Sometimes a team just clicks

[nelsonmuntz]

There are a lot of threads comparing these players to past players or trying to figure out which players that left weren't that good or which players that were added were so great. I think the answer is neither. Sometimes a team just clicks.

These players don't remind me of any previous players, but this team is showing signs of a previous UConn team that just clicked. Going into 1989, UConn had two true top tier recruits on that team: Chris Smith and Scott Burrell, and Burrell was a raw freshman that was still playing baseball in his summers. Tate George was a tall, slow, good-not-great point guard. 6' John Gwynn was a decent scorer off the bench with his odd line-drive shot. The rest of the upperclassmen were barely role players. Lyman DePriest was a defensive specialist who basically had to dunk to score. Steve Pikiell was coming back from a serious injury and would not be much more than a practice player, and Murray Williams barely got off the bench. After that, there were some freshmen and sophomores that seemed to have potential to contribute minutes. An undersized, skinny center in Rod Sellers, a tall, unathletic center in Dan Cyrulik, a big strong frosh named Toraino Walker that had gotten a throwaway scholarship. It was a team that with a little luck and a monster season by Chris Smith might challenge for an NCAA Tournament bid, but the fan base would have been OK with the NIT. Then, in the fall of 1989, Calhoun beat out Lou Carnesecca for a 6'8 Israeli named Nadav Henefeld that would have preferred New York but playing time looked easier to get at UConn.

It was magic after that. That team averaged 79.1 ppg with a 13 ppg positive point differential, and it only had ONE star player, Chris Smith. Henefeld only averaged 11.7 ppg and Burrell was at 8.2 ppg on a team that scored a lot of points. Like our current team, the scoring seemed to come from all directions, often out of transition from a defense that always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. That 13 ppg differential is a big number, bigger than the 1994, 1998, 2002, 2011 and 2014 teams, and the Dream Team did it against a very tough schedule.

For those of you under 40, you can't imagine how good the Big East was back then. Syracuse and Georgetown were loaded with NBA talent. St. Johns was a great coached team that was very tough to beat. Villanova had a Hall of Fame Coach in Massimino, and Providence was very good and mean. 6 of 9 Big East teams would make the NCAA Tournament that season, and Pitt and Seton Hall would have made it in any other league but just kept losing because the Big East was so good. 3 of the 9 teams were ranked in the Top 10 going into the NCAA Tournament. And this hodgepodge of a UConn team tore through the league, going 12-4 and 28-5 going into the NCAA Tournament, ultimately losing to Duke on a buzzer beater. The Dream Team was one bobbled steal from going to the Final Four.

The Dream Team didn't have better players than later UConn teams. Actually, the Dream Team's players were objectively worse than many of the UConn teams that would be successful over the next 24 years. But they played so well together. They just clicked. That does not happen often, and sometimes does not even last a full season. When it is happening, the best thing to do is just enjoy it.

Those arguing for this player playing more or that player playing less, I say don't change a thing. This is a chemistry team. I know why this success is happening, but I don't know what the coaches did to make it happen, and it is possible the coaches don't know either. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are great college coaches who never have a team that just clicks, where 1 + 1 + 1 = 10. All the UConn coaches need to do is recognize that it is happening, and ride it as long as they can. Don't fix something that is already working tremendously well. This is the kind of season that can not only result in a deep March run, but catapult a program and coach to another level, just like it did for a mid-sized New England state school and its fast talking, foul-tempered coach 33 years ago.

 

[Sibeerian]

Great writeup. Magical season that also produced one of the greatest ncaa highlights of all time, Burrell's 90 ft pass to Tate for the impossible game winner.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Then, in the fall of 1989, Calhoun beat out Lou Carnesecca for a 6'8 Israeli named Nadav Henefeld that would have preferred New York but playing time looked easier to get at UConn.

According to Raftery on the Cal broadcast in the second round, Nadav loved SJU right up until he visited. He hated that there was no green on the campus. He loved the UConn campus.

Of course, both are likely true. I happened to have that little nugget stuck in my head because i watched that game recently (because what normal person doesn't watch 32 year old college basketball games on occasion).

