It's time to play to our strengths

[uconn34]

I have learned thru experience that any posting here opens one up to ridicule and therefore I rarely post. However, after watching the Syracuse game yesterday I have a few things to say;

I loved our championship teams, who wouldn't, but frankly I enjoyed our pre-championship years even more. We have such outstanding talent and we use it so poorly. To start with we should run and press all game long and then drop into our zone of the past and harass and rotate. We may not have great height at the point but we have great speed, we should use it. We have very good speed for our big guys and they should be running all the time, and be rewarded for such. We have great creativity in Boatright and Napier, let them impose their will thru speed before the other team can set up their defense. We should go to 9-10 deep, Smith, Daniels, Giffey, Olander should be on the court, 15 minutes a game or longer if they find their rythm. Basketball is a game of confidence and we, our coaches, are capable of deflating the best. If you make a mistake so be it, it's not as though this style is mistake proof. Pressure and attack, and all should have the opportunity to pull the trigger without the fear of being sentenced to the bench. I use to have a favorite t-shirt saying 40 minutes hard, yet when did we decide that the path of the Ricky Williams, Rod Sellers is obsolete, because that shirt is now absolete. Many times I think we are playing not to lose, and that's a tough way to win. I believe we frequently lose out on superior recruits because they watch us play and know they can't succeed with the hook hanging over their heads. Blaney may be a great sounding board for JC but he is not a good game coach, probably because he too fears the hook.
Let's get back to UConn basketball, 40 minutes hard, pressure end to end, and attack offensively in a relentless manner.

 

[Henry]

Thanks for posting and don't be afraid of the criticism. I was the one who started a thread about Calhoun stepping down and was threatened with being banned from the message board. I guess they forgot to send my Kool Aid ration after accepting me to the board. LOL. Anyway, I was thinking about the same things you wrote about after yesterday's game. We never seem to press anymore and have settled for a defense where the guards defend poorly and we hope the big guys block the shot. Each season we are told that we do not have the depth at guard to press. We used to score a lot off of the press. Maybe Calhoun does not think that strategy holds up in a long season and wants to preserve their legs. I would prefer that some of their recruits not be blue chip prospects but fit the Sellers mode, be hard working and willing to mix it up.

 

[Rico444]

It was a lot of fun seeing us run yesterday, and we had some success, too. I'd like to see us force the issue more often as well. Not sure about pressing, only because we have 3 guards on the team and they all play together most of the time.

 

[bobbygt]

It was a lot of fun seeing us run yesterday, and we had some success, too. I'd like to see us force the issue more often as well. Not sure about pressing, only because we have 3 guards on the team and they all play together most of the time.

I can't remember thinking that the offense was stagnant yesterday at all until those 3s from Jardine went down at the 4 minute mark. I loved the way they were running and there wasn't a whole lotta dribbling out the clock like we've seen over the past month.

 

[zls44]

I loved our championship teams, who wouldn't, but frankly I enjoyed our pre-championship years even more.

And this is why people get criticized. Stuff like this.

 

[Henry]

And this is why people get criticized. Stuff like this.

1159 messages and that's the best you can do? How about a little analysis or sticking your neck out with an informed opinion? For some fans, winning isn't everything. Basketball can be a beautiful game when well played and uconn34 is entitled to his or her opinion over what style of play he or she prefers.

 

[mauconnfan]

Quite frankly everyone would like to press for 40 but you need the horses and the brains to make it work. People have asked for the Huskies to get back to that since 89-90 when they had the ultimate pressure team. That team had the tools to make it work - big guards (Smitty and Tater) who were intelligent, 2 forwards, one a great athlete (Burrell) in 3 sports and fast the other the best and smartest anticipator (Dove) the Huskies may have ever seen. Sellers in back held things down if necessary but there was so much trouble forced teams rarely attacked. It wouold have seemed to have been a trademark and if they could dial it up every yea you don't think JC would? It was a great formula and a winning formula but the ingredients need to be there.

This years team for instance, 2 small guards - easy to pass over despite their quickness. Jeremy is long and should be pretty good as the "middle" guy or wing but tends to be one step off at times. Roscoe may be a nice fit but he's not playing well enough to get minutes - Andre and Alex in together make for a terrible pressing team option.

There you have it - 40 minutes of hell ain't happening with this team - and when did they ever drop back into a zone in the past? Once, twice? LOL

And I laugh at the "hook" and recruits! Yeah I'd rather go play for Calipari because he lets them play. Yet he wins no National Championships now does he? The good kis, the good recruits want to get better and win, not sure you can find me a program that has done that as well as in Storrs for the last 12-13 years now can you?

 

[jibsey]

"the quick hook". Ah yes, Calhoun's style can be debated during the regular season but there is no argument about what he can do with time to prepare in tournament elimination games. Some players probably don't benefit from it for sure though.

 

[freescooter]

Mau really kind of hit it, I think. I'd go a step further and say that we simply don't recruit the kind of players who can or want to play that style any more. Few if any big programs do.

I have to disagree about players going to play for Calipari vs Calhoun because Calhoun will get you a chance to play for the National Championship, though. My guess is that if you asked Drummond, asked Lamb, where that ranks on their decision process, it would be somewhere above what are the school colors but not by that much. The primary concern is who will get me ready for the NBA, with the highest draft spot, fastest.

 

[mauconnfan]

Mau really kind of hit it, I think. I'd go a step further and say that we simply don't recruit the kind of players who can or want to play that style any more. Few if any big programs do.

I have to disagree about players going to play for Calipari vs Calhoun because Calhoun will get you a chance to play for the National Championship, though. My guess is that if you asked Drummond, asked Lamb, where that ranks on their decision process, it would be somewhere above what are the school colors but not by that much. The primary concern is who will get me ready for the NBA, with the highest draft spot, fastest.

Sorry free I screwed up in the way I organized that statement, the intent was fully sarcastic.........on Calipari that is!!