In The NCAA Championship Game, You Can Choose...

[RichZ]

I'm with the OP on this. I don't want Donyell on the line at the end of a close win-or-go-home game, if it happened to come to that. I can forgive, but I'll never forget.

 

[David 76]

I'm with the OP on this. I don't want Donyell on the line at the end of a close win-or-go-home game, if it happened to come to that. I can forgive, but I'll never forget.

One game

 

[mauconnfan]

This is nonsense. I'm as big a Voskuhl fan as you're going to find, but Thabeet was a better college player than him on nearly every level. Better rebounder, defender, scorer, shot-blocker, etc.

No doubt Thabeet overall college skills were more of an impact but I guess intangibles do mean something after all huh? Who had a longer NBA career?

Jake is severely undervalued as a Husky I believe - great "team" player no doubt.

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm with the OP on this. I don't want Donyell on the line at the end of a close win-or-go-home game, if it happened to come to that. I can forgive, but I'll never forget.

Would you want him on the line if he was playing against St John's? - I'm guessing Jeff never made 20 in a row never mind in one game.

 

[intlzncster]

No doubt Thabeet overall college skills were more of an impact but I guess intangibles do mean something after all huh? Who had a longer NBA career?

Jake is severely undervalued as a Husky I believe - great "team" player no doubt.

What does NBA have to do with it? Eg college Emeka <> NBA Emeka.

We are talking about a first team AA, DPOY, and one of the greatest defenders in NCAA history. You build an entire defensive philosophy around Thabeet.

I like Jake. Crucial piece to a championship, but he didn't even sniff all BE.

Yeah, you need role players, but I take ray Allen over Niels Giffey 100 times out of 100,

 

[RichZ]

Would you want him on the line if he was playing against St John's? - I'm guessing Jeff never made 20 in a row never mind in one game.

Seem to recall that was in mid-January. Not end-game in an elimination game. No comparison.

 

[champs99and04]

Kemba at his peak was slightly better than Shabazz at his peak, but one could argue that Shabazz had the better tournament. He posted 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals on ridiculous 46/47/94 shooting splits. I would give the slight nod to Kemba because he was a better defender and a little bit more of a force of nature, but it's close.

Ray over Rip

Caron over Rudy - I think this one is pretty easy; in my mind, Caron might be the most underrated guy to ever play here.

Donyell - you're going to need the extra floor spacing against a tough UK defense

Emeka - I think he was slightly better than a freshman Davis

 

[Waquoit]

Here's the bottom line at SF: Rip got it done, Ray didn't.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I didnt say Jake was better then Hasheem did I? You need glue guys to win a national championship because guess what your not gonna have 5 all americans in your lineup.

It's not just that Thabeet was a better player than Voskuhl by several magnitudes. He was also better at nearly every aspect of the game. There is no role - star, glue guy, role player, etc. - that Voskuhl would have been better than Thabeet at.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Seem to recall that was in mid-January. Not end-game in an elimination game. No comparison.

Wait, this is your real opinion? Really? Donyell was a 77% FT shooter at UConn. Adrien was 61%. Full stop. That's it. If you'd rather have Adrien than Donyell at the line, you're a fool.

 

[mets1090]

I'm with the OP on this. I don't want Donyell on the line at the end of a close win-or-go-home game, if it happened to come to that. I can forgive, but I'll never forget.

It is ludicrous to say you'd want a ~60% FT shooter on the line over a ~75% FT shooter based on one game. Boatright missed a lot of important free throws early this year too. Would you want Adrien at the line over him?

 

[HuskyFich]

It is ludicrous to say you'd want a ~60% FT shooter on the line over a ~75% FT shooter based on one game. Boatright missed a lot of important free throws early this year too. Would you want Adrien at the line over him?

