Most "talented" team 1-10 in Uconn history

[Husky999]

I think it's between the 11-12 team and the 05-06 team.

11-12
1. Bazz, Boat
2. Lamb, Giffey
3 Roscoe, Daniels
4. AO, TO
5. AD

05-06
1. Marcus Williams, Austrie, (AJ Price..suspended)
2. Rashad
3. Gay, Denhnam Brown
4. Adrian, Ed Nelson
5. Hilton, Boone

This is a tough call. If AJP wasn't suspended I take the 05-06 team…
I think they easily run through George Mason and Florida and take the title

(Boone, Hilton, Jeff Adrian upfront…all drafted and played NBA minutes)
(Gay as the top guy and NBA all-star, MW and AJP both drafted)
(Denham and Rashad playing overseas)

However I think the most talented team was the 11-12 team, with the X factor being Drummond (4 players drafted (AD, Bazz, Daniels, Lamb), 2 with a good shot at making a roster (Boat, AO), 2 guaranteed to play overseas (Giffey, Roscoe). Both of these teams are by far the most talented Uconn teams ever and probably the 2 most underachieving as well. We simply had no guards in 05-06 and still almost made the final 4. I don't know what the hell happened in 11-12. AO clearly tanked the season on purpose and AD was utilized incorrectly. Bazz tried to win games by himself and Lamb sleepwalked the season. Clearly the most disjointed Uconn team I have ever seen. That team had all the pieces if everyone bought in. AO poisoned that locker room for real… but I'll put those teams 1-10 talent wise against any of our title teams.

thoughts..

 

[TheChamps990411]

No. The team from 04 was absolutely loaded especially in the frontcourt.

 

[willie99]

04

Meka, MSG, CV, HA, RA, DB, JB, and our gritty pg TB

3 lottery, 5 1st round picks

 

[willie99]

and when you look at the talent on 11/12, you can't help but wonder what could have been if that team had chemistry

evidently a few national championship players thought they were entitled, and such was reflected both on the court and after the season

 

[imno1]

Maybe H999 meant mtt that didn't win a title. Otherwise it's got to be 04

 

[intlzncster]

Yeah, I don't really think it's an argument that it's 2004. We had a pretty good team sitting on the bench:

PG Marcus Williams (pre suspension)
G Rashad Anderson/Denham (depending on who started first team)
SF ShamonTooles/ Denham
PF Boone/Marcus White
C Ed Nelson/Hilty

 

[CTBasketball]

2004 was loaded.

I would also argue 08-09 (pre-Dyson knee injury), 05-06, 94-95, 95-96, and of course 98-99.

 

[Gurleyman]

The correct answer is 1993-94.

For all the proof you need, the bench guys were Ray Allen, Kirk King, Travis Knight and Rudy Johnson - those guys started (with Sheffer) two years later on a team that went 34-3.

Starters were KO-Sheffer-Donny-Donyell-Hayward. Also had Brian Fair off the bench.

 

[Excalibur]

1) 2004

Large Gap

2) 1993-94
3) 2005-06
4) 2001-02 (surprised there's not more love here for a team with Okafor, Butler and Gordon, even if the last two were freshmen)
5) 2011-12 (so many issues with that team -- Lamb and Bazz didn't get along, Bazz wasn't quite ready to lead, Drummond wasn't quite ready, AO went into mode . . . . Easily the most frustrating team of the Calhoun era.)

 

[Gurleyman]

I guess it depends on if you count guys on the roster or guys actually playing. We won in 2004 with eight guys, and Hilton was a fringe rotation guy when Emeka was available so it was closer to seven at times. We had no backcourt depth after MW was ruled ineligible. If Taliek or Ben went down or had foul trouble in a tight game, we'd have been in a world of hurt.

If you count MW (ineligible), White (injured) and Nelson (sitting out due to transfer), I think 2004 has a pretty good claim. But 1994 had a one seed as its second unit, and all those guys played all year.

Fun debate though - would be a lot of fun to visit a parallel universe where these teams could play each other.

 

[James]

First semester 03/04 with mwill.

