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What a difference eight days make, huh? I'm generally a pretty positive guy, especially when it comes to the Huskies. But following the Houston and SMU losses, and even the Harvard win - all of which produced some of the ugliest team offense we've seen in a while - I had to really exert myself to put a positive spin on things. No such effort was required tonight, as UConn submitted, in my estimation, the best display of offensive basketball in over three years. I'd be happy to re-consider that statement if anybody wants to explore the memory banks, but considering the opponent, the last time I recall a performance as well-rounded and synchronized as the one we saw tonight was the Maui drumming of Kentucky in November of 2010. The performance wasn't completely impeccable, as they turned it over 15 times, but any time you can shoot 57% from the field, 42% from three, and 85% from the line against a defense featuring some of the best athletes in the country, it's a testament to the willingness of everybody on the floor to share the ball, fulfill their roles within the offense, and perhaps most importantly, trust their teammates.
That last part is the area I think the offense has grown the most in over the last two games. It isn't that Napier and Boatright were selfish players, or reluctant to involve their teammates earlier in the season, it's just that the limitations of our forwards - Daniels, Giffey, Calhoun - neutered the potency of the offense. This isn't to say Napier and Boatright weren't trusting their teammates earlier in the season - both of them, Boatright especially, have made major strides over the past year in terms of reading the defense correctly and finding teammates with the defense in scramble mode. But you see, trust is a fragile concept in basketball, and even if Boatright and Napier were meeting all the check marks of their proclaimed captaincy on and off the court in regards to building a foundation of trust and unity, adversity is always going to expose any imperfections in protocol. At risk of over-complicating what I'm trying to say, think of it from the vantage point of Shabazz Napier in a hostile environment, down a bucket, in the final five minutes: Damn, they're all over me, can I afford to flip it to Lasan in the left corner? If I thread the needle to Phil in the post, is he going to be in the right spot? Is DeAndre going to do something stupid if I feed him on the pick and pop right now? This element of trust extends to the defensive end of the floor, too. Do I fight over this pick and trust Tyler to contain the dribble while I recover? Is Niels going to jump out on that shooter, or do I have to fly across the floor and do it myself? You get the point - it's not so much that Boatright and Napier are doing anything drastically differently, it's that their teammates are giving them reason to trust. That's essential to any team that wants to be great.
As for Kevin Ollie, he has to be credited for the evolution of the offense in recent games. After watching the game tonight - and all the easy looks our offense generated - I figured what I suspected earlier in the week had come to fruition: Ollie had purposely simplified the offense against the easier part of our schedule, and now that we were hitting the teeth of our conference schedule, he was going to add in a few wrinkles. Then, I went back and watched the tape, and it turned out that wasn't really the case at all. The offensive design was similarly basic to what we saw during the Texas debacle, the execution was just exponentially better. From what I saw, the major difference was floor spacing and off-ball energy. By off-ball energy, I mean that guys were cutting, screening, and rotating to the soft spots in the defense rather than standing around and allowing themselves to be easily defended. I could be wrong, but it appeared all of this movement was spontaneous and not part of our normal sets. The offense had struggled mightily until the Central Florida game, and fairly or unfairly, a lot of that onus fell on Ollie's offensive structure. But by simply returning to the principles of basic half-court offense, UConn has become infinitely more difficult to defend. I expected this to be a top 10 offense at the beginning of the year, and for a while there, it looked like I was woefully off base. These last two, they've returned to the blueprint many of us envisioned before the year, and I'm cautiously optimistic that the light bulb has gone off and they'll be able to carry this success through conference play and into March.
Defensively, the first half presented a combination of defensive miscues and uncharacteristic outside shooting for Memphis. This stat was highlighted at the get go by ESPN, and then bandied about a bit on twitter thereafter, but Memphis entered play shooting under 30% from three. In the first half, they shot 5 of 8 or 6 of 9 from what I remember, and while much of that was probably due to Memphis playing above their heads, the defensive pressure on those looks wasn't great, either. In the second half, the collective attentiveness fighting over screens was better, and as a result, Memphis regressed to the mean a little bit (though they did get a couple open looks).
