The men's basketball team at the University of Connecticut has been around for more than 100 years, but there have been few NCAA programs better than UCONN the last couple of decades. Under legendary coach Jim Calhoun, the Huskies have reached the Final Four three times and won two national titles (1998 and 2003). Overall, the Huskies have won the Big East Conference tournament championship six times and appeared in the NCAA Tournament 28 times. All those accomplishments wouldn't be possible if not for the great players that have worn UCONN blue and white.
One of the greatest players in UCONN history is Chris Smith, a tough guard who played at the school from 1988-92. He holds the all-time points record at UCONN with 2,145 and had the most double points games for the Huskies. But Smith's NBA career lasted all of three seasons and 224 games. The best basketball players in UCONN history aren't always the best NBA players. Five former Huskies, however, had great college careers before moving on to very good or great pro careers.
- Ray Allen ... Most NBA points scored by player from UCONN.
- Clifford Robinson ... Most NBA games played by a former Husky.
- Richard Hamilton ... UCONN's second all-time leader in points scored.
- Ben Gordon ... Averaging 20 points per game in first seven NBA seasons.
- Caron Butler ... Fifth-most NBA points among former UCONN players.
1. Ray Allen – Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, this sharp-shooting guard has enjoyed a long and prosperous NBA career. He has the most NBA points -- 21,000-plus and counting – and by far the most three-pointers among NBA players from UCONN. The nine-time All-Star, who started his career with Milwaukee, played four seasons in Seattle, and finally won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Allen played three seasons at UCONN from 1993-96 and scored 1,922 points for a lofty 19 points per game average.
2. Clifford Robinson – He may not be the best NBA player to come out of UCONN, but Robinson lasted 17 years in the NBA, which makes him the grand-daddy of UCONN players. The durable, defensive-minded guard/forward played in 1,380 NBA games. He averaged at least 20 points per game each season from 1993-96, the best stretch of his career, and scored 19,591 career points, second most behind Allen. Robinson made the NBA All-Star Game just once in his career (1994), but he ranks high on the list of former UCONN greats due to his longevity and productivity in the NBA.
3. Richard "Rip" Hamilton -- Hamilton, who was drafted by the Washington Wizards with the seventh overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, ranks second all-time on the school's points scored list with 2,036. A solid three-point shooter and defender, Rip has averaged between 17-20 points per game for all but the first season of his career. During the 2004-05 season, he averaged 19.7 points and 4.9 assists per game to help the Pistons win the NBA championship, but his best season statistically was in 2005-06 when he averaged a career-high 20.1 points per game and led the league in three-point percentage (.458). Hamilton has the third-most NBA points (14,000-plus) by a former UCONN player.
4. Ben Gordon ... Gordan had three huge seasons at UCONN before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. Gordan, who ranks sixth on the all-time UCONN points scored list with 1,795, has turned into a reliable scoring guard in the NBA. He averaged a career-best 21.4 points per game in the 2006-07 season with the Chicago Bulls. After five solid seasons in Chicago, he signed as a free agent in 2009 with the Detroit Pistons. Gordan's scoring average has dipped to around 13 points per game, but he still is considered one of the more durable guards in the league having played in at least 80 games four times in seven seasons to date.
5. Caron Butler ... After two stellar seasons at UCONN, Butler was drafted by the Miami Heat 10th overall in the first round of the 2002 NBA Draft. He quickly established himself in the league by being named to the NBA's All-Rookie team. Butler had his best seasons to date with the Washington Wizards, whom he played for from 2005-09. He averaged a tick more than 20 points per game in 2007 and 2008 and was named to the NBA All-Star Game in each of those seasons. Butler now is with his fourth NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks, but remains a solid scoring guard.
Honorable Mentions: Donyell Marshall (14,321 career NBA points), Rudy Gay (active), Emeka Okafor (all-time UCONN shot blocker with 441), Charlie Villanueva (active).
Sources:
Basketball-reference.com. Accessed Nov. 29, 2010.
University of Connecticut Official Athletic Site. Accessed Nov. 29, 2010.
Adam Martini - Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has more than 15 years of writing experience, most recently as ...
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