Huskies on SI.com 10 Greatest Huskies of All-Time Ranking

[Inyatkin]

Bazz is not top 5

This is not a serious response

 

[cullaville]

I was at Storrs during Hanson's time. Went to many games at the Fieldhouse and HCC in his final year. Very good player. Major caveat: Half his schedule was vs Yankee Conference. Most of the rest from NY/NJ/MA. UConn's SOS was in bottom third of nation all four years.

Quimby's teams played even weaker schedules - bottom 15% each year.

Toby's and Wes's teams played even weaker schedules than that - bottom 10% each year.

UConn was basically playing a schedule that a Southern, SWAC or MEAC team plays these days. Would you really compare a good player from any of those conferences to someone like Kevin Freeman who played more than 25% of his games vs ranked opponents?

My intent on posting about Tony Hanson, Tony Kimball and Art Quimby was to give some recognition to players from earlier eras. I did not try to fit them into a all-time top ten list. I think if i ever put together a top ten list the next time I looked at it I would probably want to change my mind.

 

[cullaville]

I was at Storrs during Hanson's time. Went to many games at the Fieldhouse and HCC in his final year. Very good player. Major caveat: Half his schedule was vs Yankee Conference. Most of the rest from NY/NJ/MA. UConn's SOS was in bottom third of nation all four years.

Quimby's teams played even weaker schedules - bottom 15% each year.

Toby's and Wes's teams played even weaker schedules than that - bottom 10% each year.

UConn was basically playing a schedule that a Southern, SWAC or MEAC team plays these days. Would you really compare a good player from any of those conferences to someone like Kevin Freeman who played more than 25% of his games vs ranked opponents?

My intent in mentioning Hanson. Quimby and Kimball was to give some recognition to players from earlier eras. I did not try to put them into a top ten list.

 

[Waquoit]

My intent in mentioning Hanson. Quimby and Kimball was to give some recognition to players from earlier eras. I did not try to put them into a top ten list.

Yes, but this thread is about the Top 10. Those guys get plenty of props on the Boneyard.

 

[storrsroars]

My intent on posting about Tony Hanson, Tony Kimball and Art Quimby was to give some recognition to players from earlier eras. I did not try to fit them into a all-time top ten list. I think if i ever put together a top ten list the next time I looked at it I would probably want to change my mind.

It's a thread about the top 10 UConn players of all time. If you mention anyone not on that this, the understood intent of those reading the thread is that you believe they should be on that list. There were no "honorable mentions" in the SI article.

 

[jibsey]

So how does Adama Sanogo not even make THIS list ? He was the best player on the '23 championship team and the MOP of the Final Four.

We think alike, he was unbelievable. The list needs to have more than 10.

 

[jibsey]

Not possible to agree on the top 10, too many players over several generations. And for as much as I love and appreciate Bazz, no way he's "my" number 2. Players to consider, and that list will probably omit someone

Wes Bialosuknia
Toby Kimball
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Chris Smith
Scott Burrell
Donyell Marshal
Ray Ray
Special K
RIP
Caron Butler
Meka
MSG
Rudy
Marcus Williams
AJ Price
Thabeet
Kemba
Bazz
Giffey
Newton
Karaban
Clingan
Chaz

One hit wonders
Castle
Cam

Some combination of success, stats, longevity, game changers.... just impossible to measure really

Where’s Sanogo?

 

[DRBackup]

Adama is left off many lists. Not top 10, but an argument could be made for top 20 or 30

He's absolutely in the discussion for top 10. There is no question he's in the top 20.

 

[DRBackup]

My simple list consists of the following:

Six Championships, best player on each team:

Hamilton
Okafor
Walker
Napier
Sanogo
Newton

First Team All Americans:

Donyell
Ray
Rip
Emeka
Shabazz
Tristen

Conference POY:

Donyell
Allen
Hamilton (x2)
Butler
Okafor
Thabeet

That gives us a list of 10:

Hamilton
Walker
Napier
Newton
Okafor
Sanogo
Marshall
Allen
Butler
Thabeet

I know putting Thabeet on that list isn't particularly popular, but his team went to the final four, he was twice DPOY, All Freshman BE, and 2nd team All American. I'd be curious to see a list of other nationally recognized players who ended up flaming out of the NBA as spectacularly to see if it affects their recognition as college players by that school's fans the way it does Thabeet.

