The single most important in-game coaching decision Jim Calhoun ever made

[gtcam]

This is best asked by going to the source. We could speculate many scenarios but it could very well be something he did a Norteastern or in his High School career.

 

[slepers]

It was that he doubled Brand with two bigs. Also, now some of us are critiqing decisions from the GOAT from about 20 years ago in a game we won.....amazing.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The game was not particularly physical, but the refs called it super tight. These are two finesse teams that rung up 44 fouls between them in a close game. Williams picked up his third foul with 3 minutes left in the 1st half, Duke leading 34-26. Shavlik Randolph was already in foul trouble. I don't think Calhoun had any choice but to keep Okafor on the bench given how the refs were calling it.

It is interesting to watch how differently the refs called games 20 years ago. It was hard to get called for an offensive foul back then, and the refs were letting a lot of travels go, but any contact by the defense got a whistle.

Boone and Villanueva were getting great looks inside, although they missed a few bunnies. They played well on both ends in the first half. Armstrong was not great his sophomore year. Taliek was pretty out-of-control the whole first half.

 

[CL82]

Olander starting really is sort of fascinating. He didn't play a ton of minutes but for whatever reason starting him was exactly the right thing to do. Sometimes the "feel" of the game in basketball is overlooked these days, but whatever indescribable thing that is Calhoun had it and then some.

He didn’t want Oriakhi picking up a quick foul.

 

[storrsroars]

Does it have to be a positive decision? I think not covering Laettner on the inbounds pass in '90 was his singlemost worst decision. Cost us a FF. Took nine years to get back there.

Granted, it's likely UConn would've been steamrolled by UNLV, or maybe even Arkansas, but it's a FF we didn't get and Duke did.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Does it have to be a positive decision? I think not covering Laettner on the inbounds pass in '90 was his singlemost worst decision. Cost us a FF. Took nine years to get back there.

Granted, it's likely UConn would've been steamrolled by UNLV, or maybe even Arkansas, but it's a FF we didn't get and Duke did.

Not playing Brian Fair in the second half of the Florida game in 1994 was his worst decision. UConn didn't need defense against Florida, it needed scoring.

 

[Marbles90]

Letting Moore defend Langdon 1 v 1

I still love how he did that EXCEPT for the very last play of the game. After El-Amin’s final free throw, he directed Moore to blanket Willam Avery so Langdon was forced to bring the ball up the court.

 

[Sick Puppy]

I still love how he did that EXCEPT for the very last play of the game. After El-Amin’s final free throw, he directed Moore to blanket Willam Avery so Langdon was forced to bring the ball up the court.

Having Rash Jones defending in the closing seconds 1999 Final. We lose that game, history looks a lot different.

 

[SallyH]

Au Contraire, I think it’s his decision to start Olander on 2011 NCAAT team on every game! It paid off handsomely and he either got the first bucket, rebound or foul. to this day, he still got two rings to prove it, which I may happily add, it’s twice as many as JB or Izzo has in their long coaching career!

All I remember about Olander was "hands of stone". Didn't he go on to play pro baseball?

 

[Waquoit]

Does it have to be a positive decision? I think not covering Laettner on the inbounds pass in '90 was his singlemost worst decision. Cost us a FF. Took nine years to get back there.

Granted, it's likely UConn would've been steamrolled by UNLV, or maybe even Arkansas, but it's a FF we didn't get and Duke did.

Disagree. We were a short team to begin with and Burrell had fouled out. All we had for a big was Sellers playing on one leg. Duke's Plan A was to throw a lob down low to a virtually unguarded Abdelnaby. That sure dunk was taken away by dropping DePriest back. And he still made Laettner double-clutch for the Plan B.

I don't even think we get steamrolled going forward. We were bringing asymmetrical warfare.

 

[Waquoit]

I think I am going to watch a replay since you brought it up.

I can only do the last 4 or so minutes.

 

[storrsroars]

UConn didn't need defense against Florida, it needed scoring.

It also needed a timely FT make, which would've made the point moot.

