Bazz best UConn point guard ever!

[GlastonTim]

How far does Bazz have to take this team to reach Kemba status? Win it all? Final Four?

 

[Waquoit]

Ha, I like to believe he left after the championship. Lol I'm still drinking my coffee. Good catch.

It probably would have been the right decision for him. I brought it up because the situation in his last final year is comparable to Bazz' this year. People forget how awesome KEA was that year.

 

[YearoftheHusky]

He probably won't ever ass Kemba, but he's definitely propelled himself into the same tier as El-Amin and Price.

Depending on how this season shapes up, he could rank anywhere from the fourth- to second-best point guard UConn has ever had. That's pretty good.

I sure hope he doesn't ever ass Kemba. Although, he is the reach around bandit

 

[RichZ]

Two of the important players in that Kemba group had major problems with JC during Bazz's sophomore season. One aired it out publicly, the other kept it to himself, but their actions the following season supports evidence IMO that there were issues with these players and JC...

The fact that those same players were team players under Kemba's leadership, and cancer under Bazz's has to either reflect positively on Kemba or negatively on Bazz.

You put me in the very uncomfortable position of having to argue against Bazz. I think that Bazz is very close to being Kemba's equal. But he is in the unenviable position of needing to eclipse a legend to gain the top spot. He will never have the opportunity to lead the team to a post season 11 for 11. No one ever will.

 

[ctchamps]

The fact that those same players were team players under Kemba's leadership, and cancer under Bazz's has to either reflect positively on Kemba or negatively on Bazz.

You put me in the very uncomfortable position of having to argue against Bazz. I think that Bazz is very close to being Kemba's equal. But he is in the unenviable position of needing to eclipse a legend to gain the top spot. He will never have the opportunity to lead the team to a post season 11 for 11. No one ever will.

Didn't mean to put you in that position. The x factor in those two seasons was Drummond. Not sure Kemba could have made Smith and Alex happy if he stayed.

That was a magical run. Hope it never is duplicated. The discussion is about point guard vs. pg. But that magical run makes it difficult for anyone to to not love what Kemba did and realize how fantastic he was. It was clutch personified. But Bazz has been equally clutch even if it hasn't been in a row and in a one and done format.

Debating with you, but acknowledging that my points are only opinions and not definite. Your viewpoint is just as valid.

 

[UconnU]

I wouldn't trade him for any other player in the country. Also, I think his game translates well into the NBA. I think he could be a Chris Paul type player in the NBA.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Shabazz's contributions to the program supersede's pretty much everyone else with possibly the exception of Kemba. He wins the all time loyalty award for sticking around through the APR bs and coaching change among other things while others quit on the program and bailed. I don't think people realize how easily UConn could have fallen off the map without him. Thanks to him this program is on solid ground with a chance to go really deep in the tourney this year. By the way Bazz IS a National Champion

 

[David 76]

The fact that those same players were team players under Kemba's leadership, and cancer under Bazz's has to either reflect positively on Kemba or negatively on Bazz.

You put me in the very uncomfortable position of having to argue against Bazz. I think that Bazz is very close to being Kemba's equal. But he is in the unenviable position of needing to eclipse a legend to gain the top spot. He will never have the opportunity to lead the team to a post season 11 for 11. No one ever will.

Yeah, but is easier to follow a proven upper class-man than someone who was one of the ducklings with you. I think they are the 2 best PGs in UCONN history. I give the nod to KW but I think it has gotten closed. I can't imagine anyone matching Kemba's 2011 season. I think Kemba is the better player, as in he will have the better NBA career. But for college career, Napier is pretty tough.

 

[joey3$trike$]

If he carries the team to a NC it would have to be SN! Like KW performance he would equal and surpass him with 2 NC's.

 

[UConnDad]

I love Bazz. One of my all time favorite Huskies.

But Kemba put us on his back and carried us all the way to the promised land. Kemba is the stuff of legends as far a I am concerned and Bazz would have to do the same to be in his league. Just MHO.

How far does Bazz have to take this team to reach Kemba status? Win it all? Final Four?

AAC championship final 4 and we have a discussion

 

[David 76]

Career numbers at UCONN
Points/game: Bazz 13 Kemba 16
Shooting %: Bazz .410 Kemba .428
3pt, shooting %: Bazz .375 Kemba .326
FT/game: Bazz 3.3 Kemba 4.4
Assists/game: Bazz 4,6 Kemba 4.1
TOV/game: Bazz 2.4 Kemba 2.3
Rebounds/game Bazz 3.7 Kemba 4.4

Interesting. Biggest surprise to me is that KW out-rebounded SN. The other thing that stood out is how much SN had a significant increase year by year.

