Give It Up For The Big Guy: Hasheem Thabeet

By: Kevin Meacham

Posted: 2/7/08

This is a special time to be a UConn basketball fan.

It's not because A.J. Price is playing like a man possessed. It's not because Jim Calhoun is physically taking the team by the hand and crossing them over Respectability Boulevard, avoiding the speeding vehicles that are last-second 3s by Louisville and Cincinnati.

No, this year is special because we may never see a force quite like Hasheem Thabeet again - and we may not see him for much longer.

Ah, the big fella. I think everyone can agree he was ridiculously frustrating last year. Calhoun had this raw, 7-foot-3 guy who specialized in blocked shots and blown lay-ups. Not surprisingly, UConn finished without a postseason bid because Thabeet was an offensive black hole, from which no points could escape.

Twelve months later, Thabeet is eyeing millions of dollars by leaving school for the NBA Draft in June. He's improved so much; we can now see an actual gap in production between Thabeet and Jonathan "You The" Mandeldove.

So with Thabeet's stay at UConn likely down to its final 15 or so games, I thought it was time we all stepped back and appreciated the big guy.

Sure, Thabeet is one of the most liked players on the team. All extra-big guys are. They've got a goofy energy about them, whether it's the extra-large shorts that would be pants on most people, the crazy long arms and legs or the awkward way they run up the court.

And since I'm writing this before Wednesday's game against Syracuse, Thabeet could get dunked on by 4-foot-7 Jonny Flynn (the extra 'n' is for 'NIT') and I could retract this entire column Thursday morning.

But this year has brought so many wonderful, outstanding on-the-court things to remember when Thabeet is developing an offensive game for the Philadelphia 76ers in October.

Like the first time he dunked without jumping. That never gets old.

Or the time he blocked 10 shots against Notre Dame, exposing Luke Harangody as a silly, Conan O'Brien-looking total fraud.

Or how ESPN's Jay Bilas infuriatingly refuses to pronounce the 'h' in 'Thabeet.' There's a good chance that 'Ta-beet' is the right way to pronounce his name since Bilas is a Duke graduate, and thus is smarter than us lowly public-school folks. Still, that's not going to catch on, Jay.

Or like how Saturday, Thabeet was the first "Chevrolet Player of the Game" award winner I can remember whose point total was not listed. That sums up the Thabeet era pretty well, no? Seven rebounds, five blocks, irrelevant points.

And finally, how Thabeet can now finish alley-oops, make one or two post moves and contribute to the offense on a quasi-regular basis. Witness in stunning awe his ability to shoot 71 percent from the free-throw line. I don't know how Calhoun and Thabeet worked together to accomplish that, but I would like to subscribe to their newsletter.

That being said, Thabeet is not at all ready for the NBA. He admittedly has very little of an offensive game. Unfortunately, that's not how professional basketball works. Teams look for potential, and the big Tanzanian is projected to be the best NBA center to ever come out of UConn, narrowly edging out Emeka Okafor and making everyone forget about the man, the myth, the Jake Voskuhl.

I know Thabeet's personal situation will be greatly aided by seeking the riches of the NBA and you can't fault him when the inevitable announcement comes in April. The big guy knows what's best for him, even if it's not what's best for UConn - which is a potential Final Four team if Thabeet stays. That's not the issue.

The issue is that UConn fans are witnessing a special talent that comes along once in a generation. I would hope to hear some "Please Don't Go" chants directed at Thabeet over the next months, because he really is a fun (and tall!) player to watch.

Kevin Meacham's column runs every Thursday.

Contact him at Kevin.Meacham@UConn.edu.