Best defensive player ever @ UConn and then in the NBA

[FreeKlaiber]

DePriest could literally shut down a player all game. I think he is criminally underrated at the college defensive level but he didn’t do the NBA.

didn't he lockdown lightning quick Dana Barros?

Burrell always seems to get lost in the shuffle so it's nice to see him getting his due in this thread. We all know how he was the only guy ever drafted first round in two of the three major sports until Kyler Murray and he could've been a big time college football player too and I think that overshadows just how good of a basketball player he was. Devastating injuries also took away all his athleticism

didn't he jump OVER Rodney Rogers?

 

[KembaRunner]

Ricky Moore his senior year had the best year a UConn defensive player has ever had and it isn’t close. (And I agree — leave centers out because it’s totally different.). Had Castle played multiple years here I have no reason to doubt he would have reached that level, but he didn’t.

Better than Nadav’s ncaa record for spg? Maybe, but it’s got to be at least close.

 

[Devland]

Idk why I have to reiterate that Emeka Okafor was a better defensive center than Donovan Clingan

As was Thabeet at UConn. I think it gets disconnected because of his brief NBA career.

 

[80shusky]

didn't he lockdown lightning quick Dana Barros?


didn't he jump OVER Rodney Rogers?

The Rodney Rogers clip is one of my favorites.

 

[AllHusky]

Castle’s defense on Cade.


Cade shoving Castle to the floor.

Castle hysterical sitting on the floor doing a golf clap

 

[AllHusky]

DePriest could literally shut down a player all game. I think he is criminally underrated at the college defensive level but he didn’t do the NBA.

Lyman would be my choice other than no NBA

 

[gsmooth]

Castle hysterical sitting on the floor doing a golf clap

Castle is smart, he is not stupid. He knows he was frustrating Cunningham.

 

[ucp990411]

People need to read the title of the thread. It says "and then in the NBA".

Spider Hesford.

one of my all time favorites. 6’2” power forward and all out hustle all the time. Wonder how many here have heard of him. When we talk about our toughest players of all time he makes the list

 

[Waquoit]

Boat had the heart -athleticism-talent at the CBB level. Was just vertically challenged for the next level.

That's the problem with these discussions. It's hard to make the case for one without unintentionally shading another great player. I just wish Boat had another Boat along side when he was the senior. Now seems like a good time to remind people that Ryan was smeared and forced to sit his first 3 games by the NCAA. Then, in his first college game; he was on the FT line down 3, needing to make all of them to send the game into OT. He made 'em.

 

[Umami Zen]

That's the problem with these discussions. It's hard to make the case for one without unintentionally shading another great player. I just wish Boat had another Boat along side when he was the senior. Now seems like a good time to remind people that Ryan was smeared and forced to sit his first 3 games by the NCAA. Then, in his first college game; he was on the FT line down 3, needing to make all of them to send the game into OT. He made 'em.

Will never forget- as the celebration started on the floor at NC Championship game vs Kentucky. The camera showed JC carving Boat out of the herd and was heard congratulating Boat on a great job on the defensive side of the ball. His old coach giving him props. Looked like Boat was a little surprised by the compliment. LOL

 

[superjohn]

That's the problem with these discussions. It's hard to make the case for one without unintentionally shading another great player. I just wish Boat had another Boat along side when he was the senior. Now seems like a good time to remind people that Ryan was smeared and forced to sit his first 3 games by the NCAA. Then, in his first college game; he was on the FT line down 3, needing to make all of them to send the game into OT. He made 'em.

He belongs in the Huskies of honor. Besides being top 10 in points, assists, steals he never left when all the drama was surrounding the program. He's also an alpha and he accepted being second fiddle. He yielded some of his scoring and accepted he wasn't the go to guy. He instead became the perfect wingman, a lockdown defender, and was always there in the clutch.

 

[HW611]

That's the problem with these discussions. It's hard to make the case for one without unintentionally shading another great player. I just wish Boat had another Boat along side when he was the senior. Now seems like a good time to remind people that Ryan was smeared and forced to sit his first 3 games by the NCAA. Then, in his first college game; he was on the FT line down 3, needing to make all of them to send the game into OT. He made 'em.