Next guys on the list would be first team all Big East that didn't make the previous 3 lists:

Chris Smith
Khalid El-Amin
Ben Gordon
AJ Price
Jeff Adrien
Jeremy Lamb
James Bouknight
RJ Cole
Jordan Hawkins
Cam Spencer

Then add Freshman of the Year and Defensive POY:

Nadav Henefeld
Doron Sheffer
Rudy Gay
Josh Boone (D)
Hilton Armstrong (D)
Isaiah Walley (D)
Stephon Castle

And after that, Honorable Mention All Americans:

Marcus Williams
Donovan Clingan

And, finally, 2nd team All Big East:

Earl Kelley
Cliff Robinson
Scott Burrell
Charlie Villanueva

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Adama is left off many lists. Not top 10, but an argument could be made for top 20 or 30

He was MOP of. Finally 4. Top 20 is an insult.

The list was "greatest" not "best".

 

[UConnSwag11]

1. Newton
2. Rip
3. Kemba
4. Ray
5. Clingan
6. Bazz
7. Emeka
8. Gordon
9. Sanogo
10. Donyell

 

[LIUCHusky]

Played in the Yankee Conference.

Played in the NBA 9 seasons.

 

[storrsroars]

Played in the NBA 9 seasons.

And that's not part of the criteria now, is it? You want to call Rudy Gay the best ever UConn player? I sure don't.

 

[JB75]

Love the list and I know bazz won 2 but have a hard time putting him ahead of rip and ray and prolly emeka ben and khaled as well. Bazz just outside of top 5 imo

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Has anyone even mentioned Cliff Robinson?

Bialosuknia played one season in the ABA where he finished second in the league in three point shooting. In one stretch he made 9 consecutive three pointers. At UConn in 66-67 he average 28 points a game -- with no three point line.

Imagine how many career points Bialosuknia would’ve had with a three point line. WB also sank 43 foul shots in a row, that’s crazy. I’d like to see how close anyone on the UConn Great list came to that? I guess he got fouled so much because he wasn’t a First Team AA.

 

[Captbluefin]

Where is Ray? Because Bazz comes before him and it's not close.

Smoke another one… Bazz over Ray….

 

[CONN78SEJ]

No one is arguing that they weren’t great players at that time in UConn history. But the accomplishments don’t compare to guys who were 1st team All Americans playing nightly against other All American level talent. It’s just not a realistic comparison to look at players who dominated the Yankee Conf and didn’t win much in the NCAA tourney.

If you ask me, Bialosuknia’s in pretty good company in this list. The 1967 AA team honorable mention.

 

[TheHorde]

If you ask me, Bialosuknia’s in pretty good company in this list. The 1967 AA team honorable mention.

View attachment 105756

Tom Hagan was an honorable mention All American AND consigliere?? Impressive

 

[AdamaNation]

They say it is based entirely their collegiate career. We have Tristen Newton who was The Bob Cousy award winner, first team all American, final 4 mvp, never lost a tournament game , Husky for 2 years and won championships both years. How the heck can he be 7th? In my opinion he should be first. I think the only one who might be above him is RIP.

Or bazz.

 

[bigdog1002]

Bazz is not top 5

You’re high (which I’m not against). I was at every game in that tournament from Sweet 16 on and he willed them to victory against Michigan St (with a strong assist from DD) and made every big shot when they needed it in the Final Four. Even as a freshman you could see he had “it”. He was Kemba-lite in that championship run his senior year

 

[huskyjawz]

Not possible to agree on the top 10, too many players over several generations. And for as much as I love and appreciate Bazz, no way he's "my" number 2. Players to consider, and that list will probably omit someone

Wes Bialosuknia
Toby Kimball
Tony Hanson
Corny Thompson
Chris Smith
Scott Burrell
Donyell Marshal
Ray Ray
Special K
RIP
Caron Butler
Meka
MSG
Rudy
Marcus Williams
AJ Price
Thabeet
Kemba
Bazz
Giffey
Newton
Karaban
Clingan
Chaz

One hit wonders
Castle
Cam

Some combination of success, stats, longevity, game changers.... just impossible to measure really

Ben and Sanogo

 

[huskyjawz]

Love the list and I know bazz won 2 but have a hard time putting him ahead of rip and ray and prolly emeka ben and khaled as well. Bazz just outside of top 5 imo

How is KEA better than Bazz?