Bad Coaching Day For JC

[Brad Palmer]

Before everyone goes crazy over the title of this thread, consider the following:

1) If you were choosing sides for a game with the UConn and ND rosters, would UConn not have 4 of the first 5 picks (Drummond, Lamb, Bazz, Boat)? That being said, who in their right mind wouldn't figure out some way to push the tempo vs. ND? Maybe some pressure in the first half, or leak someone out on the fastbreak, etc... Any kind of pressure (half-court trap, 1-2-1-1 with Andre on the ball, "in your face man to man" to at least force the tempo).

Since Bray got his team to dictate the pace, chalk one up to his side of the ledger.

2) JC's quote from yesterday: "DeAndre Daniels had the best week of practice of his career so far and will start." And then DD plays a total of 7 minutes???!!! Not saying he was the answer, but don't blow smoke up the kid's a** and then not even play him.

3) Lack of creativity on offense. There's no way you can tell me many coaches would have as lackluster of an offense with our talent as we do this season. Not saying it's all JC's fault, but I've long thought he needs an "offensive coordinator" and this year proves the point. Has UConn ever tried to get Lamb open with a "screen for the screener"? (Lamb downscreens, then someone screens for him.) Methinks the "loop" play for lamb may have run its course.

4) In-bounds plays. 32 seconds left, down 3 and the ball underneath our own basket and the best we can get is the UConn trademarked/patented "lob out past the 3-point circle to avoid a 5-second count?" Really?

I'll chalk it up to a bad day at the office for JC, but many of the problems listed above happen a lot.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I still would not bet against Calhoun in any tournament game. Your points are valid. JMHO

 

[tentoes4rings]

Don't you know you're not allowed to criticize JC? I totally agree with your offensive coordinator comment. There is absolutely no way a team that returned over 60 percent of it's national championship squad that also adds Drummond, Boatright and Daniels should be struggling to score 60 points game in and game out.

It's been discussed on here that certain guys may be a bit complacent after winning a championship, I don't think that can be discounted. I also don't think it can be discounted that maybe JC himself has been suffering through some complacency as well.He waited forever to announce he was coming back, after repeatedly stating he would hang it up if he won his third NC. Maybe subconsciously part of him is already in Hilton Head with the grandkids and understandably so. I think we're all starting to realize more than ever just how unbelievable Kemba was last year.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Don't you know you're not allowed to criticize JC? I totally agree with your offensive coordinator comment. There is absolutely no way a team that returned over 60 percent of it's national championship squad that also adds Drummond, Boatright and Daniels should be struggling to score 60 points game in and game out.

I mean, you're allowed to criticize Calhoun.

Just realize you'll look like a fool considering he's a Hall of Famer that sees the kids every single day and we're all just schmucks on the internet who watch this for entertainment.

 

[aceboon]

I'm still dumbfounded by him having AO flash to the foul line against zone. Everybody can see that he has no business there, Wentzel even pointed it out during today's game, yet we can continue to see a player that can't shoot, can't pass, makes poor decisions and is weak with the ball put in a position that is only going to be a negative for the team.

 

[mcs333]

DD played the first third of the first half and was a no show. He got his chance and failed today. It was time to try another option.

 

[champs99and04]

This has been a bad coaching year for coach Calhoun.

 

[mauconnfan]

His chance was 2 missed jumpers and no return.

 

[RuffRuff]

It's been a beef with Calhoun for a long time - but then he wins a NC title and shuts everyone up, with good cause.

The Uconn basketball offense almost seems like it's without any structure and fully built around one or two playmakers in the backcourt 100% responsible for creating everything. It's gotten to the point where it almost seems like routine offense isn't even taught anymore and it's fully reliant on 1 or 2 guards that can penetrate, playmake. I just don't think he is adaptable to different assortments of players. It's a one formula system and if the parts aren't there, it goes no where.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

This has been a bad coaching year for coach Calhoun.

Its not over yet like any intelligent guy like you realizes. In my estimation they need 21 wins to guarantee getting in the dance. 20 wins if they win @ Syracuse. Assuming they make it (which I believe they will) they probably won't get lower than a #6 seed. If they end up on the low end of the spectrum I wouldn't want to be a #3 seed facing UConn in the 2nd round. Obviously UConn has work to do.

JMHO

 

[BUHusky]

Listening to his post-game presser he reiterated that he still doesn't know how to get through to this team. He almost sounded resigned. That's the part that scares me.

 

[UCweCONN]

When Boatright was sitting out, Calhoun said that if he had Boatright he would press and run. Well, he's back and? Also, he said he needed last year's team and that they made coaching fun. Same basic team, I wonder how much fun he is having this season? This hasn't been fun for anyone except our opponents.

