ALL-TIME BIG EAST TOP 50 PLAYERS, Chris Dokish, Connecticut News, Georgetown News

BIG EAST ALL-TIME TOP 50 PLAYERS: #18 & #17

Today we return to the countdown of the Big East All-Time Top 50 Players compiled by NBE Basketball Report recruiting analyst and staff writer Chris Dokish.

Over the course of four weeks, leading up to the start of the 2008-2009 regular season, our top 50 list will be revealed as we countdown to the #1 Big East player of all-time.

Today we continue with a look at #18 and #17 on our list. We will continue to unveil two players a day over these final two weeks to conclude our look at the top 50.

Enjoy the trip through the history of the Big East.

18) Emeka Okafor: Connecticut - (2001-04) Houston, TX

Three years: 13.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 4.3 bpg, 59.0% FG, 56.4% FT

Defensive Player of the Year (2003)

Defensive Player of the Year (2004)

Player of the Year (2004)

First Team Consensus All-American (2004)

NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2004)

Maybe not the most dominating player from an offensive standpoint, but defensively he was one of the best shot blockers in the history of the game, as well as an excellent rebounder.

The 6’9” center averaged just 7.9 ppg as a freshman, but also added 9.0 rpg, shot 62% from the field, and had an unreal 4.1 bpg. As a sophomore, he began to fine tune his offensive game with 15.9 ppg on 59.9% shooting. Defensively, his shot blocking was off the charts with 4.7 bpg. Needless to say, that led the country. Entering his senior season, Okafor was the favorite to be the national player of the year. Despite persistent back problems, he responded by averaging 17.6 ppg and 11.5 rpg. As a shot blocker, he was still amazing with 4.1 bpg. Along with Ben Gordon, Okafor took the team on his back in his final season, all the way to the National Championship where he was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

An excellent student, Okafor graduated in just three years so he entered the NBA draft after his junior season. He finished his career with 1,426 points and 1,091 rebounds. His 441 blocks are 8th all-time in the NCAA despite playing only three seasons, his 207 Big East blocks ranks 5th all-time in the conference, and his 4.3 bpg ranks 1st in the Big East. But Okafor was more than just a shot blocking machine and he proved it by ranking 4th all-time in conference games with 10.0 rpg, and 2nd all-time in the Big East by shooting 59.3% from the field.

The Charlotte Bobcats made him the second overall pick in the draft. He became Rookie of the Year and is currently a star in the league, averaging a double double over his first four seasons.
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17) Reggie Williams: Georgetown - (1983-87) Baltimore, MD

Four years: 15.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 38.6% 3FG, 76.8% FT.

Player of the Year (1987)

First Team Consensus All-American (1987)

If you look at just his career statistics, this may look too high for Williams. But then you have to take into account the team he was on and the lack of a college three point shot until his senior year. Only then can one see that on a lesser team and with a few more years with the three point shot, the final totals would be much more impressive.

As a freshman, Williams joined a powerful Hoyas team that included Patrick Ewing and eventually went on to beat Houston in the National Championship game. In the title game, Williams, despite not starting for most of the season, responded with 19 points and 7 rebounds. For the season, he averaged 9.1 ppg. In his sophomore season, Ewing was a senior and therefore was the obvious central point of the team. Williams still responded with 11.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 1.5 spg, while shooting 50.6% from the field and 75.5% from the line. Unfortunately for Williams, and Hoyas fans, that season ended in a loss to Villanova in the National Championship game. In his junior season, Ewing was gone and Williams joined with former high school teammate David Wingate to lead the team. He responded with 17.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg, and 1.5 spg, while shooting an excellent 52.8% from the field. The rebounding totals were especially notable as Williams was a rail thin 6’7” wing. As a senior, Williams finally became the focal point of a team so young that their unexpected 29-5 record resulted in the team being dubbed “Reggie and the Miracles”. Williams was clearly the dominant player on the team, and in the conference, as he averaged 23.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg, while making 80.4% from the free throw line and coming up big defensively with 2.1 spg. Finally the great shooter also got to play with a three point shot and took the chance to fire up 202 of them for a 38.6% success rate.

Former Big East announcer Mike Gorman remembered Williams as a “terrific scorer that thrived in the Georgetown system” under Hall of Fame coach John Thompson.

For his career, he totaled 2,117 points and 886 rebounds. Taken by the Los Angeles Clippers with the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft, Williams played nine seasons and averaged 12.5 ppg for his career.
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Note: The only criteria that was used to compile the list was how well a player performed in college, specifically in the conference, physically as well as the degree of impact he made for his program or the league. NOT taken into consideration was the general popularity of the player, how high he was drafted into the NBA, or even his pro career. Also, no current players are eligible.

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