclude until June. What I am saying is this: whoever wins the Super Bowl, NBA Title, Stanley Cup Finals, the BCS, or the NCAA Mens and Womens Basketball Titles gets credited to this first decade. Meaning, if you won a title in the 1999-2000, it actually gets credited back to the 90s. You follow? Good. However, if your entire season took place in the year 2000, you get credit for this current decade. Still got it? Good. Remember this is mostly subjective, so don’t get too bent out of shape…even though I am right.

4 National Titles

6 Final Fours

9 Tournament Appearances

7 Big East Regular Season Titles

6 Big East Conference Tournament Titles

2 Undefeated Seasons

Go ahead, snipe that a second women’s basketball team made this list. We aren’t talking WNBA here. UConn, as well as the Lady Vols, actually make huge money for their universities. They are a draw wherever they play because they are the dominant forces of their sport and have intrigue. One could argue that no team, in any sport, was more dominant than the UConn women. However, because the interest at other schools is so lacking, it keeps the UConn women from being higher. They have made it a point to dominate what may, in comparison to other sports, be too easy to dominate.

However, dominate they did. They have received plenty of screen time because of it too. Head coach Geno Auriemma has made it almost impossible to beat the the Huskies at home in Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. At one point, they won 69 consecutive games in Storrs. No season was more impressive during that run than the 2002 season, which saw the team finish undefeated. Led by super-sophomore Diana Taurasi, the UConn women would trounce their competition, including a 23-point spanking levied to the Lady Vols in the Final Four. They easily had the best starting 5 in the history of women’s basketball: Taurasi, Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones, and Tamika Williams. Even Patphish would talk about how awesome these girls were. If he denies it, he’s a liar.

UConn would follow that historic season with 2 more in their own right leading them to a 3-peat, the last one stealing some of the spotlight away from their male counterparts in 2004. This would be Taurasi’s last year and title with the team, placing her in a legendary status with the university along with such men’s basketball players like Richard Hamilton and Emeka Okafor.

The Huskies would win another title in dominating fashion this past season by not only going undefeated, but winning every single game by at least 10 points. All 39 games by at least 10 points…that’s insane.

The Others:

10. Louisiana State University Tigers Football
9. UNC Tar Heels Basketball
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Southern Cal Trojans Football
6. University of Tennessee Lady Vols
5. Detroit Red Wings

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