List of recruits and transfers who have overachieved the most

[temery]

What is your list of freshman and transfers who far exceeded expectations in their first year.

I'll start with Karaban and Newton.

 

[husky429]

I really think all of our recent x'fers have overachieved. I didn't expect RJ or Rese to be that good.

Sanogo for sure. Even DC wasn't expected to be this polished.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Joey C. I didn’t think he was gonna get any run.

 

[Scottzer]

If we go back in the day - Ray Ray was underrated as something like 34. Emeka was barely or somewhere right around top 100. Not sure on Thabeet.

 

[NH Husky]

If we go back in the day - Ray Ray was underrated as something like 34. Emeka was barely or somewhere right around top 100. Not sure on Thabeet.

Armstrong. Henefeld.

 

[boog204]

Hilton, Thabeet, Emeka, Nadav, Josh Boone, and Gavin Edwards are the ones that immediately come to mind.

 

[JAdams4Reel]

Cam Spencer.

 

[mrl2016]

Tyrese Martin

 

[JMick]

Bouknight. Composite 66 to lottery pick.

If we're only going by first year impact he still had a great freshman year

 

[UConnRock]

Christian Vital

 

[mets1090]

If I'm not mistaken, Bazz was in the 75-100 range in recruiting rankings.

 

[cohenzone]

I really don’t believe in “overachievement” because i don’t think you can achieve what you are not capable of. But exceeding expectations is another thing and for me it is Diarra. And this year might be even more of the same. He might have more of a lead role, at least an expanded one. and we will get to see how he handles it. He has risen to the occasion.

By the way, I do believe in underachieving.

 

[CL82]

I want to say KEA, but I feel like expectations were pretty high for him right from the get-go.

 

[LStudfellow]

Can I just say, before I add a couple of names to this burgeoning list (most if not all of which are really good)... is there any school, particularly over the last 36ish years, that has gotten more out of lower and mid-level recruits than us? The answer is a resounding NO!

High School recruit: Shabazz Napier. Composite #88 in 2010. He helped win National Title in 2011; was the most important player, and best player in the tournament, during 2014 National Title run. Got himself lauded by LeBron James and drafted #24 in 1st round of 2014 draft as a result.

Transfer: amazing how many, including - Lasan Kromah, RJ, Tyrese, Tristen, Hassan, Joey C. and Cam. Every one of those guys contributed hugely to either a National Title, or our rise from the depths of despair from last decade.

 

[HuskyHoosier]

Surprised no mention of Clingan yet. Many expected him not to contribute much until junior year.

 

[NJHusky]

Bouknight. Composite 66 to lottery pick.

If we're only going by first year impact he still had a great freshman year

By this metric has to be Emeka. From near 100 to #2 pick.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Isaiah Whaley. Unranked out of HS to become one of my favorite Huskies of all-time.

 

[ucp990411]

If we go back in the day - Ray Ray was underrated as something like 34. Emeka was barely or somewhere right around top 100. Not sure on Thabeet.

I hate it when people call him Ray Ray. Never heard him called that while he played

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Jeremy Lamb was the 80th ranked player in the country turned robin as a freshman and 1st team all big east as a sophomore turned lottery pick.

 

[Scottzer]

I

I hate it when people call him Ray Ray. Never heard him called that while he

I hate it when people call him Ray Ray. Never heard him called that while he played

Never heard it in the nba, but even my duke loving friend referred to him as Ray Ray. At least for part of his college career it was fairly common to hear.

 

[jleves]

I think this question begins and ends with Emeka.

 

[ucp990411]

I


Never heard it in the nba, but even my duke loving friend referred to him as Ray Ray. At least for part of his college career it was fairly common to hear.

In the 90’s I went to every home game and lots of away games. Never heard him called Ray Ray

 

[Jaydumo20]

I answer the same thing to any UConn underrated player question:

Lasan Kromah

 

[cwh20]

Henefeld - coming from Isreal there was no book on him or expectations but wow! I loved his bball IQ, ability to get steals, and also that the bigger the moment the more he shined. For example, he wasn’t a great foul shooter overall but he didn’t miss at the end of close games. The same with his three point shooting. Super clutch! He actually wasn’t getting huge minutes early in the year but once he did the team just kept getting better and better.

Toraino Walker - super solid and steady Rod Sellers goes down and Walker who had no meaningful minutes during the season takes over the center position in the biggest games of the season (Big East tourney vs Georgetown and Syracuse) and UConn earns their first BE tourney title! His one handed rebound and windmill jam the following regular season was jaw dropping!

Emeka - I was praying Justin Brown had made a leap and would be a solid BE center as UConn lost big recruiting battles for a couple of big men. I had no idea that late-pickup Emeka was going to be unbelievable. There really was no hype on him going into the season. Who remembers the HCC exhibition game okafor’s freshman year where he fouled out with no points? He stayed on the court as the refs didn’t notice until he got fouled himself. He made a foul shot for his first point as a Husky and then had to go to the bench as the refs figured out he shouldn’t have been out there. Yeah, it was funny moment but that performance didn’t exactly get anyone’s hopes up for the coming season.