Bazz's place among the all time UConn greats ?

[BigErnMcCracken]

That's not my point at all. I'm just saying that Shabazz, for all his greatness and accomplishments, was never on a classically-dominant UConn team (contrast to Ray Allen, whose teams lost 5 conference games and 13 games overall in his 3 years).

I guess by "classically dominant" you mean a team that was ranked at or near the top of the polls all season? Well, I suppose it comes down to what's more important - 2 rings or consistently high mid-season rankings?

To ask another way: would you rather be UConn or Syracuse?

 

[Inyatkin]

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.

The problem is that you're using this as a mark against him. When you win counts. That 32-3 record Ray's team put up was nice, but empty. I'm sorry, playing your best when it matters counts for something.

 

[WillMadsDad]

Bruce: Allen had more talent - but I'll take Shabazz's leadership and defense over Ray Allen's any day. Two National Championships say that. Saying that it's not all that close just plain wrong. Allen was a typical NBA ready player who had a good college career, but Napier's on-court performance was better. Leading the team in scoring, rebounding (at his height?!?), and assists.

So - you're still saying that Allen's UConn on-court performance was better than Napier's?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

That's not my point at all. I'm just saying that Shabazz, for all his greatness and accomplishments, was never on a classically-dominant UConn team (contrast to Ray Allen, whose teams lost 5 conference games and 13 games overall in his 3 years).

Give me 1999, 2004, 2011, and 2014 over 1992, 1994, 1996, and 2006 any day.

 

[Kitaman]

Do you all remember when we used to make fun of Bazz pounding the ball and pointing all over the place? Man all that yelling and pointing won him a Championship.

As for the question, its no disrespect to other stars saying that he had the best 'career' in a UConn uniform. The kid was mentored by the former best (Champion Kemba), lost a HOF coach (Calhoun), lost about 6-8 players along the way, was ineligible for post season play, and had to play for a brand new 'inexperienced' head Coach. In spite of all that he became a 1st team AA, Bob Cousy award winner and led his team to a Championship Title. Oh and sprinkle in a little help he gave to student athletes, getting meal plans changed.

Not sure anyone else could have done that, and I'd like (and want) to forever think that only Bazz could, making that his legacy.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I guess by "classically dominant" you mean a team that was ranked at or near the top of the polls all season? Well, I suppose it comes down to what's more important - 2 rings or consistently high mid-season rankings?

To ask another way: would you rather be UConn or Syracuse?

It's getting a bit off-topic, but I think it's a fair question whose last 5 years you would rather have: ours or, say, Kansas's?

In the NFL, would you rather be the Giants or the Patriots from 2007-2012?

In MLB, would you rather be the SF Giants or the Yankees from 2010-present?

It comes up all over sports, which do you prefer: unexpected championships amid mediocrity, or steady and predictable success short of the ultimate goal?

 

[PAHusky]

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.



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

This argument makes little to no sense. The result of the NCAA tournament is what matters, not who CallMeBruce arbitrarily decides was a better team during the season. In other words, Houston was better than UConn on 12/31, when it didn't matter, and UConn was better than every other team in the country in April, when it really does. Even if we were to take your assertion that UConn was the best team and went on a miraculous run - wouldn't that present even a stronger argument for Bazz? By your logic, he managed to carry an inferior team to victories when the pressure was the greatest. As for the Ray Allen cop out, who the better basketball player while at UConn was is a lot closer than you make it out to be, and Bazz's position among the all time greats - the entire point of the thread - is at the very least on par with Ray's, and probably surpasses it.

 

[SubbaBub]

He's up there high enough where it doesn't matter. All-American, All Conference, Conference POY, Big East Champion, National Champion, Husky of Honor. Anyone on on that level doesn't answer to anyone.

The only other credentials you might consider are National POTY and pro accolades like All-star, NBA champ, and HoF'er.

 

[Inyatkin]

It's getting a bit off-topic, but I think it's a fair question whose last 5 years you would rather have: ours or, say, Kansas's?