To this day I wish Jalen Adams would’ve reclassified to play with Boat that year. Instead of coming to play behind Gibbs. He missed out on the true UConn PG apprentice experience.

There was honestly no reason for him to be a 20 year old freshman.

 

[RuffRuff]

To this day I wish Jalen Adams would’ve reclassified to play with Boat that year. Instead of coming to play behind Gibbs. He missed out on the true UConn PG apprentice experience.

Yes, Boatright was truly the Obi Wan Kenobe of PG's. We should bring BoatiWan onto Hurley's staff so he could start treating PG's up.

 

[HW611]

Yes, Boatright was truly the Obi Wan Kenobe of PG's. We should bring BoatiWan onto Hurley's staff so he could start treating PG's up.

Not sure if this is scarcasm or not?

But what I mean is there was a tradition of freshman PGs being able to learn under upperclassmen leaders before they took the rope themselves.

Marcus had Taliek (even though he spent most of the year suspended)

AJ was supposed to have Marcus (but injuries and suspensions kept them from playing together)

Kemba had AJ

Shabazz had Kemba

Boat had Shabazz

It was supposed to be Jalen and Boat after that.

It was so much fun to watch those relationships and journeys.

 

[RuffRuff]

Not sure if this is scarcasm or not?

But what I mean is there was a tradition of freshman PGs being able to learn under upperclassmen leaders before they took the rope themselves.

Marcus had Taliek (even though he spent most of the year suspended)

AJ was supposed to have Marcus (but injuries and suspensions kept them from playing together)

Kemba had AJ

Shabazz had Kemba

Boat had Shabazz

It was supposed to be Jalen and Boat after that.

It was so much fun to watch those relationships and journeys.

Dream scenario - Hurley brings Kemba, Shabazz and BoatiWan onto the staff and we just start becoming PG University. We go recruit PGS and season them up, having stockpiles of shakers and bakers waiting in the wings to become the next gen PG extraordinairre.

My favorite journey is winning. If you can go show me what other school has their PG in waiting seasoning up under an upperclassmen, I have some ocean front property in Iowa I have to sell you.

 

[3rdbass]

I would say AJax was a solid on ball defender by his junior year, but he wasn't Castle. Castle was more akin to the 1st team NFL All Pro shutdown corner that can take away the #1 WR of the other team whereas AJax was more like the 1st team NFL All Pro free safety you wanted roaming the field/court to cause havoc. Castle would've shutdown Teddy Allen on New Mexico State. Thank the Basketball Lords UConn didn't have Castle in the 2022 season to do that because I would rather keep that loss to New Mexico State-it forced Hurley to rethink what skills build his team around and was the genesis to the back to back titles.

People always beat Jackson off the dribble and he would try to come from behind for the block/steal. He got steadier by his his last year but I would never call him a great defender.

 

[HW611]

Dream scenario - Hurley brings Kemba, Shabazz and BoatiWan onto the staff and we just start becoming PG University. We go recruit PGS and season them up, having stockpiles of shakers and bakers waiting in the wings to become the next gen PG extraordinairre.

My favorite journey is winning. If you can go show me what other school has their PG in waiting seasoning up under an upperclassmen, I have some ocean front property in Iowa I have to sell you.

Well our program is special and accomplished things in an impressive way like no other program.

So my apologies if I like to admire the ways our program was special that helped us develop talent better than anyone else in the country on a very consistent basis. Almost like a blueprint.

I’m also not sure why that comment from the Ollie era triggered you in this way.

 

[RuffRuff]

Well our program is special and accomplished things in an impressive way like no other program.

So my apologies if I like to admire the ways our program was special that helped us develop talent better than anyone else in the country on a very consistent basis. Almost like a blueprint.

I’m also not sure why that comment from the Ollie era triggered you in this way.

