The BIAH Advent Calendar: Day 12

Yup, it is December. And as the temperatures outside drop, the heat is rising on college campuses across the country as basketball season kicks into full swing. But December is also a time to reflect on the past year. This December is special, because as we draw closer to the new year, we get closer to the end of the aughts. In the spirit of the holidays, we are going to celebrate the decade past by counting down the top 25 games, players, and teams of the last 10 years with the BIAH advent calender. Each day, we will be unveiling the next on each of our lists, culminating with our gift to you on Christmas Day: the best game, the best player, and the best team of the 2000's.

Here is No. 14:


2004: UConn vs. Duke: Four minutes into the first half, UConn's all-american center Emeka Ofakor picked up his second foul of the game, sending him to the bench for the rest of the first half. It would end up being the best coaching move he made all game. You see, UConn wasn't without depth of front, which meant that as Okafor say on the bench and Duke built a lead, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong, and Charlie Villanueva slowly but surely made sure everyone on Duke's front line - Shelden Williams, Shavlik Randolph, and Nick Horvath - all continued to pick up fouls.

Duke was in control of this game, pushing the lead to double figures in the second half. The Huskies would get it to one on a few different occasions, but after UConn was able to chip away to a 63-62 deficit, the Blue Devils responded with a 12-5 run that opened up a 75-67 lead with three minutes left in the game. That's when Emeka Okafor took this game over. Just watch:



An interesting note about this game is that the betting line was UConn -2.5, which means that the three that Duhon banked in at the buzzer meant Duke covered the spread. I wonder how much money changed hands as a result?


Joakim Noah, Florida: It could be argued that Joakim Noah was the most hated player of the decade, over the likes of Eric Devendorf, Tyler Hansbrough, or (insert white Duke player). Some people hated the hair, some people hated the emotion, some people hated his style of play.

But the one thing you can't argue against are results. Noah was the face of a team that won back-to-back titles, and in this man's opinion, was the most valuable player on the team. He wasn't the most skilled player on the floor, but what separated Noah from the rest was his desire. There may not have been a player in the country that played harder than Noah. Combine that with his 6'11" frame, freakish wingspan, and above-average athleticism, and you get a guy that was able to dominate a game without the benefit of a single post move.

Joakim Noah didn't put up the stats of other players on this list, but no one else has two rings.
(photo credit: USA Today)

As a freshman, Noah was a nobody, averaging just over 9 mpg. But when this group of Gators became sophomores, they became one of the best teams in the country, and a large reason for that was the emergence of Noah. He averaged 14.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and 2.4 bpg as a sophomore. Those numbers dipped during his junior season to 12.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 1.8 bpg, but one of the reasons was the added focus that Noah was getting. Noah wasn't a selfish player, he was much more concerned about winning. And if the Gators best chance to win a second straight national title was for him to become more of a decoy and complimentary player as a junior, he had no problem as long as the Gators won. You see how that turned out.


2002 Duke Blue Devils: As is the case with most of the teams on this list, the 2002 Blue Devils oozed NBA talent. Jay Williams was the national player of the year. Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy Jr. both 2nd or 3rd teams all-americans, depending on where you looked. Dahntay Jones and Chris Duhon both ended up being NBA regulars, while Daniel Ewing, who was this team's sixth man, was eventually a second round NBA Draft pick.

Jay Williams, then Jason, won the 2002 national player of the year award.
(photo credit: Bleacher Report)

Duke won the ACC Tournament in 2002, but they finished second in the ACC during the regular season to eventual national champion Maryland and was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16 by Indiana, who eventually made a run to the Final Four. But if you take a closer look at Duke's losses, one came to Maryland and the other three very well could have gone the other way if Jay Williams could have hit late free throws.



No. 15: Oklahoma State v. St. Joe's, Chris Paul, and UConn's 2006 team
No. 16: Gonzaga v. Oklahoma State, Ty Lawson, and Kentucky's 2003 team
No. 17: Duke v. Maryland in the 2001 Final Four, Deron Williams, and Gonzaga's 2006 team
No. 18: Duke v. Indiana, Mateen Cleaves, Gonzaga
No. 19: Syracuse v. Kansas, Dwyane Wade, UCLA's 2006 team
No. 20: Pitt v. Villanova, Michael Beasley, and Duke's 2004 team
No. 21: Duke vs. Maryland in the 2001 ACC Semis, Josh Howard, Arizona's 2001 team
No. 22: Marquette v. Kentucky, Tayshaun Prince, UConn's 2009 team
No. 23: Vermont v. Syracuse, Andrew Bogut, and Memphis's 2008 team.
No. 24: UConn v. Miami, Luke Harangody, and Kansas's 2003 team
No. 25: Drake v. Western Kentucky, Wayne Simien, and Louisville's 2009 team.