One thing I've found interesting to monitor this season, with the emergence of Amida Brimah, a legitimate game changer, is the philosophical approach Kevin Ollie is seeking to establish with his defense. Of course, all great coaches are able to adjust schematically depending on their personnel, and Calhoun certainly did, but growing up smack in the middle of an unparalleled reign of shot blocking dominance, it's always interesting to see how coaches tinkle with their philosophies when they have a weapon like Brimah in the toolkit. Everybody knew the deal with Calhoun's teams: fight over ball screens to eliminate the three point line and funnel ball-handlers into the strength of the defense. Given our perennially stout defenses during Calhoun's tenure, it's difficult to argue with that ideology. In a sense, Calhoun was probably a bit ahead of the curve, as the the advanced analytics era has ushered in a similar emphasis on restricting three point attempts. The last year and a half, our defense hasn't been as good as we're accustomed to it being, but that is likely a product of personnel in the front court. Amida only played eighteen minutes tonight, but the newly found security blanket in the middle seems to have licensed our guards to play ball screens more aggressively, even at the cost of dribble penetration. Stay tuned on this front - of all the story lines this season has provided us with, there's none I've followed more excitedly than the continued evolution of the defense in the Amida Brimah era.
Player notes:
Bazz - Everything starts with Shabazz, that's not going to change, and this team will probably only go as far as he carries them. But, there's a very sharp line in the sand between "We can't beat good teams unless this guy plays like an all-American", and "We can still whether the storm, overcome this guy not being himself, and maybe pull out a win". Gradually, the 2011 team was able to reach the point where Kemba not being superman wasn't crippling. And although Shabazz played a great game tonight, - making big plays down the stretch, disrupting the rhythm of the Memphis offense with ball pressure, and finding teammates from damn near impossible angles - it was very encouraging that we were able to go into a tough environment and get a win on a night where he only hit five field goals.
Boat - I don't think many of us would have blamed Ryan had he not even played following the tragic murder of his cousin, so the fact that he managed to channel that emotion into a good performance impresses me more than words can describe. He was responsible for a couple of the three's UConn yielded in the first half, - one of which occurred following a ball fake that he's been victimized by frequently during his time here - but his floor game continues to expand and his peripheral vision in traffic has come a long way since the beginning of the season. He could have easily taken a few more shots, especially since he's been heating up from the floor in recent games, but he took the pulse of the game and decided others had it going. There isn't a more selfless player on the team.
Omar - I'm not sure those of us who have never played sports at a high level (myself included) will ever fully understand the fortitude required to break out of the prolonged slump Omar's been in. Eventually, players get to the point in a swoon where every move they make on a court is scrutinized, the fan base begins to turn, and you begin to wonder how long even your teammates will have your back. Many people, I'm sure, would have mentally checked out long ago, pouted, and played tentatively on the court. So, the fact that Omar checked in and immediately made a strong move to the basket, showed no hesitation on a three just moments later, and then displayed composure beyond his years on a shot fake later on, really speaks to his character. Everybody on this team - even Shabazz, back when he was scuffling as a sophomore - has gone through what Omar's going through. It's all a matter of how you respond, and Omar - even in a relatively modest seven point outing - showed us a lot tonight.
Kromah - Who would have thought that a 1,000 point scorer from a high-major conference could have helped us? I'll admit, I was skeptical initially. Lasan, though, when we desperately needed a third ball-handler/play maker to emerge, was the first guy to step forward. He was the culprit of a couple poor gambles on the defensive side tonight, but hell, he made a couple of pro moves out there on offense tonight. He shot 5 for 5 from the floor, and those weren't just token fast break layups. He created those opportunities with quickness and superb body control in traffic (he had to have maneuvered through at least three Tigers on his drive late in the second half) and a comfortable, high release on his jumper. Fantastic job by him tonight.
Giff - It speaks very well of this teams depth on the wing when a kid who was outplaying Nicklas Batum a few months ago is only playing 15 minutes. Giffey was his usual solid, unspectacular self tonight. He certainly made the most of his time, scoring four points, grabbing four boards, and even recording two assists. I thought he did a nice job on Geron Johnson, who briefly got hot for a bit there in the second half. His interior defense was especially critical, since Memphis will typically play a two big lineup that really puts us at a dis-advantage in the paint.
DD - Aside from maybe his battle with Otto Porter last season, I've never seen DeAndre play better in a Husky uniform. His emergence as a pick and pop threat (remember when people were saying he shouldn't take three's anymore?) adds another dimension to the offense and allots Napier and Boatright precious real estate off the bounce. Even better, DeAndre's skill set is such that he can attack the basket if the defense sells out on three - he was wisely assertive late in the second half once Memphis started to over-compensate defending the three. There was a time or two where he avoided contact at the rim, a bad habit of his, but for the most part he was as aggressive as I've seen him all season.
