5 most important Calhoun recruits

[nelsonmuntz]

Not necessarily the 5 best, but the 5 recruits that had the greatest impact on the trajectory of the program.

1) Nadav Henefeld. The 1989-1990 UConn team was poised for a nice season and potentially a spot on the bubble with a few breaks, and then in mid-December, an Israeli picks UConn over St. Johns. UConn's Dream Season changed the trajectory of the program forever. UConn competed at the highest level for a year, and proved to top recruits that UConn was program on the rise in a way that an NCAA bid and a 10 seed never would have done. The Dream Season brought in the 1991 class of Donyell, Donny, Ollie, Rudy, Fair, etc. Henefeld was exactly what UConn needed at that time. Big enough to cover power forwards on a UConn team that was weak inside, athletic enough to press and run the floor.

2) Khalid El-Amin - UConn does not win a title in 1999 without landing a Top 20 recruit that had offers from everyone. UConn had plenty of talent before El-Amin got there, but did not have the killer instinct that El-Amin brought.

3) Donyell Marshall - Calhoun's first McDonald's All American.

4) Kemba Walker - there are a fair number of coaches and programs that have 2 titles. There are very few that have 3.

5) Chris Smith - Calhoun needed to keep the top in-state talent before he could compete nationally.

 

[Bonesbrigade]

Not necessarily the 5 best, but the 5 recruits that had the greatest impact on the trajectory of the program.

1) Nadav Henefeld. The 1989-1990 UConn team was poised for a nice season and potentially a spot on the bubble with a few breaks, and then in mid-December, an Israeli picks UConn over St. Johns. UConn's Dream Season changed the trajectory of the program forever. UConn competed at the highest level for a year, and proved to top recruits that UConn was program on the rise in a way that an NCAA bid and a 10 seed never would have done. The Dream Season brought in the 1991 class of Donyell, Donny, Ollie, Rudy, Fair, etc. Henefeld was exactly what UConn needed at that time. Big enough to cover power forwards on a UConn team that was weak inside, athletic enough to press and run the floor.

2) Khalid El-Amin - UConn does not win a title in 1999 without landing a Top 20 recruit that had offers from everyone. UConn had plenty of talent before El-Amin got there, but did not have the killer instinct that El-Amin brought.

3) Donyell Marshall - Calhoun's first McDonald's All American.

4) Kemba Walker - there are a fair number of coaches and programs that have 2 titles. There are very few that have 3.

5) Chris Smith - Calhoun needed to keep the top in-state talent before he could compete nationally.

 

[Bonesbrigade]

RIP

Donyell

Chris Smith

KEA

Ray

 

[Bonesbrigade]

Also Caron, Rashad, and Gay

 

[Kitaman]

1. Ray was raved about on national TV by Al McQuire giving UConn much attention back in the day. He neutralized Al Iverson on national TV, and increased our national exposure and prime time slots.

2. Chris well just his dribbling alone brought attention to the program, helped put us on the map.

3. 1st team AA Rip was the UConn poster boy for being unstoppable. His play against dook increased our fan base, picking up the anti dookies. (Respect!)

4. Donyell validated Calhoun as a recruiter, and it was off to the races.

5. Emeka made us into the block shot capital of the country for many years to come.

 

[mauconnfan]

RIP

Donyell

Chris Smith

KEA

Ray

BINGO

 

[husky99]

RIP

Donyell

Chris Smith

KEA

Ray

i think walker has to be on the list but I do not know who to take off

 

[mauconnfan]

i think walker has to be on the list but I do not know who to take off

Unfortunately it would have to be Ray and I am fine with that too 99.........actually agree and like it a little better.........

2nd team would need to be Ray, Caron, Ben, Ricky and maybe Nadav

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I am surprised no one thinks Henefeld is more important. If UConn does not have the Dream Season, I don't think UConn gets a Top 5 class like it did in 1991. That class had 3 top 100 recruits, Donyell, Fair, Ollie, and Rudy Johnson may have been a 4th, i don't remember. UConn had never had a class like that before. And UConn does not have a Dream Season without Henefeld showing up out of nowhere in December 1989. That one recruit completely changed the trajectory of the program.

With most of the other guys, if UConn didn't get them, the Huskies would have gotten someone else. UConn may not have won National Championships without RIP, Okafor or Walker, but UConn wouldn't have sucked either and someone else would have filled those gaps. There was no sub for Henefeld. UConn had already started its season and had the team it had, already losing to Texas A&M and Villanova by the time Henefeld joined.

 

[Waquoit]

It's tough to pick 5. But I'm glad to see so much support for KEA. He was the difference maker for the program.

 

[len0322]

The first three were CT products, prior to JC, these all went to other programs. To varying levels, they helped lay the foundation

1. Murray Williams
2. Chris Smith
3. Scott Burrell
4. Nadav : Immediate contributor, helped put UCONN on the national stage.

5. Rudy Johnson: The first national blue chip to sign in '91. That opened the doors to Ollie, Fair, and the Marshall boys joining. Injuries impacted his collegiate career.

Once the foundation was built, Calhoun/staff continued to add great talent on a regular basis.

 

[61cygni]

When all is said and done, Kemba may be among the most important in having kept UConn going during his time and into this transition period.

 

[8893]

It's tough to pick 5. But I'm glad to see so much support for KEA. He was the difference maker for the program.

+1. And I needed to get you past 666 likes.

 

[bmayuc]

I think you have to do this by defining epochs of the program...


5. Kemba- 3rd championship, definitive toughness, and heart. GOAT husky season individually. Flag bearer for the final, up and down but feisty seasons.

4.chris Smith- built hometown pride, emotional fan connection. Flag bearer from the early scrappy days.

