The University of Connecticut (UCONN) men’s basketball program has established itself as one of the premier college basketball teams in the nation. Known for consistently making deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, UCONN has produced several NBA stars over the years.
#5 – Rudy Gay
A versatile forward with good size and athleticism, Rudy Gay played two seasons at UCONN from 2004-2006. He earned All-American honors as a sophomore after averaging 15.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, helping lead the Huskies to the Elite 8 in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
The Houston Rockets selected Gay with the 8th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. He has gone on to have a successful 16-year NBA career so far, averaging 18.4 points over stints with the Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs.
Though he has never made an All-Star team, Gay has been one of the more reliable scoring forwards of his era. His combination of size, athleticism, and shot-creation ability made him an offensive force during his prime years.
#4 – Ben Gordon
An elite scorer known for his clutch shot-making ability, Ben Gordon played three seasons at UCONN from 2001-2004. He helped lead the Huskies to a national championship in 2004 while earning consensus First Team All-American honors.
Gordon averaged 18.5 points per game over his UCONN career. The Chicago Bulls selected him with the 3rd overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He made an immediate impact by winning Sixth Man of the Year as a rookie, establishing himself as one of the NBA’s top bench scorers.
In his best season, Gordon averaged 21.4 points while shooting over 41% from three-point range in 2006-2007. Though he fizzled out towards the end of his career, Gordon‘s elite shooting and scoring ability made him one of the deadliest offensive players of the mid-2000s.
#3 – Caron Butler
After overcoming a rough childhood, Caron Butler emerged as a star player in his two years at UCONN. He earned consensus First Team All-American honors in 2002 after averaging 20 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Selected by the Miami Heat with the 10th overall pick in 2002, Butler was a primary scorer on multiple playoff teams. His best years came as a member of the Washington Wizards in the mid-2000s when he averaged over 20 points per game in back-to-back seasons.
One of the NBA’s iron men, Butler played over 1000 games over a 15-year career while battling through injuries and changing teams frequently. His toughness and clutch play epitomized the type of player that UCONN products represent in the NBA.
#2 – Ray Allen
The man with the silkiest smooth jumper in NBA history, Ray Allen rewrote the record books as an elite three-point marksman over his 18 seasons in the league. Before that, he spent three illustrious years at UCONN from 1993-1996.
Allen led the country in scoring as a junior, averaging 23.4 points per game. He finished his college career with over 1700 points scored. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Allen with the 5th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft before immediately trading him.
He emerged as a star player on the Milwaukee Bucks before winning an NBA title and cementing his legacy on the Boston Celtics.
Allen smashed the career three-pointer record with 2,973 triples in his career. His quick trigger and picture-perfect form made him nearly unguardable beyond the arc.
The 10-time All-Star and two-time champion earned his place in the Hall of Fame as one of the pioneers of the three-point revolution in the NBA.
#1 – Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker delivered one of the most iconic single-season performances in college basketball history as a junior at UCONN. He carried the Huskies to a surprise Big East Tournament championship before leading them on a magical six-game championship run in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Walker averaged 23.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.9 steals as the unquestioned leader and closer for the Huskies. His step-back jumper to sink Pittsburgh at the buzzer of the Big East Tournament lives on as one of the most memorable shots in college basketball lore.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Walker 9th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Initially stuck on bad Hornets teams, he broke out as an All-Star guard after signing with the Boston Celtics in 2016.
Walker averaged 19.9 points and 4.8 assists in peak years at Boston, hitting one of the biggest shots in Celtics’ playoff history with a game-winner over the 76ers in 2018.
Now in his 13th NBA season, injuries have slowed down Walker recently. But at his best, his scoring punch, ball-handling wizardry, and clutch playmaking carried on the spirit and success he first found at UCONN.
Sources:
www.sportingnews.com/ca/ncaa-basketball/news/best-nba-players-uconn-ray-allen-kemba-walker/701e80b37a1917d699d51bed
www.ranker.com/list/best-uconn-huskies-of-all-time/ranker-ncaa-basketball