 

[Brad Palmer]

Also, UConn tends to always look better offensively in the NCAA's when refs don't allow the physicality of the BEast and other teams don't have the experiences of having already played us. And Lamb does get manhandled on a regular basis.

 

[champs99and04]

Its not over yet like any intelligent guy like you realizes. In my estimation they need 21 wins to guarantee getting in the dance. 20 wins if they win @ Syracuse. Assuming they make it (which I believe they will) they probably won't get lower than a #6 seed. If they end up on the low end of the spectrum I wouldn't want to be a #3 seed facing UConn in the 2nd round. Obviously UConn has work to do.

JMHO

One thing about Calhoun: When you think he's finally cornered, he'll respond with one of the meanest right hooks you'll ever see. Sometimes it's mean enough to even knock out the whole country and take home the championship belt. I'll confess...I thought he was done at the end of the 09-10 season. The sanctions, the age, the poor health...I thought it was finally catching up to the old warrior. We all know what happened next.

So no matter how bleak the situation may look, I will never, ever lose hope no matter how long the man is walking those sidelines. Even in 09-10, the team responded with a three game winning streak in which they defeated #4 Villanova in Philly and #7 West Virginia. Still a lot of basketball to be played.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Listening to his post-game presser he reiterated that he still doesn't know how to get through to this team. He almost sounded resigned. That's the part that scares me.

Which is exactly when JC is his most dangerous and brilliant.

No one fights out of a corner better than JC.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Listening to his post-game presser he reiterated that he still doesn't know how to get through to this team. He almost sounded resigned. That's the part that scares me.

So this is 2 out of 3 years he couldn't get through to the team? I don't doubt we'll turn it around somewhat but this wasn't a team we were supposed to root for to make the tournament, this was a team with the addition of Drummond that looked like it could get to another final four.

 

[cohenzone]

Jim Calhoun, as great as he is, has basically never had teams that rely on a lot of ball movement. They rely more on setting screens, having guards who can breakdown other guards, a 2 or a 3 who can make jumpers, big guys who can clean up junk and block shots, and getting a decent number of fast break points.. Occasionally, but not regularly, we've had a power player who is a big scoring threat. There have been too many years recently when he's talked about full court guarding and then it rarely happens. It doesn't make someone smarter than a deservedly HOF coach to recognize his weaknesses. He's great enough and has had enough very good players to dictate the way a lot of games go.

But his teams are almost always at their worst (their "worst" can sometimes be better than someone elses's "good" so they win some of those misery games) against good teams that play a solid zone of some sort and who don't readily allow zone penetration, because he hardly ever seems to make a point of having passes go to a gaps in the zones somewhere along the foul line extended. So far as I know, he isn't shy about yanking guys who aren't following his design, so they must be generally handling zones the way he wants them to. It strikes me that this team has 3-5 guys capable of handling those high post zone duties (guys who have scoring potential from the spot and who are not bad passers in Lamb, Olander and Giffey, and maybe even RS and DD, who really wasn't given much of a chance to show what he supposedly has shown in practice. AO really doesn't seem to be the guy for the job, but it would be nice if they showed signs of regularly using anyone in that scheme. Of course now they will win the NC by crushing every zone they see.

That one little gap in his otherwise impeccable coaching resume makes me a little nervous about UConn choosing one of his proteges as his successor. As guys on the bench I know they may not necessarily have a huge or at least deciding impact on game schemes, but you'd hope that with 5 or so former head coaches there plus a few pretty good ex-players, those gaps in O would be less glaring. The next guy is unlikely to have his force of personality, and it wouldn't frustrate me to see a team that seems to be able to play a little more consistently well on O against all types of defenses and show better ball movement without totally relying on dribbling.

 

[cohenzone]

Jim Calhoun, as great as he is, has basically never had teams that rely on a lot of ball movement. They rely more on setting screens, having guards who can breakdown other guards, a 2 or a 3 who can make jumpers, big guys who can clean up junk and block shots, and getting a decent number of fast break points.. Occasionally, but not regularly, we've had a power player who is a big scoring threat. There have been too many years recently when he's talked about full court guarding and then it rarely happens. It doesn't make someone smarter than a deservedly HOF coach to recognize his weaknesses. He's great enough and has had enough very good players to dictate the way a lot of games go.

