One of just two players on this list to have been a two time athletic and academic All-America selection, Connecticut center Emeka Okafor was the driving force that propelled UConn to two Big East titles and a NCAA national championship.

A first generation American whose parents emigrated from Nigeria to Texas to work for an energy company, Okafor averaged 22 points and 15 rebounds at Houston's Bellaire HS but attracted relatively little national attention. Ranked anywhere from #77 to #106 by national recruiters, Okafor selected UConn over offers from Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Texas Tech.

Okafor started all 34 games as a freshman during UConn's return to Big East prominence. On a lineup that included Caron Butler, Johnnie Selvie, Taliek Brown, and Tony Robertson, Okafor was fifth in scoring but led the team in rebounds and blocked shots, setting a school record as a freshman with 138 blocks. A third team All-Big East selection and a member of the All-Rookie team, he showed signs of things to come by posting a double double in the Big East final versus Pitt and a 12 point, 15 rebound effort in the NCAA's versus Hampton. Advancing to the regional final, UConn fell to eventual champion Maryland but Okafor was already eyed as the cornerstone for success to come.

A first team All-Big East selection in 2002-03, Okafor averaged 15.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a Big East record 4.7 blocks per game. He earned double-doubles in points and rebounds in 22 of 33 games, with a season's best run of 24 and 15 versus Providence in March 2003, and topping that with 25 and 12 three days later against Boston College. In a rematch from 2002, the Huskies fell short to Pitt in the Big East final, but advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals behind Okafor's 19.9 point, 13.3 rebound, and 4.8 blocks average over the course of the tournament, earning him first team All-America honors.

The pre-season #1 team of the 2003-04 season, UConn never left the Top 10 all season, with Okafor and guard Ben Gordon leading the way. Okafor turned in another strong season on the stat sheet, averaging 17.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks despite ongoing back problems that limited his mobility at various times of the season. A consensus All-America selection, Okafor posted 23 double-doubles on the season, including 10 of 16 games in Big East play. The first center since Georgetown's Alonzo Mourning to win Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the year in the same season, Okafor was unable to play in two Big East tournament games due to injury but returned to the final versus Pitt where, in the third consecutive meeting between the two schools in the conference finals, he scored 11 points and 13 rebounds in UConn's second Big east title in three seasons.

Despite being seeded as #2 behind Stanford, the Huskies entered the 2004 NCAA tournament with momentum, and continued it right to the Final Four, winning its four tournament games by an average of 17 points. In the semifinal versus Duke, things were much more challenging. Okafor, in foul trouble, was held scoreless in the first half with the Blue Devils leading by seven, 41-34. He responded with 18 second half points, as the Huskies scored 12 straight points down the stretch to take the lead in the final minute.

"[Okafor] gave UConn a 76-75 lead with 26 seconds left on a typically relentless sequence, missing a shot that bounced around the rim for a couple seconds, but grabbing the rebound out of Luol Deng's hands for an easy stick back," said the Associated Press recap. "Duke came down and guard J.J. Redick drove the lane, but guess who was there? Okafor, and he stuck a hand in to help break up that scoring chance. UConn's Rashad Anderson hit two free throws to push the lead to three, and after Redick barely grazed the rim with a 3-point attempt that would have tied it, Okafor got the rebound and made a free throw to ice the game."

In the final versus a surprising Georgia Tech squad, Okafor's results were no surprise. He scored 24 points and 15 rebounds in leading the Huskies to its second national title, 82-73.

Having earned an undergraduate degree in three years with a 3.8 GPA in finance, Okafor was ready for his next step. He declared early for the NBA draft and was the second overall selection, going to the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. He played in portions of 10 NBA seasons across four teams, averaging a career 12 points and 9.7 rebounds a game. At 37, he is currently playing in South Korea.

"He's a throwback, not like the average kid to come along today," said coach Jim Calhoun to the Houston Chronicle in 2004. "It's got a lot to do with his high school, got a lot to do with his parents. It's got a lot to do with the people he's been associated with in Houston, Texas. To me, he is the poster boy for what college athletics should be about."