For whatever else went wrong, that 2014 run was a super well-coached team. We beat Martelli, Wright, Hoiberg, Izzo, Donovan and Calipari.
Every game had different coaching tests, St. Joe's had the point forward thing going on, we opened up a lead on Nova with Bazz on the bench in foul trouble, we had to withstand a big-time counter punch from Michigan State when we were down 10 in the second half, Florida took Bazz out the game entirely and looked like they were going to beat us 100-10, and we made adjustments. We looked way better prepared for Kentucky than vice versa and only some foul trouble to Daniels and Boat after we got up 30-15 gave them some life.
Florida threw a 1-3-1 zone at us in the second half and we torched it with three lobs, and then when we got a lead we played with Giffey at center and let Young have his, but we matched them basket for basket. Then the lob worked again against Kentucky in the final in a key spot, and when they ran a double at Bazz on the last possession, we were ready for it and got Kromah to the line. Some of that is Bazz being savvy too, but the only time in that tournament when it felt like we were getting outcoached was at the start of Florida when their gameplan smothered us, and we couldn't do anything. And we won by double digits.
Maybe the assistants did most of that work and KO got lucky, but man, that team was super well coached. It was downhill from there, but I'll always say that title is his. Yeah Bazz and Boat were Calhoun recruits, but he had to take that team over after everyone else bailed and build up over two years with an entirely different system (and no offense to Olander, Nolan, and Brimah, but with a frontcourt that was typically outmatched).