 

[Vancat]

Totally agree and thanks for the memories! Hopefully this year will be another one to remember!

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

According to Raftery on the Cal broadcast in the second round, Nadav loved SJU right up until he visited. He hated that there was no green on the campus. He loved the UConn campus.

Of course, both are likely true. I happened to have that little nugget stuck in my head because i watched that game recently (because what normal person doesn't watch 32 year old college basketball games on occasion).

The anecdote is at 1:20:15 in the broadcast.

 

[BlueMAB]

Great post @nelsonmuntz

 

[StllH8L8ner]

My favorite team. Had two older siblings attending UConn at the time so I went to several home games that year including Opening Night at Gampel. They didn’t do anything spectacular but they did everything well and played together. Cuse and Gtown were perennial national powerhouses and we took them down in the same week.

F Laettner

 

[selles]

Cuse and Gtown were perennial national powerhouses and we took them down in the same week.

Twice

 

[Waquoit]

One of my favorite memories of that year came when I was at a sportsbook in Vegas and they posted the odds for the BET the following week. There was GTown with Mourning and Mtumbo at 2-1, Cuse with Coleman, Owens and Douglas at 9-5 and at the top was UConn with Tate George at 8-5. I was just marvelling when I said out loud to nobody in particular "Can you believe UConn is favored?" The ticket seller took me for a doubting midwesterner and said " No, UConn is real good this year. I think they're going to win it."

 

[Frank06830]

There are a lot of threads comparing these players to past players or trying to figure out which players that left weren't that good or which players that were added were so great. I think the answer is neither. Sometimes a team just clicks.

These players don't remind me of any previous players, but this team is showing signs of a previous UConn team that just clicked. Going into 1989, UConn had two true top tier recruits on that team: Chris Smith and Scott Burrell, and Burrell was a raw freshman that was still playing baseball in his summers. Tate George was a tall, slow, good-not-great point guard. 6' John Gwynn was a decent scorer off the bench with his odd line-drive shot. The rest of the upperclassmen were barely role players. Lyman DePriest was a defensive specialist who basically had to dunk to score. Steve Pikiell was coming back from a serious injury and would not be much more than a practice player, and Murray Williams barely got off the bench. After that, there were some freshmen and sophomores that seemed to have potential to contribute minutes. An undersized, skinny center in Rod Sellers, a tall, unathletic center in Dan Cyrulik, a big strong frosh named Toraino Walker that had gotten a throwaway scholarship. It was a team that with a little luck and a monster season by Chris Smith might challenge for an NCAA Tournament bid, but the fan base would have been OK with the NIT. Then, in the fall of 1989, Calhoun beat out Lou Carnesecca for a 6'8 Israeli named Nadav Henefeld that would have preferred New York but playing time looked easier to get at UConn.

It was magic after that. That team averaged 79.1 ppg with a 13 ppg positive point differential, and it only had ONE star player, Chris Smith. Henefeld only averaged 11.7 ppg and Burrell was at 8.2 ppg on a team that scored a lot of points. Like our current team, the scoring seemed to come from all directions, often out of transition from a defense that always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. That 13 ppg differential is a big number, bigger than the 1994, 1998, 2002, 2011 and 2014 teams, and the Dream Team did it against a very tough schedule.

For those of you under 40, you can't imagine how good the Big East was back then. Syracuse and Georgetown were loaded with NBA talent. St. Johns was a great coached team that was very tough to beat. Villanova had a Hall of Fame Coach in Massimino, and Providence was very good and mean. 6 of 9 Big East teams would make the NCAA Tournament that season, and Pitt and Seton Hall would have made it in any other league but just kept losing because the Big East was so good. 3 of the 9 teams were ranked in the Top 10 going into the NCAA Tournament. And this hodgepodge of a UConn team tore through the league, going 12-4 and 28-5 going into the NCAA Tournament, ultimately losing to Duke on a buzzer beater. The Dream Team was one bobbled steal from going to the Final Four.

