http://www.southtownstar.com/sports/1638793,062509sptdraftlocals.article
This Chicago area article says "McNeal, Matthews and James have to be one of college basketball's best, if not most productive, trios of all time."
The writer obviously didn't factor in NCAA Tournament success in his measurement. Beyond Michigan's Fab Five, who else?
Didn't Hakeem, Clyde Drexler, and Cadillac Anderson come in together at Houston. And I think UNLV had some good threesomes under Tark.
We're discussing the Southtown Star? I hope this article was at least in the Sun Times to have any credibility.
Quote from: Phi Iota Gamma 84 on June 25, 2009, 11:00:38 AM
Didn't Hakeem, Clyde Drexler, and Cadillac Anderson come in together at Houston. And I think UNLV had some good threesomes under Tark.
No. Clyde came in the year before Hakeem, and Cadillac didn't come until Hakeem was a junior and Drexler was gone.
Thanks
Quote from: Phi Iota Gamma 84 on June 25, 2009, 11:00:38 AM
Didn't Hakeem, Clyde Drexler, and Cadillac Anderson come in together at Houston. And I think UNLV had some good threesomes under Tark.
There was a lot of overlap with Phi Slamma Jamma. Clyde and Larry Micheaux were seniors in 1983. Akeem played at UH through 1984 when he became the last non-lottery #1 overall pick. Michael Young, the smooth lefty shooter, was a first-round pick in 1984 too. Greg Anderson was a couple of years younger than those guys, he came in with the more highly touted Ricky Winslow and as they freshman played in the NCAA title game in 1984.
What a program at the time.....3 straight final fours, back-to-back title games.
I think Chones, McGuire and Frazier were the same class.
Quote from: marqptm on June 25, 2009, 11:02:01 AM
We're discussing the Southtown Star? I hope this article was at least in the Sun Times to have any credibility.
I'm not saying it's credible. I just think it's an interesting topic that could be tossed around.
Honestly, I think they're the most overrated trio of all time. They compiled huge statistics because of huge playing time and the cart blanche they were given as soon as they stepped on campus. None were great offensive players. DJ was a great defender and that's it. McNeal played hard defensively for two years and offensively for two years. Matthews was a solid, if unspectacular basketball player.
PRN, Seriously dude? You're being very undude. The three amigos deserve a lot of credit for the quality of our program and while they might not be "All time" they will go down as some of top players to come through our program.
Sorry...that's my opinion. I don't think any of the three are even close to the Top 10 players in our program's history. Even in the past few years I'd take Wade, Diener, Jackson, Novak and even junior year Merritt over any of them. Frankly, I preferred Cordell Henry to DJ, too. I also think Blankson was a better player than either McNeal or Matthews.
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on June 25, 2009, 11:58:25 AM
Sorry...that's my opinion. I don't think any of the three are even close to the Top 10 players in our program's history. Even in the past few years I'd take Wade, Diener, Jackson, Novak and even junior year Merritt over any of them. Frankly, I preferred Cordell Henry to DJ, too. I also think Blankson was a better player than either McNeal or Matthews.
Wow. Floodgates open.
Cordell over DJ? Blankson over McNeal? Merrit over any of them? Are you high???
Kojis, Thompson, Meminger, Brell, Lackey, Chones, Ellis, McNeil, Lucas, Rivers, Wilson, Novak, Diener, Wade, Hutchins, Miller, and McIlvaine, to name a few were better than the 3 seniors. I'm with Rican on this, citing lots of playing time as a major reason for their stats.
Most of the past greats with the exception of Doc Rivers had TONS of talent around them; the three amigos weren't as lucky with the exception of Lazar and Novak. What they did in some of the fiercest competition college basketball has ever seen is remarkable, so lets forget their stats and just give them credit where credit is due.
Quote from: CAINMUTINY on June 25, 2009, 12:54:18 PM
Most of the past greats with the exception of Doc Rivers had TONS of talent around them; the three amigos weren't as lucky with the exception of Lazar and Novak. What they did in some of the fiercest competition college basketball has ever seen is remarkable, so lets forget their stats and just give them credit where credit is due.
thats a bull crap argument considering that the 3 of them were on the court most of the time.
I could see if you argued that DJ didn't pan out because (assuming McNeal and Matthews never came to MU) he had no one around him... but this is a rediculous argument.
