Biggest Game Coaching mistake Calhoun ever made

[nelsonmuntz]

I was having this argument with a friend a few weeks ago. What is the biggest game coaching mistake Calhoun ever made in your opinion?

1) Not playing Brian Fair against Florida in 1994. This is far ahead of the rest in my opinion. UConn was drowning offensively in the second half against Florida, and Calhoun left his third best scorer on the bench until there were just seconds left. We all get that Fair couldn't play defense, but defense was not the problem in that game. We needed a scorer and Donyell and Ray were not getting it done.

2) Leaving the press on against Duke in 1990. Hurley was tearing through the press the whole game. He was just too quick for Tate. UConn was on fire offensively, and should have stayed back and forced Duke to work for their shots. There were too many dunks and layups for a game that ended up being a 1 point Duke win.

3) Leaving Armstrong and Boone on the court against George Mason. If these two were going to mail it in like they did, then they should have been splitting a position and Adrien and Nelson should have played more in the second half. George Mason had short, physical forwards, and Boone and Armstrong were playing so soft the whole game. Boone only got 20 minutes, but Armstrong played almost the whole game. Adrien had an amazing game, going 7 for 8 with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Calhoun should have just left him out there.

 

[kelde1wd]

The George Mason game is the one that still sticks with me and hurts the most. FF was there for the taking and we would have been a favorite to win the whole thing had we gotten there. Team was far too talented to go out that way.

 

[willie99]

1) if Donyell makes 1 free throw, we beat FL. He had that game, we choked
2) was at the game, only remember we were better with Scottie on the court, but not as good when he was sitting with foul trouble. Our press was who we were, but you may be right
3) his game plan was to play their bigs man to man, and he never changed. They (Mason bigs) never played a better game in their entire lives

 

[nelsonmuntz]

1) if Donyell makes 1 free throw, we beat FL. He had that game, we choked
2) was at the game, only remember we were better with Scottie on the court, but not as good when he was sitting with foul trouble. Our press was who we were, but you may be right
3) his game plan was to play their bigs man to man, and he never changed. They (Mason bigs) never played a better game in their entire lives

I think UConn went something like 16 minutes without a fieldgoal in the 1994 Florida game. It should have never come down to a Donyell free throw. UConn needed another scorer, and we had Fair sitting right there on the bench with a clean uniform.

 

[RichZ]

If either #1 or #3 had a different outcome, I suggest that Husky history in the ensuing years would have been different. And who knows what path it would have taken? Would an earlier championship have gotten JC the SC offer he was tempted by sooner, before he was as vested in the program? Would we have gotten a recruit or two that we didn't? Who knows? Would the additional championship we would likely have won if we beat GM have changed our landscape enough that we don't see Kemba and Bazz? Heaven forbid.

Nothanks. I'm happy where we are.

But as to your original question, #3. Jeff needed to play more that game. But that choice comes with the benefit of hindsight. We know what Jeff was to become. JC probably played him gthe right amount for what he had been till then.

 

[tower1]

I was having this argument with a friend a few weeks ago. What is the biggest game coaching mistake Calhoun ever made in your opinion?

1) Not playing Brian Fair against Florida in 1994. This is far ahead of the rest in my opinion. UConn was drowning offensively in the second half against Florida, and Calhoun left his third best scorer on the bench until there were just seconds left. We all get that Fair couldn't play defense, but defense was not the problem in that game. We needed a scorer and Donyell and Ray were not getting it done.

2) Leaving the press on against Duke in 1990. Hurley was tearing through the press the whole game. He was just too quick for Tate. UConn was on fire offensively, and should have stayed back and forced Duke to work for their shots. There were too many dunks and layups for a game that ended up being a 1 point Duke win.

3) Leaving Armstrong and Boone on the court against George Mason. If these two were going to mail it in like they did, then they should have been splitting a position and Adrien and Nelson should have played more in the second half. George Mason had short, physical forwards, and Boone and Armstrong were playing so soft the whole game. Boone only got 20 minutes, but Armstrong played almost the whole game. Adrien had an amazing game, going 7 for 8 with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Calhoun should have just left him out there.

I think it was against #1 Kansas when Moore and King were kept out by NCAA. I believe we had a 21 point lead and blew it after half time trying to protect the lead.

 

[Hoophound]

I think UConn went something like 16 minutes without a fieldgoal in the 1994 Florida game. It should have never come down to a Donyell free throw. UConn needed another scorer, and we had Fair sitting right there on the bench with a clean uniform.

This. I was screaming at the tv over that. We needed to spread the floor and Fair would have done that just by standing there. Great, astute points on all 3 games you cited. That is how I remember each as well.

 

[alexd]

I think it was against #1 Kansas when Moore and King were kept out by NCAA. I believe we had a 21 point lead and blew it after half time trying to protect the lead.

It was a 16 pt lead...but still...

We had 9 scholarship players- the margin for error was so small. And frosh playing major minutes.


http://articles.philly.com/1997-01-20/sports/25558198_1_jayhawks-raef-lafrentz-kansas

 

[Waquoit]

Sitting Caron with 2 fouls against Maryland. That let MD back in the game and they won the NC.

