Build Your Championship Starting 5

[Thunderbird]

Now that we have 5 championships, we have the perfect number of championship starters for this exercise. Using an allotted $15, buy your ideal starting 5 with each UConn National Championship starter being valued from $1-$5 listed below. You can only choose one player from each position. Each player is valued as they were during their championship season (ie. 2011 Jeremy Lamb instead of 2012)

PG:
$5 - Kemba Walker
$4 - Shabazz Napier (2014)
$3 - Khalid El-Amin
$2 - Tristen Newton
$1 - Taliek Brown

SG:
$5 - Ben Gordon
$4 - Jordan Hawkins
$3 - Jeremy Lamb
$2 - Ryan Boatright
$1 - Ricky Moore

SF:
$5 - Rip Hamilton
$4 - Andre Jackson
$3 - Rashad Anderson
$2 - Niels Giffey (2014)
$1 - Roscoe Smith

PF:
$5 - Kevin Freeman
$4 - DeAndre Daniels
$3 - Josh Boone
$2 - Alex Karaban
$1 - Tyler Olander (2011)

C:
$5 - Emeka Okafor
$4 - Adama Sanogo
$3 - Jake Voskuhl
$2 - Alex Oriakhi
$1 - Phil Nolan

Please provide insight into your selections! Some of the decisions that went into making this list were difficult so feel free to let me know if you disagree with anyone’s value. But if anything that just means you get a steal!

 

[Kenny11]

Karaban is a bargain at $2 and would fit well with anyone. Shabazz is worth the 4 and pairing him up with a bigger 2 like Lamb will work . Roscoe is only a dollar but it gives me the opportunity to grab Okafor. Okafor and Shabazz together would be magic.

I'll go Shabazz, Lamb, Roscoe, Karaban, and Okafor.

 

[fatlucy]

You left out many of my favorites.

 

[tzznandrew]

This is tough.

I'd go Okafor for $5 for exceptional defense and very good offense.
Then it's between Karaban and Daniels—both are exceptional shooters, but I'd go Daniels here for the additional rim protection.

That leaves me with $6. Newton, Boatright, Giffey gives me dual ball handlers, three shooters, and three excellent defenders.

You really cannot go wrong with any of these!

 

[Thunderbird]

You left out many of my favorites.

I didn’t leave out anyone! Just the starting 5’s for each championship game

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Give me Bazz, Boatright, Giffey, Karaban, and Emeka.

No defensive weaknesses, endless shooting, and great decision making all around. Let’s run.

 

[Husky25]

$1 - Taliek Brown - Doesn't have to score, but few were better at facilitating an offense.
$4 - Hawkins - Only Ray Allen was better without the ball.
$5 - Rip - So long as they can play with their then court dimensions (I.e. the 3 pt line is 18 feet).
$2 - Karaban - Anyone who knows me knows that I love Freeman, but Karaban is Freeman with range and you cannot deny the value at $2.
$3 - Jake Voskuhl - Goalie - doesn't get nearly enough credit for how many shots he altered.

 

[Tommyboy]

Karaban is a bargain at $2 and would fit well with anyone. Shabazz is worth the 4 and pairing him up with a bigger 2 like Lamb will work . Roscoe is only a dollar but it gives me the opportunity to grab Okafor. Okafor and Shabazz together would be magic.

I'll go Shabazz, Lamb, Roscoe, Karaban, and Okafor.

That's my grouping as well. I would prefer Niels over Roscoe, but Olander over Karaban is a non starter.

 

[Horatio]

Tristen $2, Boatright $2, Jackson $4, Karaban $2, Okafor $5. Everything is here. Ball handling, shooting, defense,

 

[navery12]

Kemba ($5), Boatright ($2), Giffey ($2), Karaban ($2), Sanogo ($4)

2 ball handlers, lots of shooting, and Sanogo dominating the paint inside

 

[bendm]

the most fun one of these things ive ever seen, great work

$5- kemba
$1- moore
$2- giffey
$2- karaban
$5- okafor

spent big on kemba and okafor.

kemba is singularly responsible for that title, at least more so than any other UConn champion.

okafor is the most dominant two-way player we've ever had. he could score around the paint like sanogo and defend it like thabeet.

moore is the best perimeter defender on the list and a great secondary ball handler. a "steal" at $1.

with my remaining $4 i needed two do-it-all glue guys that could also space the floor with their shooting and passing. giffey and karaban would fit seamlessly into any chip squad.

no one is scoring outside or inside against us. the only player that could hurt this team is a big athletic 3/4 that shoots lights out from the midrange e.g. durant or melo. but he'd need 40 to win.

 

[superjohn]

El-Amin, Ricky Moore, Rip, Roscoe, Okafor

El-Amin is an incredible leader and incredible point guard who takes and makes big plays throughout the game and especially in the big moments.

