Name your all-time UConn Defensive Team

[Spaceman213J]

The two most overrated defenders appearing on people's lists are Donyell and Andre. Andre was a decent defender -- not great on the ball but used elite athleticism to recover and disrupt passing lanes. Donyell was a great weak side help defender and shot blocker, but subpar one on one defender and got pushed around in the post a bit.

I think Freeman is also underrated. He was undersized, but was very solid. You don't start that many game for Calhoun if you can't defend. He might have a little trouble with your really big and tall PF, but he could guard you from the 3-pt line to the rim.

I give the edge to Clingan over Thabeet because nobody is pushing Clingan around. Blair would have had problems with Clingan, but he was able to push Thabeet around a bit.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

The two most overrated defenders appearing on people's lists are Donyell and Andre. Andre was a decent defender -- not great on the ball but used elite athleticism to recover and disrupt passing lanes. Donyell was a great weak side help defender and shot blocker, but subpar one on one defender and got pushed around in the post a bit.

Agreed on Andre. He went for highlight plays far too often instead of sticking with fundamentals.

I’m just surprised on how many lists Boat is being left off of.

Not old enough to give a real evaluations on Donyell lol

Hurley may coach guys to not take as many risks defensively as in the past though. Because the run of Kemba, Bazz, and Boat as full court press swipers was pretty crazy to witness. Vital followed suit too.

 

[jackanddanny8]

Top 3, regardless of position are Donovan(1st), Hasheem(2nd) and Emeka(2A). These guys just changed the whole game on the defensive end. Opposing teams entire offensive game plans ( cept Illinois, but we know how that worked out) were seriously altered just by them being in the game. As Dickie V said, I think speaking of Thabeet, “Thou shall not enter thy lane.” For me these 3 are unquestionable as the top 3. Thabeet was more imposing, although Emeka was the better one on one defender due to strength. Donovan was great at both. Final 2 for me are Castle and Moore. Just exceptionally talented and fierce as one on one perimeter defenders. Second team gets murky for me, so I’ll say Boatright, Taliek, Adrien, Adama, and Burrell. Lots of room for some others. Maybe Amida, Shabazz, Jackson, Nadav, Diarra, Dyson, Tyrese, Sellers, Whaley probably others. Just a thought reading the comments: I think some are letting offensive output work in analysis as tiebreakers/added pluses in a defensive exercise. It’s best defensive team, not who you’re starting a team with. Obviously completely different takes. My list is positionally independent, more like a first team All American list than a starting five.

 

[JerseyAlum]

Gotta say, it was Lyman Depriest who gets my #1 defender vote. What he did against Dana Barros was a thing of beauty and he dealt with a knee injury that would have been the difference in his trajectory.

Good luck with this group...

All time top 5 defenders:
1. Depriest
2. Clingan
3. Okafor
4. Castle
5. Ricky Moore

 

[JB75]

Ricky and Emeka are obviously on first team without question , but after that prolly go with some combo of depreist, Clingan, castle, ajax

 

[Excalibur]

I’m just surprised on how many lists Boat is being left off of.

I think 2nd team is the right spot for Boatright. Incredibly quick perimeter defender, who excelled at doubling post players and getting steals, and recovering if he didn't. I have to put him behind Castle and Moore, though, due to both of their abilities to guard multiple positions.

Moore was like Deion Sanders in his prime. You could just pick one guy on the other team and decide that he wasn't going to impact the game.

 

[Scottzer]

I might put Emeka over Clingan. I get that Emeka didn’t alter as many shots as Donovan, but he blocked a ton, was a better rebounder, and was strong.

 

[JerseyAlum]

I might put Emeka over Clingan. I get that Emeka didn’t alter as many shots as Donovan, but he blocked a ton, was a better rebounder, and was strong.

Difference is that teams did not try to challenge Okafor as much as they bewildering challenged Clingan.
I was on the fence about which until the Illinois game when after 7 blocks "He's playing tennis!" was heard about Clingan and the team was 0-19 on shots where he challenged.

I really, really liked Okafor as a champion and person but for a single dimension (defensive presence and execution) I have Clingan a hair higher.

 

[JerseyAlum]

Depriest didn't play enough to make the top 10 All-time list, for me. He could be on HM.

Read this on The News Times (Danbury, 2008):

BEST DEFENDER: 1. Ricky Moore -- He was often matched up against the opposition's top gun during his UConn days. And it's no coincidence that gun often misfired.

2. Emeka Okafor -- Okafor redefined the way the Huskies played defense. And he may have changed the way coach Calhoun and company recruited.

3. Lyman DePriest -- He guarded everyone from BC guard Dana Barros to LSU center Shaquille O'Neal during his UConn career, with plenty of success in doing so along the way.

Honorable Mention -- Donyell Marshall for leaving his man at the drop of a hat to block the shot of your guy's attempt.

 

[auror]

3. Lyman DePriest -- He guarded everyone from BC guard Dana Barros to LSU center Shaquille O'Neal during his UConn career, with plenty of success in doing so along the way.

Lyman played 19 minutes in the game against Shaq as part of a zone defense. Shaq had 27 and 16, shot 50% from the floor. He mostly played in the wing in the zone while Shaq was guarded by Sellers or Cyrulik. Occasionally had him as the low man or doubling. Shaq dunked over him a couple times on passes over the top of the zone. You don't get just credit for doing it. It has to be effective. He had moments and games in his career (Barros in the NIT), but All-Time top 10 is a tough bar at a place like UConn. He played 14 minutes or less a game his last 3 years. 8th, 9th, and 8th on the team in minutes. There are just better candidates to me who played more for better teams and were thus overall more impactful defenders over their careers. That's how I based the criteria.

