The Connecticut Huskies did not seem to be a genuine national championship contender at any point in January or February, or in the first half of March. Then they got hot. How will they top last season?
2013-’14 Recap
The things that went wrong for Connecticut last season occurred in the regular season, not the postseason. That’s the rare but remarkable and real path carved out by coach Kevin Ollie’s team.
Ollie took over the Connecticut program from his teacher and legendary predecessor, Jim Calhoun, and was able to remain patient with a team that stopped and started a lot during the regular season. Connecticut was only able to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference, behind SMU, Louisville and Cincinnati. The Huskies ironically were swept by SMU, a team that didn’t even make the NCAA tournament.
UConn’s offense was great from three-point range, shooting over 38 percent, but its two-point field goal percentage was an ordinary 48.1, putting the team in the lower half of the 10-team American Athletic Conference. Connecticut was not a strong paint team last season.
The Huskies did not have anything in terms of an ability to score near the basket, especially in back-down, low-post situations, except for DeAndre Daniels, but even then, Daniels was a player who liked to face up to the basket and shoot long-distance shots while also banging from time to time on the low blocks. The Huskies were saddled with an awkward center in Amida Brimah, who averaged only six points per game.
How did this team eventually make the Final Four and roll to the national title with a strong win over Florida in the national semifinals and a gritty win over Kentucky in the title game? Defense. After surviving a sluggish game against Saint Joseph’s in its first game of March Madness, Connecticut then smothered most of its next several opponents. It did play an offensive game against Iowa State in the Sweet 16, winning because the Cyclones were without one of their best players, Georges Niang.
However, in the other games UConn played during the NCAAs, it was defense that carried the team through. It held Villanova to 35-percent shooting in its second tournament win. Following the victory over Iowa State, Connecticut limited Michigan State to 39-percent shooting in the Elite Eight to make the Final Four.
The Huskies then also held Florida to 39-percent shooting in the national semifinals. They held Kentucky to 39-percent shooting in the national championship game. See a pattern? The level of defense this team played was remarkable.
Brimah made himself useful near the rim by becoming a brick wall for opposing dribblers. Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright were vicious defenders at the top of the key, and they prevented opposing guards from being able to establish anything on offense.
Offseason Changes
The loss of Napier will surely prevent Connecticut from making a deep run in the NCAAs in 2015. Napier wasn’t just the team’s best scorer and a great three-point shooter (40 percent). Napier averaged about six rebounds, five assists, and two steals per game. He did just about everything. He’s going to have to be compensated for by a committee of new players. Daniels, the scoring forward, is also playing pro ball now.
Projected Finish
The Huskies will rebuild, and they should be satisfied if they can just get back to the NCAAs. If they do that, this will be a good season for them.
Pick: Fourth In The American Athletic Conference, Round of 64 In The NCAA Tournament
