nomar
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I said you want. I didn't say it was the case in all 6. We did have a sick PG in every title year except 2004. It's a common thread.
If you could have a 1st team AA at any position, which would you choose?
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I said you want. I didn't say it was the case in all 6. We did have a sick PG in every title year except 2004. It's a common thread.
nomar
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It's a matter of semantics, but Walter Clayton was the guy with the ball in his hands and he averaged 2 more APG than anyone else on UF.
I suppose I answered this question before the tournament when I predicted Florida to win it all because of Clayton.
All things equal, you want the best player on the court to be the guy with the ball in his hands the most. I know our offense doesn't necessarily need a single true PG but I still think that’s the case.
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Tristen wasn't the best player on either team and arguments can be made there were several players better than him. Viewing things through who got the individual awards is kind of silly IMO.
Clingan didn't get any individual awards and everyone knew he was our best player.
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Would have to come down to PG or C.
But use 2024 as an example. That team was so good 1-5 of course, but when it came down to it, Purdue had Edey and we had Tristen Newton.
But use 2024 as an example. That team was so good 1-5 of course, but when it came down to it, Purdue had Edey and we had Tristen Newton.
We're creeping into retroactively changing the narrative. I specifically polled the forum at the time because I knew this would happen lol. For the record I voted for Clingan and I know you argued in that thread Clingan as well, but the plurality of people (more than #2 and #3 combined) picked Newton. So I would definitely not say "everyone knew".
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You could perhaps call Newton our best player, based on stats. But if you don't think Clingan wasn't our most valuable player and easily the biggest difference maker on the floor, not sure what you were watching - because it was clear as day. You could swap Newton out with 50 other players across hoops and likely get a similarly good product. He wasn't a unique talent. I would challenge anyone to find another Clingan - he was one of a kind in how he impacted both ends of the floor.We're creeping into retroactively changing the narrative. I specifically polled the forum at the time because I knew this would happen lol. For the record I voted for Clingan and I know you argued in that thread Clingan as well, but the plurality of people (more than #2 and #3 combined) picked Newton. So I would definitely not say "everyone knew".
Let's put it this way, if you gave me AK/Cam/Steph, and then asked me if I would then take Newton or Clingan as a next choice, having to opt off Uconn with that fifth pick, you take Clignan 100% of the time.
I just want to bash one AA center in Dickinson. That dude was not winning anything. Not all AAs are built the same. I don't think he would have done well (in terms of actually winning anything) even under Hurley.
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You can argue about 2024 best player all day, but for this question it should be noted that the '24 team had 3 point guard-capable starters (Tristen Cam and Steph) and we stomped everyone.
My vote is PG
My vote is PG
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Agree with you there - Dickinson was an illusion. Great offensive skills for a 7'1" guy, but so immobile and soft in so many of the areas you count on for a 5 of that size. Gonna be fun to see how they shift with Bidunga there, who is a very mobile high energy 5. I'm actually expecting Kansas to surprise this year.
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Inyatkin
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2011 had the best player in America in Kemba, a future lottery pick in Lamb, a future first team all American in Shabazz, a guy who nearly led the nation in rebounding in Roscoe Smith, a former McDonald's all American in Oriakhi. All that and Charles Okwandu.
If that's not "all that talented," I don't know what is.
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Ahem.
But seriously, kudos @Jaydumo20 for a well-timed post: great question/thread/answers, even enhanced by its pivot to using our glorious history & individual player examples to buttress the initial wave of direct responses to the more general query.
What a blessing it is to be a Husky fan. Thank you all.
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I think it is so tough just to generically say the one guy is an AA. Castle was great defensively, but Clingan's presence on the floor just made everybody better defensively. It lessens the burden.
Also, the way the game is being is called makes a difference. The NCAA with their 'points of emphasis' are constantly changing the way the game is called. If it's physical, rough and tumble, then the center gets a little more influence there. If it is tight reffing with no hand-checking at all, then a PG like Kemba who can shift gears and directions with the best of them, he has a big advantage, but it could also backfire because he could be pretty physical with other guards.
Of the guys that have gone through Storrs in the past few decades, I'd start with Clingan (not even an AA) and build around him. The guy just ate up so much space and made the defensive end of the floor much easier for everyone else and he was an underrated passer by many.
Also, the way the game is being is called makes a difference. The NCAA with their 'points of emphasis' are constantly changing the way the game is called. If it's physical, rough and tumble, then the center gets a little more influence there. If it is tight reffing with no hand-checking at all, then a PG like Kemba who can shift gears and directions with the best of them, he has a big advantage, but it could also backfire because he could be pretty physical with other guards.
Of the guys that have gone through Storrs in the past few decades, I'd start with Clingan (not even an AA) and build around him. The guy just ate up so much space and made the defensive end of the floor much easier for everyone else and he was an underrated passer by many.
nomar
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I don't disagree with this but Clingan was a unicorn. We've been lucky to have some great bigs but he and Okafor stand out for the way they neutralized the other team. (Then again, we didn't win a title with Thabeet, who was also dominant defensively.)
My point is that for every Clingan, you can have give five 1st Team AA bigs who are compilers that can get contained in the Tournament. A great lead guard usually creates his own destiny.
