Karaban's all time UConn Husky starting five

[Chin Diesel]

Agreed. Donyell always gets left off. He was the 2nd best player in the country as a JR.

Dilemma is since Donyell played there are six national championship teams with multiple first team AA's and NPOY.
The argument for Donyell was individual accomplishment in spite of lack of a championship.
Now we can discuss players who had great individual seasons on championship teams.

 

[JerseyAlum]

Legitimately KEA and Chris Smith have a tough time cracking the Top 3 PG conversation. Kemba, Bazz and TN are all more accomplished by any metric including personality, indomitable will to win, or any other intangible quality.

Chris Smith played both PG and SG, and I think a lot more SG than PG.

 

[HuskyFich]

I tend to agree that this is the closest to 'correct' list.

Potentially interesting nuggets...

• 8 seasons in a row with at least one top 5 Husky.
• only 3 out of 6 NCs represented on Top 5.
• 94 is only season with multiple top 5s...yet not a NC title year...crazy.
• All 5 are Calhoun recruits.

These are some great nuggets, especially the ‘94 bullet!

If you’re a fan under 20 years old…it prob looks like this:

PG: Bazz/ TNew
SG: Ray (because it’s obvious)
SF: AJax
PF: Sanogo
C: Clingan

I also am curious in another 15 years, when people can take our more recent players entire career arc into consideration, how this list shifts…
We can pretend all we want, but next level success plays a role in the all time list.

Otherwise, Clingan is on it

(I actually might be convincing myself Clingan should be on it now)

 

[GampelGladiator]

These are some great nuggets, especially the ‘94 bullet!

If you’re a fan under 20 years old…it prob looks like this:

PG: Bazz/ TNew
SG: Ray (because it’s obvious)
SF: AJax
PF: Sanogo
C: Clingan

I also am curious in another 15 years, when people can take our more recent players entire career arc into consideration, how this list shifts…
We can pretend all we want, but next level success plays a role in the all time list.

Otherwise, Clingan is on it

(I actually might be convincing myself Clingan should be on it now)

The importance of NBA success is an interesting point.

If Bazz's NBA career was at least as good as Kemba's...would Bazz be the consensus top PG?

So far 3 years better than 4...one NC better than two...it's already close

 

[Mr. French]

Kick this guy off the team, what does he know about Husky hoops?

I'm embarrassed and flabbergasted.

 

[willie99]

Kemba
Ray Ray
RIP
Caron
Clingan

The NBA don't lie

And it hurts me to name five, I love them all

 

[SubbaBub]

We are at the point where you need a top 5 at each position not even counting the pre-JC guys. From there you can throw darts and beat just about any other team in the 64 team era.

PG:
1. Kemba (you put him on any of the others teams and you'd get equal or better results)
2. Newton (was a key starter on both champs vs Bazz's was a sub in 2011, that's the only difference)
3. Napier
4. Chris Smith
5. Doron Sheffer
Ridiculously left out: Talik Brown, KEA, Tate George, Ricky Moore, Karl Hobbs, Kevin Ollie, Marcus Williams and A.J Price.

SG:
1. Ray
2. Rip
3. Ben
4. Boatright
5. Jerome Dyson/Hawkins (tie)
RLO: RJ Cole, Vital, Castle, Spencer, Rashad

SF:
1. Caron
2. Gay
3. Henefeld
4. Charlie V
5. Karaban (really plays the PF in DH's system but DH really doesn't use a PF)
RLO: Lamb, Scott Burrell, Shonn Miller

PF:
1. Donyell
2. Cliff
3. Adrien
4. Freeman
5. Boone (puttng him here to avoid the melee at Center, this was also his best spot next to Okafor)
RLO: AJax, Stanley Robinson, Tyrese Martin, Giffey, DeAndre Daniels, Whaley

C:
1. Clingan (I consider this a tie, but give DC the nod based on age, size, and titles. Would like to see them match up in their prime)
2. Okafor
3. Sanogo
4. Thabeet (another close one, but Sanogo was the better offensive post player)
5. Voskuhl
RLO: Knight, Drummond, Brimah, Armstrong, Oriakhi,

 

[nomar]

Dilemma is since Donyell played there are six national championship teams with multiple first team AA's and NPOY.
The argument for Donyell was individual accomplishment in spite of lack of a championship.
Now we can discuss players who had great individual seasons on championship teams.

Everybody’s entitled to their opinion and way of picking their lineup. I’m confident in mine. Donyell’s our best PF and it’s not close. Whether you want to look at individual accomplishments or the ability to help the team win, I’m putting ‘94 Donyell in my starting lineup.

Shall I assume you’re leaving Ray off your team?

 

[Chin Diesel]

Everybody’s entitled to their opinion and way of picking their lineup. I’m confident in mine. Donyell’s our best PF and it’s not close. Whether you want to look at individual accomplishments or the ability to help the team win, I’m putting ‘94 Donyell in my starting lineup.

Shall I assume you’re leaving Ray off your team?

You can do a historical query and you'll see I've been a huge advocate of Donyell not getting his proper due as a Husky.
Glen Robinson, Donyell and Grant Hill were crazy good in 1994.
And an argument can be made he'd be even better in today's game.
I do understand why others left him out.
As for Ray, he was an AA two years, Donyell was an AA one year.

 

[superjohn]

I guess I look at this mostly as who do I want on the floor if I need to win a game? He was our best PF and it's not close. The OP said "starting 5." So it can be positionless but you'd still want 2 bigs.

If it's really just an all-time starting 5 based on winning and winning in this day and age I'm going with Newton, Cam, Castle, Karaban, Clingan.