Who made Jim Calhoun's all-time UConn starting 5? Hall of Fame coach reveals picks
Jim Calhoun enjoyed a wildly successful 26-year run as head coach of the UConn men’s basketball team, winning 625 games and three national titles in Storrs.
Such a winning tradition led Calhoun to mentor dozens of standout future professionals, as 28 of his former UConn stars went on to play in the NBA. In a recent appearance on the Just In Time podcast, Calhoun created a starting lineup of the best players to represent UConn during his tenure with the program, producing a squad chock-full of college success and All-NBA accolades.
Good luck finding a weakness in this UConn five. Okafor. Butler. Kemba. Ray Allen. Rip Hamilton. Scoring, defense, versatility and plenty of ways to beat you. 🎙️Tune into the full episode with Jim Calhoun for more! #UConn #CBB #Huskies #Basketball #TheJustInTimePodcast https://t.co/OwgIl8xmHe
– TheJustInTime_Podcast (@TheJustInTime_P) October 7, 2026
Calhoun began with Emeka Okafor at center. The 6-foot-11 Houston native, who averaged a staggering 4.3 blocks per game with the Huskies, earned the starting nod over Hasheem Thabeet and Charlie Villanueva due to his versatility. Although his NBA career never matched his dominant college career, Okafor’s impact at UConn made him Calhoun’s choice at center.
“Emeka Okafor, on any kind of team,” Calhoun said. “If you wanted to run, if you wanted to go slow, if you wanted zone or man, he could do anything, because he’d figure it out. I’ve got to start him.”
Calhoun continued to value versatility in creating his hypothetical lineup, naming Caron Butler as his second starter. Butler played two seasons at UConn, averaging 20 points per game as a sophomore in Storrs before he was selected in the first round of the 2002 NBA Draft and launched a successful pro career – earning a spot on Calhoun’s squad because of his ability to stretch the defense as a 40% 3-point shooter while also attacking the rim with power.
The Hall of Fame coach selected Kemba Walker as the leader of his backcourt and paired him with Ben Gordon, a nearly 15-point-per-game scorer in the NBA who Calhoun believes “doesn’t get as much recognition as he should.” Calhoun rounded out the starting five with Ray Allen, likely the most decorated NBA player to come out of Storrs, and selected Richard “Rip” Hamilton as his sixth man off the bench.
This article originally published at Who made Jim Calhoun’s all-time UConn starting 5? Hall of Fame coach reveals picks.
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