Kevin Ollie WTIC...........

[mauconnfan]

Listened to Kevin on the postgame with Joe D and he basically said the same thing I was thinking about watching the 2nd half late.

You play the game long enough and have some pride, you never quit. It's okay not to play well, not to make shots as long as your still playing hard. To quit makes it tough to want to watch you again as noone likes quitters and I think they did - not good.

Anyway Kevin said basically, not verbatim, they should have wanted to hit someone, not to hurt them but to show that pride. Hard fouls needed to happen, hard boxouts for people flying around looking to make a laugher out of this one NEEDED to happen. The bench, Ceva especially, were laughing at them jumping up and down while our guys were watching it happen. Kevin saw quit - he knows them better than any of us. He didn't see anyone stick up for themselves, we all saw that. He made sure to mention not to hurt anyone and I get that - but when everyone is having a dunkathoon on me, if I'm Andre, Alex, Tyler or Roscoe someones going to pay.....not on my time will you laugh at me while I wear a Husky uniform...............

It's obvious they're young, obvious they are struggling in a big way on both ends. I can handle that and I can handle they have so much to learn they will probably be NIT bound because I really don't see them winning enough games with the way they are playing at this point, but that's okay I'll watch them. BUT I have a huge problem when my bigs watch these guys flying by them, watch the bench laughing at them and the players high fiving and joking around on their time, and there is no retaliation (again not to injure). You need to grow some and hammer some people if you want to become a man. They didn't want to last night and that was the most depressing part of it. It's a Husky uniform you're wearing kids and you wear it with pride as you are champions. Last night they were embarrassing, not for the way they played but for the way they stood up for Husky Nation - they didn't!!!!!

 

[TheRogers]

Great post.

These guys are followers and none of them are leaders. Last year, they drew their swagger, toughness, and energy from a true leader in Kemba. Now they get punched in the mouth and everyone looks to the ground and collectively says, "ok".

If the team is waiting for one player to step up, it is not going to happen. Lamb does not have it in him. AO tried but not much follow through. Drummond can't be mentally in a game for 40 mins so it's too much to ask him to step up. Bazz a least put himself out there but didn't get buy-in from other players. Boat wants to assume the role but I see him getting the same results as Bazz.

This team's only chance is to collectively come together and not expect a repeat of last year in terms of looking for leadership from one person. Unfortunately there are too many moving pieces for this to happen and the ultimate chess master is out with a back injury.

 

[bobbygt]

I guess it's interesting that everyone saw the same thing last night, but I find it a bit troublesome that even the coaches have the same observation as the fans and the journalists/blog guys.

I wonder if Ollie said that to them during the game?

If we go by what is known about these guys, that all of them are really high character people, but that they are almost "too nice," isn't it the coaches responsibility to instill that fire in them?

It appears like Blaney is also almost too nice, but what I wonder whether any of the other coaches got in there and let the guys know that they had some pride to protect.

 

[fortebleedsblue]

Great post.... I'm surprised your post didn't get deleted for mentioning that they quit and basically stating players who quit don't deserve to wear Uconn. Mine did.

 

[RuffRuff]

Here is the thing - the alpha leader is always mega important on the floor, but no two success' are built the same way. There have been plenty of good teams to play without the alpha type. Basketball is a system - its getting 5 guys to work systematically together in recognizing their strengths and utilizing them. Does UNC jump out at you as having alpha personalities? They've had their bumps but have overcome.

At some point I point I look at the coaching. When a team is missing the alpha then the coach and the system should take over. These guys should still recognize how to work with each other and play together. Right now they look like they've never been coached.

You see it often with old coaches - they're not adaptable. It happened to a Bobby Knight - never caught on to the changing player and hoops passed him by. I'm not saying that is Calhoun but he is not far from that type of stubbornness. He has one very defined system that is incredibly dependent on singular players to take over. It's never been much of a team centric system on the offensive end. So when you hear analysts say they're not running anything or that they're not doing anything - that starts with the coaches. Because how hard is it to run something, really? And that's because they've never had to because they've had a Kemba Walker or a Ben Gordon that they could give the ball to 30 feet from the basket and just say go. Whenever a Uconn team does not have that type of player it struggles offensively.

