You can clone any player from UConn basketball history ...

[zepfan]

Rashad Anderson!!! Raining threes from everywhere! Okay, not great off the dribble (so we'll sneak a Ricky Moore in there to help bring the ball up and distribute.

 

[wheelerdog]

Donyell

 

[olehead]

So, is there a UConn v. UConn clone war?

Who wins?

(1) Caronimo
(4) Rudy Gay

(2) Dove
(3) Scott Burrell

CR over DS
CR 4-2 in a 7 game series.

CR has the superior offensive skill. They have the advantage athletically, shooting, rebounding and overall length.

Defensively CR gets enough stops using quickness, length, shot-blocking with consistent rebounding.

DS, they muck up play, fg% may be higher than the norm due to the stakes, get their hands on the ball constantly throughout the series. Combine this w/ opportunistic running and they get two wins.

 

[Towney007]

Honesty Ray all day, but for this team specifically, give me a Jeff Adrien. I think he makes a colossal difference with this group.

 

[huskyrob1]

You can clone any player from UConn basketball history and have five of them on the floor at once (and four more on the bench). So, five Ray Allens, or five Emeka Okafors, or five Kembas, for example. The opponent is an NCAA-champion caliber team, like Virginia last year. Who's the one player you'd pick?

Five Ben Gordon's, Five Tony Hanson's, or Five Rudy Gay's.

 

[T-Squared]

I think it was Scott Burrell who leaped OVER a (slightly ducking) opponent and stole the ball on the other side.

I believe that opponent was Rodney Rogers.

 

[Travelman6]

If it is 5 of the same guy you want the most versatile guy possible. Who is the most versatile guy? Who is the best at being flexible on the court and doing everything? Obviously my memory only goes back to 1992 or so but I would say, in no particular order, you would be best to pick one of the following:

1. Caron Butler
2. RIP
3. Rudy Gay - dropped him to 3 because, while I think he is the most talented, I just think Butler and RIP played with more passion, more hunger and desire.
4. Lamb
5. Donny
My wildcard would be Kemba. I would love to see 5 kembas, but I just don't think he would be as effective as 5 Butlers or 5 RIPs because he is ony 187 cm (the same as me!) and I don't think a 6"1 guy could grab enough defensive boards to keep the team in it.
My 2nd wild card is Ben. If only I could add 3 inches or so to his 6"3 frame he might be 2 or 3.

The funniest would be 5 El-amins, as someone else said.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Give me five 21 year old Caron Butlers.

 

[Spaceman213J]

I have to go with Donyell. He may have been the most complete player when he left the program. I think a lot of people remember him mostly laying with LeBron in Cleveland and he had a lot of mileage on him. There was nothing he couldn't do in college (except those 2 freethrows).
Butler, is second for me, but he wasn't the force Donyell was underneath. Imagine having two Donyells under the basket... either end. He was a force on defense and the best finisher around the rim that has played at UConn. His size and freakish length were tough to match.
This day and age, hardly any teams press so he would be alright getting the ball up the floor on offense. There is enough handle there. The rest wouldn't be a problem, but just a matchup nightmare for other teams. He had the three, mid-range, back to the basket game, and would make the extra pass when it was there.
He, Ray and Doron together were so much fun to watch.

 

[B1GEast]

I have to go with Donyell. He may have been the most complete player when he left the program. I think a lot of people remember him mostly laying with LeBron in Cleveland and he had a lot of mileage on him. There was nothing he couldn't do in college (except those 2 freethrows).
Butler, is second for me, but he wasn't the force Donyell was underneath. Imagine having two Donyells under the basket... either end. He was a force on defense and the best finisher around the rim that has played at UConn. His size and freakish length were tough to match.
This day and age, hardly any teams press so he would be alright getting the ball up the floor on offense. There is enough handle there. The rest wouldn't be a problem, but just a matchup nightmare for other teams. He had the three, mid-range, back to the basket game, and would make the extra pass when it was there.
He, Ray and Doron together were so much fun to watch.

Those two free throws hurt till this day. That was a Final Four team. Make one and who knows how far they go. That game and the George Mason game are bad memories for any Uconn fan

 

[RichZ]

While Caronimo is the obvious choice, I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with a better one. I wouldn't feel bad at all going with 5 of Art Quimby.
Career average of 17.5 points and 21.5 rebounds.
Senior year average 23.2 points and 24.4 rebounds.
At 6-5.

 

[huskyblooz]

Maya Moore. Could run point. Amazing passer. Rebound. Defend. Scored 3000+. Dove on the floor for a loose ball w/ 40 point lead. Was a leader On & off the court!

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Surprised by lack of Rip in this thread.

