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.

 

[Rich]

I need Henefeld on this team…..

 

[SportsFan88]

AK is a husky legend himself but Kemba and Rip need to be on any and every all time husky starting 5

 

[sdglast]

Donyell was awesome offensively and defensively but sadly he gets dinged for the missed ft's against Florida and he didn't really bring it in that tournament.

Ray was pretty awesome in the tournament his sophomore and junior year but he wasn't too good in that loss to Mississippi State which I put up there with the Donyell Florida game as the most disappointing loss in UConn history.

With Bazz, Tristen, and Donovan each having two national championships I have no problem with any of them being on a positionless top 5 UConn list. Alex also has 2 but was never dominant like those guys, if he wins a third he will catapult to top 5 on most people's lists. It's weird that I've seen Rudy Gay on multiple UConn top 5's. He obviously shouldn't be there. Caron was significantly better than Rudy.

Agree on the Caron v. Rudy Gay comparison. I also think many forget about how good Ben Gordon was for 3 years. He hit big shot after big shot and certainly could find himself on the 2nd team.

 

[KembaStepback]

If I can put in two teams based on best offense, and best defense...

Offense:

C: Okafor
PF: Donyell
SF: Hamilton
SG: Allen
PG: Kemba

Defensive:

C: Clingan
PF: Donyell
SF: DePriest
SG: Castle
PG: Moore (Ricky)

I think Thabeet and Okafor would like a word about not being on the defensive team...

 

[JerseyAlum]

I think Thabeet and Okafor would like a word about not being on the defensive team...

Hahaha they would, but Clingan in his last year with us was the difference maker on defense. Thabeet and Okafor were very good, but Clingan was better on D. Note Okafor on the offensive 5.

 

[ARIDE]

Alex made some interesting choices with Dauster. I appreciate him not shying away from that type of question. It's fun.

Karaban's all time Starting 5

Tristen Newton
Shabazz Napier
Ray Allen
Rudy Gay
Donovan Clingan

Caron Butler best forward ever out of Uconn

 

[Captbluefin]

Tristen and Kemba at the point.

Sorry Bazz faithful but he’s the level below

Donyell being left off any list is nuts..

 

[KembaStepback]

Hahaha they would, but Clingan in his last year with us was the difference maker on defense. Thabeet and Okafor were very good, but Clingan was better on D. Note Okafor on the offensive 5.

No way. Okafor and Thabeet were the best defensive players in the country.

 

[Mr. French]

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,

I love Tristen Newton! But he’s not going above Shabazz for me.

 

[JerseyAlum]

No way. Okafor and Thabeet were the best defensive players in the country.

Beg to differ on defensive impact but do you remember us chanting "We got Thabeet!" at Gampel? (channelling the Go-Gos)

 

[Rondogg]

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.

Just commenting on the "will to win" statement. KEA lifted that first championship team to victory - we had a great team that season and it was Khalid that made people (and the team itself) believe it could be done.

 

[RichZ]

#1 -- Close second

PG: Kemba -- Tristen
SG: Ray -- Rip
SF: Caron -- Rudy
PF: Donyell -- Cliffy (I had a very hard time trying to choose between Cliff and Adama)
C: Emeka -- Donovan

 

[Scottobot]

UCONN has more than 20 players that are worthy of top 5 list. Trying to make a list where 5 of those guys are ahead of the others is an insult to the players left off the list. It is better to just have a list of all time greats that grows over time and leave it at that.

 

[RuffRuff]

If you’re creating a 5 based on natural positions and on overall talent, Donyell is on it at the 4. He meant a ton to the program putting it on the map from a recruiting perspective as JCs first burger boy and 4th pick of the draft (behind greats like Kidd, Hill and Robinson). He did some things that were first timers and there is something to be said for that.

If you are going by titles, yada and can be more creative with the 5, Shabazz is an option. The other 4 are deadset locks in my eyes. It’s hard to put Cling in over Emeka as a 2 vs 3 year player. Emeka was runner up to player of the year, decorated academically. back to back defensive POY, 2nd pick and NBA ROY. Other than the 2 titles it’s not even close. Kemba, RIP and Ray are absolute no brainers.