It's getting to the point where I am putting more and more credit on Walker for last years NC than I'm giving Calhoun. Winning takes talent, sure, but a coach gets paid to recognize what he has and to develop a system that can maximize it - not force pegs into slots they don't work in.

The problem with this team now is that they have no blueprint to maximize their strengths - the Calhoun application doesn't not work with this bunch, as talented as they are. Now with the continued confusion they are just shutting down. Shabazz started shutting down earlier than most but now it's catching up with all of them, including Jeremy.

I don't know what happened in that locker room/coaching office in the summer/fall. Maybe they rested on their laurels, celebrated a little too long. But this hot mess is on the coaching.

 

[fortebleedsblue]

Calo

I guess it's interesting that everyone saw the same thing last night, but I find it a bit troublesome that even the coaches have the same observation as the fans and the journalists/blog guys.

I wonder if Ollie said that to them during the game?

If we go by what is known about these guys, that all of them are really high character people, but that they are almost "too nice," isn't it the coaches responsibility to instill that fire in them?

It appears like Blaney is also almost too nice, but what I wonder whether any of the other coaches got in there and let the guys know that they had some pride to protect.

Calhoun would have thrown the bench in. Blaney let things say toxic by not making a statement. Players rather pout than play throw in those who really want to play. Put the saloons on. I can recall moments when Calhoun did that. Blaney's lack of leadership was more apparent than anything last night. Throw him in with the list of followers.

 

[TheChamps990411]

i think offensively we should spread the floor and force teams to guard us one on one and we should have atleast 3 passes every posession till someone is open. not all this dribble all over the place and take a last second shot that hits.

 

[mauconnfan]

Here is the thing - the alpha leader is always mega important on the floor, but no two success' are built the same way. There have been plenty of good teams to play without the alpha type. Basketball is a system - its getting 5 guys to work systematically together in recognizing their strengths and utilizing them. Does UNC jump out at you as having alpha personalities? They've had their bumps but have overcome.

At some point I point I look at the coaching. When a team is missing the alpha then the coach and the system should take over. These guys should still recognize how to work with each other and play together. Right now they look like they've never been coached.

You see it often with old coaches - they're not adaptable. It happened to a Bobby Knight - never caught on to the changing player and hoops passed him by. I'm not saying that is Calhoun but he is not far from that type of stubbornness. He has one very defined system that is incredibly dependent on singular players to take over. It's never been much of a team centric system on the offensive end. So when you hear analysts say they're not running anything or that they're not doing anything - that starts with the coaches. Because how hard is it to run something, really? And that's because they've never had to because they've had a Kemba Walker or a Ben Gordon that they could give the ball to 30 feet from the basket and just say go. Whenever a Uconn team does not have that type of player it struggles offensively.

It's getting to the point where I am putting more and more credit on Walker for last years NC than I'm giving Calhoun. Winning takes talent, sure, but a coach gets paid to recognize what he has and to develop a system that can maximize it - not force pegs into slots they don't work in.

The problem with this team now is that they have no blueprint to maximize their strengths - the Calhoun application doesn't not work with this bunch, as talented as they are. Now with the continued confusion they are just shutting down. Shabazz started shutting down earlier than most but now it's catching up with all of them, including Jeremy.

I don't know what happened in that locker room/coaching office in the summer/fall. Maybe they rested on their laurels, celebrated a little too long. But this hot mess is on the coaching.

