Mount Rushmore of UConn basketball players

[mussels]

You know we have a storied history when we're this deep and Ben Gordon hasn't gotten a mention.

 

[fatlucy]

Ray, Rip, Kemba, Emeka, Donyell, Caron

 

[FatElvis]

Tate George, Tommy Moore, Ted Vartelas and Kenya Hunter*

Work with me here. Ted Vartelas played 11 games for UConn in the ‘52-‘53 season. But even the Google machine can’t find a name tethered to Honest Abe. However, Kenya Hunter did join the coaching staff from the University of Nebraska, which is located in Lincoln.

 

[Robertelamin]

Chief, Chief, Chief and Chief. Just remember, when you are looking up the mountain at Chief, he is looking down at you.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

cliffy (first nit champion), smitty (alltime scoring leader), rippy (first ncaa champion), and bazzy (two time ncaa champion). big footprints.

 

[Waquoit]

There is also a case for Chris Smith in terms of his importance to the program.

Not really. Much has been written over the years over his signing signaled CT talent staying in-state. But who else Scott Burrell? Murray Williams? If we are going to carve out a spot for impact I put in Corny Thompson. No Corny, no Big East. No Big East, no titles.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

"Chris had many other universities interested in him, Boston College, Tennessee; pretty much every school that you name was interested. “Deciding on UConn was the best move I could have ever made, playing for Coach Calhoun. A great motivator, a great teacher, a great school and great people. I was close to home. My family had a chance to experience all the things that I was going through.” Chris told me that what helped him in making his decision to go to UConn was “talking to Coach Calhoun and feeling the comfort of starting something that could be very good, being in state, the support I could have here and the coach was basically saying ‘Chris, I’m going to try to make you a National Basketball Association player and this team is going to be your team in the following years.’"

One of the things that Chris remembers about his days at UConn was that when he first started there weren’t very many fans, then the team started to win some games and people started to notice them (as he laughed a little) and that is when “Husky Mania” came about and that was a fun time."

 

[cap10dingus]

Calhoun (Most important to the program), RIP (Best player while at UConn), Kemba (Best UConn story line), Ray (Best basketball player to every play at UConn)

Covers everything!

 

[BuffaloHusky]

If for players than championships are everything... it's Rip, Kemba, Emeka, Shabazz.

A special note... Shabazz gets discounted but his Kevin Ollie title in hindsight is the greatest achievement in UConn history. Not one other NBAer was on that team.

 

[mauconnfan]

If for players than championships are everything... it's Rip, Kemba, Emeka, Shabazz.

A special note... Shabazz gets discounted but his Kevin Ollie title in hindsight is the greatest achievement in UConn history. Not one other NBAer was on that team.

You have an argument for sure. But the greatest achievement will probably always be the first one vs a Duke team with 5 NBAers. Big underdog, first FF and they shocked the world.

 

[Beak7774]

Assuming UConn career only, imo the only fair way to do it is championships. Best player off each of those teams:

Rip
Emeka
Kemba
Bazz

Brutal to leave off Ray and Donyell in particular but theres only room for 4.

 

[Marat]

Assuming UConn career only, imo the only fair way to do it is championships. Best player off each of those teams:

Rip
Emeka
Kemba
Bazz

Brutal to leave off Ray and Donyell in particular but theres only room for 4.

Completely agree with those 4.

Now when we win our 5th, what do we do?

 

[Beak7774]

Completely agree with those 4.

Now when we win our 5th, what do we do?

Break out the dynamite and chisels!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It always amazes me when we do these lists and Rip is left off. Rip is #1.

That's a good point. I guess I would drop off Napier and put Ray, Rip, Emeka, Kemba.

Very tough to leave a x2 national champ off, but you're right, Rip belongs on there.

 

[Waquoit]

No. Love RIP but what Ray did for Uconn’s perception, visibility with Jesus Shuttlesworth and all of his clutch shots in the NBA, our only hall of famer, all time leading 3pt man, being involved with the board, etc he has to be on Mount Rushmore, him and Kemba are absolute locks. We wouldn’t have 4 ships without Ray Allen.

After Ray left UConn, UConn still held the record for most NCAA appearances without making a Final Four. I'm always going to go for the guy actually led the program to both it's first FF and NC over the guy who didn't get it done when it was his team.

 

[3rdbass]

Khalid should be mentioned as he iconic image for our first NCAA Tournament Championship and just one of the Uconn greats.

 

[Horatio]

cliffy (first nit champion), smitty (alltime scoring leader), rippy (first ncaa champion), and bazzy (two time ncaa champion). big footprints.

Emeka, Rip, Shabazz and Kemba

Cliff is our first solid NBA player with an underrated career. He played in some big games in the League. He also Improved in the League Once he got there.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Mendeldov
KO
Nate Miles
Ryan Gomes

 

[TerryA88]

Chris Smith
Kemba Walker
Ray Allen
RIP Hamilton
Omeka Okafor


If limited to 4 , let the Boneyard decide. Chris Smith isn't an option for removal.

 

[Robertelamin]

LOL @ Omeka

 

[Devland]

These Mount Rushmore things are always done wrong. Most people don't get what Mount Rushmore represents. The four presidents on Mount Rushmore were intentionally chosen from different eras to span the life of the nation at the time and represent the growth of the nation. They were not necessarily the four best presidents up until then. To be accurate, shouldn't a UConn Mount Rushmore span the whole life of UConn basketball and not just post 1988? Maybe one player each from four different eras?

 

[MTHusky]

Tate George, Tommy Moore, Ted Vartelas and Kenya Hunter*

Work with me here. Ted Vartelas played 11 games for UConn in the ‘52-‘53 season. But even the Google machine can’t find a name tethered to Honest Abe. However, Kenya Hunter did join the coaching staff from the University of Nebraska, which is located in Lincoln.

Ted Vartelas was probably the first and only man to play for UConn from Ansonia and also the first Lithuanian.

 

[Ts5034]

Kemba
Ray
Rip
Emeka

Those four guys stand out and in my opinion, those are the only four guys where you cannot make an argument for another player being selected over them.

 

[Waquoit]

Kemba
Ray
Rip
Emeka

Those four guys stand out and in my opinion, those are the only four guys where you cannot make an argument for another player being selected over them.

I'll take Bazz over Ray and argue all day, thank you.

 

[Waquoit]

These Mount Rushmore things are always done wrong. Most people don't get what Mount Rushmore represents.

Including the sculptor. It's the three most renown presidents plus Teddy Roosevelt. One of these things is not like the other. That narrative about spanning the nation was just after-the-fact hooey to try explain the one that doesn't belong.