Williams has the highest all-time assist average in UConn history. (Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images)

In preparation for the 2006 NBA Draft, Stefanski and his staff put together a list of 14 players they were certain would not be available when the Nets made their first selection with the 22nd overall pick.

University of Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams was on that list.

“We didn’t expect to get Marcus Williams,” Stefanski said of the Nets’ top pick. “He fell to us and we’re ecstatic. We had him ranked as the best point guard in this draft by far.

“We’ve been looking for five years to try to help J (Kidd) out. We feel this young kid can come in, learn under a future Hall of Famer, and really help our cause.”

Williams led the Big East last season in assists during league play with 8.6 per game and is known for having outstanding court vision. During the 2006 NCAA Tournament, in which he led the Huskies to the Elite Eight, he averaged 20.0 points and 8.8 assists while shooting .522 from the field.

Projected by many experts to be a lottery pick in the 2006 draft, Williams sounded surprised but thankful to be headed to New Jersey.

“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Williams said. “I’m joining a great organization with some great wing players and a great point guard I’ve watched growing up.”

The Nets grabbed Williams’ UConn teammate Josh Boone with the 23rd pick. Boone was a starter on the Huskies’ 2004 National Championship team as a freshman. He averaged 7.0 rebounds and 9.3 points during his three years at Connecticut.

“I must have seen Connecticut 10 or 11 times this year and the one guy I was always looking at was Josh Boone,” Stefanski said. “This kid is 6-foot-10; he runs the floor and has a terrific pair of hands on him. He is a very good rebounder and a shot-blocker, which we desperately need.”

Boone was elated to be joining his college teammate in New Jersey.

“I never thought Marcus would have fallen that far but as soon as I saw him go at 22, I just kept thinking please let me go 23rd,” Boone said. “I think it’s great to be connected with a UConn point guard again.”

The University of Connecticut basketball program has a history of sending quality players to the NBA. In addition to Williams and Boone in 2006, former Husky forward Rudy Gay was drafted by Houston with the 8th overall pick and center Hilton Armstrong was taken by the Hornets with the 12th pick.

Last year, UConn alum Charlie Villanueva was a lottery pick of the Toronto Raptors while Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon were the 2nd and 3rd overall picks in the 2004 NBA Draft.

“You can almost throw a dart and come up with a basketball player in the pros from either UConn or Arizona,” Stefanski said. “Obviously (Connecticut Head Coach) Calhoun is one of the best coaches in the country and these kids are going to be well prepared.

“Not to put any pressure on the coaches but I think they both should play. Rookies are hard to get in the line-up but these kids have a lot of experience from a high-level program and played against very good competition in the Big East. So I think these kids are little bit ahead of most rookies.”