Let's make a list of players who have proven the Boneyard to be full of idiots?

[nomar]

Ricky Moore. Of our 4 championships, none did as much for one player as the 1999 title did for Moore's legacy. His surprising offensive explosion in the first half, and the greatest single defensive possession in UConn history to close out the game, made Ricky a Husky legend. Had we lost that game, he would not be. He came to UConn as a prized recruit, and averaged 6.8 ppg and 3.6 apg as a senior.

Now that I've written this, I don't think I really answered the question. But I will say that the title, and his play in that game, made everyone appreciate him for the fine defensive player he was -- rather than resent the fact that he didn't become an All-American.

 

[Kembacity]

Giffey is one of the recent ones that really ended up outplaying his early career expectations on here. The guy shot under 30% from 3 his junior year and then comes back and shoots almost 50% his senior year, while being key defensively and as a rebounder on a championship team.

Agreed, but I dont think anyone really considered Neils a bust or expected the world from him. Neils wasn't heralded from the start, but he was the glue guy we all wanted, so I feel like the fan base always just took every ounce they got from Neils but didn't expect him to start jacking 3's that senior year and still hit most of them.

 

[nomar]

Giffey is one of the recent ones that really ended up outplaying his early career expectations on here. The guy shot under 30% from 3 his junior year and then comes back and shoots almost 50% his senior year, while being key defensively and as a rebounder on a championship team.

He and Hilton are the two guys that jump out for really taking it to another level in their senior season.

 

[Kitaman]

Does HIlton belongs in the group?

I listed him because as a freshman it was hard to see any potential. He was robotically stiff and the Yard was bitchin loudly.

Well the robot became a NBA 1st round draft pick. I can't imagine anyone saw that coming.

Furthermore I think his development (and Josh, Charlie and Emeka) shows the importance of having strong practice competition, specifically against future NBAers. Brimah (and Nolan) has been deprived of this for 2-3 years already. I have to believe its manifesting itself in their games against talented opponents.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Agreed, but I dont think anyone really considered Neils a bust or expected the world from him. Neils wasn't heralded from the start, but he was the glue guy we all wanted, so I feel like the fan base always just took every ounce they got from Neils but didn't expect him to start jacking 3's that senior year and still hit most of them.

Well I'd agree with that as there just weren't really much expectations of him so he couldn't really disappoint. We were all definitely wrong on how his career would be viewed at UConn though.

 

[selles]

Ricky Moore. Of our 4 championships, none did as much for one player as the 1999 title did for Moore's legacy. His surprising offensive explosion in the first half, and the greatest single defensive possession in UConn history to close out the game, made Ricky a Husky legend. Had we lost that game, he would not be. He came to UConn as a prized recruit, and averaged 6.8 ppg and 3.6 apg as a senior.

Now that I've written this, I don't think I really answered the question. But I will say that the title, and his play in that game, made everyone appreciate him for the fine defensive player he was -- rather than resent the fact that he didn't become an All-American.

Not sure the championship game was quite that crucial - I think Ricky probably had already turned his legacy around with his overall defense and leadership his junior and senior years.

But I definitely agree that "Rickety" is by far the best answer to Tom's question.

Junior year Boat is worthy of honorable mention. There was a dramatic shift in the board's treatment of him between Jan. 1, 2014 and April 1, 2014.

 

[Bonehead]

LOL you could say that about the entire football team.

No you cant...the football team has a kid who is a projected 1st round pick next week in the NFL draft.

No one though a skinny kid from New Britain/ST Pauls would be a day 1 NFL draft pick.

 

[willie99]

"UConn cannot win the National Championship with T Brown as their PG"

national broadcaster said this every day of March 2004, the same dude who picks the Zags every year, and I think it's the same dude who was all giddy on Twitter last year when Florida went up 16-2 on us in the FF

 

[Rocktheworld]

No you cant...the football team has a kid who is a projected 1st round pick next week in the NFL draft.

No one though a skinny kid from New Britain/ST Pauls would be a day 1 NFL draft pick.

I'm talking about the general level of optimism

 

[mauconnfan]

Can't believe Johnnies-Time hasn't made an appearance in this thread as of yet?

 

[RipCity]

That guy Cheeky is going to be wrong about Purvis. He said he'll never improve or even be an average player by Uconn standards. Blew up several threads saying s___ like that.

 

[Husky25]

Can't believe Johnnies-Time hasn't made an appearance in this thread as of yet?

As in Selvie? There is no one within the confines of Southern New England or the Tri-State area who forgot about Kevin Freeman because of Johnny Selvie. Selvie was what he was. No one was proven wrong.

