Zones - Glen Miller's Fools Gold

[Chief00]

I can hear Stairmaster objecting now - but we really need to bring back the alpha male to UConn basketball.

There is a reason why I used "fool's gold" in the title of this thread. There are reasonable, logical reasons why one can argue we should play zone (short staff, fouls, tired and wrong personnel). My assessment is that you need to avoid that temptation pitfall - and teach the young fellows what UConn Men's BB is all about - if you don't work hard in the summer you will be exposed / no hiding in a zone. You need to be in condition and strong - unless you are the #1 scorer - no plays off on defense. You need to learn transition - basketball is not a 2 platoon game. It's a flow and you start your running and flow moving around on defense.

 

[Stainmaster]

I can hear Stairmaster objecting now - but we really need to bring back the alpha male to UConn basketball.

Why do you love to make strawman arguments so much, Chief?

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Jim Calhoun's UConn teams played a good deal of zone from the time I started watching (Dream Season) through at least 97-98 which is where I am at in watching old games from Husky Games site when I battle the treadmill. I'm not sure when he stopped playing it (anyone know?), but it is not at all true to say that Calhoun was only a man-to-man coach.

 

[Chief00]

Why do you love to make strawman arguments so much, Chief?

You generally have a disdain for Jim Calhoun's approaches. I know when pushed you will deny it - but then it comes out over and over again. I know Coach can be rough at times - and maybe he said or did something that offended you? I don't know. But, you seem overjoyed he is no longer coaching - and there are some people like me who appreciated everything he did - even when some of those things in isolation were roundly criticized. When you associate anything about me with him - you imply he is no longer relevant etc and hence I am not.

Other than being part of a birthday gift for my mom I have never asked Calhoun for a favor - KO I did once and he immediately delivered. So I don't know where this divisive old vs new guard comes from. I like both - what you consider to be the old and the new.

I will say this and it's an opinion - Calhoun appreciated people who weren't just there after the wins but people who were there when it was unpopular. People forget how he was criticized for recruiting Caron Butler and the Nate Miles story has taken on such a mythical negative narrative the truth will never come out. Clyde Vaughan was another guy who did a lot in his short tenure - and many ran away from him due to a mistake that was a misdemeanor. There were also the snorkie comments some had about El Amin not attending class enough etc. So if Jim Calhoun offended you it may be he thought you weren't onboard at those type of times? Just speculation on my part and not a straw man.

 

[Chief00]

Jim Calhoun's UConn teams played a good deal of zone from the time I started watching (Dream Season) through at least 97-98 which is where I am at in watching old games from Husky Games site when I battle the treadmill. I'm not sure when he stopped playing it (anyone know?), but it is not at all true to say that Calhoun was only a man-to-man coach.

Weren't they full or 3/4 court presses - that became man to man in the half court? For purposes of this discussion I am referring to zones in the half court. Full court zone presses are aggressive.