I knew Boat was gonna be a stud from his first game. Hit those 3 FTs to help beat FSU in the B4A. But if were talking about the silky 15 ft jumper Adrien had from the line, I would take him over Boat

 

[Scoe]

It's not just that Thabeet was a better player than Voskuhl by several magnitudes. He was also better at nearly every aspect of the game. There is no role - star, glue guy, role player, etc. - that Voskuhl would have been better than Thabeet at.

I already have a lineup of Kemba, Rip and Caron I don't need 5 all americans out there, and btw I did put Emeka in my lineup so that point about me taking Jake over Thabeet in this game is mute, and I took Adrien over Donyell in this game does that mean I think Adrien is better no.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I already have a lineup of Kemba, Rip and Caron I don't need 5 all americans out there, and btw I did put Emeka in my lineup so that point about me taking Jake over Thabeet in this game is mute, and I took Adrien over Donyell in this game does that mean I think Adrien is better no.

Sure, you don't need five AA's, but you're definitely making the team worse by replacing Thabeet with Voskuhl. Having Adrien over Donyell is also very stupid.

 

[RichZ]

Wait, this is your real opinion? Really? Donyell was a 77% FT shooter at UConn. Adrien was 61%. Full stop. That's it. If you'd rather have Adrien than Donyell at the line, you're a fool.

Where the hell did I say I would want Jeff on the line instead of Donyell? I just said that if it came down to FTs in the closing seconds of a game of that magnitude, I know I don't want Donyell on the line. Even career 56% FT shooter Emeka Okafor got the job done in a very similar situation a decade later.

I don't know if Jeff would make them or not. But as a 61% FT shooter, I would expect him to make at least one.

My point is that Donyell, a proven great FT shooter, with the game on the line, in the most important game of his collegiate career, with 3.1 seconds left in a single elimination game, missed them both. That is a classic choke in my mind.

Is it petty of me to still hold that against him? Probably. After all, those two missed freebies would be old enough to buy a drink anywhere in the country now. But so would the first national championship trophy we might have won if Yell hadn't choked at the line. So yeah, if I was picking the team and limited to the players in the OP's post, I'd have to take Jeff, just because he never broke my heart.

 

[Waquoit]

Wait, this is your real opinion? Really? Donyell was a 77% FT shooter at UConn. Adrien was 61%. Full stop. That's it. If you'd rather have Adrien than Donyell at the line, you're a fool.

Watch who you call a fool. Earlier that season, Yell went 20-20 from the line in MSG. Big spot, choke. Maybe if he got some sleep the night before. I'm taking JA.

 

[CL82]

Jake set better picks than did Thabeet. I think Jake was the best ever at UConn in that one important and often undervalued skill

Much better at the outlet pass as well. That's another underrated, but very valuable, skill.

 

[Scoe]

Sure, you don't need five AA's, but you're definitely making the team worse by replacing Thabeet with Voskuhl. Having Adrien over Donyell is also very stupid.

Hello I have Emeka on my team go check my first post on this thread. You do know this thread is about a matchup against 2012 UK team, not about an alltime uconn team. I would gladly take Donyell any day but in this matchup I'm taking Adrien.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Watch who you call a fool. Earlier that season, Yell went 20-20 from the line in MSG. Big spot, choke. Maybe if he got some sleep the night before. I'm taking JA.

You're like cartoon characters. I can't believe that a human person who can type and access the internet would think this.

 

[Waquoit]

It is ludicrous to say you'd want a ~60% FT shooter on the line over a ~75% FT shooter based on one game. Boatright missed a lot of important free throws early this year too. Would you want Adrien at the line over him?

The most important UConn free throw in the last 15 years (perhaps all-time) was made by a guy that shot 57% for the year. Yell just had to make 1 out of 2.

 

[CallMeBruce]

The most important UConn free throw in the last 15 years (perhaps all-time) was made by a guy that shot 57% for the year. Yell just had to make 1 out of 2.