 

[Gurleyman]

I don't remember the Duke game that way, although I was in college and haven't watched it since, so I won't claim to be locked in with my analysis. I do remember Hurley was able to break the press and made it ineffective in terms of creating turnovers (he did shoot 0-9 but was valuable with his ability to neutralize our best weapon), but usually he would break it and they would pound it in and hurt us inside with Abdelnaaby and that other guy. We clearly couldn't match their size with a gimpy-kneed Sellers and Burrell as our inside defenders, so sitting back wasn't an option I'd feel comfortable with. We were down by 10 or so in the first half and then led by five when Burrell fouled out with 3 minutes to go, so our in game adjustments got us to a place where we had a really good chance. I'd be more apt to say we made a mistake by extending our D and not making UCLA work a little harder. Toby Bailey had a layup drill.

He maybe should have stayed with the zone against Texas until they figured out how to break it. But I understand the reluctance to stay with something we didn't play all year when it got to winning time. Really, the Horns were just missing good looks and the "hope they miss" defense is playing with fire.

I've stopped fretting about 2006. I'm just happy we didn't lose to Albany and have the 1-16 albatross around our neck.

 

[bleeny72]

Sitting Caron with 2 fouls against Maryland. That let MD back in the game and they won the NC.

Considering the number of times sitting our star with two fouls worked out, I refuse to acknowledge this as a coaching "mistake." Ollie has continued this strategy and it has worked in big games much more than this one time it did not. If Caron gets #3, we may get torn apart in the second half.

 

[intlzncster]

The George Mason game is the one that still sticks with me and hurts the most. FF was there for the taking and we would have been a favorite to win the whole thing had we gotten there. Team was far too talented to go out that way.

The way we were playing that tournament (wasn't just one game), I don't think we beat Florida that year.

 

[CallMeBruce]

But as to your original question, #3. Jeff needed to play more that game. But that choice comes with the benefit of hindsight. We know what Jeff was to become. JC probably played him gthe right amount for what he had been till then.

Adrien scored and rebounded at a higher rate than both Boone and Armstrong that year, while shooting the ball at a higher percentage and turning it over less often. That's not hindsight; he was already better than both players.

 

[intlzncster]

Sitting Caron with 2 fouls against Maryland. That let MD back in the game and they won the NC.

That was the JC special. He outcoached K with that same move against Duke in 2004. Works sometimes, not others. I feel like it worked more often than not (not an empirical observation).

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I still say you have to put Rashad in the game to take that last shot against George Mason. That was mind blowing to me that he didn't get that shot.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't remember the Duke game that way, although I was in college and haven't watched it since, so I won't claim to be locked in with my analysis. I do remember Hurley was able to break the press and made it ineffective in terms of creating turnovers (he did shoot 0-9 but was valuable with his ability to neutralize our best weapon), but usually he would break it and they would pound it in and hurt us inside with Abdelnaaby and that other guy. We clearly couldn't match their size with a gimpy-kneed Sellers and Burrell as our inside defenders, so sitting back wasn't an option I'd feel comfortable with. We were down by 10 or so in the first half and then led by five when Burrell fouled out with 3 minutes to go, so our in game adjustments got us to a place where we had a really good chance. I'd be more apt to say we made a mistake by extending our D and not making UCLA work a little harder. Toby Bailey had a layup drill.

He maybe should have stayed with the zone against Texas until they figured out how to break it. But I understand the reluctance to stay with something we didn't play all year when it got to winning time. Really, the Horns were just missing good looks and the "hope they miss" defense is playing with fire.

I've stopped fretting about 2006. I'm just happy we didn't lose to Albany and have the 1-16 albatross around our neck.

Calhoun's most glaring coaching misstep was not pulling aside Missouri's Norm Stewart in 1995 and suggesting that he at least attempt to slow Tyus Edney in the final 4 seconds of that 2nd round game. We're in the Final Four without that snafu.

 

[boog204]

Not many jump out to me... But not guarding the ball against Duke in 90 is pretty tough to take. We had a penchant in those days to blow huge leads. People forget that in the Clemson game (the shot) we were up 20 before going down one.

I feel like JC never played Brian Fair as much as he should have. It seemed like every time JC got ejected/missed a game, Fair would play major minutes for Howie and score 20.

 

[RichZ]

Not many jump out to me... But not guarding the ball against Duke in 90 is pretty tough to take. We had a penchant in those days to blow huge leads. People forget that in the Clemson game (the shot) we were up 20 before going down one.

I feel like JC never played Brian Fair as much as he should have. It seemed like every time JC got ejected/missed a game, Fair would play major minutes for Howie and score 20.

Kind of like Marcus White. When Blaney was coaching, he played major minutes, and was one of the best offensive rebounders were ever had.

 

[Gurleyman]

Not many jump out to me... But not guarding the ball against Duke in 90 is pretty tough to take. We had a penchant in those days to blow huge leads. People forget that in the Clemson game (the shot) we were up 20 before going down one. I feel like JC never played Brian Fair as much as he should have. It seemed like every time JC got ejected/missed a game, Fair would play major minutes for Howie and score 20.

