When and why did Husky basketball change?

[sparky]

What has changed is the emergence of AAU players who have strayed from the HS coaches who stressed fundamentals. You have more athletic kids and fewer basketball players available. Defending the three is ball- you- man fundamentals. These kids have to be taught that in college because AAU wants performers not players.DD takes two dribbles and trips over the ball. Came in as an offensive player and his playing is plain offensive.I am not sure JC and teach these kids. They already know it all and don't listen. JC is old school and great old school, the kids are only want to play a year and leave for greener pastures.JC is a hard ass and these kids exemplifies what's wrong with our country wussification.

 

[Inyatkin]

That is a good question. My first reaction is that, at UConn, to qualify you should have to have a ring, and been given little to no credit for your role in it. Off the top of my head, the first two guys I'd name would be Ricky Moore and Taliek Brown. Because nothing causes fans to dislike very important players than inability to hit jump shots. And, the single most underrated facet of winning basketball is point guard defense.

When Taliek was around and everyone I knew hated him, I remember saying that you cannot win in college basketball with a bad point guard. UConn was winning, so he couldn't be that bad. He's a pretty good candidate for most underrated considering how much bile he generated

 

[freescooter]

UCONN hasn't played that pressing nasty defense for years. part of it was Calhoun's decision after that Texas loss to go after bigger players, and I honestly do think that another part was a conscious effort especially after the 2004 win, to get a 3rd National Championship come hell or high water. It led to recruiting players that UCONN wouldn't have touched, or would have sent packing very quickly, and it led to some corner cutting, for which we will be paying a pretty high price next year perhaps. I do agree that the current players don't and likely won't play the 40 minutes of pressing hard nosed defense that you saw from the teams in the 1990s. That isn't what the NBA is looking for and so Calhoun can't coach it and they won't play it. I get a chuckle every year when someone posts at the start of the season that "this year we're going to be a running team." Not happening.

 

[tzznandrew]

I don't buy this. Who are the trouble makers we wouldn't have gone after? Nate Miles I will buy, everyone else came in with a clean enough record (AJ Price didn't...but AJ had a good family and one incident in HS).

Maybe I'm forgetting someone, but I just don't remember there being extra character issue guys.

 

[The Funster]

UCONN hasn't played that pressing nasty defense for years. part of it was Calhoun's decision after that Texas loss to go after bigger players, and I honestly do think that another part was a conscious effort especially after the 2004 win, to get a 3rd National Championship come hell or high water. It led to recruiting players that UCONN wouldn't have touched, or would have sent packing very quickly, and it led to some corner cutting, for which we will be paying a pretty high price next year perhaps. I do agree that the current players don't and likely won't play the 40 minutes of pressing hard nosed defense that you saw from the teams in the 1990s. That isn't what the NBA is looking for and so Calhoun can't coach it and they won't play it. I get a chuckle every year when someone posts at the start of the season that "this year we're going to be a running team." Not happening.

Exactly. When and why did Husky basketball change? It's been changing ever since Calhoun came on board. He's adapted with the times just fine.

 

[tzznandrew]

I think the last truly fast-break heavy team UConn had was 1996--and even then people were calling for the full-court press.

The press is a way for les talented teams to speed up the game and negate an inside presence. There's a reason that the top teams may run a lot (UNC), but don't necessarily press to get it going.

The press served UConn well from 1989-1996. But it outlived its utility and never took UConn to a Final Four (1990 and 1994 it should have; 1995, in any other bracket, or sans Edny, it would have).

 

[The Funster]

And the earlier NCAA teams generated a large portion of their offense from the pressing/trapping defense. Those teams didn't play good half court offense consistently and they used defense to fuel the offense.

 

[tzznandrew]

And the earlier NCAA teams generated a large portion of their offense from the pressing/trapping defense. Those teams didn't play good half court offense consistently and they used defense to fuel the offense.

Partially to mask the fact that they had no inside presence.

 

[freescooter]

There was the kid from Seattle, Wiggins, Nate, AJ Price was a problem kid in high school, kicked off his team for fighting, arrested for drinking, plus read the recent NCAA waiver request, average SATs were going down while the average at UCONN was going up...the whole handling of things was a problem. it essentially concedes tha twe were taking kids who weren't qualified.

 

[tzznandrew]

There was the kid from Seattle, Wiggins, Nate, AJ Price was a problem kid in high school, kicked off his team for fighting, arrested for drinking, plus read the recent NCAA waiver request, average SATs were going down while the average at UCONN was going up...the whole handling of things was a problem. it essentially concedes tha twe were taking kids who weren't qualified.

Doug Wren was on the team in 1999-00 team.
Wiggins turned out to be a problem child, but he had no high school issues that I am aware of.
Nate - he was an issue.
AJ had an issue, but his father went to Penn and it happened after he had committed to UConn.

Of the 4, only one of them is both in your time frame and also was a problem before they committed. AJ made a mistake and lived with, and I think redeemed himself. Most people wouldn't consider him a bad kid.

There were other behavioral issues, but they were never the super-talented kids. They were the reaches like Kellogg, who with Wren was the worst of the issues.

Maybe Calhoun's problem is that he set his goals too high and, when he whiffed, had to take in other kids that might have high upsides. That's possible. But that he lowered standards for the top kids and souled his soul for them, I'd disagree.

 

[Matt (Chicago)]

Ahh good ol' Doug Wren, kid was an ANIMAL!

What was the deal with A Kellogg anyways - had a falling out with Coach didnt he?