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UConn All Swagger Team

nomar

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KEA is in a league all his own when it comes to UConn swagger.

I'd put Kemba at 2 because 2011 was the year of Kemba.

I'd put Bazz at 3 because his teammates recognized swagger when they saw it.
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After that it's a tossup between a bunch. And I don't really care enough.

If taking crunch-time pull-up 26-foot 3s on the reg isn't swagger, I don't know what is.

But yeah, KEA is the far-and-away #1. Dude got up on a scorer's table in an opposing team's gym. Then he told the world UConn was going to shock it and shock it we did.
 
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100% Rashad Anderson is on the All Swagger 1st team. I loved the days when he would be so hot from 3 that he would run back down the court blowing on his hands.

I would also add Boatright, Khalid, Shabazz, Caron, and Vital. An honorable mention that does not get brought up enough is Charlie Villanueva.
You've got the best list. Others listed some great players, but being a great player is not synonymous with "swagger" which is defined as:

NOUN: a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive gait or manner.
VERB: walk or behave in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way.

To me, "swagger" doesn't have to mean arrogant. It's knowing you're good and not being afraid to exhibit it in the way you carry yourself during warmups, games and interviews. Never doubting yourself, knowing all eyes are on you and not fearing it, and having "the look" in your eyes when your team needs you to make a big play.

Hard to pick a top five, but here's mine:
Khalid El-Amin (the all-timer, showed it by taking over practice on his recruiting visit)
Chris Smith (knew he was a leader from day one and took everything in stride)
Kemba (a "quiet swagger" in that he believed in himself but was not arrogant)
Shabazz (never a doubt in his mind that he could do whatever had to be done to win)
Christian Vital (never exhibited any doubts he could make any shot or any play)

Honorable mention:
Tate George (I'd take him to make the critical free throws whenever we needed them)
Earl Kelley (didn't get to showcase it as much as some because the team was not great)
Rashad Anderson (never saw him look as if he doubted the next shot would go in)
Caron (wanted the ball when it counted most and you knew he'd make the shot)
Charlie V (cool, calm and unfazed in whatever he did)

For us mortals like us it's believing we're "not always right, but never in doubt"
 
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Who would you put on a UConn all swagger 1st team ? I would have to put 3 PGs on mine.

Khalid El-Amin - The original king of swagger, leader from day 1, clutch, and not afraid to
take on the opposing fans.

Kemba Walker - The next king of swagger and best UConn PG .

Shabazz Napier - the put you on your back clutch leader who just refused to lose, and
gave the NCAAs his thoughts.

Caron Butler - supremely confident star and leader .

Emeka Okafor - Best UConn center, and showed all his swagger on the court.


Honorable Mention:
Rashad Anderson, Ricky Moore, AJ Price, Jeff Adrien, Ryan Boatright, Doron Sheffer
Great tradition and still growing.
 
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kemba easily.

if anyone disagree, rewatch 2011. all of it

the 2014 team had the kemba mentality
 
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look at him woofin' and stylin' - the Captain of the all-swagger team, or at least, it's founder.

opening question to Cliff:
'do you think the big east realizes now where the University of Connecticut is?
and so it began. ask any fan of those nba teams that Cliff played on for 18 years, if swagger was part of his character.

Uggh! I became a Uconn fan the following year with the dream season. One of my biggest regrets in life is not becoming a Uconn fan sooner. You guys old enough to have seen the very start of the calhoun era are so lucky. You seriously have no idea how much i envy that experience.
 

nomar

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Uggh! I became a Uconn fan the following year with the dream season. One of my biggest regrets in life is not becoming a Uconn fan sooner. You guys old enough to have seen the very start of the calhoun era are so lucky. You seriously have no idea how much i envy that experience.

I became a fan Cliff's senior season and I'll never forget watching the poor guy sit in the draft night green room while team after team passed him over.

A great player and a great guy. RIP.
 

UconnU

Demolish the XL center.
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4hunnid anyone? Say what you will but no one will ever have as much swagger in a 30 point blow out loss to Tulsa.
 
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I became a fan Cliff's senior season and I'll never forget watching the poor guy sit in the draft night green room while team after team passed him over.

A great player and a great guy. RIP.
Poor guy had the last laugh. He became a terrific pro. He had like a ten year span where he was one of the better forwards in the league. I wonder how that Uconn team the following year wouldve faired with him at center. Likely final 4 with a chance with that defense to give UNLV a good run.
 
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It looks like the Yard has different definitions of swagger. My definition includes charisma, a "not in my house" attitude and mouth opening plays.

Tony Robertson
Rashard Anderson
Ricky Moore
Donny Marshall
Rod Sellers
Robertson is an interesting pick, often seems underrated.

It's not surprising so many UConn players had swagger, when your HOF coach exuded it when he walked across the floor.

For the definition of swagger, I think there is 1 NBA player who defined swagger to the extent he need not be named.
 
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Good call, @superjohn

View attachment 64039

I'd have loved to see a few more questions in that interview, way too short!
 
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I know Earl Kelly was mentioned, but he would be my MVP. I remember a game vs Syracuse that the Huskies trailed by 1 and Kelly was fouled shooting 2 with about 2 seconds left in the game. The ref handed him the ball, and it was picked up by a mic. He took the ball and said it's all over fellas! That takes some serious stones!
 

ClifSpliffy

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King had the privilege of playing alongside some serious talent: Donyell, Donny, Ray, Doron Sheffer, Brian Fair, Kevin Ollie, Travis Knight, Rash Jones, Ricky Moore, Rip, Kevin Freeman, Jake Voskuhl, among others.

Kirk King College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com (sports-reference.com)
hey! that link didn't include the seasons he led the cba, or the greek league, in rebounding!
he got sooooo hosed his senior year by our old pals the ncaa, when they pulled his card for the rest of that season, for accepting 1 free airline ticket. senior year, steadily rising stats, Captain,
nba draft coming up. turrible.
 
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There are plenty of candidates but Nadav needs to be on the list if only for a game against Georgetown.

I seem to remember Nadav and Mourning going at it all game and at one point Mourning blowing a kiss at Nadav while at the foul line. Nadav did not react but the next time UCONN had the ball they cleared out for him and he just took it to Mourning. Nuff said.

Not to mention the attention he received on campus.
 

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