I've spent the past month covering March Madness for On Campus Sports as a beat writer. It was difficult to write about the Big East Tournament and the field of 68, knowing that UConn wasn't a part of the discussion. To make things worse, I was selected as one of the top writers and assigned to provide exclusive Final Four coverage for the site. Guess which team I got stuck with. I felt as if I was selling my soul with every stat I researched and every compliment I paid to the dreaded Orange. All jokes aside, it was a great experience and I'm thankful for the opportunity.
Nevertheless, I feel like I need to balance the yin with the yang and correct the order of things by doing a good old fashioned Huskies post to purge myself of this Syracuse business. Much like I did for the OCS post, entitled "Getting to know the Final Four: Syracuse," I will do the same for UConn. That means ranking the top five teams and the top five players in Husky history. If I learned anything from the 'Cuse post it's that people are going to disagree with my list; quite passionately actually. There are so many players and teams to chose from that there is no way I won't leave someone off or put someone in the 'wrong' spot, by your standards. That being said, I can take a little negative feedback, so if you agree or disagree, feel free to voice your feelings in the comment section. As long as you're reading, I'm happy.
NCAA Tournament History
Overall record: 52-29 (31 appearances)
Sweet 16 appearances: 16 (1956, 1964, 1976, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011)
Final Four appearances: 4 (1999, 2004, 2009 and 2011)
National titles: 3 (1999, 2004 and 2011)
Five Greatest Teams
5. 2008-2009 Huskies (31-5 Final Four)
With arguably the best front court, back court pairing in UConn history, the '08-'09 Huskies can be counted among the top five teams of all time. While the rest of the country might not remember Jeff Adrien, UConn fans will never forget him. The perfect combination of power and enthusiasm, Adrien provided fans with excitement and statistical feats, alike. Hasheem Thabeet was the most dominant big man in the country, averaging an impressive 4.2 blocks per game. Together, Thabeet and Adrien averaged 13.6 PPG each and 10.8 and 9.8 rebounds, respectively. A.J. Price and Jerome Dyson provided 14.7 and 13.2 PPG, respectively. Add some solid minutes by Craig Austrie, Stanley Robinson, and a young Kemba Walker, and you're looking at a heck of a team. Did I mention the fact that they made it to the Final Four?
4. 1995-1996 Huskies (32-3 Sweet 16)
If the '08-'09 squad had the best front court, back court pairing in UConn history, then the 95-96 Huskies had the best pure back court of all time. Between averaging 23.4 and 16.0 PPG and shooting 46.6% and 40.6% from beyond the arch respectively, Ray Allen and Doron Sheffer struck fear into the hearts of opposing guards everywhere. Ray Allen's talent speaks for itself; well-remembered by UConn fans forevermore. Doron Sheffer was arguably more important to the talented '96 team than Ray, however. He averaged 1.86 steals and 6.06 assists per game. The '96 Huskies won the Big East Tournament and made it to the Sweet 16 before falling to #5 Mississippi State.
3. 1989-1990 Huskies (31-6 Elite Eight)
By all statistical accounts, the '89-'90 season is well-deserving of top five honors. Chris Smith, Nadav Henefeld, and Tate George were at their very best, averaging 17.2, 11.6, and 11.5 points respectively. The Huskies won 31 games leading to their first Big East regular season title and first Big East Tournament championship. The true significance of this season was the statement it made about the Jim Calhoun era. In Calhoun's first NCAA Tournament appearance, he made a dream run to the Elite Eight. The run featured one of the most memorable shots in UConn history, when Tate George hit a miraculous buzzer beater against Clemson. Due to its influence on the recruiting process, the '89-'90 season has a hand in every great season that followed.
2. 1998-1999 Huskies (34-2 National Champions)
1999 was certainly a year to remember in Storrs, CT. With the exception of two losses in February, the Huskies went undefeated. That includes a Big East regular season title and a Big East tournament championship. Most importantly, the Huskies won their first ever National Title, putting their mark on the history books forever. Richard Hamilton led the team in scoring. Kevin Freeman and Jake Voskuhl provided a strong presence down low. Khalid El-Amin served as a floor general, leading the team in assists. Ricky Moore provided productive minutes as well. Jim Calhoun won his first National Title, but it would not be his last.
