As we wrote earlier this month, Andre Jackson Jr. and Stephon Castle recently repped UConn in the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. While neither could dethrone serial dunk champ Mac McClung, Castle’s second-place finish was the best ever by a Husky, and his third dunk earned the first perfect score by a UConn alum. Not bad.
In case you missed it, check out a recap here.
All this dunk talk got us thinking – who are the best dunkers in UConn history? Since picking just one is nearly impossible, we decided to draft our own all-time dunk squads. Using a snake draft (with draft order determined by the always-reliable wheelofnames.com), we assembled our teams.
One caveat: This draft is limited to the Calhoun era and beyond.
The Draft
Commentary
Team Matt O
I was ecstatic to land the first pick. Honestly, if the wheel hadn’t landed on me, I probably would’ve lied and said it did. That’s how certain I was that Stanley Robinson was the clear-cut first overall pick. No disrespect to Rudy Gay, but Stanley finished in a way that made you question the laws of physics. The defining moment for me? The now legendary Dyson-to-Sticks half court alley-oop against then #1 Texas that sent Gampel Pavilion into absolute bedlam. To this day, I have never heard such an eruption from an arena following a slam dunk. His nickname was “Sticks” for a reason – the man had pogo sticks for legs.
I was certain either Allen or Gordon would be off the board for my next picks but as the draft snaked back, there they sat, untouched. Allen was (slightly) before my time but his highlight reels and two-handed tomahawks speak for themselves. Watching those dunks instilled a deep sense of UConn pride in me.
With Ben Gordon, the pick was personal. I grew up watching BG electrify my living room on a nightly basis with a combination of power and finesse that made him one of the most dynamic guards in UConn history. In the basement dunk contests my brother and I held on our mini hoop, I was always Ben Gordon.
For my final picks, I stayed true to my roots selecting two relentless rim-attackers from my childhood: Caron Butler and Tony Robertson. Both were underdogs. Both were bulldogs. And both embodied the blue-collar, no-fear mentality that defined the Calhoun era. They didn’t just dunk – they attacked the rim like they had something to prove.
In the end, I built my team around raw athleticism, power, and a little bit of nostalgia. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade my squad for anyone else’s.
Honorable Mention: Ryan Boatright. In a stunning twist at UConn’s 2011-12 First Night festivities, the 5’10 Boatright defied expectations, outshining Team Matt McD’s Andre Drummond in an electrifying dunk contest. With an unmatched explosiveness and flair, Boat captivated the crowd, cementing this status as one of the most underrated high-flyers in UConn history. And this was just the beginning – stay tuned for more on this unforgettable dunk contest in future posts.
Team Matt McD
Rudy Gay was the clear-cut second pick for me once the late, great Stanley Robinson was selected at the top of the draft. Gay’s rim rockers in Maui and high flying tomahawks and windmills in Storrs and Hartford highlighted his two seasons at UConn. The signature dunk of his college career is best summed up in a photo rather than video. It’s his backwards dunk in transition against Syracuse in the Big East semifinals where he cocks the ball below his waist before the no-look finish.
Once the second round rolled around, and both Donyell Marshall and Ray Allen were off the board, I felt lucky to be in position to scoop up Jeremy Lamb. Another two-year player in Storrs whose highlights were mostly through the air, Lamb’s timely dunks during the Big East and NCAA championship runs in 2011 were some of his signature plays including: a put-back against Louisville in the Big East title game, two steal-and-slams via Shabazz Napier to seal the Sweet 16 win over San Diego State, and when he went into orbit in the second half against Butler during the national championship in Houston. He continued it all in the next season’s opener with his baseline poster on a Columbia big man.
In the third round, I was debating between two post players, both undersized in a way, Kevin Freeman and Jeff Adrien. Despite Adrien being a stalwart for a Final Four team, I ended up going with the former and 1999 national champion. Freeman, a post player who could finish around the basket in traffic, would rock the rim on two-handed slams in the open court. Viewing the draft board, however, Freeman in this spot may have been a reach.
I think I made up for it in the fourth round by picking Andre Drummond. Once he slid to that spot, I had to pounce on the one-and-done in Storrs. Drummond will ultimately be remembered for comparative longevity in his NBA career, but his one season at UConn had plenty of thunderous in-game dunks, as well as a between the legs instant classic that’s now legendary at First Night.
The second nostalgic pick out of three, Edmund Saunders was drafted to add moxie and swagger. Saunders had ups and power, but what I remember most are dunks with an added flair after. Taunting or celebrating, a little shimmy after finishing a dunk brings entertainment.
Honorable Mention: Emeka Okafor. Okafor, UConn’s lone National Player of the Year in school history, seems to be often overlooked as a Husky star. UConn’s own version of Tim Duncan in a way. Surprise or not, he was possibly overlooked in this draft. Even though he wouldn’t necessarily star in a dunk contest, the model of consistency could still throw it down. One of his slams is forever etched in the annals of time on the cover of EA Sports’ NCAA March Madness 2005.
Team Colin
This draft was as rigged as the NBA draft lottery with Matt O getting the first pick. Luckily I don’t mind having back to back picks in a snake draft order.
My first selection has arguably the best in-game dunk in UConn history: Donyell Marshall. Marshall’s in-game 360 dunk against Seton Hall at Gampel would’ve been impressive in a 90s NBA dunk contest. I stayed old school for my second round pick and took the late, great Cliff Robinson. You may argue it’s too early to take Robinson the rim-rocker but I was worried he wouldn’t be available in later rounds.
When I think back to my first year as a student in Storrs, I remember meeting lifelong friends, eating 3-4 helpings at Northwest Dining Hall, and seeing Jerome Dyson cock back to slam it with his right hand on a fast break in alternate grey uniforms. Dyson was a great dunker at 6-foot-3, and yes the Huskies would’ve won the 2009 national title if Dyson stays healthy.
Fast forward to a team and player that won the national championship: Andre Jackson was my fourth pick. Jackson may not have fared well in the NBA Dunk Contest this year, but he not only rocked, but hung on the rim. A lasting image from the 2023 title run for UConn was Jackson’s jam against Miami in the Final Four.
Call me biased for the 2009 Final Four team, but I wanted my roster to range in height and style of dunks. Hasheem Thabeet did not have to jump very high, if at all, at 7-foot-3 to stuff it, but he made his mark not only on rims, but in Storrs to round out the roster.
Honorable Mention: Kemba Walker. Now Kemba is more known for a game-winning step back or floater, but one dunk got the 2011 National Champion on the draft board. In the first half of the 2011 Big East championship game, playing his fifth game in fifth days, Walker stole the ball from Louisville’s Peyton Siva and still had enough in his legs to jam it on a fast break. My personal favorite UConn dunk in history.
Vote below on our Instagram poll which team you are taking in an all-UConn dunk contest and let us know in the comments if we missed anyone!
