UConn center from Tanzania who became a two-time national Defensive Player of the Year and led the Huskies to a Final Four, one of the most prolific shot-blockers in program history.
Hasheem Thabeet, born Hashim Thabit Manka on 16 February 1987 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, did not begin playing basketball until age 15 and arrived at UConn in 2006 as a raw, lightly recruited 7-foot-3 project. Under coach Jim Calhoun, Thabeet developed rapidly into one of the most feared shot-blockers in college basketball, tying a UConn record with 10 blocks in a single game as a freshman. Thabeet was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in both his sophomore and junior seasons, becoming the first UConn player other than Emeka Okafor to win the honor twice, and was named NABC National Defensive Player of the Year in both of those years as well. In his junior season in 2008-09, he anchored a UConn team that finished 31-5 and earned a No. 1 seed, averaging a double-double with 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks per game on 64.0% shooting while leading the Huskies to their third Final Four appearance, where they were eliminated by Michigan State. That season, Thabeet swept Big East Player of the Year honors (shared with Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair) and was named a second-team All-American. He finished his three-year UConn career with 1,028 points, 847 rebounds, and 417 blocks - second in program history behind only Okafor in both categories - while posting the highest career field goal percentage (61.1%) in school history. Thabeet declared for the 2009 NBA draft and was selected second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, ahead of future stars Stephen Curry and James Harden, though his NBA career fell short of expectations across five seasons. He was inducted into UConn's Huskies of Honor in February 2026 and has continued his career in various international leagues, including Tanzania's Basketball Africa League.
Becoming a two-time national Defensive Player of the Year and leading UConn to the 2009 Final Four, one of the most dominant shot-blockers in program history
How They Played
Dominant rim-protecting center known for elite shot-blocking timing and rare size and length, anchoring one of college basketball's most feared defenses
Lasting Impact
Regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in UConn history, whose rapid development from a raw, late-starting prospect into a Final Four anchor and top-two NBA draft pick remains a remarkable basketball journey
Career Honours
- 2009 Big East Co-Player of the Year
- 2x Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2008, 2009)
- 2x NABC National Defensive Player of the Year (2008, 2009)
- 2009 NCAA Final Four appearance with UConn