And it's had to evolve with a rapidly changing landscape, which it's done successfully. We won B2B, almost beat the NC's and are 25-3 this year. I'm as spoiled as anyone, but I'd say that's a mighty fine outcome. If we operated on what made us special in 2010, we'd be obsolete. Now I don't disagree that there seems to be some tweaks Hurley can make to revisit what got us the kinda roster we had in 2023-24, but developing PG's.

In today's world, it's just as advantageous to acquire a great PG. Buy vs Build. Handing the keys to a QB that isn't ready is not how you win year over year. You can hide some positions, you can't hide a PG.

Clinging to PG development is as obsolete it gets. Just because you enjoyed it, doesn't mean it's the best way to do it today.

 

[HW611]

And it's had to evolve with a rapidly changing landscape, which it's done successfully. We won B2B, almost beat the NC's and are 25-3 this year. I'm as spoiled as anyone, but I'd say that's a mighty fine outcome. If we operated on what made us special in 2010, we'd be obsolete. Now I don't disagree that there seems to be some tweaks Hurley can make to revisit what got us the kinda roster we had in 2023-24, but developing PG's.

In today's world, it's just as advantageous to acquire a great PG. Buy vs Build. Handing the keys to a QB that isn't ready is not how you win year over year. You can hide some positions, you can't hide a PG.

Clinging to PG development is as obsolete it gets. Just because you enjoyed it, doesn't mean it's the best way to do it today.

I think you’re equating developing to losing/handing the keys to a freshman.

Alabama and Texas Tech both let their current star PGs get their feet plenty of wet off the bench before handing them the keys.

That’s something we aren’t doing at all here.

Neither was had to be top 20 to do it either. I don’t think Anderson was even top 100.

 

[superjohn]

And it's had to evolve with a rapidly changing landscape, which it's done successfully. We won B2B, almost beat the NC's and are 25-3 this year. I'm as spoiled as anyone, but I'd say that's a mighty fine outcome. If we operated on what made us special in 2010, we'd be obsolete. Now I don't disagree that there seems to be some tweaks Hurley can make to revisit what got us the kinda roster we had in 2023-24, but developing PG's.

In today's world, it's just as advantageous to acquire a great PG. Buy vs Build. Handing the keys to a QB that isn't ready is not how you win year over year. You can hide some positions, you can't hide a PG.

Clinging to PG development is as obsolete it gets. Just because you enjoyed it, doesn't mean it's the best way to do it today.

That's not what he's doing. He just wishes Adams didn't do a PG year at Brewster and instead got to play a year with Boat.

You're going off on some weird tangent about how the landscape has changed in college basketball with the portal.

 

[RuffRuff]

I think you’re equating developing to losing/handing the keys to a freshman.

Alabama and Texas Tech both let their current star PGs get their feet plenty of wet off the bench before handing them the keys.

That’s something we aren’t doing at all here.

We’ve missed on recruits - happens.

Of all the things to consider, letting freshmen PG sink or swim freshmen year is the last of lj concerns.

 

[HW611]

We’ve missed on recruits - happens.

Of all the things to consider, letting freshmen PG sink or swim freshmen year is the last of lj concerns.

This thread was suppose to be about celebrating great defensive players here. Don’t know how saying I wish Boatright could’ve helped Jalen Adams and got adequate help for himself turned into this.

 

[RuffRuff]

This thread was suppose to be about celebrating great defensive players here. Don’t know how saying I wish Boatright could’ve helped Jalen Adams and got adequate help for himself turned into this.

Because it's another "what if" - not celebrating. And Boatright registers pretty low on the all time defensive players.

 

[businesslawyer]

Better than Nadav’s ncaa record for spg? Maybe, but it’s got to be at least close.

Getting steals, which Nadav was incredible at, is not the same as absolutely sticking the opponents best guard, on or off the ball, all season ling. As ive said before, if you watched uconn all year, the moment you saw trajon langdon was going to try to take Moore for the last shot down 1, you were already celebrating.

 

[noeynox]

Lyman DePriest and Scott Burrell.