Yes, it was bad. But do you honestly think that's because he was actually incapable of making a free throw in a high-pressure situation, and not because sometimes even good shooters miss twice in a row?

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I dont agree with all of the "UConn would easily beat that 2012 UK team no matter what".
That 2012 UK was a wagon, IMO. Hate to admit it. (Luckily had nothing to do with Calimari). Anthony Davis was, is and will be an absolute monster.
Our best shot would be Kemba, Ray, Rudy, Adrien, Thabeet.

 

[Huskybass]

I would take Jake over Thabeet every day of the week. I think Scoe nailed it with his picks. A lineup of Kemba, Rip, Caron, Adrien and Emeka would be next to impossible to beat.

 

[champs99and04]

The most important UConn free throw in the last 15 years (perhaps all-time) was made by a guy that shot 57% for the year. Yell just had to make 1 out of 2.

I don't understand how anybody can classify Emeka's free throw as even one of the most important free throws in 15 years, much less the most important.

UConn was up by three with what, four seconds left? Even with only a 57% free throw shooter on the line, their win expectancy there was probably 98 or 99%. There were four free throws in that game alone (Ben's two to bring us within three, and Rashad's to put us up three) that were certainly more important. The fact that Duhon threw in the garbage three doesn't really mean much, fallacy of the predetermined outcome in all.

Edit: just now realizing you were referencing Brimah. I'm an idiot.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Much better at the outlet pass as well. That's another underrated, but very valuable, skill.

He also understood the game much better than Hasheem. When Jake was a junior/senior, he had cleaned up the dumb fouls from early in his career and he consistently made the smart plays. He was also a better positional defender than HT. I'm not saying he was as good overall (obviously not), but the ways he was better could make a difference in an all-star type game where he would make the smart play in crunchtime. I could see Davis putting HT on the bench with fouls very quickly. I would certainly go with Emeka, in any case.

 

[mauconnfan]

What does NBA have to do with it? Eg college Emeka <> NBA Emeka.

We are talking about a first team AA, DPOY, and one of the greatest defenders in NCAA history. You build an entire defensive philosophy around Thabeet.

I like Jake. Crucial piece to a championship, but he didn't even sniff all BE.

Yeah, you need role players, but I take ray Allen over Niels Giffey 100 times out of 100,

I guess you missed the reasoning here. I merely mentioned Thabeet was better in college but there's an obvious need to understand the game and the details of being an important component. Jake did just that and it worked out for him and he should always be mentioned with the real impact guys like Emeka and Tahbeet.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Back to that Florida game in 1994. Other than the Laetner dagger....that Craig Brown 3 pointer had to rank as the second most painful dagger to see go in since I was born. That shot crushed me because I knew it was OVER when the shot tickled the twine. This year Sterling G. will be tickling the twine at record levels from downtown.

 

[mauconnfan]

Back to that Florida game in 1994. Other than the Laetner dagger....that Craig Brown 3 pointer had to rank as the second most painful dagger to see go in since I was born. That shot crushed me because I knew it was OVER when the shot tickled the twine. This year Sterling G. will be tickling the twine at record levels from downtown.

And we owned BC who was next I believe so the FF was a given.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

And we owned BC who was next I believe so the FF was a given.

Yep when that Craig Brown shot went in I think every UConn fan in my age group remembers where they were and the feeling they had in their heart and gut! Our FF ticket was all but punched if we met BC!

 

[mauconnfan]

This is nonsense. I'm as big a Voskuhl fan as you're going to find, but Thabeet was a better college player than him on nearly every level. Better rebounder, defender, scorer, shot-blocker, etc.

I agree on all but "defender" is more than blocked shots. I will say this, Thabeets blocked shots were a huge impact which Jake could not make up for but Jake was a solid defenderin the physical sense. For instance Blair would never have owned Jake like he did Thabeet as he wouldn't have hammered into him as easily. Brand will agree with that.

Still, there's no denying Hasheem's impact on the defensive side.