 

[Lefty2one]

I'm guessing we're talking about raw/pure talent so if that's the case it's easily 2004. Pretty much the opposite of 1994, had some disappointing regular season stretches but took home the ultimate prize. The talent was insane though, lottery picks and 1st rounders everywhere. Plus Rashad Anderson who was a great/clutch collegiate player.

• #2 & #3 overall picks
• Four future lottery picks (Gordon, Okafor, Villanueva, Hilton)
• Four 1st round picks in the front court
• Two 1st round picks in the back court (Gordon, Williams)
• Six 1st round picks, seven total selections
• Arguably the most clutch shooter/player in UConn history

If we were talking about tangible success in college then you have to go with 1994, that Ray Allen class had an insane record in the regular season and BE play over a three-year stretch. Despite their shortcomings in the Big Dance you have to go with them.

Ray, Donyell, Donny and Travis were the four draftees. Two lottery picks, a late first rounder and a second rounder. Not on par with 2004 even with the addition of good college players like Sheffer.

05-06 and 11-12 are probably in the next tier but based on the fact that each team only has one guy that's found success in the NBA (Gay, Drummond) then they probably weren't all that talented in hindsight. Hyped, sure, but not insanely talented.

 

[Gurleyman]

Using the NBA Draft as the sole barometer is a tricky thing, since the depth of the draft and the "only one team needs to like you" factors come into play. For example, I think Travis was a better player than Hilton, even though Hilton snuck in the lottery. I'd take Sheffer over MW with no hesitation, even though Sheffer went in the second round and MW the first. Donny and Denham were both second rounders, but Donny was a better player. Gordon went third in the draft and Ray fifth, but that's no contest. King and Boone is closer than people would think (but no arguments on people who would give Boone the edge there). I'm a big Taliek supporter, but KO was better. Like most people, I'd take Rashad over Fair, but that was closer than people think too (Fair averaged 14 ppg before Ray came in and took minutes/shots).

Donyell and Emeka is interesting because they were such different players. I think we'd all take Emeka (as the fantasy draft showed), but Donyell had maybe the best single offensive season in UConn history in 1994 and wasn't all that bad a shot blocker either (Emeka was a much better defensive anchor in general though). Neither really excelled at the next level, although they both were near All-Stars at their peaks (Donyell in Utah, Emeka early on).

The wild card in 2004's favor is CV, who was very highly rated coming out of high school, and was a lottery pick, but fell somewhat short of expectations at both levels. He did average 16 in the NBA one year, though, which isn't exactly chopped liver. Given that the only players left in 1994 that I didn't mention above are Hayward, Rudy Johnson and Boo Willingham, there's nobody left to compare CV to. So if the 2004 team gets credit for having MW for a half season, then I can see that team winning the consensus Boneyard vote.

I've personally always considered the 1993-94 team the best talent we've ever assembled - they just didn't have a senior on the roster and were coming off an NIT season, so they weren't quite mentally tough enough yet when the pressure came in the tourney. The next season we were mentally tougher, but with Cohen-Mintz in place of Donyell.

 

[superjohn]

1. 2003-2004
2. 1993-1994
3. 2011-2012
4. 2005-2006 (It seems most UConn fans I talk to think this was our most talented team, sure they were talented but I think that talent was a little overrated and their was a glaring weakness with Marcus Williams being the only ballhandler.)
5. 2001-2002

It's interesting that only one of these teams won it all, shows you how important chemistry, guard play and the right matchups are in winning the whole thing.

 

[champs99and04]

I guess it depends on if you count guys on the roster or guys actually playing. We won in 2004 with eight guys, and Hilton was a fringe rotation guy when Emeka was available so it was closer to seven at times. We had no backcourt depth after MW was ruled ineligible. If Taliek or Ben went down or had foul trouble in a tight game, we'd have been in a world of hurt.

If you count MW (ineligible), White (injured) and Nelson (sitting out due to transfer), I think 2004 has a pretty good claim. But 1994 had a one seed as its second unit, and all those guys played all year.

Fun debate though - would be a lot of fun to visit a parallel universe where these teams could play each other.

