UConn's unstoppables over the years

[upstater]

UConn has been extremely lucky to have produced several players that took over games and were essentially unstoppable. They come along once every 2 or 3 years it seems.

These are the players I'm referring to:

1994: Donyell Marshall
1995: Ray Allen
1999: Rip Hamilton
2002: Caron Butler
2004: Ben Gordon & Emeka Okafor
2009: AJ Price
2011: Kemba Walker
2013: Shabazz Napier

The 2004 team used up the allotment in one year. These were all players who in their final years did whatever they wanted on the floor with consistency. Granted, there were excellent players outside of these, but players such as Cliff Robinson, Rudy Gay, etc. didn't really dominate the game the way the preceding did. I gave a thought to Hasheem Thabeet on the defensive end and he comes closest to deserving the same distinction, but in the end I put the emphasis on scoring. AJ Price came out of th blue in the second half of his senior season in a fashion similar to Caron Butler. They took over games. Whereas Shabazz and Kemba did it consistently the whole year. Ray Allen and Rip probably did it over many more games than the others, while Emeka and Gordon traded the cape back and forth.

I doubt that any other school has consistently had such a high caliber of college player over the years.

Who's next?

Hamilton? Purvis? Brimah?

AMENDED

 

[ucinnc]

Good list. But disagree on Donyell - his final year here was definitely dominant.

 

[caw]

UConn has been extremely lucky to have produced several players that took over games and were essentially unstoppable. They come along once every 2 or 3 years it seems.

These are the players I'm referring to:

1995: Ray Allen
1999: Rip Hamilton
2002: Caron Butler
2004: Ben Gordon & Emeka Okafor
2009: AJ Price
2011: Kemba Walker
2013: Shabazz Napier

The 2004 team used up the allotment in one year. These were all players who in their final years did whatever they wanted on the floor with consistency. Granted, there were excellent players outside of these, but players such as Cliff Robinson, Donyell Marshall, Rudy Gay, etc. didn't really dominate the game the way the preceding did. I gave a thought to Hasheem Thabeet on the defensive end and he comes closest to deserving the same distinction, but in the end I put the emphasis on scoring. AJ Price came out of th blue in the second half of his senior season in a fashion similar to Caron Butler. They took over games. Whereas Shabazz and Kemba did it consistently the whole year. Ray Allen and Rip probably did it over many more games than the others, while Emeka and Gordon traded the cape back and forth.

I doubt that any other school has consistently had such a high caliber of college player over the years.

Who's next?

Hamilton? Purvis? Brimah?

I don't know who is next, but Donyell has to be on that list. He was fantastic his final year and pretty dominant.

I think Hamilton could be next, but maybe not next year, esp if Boat and DD come back.

 

[BlueMAB]

The only snub is Donyell, he belongs on that list.

If Daniels comes back, stays healthy, he is most likely to be the next name on that list IMO.

 

[Lefty2one]

Donyell definitely belongs on the list.

 

[Robertelamin]

Where is Johnnie Selvie?

 

[Strummer]

Where is Johnnie Selvie?

One step over the baseline.

 

[Danzz]

Good list. But disagree on Donyell - his final year here was definitely dominant.

Definitely Donyell before AJ but both should be on the list. I'd add Chris Smith to the list along with Cliff.

 

[CTBasketball]

Chris Smith, and I would put Jeff Adrien alongside AJ Price in 2008-2009. The dude always had a double-double and was a game changer inside.

 

[Kitaman]

Electric Category (when they got hot): Rashad Anderson, Johhny Gwynn, Jeremy Lamb and Chris Smith.

 

[breezy]

It's interesting that Rudy Gay is a Husky of honor before other guys on this list. I'm not saying I don't think he should be but I wonder if anyone has insight into why he was selected before Caron, BG, etc.

 

[tcf15]

I thought I read when Rudy was inducted, Caron & BG were supposed to as well, but there was a scheduling problem.

 

[superjohn]

Donyell, Chris Smith and Selvie need to be on this list.

 

[champs99and04]

I don't think I'd have anybody from the 09 team on the list. A lot of great players, but nobody I'd consider a legitimate threat to take over a game at will. Between Jeff, A.J., and Hash, it would be tough to distinguish between them - they were all incredibly valuable to that team.

 

[upstater]

I don't think I'd have anybody from the 09 team on the list. A lot of great players, but nobody I'd consider a legitimate threat to take over a game at will. Between Jeff, A.J., and Hash, it would be tough to distinguish between them - they were all incredibly valuable to that team.

No one could stop AJ. He shot the lights out. He played the same way Shabazz is playing today, but not over the same extent of time that Shabazz has. The AJ of his last 15 games is the AJ we thought we were getting when he verballed here.

 

[Inyatkin]

No one could stop AJ. He shot the lights out. He played the same way Shabazz is playing today, but not over the same extent of time that Shabazz has. The AJ of his last 15 games is the AJ we thought we were getting when he verballed here.

AJ was incredible for a stretch, and shutting him down was probably the biggest reason the Izzos beat us. Still not sure he belongs in the same category as the other guys, though. Donyell has to be on there.

 

[Tenspro2002]

AJP is in that notch just below, in my opinion. He was an excellent leader and go-to player, but I wouldn't call him unstoppable.

Otherwise, I agree completely with this list (including Donyell), though I'd put Bazz as 2014 instead of 2013.

I think Hamilton has a chance to be special in 2015-16, though maybe Daniels gets an injection of assertiveness and rises to this level next year.