Last week, The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., put out a special basketball section. In it, the writer ranked the top 100 players in USC hoops history because it is the 100th year of South Carolina basketball.
John Roche was No. 1 and Alex English No. 2. But because South Carolina’s basketball history is less than legendary, you pretty much could make the list if you could touch the rim.
It got me to thinking, as Andy Griffith would say, about where you would stick the starters from the previous two Florida teams in an all-time ranking of Gator basketball players.
I think the further away from their amazing feats we get the better they will look. I’m not backing away from a long-held belief that Neal Walk was No. 1 and Vernon Maxwell (especially if character is ignored) is No. 2.
So where do we put the boys. They weren’t about singular achievement but team play. Still, LOOK WHAT THEY DID!
I gave this a lot of thought and I know you will leave some comments (my birthday was this week so try to be nice), but this is my top 10.
1. Neal Walk
2. Vernon Maxwell
3. Al Horford
4. Udonis Haslem
5. Corey Brewer
6. Mike Miller
7. Joakim Noah
8. Dwayne Schintzius
9. Eugene McDowell
10. Taurean Green
Aw, let’s keep going.
11. Stacey Poole
12. Dan Cross
13. Ronnie Williams
14. Andy Owens
15. Gene Shy
16. Matt Bonner
17. Andrew Moten
18. Lee Humphrey
19. Tony Miller
20. David Lee
Hey, this is fun. One more time.
21. Livingston Chatman
22. Andrew DeClercq
23. Chip Williams
24. Matt Walsh
25. Al Bonner
26. Gary Keller
27. Dwayne Davis
28. Brett Nelson
29. Dametri Hill
30. Eddie Shannon
Discuss.
David Lee’s way underrated at 20 as is Andrew DeClerq at 22, but I’m biased as a former “big man” even at the D-2 level.
Where’s Jason Williams and where’s the next 70! in our top 100?
Suggestion: Poll the players so far listed to get another 30 at least, eh, what? Teddy Dupay’s got to play in our top fifty, n’est-ce pas?
Kenyan Weeks is/was a key player on the Bulgarian National Championship team just 3 or 4 years ago. Let him IN!!!