Would I rather have Newtown than DC? No. Would I rather have Sanogo than Kemba? Also no.
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I would actually love to see someone do a deep dive of “when a player in x position won NPoY, how often do they win the championship?”
The first thought is center because of how dominant centers can be at the college level but who knows
The first thought is center because of how dominant centers can be at the college level but who knows
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If ever the question for ChatGBT:
| Year | Champion | Best player (Final Four MOP) | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida | Walter Clayton Jr. | Guard Sports Reference+1 |
| 2024 | UConn | Tristen Newton | Point guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2023 | UConn | Adama Sanogo | Power forward / center NCAA.com+1 |
| 2022 | Kansas | Ochai Agbaji | Shooting guard CBSSports.com+1 |
| 2021 | Baylor | Jared Butler | Guard (point guard) SI |
| 2019 | Virginia | Kyle Guy | Shooting guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2018 | Villanova | Donte DiVincenzo | Guard (shooting guard) NCAA.com+2Sports Reference+2 |
| 2017 | North Carolina | Joel Berry II | Point guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2016 | Villanova | Ryan Arcidiacono | Point guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2015 | Duke | Tyus Jones | Point guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2014 | UConn | Shabazz Napier | Point guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2013 | Louisville (vacated) | Luke Hancock | Small forward NCAA.com+1 |
| 2012 | Kentucky | Anthony Davis | Power forward / center NCAA.com+2Sports Reference+2 |
| 2011 | UConn | Kemba Walker | Point guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2010 | Duke | Kyle Singler | Small forward NCAA.com+1 |
| 2009 | North Carolina | Wayne Ellington | Shooting guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2008 | Kansas | Mario Chalmers | Point guard NCAA.com+1 |
| 2007 | Florida | Corey Brewer | Small forward NCAA.com+1 |
| 2006 | Florida | Joakim Noah | Center NCAA.com+1 |
| 2005 | North Carolina | Sean May | Power forward |
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PG 100%
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I had to literally convince Chat GPT it had the capacity to search through all NPoY winners lol, this is the best I could make from what it spat out. NPoYs who won the NC that year, and their positions:
Jalen Brunson, PG
Anthony Davis, C/PF (but pretty strictly C in college from what I recall)
Tyler Hansborough, PF/C (more so PF)
Shane Battier, SF
Christian Laetner, PF
Danny Manning, PF/C
Michael Jordan, SG
Marques Johnson, SF
Scott May, SF
David Thompson, SG
Bill Walton, C
Bill Walton, C
Kareem, C
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We don’t win in 99 without Khalid. He wasn’t the best player , just the most important. I’d say the same with 23 and 24. In fact Clingan was badly outplayed by Edney. Edney had 37 pts 10 rebounds. Newton was the guy in that game. They weren’t the best players maybe but they were the most important.
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It's Edey and just looking at stats doesn't tell the story of that game and why we blew them out. UConn's entire strategy for that game was Clingan is playing Edey straight up no matter what and we're putting everyone else in a straightjacket. Edey was playing out of his mind early making shots he doesn't typically make and never once did we send any doubles or anything to try and throw him off because we weren't going to let their perimeter players go bombs away. Other teams always sent help and always got beat by the other guys from outside...
Edey had 16 points with 6 minutes left in the first half and then didn't score a point until there was 14 minutes left in the game when he hit a ft, he was 0-6 from the field during that time and UConn was up by 13. The game was effectively over with Purdue never again putting any game pressure on UConn. Edey scored 15 points when the game was a blowout and it was straight up garbage time where he was clearing Karaban out for dunks.
Purdue never had a chance in the game because we had the luxury of never having to double team Edey once knowing none of their other players could get open shots.
When you say we couldn't have won without Khalid, that's true but of course we couldn't have won without Rip who was hands down our best player. We could withstand Khalid playing terribly like he did in the elite 8 against Gonzaga going 0-12 from the field or Khalid scoring just 12 points with 6 turnovers in the national championship game against Duke but we couldn't withstand those type of performances from Rip. We needed Rip to score 20+ each night with around 50% shooting which he always did.
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Seriously Edney vs Clingan was man vs boy. We won because our other guys, especially Newton, were way better than there other guys.
On Khalid he brought something that UConn had been missing. Rip had the chance the year before and couldn’t deliver. Ray had a chance and couldn’t deliver. They weren’t both way better talents. But Khalid brought a cockiness or something
On Khalid he brought something that UConn had been missing. Rip had the chance the year before and couldn’t deliver. Ray had a chance and couldn’t deliver. They weren’t both way better talents. But Khalid brought a cockiness or something
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I already explained everything to you and for the second time his name is Edey.
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It's pretty crazy at this point that there is someone that still doesn't understand why UConn was able to play Purdue so much differently than everyone else in the country had to but if there was someone that was going to be beating this horse it's exactly who you'd expect.
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Nice work. Not as many PGs as I thought there'd be
Ag, but alas they are still coached by Bill Self so they will perennially underachieve yet again
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2 titles and one in 2022, not sure he’s done quite yet.
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Or if he hadn't made that buzzer beater in 1995...
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