Defensively, I think he was just as important, and he's been the unsung hero on that end for much of the season. He's not a lock down one on one defender like Roscoe Smith was, but he has become increasingly disruptive as a weak side help defender, and him and Brimah have become quite the formidable shot blocking duo. Occasionally his eagerness to block a shot will open up the offensive glass, but generally, he picks his spots well and has a veteran understanding of positioning on that end. The eleven rebounds were enormous, also - he exploded to the ball tonight.
TO - Nobody is ever going to confuse Tyler for C.J. Fair or Aaron Gordon, but to be able to plug in a senior, who understands the system, and if nothing else, isn't going to kill you out there, when your top two big men get into foul trouble, is a luxury not many coaches have. Although he's a major liability on the glass, he's capable of banging bodies on the block - even at the expense of a couple fouls - and maintaining his ground in the post in ways that Brimah cannot. As a ninth or tenth man, all you can ask is that they don't hurt you while they're on the floor. Tyler was more than that tonight, he helped us win this game with timely rebounds and help defense.
Phil - From an offensive standpoint, Phil is easily our big man with the highest ceiling. He has the best hands of all our big's (which, granted, isn't saying much), the best footwork, and most importantly, the best lower body strength. In the second half tonight, Napier fed him with the ball right on the doorstep of the basket, and while the announcers gushed over the pass (deservedly so), Nolan's ability to seal his man off was equally important. We're going to need more than one rebound in 13 minutes, and it doesn't help that he's fouling out in that time frame, either. There's potential there, though.
Amida - The kid still has his limitations, and they don't need any rehashing here. What I will say, is that it's impossible to watch him and not salivate at the possibility of things to come in the next year or two. It truly seems like Ollie found a diamond in the rough here - the kid runs the floor like a gazelle, has arms that extend to space, and basketball instincts that are increasing at an alarmingly encouraging rate. Shaq Goodwin took him to school to some extent tonight, much like Patrick Young did six weeks ago, but compared to where he was just four weeks ago, he's a different player. In his last nine games, his rebounding rate is damn near triple what it was in his first eight. Just think about that for a second.
All in all, this was just one of those days that causes you to thank the high heavens you're a UConn fan. There was so much here to relish in for the here and now, and so much to dream about going forward. Saturday sees Louisville come to town, and it's going to be a madhouse. They're the defending champs, one of the most talented teams in the country, etc. But I don't think I'm delusional when I say we might be just as talented, and if the crowd is as chaotic as I expect it to be, we could be in for a hell of a fight. Just to re-iterate: the defending champs are coming to Gampel, game day is in the house, and it's a 9:00 PM tip on a Saturday night. I'm nobody to tell you how to spend your money, but I can't think of any better way to spend it as far as entertainment goes. This is a once every five years type atmosphere, so rest up the voice boxes and get some sleep. Go Huskies.
That last part is the area I think the offense has grown the most in over the last two games. It isn't that Napier and Boatright were selfish players, or reluctant to involve their teammates earlier in the season, it's just that the limitations of our forwards - Daniels, Giffey, Calhoun - neutered the potency of the offense. This isn't to say Napier and Boatright weren't trusting their teammates earlier in the season - both of them, Boatright especially, have made major strides over the past year in terms of reading the defense correctly and finding teammates with the defense in scramble mode. But you see, trust is a fragile concept in basketball, and even if Boatright and Napier were meeting all the check marks of their proclaimed captaincy on and off the court in regards to building a foundation of trust and unity, adversity is always going to expose any imperfections in protocol. At risk of over-complicating what I'm trying to say, think of it from the vantage point of Shabazz Napier in a hostile environment, down a bucket, in the final five minutes: Damn, they're all over me, can I afford to flip it to Lasan in the left corner? If I thread the needle to Phil in the post, is he going to be in the right spot? Is DeAndre going to do something stupid if I feed him on the pick and pop right now? This element of trust extends to the defensive end of the floor, too. Do I fight over this pick and trust Tyler to contain the dribble while I recover? Is Niels going to jump out on that shooter, or do I have to fly across the floor and do it myself? You get the point - it's not so much that Boatright and Napier are doing anything drastically differently, it's that their teammates are giving them reason to trust. That's essential to any team that wants to be great.
