Updated UConn Hoops NBA 2K ratings

Over the Summer and prior to the start of basketball season, I was inspired by NBA 2K’s famous ratings of NBA players in their video games. As a writer for the UConn Hoops team, I figured it would be a fun exercise to do the same for the Huskies. Now, the Huskies sit as the No. 1 team in KenPom and No. 3 in the AP Polls, a far cry from their preseason non-top 25 status in most major rankings. With their undefeated success in mind, I’ve taken to updating the ratings ⅓ through the season ahead of conference play.

A few things to note before I start discussing my ratings. The scores are on a 0-99 scale, but 2K gives out 99’s much less freely than a game like Madden does. 2K has none with its highest player as former MVP Giannis Antetokoumnpo at a 97. With that in mind, I’ve rated UConn’s men’s hoops players within the realm of college basketball. So for instance, NPOY favorite Zach Edey, who’s averaging 22 points and 14 boards for No. 1 Purdue would be roughly a 97. This is NOT a rating of how a player would be in the NBA, but merely in the NCAA universe. A star player on a top level team will be in the 90-97 range. An average to good starter will be between 80-89. Role players and benchwarmers will be in the 65-79 range. I could’ve listed the ratings in current numerical order, but instead I’m keeping the order that they were rated when I first did the rankings. Without further ado, let’s get into this…

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Sanogo came in with aspirations to contend for NPOY and he’s done just that early on. KenPom’s POY ratings have the center ranked No. 4 in the country and he’s really opened up his game. Not only is Sanogo able to really bully defenders in the low post, he now has a formidable three point jumper (37%) forcing defenders to respect him on the perimeter. He’s averaging 18 points on over 60% from the field, both numbers that place him near the top of the nation. Combine that with the fact that Sanogo is the best player on the best team in the country and he deserved the +3 bump all the way up to a 95.

Jackson’s initial rating came with the idea that he was going to improve and he has so far this campaign. Even though he was out for the initial portion of the season with a broken pinky, the big guard has been great since returning, posting six points, six boards and five dimes a game. It can be hard to see through the stats, but he’s the motor that keeps this team going and running in the fastbreak, a quality that can’t be overstated. Jackson has an incredible impact as a glue guy, warranting a rating similar to Pascal Siakam or Zion Williamson.

Hawkins gets the +2 bump largely because he’s really starting to play up to his capabilities. He’s averaging 14 points per game on great shooting from deep, hitting on 43%. He started the season a touch slow but has really picked it up, highlighted by his 26 point effort against Oklahoma State. If he can continue to shoot the rock as aggressively as he has been at such a great clip, there’s little doubt he’ll find himself all over draft boards. The biggest improvement he needs to make is getting better off the bounce, but that’ll come as he builds confidence.

Newton’s 10 points per game is nearly half of the the 18 he posted last year at East Carolina, but it’s been what UConn’s needed to win games. So far he’s been the rock that the Huskies can depend on to get a run-stopping bucket or to calm the team down. He’s been a perfect compliment to Jackson’s speed, holding himself to fewer than three turnovers a game. Newton’s had trouble scoring the past few games, but does so on an as-needed basis, which has been plenty so far. The highlight of his season so far was his triple double against Buffalo, helping earn him the +2 rating.

Alleyne started off the year playing well, but has dipped into a funk as of late. He showed signs of life with 11 points against lowly LIU, but totaled two points in the prior four games. The Virginia Tech transfer played himself out of the starting lineup as Jackson returned from his injury, but his defensive abilities kept him as a factor in the rotation. If he can continue to make an impact as a defender and improve on his 27% from deep, he’ll be able to thrive in the 3-and-D role he was recruited to play in. Until then, he’s losing three points for his struggles.

Diarra started the year with an 11 point and seven assist effort against Stonehill, but hasn’t hit double figures since. Part of his limited role stems from Newton’s impressive play and the need to keep him on the court, but Diarra hasn’t been amazing. He’s shooting just 17% from the perimeter and is averaging just three points. He’s been a force on defense on and off-ball, but hasn’t done enough to eat into anyone’s minutes. He’s been good but not great, leading to a slight drop in his rating.

Karaban has been everything advertised and more, averaging 10 points and four boards early in his career. He’s an intelligent and scrappy player, making the right reads and passes at the four while minimizing turnovers. He’s shooting 40% from three on nice volume and he’s defended well too. He knows his role and has excelled in it, exactly the type of player the Huskies need. This warrants a +4 bump, into starter territory.

There’s not much to be said here. Johnson played 17 minutes before getting a stress fracture in his foot that’s kept him out for the past month-plus. I’m not going to punish or reward him for playing 17 minutes, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer to get a read on Johnson’s improvement.

Calcaterra has been one of the bigger surprises for the Huskies this year. The grad-student from San Diego fits perfectly into the sparkplug role, shooting 57% from deep on 3.4 attempts. This places him at No. 11 in the country among qualified shooters and he’s really able to take the Husky offense to the next level. He rarely plays more than half the game, but is still able to make a massive impact, notching nine points on incredible efficiency. He’s the piece this team’s been missing for the past few years and will look to continue his success in Big East play.

The in-state freshman has been a homerun recruit for Hurley, posting incredible numbers in just 15 minutes a game. Clingan’s averaging 10 points, seven boards and two blocks on 75% shooting and he’s only getting better. He took home the PKI MVP and has been especially impressive in the past two games, averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 boards and 2.5 blocks, while hitting on 18 of his 19 attempts. 83 may seem a little low to some, but he’s played just 11 games in his career. If he continues at this pace, he’ll find himself in the high 80s by the end of the season.

Springs played more than five minutes once this year in a blowout against Boston University and he hasn’t been impressive. There’s no reason to boost his rating, so I’m keeping him at a 70.

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