Here's something you won't want to hear Ruff Ruff. Basketball is all about fundamentals and learning and intellect. I promise you the coaches are hammering these into these kids whether they are BIG MAN coaches or whatever. Not adaptable is pretty funny and blaming it on the coaching is a joke. They never rest on their laurels and to think otherwise is not knowing the head man JC like everyone else. The kids are not intelligent basketball-wise and that's a definite thus far, the coaches ARE intelligent basketball-wise and wwe already know that.....how? because they are in Storrs and they have won 3 NC's over the last 12 years with another shortcoming in the FF ....that's enough for me to know the players just need to listen and adjust ......NOT the coaches!!!

 

[RS9999X]

Anyway Kevin said basically, not verbatim, they should have wanted to hit someone, not to hurt them but to show that pride. Hard fouls needed to happen, hard boxouts for people flying around looking to make a laugher out of this one NEEDED to happen. !!!!

I agree. The pack of physicality is a problem. Use Roscoe like he's Ed Nelson as the foul guy.

Minimizing fouls on Alex and Andre results in the front court becoming a dessert plate for decent big men

Rebecca Lobo and Kara Walters would have their way with Andre and Alex. I'm talking 40 year old Kara and Rebecca not prime time.

 

[ford82]

The UConn players were definitely being too kind to the Louisville players. Louisville was embarrassing UConn and the UConn players were saying good game to the Louisville starters when the starters were being subbed out with significant time left on the clock. That was shocking to me. Roscoe and Boat were the two players who actually showed they have pride. If you take pride in what you do, you protect it and if someone tries to take it from you, you never congratulate them. It makes you look like a chump.

 

[RuffRuff]

Here's something you won't want to hear Ruff Ruff. Basketball is all about fundamentals and learning and intellect. I promise you the coaches are hammering these into these kids whether they are BIG MAN coaches or whatever. Not adaptable is pretty funny and blaming it on the coaching is a joke. They never rest on their laurels and to think otherwise is not knowing the head man JC like everyone else. The kids are not intelligent basketball-wise and that's a definite thus far, the coaches ARE intelligent basketball-wise and wwe already know that.....how? because they are in Storrs and they have won 3 NC's over the last 12 years with another shortcoming in the FF ....that's enough for me to know the players just need to listen and adjust ......NOT the coaches!!!

Kids are human, but so are coaches. The hangover can as easily affect a coaching staff as it can players.

Bottom line is that there is no room for complaining with anything regarding Calhoun - the success is through the roof and he can jam his Irish foot up anyone's @ss that does. But if you can't recognize his extraordinarily defined recipe for success, you haven't been watching close enough. That recipe start with a lottery pick guard that he can hand the ball off to create his entire offense. He has shown no adapting to anything outside of that recipe. Team offense is not taught.

 

[Mots010]

Kids are human, but so are coaches. The hangover can as easily affect a coaching staff as it can players.

Bottom line is that there is no room for complaining with anything regarding Calhoun - the success is through the roof and he can jam his Irish foot up anyone's @ss that does. But if you can't recognize his extraordinarily defined recipe for success, you haven't been watching close enough. That recipe start with a lottery pick guard that he can hand the ball off to create his entire offense. He has shown no adapting to anything outside of that recipe. Team offense is not taught.

A high caliber guard to start the offense is the recipe for just about every final four team since the tournament started. The Princeton offense aint getting you final fours, no matter how pretty it looks.

 

[mauconnfan]

Kids are human, but so are coaches. The hangover can as easily affect a coaching staff as it can players.

Bottom line is that there is no room for complaining with anything regarding Calhoun - the success is through the roof and he can jam his Irish foot up anyone's @ss that does. But if you can't recognize his extraordinarily defined recipe for success, you haven't been watching close enough. That recipe start with a lottery pick guard that he can hand the ball off to create his entire offense. He has shown no adapting to anything outside of that recipe. Team offense is not taught.

I will agree on the recipe Ruff and I get it. And who's fault for not having the players (ingredients) for the recipe they create is the coaches......but I'm not sure it's over with this crew if they stay together......running strict offense isn't and never will be the premier philosophy for JC's teams but that's alright, kids like it and it wins with the recipe. Unfortunately when your short on the ingrdients for the recipe it is not very tasty right? I hear ya................