From the same team, Scott Burrell led the nation in steals. And in that game against LSU had 2 sick chase-down block. That's more deserving of a spot than a bench spot defender, but he's still only 2nd team. Other 2nd team guys for me: Andre Jackson was the best defender in the starting lineup on a title team with a top 10 defense. Steph Castle was a defensive stopper in the starting lineup on a title team with a top 5 defense. Brimah is 40th in the NCAAs over the last 43 years in total blocks and was a league DPOY and also averaged 2.3 blocks a game on a title team off the bench. There have been something like 150,000+ players during that span. That's 99.97% percentile. He has a better career block rate than Clingan or anyone on UConn over the last 15 years (though I had Clingan on 1st team for a reason). I'm not pulling any of those guys for Depriest.

 

[Waquoit]

How about Dom Perno?

He stole the ball from Bill Bradley to send the Huskies to the Elite Eight.

Yup. That was really sumpin'.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I think Freeman is also underrated. He was undersized, but was very solid. You don't start that many game for Calhoun if you can't defend. He might have a little trouble with your really big and tall PF, but he could guard you from the 3-pt line to the rim.

I give the edge to Clingan over Thabeet because nobody is pushing Clingan around. Blair would have had problems with Clingan, but he was able to push Thabeet around a bit.

That was the old Big East where take downs we allowed

 

[JerseyAlum]

Lyman played 19 minutes in the game against Shaq as part of a zone defense. Shaq had 27 and 16, shot 50% from the floor. He mostly played in the wing in the zone while Shaq was guarded by Sellers or Cyrulik. Occasionally had him as the low man or doubling. Shaq dunked over him a couple times on passes over the top of the zone. You don't get just credit for doing it. It has to be effective. He had moments and games in his career (Barros in the NIT), but All-Time top 10 is a tough bar at a place like UConn. He played 14 minutes or less a game his last 3 years. 8th, 9th, and 8th on the team in minutes. There are just better candidates to me who played more for better teams and were thus overall more impactful defenders over their careers. That's how I based the criteria.

From the same team, Scott Burrell led the nation in steals. And in that game against LSU had 2 sick chase-down block. That's more deserving of a spot than a bench spot defender, but he's still only 2nd team. Other 2nd team guys for me: Andre Jackson was the best defender in the starting lineup on a title team with a top 10 defense. Steph Castle was a defensive stopper in the starting lineup on a title team with a top 5 defense. Brimah is 40th in the NCAAs over the last 43 years in total blocks and was a league DPOY and also averaged 2.3 blocks a game on a title team off the bench. There have been something like 150,000+ players during that span. That's 99.97% percentile. He has a better career block rate than Clingan or anyone on UConn over the last 15 years (though I had Clingan on 1st team for a reason). I'm not pulling any of those guys for Depriest.

Agree to disagree: love this video...

 

[Spaceman213J]

Brimah is 40th in the NCAAs over the last 43 years in total blocks and was a league DPOY and also averaged 2.3 blocks a game on a title team off the bench. There have been something like 150,000+ players during that span. That's 99.97% percentile. He has a better career block rate than Clingan or anyone on UConn over the last 15 years (though I had Clingan on 1st team for a reason).

I loved the energy Brimah brought, but he was often out of position or created opportunities for the other team on the offensive board by going after everything and getting out of position on many shots that he had no chance at. I would take Sanogo ahead of Brimah. I've been rewatching a lot of the last 2 seasons and it was noticeable how many times opposing centers tried to bully Sanogo or Clingan and it was like watching a guy trying to move a concrete wall.
I wouldn't have Brimah in my top 5 UConn low post defenders, but that's less of a knock on Brimah than a show of the abundance talent we've had down low... Emeka, Clingan, Thabeet, Sanogo, Boone, Armstrong, Whaley, Adrien, Brimah

 

[FfldCntyFan]

How about Dom Perno?

He stole the ball from Bill Bradley to send the Huskies to the Elite Eight.

I'll give Perno a vote. He did more to derail the offensive production of the Thompson-McKay teams than anyone.

 

[dennismenace]

I like the list except for Jackson. I would rather out nadav, hassan, depriest, boatright and Thabeet before him. Jackson got killed off the dribble alot as he was more concerned with the occasional highlights reel steal or block.

That particular criticism was leveled against Dyson by AJ Price who, while commending his tenacity, also mentioned that it often broke down the team defense when he failed to make the steal. I remembered being surprised by that public comment but considered it insightful coming from AJ Price. I'm not sure what their interior motivation was because they (Dyson and Jackson) were both dogs.

 

[dennismenace]

Not as crazy as the complete absence of Boat and Bazz. Opposing teams literally could not run their offense. I think the Harrison twins are still in therapy over the national championship game.

It was around their era that the defensive term "getting in their grill" was used by announcers for suffocating defensive pressure.
That phrase was epitomized by Bazz and Boat who could really get low and were smart as well as fast. Total demolition of offensives; especially Fla.

 

[dennismenace]

Per Allen Iverson, Ricky Moore was the only college player in the country capable of guarding him.

Well, that pretty well immortalizes him. Thanks for posting that.