Bazz's place among the all time UConn greats ?

[Huskybass]

Is he at the top of the heap? He is certainly in the discussion. Two national championships, AAC conference player of the year, MOP of the final 4, numerous overtime and last second heroics, fantastic leadership, etc.

With all due respect to Rip, Emeka, and Kemba, I think Shabazz may have had the best UConn career of any Husky. Not convinced that I am right though. Would like to hear others thoughts on the subject.

Edit: I am talking best career as a Husky. Total body of work in a Husky uniform.

 

[CallMeBruce]

If you value number of championships won, regardless of role on that team, over the actual production of the player, then maybe he's at the top. From my perspective, he's top 10, but not top 5. I'd have him behind Kemba, Ray, Rip, Okafor, and Donyell. Those guys were all elite superstars, whereas Napier was a very good player who won several games he shouldn't have.

 

[tzznandrew]

It all depends on what question are you asking.

Best at their peak? He's not top 5.
Most important to UConn history? He's top 5.
Best career? He's probably #1.

 

[Huskybass]

I am talking best career as a Husky. Total body of work in a Husky uniform.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Has to be one or close. Look at the record books ontop of two championships

 

[Tenspro2002]

Shabazz has certainly had the strangest career out of our all-time greats, representative of the fact that his tenure here overlapped with a period of great turmoil and uncertainty unlike any we've experienced in the history of our program.

He's also unique in that he's the only guy in the discussion to not have been good enough to leap to the NBA early, and he never led the team to a dominant season (he also, despite having the most championships, easily has the most overall losses of anyone in the discussion).

Freshman year: Wins a championship as a key reserve
Sophomore year: Presides over a horribly disappointing team
Junior year: Pulls together a plucky but not great team
Senior year: Carries a flawed team to a decent regular season and an incredible championship run

It's really hard to compare him to anyone else.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'd have him behind Kemba, Ray, Rip, Okafor, and Donyell. Those guys were all elite superstars, whereas Napier was a very good player who won several games he shouldn't have.

Napier was a consensus first team All-American, dude, just like those other guys. Not sure how much more elite you can get.

 

[tcf15]

I'd have him behind Kemba, Ray, Rip, Okafor, and Donyell. Those guys were all elite superstars, whereas Napier was a very good player who won several games he shouldn't have.

Napier was a consensus first team All-American, dude, just like those other guys. Not sure how much more elite you can get.

Napier also beat out two first team All-Americans for Conference Player of the Year. That's pretty damn elite.

 

[huskyblooz]

1. Napier
2. Walker (Kemba, not Toraino)

 

[Inyatkin]

Napier was a very good player who won several games he shouldn't have.

What games shouldn't he have won?
The first Florida game? I don't know, UConn scored more points than them, so that usually counts for something. What are you referring to here?

 

[Inyatkin]

(he also, despite having the most championships, easily has the most overall losses of anyone in the discussion).

This is obviously true, but I don't know why we'd pretend that wins and losses at different times of year have similar meaning. They don't.
Florida had five fewer losses than us this year. Does anyone care?

 

[mcs333]

First team AA, Cousy award winner, final 4 MOP. His value to UCONN as a freshman was outstanding, would not have won a NC without him, had a good second year but the team was flawed as well as he. He took the lead his junior year and the team and coach KO exceeded all expectations. Note the majority of the team left after 2012. He senior year was magical. I think only Kemba had a better season. For his career, Bazz's intangibles and his quantitative performance makes him number one.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Things I'll argue Bazz was the best at in a Uconn Uniform:

1) Most importantly, game management. Paul Pierce like sense of when we need a tide turning basket and uncanny ability to hit it.

2) Range. Range off the dribble. (others in the conversation: Ray and Shad) But from deep deep distance, it has to be bazz right? His ability to knock down beyond NBA range off the bounce pull up three's enabled #1.

Because of these two things (his ability to get his own shot and manage the floor game as a result I wouldn't fault anyone in the team draft for taking Bazz with the #1 overall pick. He was able to counterbalance so many problems just by controlling the emotion of the game with his IQ, poise (Senor) and range.

 

[huskyniner]

Best UConn career of all time: Shabazz
Best single season performance: Kemba
Most talented player: Probably between 3 or 4 players and is up for discussion

 

[CallMeBruce]

Napier was a consensus first team All-American, dude, just like those other guys. Not sure how much more elite you can get.