 

[Danzz]

Listened to Kevin on the postgame with Joe D and he basically said the same thing I was thinking about watching the 2nd half late.

You play the game long enough and have some pride, you never quit. It's okay not to play well, not to make shots as long as your still playing hard. To quit makes it tough to want to watch you again as noone likes quitters and I think they did - not good.

Anyway Kevin said basically, not verbatim, they should have wanted to hit someone, not to hurt them but to show that pride. Hard fouls needed to happen, hard boxouts for people flying around looking to make a laugher out of this one NEEDED to happen. The bench, Ceva especially, were laughing at them jumping up and down while our guys were watching it happen. Kevin saw quit - he knows them better than any of us. He didn't see anyone stick up for themselves, we all saw that. He made sure to mention not to hurt anyone and I get that - but when everyone is having a dunkathoon on me, if I'm Andre, Alex, Tyler or Roscoe someones going to pay.....not on my time will you laugh at me while I wear a Husky uniform...............

It's obvious they're young, obvious they are struggling in a big way on both ends. I can handle that and I can handle they have so much to learn they will probably be NIT bound because I really don't see them winning enough games with the way they are playing at this point, but that's okay I'll watch them. BUT I have a huge problem when my bigs watch these guys flying by them, watch the bench laughing at them and the players high fiving and joking around on their time, and there is no retaliation (again not to injure). You need to grow some and hammer some people if you want to become a man. They didn't want to last night and that was the most depressing part of it. It's a Husky uniform you're wearing kids and you wear it with pride as you are champions. Last night they were embarrassing, not for the way they played but for the way they stood up for Husky Nation - they didn't!!!!!

Never thought I'd see it with a JC team but this team seems to have no heart and I'm not one who likes to bash the team after a bad loss. Last season Kemba had enough heart for everybody. This team is basicly headless, they have no leader. This is the most tenative Uconn team ever and I go back to the 60's. Most of them need to make a trip to see the Wizard of Oz.

 

[FeedTheDove]

Here is the thing - the alpha leader is always mega important on the floor, but no two success' are built the same way. There have been plenty of good teams to play without the alpha type. Basketball is a system - its getting 5 guys to work systematically together in recognizing their strengths and utilizing them. Does UNC jump out at you as having alpha personalities? They've had their bumps but have overcome.

At some point I point I look at the coaching. When a team is missing the alpha then the coach and the system should take over. These guys should still recognize how to work with each other and play together. Right now they look like they've never been coached.

You see it often with old coaches - they're not adaptable. It happened to a Bobby Knight - never caught on to the changing player and hoops passed him by. I'm not saying that is Calhoun but he is not far from that type of stubbornness. He has one very defined system that is incredibly dependent on singular players to take over. It's never been much of a team centric system on the offensive end. So when you hear analysts say they're not running anything or that they're not doing anything - that starts with the coaches. Because how hard is it to run something, really? And that's because they've never had to because they've had a Kemba Walker or a Ben Gordon that they could give the ball to 30 feet from the basket and just say go. Whenever a Uconn team does not have that type of player it struggles offensively.

It's getting to the point where I am putting more and more credit on Walker for last years NC than I'm giving Calhoun. Winning takes talent, sure, but a coach gets paid to recognize what he has and to develop a system that can maximize it - not force pegs into slots they don't work in.

The problem with this team now is that they have no blueprint to maximize their strengths - the Calhoun application doesn't not work with this bunch, as talented as they are. Now with the continued confusion they are just shutting down. Shabazz started shutting down earlier than most but now it's catching up with all of them, including Jeremy.

I don't know what happened in that locker room/coaching office in the summer/fall. Maybe they rested on their laurels, celebrated a little too long. But this hot mess is on the coaching.

