The Road To The 2004 Final Four
In 1999, UConn and Duke staged a great national championship battle, that UConn won. In 2004, these two programs again spent the regular season on a collision course with each other and met in the Final Four. The Huskies again won and then secured a national title. Let’s look back on the road that UConn and Duke—along with Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State—took to the 2004 Final Four in San Antonio.
UCONN
Since winning that 1999 title, Jim Calhoun’s program had continued to contend, but fallen short of the Final Four. Expectations were soaring coming into 2004. UConn had a great all-around guard in Ben Gordon, who averaged 19 points/5 rebounds/5 assists. Emeka Okafor, averaging 18 points/12 rebounds, anchored the post. Rashad Anderson chipped in 12ppg in the backcourt. The Huskies were ranked #1 in the preseason polls. While they finished behind Pitt in the Big East race, UConn won the conference tournament and got the 2-seed in the West.
They played the opening weekend in Buffalo, and the themes of defense and rebounding were quickly on display. The Huskies held Vermont to 32 percent from the floor and won rebounding 39-26. Anderson knocked down 22 points, Okafor posted a 15/14 line and UConn coasted past the Catamounts 70-53. In the Round of 32, the Huskies used the same formula against DePaul. The Blue Demons shot just 34 percent, UConn controlled the boards 41-33, Okafor had a 10/12 line and Gordon hit for 18, leading a 72-55 win.
The Huskies arrived in Phoenix to a gutted bracket. Stanford, the 1-seed in the West, was gone. So was 3-seed N.C. State and 4-seed Maryland. The path was wide open.
UConn took advantage in Thursday’s Sweet 16 game against 6-seed Vanderbilt. It was a familiar pattern—the Huskies held the Commodores to 35 percent shooting and completely dominated the glass, 41-17. Gordon’s 20 points led a balanced attack, while Okafor had another double-double. The final was 73-53.
Eighth-seeded Alabama took out defending national champion Syracuse in the other regional semi, winning 80-71 behind 22 points from Earnest Shelton. In the Elite Eight against the Tide, UConn broke the usual formula and put some three-point shooting on display. Anderson hit 6-for-9 behind the arc and scored 28. Gordon shot 4-for-7 from trey and poured in 36. The Huskies were up 53-29 by half and coasted into the Final Four with an 87-71 win, with Gordon taking home Most Outstanding Player honors.
DUKE
Duke won Mike Krzyzewski’s third national championship in 2001 and then went out in the Sweet 16 each of the next two years. The 2004 team had a balanced lineup. Sophomore guard J.J. Reid was the leading scorer at 16ppg. A pair of tough forwards, senior Shelden Williams and freshman Luol Deng, combined for 28 points/16 rebounds per night. Daniel Ewing and Chris Duhon rounded out the backcourt.
The Blue Devils were ranked #2 to start the season and lived up to expectations. They cleared the field in the ACC by two games, reached the final of the conference tournament and snagged the 1-seed in the South.
Duke started their NCAA journey close to home in Raleigh. They made quick work of Alabama State 96-61, forcing 21 turnovers and enjoying an overwhelming advantage on the boards. The Blue Devils followed that up two days later by dismantling Seton Hall 90-62, with another dominating performance on the glass, led by Williams’ 11 rebounds. Duke also shot 54 percent from the floor, with Redick knocking down 21 and Deng scoring 20. They were headed to Atlanta for a regional round that was already missing 2-seed Mississippi State and 4-seed Cincinnati.
But fifth-seeded Illinois came out ready to play in the Sweet 16 and Duke clung to a 31-30 lead at the half. The Blue Devils would be outrebounded. But they kept playing defense, holding the Illini to 41 percent shooting. Deng scored 18, Redick added 17 and Duhon chased down ten rebounds and handed out eight assists. Duke pulled away to win 72-62.
Xavier, the 7-seed, upset 3rd-seeded Texas in Friday’s other regional semi, getting 27 points from Romain Sato. That set up a regional final that ended up tougher than most people expected. Both teams shot under 40 percent. The difference is that Duke hit from behind the arc, going 8-for-20, while the Musketeers were just 3-for-15. Williams pulled down 13 rebounds, while Deng’s 19 points got him MOP honors in a 66-63 run. Coach K was going to his ninth Final Four.
GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Tech last reached the Final Four in 1990 with a trio of guards nicknamed Lethal Weapon 3. Since 1996, the program had been in a dry spell, only making the NCAA Tournament twice. While it might be a stretch to call this 2004 edition another Lethal Weapon 3, it was a trio of guards that led the way. Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder and Marvin Lewis combined to average 40ppg. Unranked to start the year, Tech upset UConn in November, went undefeated in non-conference play and finished fourth in a competitive ACC. The Yellow Jackets got the 3-seed in the Midwest.
The road began in Milwaukee, the same place Georgia Tech had won an epic Round of 32 game in 1992 as an underdog. This year, they were the favorite. It wasn’t impressive, but the Yellow Jackets were able to hold serve. They beat Northern Iowa 65-60 thanks to a 34-25 rebounding advantage. The second-round game with sixth-seeded Boston College was a defensive battle, marked by a lot of turnovers. But Elder stepped up with 18 points and the 57-54 win punched Tech’s ticket to St. Louis for the regionals.
