Connecticut: Winter Domination in Hockey and Basketball

Is any state more dominant in winter collegiate athletics than Connecticut?

In the last two years alone America witnessed an all-Connecticut national hockey championship (Yale defeated Quinnipiac in 2013), and men’s and women’s basketball titles.

Breanna Stewart returns as a unanimous All-American to lead another UConn team striving for a women’s basketball title, while five hockey players from the state land in the top 13. Trinity College sends a great hockey duo into action to join stars from Yale and Quinnipiac on the ice. Eudice Chong of Wesleyan delivered the state a national tennis title at the D3 level.

LaDarius Drew returns from an injury to likely set the Wesleyan record for rushing yards in addition to his sprinting wins on the track. Drew (pictured) returns as a grad student this year to play football.

We ran the Value Add Sports calculations on all returning Connecticut athletes and emailed 52 sports writers and other experts in the state to help rank the 25 state players to watch on a list.

In addition to athletes from UConn and Wesleyan, great basketball, hockey, tennis, and track and field stars from Central Connecticut, Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Trinity College, Wesleyan, and Yale people the list.

1. Breanna Stewart, Connecticut, Women’s Basketball
2. Nathaniel Heilbron, Trinity College, Hockey
3. Daniel Hamilton, Connecticut, Basket, PF
4. Eudice Chong, Wesleyan, Tennis, D3 National Champ
5. Patrick Meyer, Connecticut, Track/Field, Decathlon
6. Alex Lyon, Yale University, Hockey
7. Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut, Women’s basketball
8. Ryan Cole, Trinity College, Hockey
9. Michael Hawkrigg, TrinityCollege, Hockey
10. Amida Brimah, Connecticut, Basket, PF
11. Rob O’Gara, Yale University, Hockey
12. LaDarius Drew, Wesleyan, Foot/Track, RB/Sprint/Jumps
13. Sam Anas, Quinnipiac University, Hockey
14. Justin Sears, Yale, Basket, C
15. Shameal Samuels, Quinnipiac, Track/Field, 400m Dash
16. Makai Mason, Yale, Basket, SG
17. Brendan Sullivan, Yale, Track/Field, Pole Vault
18. Sterling Gibbs, Connecticut, Basket, SG
19. Tim Boyle, Connecticut Huskies, Foot, QB
20. Marcus Gilbert, Fairfield, Basket, PF
21. Danielle Gottwik, Connecticut, Soccer, Midfielder
22. Shonn Miller, Connecticut, Basket, PF
23. Andrew Adams, Connecticut Huskies, Foot, DBack
24. Tyler Nelson, Fairfield, Basket, SG
25. Tim Boyle, Connecticut Huskies, Foot, QB
26. Marcus Gilbert, Fairfield, Basket, PF
27. Cane Broome, Sacred Heart, Basketball, SG
28. Makai Mason, Yale, Basket, SG
29. James Ford, Quinnipiac, Basketball, PG
30. Brandon Peel, Central Connecticut, Basketball, C