Top Connecticut players never to play at UCONN

[knicksin7]

Is Pressley actually from CT?

Harold Jensen from Trumbull and Harold Pressley from Saint Bernard’s are honorable mentions.In

 

[knicksin7]

This is Chat GPT's answer, weirdly they have a WNBA player in there:

#	HS Grad	Player (CT school)	College / Peak level	Brief résumé
1	1966	Calvin Murphy – Norwalk HS	Niagara	Hall‑of‑Famer, 17,949 NBA pts, Rockets #23 retired (Wikipedia)
2	1970	John Williamson	New Mexico State	see above
3	1976	Mike Gminski – Masuk HS	Duke	Consensus 1st‑team AA, 14‑yr NBA C
4	1976	Sly Williams	Rhode Island	see above
5	1976	Rick Mahorn – Weaver HS	Hampton	’89 NBA champ, “Bad Boy” Pistons
6	1977	John Garris – Bassick HS	Boston College	19.7 ppg in Big East, ’83 NBA pick
7	1977	Wes Matthews Sr. – Harding HS	Wisconsin	2 × NBA champ (Lakers ’87‑’88)
8	1979	John Bagley – Harding HS	Boston College	’81 Big East POY, 11‑yr NBA PG
9	1980	Jay Murphy – Maloney HS	Boston College	2,000‑pt scorer; 3 NBA seasons
10	1981	Michael Adams – Hartford Public	Boston College	1992 NBA All‑Star, era’s 3‑pt ace
11	1984	Charles Smith – Harding HS	Pittsburgh	#3 pick, ’88 Olympic bronze
12	1989	Vin Baker – Old Saybrook HS	Hartford	4‑time NBA All‑Star, 2000 gold
13	1990	Doremus Bennerman – St Joseph HS	Siena	54‑pt NIT game, Euro star
14	1990	Malcolm Huckaby – Bristol Central HS	Boston College	’94 Elite Eight PG, ESPN analyst
15	1993	Marcus Camby – Hartford Public	UMass	1996 NPOY, 2007 NBA DPOY
16	1994	Keith Closs – Hartford Public	CCSU	NCAA blocks king, Clippers C
17	1998	Will Solomon – East Hartford HS	Clemson	All‑ACC G, NBA & Euro‑League vet
18	2000	Ryan Gomes – Wilby HS	Providence	1st‑team AA, 4,900 NBA pts
19	2003	Jared Jordan – Kingswood‑Oxford	Marist	NCAA assists leader (’06, ’07)
20	2004	Aaron Jackson – Northwest Catholic HS	Duquesne	EuroLeague champ, CSKA Moscow
21	2006	Damian Saunders – Crosby HS	Duquesne	A‑10 DPOY & rebounding champ
22	2008	Shane Gibson – Killingly HS	Sacred Heart	2× NEC 1st‑team, CEBL MVP
23	2009	Jordan Williams – Torrington HS	Maryland	2011 2nd‑rd pick (Nets)
24	2009	Anthony Ireland – Crosby HS	Loyola Marymount	3× All‑WCC, Euro vet
25	2012	Kris Dunn – New London HS	Providence	2× Big East POY, NBA lottery pick
26	2012	Cane Broome – East Hartford HS	SHU / Cincinnati	2016 NEC POY
27	2012	Bria Holmes – Hillhouse HS	West Virginia	2016 WNBA 1st‑rounder
28	2013	Kahlil Dukes – Capital Prep	Niagara	2018 MAAC POY
29	2014	Donovan Mitchell – Canterbury	Louisville	3‑time NBA All‑Star
30	2016	Mustapha Heron – Sacred Heart HS	Auburn / St John’s	1st‑team All‑SEC ’17
31	2016	Tyrique Jones – Bloomfield HS	Xavier	2023 EuroCup champ
32	2017	Tremont Waters – ND‑West Haven	LSU	SEC Co‑DPOY, 2020 G‑League ROY

 

[superjohn]

Is Pressley actually from CT?

