Even the mediocre UConn basketball fan knows the history that encompasses the “Basketball Capital of the World." UConn men's and women's basketball has had 14 unforgettable National Championships, 21 Final Fours, and 79 Conference Regular and post season titles. UConn is STILL the only program in college basketball history to win a championship in both men's and women's basketball in the same year, and they've done it twice. Storrs, Connecticut is the home of two hall of fame coaches, and boasts the illustrious Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. For years, students have been able to gather themselves from nickel on a Thursday night, get their friends together, and make the walk to the center of campus to cheer on the old blue and white. Connecticut has been blessed with countless extremely talented student athletes, and I'm here to outline the UConn men's and women's basketball all-time starting five.

WOMEN

PG: Sue Bird

Bird is without a doubt the best point guard to play for the Huskies and may be considered by some to be a top three player in history. Bird is a three-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation. As a senior she was awarded the Naismith Award as College Player of the Year. She finished her UConn career with a record of 114–4. She also ranks first in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and second in assists and steals. In 2011, she was voted into the top 15 players in WNBA History.

G: Diana Taurasi

As a Husky, she led UConn to three national titles while being awarded two national player of the year awards. Post UConn, Taurasi, like Bird, was voted into the top 15 players in WNBA History, having earned the scoring champion title of the WNBA five times. Geno always puts it best: “We have Diana and you don't."

F: Maya Moore

The fourth leading scorer in NCAA History. A three-time Wade Trophy winner for National Player of the Year. 3,036 points, 1,276 rebounds, and a career record of 150-4. Maya Moore has to be considered the greatest UConn women's player of all time. Not only do the numbers say Moore dominated at the college level, but anyone who got a glimpse of her playing knew she was the best player in the game. Maya stole the hearts of UConn fans the second she touched the floor, and still holds them to this day.

F: Tina Charles

Charles had the pleasure of playing with Maya Moore for three years, but many failed to see how unbelievable she truly was because of this. Charles was the winner of the Wooden Award in 2010, and was a two-time champion at UConn. Charles is the all-time leading rebounder in UConn history and was the leading scorer in the school's history for a short time before being passed by Moore. Tina was the first pick of the 2010 WNBA draft and is a three time All-Star.

C: Rebecca Lobo

At 6 foot 4 inches tall, Lobo never failed to make an impact on the floor. Lobo brought the University of Connecticut and Geno Auriemma their first ever National Championship in basketball, going a perfect 35-0 in 1995. Lobo was the 1995 National Player of the Year, and until 2010, was UConn's all-time leading rebounder, averaging 10.1 per game in her career. Out of high school, over 100 colleges recruited Lobo, she chose us, so why shouldn't we choose her?

Men:

G: Kemba Walker

Sorry Shabazz, no player has done more in one season at UConn than “Cardiac Kemba." Kemba was a magician in 2011, averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, all of which were team-leading. As a junior, Kemba took a team with seven freshman on an unforgettable run winning five games in as many days to capture New York City by storm, and win the Big East Championship. Earning a three seed, the Huskies went on to win six more games and secured their third National Championship.

Honorable Mention: Shabazz Napier, Khalid El-Amin, Taliek Brown

G: Ray Allen

Walter Ray Allen a.k.a. Jesus Shuttlesworth is perhaps the most prolific player in UConn history. Ray sits in the third spot on UConn's all-time scoring list, having reached the top in only three seasons. In Allen's three years in Storrs, he led the Huskies to an overall record of 89-13, and in 1995 was named U.S.A. Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year. After UConn, Allen went onto the pros and was drafted fifth overall by Minnesota and now owns the NBA record for the most-made three pointers in history. “Ray Ray" is a 10 time NBA all star, two time NBA Champion, and the star of the hit Spike Lee movie, “He Got Game."

Honorable Mention: Chris Smith, Ben Gordon

F: Rip Hamilton

Richard “RIP" Hamilton solidified his spot as one of the greatest Huskies ever after bringing Storrs their first ever NCAA title in 1999. Rip was named a Consensus First and Second Team All American, two-time Big East Player of the Year, and Final Four Most Outstanding Player in his time at UConn. He averaged a career 19.8 PPG in three seasons with the Huskies. We went on to be a first round pick of the Wizards and a three time All Star.

Honorable Mention: Rudy Gay, Scott Burrell

F: Caron Butler/Donyell Marshall (TIE)

This one is a push, whether you take Donyell or Caron, you have a surefire all star locking down the power forward position. As a freshman, Butler averaged 15.6 PPG and 7.6 rebounds, respectively. He followed that up with an equally successful sophomore campaign, in which he averaged 20.3 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game winning the Big East Player of the Year and leading the Huskies to both regular season and tournament Big East titles. Donyell was a unanimous pick as Big East Player of the Year and consensus All-American in 1993–94 in which he averaged 25.1 PPG and pulled down 8.9 RPG. He became the first UConn player to be a top-five pick in the NBA Draft when the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him fourth overall in 1994. Donyell holds the NBA record, along with Kobe Bryant for the most made three pointers in one game (12).

Honorable Mention: Cliff Robinson, Donny Marshall

C: Emeka Okafor

Alongside Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor led the Huskies to their second ever National Championship in 2004. He led the nation in blocks that season and was named National Defensive Player of the Year. He also received the Big East Player of the Year Award and was a Consensus First Team All-American. Okafor graduated as Connecticut's leader in blocked shots with 441. Off the court, Emeka graduated from UConn in three years with a 3.8 GPA in finance, earning him the title of Academic All-American of the Year in 2004. He was the second pick of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats.

Honorable Mention: Hasheem Thabeet, Travis Knight