Alltime Uconn starting lineup | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Alltime Uconn starting lineup

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Walker: leadership and defense to go along with his offense
Ray: greatest pure shooter ever but could take any defender off the dribble during his college days.
Caron: physical SF who could post up or play the perimeter
Donyell: our first true All American. Offensive game and long arms to get into the passing lanes to lead to 360 dunks at the other end
Emeka: Defensive terror/Rim protector/rebounding machine.

I love bazz, but his defense wasn't any better than Ray's and Ray was light years ahead of bazz on the offensive end during their UConn days. Ray would probably hold all of UConn's scoring records if he stayed all 4 years.
 
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tzznandrew said:
Well, considering Ray shot 47% from the field, and 46% from 3, compared to Shabazz's 43% and 40.5%, and not entirely convinced. He likely would, because he got to the line 238 times compared to Ray's 147...but remember that when you are fouled, it takes away a shot attempt. In all likelihood, they're actual attempts were a little closer (Shabazz averaged about 6 FTs per game, to Ray's 4).

I get your point on pacing. I even acknowledged it (becuase it cuts both ways) when looking at the defense. The other thing to keep in mind is that Ray averaged that many rebounds despite having someone on the team average 9.5 rpg. And Ray's job was to score, not to distribute, so it is no surprise that Shabazz averaged more assists, although Ray was second on the team.

Ray is the best player that UConn has produced. His NBA succeses are thus far unparalelled. And no one on this team will match it...the only player out there right now who might be a HOFer in the same category is Drummond...but he is far away from that at the moment.

I think Ray had two better college seasons than Shabazz's best--which is no discredit, in my opinion, to Shabazz's greatness. If I'm making a team to play a game, I can't leave off Ray Allen. His team didn't win a title, but that wasn't because of him. He was just unreal in college.
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Ray also played 31 MPG his jr season compared to 35 MPG for Bazz this year. That mitigates the pace of play argument.
 
2UCONN04 said:
Walker: leadership and defense to go along with his offense
Ray: greatest pure shooter ever but could take any defender off the dribble during his college days.
Caron: physical SF who could post up or play the perimeter
Donyell: our first true All American. Offensive game and long arms to get into the passing lanes to lead to 360 dunks at the other end
Emeka: Defensive terror/Rim protector/rebounding machine.

I love bazz, but his defense wasn't any better than Ray's and Ray was light years ahead of bazz on the offensive end during their UConn days. Ray would probably hold all of UConn's scoring records if he stayed all 4 years.
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I dislike this on so many levels.
 
JaYnYcE said:
I dislike this on so many levels.
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Everyone loves Bazz but people like you need to get a grip and learn to differentiate career vs peak. Also people need to stop acting as if Bazz was arguably the best player on the 2011 team when he was no higher than 4th.

Everyone loves what he did this year and he is and will always be one of the pantheon of greats for UConn, just stop trying to argue ridiculous things like Bazz being better than Ray or Kemba at their respective peaks.
 
PcketknfNiels said:
Everyone loves Bazz but people like you need to get a grip and learn to differentiate career vs peak. Also people need to stop acting as if Bazz was arguably the best player on the 2011 team when he was no higher than 4th.

Everyone loves what he did this year and he is and will always be one of the pantheon of greats for UConn, just stop trying to argue ridiculous things like Bazz being better than Ray or Kemba at their respective peaks.
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I have thoughts on this, obviously, that I'm looking forward to sharing once we start the voting.

Needless to say I love Bazz, and think that being a 2x national champion gives him the greatest career. But, yeah...greatest career vs. greatest individual season is an important distinction.
 
tzznandrew said:
I have thoughts on this, obviously, that I'm looking forward to sharing once we start the voting.

Needless to say I love Bazz, and think that being a 2x national champion gives him the greatest career. But, yeah...greatest career vs. greatest individual season is an important distinction.
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I doubt any of us participants would be able to vote on any matchups, at least within our own bracket.

Bazz case for greatest career ever really depends on how much weight you give to his 2011 contribution. I'm assuming you're just getting each player at their peak in this lineup thread, in which case I can't see how Bazz cracks the starting 5. That's obviously less about him than the greatness of Kemba/Ray/Rip, but there's clearly some extreme recency bias going on here.
 
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PcketknfNiels said:
Everyone loves Bazz but people like you need to get a grip and learn to differentiate career vs peak. Also people need to stop acting as if Bazz was arguably the best player on the 2011 team when he was no higher than 4th.

Everyone loves what he did this year and he is and will always be one of the pantheon of greats for UConn, just stop trying to argue ridiculous things like Bazz being better than Ray or Kemba at their respective peaks.
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He's the only UCONN player with 2 ring s and an MOP. No one has ever done that before him, you don't sit him for any other alum. And Caron over RIP? Really? YOU need to get a grip fella.
 
JaYnYcE said:
He's the only UCONN player with 2 ring s and an MOP. No one has ever done that before him, you don't sit him for any other alum. And Caron over RIP? Really? YOU need to get a grip fella.
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If I'm starting a team where we're picking a player's peak, then I'm picking Kemba as my starting PG, and probably Ray as my starting SG. That's not a knock on Shabazz, who I think had the greatest UConn career, and had a very special 2014.

But yeah, Rip is there over Caron. And this is coming from someone who loves Caron.
 
tzznandrew said:
If I'm starting a team where we're picking a player's peak, then I'm picking Kemba as my starting PG, and probably Ray as my starting SG. That's not a knock on Shabazz, who I think had the greatest UConn career, and had a very special 2014.

But yeah, Rip is there over Caron. And this is coming from someone who loves Caron.
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I'd love to know where either of you see me saying Caron>Rip or that I'd place him in the starting 5 over Rip.

