Uconn player with most undeserved bad reputation

[intlzncster]

Johnny Selvie!

Selvie was/is a goshdarn folk hero around here.

 

[UConn77]

I don't know how many posters remember Jimmy Foster, who played for UConn in the early 1970s. He eventually led us to the NIT in 1973-4 (we beat. St. John's in the first game but blew a huge lead and lost to BCU in the second on the famous Berwanger last second shot). There was a time that year, that Foster, who was a highly regarded transfer from whom much was expected, was booed mercilessly (even at the Field House) when he played poorly in the opinion of the fans.

 

[CL82]

Chuck Aleksinas was a capable center who played in the late Perno years. Yet, I can remember so called fans shouting "stone hands, stone hands, stone hands" after he would make turnovers, both in the civic center and the field house. Never understood that kind of venom expressed towards our team as a kid, and don't understand it now (at the Ohio State game this year there was similar sentiment expressed towards Omar when he entered early in the game, which only stopped after his third made 3 pointer).

Yeah, Chuck was a good guy who did not live up to the public's, or his own, expectations.

Still since he only lists Kentucky and not Connecticut in a online bio...he makes the dead to me list.

 

[CL82]

Okay, I have one that I am going to get killed for...

Nate Miles.

It's not his fault that a over zealous manager/agent wanna be tried to make a name for himself with this kid. And the his violation of the TRO consisted solely of calling a girl to say, I just got a TRO what the heck.

Let the beating commence...

 

[superjohn]

Selvie, he was the best power forward we've ever had and he kept this program afloat when it looked like we may have a down period. People seem to crack jokes on him instead of recognizing his greatness.

 

[TasteofUConn]

People seem to crack jokes on him instead of recognizing his greatness.

I think you're stepping over the line here.

 

[Gurleyman]

Selvie, he was the best power forward we've ever had and he kept this program afloat when it looked like we may have a down period. People seem to crack jokes on him instead of recognizing his greatness.

To be honest, that really depends on whether you consider Uri Cohen-Mintz a 3 or a 4.

 

[Waquoit]

Selvie, he was the best power forward we've ever had and he kept this program afloat when it looked like we may have a down period. People seem to crack jokes on him instead of recognizing his greatness.

If only he could have kept that back foot of the baseline...

 

[ctchamps]

Taliek Brown and Jerome Dyson by far and away.

Distant third is the Ferrari. Thank goodness he, unlike Selvie, fixed the foot problem.

 

[SubbaBub]

Taliek is pretty revered nowadays so I'm not sure he still qualifies for this thread in spite if him taking an undeserved beating as an underclassman.

 

[UCbcm]

Yeah and the guy was second team AA! What the hell people were looking for is beyond me.

As far as undeserved bad rap goes, pretty much anyone who is hammered on here. Taliek, Dyson, Amida, et al.

EDIT: the one which pissed me off the most was Taliek. He was the heart and soul of that 2004 team. Ben and Emeka were the studs, but make no mistake. Taliek drove that bus. And he had to come in and completely take the reigns as a freshman, with no upperclassman to show him the ropes. Got killed for it.

I've a sneaky suspicion that JC would agree with me on TB. Not many times over his career he called out fans for picking on a guy, but TB was a memorable one.

I agree 100% about Taliek. I got to talk to him after the '04 championship game and told him that he could play PG on my team any day. Based on his reaction, he seemed to know about the meritless grief the fans had with him. With the exception of his FT %, he was a top-tier PG and somehow got killed for it.

 

[HuskyFich]

With all the negativity surrounding Hamiltonian decision recently I thought it would be interesting to see who the yard thinks has the most undeserved bad uconn reputation. This should be based on time in college only.

For me it is oriahki, kid was instrumental in our 3rd championship and only left after hearing of our post season ban in his last year of eligibility. I think the comments his father made were unfairly put entirely on him and even after having his minutes decline with Drummond he was still very with that team I saw him on campus tons of times just hanging with his teammates.

I'll save my response for this until Friday...

 

[Robertelamin]

Taliek was a 4 year scapegoat. The other guys were only a year or two.

 

[boog204]

I think it's got to be Rudy. I mean, as much as Taliek, Andre etc do not necessarily deserve the complete bad rap, there are some reasons why they are criticized given their advanced acclaims coming in. Rudy was a f&&king All-American and for some reason is deemed the scapegoat of an underachieving team despite going for 20 and 6 against Mason and being our best player all season. On top of that, he's listed as a colossal underachiever. I'm not sure how an All-American can be deemed a disappointment.

 

[kemba]

Taliek took too much of a beating while he was here, but don't think his reputation is bad now.

Oriakhi was one of the key reasons we won a championship so I don't get the hatred.

Dyson's problem was he was basically the same player his whole time here. As a role player, 3rd option type, he was great, and we might win a championship his junior year if he stays healthy. But being a first or second option was too much for him his freshmen year, and when we needed him to be that as a Senior he couldn't do it either. So I don't think his reputation is totally unfair, you'd expect to see more improvement over 4 years, and I believe both him and JC have talked about he didn't put in the extra work you'd like to see.

 

[ucp990411]

Who is Ronnie Sellers?

 

[willie99]

Rome

 

[willie99]

I never realized TB was disliked, must have been before my yard days

 

[intlzncster]

I think you're stepping over the line here.

He was making a classic Selvie joke.

 

[intlzncster]

Taliek is pretty revered nowadays so I'm not sure he still qualifies for this thread in spite if him taking an undeserved beating as an underclassman.

Just a couple of years ago we had a thread which reprized TB bashing that was I don't know how many pages long.

Many still give Taliek zero credit for 2004; the argument is, that team could have won with any PG; they won despite Taliek, yada yada. Heck, he was crushed for years AFTER that ship too. The standard reply was, "Taliek Brown, National Champion PG".

 

[Horatio]

Scott Hazelton. He didn't live up to the burgers and fries but that probably wasn't totally his fault.

 

[Mike Honcho]

I know it was awhile ago but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Ricky. He was Taliek before Taliek existed. Ricky was frequently derided as "Rickety" on this board. That all changed when Ricky had the final word. But his defense wasn't recognized/acclaimed by the national media until JC made it a talking point during the 98-99 campaign.

 

[mauconnfan]

I know it was awhile ago but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Ricky. He was Taliek before Taliek existed. Ricky was frequently derided as "Rickety" on this board. That all changed when Ricky had the final word. But his defense wasn't recognized/acclaimed by the national media until JC made it a talking point during the 98-99 campaign.

Ricky did what he did against Duke, proved them wrong. TB was tough, a leader and had 6 TO's vs Duke in the NC semi's. That was him though, tough as nails but not an offensive weapon ever, with that came the criticism, some unfair as I look back. But driving the bus? LOL, that bus was full and had auto pilot. He did drive but there were many who could have. I know relentless but hey I'm consistent.

 

[Waquoit]

Ricky did what he did against Duke, proved them wrong. TB was tough, a leader and had 6 TO's vs Duke in the NC semi's. That was him though, tough as nails but not an offensive weapon ever, with that came the criticism, some unfair as I look back. But driving the bus? LOL, that bus was full and had auto pilot. He did drive but there were many who could have. I know relentless but hey I'm consistent.

The next season Boeheim was on PTI and they asked him about the PG position. He said that you didn't need a great PG to win, Connecticut proved that last year.

 

[White Dwarf]

Toraino Walker