Players you respect on teams you hate

[NC_Orange]

So I've been thinking this year how enjoyable it was watching Zion even though he went to Duke. He wasn't overly brash or arrogant (like most Dukies) so I found that despising him was hard to do. I started thinking, are there players for rival or hated schools that you found yourself appreciating despite where they attended? Here are some of the ones I could think of:

Duke: Zion, Jay Williams, Shane Battier
G'Town- Alonzo Morning, This McClung kid doesn't seem terrible...yet
Kentucky- Anthony Davis, Ron Mercer
Pitt- Jared Wilson Frame, Steven Adams

UConn- Hardest one to do. I guess Kemba?


Putting myself out there as I expect I may get blasted by some for this

 

[721Comstock]

Malcolm Brogdon from UVA. Seemed like a really good kid, in addition to being a great, do it all player.
On O and D.
(which is why Mali roasting him in the 2nd half of the Elite 8 game got him drafted)
He's become a helluva a Pro player, since getting drafted in the 2nd round.

I had always kinda hoped CJ would evolve into that kind of player, but he never did.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Duke: Zion, Grant Hill.
Georgetown: Reggie Williams.
UConn: Emeka Okafor, Jesus Shuttlesworth, Richard Hamilton, Donyell Marshall.
St. John's: Walter Berry.
Pitt: Jerome Lane.

 

[Col. Bleep]

I started thinking, are there players for rival or hated schools that you found yourself appreciating despite where they attended? Here are some of the ones I could think of:


G'Town- Alonzo Morning, This McClung kid doesn't seem terrible...yet

Putting myself out there as I expect I may get blasted by some for this

Syracuse fans are not permitted to have anything but absolute detestation for anything, everything and everyone G-town.
It's not too late to edit the post.

I LOOOOOAAAAAATHE G-town!
GO ORANGE!

 

[Cusefan0307]

Kemba is my number one choice regardless of team.

 

[tbonezone]

i'm just curious. what's the general Syracuse consensus on greg paulus. love him or loathe him.
frankly i always disliked the guy even tho he came back . must be the initial snub. thoughts ?

 

[Seng85]

BC - Bagley.

 

[rstone7727]

That Carsen Edwards kid at Purdue.. Why I hate Purdue, it's that "Boiler Up" thing that bothers me for some reason. I know I'm childish.. LoL...

 

[Briancuse]

i'm just curious. what's the general Syracuse consensus on greg paulus. love him or loathe him.
frankly i always disliked the guy even tho he came back . must be the initial snub. thoughts ?

Loathed him and not sure what there is to respect guy wasn't any good.

 

[Forloveoforange]

de'Aaron Fox, Kentucky

 

[OrangeDW]

i'm just curious. what's the general Syracuse consensus on greg paulus. love him or loathe him.
frankly i always disliked the guy even tho he came back . must be the initial snub. thoughts ?

Didn’t like him. Watched him in high school and didn’t care for his act. He got a technical for crying to the refs, was acting goofy after he made a shot or two. He was a good fit for that era Duke. His blatant flopping in college made me like him less.

The rumors that he wanted something “bigger” than SU and then the brother also going elsewhere made me root against him too.

Obviously rooted for him at Cuse and thought he did a great job under the circumstances. I’m thinking he would’ve been a much better college QB than PG if he just played football from the beginning.

For health purposes he made the right choice though.

 

[cusefan88]

I loved Ryan Sidney and Troy Bell at BC early 2000's. Great backcourt

 

[OrangeDW]

Allen Iverson
Ray Allen
Grant Hill
Elton Brand
Donyell Marshall
Malik Sealy
Ron Artest
Randy Foye
Kyle Lowry
Kerry Kittles

 

[Funk Doc]

Usually hate everyone not Cuse...but Rip Hamilton did things the right way his entire career!

 

[rrlbees]

Nova - Pinckney and Kittles
UConn - Allen
Duke - Battier
Pitt - Smith and Knight
Gtown - Yea, sure

 

[Briancuse]

I loved watching ray Allen play in college

 

[cuseattle]

Shuttlesworth
College and pro

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Shuttlesworth
College and pro

Ray Allen for sure. Also Ben Gordon

 

[MSOrange]

The obvious answer is Michael Graham. I'll show myself out now.

 

[JarHeadJim]

Keith Smart.

I will suspend my account for the next 30 days.

 

[Toronto Cuse]

UCONN - Khalid El Amin - was there any point guard more fun to watch? He was like watching your fat little brother suit up for your rivals. A roller coaster of emotions everytime he did something positive.

Georgetown - Nobody. They are all scum.

Duke - Zion Williamson - really just a very likeable kid who seems not to have a me first mentality.

North Carolina - Kennedy Meeks - Got to know him a bit when he was with the Toronto 905. Really a grounded guy with a big heart.

Pitt - Aaron Gray - Hated him at Pitt but loved him for the raptors. Played hard, winning basketball, accepted his role, didn’t say a lot, and came to work. Hard not to respect a guy like that.