Shout out to Kevin Freeman

[superjohn]

Someone who knew him well told me that's what he was thinking when he went to UConn. If you spoke with him about his goals in life maybe you can share his thoughts with us.

He never played shooting guard and was never recruited to play shooting guard here.

 

[Husky25]

Disagree back. Is it fair to say to this team “hey we won a NC last year doubt we will do it with this team so we’re going to put this guy ahead of this team”???? Kidding right that might be a job for a college educator but not for a coach like JC who lives to be the underdog.

I don't see how it can be said that Calhoun was necessarily putting Freeman over the team. The team only lost 8 regular season games and it's already been established that Freeman was not the reason UConn did not see the 2nd weekend, so the two seem fairly mutually exclusive.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't see how it can be said that Calhoun was necessarily putting Freeman over the team. The team only lost 8 regular season games and it's already been established that Freeman was not the reason UConn did not see the 2nd weekend, so the two seem fairly mutually exclusive.

Don't confuse results with correct decision making (outcome bias). Part of a coaches job is putting guys in positions to succeed to best help the team by maximizing by their skill set. Freeman's skill set was not maximized by the way JC was using him. Therefore his impact on the team was less than it could have been.

 

[Husky25]

Don't confuse results with correct decision making (outcome bias). Part of a coaches job is putting guys in positions to succeed to best help the team by maximizing by their skill set. Freeman's skill set was not maximized by the way JC was using him. Therefore his impact on the team was less than it could have been.

They don't keep practice stats. I have no idea if Freeman hit his 10-15 footer more consistently than in the game, but if a coach can help expand a player's skill set, while still attaining the desired result (win), it is a no-lose proposition. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Surprisingly, Calhoun got inducted inducted into the Hall of Fame and won an additional national title, with little to no input from the peanut gallery.

I have no problem, particularly 20 years on, with him pushing the envelope on occasion with an individual player. Coaches who hold attempt to hold their players back may also be named Coach Jim, but their last name is spelled B-o-e-h-e-i-m.

 

[Palatine]

On UConn's 1999 championship team Freeman played the 4. The following year he was moved to the 3. But KFree didn't have the outside shoot to play the college three and was much less effective as teams could sag off him. I don't think he ever played the 2.

IMHO, his move to the 3 by Calhoun was to showcase him to the NBA as he would have gotten killed at the 4 in the NBA. Alas he was a 3/4 teener. Great college player. High end athlete. Incredible motor, Exceptional rebounder. Great teammate.

 

[Husky25]

On UConn's 1999 championship team Freeman played the 4. The following year he was moved to the 3. But KFree didn't have the outside shoot to play the college three and was much less effective as teams could sag off him. I don't think he ever played the 2.

IMHO, his move to the 3 by Calhoun was to showcase him to the NBA as he would have gotten killed at the 4 in the NBA. Alas he was a 3/4 teener. Great college player. High end athlete. Incredible motor, Exceptional rebounder. Great teammate.

IIRC, Saunders was developing into a high end 4 as well.

 

[Hugo]

My memories of this was that we had no really serviceable 3 on the roster at that time (Wren, Woodward and Anjou), but we had Saunders who was a 4. It made sense to me now and at that time to play KFree at the 3 and Saunders at the 4 which was his natural position. Granted that KFree was playing out of position and was not as effective as we all hoped and Edmund never lived up to the hype, but at the time it gave us our best lineup considering who we had available.

 

[superjohn]

My memories of this was that we had no really serviceable 3 on the roster at that time (Wren, Woodward and Anjou), but we had Saunders who was a 4. It made sense to me now and at that time to play KFree at the 3 and Saunders at the 4 which was his natural position. Granted that KFree was playing out of position and was not as effective as we all hoped and Edmund never lived up to the hype, but at the time it gave us our best lineup considering who we had available.

Wren, Woodward, and Anjou? Law Firm?