Rudy Gay Inducted to Huskies of Honor Saturday

[freescooter]

I was careful to say considered.

Thabeet was a National Defensive POY and on a final four team. Maybe he wasn't Ewing/Oden but I think he is pretty close to having to be on the wall. For being co-BE POY, 2xBE Defensive POY and National Defensive POY he should probably be up there even if his post-UConn career has been bad.

Price should be considered for his leadership in his final year, if nothing else, but probably shouldn't make it because of the laptops.

Williams: see Price

Gay: I suspect they are basing his induction on post-UConn achievements

Caron: see Gay

Gordon: see Gay/Caron while also helping lead his team to a NC. Okafor may have been the better player but Gordon was darn close that year and running through the BE/NCAATs

Charlie V: probably not, but should be considered at the least

Boone: see Charlie V

Adrien/Freeman: not sure where to put these two. Both were warriors here but neither were the top or even second best player on their teams (arguably) and neither has had a great post-UConn career. In the end I wouldn't.

Pretty fair analysis and I'd concur with all but maybe Caron. He almost singehandedly carried UCONN his final season. I wouldn't have a problem with him at all. I've re-considered Gordon and I think your justification is correct.

 

[rw005]

As much as I respect Rudy a bunch, I still would rather have Caron before him, but if we did win the 2005-06 NCAA tourney then I would reconsider this.

Taliek and Ollie deserve some serious recognition as well because of their leadership and just play the game without going off for many points and being there for your teammates.

 

[caw]

If that's the purpose, just call it "UCONN Players in the NBA" I think it was intended for guys who had special carreers at UCONN, regardless of what they did in the NBA or for that matter whether they ever played. Guys who made major contributions to UCONN basketball. I guess I would give a nod to Gordon as much for the fact that he played on the 2004 Champs as anything else. You look at the guys who are there now, they all were the best palyer on their team, and arguably a guy like Donyell changed the view of UCONN as far as being a place where elite players could go. You want to start putting up these 2nd tier guys, next thing you know they'll be announcing Selvie will be enshrined next year.

I'm all for some Johnnie-Time enshrinement. He deserves his own wall. This team could use some Johnnie-Time.

 

[bobbygt]

Thabeet was big and had a good final season but he never was the dominant center exeryone expected.

Sorry for derailing the thread a bit (congrats to Rudy!). I always try to come in and defend Thabeet. He was one of my favorite husky players and I still think he's underrated by many. He was as dominant a big man as you'll ever see.

He was a 2nd team all-american, Big east defensive player of the year and big east PLAYER of the year (shared with Blair).

If you compare his stats with Emeka, who we all know is the greatest husky center of all time and like Kemba last year, really was the best player in the country in 2003-04.

ppg fg% ft% rpg bpg

Emeka 17.6 59.9 51.8 11.5 4

Hasheem 13.5 64 62.7 10.7 4.2


I think those numbers prove that HT was in the same class as Emeka-not as good, but pretty close. Considering what HT looked like as a freshman, I'd say his improvement and eventual dominace was the best we've ever seen at uconn.

Of course there are guys I think should get in over him, namely KEA, Caron, and Gordon, but I think HT is in the top5 of the most worthy to be included.


edit: caw, sorry for the double on thabeet.
and sorry I can't get the stats to line up correctly!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

freescooter. Its a fcking banner in a basketball stadium.

If its borderline, give the guy a banner- who the hell cares? Its promoting goodwill between the former players and the school and as a fan I like seeing the names up there.

Rudy, Jeff, Ben, AJ, Hasheem.Khalid, Freeman, etc. Show them some love!

Would it really offend your sensibilities if a 4 year player, captain on F4 team and a basketball warrior has his name in Gampel?

 

[HeGotGame]

Gotta have Ben up there, no debate there. Kid was a stud, helped us win a NC and a BET title. Guy was BET MVP averaging 27 a game in 2004, he owned the Garden before Kemba did. He was pick #3 overall for a reason. Not sure how anyone can question him.

If we are doing this in a specified order of contribution, Ben and Caron have to be ahead of Rudy, but were not. Put Rudy in there when hes available to come he deserves it for not only for what he did at UConn but his loyalty to the program since he has left.

 

[dsturdy5]

Caron carried a team to the elite 8 almost single handedly. You put him in.

Gordon, while on a pretty loaded team, took over a team with an injured Emeka and got them a BET title. In fact, in 3 years, Ben's teams went to the BET final. He goes up too.

Rudy gets to go. Holding the GM game against him holds no weight. If it is a team game, you can't fault HIM. If we are going to say that if a team loses a game it shouldn't, no one goes in, then the 1996 team is disqualified too. How do they lose to Mississippi State? In fact, Donyell shouldn't go up either, after all had he hit those ft's against Florida, they don't likely lose that game. Foolish argument.

