• Toke69
    280
    As suggested in the Cal Poly discussion, this needs a new thread. The question is who should be in the UC Davis pantheon (thank you for the term, Oldbanduhalum). Lots of players have been noted so far:

    J. T. Adenrele
    Neal Monson
    Garrison Goode
    Mark Payne
    Joe Harden
    Dominic Caligari
    Elijah Pepper
    Corey Hawkins
    TJ Shorts
    Brynton Lemar

    Is there anyone else worthy of mention? I'm going to suggest that this list applies only for the Division 1 years (not to say that there weren't some pretty good players at the D2 level, notably Caligari) and any final list (if it can ever be determined) should be the best or "starting" five. One center, two forwards and two guards, or does it matter, given the league's increasing use of 3 and 4 guard lineups.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.1k
    Ok, here's my all-time starting five:

    Christian Anigwe at the post
    Chima Moneke at PF
    Corey Hawkins at SG
    Elijah Pepper at SG
    TJ Shorts at PG

    And for some amazing depth off the bench:

    Ezra Manjon
    Siler Schneider
    JT Adenrele
    Josh Ritchart
    Brynton Lamar
    Darius Graham
    Joe Mooney
    Ryan Sypkens

    This team takes us to the Sweet 16 and pulls an upset for an Elite 8 spot! :up:
  • DrMike
    649
    I like that list ! But, I would definately have Harden and Caligari ahead of Mooney and Silar. I was always a bit disappointed in both of their senior years. Harden and Dom had to endure Gary Stewart and that should count for something!
  • Oldbanduhalum
    589
    I’m going to try and put together a starting five of guys not mentioned so far. Across the front I’ll go Josh Fox, AJ John and Lawerence White. A little light on interior defense maybe, but the flexibility would be hard to guard. In the backcourt it’ll be Stefan Gonzalez and Tyler Les. Ok no real point guard, but Ill be leading the conference in made 3 point shots.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.1k
    I completely forgot about Stefan Gonzalez...incredible 3 point shooter! I think he led the nation in 3 point percentage in his senior year.
  • Toke69
    280
    Just looked it up. Yes, Gonzalez .477 3-point average led the nation ins the 2019-20 season.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.1k
    Wow...shooting nearly 50% from 3 is amazing!
  • movielover
    484
    Dr. Preston Neumayr in the starting five.

    Neal Monson and Tyler Les good players, not elite.
  • DrMike
    649
    looking at the record book, Hawkins was .488 in 14-15. I’d forgotten how accurate he was from behind the arc. Ritchart is the career leader at .563 but on only on 32 attempts (must have been injured). Gonzo and Corey were in the 170 shot range
  • Oldbanduhalum
    589
    I agree with that about Monson and Les.

    Honestly think that if we look at this list in a few years, we might be adding TY near the top. He needs to play a little more under control, limiting the turnovers, but considering this is really his first year, he’s shown huge potential
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.1k
    Wow...I'd forgotten about how accurate Hawkins was from 3 also. Les has a knack for finding good 3 point shooters which is a strategy that has worked well for the best, mid-major programs. It's extremely hard for mid-major programs to land highly talented big men. They're snatched up quickly by the power schools so finding elite outside shooters can be great equalizers for the smaller programs when they face teams with great size. Of course, the very best elite, power programs have both great size and deadly, outside shooters.

    Totally agree about TY. He's only going to get better and better with each game he plays. Some of our best PG's have been small like Manjon and Shorts. At 6'3, TY has good size for a PG to go along with his long arms and leaping ability which allows him to be a more disruptive defender and better rebounder. He has a lightening quick first step when he drives also. He has a higher dribble which is a bit of a disadvantage when he drives through traffic simply because it's a bit easier for the defenders to get a hand on the ball and cause a TO. I think that has improved a lot for him recently though. It's going to be fun watching him continue to grow and, as you noted, he could end up being one of our very best players ever. Let's hope the bright lights of the bigger programs don't lure him into the portal.
  • DrMike
    649
    I wish he’d work on his body language at times. Seems to get a little pouty.
  • Oldbanduhalum
    589
    Yeah I've noticed the same thing. Perhaps just some more game minutes will help with that.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.1k
    All players express their emotions on the court differently. For example, Pepper is a fierce competitor and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. He has a fire in his belly and, when things aren't going his way, he just becomes even more determined and fired up but his emotions never get out of control. On the other hand, Anigwe is a fierce competitor also but you rarely see his emotions. He's calm, cool and collected even though he's giving it 100%. He's steady as a rock.

    TY is young and you can tell that he has high expectations for himself and, consequently, you can see his disappointment when things don't go his way. You can see a slump in his body language when he's struggling and he can get a bit chippy at times especially if he gets baited. I think that will improve as he grows and matures with the game. He'll learn to let stuff go more easily and just compete even harder when things happen like getting hacked with no foul called or getting called for a cheap bump when playing aggressive defense. Those things are frustrating for any player and, right now, he just shows his frustration a little more and a little longer.

    I've noticed that Les sits TY down for a while at times when he sees his emotions are getting in the way of his performance. Some players just need a little more time to settle and let go of stuff and that will get better for him with more experience. He's got great coaches and teammates around him to help and his performance, growth ceiling is very high. It's going to be a pleasure to watch him in the years to come..
  • Toke69
    280
    One big problem with a player who lets his emotions get to and control him, is that the other teams can use it to their advantage with trash talk to throw him off his game, but we digress...
  • Toke69
    280
    I like BlueGold's starting five, but I've seen all of them and I have to disqualify myself from anyone who played prior to 2012, when Hawai`i joined the league and I had a chance to watch even one UCD game, let alone the plethora I get to see now.
  • BaseballAtDobbins
    42
    Can we get a women's comparison too? Would anyone from 2011 make that team? Or do more recent teams have the starters?
  • Oldbanduhalum
    589
    Good question. Paige Mintun’s last year was 10-11 I think. At 6’3” she could drive, post up, and step out and hit a three.
  • DrMike
    649
    o954bnljah6rz8q1.jpeg
    Speaking of former Ag greats, Garrison Goode was at the game Saturday.
  • Toke69
    280
    When I was going to UCD, there was no women's intercollegiate team, so I never got attached to it. In fact the first year I was there, women weren't even allowed to play full court 5 on five IM basketball or any kind of football. That changed remarkably fast.
  • AggieFinn2
    88
    Jed Maddela for the pantheon. Put him at center.
  • BaseballAtDobbins
    42
    I loved that 2011 team. Went to a bunch of games that season, my last quarter at school.
  • SoCalAggie
    43
    We were always one year off for a while.

    Corey Hawkins couldn’t overlap with shorts who couldn’t really overlap with Chima.

    Can we talk about how good this team would be this year if Ezra didn’t transfer?

    Ezra 1
    TY 2
    Pepper 3
    Adebayo 4
    Anigwe 5

    Key bench players
    - debruhl
    - Beasley
    - milling
    -borra
    - lose
  • SoCalAggie
    43
    The problem with the ags was who could score after the top 2 players in recent years. No one.

    Right now we have 3 scorers and then we drop off steep. The lineup I posted above would be scary in the big west…
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