3. Donyell/Ray- flag-bearers from the run and gun, pressing pre-championship teams. Talent that stood up to the best in the country, made us national players...

2. Emeka/Ben- defined our 2001-2008 stretch of shot-blocking inside brute dominance, 2nd chip.

1. RIP- the heart and soul of chip #1, the team that defined the underdog spirit but also the teamwork and toughness we know about calhouns teams. 1st chip always the hardest/most important.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Danzz]

Not necessarily the 5 best, but the 5 recruits that had the greatest impact on the trajectory of the program.

1) Nadav Henefeld. The 1989-1990 UConn team was poised for a nice season and potentially a spot on the bubble with a few breaks, and then in mid-December, an Israeli picks UConn over St. Johns. UConn's Dream Season changed the trajectory of the program forever. UConn competed at the highest level for a year, and proved to top recruits that UConn was program on the rise in a way that an NCAA bid and a 10 seed never would have done. The Dream Season brought in the 1991 class of Donyell, Donny, Ollie, Rudy, Fair, etc. Henefeld was exactly what UConn needed at that time. Big enough to cover power forwards on a UConn team that was weak inside, athletic enough to press and run the floor.

2) Khalid El-Amin - UConn does not win a title in 1999 without landing a Top 20 recruit that had offers from everyone. UConn had plenty of talent before El-Amin got there, but did not have the killer instinct that El-Amin brought.

3) Donyell Marshall - Calhoun's first McDonald's All American.

4) Kemba Walker - there are a fair number of coaches and programs that have 2 titles. There are very few that have 3.

5) Chris Smith - Calhoun needed to keep the top in-state talent before he could compete nationally.

Henefeld wouldn't even be in my top 10. He was a good player but also had a lot of weaknesses. Chris Smith probably #1.

 

[21Huskies]

1 -- Chris Smth - the foundation of it all.
2 -- Donyell - started to make the dream become reality
3 -- Rip/KEA - made it reality
4 -- Emeka - wasn't a huge recruit but impact was enormous to confirm us as elite.
5 -- Kemba - the prorgram was going thru a lull. needed a spark to get 'UCONN' back. he provided that spark at the best time possible.

 

[Waquoit]

+1. And I needed to get you past 666 likes.

I noticed that. Thanks for taking one for the team.

 

[Waquoit]

Henefeld wouldn't even be in my top 10. He was a good player but also had a lot of weaknesses. Chris Smith probably #1.

Yeah, but no one played the middle of press like him. I mean no one anywhere. And that press was the key to that season.

 

[dante]

Honorable mention Ricky Moore, without him we don't win the nation championship

 

[SubbaBub]

1. Nadav - Made the program national in 1990
2. Smith - First big local prospect
3. Donyell - First national blue chipper
4. Ray - 'Cause he's Ray and ratified UConn as a place for top players.
5 (tie). Rip/Emeka/Kemba - the indispensable players from the 3 titles. Not necessarily major recruiting coups, but transcendent Huskies without whom these titles don't happen if you swapped them for other players of similar ranking.

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[Bonesbrigade]

Good point about Henefeld (although I still would'nt add him to my list). It's kind of the same logic I use with Ray over Kemba. Without Ray perhaps there is no RIP, without RIP maybe no Gordon, without Gordon no Kemba, etc.....

 

[freescooter]

I agree with nelson on Henefeld. With all due respect to Chris Smith and company that team was going nowhere without him. He changed the face of UConn basketball. I can still see him at the line against Georgetown, the Georgetown players making anti-Semetic comments and henfeld calmly hitting two, then on Georgetowns next time down the floor stepping in front of a pass for the steal. By the way, I lost a lot of respect for John Thompson that night too. He should have yanked and sat guys for the crap they were saying.

After Henefeld I'd ElAmin. He brought the attitude that we needed to get over the hump.
Donyell Marshall established UConn as a real national program.
Chris Smith, but not becasue he was a local kid. Because he was a good player and a stable force.I think it was really a myth that he did anything for Connecticut kids coming here. In the first place their weren't that many Connecticut kids able to play at that level. And in the second, we had already established that they would come to UConn with Cornelius Thompson and Mike Mckay.

Kemba Walker. I put him here mostly out of respect for the job he did in 2011. I can't remember any player who single handedly carried a team to a championship. he only two I can think of are maybe David Thompson and NC State in 1974 and maybe Danny Manning in 1988 with Kansas. Manning might be the closests.

On the whole, though i really think it was the early guys that are important. had UConn not landed Henfeld and Smith, I'm not sure any of the rest ever show up. Without Khalid we might still be chasing the first National Championship.

 

[CL82]

+1. And I needed to get you past 666 likes.

I was stuck on the number of the beast for a while myself. It was disconcerting.

 

[CL82]

Smith - he openned the door that the other walked through

Ray - well because he's Ray...gave us nation standing and as noted above the Allen/Iverson face off raised us up as a competitor to a national power (that we ultimately surpassed)

RIP - I think the fanbase sometimes underappreciates this amazing talent. Nevermind Ollie, RIPs motor was amazing. He'd take your will and just keep coming.

Nadav - might not have come up with him myself but I agree the mystique of this player coming from out of nowhere elevated the program.

'Mek - changed us from wing U to shot blocker U

I'm going with Butler for the last spot because he's a great spokesman for the program and Calhoun and because I'm still mad at Donyell for missing those damn free throws.

 

[CTBasketball]

Ray: Faced off with AI on primetime and helped open the door to the 1999 title (kinda).

Rip: Led us to our first title.

Smith: Dream Season and whatnot, established state dominance before national.

Okafor: We could have faded away after our 1st title, but he didn't let that happen.

KEA: Would not have won without him. Brought so much intensity.


Honorable Mentions:

Henefeld, Kemba, Butler, and Rashad Anderson.