Players you hated but would have loved if on your team

[glm38]

For once I think you're on to something...while I adore Ray Allen (so kudos for that reference), basketball would be boring if every player were emotionless (actually I think he shows a decent amount of emotion, its just below-average for the NBA). Cockiness gives us those players on our team that we love and the players that everyone else hates. Ask Panther fans about George Mason's PG, the little bastard flopped and faked injuries, threw up on our court and yet knocked down clutch 3's with ease and then would "shush" the crowd...I've never wanted to punch someone more in my life...and their entire team is that way. But imagine how much fun that team was to watch for a GMU fan, I enjoyed watching them in the tourney and that's a team you hate to lose to because they just throw it in your face and have a good time at your expense.

BTW I also find Dougie-Fresh (now Dougie-Soph???) to come off as cocky...now was that because a decent amount of Panther fans were booing him for his decommittment and he wanted to throw it back at them, probably. I think its those ugly colors he's wearing

For once?? I'm not sure I've been on this board long enough or posted enough to deserve a "for once" have I?

I love Ray Allen too. I didn't mean to portray him as an emotionless drone. Not at all. I was just contrasting him to the more emotional (like KG) type of players.

[panther-state]

I don't know if most of the better players in the league have historically come off cocky. Most Wichita state players don't come off as cocky, nor do UNI. In their "Floorburn U" days, I didn't think SIU players came off cocky, either. As for Creighton, I don't see much cockyness, either. I can't remember if Kyle Korver came off as cocky, I just remember he could shoot lights out. I never thought Blake Ahearn was cocky, he was simply an opportunistic flopper that made impossible treys and never missed a freethrow. I would think he would have been mentioned by now, his absence to this point puzzles me a bit.

Jamal Tatum wasn't cocky to me, either, just freaking hard-nosed and flat-out good. Players like that may make opposing fans think they're being cocky, but really they're simply ripping out your heart. Osiris wasn't cocky to me, either, he simply took over games. Many times, fans from opposing teams think the star is cocky, and he probably is a bit, but most of that comes from the frustration fans feel as they look at the freshly ripped open hole in the middle of their chest. At the same time, fans of a team with cocky players often don't see all of the over the top antics their guys are doing. Afterall, he's their guy and if he's winning, isn't doing anything wrong. Perception, simply perception.

I will end this by saying that everybody saw what P'Allen Stinnett was doing, everyone except the refs when he was practicing his place kick in Wichita.

The occasional chest bumps, high fives, pounding your heart, etc. to me are simply emotion and being into the game. Nothing over the top. that said, when it gets to the level of what Creekmore and Weems did with their Superman's, binoculars, posing and other antics, that is where I think it gets over the top. As I said earlier, I blame that more on the coach, as he dictates the behavior of his players. I really believe we will see an equally talented and energetic Weems this year, but I bet with the new coach, what I consider antics will be dialed down a few notches.

I think you make a good point with what some might consider cocky, is simply being emotional. I have a hard time thinking of any REALLY cocky players now that Cleveland has thankfully been kicked out of SIU (shocking!!! ). That was a Stinnett Jr. waiting to happen

[jayball]

Kent Williams.
That guy was a warrior, but I hated him witha passion. He was always whining to the refs and begging for fouls on every play. That was the height of the CU/SUI rivalry and he just rubbed me the wrong way. I wasn't a fan of Brad Korn either. Tony Young wasn't my favorite either.

MVJ, I never had a problem with Brooks, Tatum, or Mullins (outside of his injuring Dotzler). They were all great players but for the most part they just played the game. They ripped my heart out but I couldn't hate them.

Ahearn's flopping was annoying but he was a one trick pony, albeit insanely good at that one trick. Creighton had enough plodding shooters to try to cover for on defense. We didn't need another.

Random player that I hated.....Evansville's Jeremy Stanton. Whenever he got in he played hand check defense and would body up on Sears constantly. He should have been called for a foul practically every second. It was very annoying to watch. I think he played back during the Craig Snow days....maybe between Marcus Wilson and Acekid?

[bleach]

Is this thread about players you hated or hated to play?
If I hated them (Muller, Falker, Dearman, Burns, Howard, and Stinnet), I don't care how good they were, I DON'T WANT THEM!
Now, Funk, Jacobsen, Tatum, Williams, Korver, Rico Hill, and Eldridge are all welcome on my teams but I hated seeing them on other teams.