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on June 25, 2009, 11:58:25 AM
Sorry...that's my opinion. I don't think any of the three are even close to the Top 10 players in our program's history. Even in the past few years I'd take Wade, Diener, Jackson, Novak and even junior year Merritt over any of them. Frankly, I preferred Cordell Henry to DJ, too. I also think Blankson was a better player than either McNeal or Matthews.
LOL! Blankson was a very good player and maybe he was better than Matthews, but there's no way he was better than McNeal.
And none of the amigos get drafted.
Have 3 players from the same class ever been drafted in the same year? I'm not counting UNC's trio from this year because they are from different classes.
North Carolina has players picked in the first round every year.
No, I mean 3 seniors all drafted together.
Quote from: BrewCity on June 26, 2009, 10:50:04 AM
No, I mean 3 seniors all drafted together.
If you limit it just to the same class, then it last happened in 2007.
Ohio State had 3 first round freshman, Oden, Conley and Cook.
Florida had 3 first round juniors, Horford, Noah and Brewer.
In the final analysis, I disagree with PRN's statment that the Amigos were the most over-rated group in MU history. The bottom line is that TC was never able to attract quality bigs or a lights-out shooter to go with the trio. As far as the NBA goes, thats a crap shoot as the NBAers liik for height/size/length and shooting with true basketball skills last.
1991 UNLV
Larry Johnson (1st)
Greg Anthony (12th)
Stacy Augmon (9th)
And George Ackles (early 2nd)
So that's 4 seniors in one draft from one team.
Quote from: MU_B2002 on June 26, 2009, 12:34:59 PM
1991 UNLV
Larry Johnson (1st)
Greg Anthony (12th)
Stacy Augmon (9th)
And George Ackles (early 2nd)
So that's 4 seniors in one draft from one team.
Close, but no, they don't fit. They may have all left the same year, but they weren't in the same class.
Augmon, Anthony and Ackles were all 5th year seniors, one because of ineligibility(Augmon) one because of a transfer(Anthony) and one because of a redshirt(Ackles) so they were not in the same class as Johnson.
Quote from: bma725 on June 26, 2009, 01:20:15 PM
Close, but no, they don't fit. They may have all left the same year, but they weren't in the same class.
Augmon, Anthony and Ackles were all 5th year seniors, one because of ineligibility(Augmon) one because of a transfer(Anthony) and one because of a redshirt(Ackles) so they were not in the same class as Johnson.
DAMN YOU AND YOUR MAD BASKETBALL KNOWLEDGE!!! Finally think I contribute something of value, but no. But then again I was 12 when they were drafted, so cut me some slack. :P
Quote from: Nukem2 on June 26, 2009, 12:17:56 PM
The bottom line is that TC was never able to attract quality bigs
Which I still don't understand. After 2003, how does he not walk into any living room in the country with a 6'8"+ 225+ lb. prospect in it and say "look at all the guards I have, all I need is a dominant big man and we will go to the Final Four" and get SOMEONE of quality to respond?
1990...Michigan had three players drafted in the first round. Rumeal Robinson, Loy Vaught and Terry Mills. (They were all seniors, but not sure if they were in the same class.)
1976...Indiana had Scott May, Quinn Buckner and Bob Wilkerson
1968...South Carolina had Gary Gregor, Skip Harlicka and Shaler Halimon
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on June 26, 2009, 01:42:06 PM
1990...Michigan had three players drafted in the first round. Rumeal Robinson, Loy Vaught and Terry Mills. (They were all seniors, but not sure if they were in the same class.)
Robinson and Mills were in the same class, Vaught was a redshirt senior, so not the same class. Oddly, all three sat out at least one year because both Robinson and Mills were ineligible as freshman.
Quote
1976...Indiana had Scott May, Quinn Buckner and Bob Wilkerson
That's another one. Oddly though, they didn't play 4 years together because both Buckner and Wilkinson were ineligible as freshman.
Quote1968...South Carolina had Gary Gregor, Skip Harlicka and Shaler Halimon
Ummm....Shaler Halimon didn't go to South Carolina, he went to Utah State.
Quote from: bma725 on June 26, 2009, 02:11:14 PM
Ummm....Shaler Halimon didn't go to South Carolina, he went to Utah State.
Stupid wikipedia... :)