Most under rated UConn Husky? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Most under rated UConn Husky?

Vuce said:
Jake Voskuhl.....definitely not a star with guys like Rip and KEA but very good big man defender, position rebounder and REALLY good screener that set up a lot of Rip’s shots after he ran baseline. He did a lot of the work people didn’t notice akin to outstanding offensive linemen in football.
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This^^^

Jake solidified some real good teams with great screens as well as passing ability from the top. Also his defense and toughness was highly underrated. He and John Thomas my top 2 and it's easy.
 
Oriakhi just had an off junior year that burned into people’s brain. He was a good player as a freshman, and he was great (about 5 WS) as a sophomore and senior at Mizzou.
 
Excalibur said:
Besides a three week stretch in 2011, I thought Oriakhi was underwhelming.
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Different times, different competition, different teammates, but Alex's junior year drop-off, at least without Advanced Stats (which are too advanced for me), was pretty similar to Josh's. Alex disappointed because he was a McD's AA, and Josh because he was AAC's Most Improved Player as this season began.

In 2011-12, I yelled at the TV every time Alex spun around and seemingly threw the ball in the direction of the basketball as though shots actually going through the net were a matter of happenstance. This does not add up to a candidate for most underrated player. But he was indispensable and very valuable during those magical weeks.

I still hope for Josh to go back to not putting the ball reflexively onto the floor, and to go up stronger and/or with sure-handed shots & jams rather than tips & taps. For Alex at the end of his junior year, I retained no hope of change.
 
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I feel like a lot more big men make this list. Guards that end up on here tended to play with dominant bigs.

Just at the pf spot recently you have:
Edwards
AO (for the title run year...once Andre came on he was the right amount appreciated...not very)
Facey (surprised no mention yet)
Miller
TO

And at the 5:
Chuck
Brimah
Nolan

As a fan base we're one of the few that has the ability to underappreciate all conference players...what a lucky spoiled bunch we are
 
Jarles said:
niels giffey was pretty essential to the 2014 title and i feel like he never quite got enough shine for it
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Run through that roster as it came together, and there are many candidates. In memory, it's common thought among fans and non-fans that the team was lesser than other Champions. But they did win, didn't they?

In addition to Niels, Boat, Bazz, DeAndre, Brimah, Kromah, Facey (just added), and (in a different spirit) TO (anyone else?) have all gotten mentions in this thread.

So does that make THE TEAM most under rated, given how widely & casually it's implied that they had no business having finished as well as they did?

Regrettably, the "A Star is Born" video now shows as "not available" on YouTube, but here's another look at the AAC's 2015 Scholar Athlete of the Year...

 
mauconnfan said:
Did Jeff Carr play on that team too?
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No, good at basketball, not so much softball. Jack Robinson (UConn b-ball), Perry McFadden (UConn f-ball) the Ransom brothers, Lovett Wimberley (who made the greatest catch I ever saw ) too much fun !
 
Jarles said:
niels giffey was pretty essential to the 2014 title and i feel like he never quite got enough shine for it
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This is the problem with these threads. What constitutes “not enough shine”? For the 3 and D guy he was, I think he got ample love within and outside the UConn fandom.

Honestly I think “underrated” needs to be defined for these threads

I’d put Kromah from that same squad up there. He didn’t make too many big splash plays like Niels in the corner, but he did arguably as much for the team. And he did it as a mercenary for one year.
 
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Rocktheworld said:
This is the problem with these threads. What constitutes “not enough shine”? For the 3 and D guy he was, I think he got ample love within and outside the UConn fandom.

Honestly I think “underrated” needs to be defined for these threads

I’d put Kromah from that same squad up there. He didn’t make too many big splash plays like Niels in the corner, but he did arguably as much for the team. And he did it as a mercenary for one year.
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Agreed.

for example: AJ Price is not underrated. I think everyone knows he was a baller. But trouble and health makes him more of a “what if” than underrated. ironically him not having those issues might’ve meant the 2009 FF doesn’t happen (because he Probsbly leaves early for the draft).
 