But @JaYnYcE being the 4th best player on a title team doesn't count if we're just talking about these guys at their best. At their best, Kemba is the pg over Bazz, and it's really the obvious choice. You're also not putting Bazz at the 2 and leaving out Ray or Rip, so unless you're going super small, then yes, Bazz is your 6th man.
 
PcketknfNiels said:
I'd love to know where either of you see me saying Caron>Rip or that I'd place him in the starting 5 over Rip.

But @JaYnYcE being the 4th best player on a title team doesn't count if we're just talking about these guys at their best. At their best, Kemba is the pg over Bazz, and it's really the obvious choice. You're also not putting Bazz at the 2 and leaving out Ray or Rip, so unless you're going super small, then yes, Bazz is your 6th man.
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No one said you said this. But look at this.
 
Feel Shabazz was a better PG than Kemba. Totally controlled our games in the NCAA. Has been clutch for us for two years and an important contributor in the 2011 team as well. Kemba was heart and got key buckets when we needed them, but I dont recall him totally controlling games like Shabazz did.

Then the question arises do I go with two PGs or a SG? I chose SG so my choices were Gorden and Allen. Again, going off my memory (which could be clouded) I just feel Gordon was a really consistent shooter in big games (e.g. Madison Square Gordon).

Thus Shabazz and Gordon in my back court. Think RIP, Donyell and Emeka can be pretty much penciled in for the other positions.
 
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uconNYC said:
Feel Shabazz was a better PG than Kemba. Totally controlled our games in the NCAA. Has been clutch for us for two years and an important contributor in the 2011 team as well. Kemba was heart and got key buckets when we needed them, but I dont recall him totally controlling games like Shabazz did.

Then the question arises do I go with two PGs or a SG? I chose SG so my choices were Gorden and Allen. Again, going off my memory (which could be clouded) I just feel Gordon was a really consistent shooter in big games (e.g. Madison Square Gordon).

Thus Shabazz and Gordon in my back court. Think RIP, Donyell and Emeka can be pretty much penciled in for the other positions.
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2nd time you've done this and the other guy gets shredded for having Caron?
 
PcketknfNiels said:
2nd time you've done this and the other guy gets shredded for having Caron?
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was just explaining my earlier post after people arguing that Shabazz should not be in the starting lineup.
 
NotADimeBack said:
Based on since I've followed uconn basketball
1st team
Bazz
Kemba
El Amin
Rip
Okafor

2nd team
Boatright
Taliek
B.Gordon
Ray
Caron

:
:
:
thoughts?
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Some players noticably missing:
Chris Smith
Cliff Robinson
Donyell Marshall
Donny Marshall
Toraino Walker
Nadav Henefeld
Doron Shefer
Rod Sellers
 
JaYnYcE said:
He's the only UCONN player with 2 ring s and an MOP. No one has ever done that before him, you don't sit him for any other alum. And Caron over RIP? Really? YOU need to get a grip fella.
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There is certainly an argument to be made for Shabazz over Kemba, but I just don't think it's this. If Shabazz had been the main guy on both teams, fine, but saying he's automatically better because both teams won? I think maybe this argument needs to be a little better thought out.
 
Husky999 said:
No… Marcus Wil


I assume you just forgot about Donyell Marshall right?? Hands down the best statistical season of any Uconn player in history. 25, 9 and 3. If the guy didn't go out and smash hoe's and drink and smoke all night the night before the Sweet 16 game against Florida game we're in our first final 4 5 years earlier. Taliek Brown? Guy isn't even our 5th best pg ever… common?? Get out of here with this list.
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Taliek Brown… all time uconn leader in assists… nuff said, so you get out of here.
Don't like it, make your own crappy list
Im not old enough to remember donyell marshall, cant you read?
 
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1st Team
G - Shabazz Napier
G - Kemba Walker
G/F - Ray Allen
F - Donyell Marshall
C - Emeka Okafor

2nd Team
G - Wes Bialosuknia
G - Chris Smith
G/F - Rip Hamilton
F - Cliff Robinson
C - Hasheem Thabeet
 
Any list that doesn't have Wes B and Toby K on the first 2 teams is suspect. Also Nadev belongs on one the 1st 5 teams. Even before my time what about Walt Dropo?
 
PcketknfNiels said:
Relax old man.
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On another old man note Vin Yokabaskas the star of the first UConn NCAA tourney team passed way last last week. He did live long enough to watch his Huskies win a National Championship. I wooldn't mind going out the same way after maybe 6 or 7
I didn't follow UConn in 1950-51 so I don't remember him playing. I do know he scored 22 points in an NCAA game against St John's in MSG. At the height of NYC college BB. Check you list to see who else ever did that.
I do go back to Art Quimby who averaged 20 rebounds a game.
Without these guys,Worthy ,Toby,Wes,Tony Hanson, and a bunch more UConn doesn't get in the Big a East. So they should not be forgotten.
 
No line-up without the Dove is a list that doesn't merit discussion ;)
 
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AZHuskiePop said:
On another old man note Vin Yokabaskas the star of the first UConn NCAA tourney team passed way last last week. He did live long enough to watch his Huskies win a National Championship. I wooldn't mind going out the same way after maybe 6 or 7
I didn't follow UConn in 1950-51 so I don't remember him playing. I do know he scored 22 points in an NCAA game against St John's in MSG. At the height of NYC college BB. Check you list to see who else ever did that.
I do go back to Art Quimby who averaged 20 rebounds a game.
Without these guys,Worthy ,Toby,Wes,Tony Hanson, and a bunch more UConn doesn't get in the Big a East. So they should not be forgotten.
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Not saying they should be forgotten but you can't really compare a 6'7 old timey white guy who was pulling down ~15 boards a game to a modern athlete playing modern ball.
 
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