UConn players who exceeded your expectations

[RayRay34]

Jeff Adrien
Hilton Armstrong
Freshman-year version of Tyler Olander (Sophmore and Junior years... below expectations)
Caron Butler

 

[Husky25]

No votes Jonathan Mandelove or Ruslan Inyatkin?

 

[gampelcrazies]

Kemba and Emeka

 

[Dove]

Jake comes to mind first. Then Travis. Then Jeff King (big help winning an NIT),then the Dove, then the Man Kemba Walker.

 

[Brochacho]

Gavin Edwards, Giffey, Wolf.

 

[freescooter]

Cliff Robertson...I mean he wasn't expected to be THAT good. And I have to agree on Nadev Henefeld. I have to say that when I first saw him all my preconceptions (white men can't jump) were there. I just wish he had stayed another year or two. He was an amazing basketball player. Amazing!

 

[SouthTampaBill]

Sorry Cliff Robertson could not touch the rim and is dead

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/movies/cliff-robertson-oscar-winning-rebel-dies-at-88.html?_r=0

 

[60'sfan]

How about Wes Balosuknia? He was not supposed to be the star on the team. Bill Hollowaty was supposed to be the big scorer.

 

[Excalibur]

The list has to start and end with Emeka. He was a late recruit who had a few defensive skills. Nobody could have reasonably expected him to turn into the most dominant defender at his position in a decade, and a reliable post scorer.

Travis Knight is second for me. The way he got knocked around early on erased any expectations I had.

Ray Allen was a borderline top 50 recruit as I recall, though it was obvious he could play from the beginning.

 

[joober jones]

No votes Jonathan Mandelove or Ruslan Inyatkin?

I wonder how Inyatkin would've done if not hampered by injuries in the 95-96 season. (or was that 94-95?), anyway, I remember him scoring 11 off the bench in one game with a memorable steal and flush. I still recall Joe D describing it as "a LOUD finish for Inyatkin on that one!)

 

[superjohn]

How easily some of you forgot the excellence of Selvie, Johnnie Time was something to behold.

 

[Ricky1Moore]

Rashad. Well rated before he came, but a shooter like that is a once in a generation type. At times, he was bananas good

 

[nimzovich]

Bob Boyd. joined 0-10 team at midseason in 69-70 and engineered upset vs syracuse. the next year he averaged 23.4 ppg, at that time the 2nd highest season ever behind Wes B.
Jeff King. a light breeze could knock him over, but he somehow averaged 11 pts and 5 boards in Big East play in 87. To hear 4400 people chanting his name at the field house in the NIT quarters in 88 was inspirational. And to me, the picture of him and Phil Gamble sitting atop the backboard at MSG after winning the NIT will always be the symbol of UConn basketball beginning its climb to previously unassailable heights.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Emeka was not completely off the radar. He was a Top 100 recruit, and had offers from UConn, Vanderbilt and one other big program that I can't remember.

Henefeld, Butler and Selvie were fairly big name recruits at the time. Henefeld had an offer from St. Johns back when that meant something.

There have been a lot of recruits overachieve over the years. Donny was expected to be a productive role player, but not nearly as good as he turned out.

Hilton has to be the biggest surprise. I remember making a rant to a friend when Hilton was signed about how Calhoun keeps wasting schollies on these projects that have no realistic chance of ever being good. Hilton's next best offer was LaSalle, and then it was MAAC schools after that.

 

[mauconnfan]

Bob Boyd. joined 0-10 team at midseason in 69-70 and engineered upset vs syracuse. the next year he averaged 23.4 ppg, at that time the 2nd highest season ever behind Wes B.
Jeff King. a light breeze could knock him over, but he somehow averaged 11 pts and 5 boards in Big East play in 87. To hear 4400 people chanting his name at the field house in the NIT quarters in 88 was inspirational. And to me, the picture of him and Phil Gamble sitting atop the backboard at MSG after winning the NIT will always be the symbol of UConn basketball beginning its climb to previously unassailable heights.

Booby Boyd and Bob Staak were a very good backcourt back in the day........didn't know the history of Boyd but that's a good one!

 

[Husky25]

How easily some of you forgot the excellence of Selvie, Johnnie Time was something to behold.

Henefeld, Butler and Selvie were fairly big name recruits at the time. Henefeld had an offer from St. Johns back when that meant something.

Selvie’s been mentioned plenty...erroneously IMO. I thought he was a reasonable facsimile of Kevin Freeman, but Freeman was better. Selvie was a JUCO x-fer from the JUCO Nat. Champs. Personally, my expectations where high for him, and he barely met them.

 

[nimzovich]

Bobby Boyd and Bob Staak were a very good backcourt back in the day........didn't know the history of Boyd but that's a good one!

more Boyd history here http://www.uconnhooplegends.com/menslegends/BoydBobby.html

 

[TheRogers]

1. Kemba - no way could I ever imagine someone carrying his team to a NC
2. Okafor - From a servicable center to a dominant center to an overall #2 pick
3. Marcus Williams - from a good PG to a lottery
<have to much work.....will end commentary here >
4. AJ Price
5. Nadav Henefeld
6. Doron Scheffer
7. Hilton Armstrong
8. Travis Knight

 

[gibhunter]

Emeka Okafor. I expected everyone else to be as good as they were.

 

[alexd]

1. Kemba - no way could I ever imagine someone carrying his team to a NC
2. Okafor - From a servicable center to a dominant center to an overall #2 pick
3. Marcus Williams - from a good PG to a lottery
<have to much work.....will end commentary here >
4. AJ Price
5. Nadav Henefeld
6. Doron Scheffer
7. Hilton Armstrong
8. Travis Knight

Good list.

Marcus W. was the #8 rated PG coming out of high school, so I expected something decent from him. He actually went #22 in the NBA draft, falling further than many expected.

It was always tough to get a read on the early Israeli guys. Back in the day, with no internet, not much out there to gauge them before they got to Storrs.

 

[Horatio]

How easily some of you forgot the excellence of Selvie, Johnnie Time was something to behold.

Johnnie was one of my all time favorites. The perfect blend of basketful skills and dysfunction. I loved how some games it looked like he just woke up 5 minutes before jump ball like someone had to run to the dorm and get him. If he played on this years team we would on undefeated.

 

[seels58]

E. J. Harrison transfer from Western Connecticut and contributed to National championship team.

 

[mauconnfan]

Johnnie was one of my all time favorites. The perfect blend of basketful skills and dysfunction. I loved how some games it looked like he just woke up 5 minutes before jump ball like someone had to run to the dorm and get him. If he played on this years team we would on undefeated.

Undefeated in what, Connecticut??

 

[Horatio]

Undefeated in what, Connecticut??

You don't think Selvie is an upgrade over Tyler , Nolan , Niels and DD at the 4 spot?? It probably would've helped against Louisville but it would've made a difference against our other loses.

 

[mauconnfan]

Nope, not close with DD and Niels is much easier to watch shall I say .......Hopefully Nolan will be better eventually and not just a black hole......