As for Kevin Ollie, he has to be credited for the evolution of the offense in recent games. After watching the game tonight - and all the easy looks our offense generated - I figured what I suspected earlier in the week had come to fruition: Ollie had purposely simplified the offense against the easier part of our schedule, and now that we were hitting the teeth of our conference schedule, he was going to add in a few wrinkles. Then, I went back and watched the tape, and it turned out that wasn't really the case at all. The offensive design was similarly basic to what we saw during the Texas debacle, the execution was just exponentially better. From what I saw, the major difference was floor spacing and off-ball energy. By off-ball energy, I mean that guys were cutting, screening, and rotating to the soft spots in the defense rather than standing around and allowing themselves to be easily defended. I could be wrong, but it appeared all of this movement was spontaneous and not part of our normal sets. The offense had struggled mightily until the Central Florida game, and fairly or unfairly, a lot of that onus fell on Ollie's offensive structure. But by simply returning to the principles of basic half-court offense, UConn has become infinitely more difficult to defend. I expected this to be a top 10 offense at the beginning of the year, and for a while there, it looked like I was woefully off base. These last two, they've returned to the blueprint many of us envisioned before the year, and I'm cautiously optimistic that the light bulb has gone off and they'll be able to carry this success through conference play and into March.
Defensively, the first half presented a combination of defensive miscues and uncharacteristic outside shooting for Memphis. This stat was highlighted at the get go by ESPN, and then bandied about a bit on twitter thereafter, but Memphis entered play shooting under 30% from three. In the first half, they shot 5 of 8 or 6 of 9 from what I remember, and while much of that was probably due to Memphis playing above their heads, the defensive pressure on those looks wasn't great, either. In the second half, the collective attentiveness fighting over screens was better, and as a result, Memphis regressed to the mean a little bit (though they did get a couple open looks).
One thing I've found interesting to monitor this season, with the emergence of Amida Brimah, a legitimate game changer, is the philosophical approach Kevin Ollie is seeking to establish with his defense. Of course, all great coaches are able to adjust schematically depending on their personnel, and Calhoun certainly did, but growing up smack in the middle of an unparalleled reign of shot blocking dominance, it's always interesting to see how coaches tinkle with their philosophies when they have a weapon like Brimah in the toolkit. Everybody knew the deal with Calhoun's teams: fight over ball screens to eliminate the three point line and funnel ball-handlers into the strength of the defense. Given our perennially stout defenses during Calhoun's tenure, it's difficult to argue with that ideology. In a sense, Calhoun was probably a bit ahead of the curve, as the the advanced analytics era has ushered in a similar emphasis on restricting three point attempts. The last year and a half, our defense hasn't been as good as we're accustomed to it being, but that is likely a product of personnel in the front court. Amida only played eighteen minutes tonight, but the newly found security blanket in the middle seems to have licensed our guards to play ball screens more aggressively, even at the cost of dribble penetration. Stay tuned on this front - of all the story lines this season has provided us with, there's none I've followed more excitedly than the continued evolution of the defense in the Amida Brimah era.
Player notes:
Bazz - Everything starts with Shabazz, that's not going to change, and this team will probably only go as far as he carries them. But, there's a very sharp line in the sand between "We can't beat good teams unless this guy plays like an all-American", and "We can still whether the storm, overcome this guy not being himself, and maybe pull out a win". Gradually, the 2011 team was able to reach the point where Kemba not being superman wasn't crippling. And although Shabazz played a great game tonight, - making big plays down the stretch, disrupting the rhythm of the Memphis offense with ball pressure, and finding teammates from damn near impossible angles - it was very encouraging that we were able to go into a tough environment and get a win on a night where he only hit five field goals.
Boat - I don't think many of us would have blamed Ryan had he not even played following the tragic murder of his cousin, so the fact that he managed to channel that emotion into a good performance impresses me more than words can describe. He was responsible for a couple of the three's UConn yielded in the first half, - one of which occurred following a ball fake that he's been victimized by frequently during his time here - but his floor game continues to expand and his peripheral vision in traffic has come a long way since the beginning of the season. He could have easily taken a few more shots, especially since he's been heating up from the floor in recent games, but he took the pulse of the game and decided others had it going. There isn't a more selfless player on the team.
Omar - I'm not sure those of us who have never played sports at a high level (myself included) will ever fully understand the fortitude required to break out of the prolonged slump Omar's been in. Eventually, players get to the point in a swoon where every move they make on a court is scrutinized, the fan base begins to turn, and you begin to wonder how long even your teammates will have your back. Many people, I'm sure, would have mentally checked out long ago, pouted, and played tentatively on the court. So, the fact that Omar checked in and immediately made a strong move to the basket, showed no hesitation on a three just moments later, and then displayed composure beyond his years on a shot fake later on, really speaks to his character. Everybody on this team - even Shabazz, back when he was scuffling as a sophomore - has gone through what Omar's going through. It's all a matter of how you respond, and Omar - even in a relatively modest seven point outing - showed us a lot tonight.