 

[cw00dson24]

Okafor. Used to watch him warm up and he can hit the three. No one could get in the lane, and he could score inside or out.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Give me 5 Donyells. There wouldn't be a front court that could deal with the length and athleticism and at 6`9 in the backcourt they could pass over any guards you could throw at them. Very little ball handling would be needed.

 

[uconnbill]

Ray Allen or Caron Butler.

Ray could shoot which is needed in today's NCAA basketball

Caron brought toughness and could take over a game at any moment

Kemba and Emeka as my other choices. One to run the show and the other to have the power game inside

 

[Horatio]

1.Caron
2.Daniel Hamilton- In his short career here he pretty much was a point forward. Maybe the truest point forward in UConn history.
3. Rudy
4. Burrell
5. 2014 Deandre

 

[Excalibur]

2.Daniel Hamilton- In his short career here he pretty much was a point forward. Maybe the truest point forward in UConn history.

Nadav says hello . . .

 

[JellyBean]

Clone Travis Knight. Dude is underrated.

 

[superjohn]

Surprised by lack of Rip in this thread.

I go with Rip.

 

[8893]

I go with Rip.

The mid-range elbow jumper and inexhaustible hustle would make five Rips a formidable team, but I would worry about their defense against five Carons; I still chuckle about Rip adopting "Clamps" (that was it, right?) as a nickname during a stretch in '98-'99 when he was focusing on lock-down defense.

 

[alohachris]

The late GREAT Wes Bialosuknia. Five Wes-es? They'd never miss.

The name of the game is to put the ball in the hole - something that's forgotten in this era of 'athleticism above everything else,' hyper coaching control, specialized skills & limited roles. Wes Bialosuknia was UConn's best of all time in that department, by far, and he created his own shots. He was not a catch & shoot guy. He was unconscious from everywhere on the court & never had an off-night. Wes was also wicked smart - UConn's first First Team Academic All-American.

Wes was also great off the backboard from long-distance or off the move as a very fast & quick ball-handler. Wes averaged the all-time UConn best 28 ppg. (season) & 23.6 ppg. (career), - mostly from way outside - ten years BEFORE the three-point circle, & shot clock arrived on the college court. He also made a record 43 free-throws in a row & neared that several times. UConn was 56-18 during Wes' three years w/ two NCAA trips.

The Huskies haven't had a truly great shooter since Wes graduated in '67. Excellent shooter Ray Allen became great when he got to the pro's. IMO, UConn hasn't had a consistent, lights out distance shooter in decades (Cliff Robinson, Chris Smith, Ray Allen, Rashad Anderson), especially the last two decades. Remember, scoring is not shooting. A team needs consistent, outside shooters, not just streaky guys who might hit two three's in a row. Wes put fear in the eyes of the opponent & opened up the paint with his distance shooting.

NOTE: When a shooter gets hot, coaches need to keep calling plays for them & get them the ball, something that UConn coaches Calhoun, Ollie & Hurley have not done (even w/ Chris, Ray, Kemba & Shabazz). Maybe that's why they haven't been able to consistently recruit the best outside shooters to Storrs, especially of late. They could not have done that with an unusual, shooting talent like Wes Bialosuknia. Fred Shabel gave Wes the rock.

Five Wes-es? That would be fun to watch.

Kemba Walker would be my runner-up choice. He's a winner on any court & the quickest player & scorer of any Huskie. Kemba's healthy confidence would make his four other Kemba teammates much better players in any game - unlike some of the others mentioned like Donyell, Caron or even a Corny Thompson who never passed the ball.

alohachris

PS: I once saw Wes Bialosuknia hit a record 9 three-pointers in a row, in overtime, while playing for the Oakland Oaks of the old ABA - all from Curry distance. He was 2nd in ABA 3-point percentage & free-throws. -alohachris-

 

[Northbound]

Going old school, just because - Corny Thompson. And 75% of the yard goes “who”

 

[HoopsHype34]

1. Caron
2. Donyell
3. Ray
4. Kemba
5. RIP
6.Rudy
7. Shabazz
8. Freeman

 

[cohenzone]

I think it was Scott Burrell who leaped OVER a (slightly ducking) opponent and stole the ball on the other side.

I was there. As was mentioned the guy he stole the ball from was Wake Forest All American 6’7 Rodney Rogers. The sequence was Burrell knocked the ball loose from behind and as Rogers reached to retrieve it, Burrell vaulted over him and grabbed the ball on the other side.

Burrell would be a great choice for this thread. I was at another game where UConn was playing UHart and Vin Baker. For a long stretch Toraino Walker was guarding Baker and was being abused. Baker was scoring from everywhere. Finally JC put Burrell on Baker and he totally shut him down.

Maybe another thread could take each position to design the perfect player with traits
made up of UConn guys. Example a C who could rebound like Toby Kimball, score like Okafor, rim defend like Brimsh. etc.