But his teams are almost always at their worst (their "worst" can sometimes be better than someone elses's "good" so they win some of those misery games) against good teams that play a solid zone of some sort and who don't readily allow zone penetration, because he hardly ever seems to make a point of having passes go to a gaps in the zones somewhere along the foul line extended. So far as I know, he isn't shy about yanking guys who aren't following his design, so they must be generally handling zones the way he wants them to. It strikes me that this team has 3-5 guys capable of handling those high post zone duties (guys who have scoring potential from the spot and who are not bad passers in Lamb, Olander and Giffey, and maybe even RS and DD, who really wasn't given much of a chance to show what he supposedly has shown in practice. AO really doesn't seem to be the guy for the job, but it would be nice if they showed signs of regularly using anyone in that scheme. Of course now they will win the NC by crushing every zone they see.

That one little gap in his otherwise impeccable coaching resume makes me a little nervous about UConn choosing one of his proteges as his successor. As guys on the bench I know they may not necessarily have a huge or at least deciding impact on game schemes, but you'd hope that with 5 or so former head coaches there plus a few pretty good ex-players, those gaps in O would be less glaring. The next guy is unlikely to have his force of personality, and it wouldn't frustrate me to see a team that seems to be able to play a little more consistently well on O against all types of defenses and show better ball movement without totally relying on dribbling.

 

[Huskybass]

Many of us don't want to admit it, but this team is really average despite all the talent on the roster. Look at the losses:
Rutgers, Seton Hall, Central Florida, ND at home, Cincy at Gampel, TN... a good team wouldn't lose games to teams like these. I tried to remain optimistic, but this team is so flawed in the halfcourt offense that I can't see it advancing past the round of 32 even if it does make the tourney.

For the third game in a row, the team has looked listless. Unless a mjor lineup change takes place, I suspect we will see more of the same.

 

[blackbird]

Calhoun has had a bad coaching year.

 

[zls44]

It's always darkest before the dawn.

 

[Prezidint]

It's always darkest before the dawn.

I saw John McCain about 12 years ago when he was running for prez. He quoted (apocryphally), Chairman Mao, who said, "it's always darkest before it's absolutely black."

Pretty g-damn hilarious, really.

 

[zls44]

I saw John McCain about 12 years ago when he was running for prez. He quoted (apocryphally), Chairman Mao, who said, "it's always darkest before it's absolutely black."

Pretty g-damn hilarious, really.

I actually think it's getting progressively brighter right before dawn officially breaks, but I thought it would be nice to type.

 

[mauconnfan]

Calhoun has had a bad coaching year.

His bad "coaching" year will not come from the game execution but from the "recruiting" side of things as far as I can see. How can anyone believe guys like Ao and Roscoe could go backwards in their sophomore year? It's not coaching guys it's the inability to understand the game. Cooley and Connaughton were better than AO yesterday around the boards, you think JC isn't trying to get Alex to rebound and play basketball. Do you think they are asking Jeremy to quit the fancy crap when you get triple teamed - this is stuff you can't teach anyway you're either an intelligent basketball player or you're not. Shabazz has hit the proverbial wall obviously too, now he can't make a shot on top of not seeming to want to be out there with any passion. If you love the game and live the game you get better, you play hard even when having a bad night and you fight. He can't teach that ! Having said that his substituting has been bad - if they don't want tp play empty the bench more. Giffey should have had more minutes yesterday as he fights, always around the ball. Boat should have had control of the ball more yesterday I agree..........but eventually you will all realize it's very possible Kemba was so Fn good he hid many weaknesses of the recruiting class we were hoping was very good. And now, even though Andre hassome good games, his impact shold be even more than we see.

This streak is on everyone, coaches, players hell even us as fans....................let's see if they fight out of the corner or not!!

 

[willie99]

DD played the first third of the first half and was a no show. He got his chance and failed today. It was time to try another option.

this is true

 

[willie99]

Calhoun has had a bad coaching year.

this is not true. At best, it's premature

 

[willie99]

It appeared to me that JC's game plan was to slow the game down and try and force the team to execute half court offense. The guards refused to shoot, especially early on. He's trying to have them learn how to pound the paint and execute inside out. I don't think either Lamb or Bazz shot for the first 10 minutes, and you know that's plenty of time for Bazz to force at least 2 or 3 shots. So Brey didn't out-coach him, Jim is doing what Jim does. I'll admit, it's painful to watch until they figure it out.

Having said that, he did have a bad day. His mannerisms were not the stomping the sidelines, in your face, getting a T kinda of stuff he does when he's at his best. He was sitting as if he was in a recliner and giving the kids the silent treatment at times.

I think we're going to see vintage Calhoun next game. He knows he was bad too, just as bad as the half court offense which he's not going to abandon.