This is a very scary, but interesting way of looking at things. The fact is, were not in that locker room, we dont know whats really going on, its very hard to suggest something like this - its very hard to suggest anything when you dont know whats REALLY going on.

But JC is not stupid, dont you think recognize something like this and realize his time is coming to an end? This is where id optimistically be against your point. When i read things like the article about him Wanting to return to coaching and vowing to keep coaching it tells me that theres just something that these players arent getting. Hes determined to make them get it.

That being said.. We still dont know whats really going on in that locker room.

 

[RS9999X]

These kids are young. The team peception is hurt by two things: pre-season expectations and the perception of NBA departures.

Look at the 1992-93 Huskies for comparison: the transition Sophomore year for the Ollie and Marshall teams where they ended up in the NIT. There were size and maturity issues, etc.

 

[RuffRuff]

These kids are young but at this point the core bunch has played a lot of basketball together - I can't put this on youth. Top programs win with youth. Harrison Barnes - sophomore. Jarred Sullinger - sophomore. We are on the younger side comparatively but it's not significant. I can't lean on that as why this isn't working. Case in point - the number one team in the country.

And these are good kids - outside of some tweeting by Oriakhi, I've seen little to suggest otherwise. These are kids that won a national championship together and know what it takes. Although what they know in that is including Kemba Walker. What the coaching should have recognized is that there is no Walker on this team and devised a different concept this year. There are no signs of that.

No one is looking for the Princeton offense - not sure if you've kept up with the best of analysts(Bilas, Gottlieb) but their eyeballs are popping out of their head watching this offense and seeing nothing run. Nothing - they stand waiting for someone else to do something. It's a passive offense always waiting for something to happen. How many times are we going to see Nappier pointing and pulling his shirt looking like he's directing something only to then see him dribble the ball for an entire possession and either take a crap shot himself or some other contested shot that never had a chance of separation coming off a set play.

And yes, good college hoops teams do start with great guards. But you can't be blessed with a top ten guard to run your entire offense through every year. We have a lottery pick swing guy and other excellent players this year but these kids were given no clue how to maximize their strengths because there are no other options of how to do things offensively under the Calhoun blueprint.

 

[Edward Sargent]

These kids are young but at this point the core bunch has played a lot of basketball together - I can't put this on youth. Top programs win with youth. Harrison Barnes - sophomore. Jarred Sullinger - sophomore. We are on the younger side comparatively but it's not significant. I can't lean on that as why this isn't working. Case in point - the number one team in the country.

And these are good kids - outside of some tweeting by Oriakhi, I've seen little to suggest otherwise. These are kids that won a national championship together and know what it takes. Although what they know in that is including Kemba Walker. What the coaching should have recognized is that there is no Walker on this team and devised a different concept this year. There are no signs of that.

No one is looking for the Princeton offense - not sure if you've kept up with the best of analysts(Bilas, Gottlieb) but their eyeballs are popping out of their head watching this offense and seeing nothing run. Nothing - they stand waiting for someone else to do something. It's a passive offense always waiting for something to happen. How many times are we going to see Nappier pointing and pulling his shirt looking like he's directing something only to then see him dribble the ball for an entire possession and either take a crap shot himself or some other contested shot that never had a chance of separation coming off a set play.

And yes, good college hoops teams do start with great guards. But you can't be blessed with a top ten guard to run your entire offense through every year. We have a lottery pick swing guy and other excellent players this year but these kids were given no clue how to maximize their strengths because there are no other options of how to do things offensively under the Calhoun blueprint.

I might want to differ with you on a point. I think the concept this year doesn't differ from last year. For a good part of the BE season last year they also didn't seem to be running their set plays and the BY was screaming about it. THe difference they had Kemba to bail them out more often than not at the end of the play. They do not have that right now. Jeremy is not that good off the dribble, Shabazz is loose with the ball and Ryan is still raw.