That Clemson game was really the only time all year we blew a lead. It was out of character. Usually, we wore teams down and put the hammer down. Clemson we got tentative.

 

[Gurleyman]

I still say you have to put Rashad in the game to take that last shot against George Mason. That was mind blowing to me that he didn't get that shot.

A) He was in during crunch time. He actually shot an air ball with 30 seconds left - at which point I gave up (not even Rashad can save us)
B) Both of our last shots were end to end rushes when we were out of timeouts. Not like there was time to run a play and get the ball to a specific guy.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Not many jump out to me... But not guarding the ball against Duke in 90 is pretty tough to take. We had a penchant in those days to blow huge leads. People forget that in the Clemson game (the shot) we were up 20 before going down one.

I feel like JC never played Brian Fair as much as he should have. It seemed like every time JC got ejected/missed a game, Fair would play major minutes for Howie and score 20.

Fair put up like 24 in one game for Howie against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome that I believe UConn lost. Fair was such a good scorer, and another poster pointed out that just having him out on the court would have changed Florida's gameplan.

The 2 foul policy against Maryland was a tough one. I don't think that was a mistake so much as just a calculated risk that didn't work out as we hoped.

Hurley did have a poor shooting game that day Abdelnabby and Laettner were mismatches against a gimpy Sellers inside, but Burrell and Henefeld were already so effective at help defense that I think setting our defense up would have been a better idea. I feel like the Duke bigs got a lot of dunks off breaking the press. Maybe that is just my aging memory. Regardless, the press wasn't working, and should have been abandoned.

Boone and Armstrong were so awful against George Mason that I think that not only Adrien, but even Nelson should have also gotten more minutes, if for no other reason than to light a fire under Boone and Armstrong. Calhoun was pretty hot at Boone the whole game, but Armstrong played 37 minutes and basically got a pass.

 

[Mots010]

Not many jump out to me... But not guarding the ball against Duke in 90 is pretty tough to take. We had a penchant in those days to blow huge leads. People forget that in the Clemson game (the shot) we were up 20 before going down one. I feel like JC never played Brian Fair as much as he should have. It seemed like every time JC got ejected/missed a game, Fair would play major minutes for Howie and score 20.

Not guarding the inbound was killer in 1990. I mentioned it in another thread yesterday, but it almost bit us at the end of regulation in that game by giving up and Ally oop with .3 left. Coach k must have scouted that.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Fair put up like 24 in one game for Howie against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome that I believe UConn lost. Fair was such a good scorer, and another poster pointed out that just having him out on the court would have changed Florida's gameplan.

The 2 foul policy against Maryland was a tough one. I don't think that was a mistake so much as just a calculated risk that didn't work out as we hoped.

Hurley did have a poor shooting game that day Abdelnabby and Laettner were mismatches against a gimpy Sellers inside, but Burrell and Henefeld were already so effective at help defense that I think setting our defense up would have been a better idea. I feel like the Duke bigs got a lot of dunks off breaking the press. Maybe that is just my aging memory. Regardless, the press wasn't working, and should have been abandoned.

Boone and Armstrong were so awful against George Mason that I think that not only Adrien, but even Nelson should have also gotten more minutes, if for no other reason than to light a fire under Boone and Armstrong. Calhoun was pretty hot at Boone the whole game, but Armstrong played 37 minutes and basically got a pass.

I would have liked to have seen Pickup Truck in that game a little bit. Given that GM's bigs were just backing Boone and Armstrong down at will, having another widebody could have been a huge help.

 

[Gurleyman]

Sitting Caron with 2 fouls against Maryland. That let MD back in the game and they won the NC.

Maryland was never out of the game. The issue was they closed on an 8-0 run to take a 7-point lead into the half, which ended with one of their back up bigs chucking in a long three before the buzzer, or we would have only been down 4. Either way, we made up that deficit in the first five minutes of the second half and it was game on from there with Caron in beast mode.

 

[alexd]

Fair put up like 24 in one game for Howie against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome that I believe UConn lost. Fair was such a good scorer, and another poster pointed out that just having him out on the court would have changed Florida's gameplan.

The 2 foul policy against Maryland was a tough one. I don't think that was a mistake so much as just a calculated risk that didn't work out as we hoped.

Hurley did have a poor shooting game that day Abdelnabby and Laettner were mismatches against a gimpy Sellers inside, but Burrell and Henefeld were already so effective at help defense that I think setting our defense up would have been a better idea. I feel like the Duke bigs got a lot of dunks off breaking the press. Maybe that is just my aging memory. Regardless, the press wasn't working, and should have been abandoned.

Boone and Armstrong were so awful against George Mason that I think that not only Adrien, but even Nelson should have also gotten more minutes, if for no other reason than to light a fire under Boone and Armstrong. Calhoun was pretty hot at Boone the whole game, but Armstrong played 37 minutes and basically got a pass.

I remember a quote by Boeheim about Fair...something like....based on games vs Cuse, he's the best shooter in the BE since Chris Mullin.