Best UConn Center of All Time?

[superjohn]

So what would you like us to judge DC on other than how good he was while at UConn?

That's what I'm judging him on.

Sophomore Clingan was a more effective scorer than junior free throw line extended jump shooting Thabeet. They both shot the same from the field and Clingan basically averaged the same amount of points as Thabeet in 9 less minutes per game. Clingan also won the national championship and was dominant in the tournament.

 

[superjohn]

Accomplishments and accolades matter, not just “everyone knew” Clingan was the best player on earth even though he wasn’t considered for any POYs.



Just toilet seat’s personal opinion.

Insults are okay here???

You show your arse every time you do this.

I take Clingan's play and accomplishments every time over Thabeet, Boone, and Armstrong but you do you.

 

[Mr. French]

Insults are okay here???

You show your arse every time you do this.

I take Clingan's play and accomplishments every time over Thabeet, Boone, and Armstrong but you do you.

What insult?

I didn’t say I wouldn’t take Clingan. You never even accurately go after my posts. You read 1 sentence and go off.

 

[Huskybass]

Thabeet won (in a WAY better league) DPOY in the Big East TWICE. He also won the NATIONAL DPOY TWICE. Objectively, Clingan didn’t come close to his accomplishments.

Do I think Clingan is the better player? Yeah probably. But Thabeet’s season was far better than Clingan’s, so your level of incredulity is not warranted. He deserves to be in the conversation every bit as much as Clingan.

My take on Clingan versus Thabeet is that Clingan was a far better overall basketball player while in college. For example, he simply had screen setting and passing abilities that Thabeet will never have. When you factor in Clingan's defensive presence in the NCAA tournament I recall a team (possibly Illinois)going 0 for 17 or something like that when Clingan patrolled the paint. That's an incredibly dominant performance on the biggest stage. He was a very important part of that second championship, and that carries lots of weight.

 

[Mr. French]

My take on Clingan versus Thabeet is that Clingan was a far better overall basketball player while in college. For example, he simply had screen setting and passing abilities that Thabeet will never have. When you factor in Clingan's defensive presence in the NCAA tournament I recall a team (possibly Illinois)going 0 for 17 or something like that when Clingan patrolled the paint. That's an incredibly dominant performance on the biggest stage. He was a very important part of that second championship, and that carries lots of weight.

Cool man. I agree he was better. Read my first response to you. You said he has no business in the convo then cited a bunch of NBA “facts.”

 

[uconngb]

Okafor was both a defensive and offensive force, so it's got to be him. Thabeet was purely defensive. Clingan was 80% a defensive force. Sanogo was more offense.

1. Emeka Okafor
2A. Donovan Clingan
2B. Hasheem Thabeet
4. Cliff Robinson
5A. Adama Sanogo
5B. Corny Thompson (if you consider him a center, which he played before Aleksinas's arrival)
7. Jake Voskuhl

I never saw Toby Kimball play. But based on his stats and NBA career, he's probably up there with Thabeet and Clingan.

Begins and ends w Emeka

 

[Horsebrnhil]

Gee, thanks. I was a regular at both the Holiday Festival and NIT growing up in the 60s and early 70s. Heck, I would be in MSG for the start of the 5th place consolation games where there wouldn’t be 100 people in the Garden. Yes, college basketball was different, but UConn wasn’t playing the Syracuses and St Johns and ‘Novas all thle time during that period. Yes, they played Providence regularly. And the record of eastern independents getting out of the Eastern regional and getting to the Final Four wasn’t great. Yes, occasionally someone would break through, but it was occasionally.

I’m not even sure why I responded to this. If anyone thinks our schedule was equivalent to what those in major conferences were playing before the start of the Big East ….

You're correct on some of your point, wrong on others. First, no we didn't play St.Johns or Nova until the Big East, however in the 60's Syracuse WAS a seasonal foe. As to Providence, same can said. PC wasn't a seasonal foe until the Big East as well. A typical schedule would be Yale, Yankee Conference foes, out of conference teams like Holy Cross, (then a New England power), Boston College and Boston University, Canisius, Manhattan, Rutgers. Remember that the NCAA tournament was 32 teams for years, into the 70's. You're correct re:Eastern basketball. Power house teams from Philadelphia's Big 5, Big 10, ACC, Missouri Valley Conference, Big 8, SEC, and the then Pac-8, we're your regular entries into the big dance. Back then there were very few "At large" entries in it. Yes times were WAY DIFFERENT then than now.

 

[MrPDog]

Andre Drummond. So good he only lasted one year, was drafted 8th in first round, and went on to have a solid NBA career.

He didn't have such a memorable UConn career because he was too good to stay. But if you are asking about the best center to play at UConn, I'd pick him.

 

[gsmooth]

Andre Drummond. So good he only lasted one year, was drafted 8th in first round, and went on to have a solid NBA career.

He didn't have such a memorable UConn career because he was too good to stay. But if you are asking about the best center to play at UConn, I'd pick him.

Later Edit: If talking about an NBA career, sure it's possible, but this thread is really about the career at UConn and Drummond is no where near the top center as far as that is concerned.

 

[Mr. French]

Andre Drummond. So good he only lasted one year, was drafted 8th in first round, and went on to have a solid NBA career.

He didn't have such a memorable UConn career because he was too good to stay. But if you are asking about the best center to play at UConn, I'd pick him.

Just pure talent you may have something. NBA career he may even be close to 1.

But UConn career specifically he’s not even top 5.

 

[AntG168]

It’s probably Mek. But I voted DC because of back to back titles. Different era. Mek played in a post up era. Junior Season DC would’ve been silly.