Storrs — They happily posed for a few group photos on Thursday, already looking like a tight band of basketball brothers despite all being on campus together for just a short few weeks.

Banners of former Husky stars and from four national championships hang on the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center wall, a constant reminder to the five incoming freshmen of the program's rich tradition.

Donyell Marshall, Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Caron Butler, Kemba Walker and Rudy Gay are just some of the former UConn players that left their marks on the program and went on to enjoy successful NBA careers.

The members of the top 10 nationally-ranked recruiting class all have their eyes on greatness, too, hoping one day to own a place in UConn basketball history.

"It's crazy because every day I walk in here I look up there and I see guys like Rudy Gay and Jeremy Lamb and Kemba and, of course, Ray Allen," said Juwan Durham, a 6-foot-9 forward from Tampa, Fla. "I'm just like I've got to be that next guy up there. I won't stop until I am.

"It's just something that motivates us every time we walk into the gym."

All five freshmen met with the media for the first time on Thursday. They comprise fifth-year coach Kevin Ollie's best recruiting class during his tenure.

They regularly talk about what they can accomplish during their college careers if they work hard, continue to improve and stick together.

"We have that conversation almost every day," said Alterique Gilbert, a top 30 guard and highest ranked recruit of the class. "We just feel like we're very confident in ourselves and our teammates and our coaches."

Vance Jackson, a versatile forward from Los Angeles, added: "We're so excited just to put on a Connecticut uniform. "

They've already come up with a nickname for their marquee class, drawing a line from a Drake song called "Grammys."

Top Five.

"That's what we call ourselves, The Top Five," said Mamadou Diarra, a 6-8 forward out of Putnam Science Academy. "It just happened. First they were saying... Fab Five. We were like, nah, we've got to be unique, so we came up with Top Five."

An opportunity to play at UConn and for Ollie was a drawing card for all five players. The ability to compete right away for playing time was another factor. The Huskies return just five players from an NCAA tournament team, so newcomers, including transfer Terry Larrier, account for over half of the 11-man roster.

Ollie informed the freshmen that they will have at shot at starting roles, according to Durham, who's working his way back from a second knee surgery and may not be ready to play this season.

"That's something that we're all looking forward to and something that we're pushing for," Durham said. "We just have to continue to work hard and play together and know each other on and off the court so we have team camaraderie."

Two freshmen, Christian Vital and Jackson, have ties to the program.

Vital has a close friendship with sophomore Steve Enoch. They spent a year as teammates at St. Thomas More.

"He was my roommate for summer session once, so it was definitely good to see him again and hang out with him and continue to get better with him and hopefully chase our dreams together," Vital said.

Jackson played high school ball at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif., with former Husky Daniel Hamilton, who influenced his decision to come to Storrs.

Hamilton left UConn after his sophomore season to pursue his NBA dream and Oklahoma City drafted him in the second round.

"I've been playing with him since eighth grade," Jackson said. "Just seeing him develop at UConn under coach KO and just seeing him go to the league, that motivated me to follow in his footsteps."

Jackson admits to being a bit disappointed about not playing with Hamilton in college. But he's ready to chase his championships without his former teammate.

"When I played with him, we won a state championship," Jackson said. "We could have won a national championship together. But I feel like with these guys, the team that we have, we're still going to have a chance to compete and win a championship."

g.keefe@theday.com