University of Connecticut Athletics
Hasheem Thabeet To Join Huskies of Honor On Feb. 14
1/29/2026 3:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STORRS – UConn men's basketball all-time great Hasheem Thabeet will join the Huskies of Honor on Feb. 14. at halftime of the game against Georgetown. Thabeet will become the 24th individual player to join the Huskies of Honor, which also includes three coaches, an administrator and two full teams.
Thabeet, who starred at Connecticut from 2006-09, was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Year, a Second Team All-American and the 2009 BIG EAST Player of the Year. He holds the program record for most blocks in a single game, a feat he achieved on three separate occasions. Following his three years in Storrs he was the No. 2 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and went on to play five seasons in the Association for the Grizzlies, Rockets, Trail Blazers and Thunder before a lengthy overseas career mostly in Asia and Africa.
While at UConn, Thabeet was a terror on the interior and one of the fiercest shot blockers and low post scorers in program history. When he departed Storrs he held the program's all-time record for highest field goal percentage, shooting 61.1 percent (359-588) in 100 career contests. That mark still stands fifth all-time. Thabeet is second in program history behind Emeka Okafor in career blocked shots per game (4.2) and total rejections (417). Okafor and Thabeet are the lone players in UConn history with over 400 career swats and four blocks per game or better.
As a freshman for the Huskies in 2006-07, Thabeet started 31 contests and averaged 6.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots in 24.6 minutes per game. He tied the program record for rejections for the first time with 10 rejections on Dec. 3, 2006 against Texas Southern. At the time his 3.8 swats per game were the fourth-most in a season in UConn history, a mark he would top twice more in his career. Thabeet was a BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection and recorded two double-doubles as a rookie.
In his sophomore season in 2007-08 he played in 32 contests and was named both BIG EAST and NABC National Defensive Player of the Year. The 7-3 Tanzania-native recorded season averages of 10.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game. The 4.5 swats stand as the second-most in a season in UConn history. Thabeet tied his program record with 10 rejections on 1/5/08 at Notre Dame and totaled seven double-doubles. He was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection
As a junior Thabeet was a Second Team AP All-American and repeated as both BIG EAST and NABC Defensive Player of the Year – another feat only accomplished at UConn by Okafor. He averaged a double-double with 13.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, shooting 64.0 percent from the field in 36 contests. He was a First Team All-Conference pick and the 2009 BIG EAST Player of the Year, the seventh and most recent time a Husky has taken home the league's top honor.
After helping the Huskies to their third Final Four in 2009, Thabeet became the highest NBA Draft pick in UConn history (again tied with Okafor) when he was selected No. 2 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