1. 2003-2004 Huskies (33-6 National Champions)
The '03-'04 UConn squad is, in my opinion, the most talented group of Huskies to ever grace the court. Just look at the number of players that went on to play in the NBA. Seven of the fourteen players on the '04 roster moved on to the next level. The list of names hardly seems real. Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone, Denham Brown and Marcus Williams. Considering the fact that the third highest scorer on the team Rashad Anderson and assist leader Taliek Brown didn't go pro, the depth on this team was remarkable. With the exception of a 1 point Final Four victory over Duke, the '04 Huskies easily marched their way through their opponents, winning by an average of 13.3 PPG. Absolutely dominant. It's worth noting that the UConn Women won that year as well, making 2004 the only year that both the Men and Women's basketball teams from the same school have won a National Title.
Five Greatest Players
5. Kemba Walker, Guard, 2008-2011
Kemba Walker will forever be my favorite player in UConn history. I entered my freshman year of college the same time that Kemba did. My junior year, Kemba had the best individual season a
UConn player has ever had. I'll argue this one with anybody. Let's start with the stats, since they're the easiest to break down. Over his three years with UConn, Kemba improved from 8.9 PPG to 14.6 PPG to an impressive 23.5 PPG his junior year. He averaged 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game over the course of his career. He helped the Huskies to two Final Fours, winning it all in 2011. The intangibles are what make Kemba a shoe-in top five selection. Sure he won games, but it's all about how he won games. From countless buzzer beaters and end-of-game heroics to the idea that he was a clear leader on a team full of underclassmen, Kemba had more of an individual impact on his team than any other Husky, ever.
4. Chris Smith, Guard, 1988-1992
Chris Smith remains to be the Huskies' all time leading scorer with 2,145 career points. After averaging 9.9 PPG his Freshman year, Chris exploded with 17.2 PPG, 18.9 PPG and 21.2 PPG each year that followed. Smith's real impact on the Huskies, however, was his decision to come to Storrs in the first place. The outstanding performance by in-state recruits like Chris Smith and Scott Burrell allowed Calhoun to start going after top level out-of-state recruits. If it wasn't for Smith, we may never have gotten our next Husky on the list; an army brat with a particular knack for peeling off of a screen.
3. Ray Allen, Guard, 1993-1996
Ray Allen was an absolute beast at UConn. After only three years with the Huskies, Allen became the fourth highest scorer in program history. His freshman 12.6 PPG average jumped up to 21.1 and then 23.4 PPG his sophomore and junior year, respectively. He was a well rounded player, averaging 6.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.7 SPG. His true claim to fame, however, was his lights out three point shooting. His near perfect form is used as the textbook example of 'how you should shoot' a three. His career three point percentage of 44.8% is a school record, and he shot as well as 46.6% during his final season with the Huskies. Just like Chris Smith paved the way for Ray Allen, Ray Allen paved the way for the players who came after.
2. Richard Hamilton, Guard/Forward, 1996-1999
Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton are comparable on the stat sheet. His stats dip a bit in RPG (4.5) and SPG (1.3), compared to Allen, while his APG (2.6) are slightly higher. Hamilton is arguably the best scoring threat UConn has ever seen. His 2,036 career points rank him 2nd of all time, behind Chris Smith's 2,145 points. The craziest part is that Hamilton did it in three years versus Chris Smith's four. Hamilton put his greatest mark on UConn when he led them to their first National Championship in 1999. Jim Calhoun would go on to win two more in his tenure with the Huskies, but it all started with the Hamilton-led Huskies. If Rip is number 2, then who could be number 1?
1. Emeka Okafor, Center, 2001-2004
Emeka Okafor, of course! Granted, the 2012-2013 squad isn't the best example of such, but UConn is perhaps best known for their dominant big men. The list of great centers in Storrs starts and ends with the 6'10" Emeka Okafor. Okafor epitomizes what it means to be a Husky, graduating in three years with a degree in Accounting/Finance. Okafor averaged a double double over the course of his career with 13.8PPG and 10.6 RPG. He is the Huskies' all-time blocks leader with a career average of 4.3 BPG. Even the 7'3" Hasheem Thabeet, one of the Huskies greatest defensive Centers of all time, couldn't come close to Emeka's number with just 417 career blocks versus Okafor's 441. Okafor was the emotional leader for the Huskies in 2004, leading them to their second National Championship. Okafor was the best player on the best Huskies team. His rank at number 1 is an absolute no-brainer. Disagree? Give us your list below.
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