Yes

 

[superjohn]

This is Chat GPT's answer, weirdly they have a WNBA player in there:

#	HS Grad	Player (CT school)	College / Peak level	Brief résumé
1	1966	Calvin Murphy – Norwalk HS	Niagara	Hall‑of‑Famer, 17,949 NBA pts, Rockets #23 retired (Wikipedia)
2	1970	John Williamson	New Mexico State	see above
3	1976	Mike Gminski – Masuk HS	Duke	Consensus 1st‑team AA, 14‑yr NBA C
4	1976	Sly Williams	Rhode Island	see above
5	1976	Rick Mahorn – Weaver HS	Hampton	’89 NBA champ, “Bad Boy” Pistons
6	1977	John Garris – Bassick HS	Boston College	19.7 ppg in Big East, ’83 NBA pick
7	1977	Wes Matthews Sr. – Harding HS	Wisconsin	2 × NBA champ (Lakers ’87‑’88)
8	1979	John Bagley – Harding HS	Boston College	’81 Big East POY, 11‑yr NBA PG
9	1980	Jay Murphy – Maloney HS	Boston College	2,000‑pt scorer; 3 NBA seasons
10	1981	Michael Adams – Hartford Public	Boston College	1992 NBA All‑Star, era’s 3‑pt ace
11	1984	Charles Smith – Harding HS	Pittsburgh	#3 pick, ’88 Olympic bronze
12	1989	Vin Baker – Old Saybrook HS	Hartford	4‑time NBA All‑Star, 2000 gold
13	1990	Doremus Bennerman – St Joseph HS	Siena	54‑pt NIT game, Euro star
14	1990	Malcolm Huckaby – Bristol Central HS	Boston College	’94 Elite Eight PG, ESPN analyst
15	1993	Marcus Camby – Hartford Public	UMass	1996 NPOY, 2007 NBA DPOY
16	1994	Keith Closs – Hartford Public	CCSU	NCAA blocks king, Clippers C
17	1998	Will Solomon – East Hartford HS	Clemson	All‑ACC G, NBA & Euro‑League vet
18	2000	Ryan Gomes – Wilby HS	Providence	1st‑team AA, 4,900 NBA pts
19	2003	Jared Jordan – Kingswood‑Oxford	Marist	NCAA assists leader (’06, ’07)
20	2004	Aaron Jackson – Northwest Catholic HS	Duquesne	EuroLeague champ, CSKA Moscow
21	2006	Damian Saunders – Crosby HS	Duquesne	A‑10 DPOY & rebounding champ
22	2008	Shane Gibson – Killingly HS	Sacred Heart	2× NEC 1st‑team, CEBL MVP
23	2009	Jordan Williams – Torrington HS	Maryland	2011 2nd‑rd pick (Nets)
24	2009	Anthony Ireland – Crosby HS	Loyola Marymount	3× All‑WCC, Euro vet
25	2012	Kris Dunn – New London HS	Providence	2× Big East POY, NBA lottery pick
26	2012	Cane Broome – East Hartford HS	SHU / Cincinnati	2016 NEC POY
27	2012	Bria Holmes – Hillhouse HS	West Virginia	2016 WNBA 1st‑rounder
28	2013	Kahlil Dukes – Capital Prep	Niagara	2018 MAAC POY
29	2014	Donovan Mitchell – Canterbury	Louisville	3‑time NBA All‑Star
30	2016	Mustapha Heron – Sacred Heart HS	Auburn / St John’s	1st‑team All‑SEC ’17
31	2016	Tyrique Jones – Bloomfield HS	Xavier	2023 EuroCup champ
32	2017	Tremont Waters – ND‑West Haven	LSU	SEC Co‑DPOY, 2020 G‑League ROY

That list is hilarious.

 

[Horatio]

Tharon Mayes- Hillhouse (Florida State)
Malcolm Huckaby- Bristol Central ( BC )

 

[Waquoit]

That was unfortunate. parade all American, but wasn't in the best shape when he got to Syracuse, ends up losing a few teeth in a fight and struggles academically.

Had he chose UConn, Calhoun probably might have gotten the best out of him.

He was a Perno recruit, iirc. I think Boeheim didn't really want him. He just swooped in so he wouldn't go to UConn and maybe give the sleeping giant some momentum.

 

[Waquoit]

In the early days of the Big East, nothing would aggravate me more than having to play against BC and all of that Connecticut talent.

their Elite 8 team started 4 CT guys. Connecticut HS coaches always like to mess with UConn back then. JC put them in their place.

 

[TheHorde]

Is Pressley actually from CT?

I don’t think originally but he played high school ball here. I also remember during pregame introductions he was introduced as being from Mystic, CT.

 

[karstenkibbe]

He was a Perno recruit, iirc. I think Boeheim didn't really want him. He just swooped in so he wouldn't go to UConn and maybe give the sleeping giant some momentum.

Definitely not a Perno recruit. Harris was a freshman at Syracuse in ‘91-92.

 

[superjohn]

I don’t think originally but he played high school ball here. I also remember during pregame introductions he was introduced as being from Mystic, CT.

He moved to Connecticut when he was 5.

 

[CCSUblue]

I'm pretty sure about few players on these lists played at UConn even if they didn't play for UConn.

 

[FreeKlaiber]

I don’t think originally but he played high school ball here. I also remember during pregame introductions he was introduced as being from Mystic, CT.