 

[caw]

These kids are young but at this point the core bunch has played a lot of basketball together - I can't put this on youth. Top programs win with youth. Harrison Barnes - sophomore. Jarred Sullinger - sophomore. We are on the younger side comparatively but it's not significant. I can't lean on that as why this isn't working. Case in point - the number one team in the country.

My lord, how many times must I refute this.

Let's take a look at the three teams you mentioned based on total minutes this year, class and taking out anyone who has played less than 100 minutes so far.

Let's start with the assumption that Barnes is leading UNC. Even if that claim were true he starts next to a Junior and a Senior in the frontcourt. The backcourt was a Junior and Sophomore (now two Sophomores). They have 2 freshman in their 8 man rotation (7 now) who play 27.4 minutes combined a game. That is not a young team and not close to UConn's reliance on youth. They have 9 players that have played over 100 minutes and have played 4320 minutes this season. The lowest is Justin Watts who is a senior. You can take him out if you like (4193 minutes total without him), and I'll show both numbers.

• The seniors have played 735 minutes and 17% (608 and 15%)
• The juniors have played 1120 minutes and 26% (1120 and 27%)
• The sophomores have played 1833 minutes and 42% (1833 and 44%)
• The freshman 632 minutes and 15% (632 and 15%)
• Upperclassmen played 1855 minutes (43%) or 1728 minutes (42%)
• Underclassmen played 2465 minutes (57%) or (59%)

Now Sullinger and OSU. This is at least a bit closer to UConn. They have a top 11 of 3 freshman, 6 sophomores, 1 junior and 1 senior. The lowest averages in the top 11 are at 6.9 and 7.7 minutes by a soph and fresh respectively, so if you don't want to count them it only makes the team older. After those two everyone else plays 10+ minutes. The team (minus scrubs) has played 4739 minutes.

• The senior has played in 17% or 792 minutes.
• The junior in 6% or 284 minutes.
• The sophomores 2985 minutes or 63% and
• The freshman 678 minutes or 14%.
• Upperclassmen have played 1076 minutes or 23%
• Underclassmen have played 3663 minutes or 77%

UK is the exception to the rule I will grant you. They are as young or younger than UConn. They have a top 8 of 4 freshman, 2 sophomores and 2 seniors. These players have played a total of 4907 minutes

• The seniors have played 804 minutes or 16% (take out Vargas and this goes to 637 and 13%)
• No Juniors see significant time
• The sophomores have played 1745 minutes or 36% (or 37% without Vargas)
• The freshman have played 2358 minutes or 48% (or 50% without Vargas)
• Upperclassmen have played 804 (16%) or 637 (13%)
• Underclassmen have played 4103 minutes (84% or 87%)

UConn meanwhile has 3 freshman, 5 sophomores and 1 junior. 4589 minutes.

• No senior plays significant minutes
• Junior has played 466 minutes or 10%
• Sophomores have played 2773 minutes or 60%
• Freshman have played 1350 minutes or 29%
• Upperclassmen 466 minutes (10%)
• Underclassmen (89%) or 4123 minutes
• Keep in mind this would skew even younger if Boatright had been eligible for more than 14 games.

So in conclusion, UNC plays upperclassman over 40% of available minutes to rotation players. Freshman at UNC play sparingly (15% for 2 freshman). OSU manages to give a quarter of it's rotation time to upperclassmen and plays freshman less time than UNC (14% for 3 freshman). UK really does depend on freshman but still has a senior in the game for around 15% of the time. UConn relies on underclassman more than any of those teams and does not have a single 4 year player on its scholarship roster, let alone rotation. I haven't looked at games played by Boatright, but I think the numbers would skew younger for those games, though not hitting UK numbers.

Yes, top programs may have younger players as the leading scorers/rebounders but they also have upperclassmen who are there to steady the ship.