I don't know any Kansas fans, but my guess would be they'd switch with us every time. I know I wouldn't switch with them. Would anyone?

 

[Waquoit]

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

Not in the Big Dance when it was his turn to lead.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It's getting a bit off-topic, but I think it's a fair question whose last 5 years you would rather have: ours or, say, Kansas's?

In the NFL, would you rather be the Giants or the Patriots from 2007-2012?

In MLB, would you rather be the SF Giants or the Yankees from 2010-present?

It comes up all over sports, which do you prefer: unexpected championships amid mediocrity, or steady and predictable success short of the ultimate goal?

Is this post serious?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

You're talking about on the court? Who would possibly pick Kansas? Would you?

I'm not sure that this is really much of a question.

It's getting a bit off-topic, but I think it's a fair question whose last 5 years you would rather have: ours or, say, Kansas's?

It comes up all over sports, which do you prefer: unexpected championships amid mediocrity, or steady and predictable success short of the ultimate goal?

 

[tzznandrew]

Not in the Big Dance when it was his turn to lead.

I like Allen a lot. I think he was a better player at UConn than Shabazz was. I think his 1996 season is among the best seasons out there.

But I'd rather have had Shabazz's career. He was a better leader, and he was instrumental in two championships.

To say that Ray's best season was better than Shabazz's does not devalue Shabazz, much like saying Shabazz was a better leader and had a better career does not devalue Ray.

 

[superjohn]

It's getting a bit off-topic, but I think it's a fair question whose last 5 years you would rather have: ours or, say, Kansas's?

In the NFL, would you rather be the Giants or the Patriots from 2007-2012?

In MLB, would you rather be the SF Giants or the Yankees from 2010-present?

It comes up all over sports, which do you prefer: unexpected championships amid mediocrity, or steady and predictable success short of the ultimate goal?

Any UConn fan that would trade places with any other program over the last 15 years would have to get their head checked.

 

[BankShot]

Bazz is truly unique in that he's a local boy, a local boy who was a key contributor to the 11 team (including that FF game vs Kentucky) as well as leading his senior year to a championship. The fact that he lead the team, in their darkest hour essentially, which is what lead to #4, makes him unique as well. He has been on ultimate UP, DOWN, and back UP again of any Husky.

The 2 Championships doesn't make him the greatest Husky, because just imagine, if Ricky Moore got his first in 96, or Rashad helped seal #3 in 06, would they be considered the greatest Huskies of All Time, no, but Bazz with his two and everything discussed makes him to me, the best Husky.

 

[sdhusky]

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.



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

You would make a hell of a SU fan. You could get a 25-0 tatoo. YIPPPEEE WE BEAT CORNELL IN NOV AGAIN!!!!!

 

[Palatine]

I've come to the conclusion there is no such thing as the best husky ever.

 

[muhmitchell]

I don't think anyone hit more big shots for us than Shabazz. Game winners, momentum swinging shots, game tying shots, clutch free throws. He was a closer; he ran the offense, got to the line, or took his man off the dribble and 9 times out of 10 the ball was going in the basket.

 

[Waquoit]

I've come to the conclusion there is no such thing as the best husky ever.

That's a good point. We have too many great players, too many winners to pick just one. When you make a case for one, it comes across as downgrading another.

 

[freescooter]

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

I also think it is easy to confuse some of these guys with their post-UConn careers, but that's a pretty fair list. I might be inclined to include Khalid el Amin somewhere near the top mostly because he brought a level of swagger/confidence that UConn needed to get over the top after in what was beginning to feel like a never ending string of Elite 8 losses. And he was a good player, too. Shabazz reminds me a bit of him. Same ice water in his veins when the game is on the line. Ray Allen wins over Donyell easily I think.

 

[dogfan96]

Not in the Big Dance when it was his turn to lead.

Not even before that.. the original poster saying on-court performance wasn't close is just flat out wrong. I'd say over the course of the 40 game season, Napier was the best player on the floor in at least 30 of those games.. maybe more. All-American, CPOY, Cousy Award, Final Four MOP, cut down the nets.. .. what else can one do, other than winning NPOY?

