All-Time NCAA Tournament Challenge: UConn’s Roster

I figured I owed it to you folks to give you some insight into my mad scientist mind, insofar as developing the rosters of each of these teams goes. So we’ll start with our hometown team, the University of Connecticut Huskies, and I’ll give the rationale for each pick.

CENTER

Starter: Emeka Okafor (6-10, 252)
This one is probably the least controversial pick on here. Okafor is, by nearly any estimation, the best big man in UConn’s history. By his junior year, he was the best player in the country, dominating on both ends of the floor. His NBA career, while somewhat limited by lingering back issues, has clearly demonstrated that he has always had the talent to excel against even the best players in the world.

Backup: Cliff Robinson (6-11, 223)
A few people have questioned me about this one, especially in terms of how I chose Robinson over Hasheem Thabeet, who was on more successful UConn teams than Robinson, and who garnered more national acclaim. While Robinson was clearly the better offensive player, Thabeet was a far superior rebounder and shot-blocker. Thabeet’s size and overall athleticism were enough for him to excel in college, despite not being particularly skilled. Against the best players, though, Robinson was far superior, making an All-Star game as a center in 1994, while Thabeet has been one of the biggest busts in draft history. Beyond that, Robinson brings a different look and skills than Okafor, while Thabeet is mostly redundant. As such, we’re going with Uncle Cliffy here.

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Honorable Mentions: Hasheem Thabeet, Travis Knight, Jake Voskuhl

POWER FORWARD

Starter: Donyell Marshall (6-9, 210)
Again, given UConn’s relative lack of star-caliber big men, Marshall is a pretty easy choice, but we’ll go over it anyway. A First-Team All-American in 1994, Donyell Lamar “Shoulders” Marshall brings a lot of different skills. He was the Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in ’94 (though the merit of that award is debatable), and scored more than 25 points a game while averaging nearly 9 rebounds and more than 3 blocks. The rebounding and shot-blocking will come in particularly handy on a team like this one, rife with shooters.

Backup: Toby Kimball (6-8, 220)
Going old-school with this one! Kimball played both center and forward at UConn, but given his size, he’d be a better fit at forward in the modern game. Kimball was a dominant rebounder at UConn, and even excelled in that regard in the NBA. At his best, Kimball was one of the top-10 rebounders in the league, ahead of luminaries like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, and Willis Reed. His offensive game was very limited in the pros, but he did more than enough to be useful on this team, especially since nearly every other player on the roster was an excellent scorer.

HM: Jeff Adrien, Charlie Villanueva, Corny Thompson

SMALL FORWARD

Starter: Richard Hamilton (6-6, 185)
One of the greatest scorers in UConn history, “Rip” Hamilton’s biggest claim to fame is being the best player on UConn’s first championship team. Hamilton was more of a ball-dominant player at UConn than he was in the NBA, but I suspect that his play at the professional level would be a good indicator of what he’d do on a stacked roster like this, which is to move well off the ball and find open looks from which to catch-and-shoot. Hamilton had tremendous professional success this way, including leading the 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons in scoring and playing in three All-Star games. Hamilton’s collegiate resume is unquestionable, as he was a two-time Big East Player of the Year (1998, 1999) and a First-Team All-American (1999).

Back-up: Caron Butler (6-7, 235)
Butler’s versatility as an offensive player makes him a solid pick here. Unlike the slender Hamilton, Butler was a bigger, stronger player, and provided a lot of value with his post offense. His on-ball defense (averaged 2.1 steals as a sophomore) and rebounding (7.6 rpg for his career) are also strengths, making him an excellent complement to Hamilton’s silky-smooth jumper. Butler is no slouch as a shooter himself, hitting 40% from long-range his sophomore year, and he brings another great nickname in “Tuff Juice.”

HM: Rudy Gay, Scott Burrell, Donny Marshall

SHOOTING GUARD

Starter: Ray Allen (6-5, 205)
I mean, obviously, right? Allen, a ten-time All-Star and lock for the Hall of Fame, is unquestionably the most accomplished former Husky. While he never played in a Final Four in college, he was one of the most explosive scorers in school history, averaging 21.1 points as a sophomore and 23.4 as a junior, when he was named the Big East Player of the Year in a crowded field. Though robbed of his deserved National Player of the Year title by every publication except for United Press International, Allen was named a Consensus First-Team All-American as a junior. A 45% shooter from three for his college career, Allen is considered by many to be the best shooter of all-time, and is definitely a lock-starter for UConn.

Backup: Ben Gordon (6-3, 200)
I’ve always felt that Ben Gordon was one of the most creative and versatile offensive players I’d ever seen, capable of shooting the lights out from three or getting to the basket at will. He was also an outstanding ballhandler, a skill that would serve him well as Allen’s backup, as Jim Calhoun has always been known to favor lineups with two playmaking guards. Though Gordon has never been to an NBA All-Star game, he was a very successful scorer in Chicago, and he won the Sixth Man of the Year award as a rookie in 2005.

HM: Wes Bialosuknia, Tony Hanson, Jeremy Lamb

POINT GUARD

Starter: Kemba Walker (6-1, 172)
This was a much closer call than I thought it would be, but Kemba’s utter dominance in 2011, combined with strong early returns at the professional level, win him the starting spot. Another Husky robbed of his rightful National Player of the Year award (Jimmer Fredette? Really?), Walker posted an average of 23.5 ppg as a junior, the highest total for a UConn player since Donyell Marshall in 1994. Though his shooting fell off a bit last year, Walker remains a promising young guard, and viewed by Charlotte Hornets’ management as a player to build around.

Backup: Shabazz Napier (6-1, 180)
Napier’s presence on this roster goes a very small way towards recognizing all of what he brought to UConn, both by choosing to stay when the program faced draconian and illegal sanctions from the NCAA, and by his herculean efforts that led UConn to its fourth National Championship. Like Walker, Napier has the chutzpah it takes to lead an undermanned team over more talented opponents, making the players around him better. I hope to see him scissor-kicking three-pointers over NBA guards for a long, long time.

HM: Chris Smith, Doron Sheffer, Khalid El-Amin

Remember that voting starts next Monday, 8/25! You’ll be able to compare other teams’ rosters when they come up for voting. Check back to The All-Time NCAA Tournament Challenge Home Page every Monday and Thursday to see the new matchups!