By the way, for those who would like to say, "but UConn was young last year also". In 8314 minutes played by rotation players (>300 minutes on the year), the breakdown looks like this:

• 2 Seniors played 964 minutes (12%),
• 1 Junior played 1543 minutes (19%)
• 2 Sophomores played 1871 minutes (23%)
• 5 Freshman played 3936 minutes (47%)

Yes, freshman were big contributors but over 30% of playing time was for upperclassmen.

 

[RuffRuff]

But they always had Kemba. When so much is put on one guy over the course of a very long season, it's going to be hard for that one guy to sustain it consistently and not see some highs and lows. Kemba isn't someone that overpowers you physically either. He outwills you and outquicks you, even harder to sustain - his game is based on expending a ton of energy. By the end of the year, he seemed to get a little bounce back/adrenaline and they also seemed to figure out how some of the other pieces worked offensively(Lamb). Walker was still 90% of the offense whereas everything flowed through/off of him.

This teams first option should be running the ball through Lamb with run arounds and picks. Even if Lamb is having a hard time working separation, that avenue has to be exhausted. It should not be based on Lamb launching deep three's off an offense that runs nothing, or Shabazz taking ill advised jumpers - that is just lazy. The bigs have not shown they are effective in the low post, so they should focus on crashing the boards. This team just needs some structure & discipline on offense. Ie start here with Option A(Lamb), if that doesn't work, go here, then if not there, improvisation. Understand your strengths. There should be an effective core foundation for any offense. Last year, it was just letting Kemba take over. 2004 was the same with Ben Gordon. 99 was running plays around Rip. All I see with this team is a just a ton of standing and whoever has the ball when the shotclock is winding down is forced to make something happen, almost as if they expect Kemba Walker to drop out of the sky and go 1 on 5.

 

[60'sfan]

My lord, how many times must I refute this.

Let's take a look at the three teams you mentioned based on total minutes this year, class and taking out anyone who has played less than 100 minutes so far.

Let's start with the assumption that Barnes is leading UNC. Even if that claim were true he starts next to a Junior and a Senior in the frontcourt. The backcourt was a Junior and Sophomore (now two Sophomores). They have 2 freshman in their 8 man rotation (7 now) who play 27.4 minutes combined a game. That is not a young team and not close to UConn's reliance on youth. They have 9 players that have played over 100 minutes and have played 4320 minutes this season. The lowest is Justin Watts who is a senior. You can take him out if you like (4193 minutes total without him), and I'll show both numbers.

• The seniors have played 735 minutes and 17% (608 and 15%)
• The juniors have played 1120 minutes and 26% (1120 and 27%)
• The sophomores have played 1833 minutes and 42% (1833 and 44%)
• The freshman 632 minutes and 15% (632 and 15%)
• Upperclassmen played 1855 minutes (43%) or 1728 minutes (42%)
• Underclassmen played 2465 minutes (57%) or (59%)

Now Sullinger and OSU. This is at least a bit closer to UConn. They have a top 11 of 3 freshman, 6 sophomores, 1 junior and 1 senior. The lowest averages in the top 11 are at 6.9 and 7.7 minutes by a soph and fresh respectively, so if you don't want to count them it only makes the team older. After those two everyone else plays 10+ minutes. The team (minus scrubs) has played 4739 minutes.

• The senior has played in 17% or 792 minutes.
• The junior in 6% or 284 minutes.
• The sophomores 2985 minutes or 63% and
• The freshman 678 minutes or 14%.
• Upperclassmen have played 1076 minutes or 23%
• Underclassmen have played 3663 minutes or 77%

UK is the exception to the rule I will grant you. They are as young or younger than UConn. They have a top 8 of 4 freshman, 2 sophomores and 2 seniors. These players have played a total of 4907 minutes

• The seniors have played 804 minutes or 16% (take out Vargas and this goes to 637 and 13%)
• No Juniors see significant time
• The sophomores have played 1745 minutes or 36% (or 37% without Vargas)
• The freshman have played 2358 minutes or 48% (or 50% without Vargas)
• Upperclassmen have played 804 (16%) or 637 (13%)
• Underclassmen have played 4103 minutes (84% or 87%)

UConn meanwhile has 3 freshman, 5 sophomores and 1 junior. 4589 minutes.

