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The three best shots in basketball are free throws, layups/dunks, and three point shots. Taking into consideration the value of each shot, these are the highest percentage, most efficient shots you can get on a basketball court.
The complexion of UConn's roster shows that we're not a team built to get easy buckets in the paint. Our bigs are thin and not yet refined offensively, our guards are small, and Lasan Kromah (and to some extent Samuel) is the only slasher on the roster. We struggle to get points in the most valuable area of the floor; the paint.
While struggling to efficiently score points in the paint hurts a team, it's far from a death knell. However, if you can't consistently score in the paint, you better be able to shoot the ball at a high level. UConn has excelled at the free throw line all season; they rank 10th in the country at 76.3% on the season. And equally as important, no player in the rotation has shown himself to be a major liability at the line, meaning we have good free throw shooters all across the floor.
The key to this team, then, is the three point shooting. The roster certainly has a plethora of players capable of hitting threes: Napier, Giffey, Daniels, Boatright, and even Kromah. Early in the season, we were one of the best three point shooting teams in the country. However, our shooting has dropped off precipitously over the latter third of the season:
First 21 Games: 41.5% 3PT
Last 10 Games: 32.1% 3PT
For whatever reason, we've really struggled shooting the ball over the past 10 games. Did they just go on a crazy hot streak to start the year? Did the effects of the long, grinding conference play finally take its toll?
Whatever the issue is, UConn must start doing two things if they hope to make a run this postseason: start hitting three pointers at a high clip again, and be aggressive driving to the hoop. With the great free throw shooting on the team, UConn should be aggressive attacking the rim right from the tip; get the other team in foul trouble, and more importantly, get into the bonus early and score easy, efficient points. We have the team quickness to force fouls (especially with the new foul rules), and I think with the way that the American officiating has mirrored the old Big East in terms of allowing physical play, this team will benefit from getting the quicker whistle of out-of-conference play. And then simply, UConn must start making their threes at a higher rate again. When they're hitting their shots, they can compete with any team in the country (see Florida).
It's hard to be optimistic about the postseason after the last game, but if escaping the grind-it-out style of the American Conference allows UConn to shoot like they did over the first two-thirds of the season, I still believe they can make some noise in the NCAA Tournament.
The complexion of UConn's roster shows that we're not a team built to get easy buckets in the paint. Our bigs are thin and not yet refined offensively, our guards are small, and Lasan Kromah (and to some extent Samuel) is the only slasher on the roster. We struggle to get points in the most valuable area of the floor; the paint.
While struggling to efficiently score points in the paint hurts a team, it's far from a death knell. However, if you can't consistently score in the paint, you better be able to shoot the ball at a high level. UConn has excelled at the free throw line all season; they rank 10th in the country at 76.3% on the season. And equally as important, no player in the rotation has shown himself to be a major liability at the line, meaning we have good free throw shooters all across the floor.
The key to this team, then, is the three point shooting. The roster certainly has a plethora of players capable of hitting threes: Napier, Giffey, Daniels, Boatright, and even Kromah. Early in the season, we were one of the best three point shooting teams in the country. However, our shooting has dropped off precipitously over the latter third of the season:
First 21 Games: 41.5% 3PT
Last 10 Games: 32.1% 3PT
For whatever reason, we've really struggled shooting the ball over the past 10 games. Did they just go on a crazy hot streak to start the year? Did the effects of the long, grinding conference play finally take its toll?
Whatever the issue is, UConn must start doing two things if they hope to make a run this postseason: start hitting three pointers at a high clip again, and be aggressive driving to the hoop. With the great free throw shooting on the team, UConn should be aggressive attacking the rim right from the tip; get the other team in foul trouble, and more importantly, get into the bonus early and score easy, efficient points. We have the team quickness to force fouls (especially with the new foul rules), and I think with the way that the American officiating has mirrored the old Big East in terms of allowing physical play, this team will benefit from getting the quicker whistle of out-of-conference play. And then simply, UConn must start making their threes at a higher rate again. When they're hitting their shots, they can compete with any team in the country (see Florida).
It's hard to be optimistic about the postseason after the last game, but if escaping the grind-it-out style of the American Conference allows UConn to shoot like they did over the first two-thirds of the season, I still believe they can make some noise in the NCAA Tournament.