 

[freescooter]

You must be one of those everybody wins guys, huh? Why not give 'em all a trophy? I don't care that much, and I think they've done a pretty good job up until now, but heck, I htink you ought to have been the best player on your team, as a minimum, and your team should have accomplished something, as well. Or you should have brought something really special to the game. Wes Baliasuknia averaged 28 point/game without the 3-point line. RIP Hamilton was the MVP of the NCAA tournament, 1st team all american, hit the last second shot against Washington, Rudy Gay did highlight reel dunks...Which doesn't belong and why?

 

[CTGoonie]

If Rudy is in Charlie V and Hasheem should be in too.

Some other deserving names are: Nadav, Sheffer, Ollie, Khalid and Tate (although something tells me he wouldn't be able to make it).

Would be nice to have entire teams brought back at some point but I realize that is kind of difficult when many of them are still playing in the NBA. Some teams that should be recognized (besides the championship teams): 87-88 NIT Champ team, 89-90 Dream Season, 95-96 (Ray's best year) and 2001-02 (Caron's best year).

 

[Robertelamin]

Why didn't UConn get Caron, Ben and Rudy to come during the NBA strike? UConn had the perfect opportunity...

 

[sledog]

How much $$ did he pony-up for the Alumni fund &/or the new court???

 

[AJC88]

Why didn't UConn get Caron, Ben and Rudy to come during the NBA strike? UConn had the perfect opportunity...

They had plans to bring all 3 in for the first game of the season, but the strike ended that week. That was the initial plan though.

 

[Robertelamin]

Meh, they had like 5 home games before the strike ended.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

You must be one of those everybody wins guys, huh? Why not give 'em all a trophy? I don't care that much, and I think they've done a pretty good job up until now, but heck, I htink you ought to have been the best player on your team, as a minimum, and your team should have accomplished something, as well. Or you should have brought something really special to the game. Wes Baliasuknia averaged 28 point/game without the 3-point line. RIP Hamilton was the MVP of the NCAA tournament, 1st team all american, hit the last second shot against Washington, Rudy Gay did highlight reel dunks...Which doesn't belong and why?

No. You're just making this out to be something it isn't. Nobody is here advocating for Craig Austrie to be up there but we're lucky enough to have a lot of deserving players.

-Rudy was 1st team All American on an Elite 8 UConn team.
-Thabeet was 2nd team All American, Co-Big East Player of the Year and National Player of the Year on a Final 4 UConn team.
-Adrien was 1st Team All Big East, only 5th Husky with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and a captain on a Final 4 UConn team.

So, which of those guys don't belong?

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

We all know there are only three banners that are worth looking at. Denham Brown once scored 111 points in a high school game I'd put him on the wall just for doing that.

 

[champs99and04]

My seven:

Donyell, Ray, Rip, Caron, Emeka, Ben, Kemba.

You old timers can pardon my ignorance, but those are the seven kids I'd like to see on the wall if we're really going to make this an honor.

 

[Huskies4ever]

No KEA?

 

[UC990411]

13.5 pts, 6 reb for 2 years gets you in? Must be some other number thats more important.

I'm with you, he was a very good player here - a first team all american - but to get his name and number on the wall? I dont know, at this rate we're going to be inducting Tony Robertson and Ajou Deng before 2052.

 

[Ts5034]

Gordon, Butler, El-Amin all had bigger impacts on the program while they were here then Rudy. I have no problem with them adding him on the wall though. Can we all just agree they are basically adding Rudy Gay the NBA player instead of Rudy Gay the college player? and by the way i agree with one of the previous posts, its about time they started adding more of these guys to the wall. The more names that are up there just look better for the program and to recruits coming to visit.

 

[upstater]

This is about building the basketball program. So Rudy is a great add.
How many recruits are going to look back at 2006 to see how Rudy played? My guess: none.

 

[freescooter]

No. You're just making this out to be something it isn't. Nobody is here advocating for Craig Austrie to be up there but we're lucky enough to have a lot of deserving players.

-Rudy was 1st team All American on an Elite 8 UConn team.
-Thabeet was 2nd team All American, Co-Big East Player of the Year and National Player of the Year on a Final 4 UConn team.
-Adrien was 1st Team All Big East, only 5th Husky with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and a captain on a Final 4 UConn team.

So, which of those guys don't belong?

Adrien, no way. Rudy and Thabeet are borderline. I wouldn't choose either one myself, but obvioulsy you differ. Rudy had a brief career, where he wasn't even the team leader. Thabeet is probably the the closest to deserving, but when you compare his career with the other guys, I don't see it. If Jeff Adrian, then you have to take Freeman,who won a championship after all.