NCAA Basketball: Mount Rushmores for the top 25 programs of all-time

UConn Basketball Mount Rushmore: Jim Calhoun, Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier, Emeka Okafor

Jim Calhoun

Jim Calhoun turned the UConn Huskies into a powerhouse after taking over the program in 1986. The Huskies had only made the Elite Eight on one occasion before Calhoun took over. Now, he holds program records in pretty much every coaching category.

He led UConn to 10 Big East regular season titles, seven Big Ten tournament titles, four Final Four appearances and three national championships. One of just six coaches to win at least three national titles, Calhoun’s 877 career wins ranks fifth all-time.

Kemba Walker

Let’s be real – you know why Kemba Walker is on this list.

The man became an all-time college basketball legend with that run. The Huskies were the first team to win five games in five days to win a conference tournament. Walker was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, as UConn won the 2011 National Championship.

Don’t forget that Walker was great during the season, too, as he averaged 23.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

Shabazz Napier

Shabazz Napier went on a Walker-type run of his own in 2014, leading the Huskies to their fourth national championship and the first for the man who succeeded Calhoun in Kevin Ollie.

The 2014 Huskies are the only No. 7 seed to win the NCAA Tournament to date. They did so because of Napier’s high level of play. He averaged 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the Big Dance.

Napier finished his illustrious career with two national championships and is the only player in program history with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 250 steals.

Emeka Okafor

Emeka Okafor was the star of UConn’s second national championship team in 2004. A defensive stalwart that was a two-time All-American and National Defensive Player of the Year, Okafor is the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots.

After stepping into a bigger role as a sophomore, the 6-10 big man averaged 15.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game before averaging 17.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game as a junior.

Okafor was at his best on the biggest stage, scoring 24 points while grabbing 15 rebounds in their national championship victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, despite missing almost all the first half with foul trouble.