The Dream Team didn't have better players than later UConn teams. Actually, the Dream Team's players were objectively worse than many of the UConn teams that would be successful over the next 24 years. But they played so well together. They just clicked. That does not happen often, and sometimes does not even last a full season. When it is happening, the best thing to do is just enjoy it.

Those arguing for this player playing more or that player playing less, I say don't change a thing. This is a chemistry team. I know why this success is happening, but I don't know what the coaches did to make it happen, and it is possible the coaches don't know either. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are great college coaches who never have a team that just clicks, where 1 + 1 + 1 = 10. All the UConn coaches need to do is recognize that it is happening, and ride it as long as they can. Don't fix something that is already working tremendously well. This is the kind of season that can not only result in a deep March run, but catapult a program and coach to another level, just like it did for a mid-sized New England state school and its fast talking, foul-tempered coach 33 years ago.

Thanks for the history and insights.
Early to tell, but what crossed my mind for their success is Red Holztman and his “Find the open man” mantra. We are showing great ball movement so far with depth of players to step up to make the shot when they get the ball. Someone posted no more 18 seconds of dribbling in place…just a thought. Exciting to see how this team develops…..lot of upside IMHO

 

[Vancat]

The Civic Center was very loud back then!

 

[Deadrody]

Twice

And those were teams that had Mourning and Motumbo, Billy Owens, Derrick Coleman, and Stevie Thompson. In all, six members of that Syracuse team spent time on an NBA roster.

 

[Conndog]

I remember John Glynne as being a terrific shooter, instant offense with a quick jump shot that hit nothing but net.

Calhoun didn’t like the way Mike Francesca of Mike & the Mad Dog radio talked about UConn. Mike snorted dismissively as UConn climbed the ranks and got to #3 ranking (“are you kidding me, UConn?”). I think that started a feud between the two.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I remember John Glynne as being a terrific shooter, instant offense with a quick jump shot that hit nothing but net.

Calhoun didn’t like the way Mike Francesca of Mike & the Mad Dog radio talked about UConn. Mike snorted dismissively as UConn climbed the ranks and got to #3 ranking (“are you kidding me, UConn?”). I think that started a feud between the two.

Calhoun got into it with a reporter? Knock me over with a feather.

I watch a couple of hundred college basketball games a year, every year, going back to the 80's, and I can't think of another shooter like John Gwynn. He shot line drives, with almost no arc at all, and he was maybe 6' tall. There were shots that went in where it didn't look like the ball was over the rim on the way to the hoop. He was quick and he could get his shot off very fast, which enabled him to get away with that crazy shot form and only being 6'.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

According to Raftery on the Cal broadcast in the second round, Nadav loved SJU right up until he visited. He hated that there was no green on the campus. He loved the UConn campus.

Of course, both are likely true. I happened to have that little nugget stuck in my head because i watched that game recently (because what normal person doesn't watch 32 year old college basketball games on occasion).

I think we were catching Raftery on his third scotch with that story. Campus was not exactly picturesque back in 1989, and back then UConn was mostly done with being green by mid-October and green didn't come back until late April. I was told at the time that Henefeld was fairly religious and wanted to be someplace that had a big Jewish community. Storrs is no match for Queens on that score, so something else had to swing him.

Carnesecca wasn't the best closer in recruiting, but I think a 21 year old foreign student also wanted to know he was getting on the court, and UConn had a lot of minutes available. To be fair to Louie, no one was expecting Henefeld to be that good or to fit that well with UConn.

 

[karstenkibbe]

I think we were catching Raftery on his third scotch with that story. Campus was not exactly picturesque back in 1989, and back then UConn was mostly done with being green by mid-October and green didn't come back until late April. I was told at the time that Henefeld was fairly religious and wanted to be someplace that had a big Jewish community. Storrs is no match for Queens on that score, so something else had to swing him.

Carnesecca wasn't the best closer in recruiting, but I think a 21 year old foreign student also wanted to know he was getting on the court, and UConn had a lot of minutes available. To be fair to Louie, no one was expecting Henefeld to be that good or to fit that well with UConn.