If you want to say the '94 team had a one seed on the bench, then you could also say we won the 2014 title with mostly leftovers from the 2012 squad. Our best lineup for much of this two year stretch included Napier, Boat, DeAndre, Giffey, and somebody else. Add Drummond, Lamb, and Roscoe (all would have still be eligible) and you could be looking at one of the best college teams ever. So I think 2012 has to be in the mix (even though I'd give the edge to '04.

 

[CTBasketball]

I think people are overrating the 11-12 team. Yes Jeremy Lamb and Drummond went in the lottery, but thats about it. Shabazz wasn't half the player he was his senior season, Oriakhi stunk, Niels didn't have a 3-pt touch or confidence, Roscoe Smith disappeared, Daniels played 1 minute a game, and Boatright was unreliable.

There's no way that team was more talented than any team from 1993-1996, 1999, 2002-2006, or 2009.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I'm inclined to go with '04 mostly because Gordon seems to be easily the best player in UConn history to never be the best player on a team.

 

[superjohn]

I think people are overrating the 11-12 team. Yes Jeremy Lamb and Drummond went in the lottery, but thats about it. Shabazz wasn't half the player he was his senior season, Oriakhi stunk, Niels didn't have a 3-pt touch or confidence, Roscoe Smith disappeared, Daniels played 1 minute a game, and Boatright was unreliable.

There's no way that team was more talented than any team from 1993-1996, 1999, 2002-2006, or 2009.

It depends on how you look at it, that team has zero chemistry and at times stunk but there was a lot of talented players in that group. Clearly in terms of play on the court there were a ton of UConn teams that were better but not too many had the individual talent of that team.

 

[Matrim55]

Ray, Donyell, Donny and Travis were the four draftees. Two lottery picks, a late first rounder and a second rounder. Not on par with 2004 even with the addition of good college players like Sheffer.

Doron was also a draftee - early 2nd round in '96. And even though he didn't play in the NBA... I mean, we all know that he chose not to play in the league, right? As Ray said in SI last spring, "He could have been in the NBA for 10 years. He was that good."

And he proved it by being the best player in what was then the best non-NBA league in the world for a good long time.

Donyell's free throws against Florida still crush me. We'd have won No. 1 that year if he buries those.

 

[Husky999]

By the time he's done in the league....pending injuries. AD will be the best player we have ever produced... Probably by a wide margin. Throw in Bazz a top 5 husky of all time and Lamb (lottery pick) not sure how 11-12 isn't the most talent (albeit individually) ever.

 

[Husky999]

Sad when you think about it, we really should have won 3 in 4 years. That team shouldn't have lost ever.

 

[intlzncster]

By the time he's done in the league....pending injuries. AD will be the best player we have ever produced... Probably by a wide margin. Throw in Bazz a top 5 husky of all time and Lamb (lottery pick) not sure how 11-12 isn't the most talent (albeit individually) ever.

He's going to have to beat the greatest three point shooter of all time, one of the most clutch shooters to ever play, a first ballot hall of famer, and 2x (+ potentially more) NBA champ in Ray Allen.

I will be highly surprised if AD is the best by a wide margin. That'd practically make him the greatest center that ever lived.

 

[Husky999]

AD is a straight beast. He's only 21 and he's just learning. I can't imagine what he's gonna be like in 3-4 years. 25 and 15 certainly isn't out of the question. He avg'd 14 last year with absolutely ZERO offensive game (not to mention shooting 40% FT's). I don't see a center in the league at the moment with his upside.

 

[CallMeBruce]

AD is a straight beast. He's only 21 and he's just learning. I can't imagine what he's gonna be like in 3-4 years. 25 and 15 certainly isn't out of the question. He avg'd 14 last year with absolutely ZERO offensive game (not to mention shooting 40% FT's). I don't see a center in the league at the moment with his upside.

You're still comparing him to one of the ten-best shooting guards ever. In order to be not just better than Allen, but better "by a wide margin," Drummond would have to turn into Shaq.

 

[August_West]

Jim Calhoun is a golden god in my eyes, and always will be, but I think it is fair to say that his worst coaching job by far was the'12 season. I can blame that on some health issues certainly, but he has to to be responsible for some of that hot mess.