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We all knew that there were going to be some unavoidable growing pains on this end; losing an all-world point guard, in addition to two marksman forwards, is going to leave a considerable dent in any offensive attack. But I would wager a guess that most, if not all UConn fans, were hopeful that the offensive output to date would register much further along the growth chart.
Per KenPom, UConn ranks 135th in offensive efficiency, a mark that would be the second lowest the program has recorded since Pomeroy began tracking data in 2002. If you prefer conventional numbers, UConn ranks 223rd in America, and if you're searching for another method, your local doctor is probably more than happy to confirm your high blood pressure levels.
As previously stated, there is definitely an experience and continuity deficit that had to be accounted for in any preseason projections. This isn't especially surprising to me, even if that doesn't necessarily make it less frustrating.
But when you score the ball less efficiently than schools like Grand Canyon, Tennessee Tech, and Idaho, inexperience can no longer be used as a crutch. And for all of the moaning about recruiting, teams with significantly less talent than what UConn has at its disposal are racking up points. Surely, it would be nice to see an uptick on the trail, but at some point, you have to look at the coaches.
No, you can't blame the coaches for Brimah dropping entry passes, Cassell bricking threes, or Samuel charging through traffic because he can't do anything else. And I'm not in a position to provide any solutions, otherwise I'd be coaching my own team.
Here's what I do wonder, though: Ollie has been adamant since inheriting the keys to the program that he wanted to play a certain way. Recruits - particularly guards - have come away from visits convinced that all Ollie wants to do is run, run, and run. He did everything short of sending out a blimp. He wants his guards to get the ball and push it, and this season, with a roster seemingly suited to do so, it appeared this would be the inaugural installment of the brand of basketball he wanted to play.
Yet, UConn ranks 246th in adjusted tempo, and is currently the slowest Husky team since Pomeroy began tracking data in 2002. Watching the games live, it's even worse than those numbers indicate - they play at a glacial pace, and it can sometimes be tough to watch.
Not helping my argument: UConn has won two titles in the last four years playing slow it down basketball, and oftentimes the discipline instilled by playing that style paid dividends on the biggest stage.
I'm perplexed that it has carried over to this season for a few reasons, though. For starters, it's just easier for offensively-challenged teams to score in a free-flowing settings. You stop overthinking the game and instincts prevail. Structure is good, otherwise you wind up like St. Johns. But over-structure can sometimes be detrimental to development, and an aggressive pursuit of favorable match-ups shouldn't be confused with recklessness.
Watching even one Golden State Warriors game can provide a valuable manual on the virtues of up-tempo basketball. Most teams limit their fast-break attack to exclusively odd-man opportunities; Golden State will pursue transient three-on-three chances while big men lag behind the break, confusing opposing defenses with crossing-action in the open court that produce mismatches in the wrong places. Playing three-on-three is easier than five-on-five for obvious reasons: you can score simply by beating the initial defender off the dribble rather than having to methodically exploit sophisticated half-court defenses.
Take a parallel from another sport, Oregon football. It isn’t necessarily the content of the offense that bewilders opponents, it’s that their pace forces defenses to process, identify, and adjust to various formations in a fraction of the time they're accustomed to having. In basketball, many of those principles apply to the open court: you aren’t able to revert to your default defense, and instead you must make difficult, instinctual reads that stray outside your comfort zone.
For whatever reason, Ollie appears hell-bent on playing two bigs at virtually all times. If that is going to be the case, there is no reason not to run. Brimah’s rebounding has come under scrutiny many times on here, and for good reason, but he is taking the ball from the backboard at a higher rate recently. He has averaged 9 rebounds per 40 minutes in his last seven games, which, while not ideal, is a step in the right direction. Moreover, Facey and Hamilton are strong rebounders for their positions, meaning the front court should be able to control the boards against most teams without assistance from the guards.
There are many problems that are currently plaguing this group, and many of them are of the sort only time can solve. I think no less of Ollie as a coach today than I did after the national title, and any skeptic could have forecasted the impending step back to reality. Obviously I know a lot less about basketball than the guys on the staff, but as a distant observer, something seems off about this team. Nearly every win has been a grind, and although I generally roll my eyes when I hear something along these lines, I’ll say it anyway: it doesn’t look like they’re having fun playing basketball. Maybe a lot of their problems can be cured by minor tweaks, maybe something more drastic is in store. Whatever the case, I’m excited to see how they are addressed Thursday against a tough conference opponent.