 

[storrsroars]

Disagree. We were a short team to begin with and Burrell had fouled out. All we had for a big was Sellers playing on one leg. Duke's Plan A was to throw a lob down low to a virtually unguarded Abdelnaby. That sure dunk was taken away by dropping DePriest back. And he still made Laettner double-clutch for the Plan B.

I don't even think we get steamrolled going forward. We were bringing asymmetrical warfare.

So you're on Team FAU for all the marbles, eh?

 

[Deleted at users request]

Au Contraire, I think it’s his decision to start Olander on 2011 NCAAT team on every game! It paid off handsomely and he either got the first bucket, rebound or foul. to this day, he still got two rings to prove it, which I may happily add, it’s twice as many as JB or Izzo has in their long coaching career!

Start, freshman, Tyler Olander I might add.

 

[UConnRock]

If Rashad Anderson's 3 at the 3-minute mark (down 8) rattled out, or Reddick's 3 was 6 inches longer, it would have been a disastrous move to handcuff ourselves with Okafor on the bench.

Ifs are what make sports amazingly fun and frustrating. Ifs make the boneyard and other forums what they are. Think of all the Final 4s UConn would have been in if all the ifs benefited UConn. UConn has its fair share of heartbreaking ifs.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Playing Roscoe Smith at the 4 as a freshman and turning him into one of the best defenders in the country was a pretty stellar move.

Recruited him as a three and despite the fact he underperformed offensively, he took on Kawhi, Derrick White, and Terrance Ross during that tournament run.

 

[August_West]

Does it have to be a positive decision? I think not covering Laettner on the inbounds pass in '90 was his singlemost worst decision. Cost us a FF. Took nine years to get back there.

Granted, it's likely UConn would've been steamrolled by UNLV, or maybe even Arkansas, but it's a FF we didn't get and Duke did.

I think as a single play in game that was it.

Overall season stuff ?
1) Playing Drummond and oriakhi together.

Distant 2nd

2) playing freeman as a 3 in 99-00. Jc’s heart was in right place for why . But it wasn’t great

 

[superjohn]

Basketball is a game of detail and Calhoun has made 1000s of decisions in his career and 100s of very important ones with tightly contested high stakes games hanging in the balance in the closing minutes.

But if you can pick just one decision to reference, one for fans to hang their hat on, what is it?

For me, point blank, the #1 Calhoun call of all time, and perhaps one of the best moves any baskeball coach has ever made is....

Sitting Okafor with 2 fouls vs Duke in the 2004 national semi-finals.

Many coaches might take the gamble and try to get him back out. I mean, he is a game changer after all, who wouldn't? But Calhoun stuck to his guns, yes It was a huge risk but it paid off as Okafor dominated the last quarter of the game or so. For me that one move is a microcosm of Calhoun as a person, he stubbornly sticks to what he believes in, most usually because he knows what the heck he is doing.

So BY, you get one pick and one pick only, what was Calhouns biggest in-game coaching decision of his career? (You have about 16500 minutes, give or take a hundred or so minutes, to pick from)

I hated the move but we stayed in striking distance and refs gave him a fair whistle second half. I think there's a decent chance we would've blown that game open if he kept him in.

He's by far my favorite coach ever in any sport but I hated his stubbornness to that rule and his stubbornness to not fouling up 3 points with seconds left on the clock.

 

[Scrutineer]

Allowing Khalid to be JC's floor general while relaxing slightly his in game control. It allowed that team's player to have some fun during the game. I remember the big debate in this forum regarding the Rip and Kfree bowing in which some posters were strongly opposed to that behavior.

This was a big change way!

We always loved the bows. Brought some personality and fun to the games. They weren't taunting the other team so what were the complaints?

 

[ctchamps]

We always loved the bows. Brought some personality and fun to the games. They weren't taunting the other team so what were the complaints?

Board was split between it was helping team play looser and those who felt it was inappropriate behavior.

This is the Boneyard way!

 

[UCTitleTown]

Scott Burrell inbounding and pass to Tate George in 1990 NCAA Tournament vs Clemson.

 

[willie99]

Calhoun played for the 2nd half. Calhoun is the GOAT. I wouldn't change one thing about Jim Calhoun

He turned a regional school into a national name, and he did it with significantly lower ranked recruits than any other great coach.

Whatever he says is gospel