In a very watered-down NCAA. When Ray was a First Team AA, it was with Camby, Duncan, Kittles, and Iverson. Napier was a FTAA with Johnson, Russ Smith, Doug McDermott, and Parker. McDermott was NPOY. Context is important here. There just isn't the same level of talent in college anymore. That doesn't mean that Napier was as good as Ray Allen. If 95-96 Allen was in college this year, he would have been, by far, the best player in the country.

 

[Scoe]

You also have to look at what Shabazz went through off the court, it was a unique career. He went through a coaching change, a tournament ban, conference realignment, went through changing rosters with the tournament ban and put our program back on track and turned them into a true blue blood status with the 2 national championships.

 

[Marat]

Best UConn career of all time: Shabazz
Best single season performance: Kemba
Most talented player: Probably between 3 or 4 players and is up for discussion

Pretty much sums it up. In addition Bazz was one of the most important players to play for UConn.

 

[CallMeBruce]

What games shouldn't he have won?
The first Florida game? I don't know, UConn scored more points than them, so that usually counts for something. What are you referring to here?

Is this really that hard to understand? They outplayed better teams several times down the stretch. That doesn't mean they were the best team in the country.

 

[Marat]

You also have to look at what Shabazz went through off the court, it was a unique career. He went through a coaching change, a tournament ban, conference realignment, went through changing rosters with the tournament ban and put our program back on track and turned them into a true blue blood status with the 2 national championships.

That makes the case for him being the most important player (or top 2) at this point. Some say Chris Smith was key for getting it started. Bazz was key for keeping it going amid all those changes.

 

[WillMadsDad]

Due to recent events a.k.a. what have you done for me lately, I usually stay away from these conversations. I thought judgments would favor Napier - but couldn't resist after Bruce's comments.

You can't look at post UConn accomplishments. Everyone puts Ray at the top of the list - but fact is - Walker and Napier had more successful careers at UConn than Ray. Are you judging based on NBA ready game, movie appearances, or what the media thought?

Shabazz Napier is, by far, on the Mount Rushmore of UConn Men's Basketball Players. I'm just looking at body of work and moving the program forward. Walker and Napier are two of the four presidents. People should debate who will be the other two out of Ray, Emeka, Rip - if you want 5 heads on UConn's Mount Rushmore of Players - there's your top 5.

I'm not ignoring the fact that Coach Ollie was a tremendous factor in this year's championship. Napier did more for this program's success, as a player, than Donyell, Rip, and Emeka. Napier's leadership, clutch shooting, staying with the program during the "dark period", puts him on a pedestal.

More than half of this board was depressed regarding Calhoun's retirement, Scholarship loss, Post Season Ban, Conference Realignment, etc. That's a lot of ! It was non-stop bitching, from more than a few yarders, the past two seasons. Napier's career was more successful Rip's, Emeka's, and Donyell's ... period.

 

[superjohn]

If you value number of championships won, regardless of role on that team, over the actual production of the player, then maybe he's at the top. From my perspective, he's top 10, but not top 5. I'd have him behind Kemba, Ray, Rip, Okafor, and Donyell. Those guys were all elite superstars, whereas Napier was a very good player who won several games he shouldn't have.

"Napier was a very good player who won several games he shouldn't have.".......What?!??? Just when I think this board can't get any dumber.

 

[Inyatkin]

Is this really that hard to understand? They outplayed better teams several times down the stretch. That doesn't mean they were the best team in the country.

It is hard to understand. You said they won games they shouldn't have won. If you outplay the other team, you should win. Right? This is an odd way to parse things.

 

[superjohn]

Is this really that hard to understand? They outplayed better teams several times down the stretch. That doesn't mean they were the best team in the country.

Again, WTF are you talking about?

 

[CallMeBruce]

It is hard to understand. You said they won games they shouldn't have won. If you outplay the other team, you should win. Right? This is an odd way to parse things.

I'll try to be clearer. He's getting a lot of bonus points because the team beat other teams that were, over the course of the season, better than they were. They beat Florida twice, but Florida, on the balance of their performance throughout the year, was the better team. Unless you think that Houston was better than UConn this year.

You can't look at post UConn accomplishments. Everyone puts Ray at the top of the list - but fact is - Walker and Napier had more successful careers at UConn than Ray. Are you judging based on NBA ready game, movie appearances, or what the media thought?

I'm judging on actual on-court performance. Allen played basketball better at UConn than Napier did, and it's not all that close.

 

[superjohn]

My list would probably be 1. Shabazz 2. Rip 3. Kemba 4. Emeka 5. can't decide between Donyell and Ray