@nelsonmuntz absolutely love your post to start this thread. The chemistry was so real during the Dream Season. Henefeld was definitely not religious at all and neither was Sheffer, who only became sabbath-observant and decided to wear a yarmulke all the time after he survived testicular cancer. I provided details of Henefeld’s recruitment in the Roumoglou commitment thread a few months back. Raftery was definitely on target with his story….

“I’m sorry but this narrative about Henefeld simply isn’t true. He was not established and no one really knew about him. Here’s what actually happened….

Nadav wrote letters to dozens of NCAA programs. Only one responded - St. John’s. Carnesecca sent Henefeld a plane ticket to come visit because they had a spot they needed to fill and it was late in the recruiting cycle. Lou had never even seen tape of Nadav. He visited, liked the team, hated the fact that it was a commuter school. Through Israel hoops contacts, Henefeld became friendly with Blazers scout Marv Kessler, who called Mitch Buonaguro immediately after the St. John’s visit and two days before Nadav returned to Israel. Nadav took the train to Fairfield, loved the campus, but after watching practice, he told Kessler that he could play at a higher level. Kessler made dozens of calls in the next day and the only coach who responded was JC, because of course The GOAT was the only U.S. coach who actually watched the Maccabiah Games, an international competition among Jewish amateur athletes from dozens of countries.

After Kessler called Calhoun, this was JC’s quote in a Boston Globe article: ''I had seen Nadav in the Maccabiah Games,'' Calhoun said. ''I asked my wife, Pat, What did I say about him? She said, `You thought he was a special player, but you didn`t know what he would do at the next level.` ''

So Nadav was connected to the kosher butcher from Waterbury, who picked up just off the Merritt in Fairfield and drove him to Storrs. He was literally on no one’s radar. In fact, Lior Arditti, who played at BC, was the one Israeli that year on college coaches’ radars.”

 

[QDOG5]

@nelsonmuntz nice post! There are a couple of things I like so far. First thing I noticed is that we are advancing the ball into the front court much quicker this year. No more walking it up into the front court. That doesn't mean that we are necessarily getting more fast break points but advancing into the front court early in a possession allows for more options offensively. I think DH sees that he has the players and depth to pick up the pace offensively. Second is margin of victory. Teams that have a large margin of victory in the regular season tend to advance far in the tourney. Our scoring average the last 5 years is 74, 73, 72, 74, 84. Our margin of victory average has been 2, 5, 7, 9, 26. Small sample size this year but I like the trend.

 

[Kolumbo]

That Dream Team also just lost 20 ppg from Uncle Cliffy from the prior year. Chris Smith picked up a lot of that slack of course.

I remember John Glynne as being a terrific shooter, instant offense with a quick jump shot that hit nothing but net.

Calhoun didn’t like the way Mike Francesca of Mike & the Mad Dog radio talked about UConn. Mike snorted dismissively as UConn climbed the ranks and got to #3 ranking (“are you kidding me, UConn?”). I think that started a feud between the two.

Mike Francesa was a pretty big UCONN fan but I think I started listening to that show early-90's. Great radio show. I remember them interviewing JC on air.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

@nelsonmuntz nice post! There are a couple of things I like so far. First thing I noticed is that we are advancing the ball into the front court much quicker this year. No more walking it up into the front court. That doesn't mean that we are necessarily getting more fast break points but advancing into the front court early in a possession allows for more options offensively. I think DH sees that he has the players and depth to pick up the pace offensively. Second is margin of victory. Teams that have a large margin of victory in the regular season tend to advance far in the tourney. Our scoring average the last 5 years is 74, 73, 72, 74, 84. Our margin of victory average has been 2, 5, 7, 9, 26. Small sample size this year but I like the trend.

+100 on getting the ball up court quickly. There is literally no reason to walk it up the court unless you are trying to kill the clock at the end of the game AND the other team is in some kind of half court trap defense. Otherwise, get the ball up the court quickly.

Calhoun was all about pushing the ball up the court. I read or heard him in an interview years ago say how it is hard to score when the opposing defense is set, so he wanted to create transition, even off made baskets.

