Best big man

[CTFIRERETIRED]

OK, . Many of us go back to the days of the Field House, even some of you go back further to Hawley Armoury. 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, 10's, and halfway into the 2020's. The big men that wore the CONNECTCIUT UNIFORM are many, and impressive. Let's hear your choices. 10 is not enough, 20 may not even be enough. Let's hear YOUR CHOICES. Have at it.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Emeka Okafor. Could have been Corny if the right staff was in place to develop him.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Emeka is the best because of both ends.

Donovan is the most impactful defensively though. Thabeet, who won national defensive player of the year, didn’t even look like this.

 

[Dove]

Yes, Emeka ended the doughnut hole mantra and started the Reign of block parties. Won a Title, too.

 

[OceanDoggie]

1) Okafor
2) Sanogo
3) Donyell Marshall
4) Clingan
5) Hasheem Thabeet

 

[Palatine]

No conversation of UConn big men is complete with mentioning Toby Kimball.

Averaged 18+ PPG and 17+ RPG over a three year career at UConn followed by a 9 year NBA career.

Scored 18 points and pulled down 14 boards in the 1964 NCAA regional final versus Duke.

 

[Waquoit]

1) Okafor
2) Sanogo
3) Donyell Marshall
4) Clingan
5) Hasheem Thabeet

Nah, we're at the point now that if you didn't make the Final Four, you don't get on the list.

 

[uconnever]

Emeka is clearly the best we’ve had, but after last night, DC is inching up. He should not stay if he’s in the lottery, but next year, DC may overtake the #1 spot if he were here.

 

[OceanDoggie]

Nah, we're at the point now that if you didn't make the Final Four, you don't get on the list.

Haha, ok feel free to place Jake Voskhul and Alex Oriakhi above my #3 and #5. Much respect...

 

[SoFloDawg]

Cliff Robinson gets no respect

 

[noeynox]

Cliff Robinson gets no respect

He's in my top 5. Also a big fan of toughness Rod Sellers provided in that era of Big East big men, like Mourning, Mutombo, Derrick Coleman, Robert Werdan. Sellers would not be intimadated. Even when we played Shaq. Rod was the man, he also dribbled Laetner's head off the ground which carries bonus points.

 

[OceanDoggie]

No conversation of UConn big men is complete with mentioning Toby Kimball.

Averaged 18+ PPG and 17+ RPG over a three year career at UConn followed by a 9 year NBA career.

Scored 18 points and pulled down 14 boards in the 1964 NCAA regional final versus Duke.

Great player, who became a Pro, and carried Uconn farther than the Team had ever been, so i may have to reconsider Him on my list.

However, to play Devil's advocate:

1. Uconn was 15-11 that year
2. Lost to Duke 101-54
3. Yankees conference consisted of: Uconn, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, UMass, and New Hampshire.
4. Was ranked the 11th best Conference that year, 13th by winning % and last by strength of schedule.

 

[OceanDoggie]

Cliff Robinson gets no respect

I considered Uncle Cliff, but drunk free throws or not, Donyell just did way more in His time here.

 

[Waquoit]

Cliff Robinson gets no respect

He wasn't that good in college.

 

[Waquoit]

Haha, ok feel free to place Jake Voskhul and Alex Oriakhi above my #3 and #5. Much respect...

Is UConn about winning in the big spot or putting up individual numbers?

 

[noeynox]

He wasn't that good in college.

I don't know. He just didn't have enough pieces around him. Willie McCloud, Murray Williams, Phil Gamble, and Tate George were the guys who started alongside him his junior year.

 

[OceanDoggie]

Is UConn about winning in the big spot or putting up individual numbers?

First and foremost, Uconn Basketball is about a TEAM effort.

 

[Waquoit]

I don't know. He just didn't have enough pieces around him. Willie McCloud, Murray Williams, Phil Gamble, and Tate George were the guys who started alongside him his junior year.

I don't think you can blame the "pieces". His junior year they won the NIT and he wasn't the leader, he was just a piece of the puzzle. His senior year that team was good enough to dance but he just never came through, though he was a volume shooter. They go back to the NIT and bomb out. The next season, UConn basically just swaps out Cliff for Henefeld and it's the "Dream Season".

 

[noeynox]

I don't think you can blame the "pieces". His junior year they won the NIT and he wasn't the leader, he was just a piece of the puzzle. His senior year that team was good enough to dance but he just never came through, though he was a volume shooter. They go back to the NIT and bomb out. The next season, UConn basically just swaps out Cliff for Henefeld and it's the "Dream Season".

Yeah, but Chris Smith was a freshman his Sr. Year, and don't discount the impact of Burrell. I do blame the pieces more than i do Cliff. He had very little help, especially down low.

 

[storrsroars]

Nah, we're at the point now that if you didn't make the Final Four, you don't get on the list.

Well then, Tyler "Two Rings" Orlander!

Obviously Emeka is #1. We can argue the rest.

I'm wondering if Dainja went to bed last night thinking, "I wanna play for those guys next year."

 

[August_West]

Chuck Aleksinas
Vin Yokabaskas

 

[Drame]

Peter Kupilowski - 1933 - dominated the paint. Guy was a beast.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Chuck Aleksinas
Vin Yokabaskas

You forgot Kuczenski.

 

[Jaker]

the fact that Jake Voskuhl is not getting a nod is shocking!

 

[nomar]

Emeka is the best because of both ends.

Donovan is the most impactful defensively though. Thabeet, who won national defensive player of the year, didn’t even look like this.

Agree re Emeka but I don’t agree re Hash. Call Illinois crazy for testing Clingan but by the end of his career teams weren’t even going into the lane against Thabeet. I distinctly remember playing Louisville and their guys were scared to shoot from inside 10 feet. It was like there was a force field.

Clingan’s more mobile and fluid than Thabeet but Hash was an eraser and by the end of his career an efficient scorer. I feel like his awful NBA career is making people forget how incredible he was. He went as high as he did for a reason.