Most impactful Husky ever

[Kitaman]

Chris Smith to me. He had swag and handles that Billy Packer couldn't stop talking about. His shot was sweet as well. He ignited a HoF Coach's career, and the rest is history.

My number 2 is RIP. I was golfing with someone from Philly and he was not a UConn fan, but he said we picked up a great guard who will transform our program. Back then recruiting was not a mixtape, national social media thing, so I just took his word and waited. He finished what Smitty started getting us the first of four against a great opponent.

Another runner up is Bazz for me. He singlehandley kept us from going into oblivion and ruining everything Calhoun built. That 2014 Championship over big bad uk will lead to our resurgence to the top tier soon, and our new Coach feels it. Without it we would be nearing mid-major status and certainly missing and forgotten in college basketball team portraits. When we do return (with Hurley) I'll certainly remember Bazz'z impact.

Beginning, Middle and End (i.e. later) impacts.

 

[tentoes4rings]

I didn’t mean who impacted the program, I was stating which player I felt could impact one single game more than anyone else. Between dunks, rebounds, 3s, blocks, steals Donyell impacted a given game more than anyone I think.

 

[UConnDad]

Totally disagree. UConn basketball was completely dead in the water, they were supposed to be terrible and then Kemba was the best player in the country, had the best UConn season ever, one of the most clutch seasons in the history of college basketball, arguably the greatest run in college basketball history, he won us a championship, won his legendary coach another title at the end of his career, and made sure UConn was still extremely relevant in college basketball.

For me it's Kemba too. And for the other poster I'm only young at heart.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Totally disagree. UConn basketball was completely dead in the water, they were supposed to be terrible and then Kemba was the best player in the country, had the best UConn season ever, one of the most clutch seasons in the history of college basketball, arguably the greatest run in college basketball history, he won us a championship, won his legendary coach another title at the end of his career, and made sure UConn was still extremely relevant in college basketball.

I’m not sure you can say a program that had been to the Final Four two years earlier was “dead in the water”. 09-10 was a miserable season but there was reason for hope going into 10-11.

 

[arch]

I didn’t mean who impacted the program, I was stating which player I felt could impact one single game more than anyone else. Between dunks, rebounds, 3s, blocks, steals Donyell impacted a given game more than anyone I think.

Ray Allen

 

[gtcam]

Earl Kelly
It was his arrest of weapon possession that finally got rid of Dom Perno and brought in Jim Calhoun

 

[T-Squared]

Nadav Henefeld. It all started when he started.

 

[boog204]

There's multiple ways to look at it...

It's Smitty if you are saying who changed the "culture" so to speak of players coming here.

It's Donyell/Emeka if you are saying a dominant player who would be essential to THIS team.

It's KEA if you are saying what player took us from a Sweet 16/Final 8 team to a national champion.

It's Kemba/Bazz/Caron if you are saying who would be a leader of all leaders to plug in.

And it's Johnnie Selvie if you are asking for a black-hole post up guy who barely knew the rules of basketball but is a legend just the same.

 

[Taco]

Scott Burell was very influential & his presence lead the way to a lot of top signings. He also threw the pass!

 

[Robertelamin]

There's multiple ways to look at it...

It's Smitty if you are saying who changed the "culture" so to speak of players coming here.

It's Donyell/Emeka if you are saying a dominant player who would be essential to THIS team.

It's KEA if you are saying what player took us from a Sweet 16/Final 8 team to a national champion.

It's Kemba/Bazz/Caron if you are saying who would be a leader of all leaders to plug in.

And it's Johnnie Selvie if you are asking for a black-hole post up guy who barely knew the rules of basketball but is a legend just the same.

And Selvie would be the best big on this team.

 

[AdamaNation]

Game- donyell over ray
Season-rip over Kemba
Tournament-Kemba over Ben
For the program- smith over Tate (the shot) and cliff.

 

[boog204]

And Selvie would be the best big on this team.

Without question... Gavin Edwards would be a superstar on this team.

 

[ucp990411]

John Toner. Hired Mr James Calhoun and the Italian guy who coaches women’s hoops in Storrs.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I’m not sure you can say a program that had been to the Final Four two years earlier was “dead in the water”. 09-10 was a miserable season but there was reason for hope going into 10-11.

there was no hope going in to 10-11. NIT year before, Kemba and AO the only known names, APR looming over us, dragged through the mud during '09, Calhouns health. Kemba saved the program and then so did Shabazz

 

[coachn]

John Toner. Hired Mr James Calhoun and the Italian guy who coaches women’s hoops in Storrs.

 

[coachn]

Richard Hamilton the first great player on our first NC. He had SWAG.

 

[Milo65]

Cliff Robinson.

I don't know if you're able to get Chris Smith without him. Although an argument could be made for Gamble too for the same reason. Cliff also had a long career in the NBA (18 years), and was probably the most successful UConn professional until Ray Allen came along.