• No senior plays significant minutes
• Junior has played 466 minutes or 10%
• Sophomores have played 2773 minutes or 60%
• Freshman have played 1350 minutes or 29%
• Upperclassmen 466 minutes (10%)
• Underclassmen (89%) or 4123 minutes
• Keep in mind this would skew even younger if Boatright had been eligible for more than 14 games.

So in conclusion, UNC plays upperclassman over 40% of available minutes to rotation players. Freshman at UNC play sparingly (15% for 2 freshman). OSU manages to give a quarter of it's rotation time to upperclassmen and plays freshman less time than UNC (14% for 3 freshman). UK really does depend on freshman but still has a senior in the game for around 15% of the time. UConn relies on underclassman more than any of those teams and does not have a single 4 year player on its scholarship roster, let alone rotation. I haven't looked at games played by Boatright, but I think the numbers would skew younger for those games, though not hitting UK numbers.

Yes, top programs may have younger players as the leading scorers/rebounders but they also have upperclassmen who are there to steady the ship.

By the way, for those who would like to say, "but UConn was young last year also". In 8314 minutes played by rotation players (>300 minutes on the year), the breakdown looks like this:

• 2 Seniors played 964 minutes (12%),
• 1 Junior played 1543 minutes (19%)
• 2 Sophomores played 1871 minutes (23%)
• 5 Freshman played 3936 minutes (47%)

Yes, freshman were big contributors but over 30% of playing time was for upperclassmen.

Wow, great stats! And I agree with your premise. Uconn is very young and typical Calhoun players don't really mature until they are juniors. With few exceptions (Caron Butler), most of our stars have hung around until they were juniors before they really started to shine. (Kemba Walker, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Donyell Marshall, Josh Boone). Rudy Gay and Charlie Villanueva were great talents but not a great players at the college level because they left too early.

Why it takes this long for them to develop under Jim Calhoun, I have no idea. Why can Boeheim and Calipari do so well with young player? I can't answer that either but Calhoun seems to get lower level recruits and has more NC's than either of them. I'm still trusting J.C. Imagine if this whole team comes back next year.

 

[Gurleyman]

Sometimes, we've been successful with youth (last year being an example -- the Dream Season was also two freshmen and two sophomores starting in an era of much fewer early entries). Some years, being young has resulted in hair-pulling (1996-97, Rip's freshman year and 2006-07, when Adrien was our "veteran" as a sophomore). We were still pretty young in 1997-98 when Khalid was a freshman (and Rip-Free-Jake were sophomores) and had a great year, but some of it was Khalid's maturity beyond his years and some of it was that Rip-Free-Jake were very experienced sophomores already, which should be the case this year, too. But that team added an alpha male to its experienced nucleus, whereas this year, we are adjusting to the subtraction of one.

 

[mauconnfan]

Sometimes, we've been successful with youth (last year being an example -- the Dream Season was also two freshmen and two sophomores starting in an era of much fewer early entries). Some years, being young has resulted in hair-pulling (1996-97, Rip's freshman year and 2006-07, when Adrien was our "veteran" as a sophomore). We were still pretty young in 1997-98 when Khalid was a freshman (and Rip-Free-Jake were sophomores) and had a great year, but some of it was Khalid's maturity beyond his years and some of it was that Rip-Free-Jake were very experienced sophomores already, which should be the case this year, too. But that team added an alpha male to its experienced nucleus, whereas this year, we are adjusting to the subtraction of one.

Good points gurley.............I will say the 2 "frosh" on the Dream Season team were a bit unusual with Burrell jus being so mature maybe because he was so good at 3 sports throughout his HS carrer but most of all, Nadav was a "veteran" of so many things in his life including worldwide basketball and just having that maturity the team fed off of.......can we get back there for a few games??