Conversely, I was an unabashed Scott Hazelton fan from day one, sight unseen. Massachusetts-native All American? Sign me up. Clearly, I am an idiot.

 

[August_West]

Shabazz Napier. There was a ton of hand-wringing and panic about our recruiting situation after he signed.

I didnt like Napier until half-way through his senior year. I thought he was a petulant brat who couldn't lead. I wasnt the only one either. He proved me wrong, but I still think he is a petulant brat, but I think its what made him great in the end. Right before the tourney last year Deepster absolutely lambasted him in a juurdge posting.

Even in the NC game against Kentucky he still pissed me off with that shove of Boat and the graphic dressing down of Boat when they both went for an out of bounds ball.

 

[8893]

I didnt like Napier until half-way through his senior year. I thought he was a petulant brat who couldn't lead. I wasnt the only one either. He proved me wrong, but I still think he is a petulant brat, but I think its what made him great in the end. Right before the tourney last year Deepster absolutely lambasted him in a juurdge posting.

Even in the NC game against Kentucky he still pissed me off with that shove of Boat and the graphic dressing down of Boat when they both went for an out of bounds ball.

+1. I kept waiting for Bad Bazz to rear his head during that run, and I thought it was finally happening when he shoved Boat. One of Ollie's greatest master strokes imo was pulling Bazz after that play.

And yeah, I've also admitted several times that I didn't think he could lead us to the promised land, and I was wrong. That's basically the reason why '14 is the only Final Four we've won that I didn't attend, because I honestly and truly never saw it coming and I wasn't prepared once it was within view.

 

[Kitaman]

Can't believe Johnnies-Time hasn't made an appearance in this thread as of yet?

Well don't look to blame us, blame him.

 

[boba]

First off, making our collective intelligence appear comparable to idiots? The only way to lower that bar is to bury it. We don't need a player to prove it, we do that as a matter habit and procedure. [Better to be silent and thought to be a fool, than to type a response in the Boneyard and confirm and verify the hypothesis.]
That said, anyone who disparaged Ricky Moore, or believed Ajou Deng was the next great one demonstrates how we are easily led into silly stances as a result of our willingness to believe in our own prowess at player evaluation.

 

[RoderickSpode]

I didnt like Napier until half-way through his senior year. I thought he was a petulant brat who couldn't lead. I wasnt the only one either. He proved me wrong, but I still think he is a petulant brat, but I think its what made him great in the end. Right before the tourney last year Deepster absolutely lambasted him in a juurdge posting.

Even in the NC game against Kentucky he still pissed me off with that shove of Boat and the graphic dressing down of Boat when they both went for an out of bounds ball.

You don't have to like him -- he did seem abrasive at times. You don't even have to think he's a good person.

Bottom line - He transformed from (in the opinion of many fans) an afterthought third/fourth option on the recruiting trail into an integral part of two national titles (and the undisputed team leader for the second run).

Whether you think he was/is a brat is irrelevant.

 

[SubbaBub]

This thread should be renamed the Taliek Brown Hall of Fame.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Kemba Walker.

He was a key bench player during the 2009 Final 4 run, but he seemed to never hit a big shot during his Sophomore year. He, Robinson, and Dyson made me think at the time that the game was passing Calhoun by. I thought he could no longer motivate...
...
...THEN came Walker's 3rd year of eligibility. In terms of basketball, I've never been so happy to be proven wrong (but only about Calhoun and Walker).

You are big to admit this and there were many in that camp.

 

[G0UCONN]

Taliek by a wide margin. Slammed nonstop by nearly all....until we won it all.

Runner up is Ricky Moore

 

[RichZ]

Ricky.

I also recall a bunch of posters trashing Emeka after his first game. Might even have been an exhibition game. Next game, that was all over, and never happened again.

 

[Danzz]

Selvie.

 

[Rico444]

Kevin Ollie...?

 

[jleves]

Can anyone honestly top 'Stanley Robinson doesn't have Big East quality athleticism'?

 

[gtcam]

"UConn cannot win the National Championship with T Brown as their PG"

national broadcaster said this every day of March 2004, the same dude who picks the Zags every year, and I think it's the same dude who was all giddy on Twitter last year when Florida went up 16-2 on us in the FF

Plus Randy Smith - an award winning sportswriter for the JI (and he was good) wrote this same sentiment and used to talk about all the time.
However, after that NC victory, he bought rounds of drinks for the house several times at the BA club in Manchester as a way of showing he was wrong.