No he was from here from like 5 or 6 year old. From Mystic. There was a recruiting controversy at St bernards just as he was leaving in early 80s as they tended to make alot of contact with talent from new london area etc as 8th graders

Where are they now? Pressley has changed coasts, but not his penchant for giving

 

[LIUCHusky]

I alway forget vin

Tom Roy

 

[WrenchFan69]

Kuran Iverson is a recent-ish CT guy that didn't make anyone's list. Useful player at URI under Hurley

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Rick Mahorn (Weaver)
Charles Smith (Harding)
Michael Adams (HPHS)
John Bagley (Harding)
Wes Matthews (Harding)
Marcus Camby (HPHS)
Vin Baker (Old Saybrook)
Tremont Waters (New Haven)
Chris Dudley (arguable)
Malcolm Huckaby (Bristol)
Keith Closs (HPHS)
Courtney Alexander (Masuk)
Will Solomon (East Hartford)
Aaron Jackson (Northwest Catholic)
Jordan Williams (Torrington)
Ryan Gomes (Wilby)
Tyson Wheeler (New London)
Kris Dunn (New London)
Donovan Mitchell (grew up in Greenwich)
Tremont Waters (New Haven)
Mustapha Heron (Sacred Heart, Waterbury)

Who Am I missing?

Johnny Spaceman Egan
The others I though of we named
There were others who had good college careers who never succeeded in the NBA like Villanova’s
Jensen , Pinone , Presley

 

[Waquoit]

Definitely not a Perno recruit. Harris was a freshman at Syracuse in ‘91-92.

Wasn't there an Anthony Harris, Top 25 guy in the 80's? Went to Cuse for a cup of coffee?

 

[fordfv]

Vinnie Del Negro (Suffield Academy). He was from Springfield, per Wikipedia, but did play in CT.

Billy Finn .

 

[fordfv]

Billy Finn .

Coach Gary Pallidino ,a contemporary, of Finn ( then Notre Dame West Haven coach) said Finn should have been playing for Michigan after graduating from Sacred Heart in 1962.Also Billy Rado, Naugatuck, Soph of the year at Georgia in the SEC. Going way back but very deserving of a mention.

 

[HuskyNationJE]

John Williamson - Wilbur Cross (New Mexico St). Jason Benton - Wilbur Cross (Manhattan). Geary Claxton - Career (Penn St). Craig Benson - Hamden High (QU). Dave McClure - Trinity Catholic (Duke). Rob "Fluff" McKiver - Hillhouse (Providence & Houston). Terrell Taylor - Bridgeport Central (Creighton & FL?).

 

[cullaville]

John Smyth - Stamford

2.5 .800

Ernie Cobb was insane. Averaged 37.6 PPG his junior year at Stamford High under Herm Alswanger. Chose BC over UCLA, Kentucky and dozens of other schools who recruited him.

That team also included Ernie's cousin Gary Cobb who went on to play football at USC and in the NFL

 

[gsmooth]

I have not read any of the other posts and the first answer that comes to mind that still hurts right here (I am pointing at my heart, LOL), is .......
Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby

He was right in our backyard on Garden Street in the hood in the North End of Hartford. I even hung out with his buddies and played basketball with them many times in Elizabeth Park, a cool story I know, LOL.

Can you imagine what those very good UConn teams in 1994-1996 would have been like?!! UConn wouldn't have beaten BYU as the lead for most NCAA tournament appearances without a Final Four. The heartbreak of those years sucked and especially when you add to it that UMass made the Final Four in 1996.

 

[fordfv]

John Williamson - Wilbur Cross (New Mexico St). Jason Benton - Wilbur Cross (Manhattan). Geary Claxton - Career (Penn St). Craig Benson - Hamden High (QU). Dave McClure - Trinity Catholic (Duke). Rob "Fluff" McKiver - Hillhouse (Providence & Houston). Terrell Taylor - Bridgeport Central (Creighton & FL?).

Apologize for an above error, Finn , Sacred Heart high class of ‘61.

 

[Windham4th]

Wasn't there an Anthony Harris, Top 25 guy in the 80's? Went to Cuse for a cup of coffee?

1991 is pretty close to the 80s... sure your memory isn't a bit off. Harris was a big name in HS hoops, from Danbury. And he went there for a year so he fits the bill

 

[Lefty2one]

Gotta throw Tim Abromaitis out there. Better player than quite a few already mentioned. Knew he was a diamond in the rough/sleeper.

 

[jdb50]

Bob Nash. Went to HPHS. Played for Hawaii 70=72. Was 9th overall pick in 72 NBA draft by the Pistons. Played in NBA till 78-79.