College Basketball All-Decade Team of 2000s

C – Emeka Okafor, UConn

It’s hard to find a true center to put on this list, but Okafor more than earned a spot. He was one of the greatest defensive players of the decade, and it was that defensive prowess that helped him lead UConn to the 2004 national title. In that season, Okafor was named national defensive player of the year, as well as Big East player of the year.

In that run, Okafor ran into Redick and the Duke Blue Devils in the semifinals. It was Okafor, however, who got the upper hand, scoring 18 points in the second half and holding Williams of Duke to 4 points on the night. In the national title game, it was merely a formality as UConn waltzed past Georgia Tech behind Okafor’s 24 points and 15 rebounds, earning his spot on this team.