 

[James]

Statistically, you guys might be underrating him. There really isn't another uconn pg that holds a candle to his efficiency. As far as right now, is there another pg playing at his level ? Only perhaps Thames from SDSU. He's starting to look 100% healthy since that florida spill, very engaged late in games. Curious how much better he can play.

 

[UConnDad]

These stats are good for something I guess. The only one I care about is the W. Now I love Bazz and his loyalty is not to be minimized. But Kemba should have been POY and coming in second was close. So if Bazz wins the last 11 games of his college career I will anoint him the best! And it won't even take 11 just using that to compare.

 

[joober jones]

Napier has certainly matured more over his UConn career than any other player, point guard or otherwise.

 

[RichZ]

These stats are good for something I guess. The only one I care about is the W. Now I love Bazz and his loyalty is not to be minimized. But Kemba should have been POY and coming in second was close. So if Bazz wins the last 11 games of his college career I will anoint him the best! And it won't even take 11 just using that to compare.

If he wins the last one, he goes right to the top.

 

[UConnDad]

If he wins the last one, he goes right to the top.

Now you have it. I'm with you

 

[Inyatkin]

People really do forget how good KEA was...and I think part of that is that he got injured in a 5-12 matchup with Utah State. Had he been healthy...there was a very good chance of back-to-back final fours, as that bracket was destroyed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_N...l_Tournament#South_Regional_-_Austin.2C_Texas

That's true, but that was also a late-season charge. They were really frustrating all year, in a 2012 kind of way.

 

[djct1999]

Shabazz is nothing short of amazing, but until he wins 11 straight in March, nothing touches Kemba's junior year. That was just ridiculous and I am pretty sure something none of us will ever see again.

 

[huskyharry]

In the past, I have agreed with the comparison with Mo Williams (NBA starter for several seasons and All-Star one year IIRC) thinking that Bazz had a little bit better point guard skills but wasn't as talented at creating offense himself. However, this year it is apparent that Bazz is a much better passer and ball-handler than Williams and at least his equal at creating his own shot. I think he could start on a few NBA teams and be a very solid back up point on most others. If he were two inches taller, he would be a lottery pick this year.

 

[champs99and04]

Bazz isn't better than KEA. Not even close.

Not really sure where you're coming from here, Bazz is definitely better than KEA IMO.

 

[whaler11]

I'd take Walker in this debate.

The thing I don't get is how Price
ended up mentioned with KEA, Walker and Napier.

 

[Inyatkin]

Sort of a side note here, but I'm reminded of our tournament games in 2011 when the national commentators would say something to the effect of "Good move by Jim Calhoun here bringing in Shabazz Napier and letting Walker work without the ball." As if that wasn't what happened in every single game the entire year.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

In regard to KEA, in many ways he can be seen as the single most important player UConn has had in terms of giving the team what was needed to get over the hump and become national champions. He was the perfect piece ... exactly what was needed for the group that came in with Rip. He was the one who made the others see they could be the best. In terms of leadership, no one has come close until Kemba. I think that AJ Price put himself into the discussion of best UConn PG's. He could do a lot of things extremely well and he was the clear leader that made the '09 team Final Four material. I feel like his positive leadership and clutch plays moved him ahead of Marcus Williams by a bit. At this point, Shabazz seems to me to be the most skilled all-around PG. He does not quite have the charisma that Kemba and KEA had, but he is a better shooter and can be a great passer. We'll have to see how things play out, but Shabazz is right up near the top in my book right now.

 

[itgoeslike]

Kemba could take over a game against top shelf talent. Shabazz continues to getter better, so anything's possible, but he would need to dominate the tourney to displace Kemba. Having said that, the fact that he's in the debate is a tribute to how well he's been playing.

 

[Waquoit]

Not really sure where you're coming from here, Bazz is definitely better than KEA IMO.

I guess I'm coming from the place that thinks KEA was better than Napier. Anyone who thinks that's denigrating Napier forgets how good El-Amin was. His last year they beat 2 teams that ended up as 1 seeds in the Big Dance. He outplayed Gibert Arenas head-to-head. He put the team on his shoulders like Bazz is doing and they were on the way to an FF before he got hurt.