.png)
On Saturday, ESPN's College Gameday visited Storrs, Connecticut ahead of UConn's matchup versus Villanova. Rip Hamilton received the honor of having his number 32 forever enshrined in Gampel Pavilion. On College Gameday, he said who his Top 5 UConn players are in no particular order.
Ray Allen (1993-1996)
One of the greatest shooters of all time, Ray Allen is a household name for UConn fans. Allen averaged 19 points per game and 44% from three in his collegiate career. That three point percentage (.448) is number one in the Big East all time. Allen was 2x All-Big East, 2x Big East Tournament Team, Big East All-Freshman, and NCAA All-Region. His number 34 was hung in the rafters at Gampel in 2019.
Donyell Marshal (1991-1994)
The former 4th overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, Donyell Marshall paved the way for a new generation of Huskies players. From 1991-1994, he was an all-around athletic player that was complete on both ends of the floor. In 1993-1994 Marshall won Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Big East Player of the Year. Throughout his career, he averaged 18 PPG and 7 RPG.
Rip Hamilton (1996-1999)
The newest Husky with his number in the rafters, Hamilton was a member of UConn's first ever National Championship team in 1999. 2x All-Big East, NCAA Tournament MVP, 2x Big East POY are just the beginning of his list of accolades. Averaging just under 20 points per game in his career, Hamilton was another UConn player that set up success for future generations.
Emeka Okafor (2001-2004)
The second pick in the 2004 NBA draft, Okafor was a dominant big man that helped UConn win their second National Championship in 2004. Okafor was the 02-03 and 03-04 Big East DPOY and the 2004 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He is third all time in the Big East with 441 career blocks. Okafor averaged 13 PPG and 10 RPG from 2001-2004.
Kemba Walker (2008-2011)
Arguably one of the most iconic game winners in College Basketball history belongs to Cardiac Kemba. From 2008 to 2011, Walker averaged 16 PPG with 4 assists in his career. In the 2010-2011 season, Walker was on the National Championship team that went on one of the greatest runs tournament history. He was the Tournament MOP and won Big East Tournament MVP too. Along with great offensive efficiency, Kemba led the Big East with 2 steals per game in 2009-2010.
This list is hard to disagree with, but of course, there are plenty of players that have a case to crack this Top 5. Some that come to mind are Ben Gordon, Shabazz Napier, Cliff Robinson, and Adama Sanogo. This is a good problem to have as a UConn Husky fan. There have been so many great players to play for the program, and who knows what this list will look like ten years from now.