 

[Joobie]

All I can do is shake my head as I am reading the replies on this thread & smile at how many exceptional players we have had at UCONN that we can even have this discussion. IMO, they all have had success & completely different strengths that made them great players. To say one is better than another? WHY?

 

[Strummer]

Those guys were all elite superstars, whereas Napier was a very good player who won several games he shouldn't have.

I had not intended to post under this user name again and was going to start posting again late summer, but couldn't resist responding to this post.


If you're not a UConn fan, then well done Troll.
If you are a UConn fan, then you're a f-----g dimwit, and you should have your user name forcibly changed to "callme$h1tforbrains."

For comparison,
Ray was 26/6/3 in his last year. Shabazz was 18/6/5 from the point. 2 NCs, critical contributor to both teams. Captained the ship through his Soph/Junior year storm. Played huge when it mattered. Shabazz is tops for me, and number 2 is some distance behind. Calhoun built this program, but Shabazz will likely be remembered as the guy who was substantially responsible for heralding in the golden age of UConn the Blueblood. If Shabazz had left, we'd have struggled mightily to stay relevant, and it could have been a very, very long rebuilding process. By my reckoning, the program owes Shabazz a huge, huge thank you.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

This is the right time to talk about this. Two months ago people said Kemba was higher on the list judging Napier based on his career up to that point. I think its appropriate to say that's no longer the case. Napier proved his worth in a great championship run. I don't know about Connecticut's past basketball glory as I'm a fairly new fan... But I definitely gotta put Napier at least above Kemba. The other guys, I can't compare because I wasn't around...

 

[TheRogers]

If there was only one face available in UCONN's MT. Rushmore......his is it. What more does he need to do?

He's going to leave the program in good standing.
He stayed with the program at it's worst.
He had ZERO off court incidents that put the school in a bad light.
He was a great ambassador to the program.
As a back-up, he won it all.
As the go to player, he won it all....AGAIN.

He's freakin BAZZ-tastic!!!!!

 

[uconNYC]

greatest ever husky.

 

[Gurleyman]

I also think it is easy to confuse some of these guys with their post-UConn careers, but that's a pretty fair list. I might be inclined to include Khalid el Amin somewhere near the top mostly because he brought a level of swagger/confidence that UConn needed to get over the top after in what was beginning to feel like a never ending string of Elite 8 losses. And he was a good player, too. Shabazz reminds me a bit of him. Same ice water in his veins when the game is on the line. Ray Allen wins over Donyell easily I think.

You're giving El-Amin credit for the wrong thing if you are trying to say he was the reason why we finally got over the Elite Eight hump. You can say his swagger and moxie helped us beat Duke and I think that's a fair point - but Rip and Free got us through Gonzaga. El-Amin was a human disaster film in that one.

 

[tzznandrew]

You're giving El-Amin credit for the wrong thing if you are trying to say he was the reason why we finally got over the Elite Eight hump. You can say his swagger and moxie helped us beat Duke and I think that's a fair point - but Rip and Free got us through Gonzaga. El-Amin was a human disaster film in that one.

One of my favorite Huskies ever, but yeah, that was like going through a meat grinder.

 

[noeynox]

To me he is number one because he stayed when he could have transferred, and he returned when he could have entered the draft. He helped steady the program during a critical period, and when people were ready to declare the P5, the kings of the revenue sports, he made people pause and say "what about UConn".

He delivered big, when it mattered most IMO. #1 with a bullet. Not the most talented, but probably the best.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Agree with most of this. Especially the top 5 on Rushmore. If you had to cut it to 4, sorry Ray. No ship, no Rushmore. I'd put Donyell at #6.

I agree. I love Ray, Donyell and several others but for a program that has won 4 National Championships, I just can't put players who never even made a Final Four over the great players who have. For that reason, here's my top 10:

Shabazz
Kemba
Rip
Emeka
Ray
Donyell
Ben
Caron
Chris Smith
Burrell