UConn All-Decade Teams (2010-2019)

[AuRevoirAAC]

With the final season of the decade quickly approaching, it seems like a good time to reflect on the past ten years. After all, we tied for the most National Titles (2) and produced an impressive amount of NBA talent (11). It's safe to say that the "twenty-ten" years were the decade of UConn (and sure, Duke and Villanova as well). When asked if UConn is still relevant, it's safe to respond with "yes, in fact we are the most relevant team out there."

Please forgive me if I left anyone out, but here's my crack at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd All-Decade Teams for UConn. Let's hear yours!

My first thoughts? My god - what a ridiculously talented list to choose from...

(*) = NCAA Champion
(BOLD) = NBA Draft Pick or Currently on NBA Roster

1st Team All-Decade:

1. Kemba Walker*
2. Shabazz Napier**
3. Jeremy Lamb*
4. DeAndre Daniels*
5. Andre Drummond

2nd Team All-Decade:

1. Ryan Boatright*
2. Jalen Adams
3. Niels Giffey**
4. Alex Oriakhi*
5. Amida Brimah*

3rd Team All-Decade:

1. Alterique Gilbert
2. Rodney Purvis*
3. Daniel Hamilton
4. Shonn Miller
5. Tyler Olander**

Others to Consider:

• Lasan Kromah
• Roscoe Smith*
• Christian Vital
• Sterling Gibbs
• Kentan Facey*
• Phil Nolan*
• Omar Calhoun*
• Terry Larrier

 

[Kenny11]

Good job on the list but putting together a 3rd team is pretty hard. Boatright probably deserves to be on the first team and just go with 4 guards. Putting Drummond on the first team is hard too as he didn't have a great season and stunk up the one ncaa game.

Vital should be on the third team and everyone else on the others to be considered list should probably just be erased.

 

[Rico444]

I would put Oriakhi ahead of Drummond. I would also probably not put Olander on the 3rd team (Roscoe was much more integral to our 2011 title, and Olander didn't make much of an impact in general).

Also, lol @ Sid being in the honorable mentions.

 

[QDOG5]

Boatright to the 1st

Smith to the 2nd
Drummond to the 3rd

Calhoun to the 3rd
Miller to others to consider
Alterique to others to consider
Wilson to the Huh?

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Yeah wait...of ALL the players in the last decade, why is Sid Wilson an honorable mention??? Otherwise not too much to argue.

 

[businesslawyer]

That's a good job. Leave it at first and second team, and switch Oriakhi and Drummond and you're there. At that point, the only one on the second team with a claim to the first is Boat, and if you pick him over Oriakhi and want 4 guards -- well, based on loyalty I wouldn't argue.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

OLANDER?!?

 

[Huskygrad88]

OLANDER?!?

2>1. Need we say more?

 

[phillionaire]

OLANDER?!?

are you forgetting about his rap career?

 

[Wordbomar]

Boatright has to be on first team. I know it'd be a weird lineup without either Drummond or Daniels but Boat is above them

 

[CTBasketball]

This reminds me that we need to get a lot better.

 

[SubbaBub]

That's a good job. Leave it at first and second team, and switch Oriakhi and Drummond and you're there. At that point, the only one on the second team with a claim to the first is Boat, and if you pick him over Oriakhi and want 4 guards -- well, based on loyalty I wouldn't argue.

This. The only thing I would add is CV has a chance to bump one of the 3rd team guards if he leads us to the NCAA.

 

[businesslawyer]

Boatright has to be on first team. I know it'd be a weird lineup without either Drummond or Daniels but Boat is above them

Drummond doesn't belong near the first team, so saying Boat should be over him is correct. When you compare Boat to Oriakhi or Daniels, however, it gets murkier. Boat is the only one who played 4 years at UConn, and his best year was his fourth year. Having said that, however, his best year was when the team around him wasn't any good, and both Oriakhi and Daniels were, to me, more important to their championship teams as dominating bigs than Boat was sharing the ball with Shabazz. I'm not knocking Board, and we don't win in '14 without both of them, but if I had had to play without either Daniels or Boat, I would have picked Boat.

Which, as I said, makes it an interesting choice and if you want to pick the 4th guard saying he deserves it, you can absolutely make that case.

 

[Chasm64]

If you look at the preceding decade + 99, this is a pretty sad list.

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

If you look at the preceding decade + 99, this is a pretty sad list.

If we won 10 titles this past decade, I bet some of you would still be complaining!

 

[Chasm64]

If we won 10 titles this past decade, I bet some of you would still be complaining!

 

[Chasm64]

I think if you actually made the comparison I would be correct, I’m not seeing that as a complaint

 

[QuickDraw]

2>1. Need we say more?

took the words right outta ma moauf 2>1

 

[navery12]

I have no opinions on any of the teams and moving players around because I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Sid Wilson on the HM

 

[Huskybass]

Drummond doesn't belong near the first team, so saying Boat should be over him is correct. When you compare Boat to Oriakhi or Daniels, however, it gets murkier. Boat is the only one who played 4 years at UConn, and his best year was his fourth year. Having said that, however, his best year was when the team around him wasn't any good, and both Oriakhi and Daniels were, to me, more important to their championship teams as dominating bigs than Boat was sharing the ball with Shabazz. I'm not knocking Board, and we don't win in '14 without both of them, but if I had had to play without either Daniels or Boat, I would have picked Boat.

Which, as I said, makes it an interesting choice and if you want to pick the 4th guard saying he deserves it, you can absolutely make that case.

Pure BS. UConn doesn't come close to winning that 2014 Championship without Boat. His defense alone during the Tournament makes him a UConn legend. Opposing guards were totally taken out of their games. Watch the games again and you will see his impact on the defensive end.

 

[QuickDraw]

Pure BS. UConn doesn't come close to winning that 2014 Championship without Boat. His defense alone during the Tournament makes him a UConn legend. Opposing guards were totally taken out of their games. Watch the games again and you will see his impact on the defensive end.

I agree that Boat's D in the tournament was some of the toughest, intensene & aggressive I have ever seen, period.

 

[GoDAWGS]

Andre Drummond Needs to be in the others. What exactly did he do in the NCAA besides shoot free throws terribly. Boatright needs to be first team, All the Heart with all the accomplishments to back it up. As others are saying his defense was some of the best defense ever played, and it doesnt hurt the man scored 14 points in the championship and only missing one 3 pointer in the process.

 

[imno1]

Boat was one of the 5 best of that time. Drummond was not. I must not have been paying close attention because I missed Sid’s contributions.

 

[AdamaNation]

This. The only thing I would add is CV has a chance to bump one of the 3rd team guards if he leads us to the NCAA.

His career numbers alone will warrant that.

 

[Get a Job]

@AuRevoirAAC care to defend your inclusion of Wilson? Just curious. I am always perplexed by the general level of positivity on the Boneyard towards his game. He looked abominable to me last season. That said, I know little about the nuances of basketball, so I am trying to be enlightened. This question also goes out to anyone else who would rate his play last season as average or better.