Most impactful Husky ever

[8893]

Nate Miles

 

[Palatine]

Chris Smith and Rip Hamilton. Program changers.

Halimton's had 27 in the final and hoisted the NC Trophy. Changed the program

 

[JamesinGR]

Nadav Henefeld.

So my uncle and I are sitting in Providence watching Huskies v Friars. He turns to me and says, “Jim, this is not going to be a fair game. Why not? Because God (Shamgod) is guarding a Jew.” Greatest quip ever.

 

[mauconnfan]

So my uncle and I are sitting in Providence watching Huskies v Friars. He turns to me and says, “Jim, this is not going to be a fair game. Why not? Because God (Shamgod) is guarding a Jew.” Greatest quip ever.

I think he meant Sheffer!

 

[JamesinGR]

I think he meant Sheffer!

Yes, was wondering if it was in reference to Doron or NH. Still makes me smile after all these years.

 

[Tex-Lager93]

Donyell in 93-94 was awesome...29.1pts per 40 min...driven by regular season results. But, when I remember what Kemba did in Maui and then the tournament - still sets him apart to me. Would simply take over in big games. Regardless, I'm glad that there are so many potential answers to this question - makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[Inyatkin]

Donyell...just going over his game logs from that 93/94 season...holy sh man.

Have we ever topped that 130 points we put up against Tennessee Tech? 130 points in 40 minutes is, a lot

 

[DarthGrumpy]

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.

Apologizes, the NIT Chanmpionship game was the first UConn game I can remember watching and I was at an 8th Grade Dance and had a lot on my mid such as learning how to dance, use hair gel at a non-concrete level, and trying to undestand why girls were more interesting than they were in 6th and 7th grades. Getting that all straight and remembering UConn's roster at the time was a bit much for a 13 year old. LOL.

 

[Horatio]

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.

Selvie is the best juco player we ever had. I don’t know if he was the first but maybe that was Calhoun’s first alternative recruit in regards to The grad transfer/ juco route. IDK. Those that love him are people that usually root for the underdog/ oddball, defiant ones. He was different and it was noticeable. Greatness

 

[my2cents]

Maybe I read the original post wrong. He doesn't mean the most "constipated" player of all time??

 

[boog204]

Selvie is the best juco player we ever had. I don’t know if he was the first but maybe that was Calhoun’s first alternative recruit in regards to The grad transfer/ juco route. IDK. Those that love him are people that usually root for the underdog/ oddball, defiant ones. He was different and it was noticeable. Greatness

He definitely wasn't the first, but I'd argue without hesitation that he was the best. Trying to think of the others...

Willie McCloud, Cup Cormier, Q Hardnett, Okwandu, Dion Carson... Who am I forgetting?

 

[QDOG5]

I believe that player would have to be Bill Molars who played in the mid 70's

 

[glastonbury50]

Jonathan Mandeldove

 

[businesslawyer]

This isn't really so hard. We've had four players who were serious national player of the year candidates: Donyell, Kemba, 'Mek and 'Bazz. So anyone below that level -- and Ray Allen didn't miss it by much, with Rip just a little lower -- not in conversation.

Bazz won a championship (two actually) but I still don't know how -- as great as he was, he wasn't really as impactful a player as the other three. Okafor and Donyell both played with loaded teams (and Donyell's choke job against Florida matters at this level). That leaves Kemba. But for the fact that Jimmer was white, Kemba would have been everyone's national player of the year, and that he won a ring with the collection of good but not great players around him was far, far more remarkable then what the others accomplished.

So the answer is Kemba.

 

[ucp990411]

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.

 

[ucp990411]

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.

# 9 - who the heck is Kembra?

 

[mauconnfan]

He definitely wasn't the first, but I'd argue without hesitation that he was the best. Trying to think of the others...

Willie McCloud, Cup Cormier, Q Hardnett, Okwandu, Dion Carson... Who am I forgetting?

Al Fredericks, Ray Broxton, Eddie Williams, Mike Hayes to name a few more......there's more.

 

[mauconnfan]

I believe that player would have to be Bill Molars who played in the mid 70's

Wasn't Molars removed?

 

[AdamaNation]

Nate Miles

Edgy

 

[Tucker]

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.

Smith was 88. Scotty was 89

 

[Ewekon]

Well to respond to the OP thread title. I think Caron was the most impacted. Jim took him out of a bad place and made him a man. Read the book.