 

[August_West]

I was told at the time that Henefeld was fairly religious and wanted to be someplace that had a big Jewish community. Storrs is no match for Queens on that score, so something else had to swing him.

That was true, and he found it in the Hartford area, most notably Manchester, Jewish community. Obviously not Queens, but there is a significant tight knit Jewish community there that I confirm Nadav was absolutely part of. I know a family that he used to spend a lot of time with.

 

[August_West]

That Dream Team also just lost 20 ppg from Uncle Cliffy from the prior year. Chris Smith picked up a lot of that slack of course.



Mike Francesa was a pretty big UCONN fan but I think I started listening to that show early-90's. Great radio show. I remember them interviewing JC on air.

There was a time in very early 90's where Calhoun refused to go on the show. I believe a big gripe was Francesca calling Rod Sellers a dirty player. They buried the hatchet after a year or two and then JC was a frequent guest and they kissed his ring.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

@nelsonmuntz absolutely love your post to start this thread. The chemistry was so real during the Dream Season. Henefeld was definitely not religious at all and neither was Sheffer, who only became sabbath-observant and decided to wear a yarmulke all the time after he survived testicular cancer. I provided details of Henefeld’s recruitment in the Roumoglou commitment thread a few months back. Raftery was definitely on target with his story….

“I’m sorry but this narrative about Henefeld simply isn’t true. He was not established and no one really knew about him. Here’s what actually happened….

Nadav wrote letters to dozens of NCAA programs. Only one responded - St. John’s. Carnesecca sent Henefeld a plane ticket to come visit because they had a spot they needed to fill and it was late in the recruiting cycle. Lou had never even seen tape of Nadav. He visited, liked the team, hated the fact that it was a commuter school. Through Israel hoops contacts, Henefeld became friendly with Blazers scout Marv Kessler, who called Mitch Buonaguro immediately after the St. John’s visit and two days before Nadav returned to Israel. Nadav took the train to Fairfield, loved the campus, but after watching practice, he told Kessler that he could play at a higher level. Kessler made dozens of calls in the next day and the only coach who responded was JC, because of course The GOAT was the only U.S. coach who actually watched the Maccabiah Games, an international competition among Jewish amateur athletes from dozens of countries.

After Kessler called Calhoun, this was JC’s quote in a Boston Globe article: ''I had seen Nadav in the Maccabiah Games,'' Calhoun said. ''I asked my wife, Pat, What did I say about him? She said, `You thought he was a special player, but you didn`t know what he would do at the next level.` ''

So Nadav was connected to the kosher butcher from Waterbury, who picked up just off the Merritt in Fairfield and drove him to Storrs. He was literally on no one’s radar. In fact, Lior Arditti, who played at BC, was the one Israeli that year on college coaches’ radars.”

That story is not incompatible with what I said.

I was at UConn in the early 90's, and it was not bucolic. It was bunkers in mud, or ice, depending on the calendar. Henefeld may have liked green and trees, but I think the driving factor for him going to UConn was that it was high level but there was playing time available. He was 21 years old and wanted to play.

St. Johns had a front court of Jayson Williams, Malik Sealy and Robert Werdann, along with Billy Singleton. Three of those guys ended up playing in the NBA. Or he could have gone to UConn where the frontcourt was a frosh in Scott Burrell, and...Sellers? Henefeld was a pretty smart guy, and could figure out looking at those two options where there was more playing time. I don't think it is that controversial.

 

[August_West]

@nelsonmuntz absolutely love your post to start this thread. The chemistry was so real during the Dream Season. Henefeld was definitely not religious at all

Religion and desire for a Jewish community are not necessarily the same thing.

 

[jake14mw]

Very good point OP. The best teams are not always the best group of individual talent. The best teams know how to best utilize the talent they have, and players and coaches accept that the success of the team is more important than their individual success/accolades. There certainly is a long way to go, but this team looks like it has pieces that fit together really well.

 

[jibsey]

Hurley is a helluva recruiter and we are seeing the fruits of that come into play with all these new players but sometimes you get fortunate and I think getting Karaban with his feel and BBIQ and a better Clingan than expected has been big.