Most under rated UConn Husky?

[mauconnfan]

John Thomas

 

[ucp990411]

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 outstakending offensive linemen in football.

Jake may be my favorite player. Check our games from 1998-1999 to fully understand his value.

 

[CL82]

Charles Okwandu

I love that guy.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Maybe it was because he transferred to Missouri for his senior year, but I have always felt that Alex Oriakhi was pretty underrated.

Have to wholeheartedly disagree with you here. After a promising freshman season and a solid sophomore season, he was disappointing in his junior season and played arguably his worst season as a husky.

But great thread, though. My vote goes to Rodney Purvis. Joined the team after their last championship, played well, was the emotional leader of the team through some of the darker Ollie years.

 

[CL82]

Travis Knight. He, along with Jake, was a key to those fast break teams that we loved so well. Good rebounder, and a great outlet passer.

 

[uc1990]

I love Ricky but Rip was MVP of our first national championship.

Yes sorry I meant to say should have been mvp especially in the first half. Adds to the reason why I think he is most underrated. Or at least should be talked about as a UConn great more often.

 

[RichZ]

The problem with this is that opinions change with time, as more and more fans who never saw some of these guys play come into the fold, and older fans mellow (or die off).
On the whole, the fan base seems to think much more highly today of Taliek than when he was playing, for instance. He was always a good point guard and a ferocious competitor. But few appreciated him for that in situ.
Donyell was exciting and loved as a Husky, but his less dominating performance in the league has tarnished his rep, as the memories of his college greatness grow older, and the percentage of the fan base that is too young to remember his husky career grows.
In my mind, the most underappreciated Husky ever was Ricky. Like Taliek, he was often criticized during his career. He was arguably (convincingly, in my mind) the MVP of the 99 championship. And his greatness has simply slipped from the collective memory of the fanbase over the last couple decades.
Then again, maybe I just value defense more than most, because my next choice for "underappreciated husky" would be Lyman DePriest.

 

[RichZ]

The head band was his trademark during that era.

I thought it was the spliff.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The problem with this is that opinions change with time, as more and more fans who never saw some of these guys play come into the fold, and older fans mellow (or die off).
On the whole, the fan base seems to think much more highly today of Taliek than when he was playing, for instance. He was always a good point guard and a ferocious competitor. But few appreciated him for that in situ.
Donyell was exciting and loved as a Husky, but his less dominating performance in the league has tarnished his rep, as the memories of his college greatness grow older, and the percentage of the fan base that is too young to remember his husky career grows.
In my mind, the most underappreciated Husky ever was Ricky. Like Taliek, he was often criticized during his career. He was arguably (convincingly, in my mind) the MVP of the 99 championship. And his greatness has simply slipped from the collective memory of the fanbase over the last couple decades.
Then again, maybe I just value defense more than most, because my next choice for "underappreciated husky" would be Lyman DePriest.

Taliek took a bunch of crap from fans because he had a ton of turnovers from over penetrating without a game plan and would get in trouble in the lane. Couple that with horrible FT shooting for a PG and no outside shot (Well, there was one nice 3 he made, cough, cough. Pitt), and much of the criticism was warranted. He was a pitbull on D and was fast with the ball on the fast break, but he did have warts worthy of critique.

Taliek Brown College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Taliek Brown - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

 

[djct1999]

What about Josh Boone? The kid did an awful lot of the dirty work while other teammates received the accolades.

 

[mauconnfan]

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.

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.

 

[UConnStats]

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.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Besides a three week stretch in 2011, I thought Oriakhi was underwhelming.

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.

 

[Chasm64]

John Thomas

I was fortunate enough to get to play softball with JT. A big man and a great guy

 

[XLCenterFan]

Rashad Anderson

 

[mauconnfan]

I was fortunate enough to get to play softball with JT. A big man and a great guy

Did Jeff Carr play on that team too?

 

[Old school]

Jimmy foster

 

[huskiesNhoos]

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

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

niels giffey was pretty essential to the 2014 title and i feel like he never quite got enough shine for it

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...

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I love that guy.

Back at ya, no doubt.

 

[Chasm64]

Did Jeff Carr play on that team too?

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 !

 

[Rocktheworld]

niels giffey was pretty essential to the 2014 title and i feel like he never quite got enough shine for it

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.

 

[ucp990411]

Dan "The Spider" Hesford

 

[8893]

Dan "The Spider" Hesford

Not to be confused with Robert “Spider” Ursery, another legitimate contender for this list:

UCONN Hoop Legends: ROBERT "SPIDER" URSERY

 

[the Q]

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.

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).