Kromah - Who would have thought that a 1,000 point scorer from a high-major conference could have helped us? I'll admit, I was skeptical initially. Lasan, though, when we desperately needed a third ball-handler/play maker to emerge, was the first guy to step forward. He was the culprit of a couple poor gambles on the defensive side tonight, but hell, he made a couple of pro moves out there on offense tonight. He shot 5 for 5 from the floor, and those weren't just token fast break layups. He created those opportunities with quickness and superb body control in traffic (he had to have maneuvered through at least three Tigers on his drive late in the second half) and a comfortable, high release on his jumper. Fantastic job by him tonight.
Giff - It speaks very well of this teams depth on the wing when a kid who was outplaying Nicklas Batum a few months ago is only playing 15 minutes. Giffey was his usual solid, unspectacular self tonight. He certainly made the most of his time, scoring four points, grabbing four boards, and even recording two assists. I thought he did a nice job on Geron Johnson, who briefly got hot for a bit there in the second half. His interior defense was especially critical, since Memphis will typically play a two big lineup that really puts us at a dis-advantage in the paint.
DD - Aside from maybe his battle with Otto Porter last season, I've never seen DeAndre play better in a Husky uniform. His emergence as a pick and pop threat (remember when people were saying he shouldn't take three's anymore?) adds another dimension to the offense and allots Napier and Boatright precious real estate off the bounce. Even better, DeAndre's skill set is such that he can attack the basket if the defense sells out on three - he was wisely assertive late in the second half once Memphis started to over-compensate defending the three. There was a time or two where he avoided contact at the rim, a bad habit of his, but for the most part he was as aggressive as I've seen him all season.
Defensively, I think he was just as important, and he's been the unsung hero on that end for much of the season. He's not a lock down one on one defender like Roscoe Smith was, but he has become increasingly disruptive as a weak side help defender, and him and Brimah have become quite the formidable shot blocking duo. Occasionally his eagerness to block a shot will open up the offensive glass, but generally, he picks his spots well and has a veteran understanding of positioning on that end. The eleven rebounds were enormous, also - he exploded to the ball tonight.
TO - Nobody is ever going to confuse Tyler for C.J. Fair or Aaron Gordon, but to be able to plug in a senior, who understands the system, and if nothing else, isn't going to kill you out there, when your top two big men get into foul trouble, is a luxury not many coaches have. Although he's a major liability on the glass, he's capable of banging bodies on the block - even at the expense of a couple fouls - and maintaining his ground in the post in ways that Brimah cannot. As a ninth or tenth man, all you can ask is that they don't hurt you while they're on the floor. Tyler was more than that tonight, he helped us win this game with timely rebounds and help defense.
Phil - From an offensive standpoint, Phil is easily our big man with the highest ceiling. He has the best hands of all our big's (which, granted, isn't saying much), the best footwork, and most importantly, the best lower body strength. In the second half tonight, Napier fed him with the ball right on the doorstep of the basket, and while the announcers gushed over the pass (deservedly so), Nolan's ability to seal his man off was equally important. We're going to need more than one rebound in 13 minutes, and it doesn't help that he's fouling out in that time frame, either. There's potential there, though.
Amida - The kid still has his limitations, and they don't need any rehashing here. What I will say, is that it's impossible to watch him and not salivate at the possibility of things to come in the next year or two. It truly seems like Ollie found a diamond in the rough here - the kid runs the floor like a gazelle, has arms that extend to space, and basketball instincts that are increasing at an alarmingly encouraging rate. Shaq Goodwin took him to school to some extent tonight, much like Patrick Young did six weeks ago, but compared to where he was just four weeks ago, he's a different player. In his last nine games, his rebounding rate is damn near triple what it was in his first eight. Just think about that for a second.
All in all, this was just one of those days that causes you to thank the high heavens you're a UConn fan. There was so much here to relish in for the here and now, and so much to dream about going forward. Saturday sees Louisville come to town, and it's going to be a madhouse. They're the defending champs, one of the most talented teams in the country, etc. But I don't think I'm delusional when I say we might be just as talented, and if the crowd is as chaotic as I expect it to be, we could be in for a hell of a fight. Just to re-iterate: the defending champs are coming to Gampel, game day is in the house, and it's a 9:00 PM tip on a Saturday night. I'm nobody to tell you how to spend your money, but I can't think of any better way to spend it as far as entertainment goes. This is a once every five years type atmosphere, so rest up the voice boxes and get some sleep. Go Huskies.