Tough question to answer, but I'll stick with Uncle Cliff...

Uncle Cliffy, I agree

 

[Dove]

Khalid El-Amin

Bingo!!

Turned us from pretenders to defenders...of the crown.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

My top 10 impact people on UConn's basketball program overall...

1) John Toner - As AD he got UConn into the Big East in 1979 and then hired Jim Calhoun in 1986 (he also hired Geno in 1985)

2) Jim Calhoun - Without him, UConn is playing basketball in the Atlantic 10 with UMass and URI and football is still in the Colonial (former Yankee) with U Maine, UNH, etc.

3) Chris Smith - First big-time recruit and when paired with Scott Burrell, gets UConn the NIT championship in 1988 with wins over West Virginia, BC and Ohio St, which was UConn's coming-out party and set future expectations.

4) Ray Allen & Donyell Marshall.- While they did not win the NCAA title, much to my own annoyance, the established UConn as a national player and it was more of a case of when UConn would win it all, not if. They were also also NBA lottery picks (see #7)

5) Rip Hamilton & Co. - Got UConn their first title in 1999

6) Mark Emmert - While not at UConn at the time, his vendetta against UConn and Calhoun, which had been brewing since he fled Storrs due to gross mismanagement of UConn 2000, his decision as NCAA President to suspend UConn basketball from post-season play in 2012/3 contributed to UConn being left behind when the original Big East Conference split impacting the basketball program for years to come

7) Cliff Robinson - First UConn basketball player in modern history to have a successful and lenghtly NBA career, showing future recruits what could happen should they go to UConn and play for Calhoun

8) Gordon & Okafor - Showed UConn was going to stay as a major power, beating Duke (again) and crushing just about everyone else, also lottery picks

9) Kembra & Co. - They did it again, title #3, ranking may go higher if Kembra eventually becomes a NBA hall of fame player. The downside is that by winning the title during a season that Calhoun was suspended for part of the season infuriated certain powers, especially Mark Emmert at the NCAA, resulting in #6

10) Shabazz & Co. - Basically won on willpower as Calhoun's last recruiting class led by Shabazz won title #4 showing that UConn was still a big-time programs, even with Calhoun retiring and UConn relegated to the American Conference, also gave a giant, second middle-finger to Mark Emmert (#6)

TBD) Kevin Ollie - Part of the critical 1990's establishment era for UConn basketball with Ray and Donyell and won title #4 in 2014 in the post-Calhoun and Big East eras, fell apart after though. May become ranked if the NCAA hits UConn with any penalties for alleged issues within the program before he was fired at the end of the 2018 season.

 

[boog204]

My top 10 impact people on UConn's basketball program overall...

3) Chris Smith - First big-time recruit and when paired with Scott Burrell, gets UConn the NIT championship in 1988 with wins over West Virginia, BC and Ohio St, which was UConn's coming-out party and set future expectations.

Smitty and Burrell were not on the NIT team... That was Cliff, Phil Gamble, Tate, Jeff King, etc... Smitty came in 89 and Burrell in 90.

 

[HuskylnSC]

The first time I got excited about UConn hoops was Corny's signing. The player who in one game most impacted the program on a national stage. Ricky Moore shutting down the Duke point guard in the FF. His cry after opening the game with a layup, "You can't stop me. You never could stop me!" Changed a game no one thought we could win and moved UConn into the elite status. Most impactful career had to be the first truly great, Cliff.

 

[Bonehead]

Cliff Robinson.

 

[my2cents]

Even Calhoun admits that Chris Smith was the most important player he ever had. Without him, the other worthy players would not even looked at Uconn, let alone play here.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

I think the original question is directed toward which one player could help this team the most on the floor right now, not which one in the past jump started the program, or ended up with the most amazing final act in his career.

We've got decent guards, although none Smith- or Kemba-like. So I'll take Marshall. 6-9, great timing on blocks, voracious rebounder, can shoot from 3, drive, postup depending on what you needed, handle the ball on the break. Yeah, that guy. Next up would be Allen or Butler as the lethal swingman with guts of a gambler, then Walker.

Of course, if you think cutting off the head of the snake is what this team really needs, there's no one to match Ricky Moore.

Addendum: Oops, wrong topic, thought this was "one former Husky you'd want on this team" thread. I'll escort myself to the door.

 

[mauconnfan]

I get all the kemba’s, kea’s, Ray, Yell, Caron etc etc they all meant a ton to the program.

The only answer(s) come from JC and Smitty. It’s possible you can grab someone from the 89-90 team which threw the Huskies on the map but the truth is not many of those guys were coming here without the dream season starting the success. Potentially Cliffy, Phil and the NIT but reality is The Dream Season is the catapult to getting any others mentioned. And the guy closing all those deals to me has by far the largest impact period.