This was another region where the favorites were falling. Kentucky and Gonzaga, the 1-2 seeds in the Midwest, were both gone. The door was open. Georgia Tech continued to muddle along against 10th-seeded Nevada, trailing 39-34 at the half of Friday night’s Sweet 16 game. But a 43%-32% advantage in shooting from the floor made the difference. Lewis, the only Yellow Jacket to hit double figures, scored 23 points in a 72-67 win.
Kansas, in the first year of Bill Self’s tenure, was the 4-seed and blew out Alabama-Birmingham. The Jayhawks dominated in all phases of the game, got 30 points from Wayne Simien and rolled to a 30-point night. Georgia Tech might be the higher seed, but it appeared that Kansas was the team playing better basketball and they certainly had the pedigree.
It was Jack who stood and delivered in the Elite Eight. He poured in 29 points, and the Yellow Jackets forced Simien into 4-for-14 shooting. Georgia Tech also got a valuable 14 points off the bench from fifth-year reserve Clarence Moore. The game went to overtime, where the Yellow Jackets took over, winning 79-71. Jack was the region’s MOP, and this program was going back to the Final Four.
OKLAHOMA STATE
Eddie Sutton had turned Oklahoma State into a perennial NCAA Tournament since his arrival in 1991, a tenure that included making the Final Four in 1995. The 2004 Cowboys were led by their backcourt, with Tony Allen and John Lucas III combining for 31 points/8 rebounds/8 assists. A pair of steady forwards, Joey Graham and Ivan McFarlin, joined forces to produce 24 points/12 rebounds per night. Ranked #25 to start the season, Oklahoma State beat out Kansas and Texas for the Big 12 crown, then won the conference tournament and were rewarded with the 2-seed in the East Regional.
The Cowboys spent the first half of their Round of 64 game with Eastern Washington flirting with disaster, tied 36-36 at the half. But with McFarlin shooting 9-for-11, putting up a 20/10 line and Oklahoma State holding the Eagles to 36 percent shooting, the Cowboys pulled away to a 75-56. That momentum rolled into the second round. Oklahoma State jumped Memphis quickly, bolting out to a 41-19 lead and shooting 60 percent. Graham’s 21 points led a balanced lineup and Oklahoma State advanced out of Kansas City with an easy 70-53 win.
East Rutherford was the regional host and this was the one bracket where the favorites held serve in the first two rounds. Oklahoma State took on Pitt on Thursday night. In a physical, defensive game, the Cowboys trailed 28-26 at the half. The difference is that Allen was the only player on either team to have a good offensive night, hitting 23 points. Okie State pulled away to win 63-51.
St. Joe’s, the #1 seed and 4th-seeded Wake Forest played an electric game in the other Sweet 16 battle. The Hawks had future pros in the backcourt, with Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, who each scored 24 points. Deacon point guard Chris Paul proved to be pretty good in the NBA himself, but he was held to 12 tonight. It was enough for St. Joe’s to win 84-80. The one regional in this NCAA Tournament to have gone mostly to form would fittingly get a 1 vs. 2 battle in the Elite Eight.
One more time, Oklahoma State started slow, trailing 33-27 at the half. What they were doing was playing defense and hitting the glass. St. Joe’s was held to 39 percent from the floor. Graham finished with a 17/11 line, while McFarlin added 12 rebounds. While West scored 20 for the Hawks, Nelson was forced into 6-for-18 shooting. Lucas stepped up and hit for 19 points. The Cowboys pulled out a 64-62 win. They were going to the Final Four. Lucas got MOP honors, although it seems like Graham, with strong all-around performance and rebounding dominance might have been a more fitting choice.
THE 2004 FINAL FOUR
This would prove to be one of the best Semi-Final Saturdays in Final Four lore. Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State were on the undercard. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 37-30 lead at the half. The Cowboys, now fully accustomed to playing from behind, got back into it and it was tight down the stretch. The Oklahoma State forwards, Graham and McFarlin, each played well, going for a combined 23 points/18 rebounds.
But Tech got surprising contributions from 7’1” center Luke Schenscher, who scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Lucas struggled from the floor, while Lewis knocked down 15 for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets survived, 67-65.
Duke and UConn was the battle everyone was waiting for, and the two great programs did not disappoint. The Blue Devils seemed firmly in command for much of the night. They led 41-34 at the half and were still up 75-67 with four minutes to play. But Williams was struggling, and he fouled out. The Huskie big men took over. Okafor scored 18. Josh Boone, another unlikely hero, pulled down 14 rebounds. Gordon also scored 18.
UConn moved ahead 79-75 and had the game wrapped up. Duhon tossed a disconsolate 38-footer at the buzzer that went in and made the final 79-78 shot. It was a meaningless shot—except to gamblers, given that UConn was a two-point favorite. Duhon’s shot became interesting (and lucrative) trivia to a memorable day of basketball.
Monday night’s game seemed anticlimactic. UConn was a solid favorite and they put Georgia Tech in a 41-26 hole by halftime. Okafor dominated, securing Most Outstanding Player honors with a 24 points/15 rebounds display. Anderson scored 18. Gordon struggled with his shooting, but still scored 21. The Huskies cruised to an 82-73 win and won their second national title in five years.