UConnStats said:
Oriakhi just had an off junior year that burned into people’s brain. He was a good player as a freshman, and he was great (about 5 WS) as a sophomore and senior at Mizzou.
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He was “great” as a sophomore at the right time. He was almost invisible in many regular season Big East games but have to give him his due, he came up big when he had to. But not the most underrated.
 
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Old school said:
Jimmy foster
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Many here probably don’t know how good Jimmy was, special good. In that direction another guy who was solid in his career is Al Weston.

And Gerry Besselink turned into a nice rebounder, defender.
 
djct1999 said:
What about Josh Boone? The kid did an awful lot of the dirty work while other teammates received the accolades.
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2004 Josh Boone, definitely, epitomized by his hustle play leading to Okafor's go-ahead bucket against Duke. Without that play, very good chance we don't take home #2.

2006 Josh Boone, however, was the poster boy for our mediocre play down the stretch and soft performance in the Elite Eight.

Speaking of 2006, I'd give a nod to Hilton Armstrong. Yes, he was only a major contributor for basically one year, but he gave that frontcourt a nasty streak and continued our tradition of developing diamond-in-the-rough bigs.
 
Tenspro2002 said:
2004 Josh Boone, definitely, epitomized by his hustle play leading to Okafor's go-ahead bucket against Duke. Without that play, very good chance we don't take home #2.

2006 Josh Boone, however, was the poster boy for our mediocre play down the stretch and soft performance in the Elite Eight.

Speaking of 2006, I'd give a nod to Hilton Armstrong. Yes, he was only a major contributor for basically one year, but he gave that frontcourt a nasty streak and continued our tradition of developing diamond-in-the-rough bigs.
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idk. Hard for me to say Hilton when it was one good year and both he and Boone shat the bed against mason front court they should’ve absolutely manhandled.
 
Vuce said:
Jake Voskuhl.....definitely not a star with guys like Rip and KEA but very good big man defender, position rebounder and REALLY good screener that set up a lot of Rip’s shots after he ran baseline. He did a lot of the work people didn’t notice akin to outstanding offensive linemen in football.
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Jake gets my vote. 4 year starter and underrated defender.

also
Jerome Dyson was going to lead us to a championship in 2009 if not for the injury.Head bang
 
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metsfan2323 said:
Jake gets my vote. 4 year starter and underrated defender.

also
Jerome Dyson was going to lead us to a championship in 2009 if not for the injury.Head bang
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He wasn’t leading.
Price and thabeet were the two best players on that team.

getting stuck playing austrie and the front court getting absused for 25/30 minutes by some JAGs is what did them in.
 
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Maybe not the most under appreciated, but Shonn Miller was the best player on our last tournament team, so he deserves a mention.

Personally I'll take Adams, he'd be on everyone's all time list had he not come in during a horrible stretch for the team.
 
the Q said:
He wasn’t leading.
Price and thabeet were the two best players on that team.
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That's your opinion. I thought Dyson was. He was a lock down defender. You prove my point Dyson is underrated.
 
1. T Brown - the one guy who was maligned and dogged and who most everyone (except me and and the few I can count on one hand) said would never lead UConn to a NC
2. J. Adams - memories of Hawaii, the shot vs Cinci in the AAC tournament, the kid that had to play virtually every position on the court. The haters here were insufferable
3. Giffey - a really solid player who did so many things so well yet did so covertly
4. Olender - yeah he has 2 rings but did some nice things in the OBE tourney and NC run as a freshman - a great kid for the locker room
5. D Ham, John Thomas and Jeff A - all 3 had talent and grit that was overlooked by many
 
metsfan2323 said:
That's your opinion. I thought Dyson was.
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No. There’s no actual basis for saying he was the best player. He was, at best, 4th.
 
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