UConn Draft: The Lineups

Yesterday, the A Dime Back staff took part in a momentously dumb draft comprised of UConn greats of the modern age. Today, we’ve assembled our lineups — replete with stats (sortable) and awards history — and given you some insight into our overall strategy. Tomorrow, we’ll ask you — the readers — to vote and tell us who won.

Tyler’s Tornadoes

The Pitch: “Team Tyler is built on size. No other team in this contest can compete with my gents in the post. We feature three of the five most prolific shot-blockers of the era (Okafor, Boone, Brimah), and two of the era’s best rebounders in Okafor and Freeman — with head-smashing badass Rod Sellers down the bench as well. Rudy Gay and Daniel Hamilton can spread the floor and push the break, hopefully resulting in lots of Gay dunks. And I’m employing the classic UConn strategy of using two point guards (both National Champs) in El-Amin and Boatright. I do wish my team had a bit more shooting. I’m counting on Rashad Anderson to take the bulk of my three-point attempts, and that Boatright (42% this season) will flourish with more help.”

Awards: Okafor (NABC POY, NABC DPOY, 1st-team AA, BE POY, BE DPOY) | Gay (2nd-team AA, 1st-team All-BE) | El-Amin (1st-team All-BE) | Boone (2nd-team All-BE, BE DPOY) | Sellers (3rd-team All-BE) | Anderson (HM All-BE)

Meghan’s Maniacs

The Pitch: Team Meghan is Team All Guard Everything. What we lack in size, we more than make up for in shooting, speed and defense. Basically, this is a team that can out-run and out-gun everybody else. I start three of the best shooters to come through the program (and the best shooter to ever live) with Allen, Gordon and Smith, and on my bench, I have two of the toughest defenders in Ricky Moore and KO. We’re playing full-court press on every possession, forcing turnovers and just generally keeping the other guys from getting into their half-court offense. If someone has a shooter who gets hot, I’ve got Moore waiting to shut that shit down. Adrien is a rebounding machine, and Voskuhl is just looking pretty and setting screens for all of my amazing shooters. I can run four guards if I want to get real crazy (and let’s be honest, I do), but there’s still a few variations on a traditional line-up here. Add in some great ball-handlers, and I don’t care how good your shot blockers are, we’re finding that open shooter. It’s just raining threes for Team Meghan.

Awards: Adrien (1st-team All-BE) | Allen (UPI POY, 1st-team AA, BE POY, 1st-team All-BE) | Gordon (1st-team All-BE) | Smith (1st-team All-BE) | Ollie (Third-team All-BE)

- Advertisement -

Peter’s Pile Drivers

The Pitch: The key to winning in basketball and in life is balance, and that is the bedrock upon which Team Peter was built. This starting lineup has two great guards who can shoot and handle, a do-everything superhero at small forward, and two menacing shotblockers, one of whom had possibly the greatest individual season in program history. The bench is packed with quality size in Villanueva, Armstrong, and Edwards, extra ballhandlers and shooters in Phil Gamble and SuperTone, and some extra wing athletes in Denham Brown and Lyman DePriest. Every other team is going to have to play a specific way based on their personnel, while my team can do everything. I can go extra big by bringing in Villanueva and sliding Donyell to the 3, I can go small and play Burrell at the 4 with three guards, I can play fast, and I can play slow. This team is a juggernaut, and it should be, and is, feared by all.

Awards: Thabeet (2nd-team AA, NBCA DPOY, BE Co-POY, BE DPOY) | Marshall (1st-team AA, BE POY, BE DPOY) | Burrell (2nd-team All-BE) | Price (1st-team All-BE) | Napier (1st-team AA, AAC POY, Bob Cousy Award) | Armstrong (2nd-team All-BE, BE DPOY) | Villanueva (2nd-team All-BE)

Russ’s Rhinos

The Pitch: You want a team that’s going to slow it down and grind out a win in the low-50s? Go somewhere else. Team Russ values two things: freakish athleticism and brutal physicality. Marcus Williams, who boasts the highest assist rate of anyone to ever play for UConn, runs the point and will spend his minutes creating for Jeremy Lamb, Richard Hamilton and Stanley Robinson (for Sticks, that just means lots and lots of lobs). My bigs, Travis Knight and Cliff Robinson, can make sure the guards stay open, or take matters into their own hands. No one on my team is in the running for a Nobel Peace Prize, and I’m just fine with that. You want to mess with my team? Edmund Saunders and Johnnie Selvie can come off my bench and put an end to any tomfoolery.

Awards: C. Robinson (2nd-team All-BE) | R. Hamilton (1st-team AA, Co-BE POY) | Lamb (1st-team All-BE) | M. Williams (2nd-team All-BE) | Dyson (3rd-team All-BE) | George (3rd-team All-BE)

Alex’s Antelopes

The Pitch: My team is the best because of Kemba Walker. Enough said. But seriously, our greatest point guard ever headlines this team. We have very strong defense all over the court. Kemba and Sheffer in the back court are downright disruptive on defense. Drummond, Henefeld, and Butler are elite defenders. This team steals and blocks the ball with impunity. On offense, there is so much balance. Anyone in the starting 5 can take over a game. This team can play inside and outside. Yes, Drummond is an incredible liability at the line, but he makes up for it in other ways, and the rest of the team is outstanding from the line. Also, my bench is filled with solid shooters, particularly on the wings with Daniels and Giffey.

Awards: Henefeld (3rd-team All-BE) | Butler (1st-team All-BE) | Sheffer (2nd-team All-BE) | Walker (1st-team AA, 1st-team All-BE, Bob Cousy Award) | Donny Marshall (3rd-team All-BE)

Tomorrow, you vote on which team is best