Ricky was the best lockdown perimeter defender we've had. Gives the team another ballhandler and stepped up his game in the biggest games possible.

Rip was arguably the best player we've ever had and the most accomplished Husky player ever. He gives the team our second go to creator/scorer who played his best with the games on the line.

Roscoe was a junkyard dog, every team needs one of those guys.

Okafor, another who is arguably our best player ever and he along with Anthony Davis are the best college defensive players in modern times.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Newton(2$), Hawkins(4$), Giffey(2$), Karaban(2), Okafor(5$)

You're not beating that lineups shooting and defense.

 

[Husky25]

Newton(2$), Hawkins(4$), Giffey(2$), Karaban(2), Okafor(5$)

You're not beating that lineups shooting and defense.

How ya gonna win with no point guard?

 

[HuskyFich]

Shabazz($4)
Boat($2)
Rashaad($3)
Karaban($2)
Sanogo ($4)

As an aside, how the poop is Charlie V not in this list!?!?!???

Blasphemy!!

 

[Dogdeacon]

Essentially added Emeka to 99 team, yes I lost KFree for Olander (should be able to get both versions of him for .50 each), but otherwise Wow!
PG $3 Khalid El-Amin
SG $1 Ricky Moore
SF $5 RIP
PF $1 Olander
C $5 Emeka

 

[Thunderbird]

Shabazz($4)
Boat($2)
Rashaad($3)
Karaban($2)
Sanogo ($4)

As an aside, how the poop is Charlie V not in this list!?!?!???

Blasphemy!!

He didn’t start the championship game. A lot of people are picking Karaban bc of his great value and shooting. Would be interesting if Villanueva was here at the $3 line instead of Boone whose skills are more redundant next to most centers

 

[HuskyFich]

He didn’t start the championship game. A lot of people are picking Karaban bc of his great value and shooting. Would be interesting if Villanueva was here at the $3 line instead of Boone whose skills are more redundant next to most centers

I missed that little caveat on starters….

Either way, Charlie should be the $4 above deandre. No hate, but Charlie was a whole different level of player.

 

[MJKI]

KEA (3), Boat (2), Giffey (2) Daniels (4) Adama (4). Ideal blend of ball-handling, attack off the dribble, defense, with a ton of length 3-5.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't like the position limitations. I think that's bogus. Plus, why is Rickey Moore a SG? Why isn't Anderson a SG? How is Freeman a $5 player?

My team. Built to play modern basketball with two combo guards who can attack, pass or shoot, and a lethal shooting wing and PF. Phil just protects the rim and cleans the glass.

SG Ben Gordon $5
PG Newton $2
SF Rip $5
PF Karaban $2
C Nolan $1

 

[HuskyFich]

I don't like the position limitations. I think that's bogus. Plus, why is Rickey Moore a SG? Why isn't Anderson a SG? How is Freeman a $5 player?

My team. Built to play modern basketball with two combo guards who can attack, pass or shoot, and a lethal shooting wing and PF. Phil just protects the rim and cleans the glass.

SG Ben Gordon $5
PG Newton $2
SF Rip $5
PF Karaban $2
C Nolan $1

Nolan is a sneaky valuable pick with big guards, good choice!

 

[Dogdeacon]

I don't like the position limitations. I think that's bogus. Plus, why is Rickey Moore a SG? Why isn't Anderson a SG? How is Freeman a $5 player?

Well because those starting lineups were in fact: Khalid-PG, Moore-SG, Hamilton-SF and TBrown-PG, Gordon-SG, Anderson-SF

I thought the positions was a fun theoretical wrinkle and rating/valuing players by position was interesting.

Of course you could also do another one positionless, equally interesting so $5 players would be: Emeka, Kemba, RIP, Shabazz & Adama (MOP's), then $4 etc...

 

[ThabeetDown]

Bazz $4
Boat $2
Neils $2
Karaban $2
Okafor $5

Didn't mean to stack with the 2014 team but so it goes. 4 shooters, plus defending at 4/5 positions. 2 elite playmaking guards and an elite post scorer. Sign me up. Don't see how you defend this team. Don't see how you score on this team.

 

[Chin Diesel]

$4 Daniels
$3 KEA
$3 Voskuhl
$3 Lamb
$2 Giffey

KEA and Lamb in the backcourt, Giffey and Daniels on the wings and Voskuhl down low. Giffey and Daniels can swap off anything on offense and defense and both rebounded well. KEA is the straw that stirs the drink and no pressure to shoot a bunch because he can feed Lamb, Giffey and Daniels.

 

[Yankees32123]

$1 - Taliek Brown

$4 - Jordan Hawkins

$5 - Rip Hamilton

$2 - Alex Karaban

$3 - Jake Voskuhl