Per KenPom, UConn ranks 135th in offensive efficiency, a mark that would be the second lowest the program has recorded since Pomeroy began tracking data in 2002. If you prefer conventional numbers, UConn ranks 223rd in America, and if you're searching for another method, your local doctor is probably more than happy to confirm your high blood pressure levels.
As previously stated, there is definitely an experience and continuity deficit that had to be accounted for in any preseason projections. This isn't especially surprising to me, even if that doesn't necessarily make it less frustrating.
But when you score the ball less efficiently than schools like Grand Canyon, Tennessee Tech, and Idaho, inexperience can no longer be used as a crutch. And for all of the moaning about recruiting, teams with significantly less talent than what UConn has at its disposal are racking up points. Surely, it would be nice to see an uptick on the trail, but at some point, you have to look at the coaches.
No, you can't blame the coaches for Brimah dropping entry passes, Cassell bricking threes, or Samuel charging through traffic because he can't do anything else. And I'm not in a position to provide any solutions, otherwise I'd be coaching my own team.
Here's what I do wonder, though: Ollie has been adamant since inheriting the keys to the program that he wanted to play a certain way. Recruits - particularly guards - have come away from visits convinced that all Ollie wants to do is run, run, and run. He did everything short of sending out a blimp. He wants his guards to get the ball and push it, and this season, with a roster seemingly suited to do so, it appeared this would be the inaugural installment of the brand of basketball he wanted to play.
Yet, UConn ranks 246th in adjusted tempo, and is currently the slowest Husky team since Pomeroy began tracking data in 2002. Watching the games live, it's even worse than those numbers indicate - they play at a glacial pace, and it can sometimes be tough to watch.
Not helping my argument: UConn has won two titles in the last four years playing slow it down basketball, and oftentimes the discipline instilled by playing that style paid dividends on the biggest stage.
I'm perplexed that it has carried over to this season for a few reasons, though. For starters, it's just easier for offensively-challenged teams to score in a free-flowing settings. You stop overthinking the game and instincts prevail. Structure is good, otherwise you wind up like St. Johns. But over-structure can sometimes be detrimental to development, and an aggressive pursuit of favorable match-ups shouldn't be confused with recklessness.
Watching even one Golden State Warriors game can provide a valuable manual on the virtues of up-tempo basketball. Most teams limit their fast-break attack to exclusively odd-man opportunities; Golden State will pursue transient three-on-three chances while big men lag behind the break, confusing opposing defenses with crossing-action in the open court that produce mismatches in the wrong places. Playing three-on-three is easier than five-on-five for obvious reasons: you can score simply by beating the initial defender off the dribble rather than having to methodically exploit sophisticated half-court defenses.
Take a parallel from another sport, Oregon football. It isn’t necessarily the content of the offense that bewilders opponents, it’s that their pace forces defenses to process, identify, and adjust to various formations in a fraction of the time they're accustomed to having. In basketball, many of those principles apply to the open court: you aren’t able to revert to your default defense, and instead you must make difficult, instinctual reads that stray outside your comfort zone.
For whatever reason, Ollie appears hell-bent on playing two bigs at virtually all times. If that is going to be the case, there is no reason not to run. Brimah’s rebounding has come under scrutiny many times on here, and for good reason, but he is taking the ball from the backboard at a higher rate recently. He has averaged 9 rebounds per 40 minutes in his last seven games, which, while not ideal, is a step in the right direction. Moreover, Facey and Hamilton are strong rebounders for their positions, meaning the front court should be able to control the boards against most teams without assistance from the guards.
There are many problems that are currently plaguing this group, and many of them are of the sort only time can solve. I think no less of Ollie as a coach today than I did after the national title, and any skeptic could have forecasted the impending step back to reality. Obviously I know a lot less about basketball than the guys on the staff, but as a distant observer, something seems off about this team. Nearly every win has been a grind, and although I generally roll my eyes when I hear something along these lines, I’ll say it anyway: it doesn’t look like they’re having fun playing basketball. Maybe a lot of their problems can be cured by minor tweaks, maybe something more drastic is in store. Whatever the case, I’m excited to see how they are addressed Thursday against a tough conference opponent.
