Defense isn’t sexy, as evidenced by the nation-wide bitching over last year’s UConn v. Butler National Championship game. But there’s that old saying, right? Defense wins championships. During coach Jim Calhoun’s tenure at UConn, a strong and aggressive defense has been his calling card, and it certainly did win championships. Three of them to be exact. However, looking back at Husky history, one notices a change of philosophy on defense a decade ago that may be handicapping this year’s team as they head into the NCAA Tournament.
For years in the 1990s, the trademark for Jim Calhoun’s teams were strong, aggressive guards and swingmen. Guys like Rudy Johnson and Ricky Moore provided the defense pressure and UConn used their speed and tenacity to press, trap and generally upset the opponent into taking poor shots or turning the ball over. Then, in walked a tall freshman from Houston and everything changed.
Emeka Okafor had flown under the radar for most of his high school career and arrived at UConn in 2001 without much fanfare. His defensive ability and otherworldly instincts quickly made him a favorite of Calhoun. A change started to occur in defensive game planning. The guards that had been counted on to provide tough on-ball defense were now able to be even more aggressive, going for steals more often, flying into passing lanes. They were granted the privilege because of the giant eraser in the paint. In Okafor’s rookie season he set the UConn record for blocks in a season (138). The next season he broke that record (156), leading the nation in the process. In 2003-2004, UConn captured its second National Championship. Emeka Okafor was the Big East Player of the Year. He had 147 blocks.
The 2003-2004 Huskies, as a team, had 315 blocks. Okafor had garnered help from youngsters like Charlie Villanueva, Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone. When Okafor departed for the NBA, the others picked up the slack. The 2004-2005 UConn team blocked 280 shots, ranking 5th in team history. The next year, 298 blocks was good enough for 2nd place. Hasheem Thabeet’s arrival in 2006 continued Calhoun’s emphasis of the block as a defensive hallmark.
Blocks in UConn History:
| Blocks | Name | Season |
| 156* | Emeka Okafor | 2002-2003 |
| 152 | Hasheem Thabeet | 2008-2009 |
| 147 | Hasheem Thabeet | 2007-2008 |
| 147* | Emeka Okafor | 2003-2004 |
| 138 | Emeka Okafor | 2001-2002 |
| 118 | Hasheem Thabeet | 2006-2007 |
| 111 | Donyell Marshall | 1993-1994 |
| 107 | Hilton Armstrong | 2005-2006 |
*NCAA Nation Leader (source: UConn Athletic Dept.)
| Blocks | Season |
| 315* | 2003-2004 |
| 298* | 2005-2006 |
| 285* | 2007-2008 |
| 280* | 2008-2009 |
| 275* | 2004-2005 |
| 264* | 2006-2007 |
| 260 | 2009-2010 |
| 253* | 2002-2003 |
* NCAA Nation Leader (source: UConn Athletic Dept.)
Thabeet and Okafor together own the 6 highest single-season block totals in UConn history. Think about that for a second because it truly is crazy. Each player played only 3 seasons. Each of those 3 seasons was one of the best ever.
Which brings us to this year’s team. When you watch them on the court, they play a lot like the Thabeet teams of 2006-2009. Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright are insanely aggressive on defense, often lunging for steals and letting their man get by them in the process. In the past, someone like Thabeet would be waiting to turn those guards around. There is no Hasheem Thabeet on this team.
You may be reading your computer screen screaming “Andre Drummond!” Knock it off. Drummond, while holding the potential to be a phenomenal shot blocker only has 88 on the year. That may seem Thabeet-like in comparison to Alex Oriakhi’s paltry 44 blocks, but it’s not a reliable skill to base a team defense on.
Watching UConn on defense this season has been frustrating. The over-commitment by the guards has led to a bevy of wide-open 3s and Husky defenders leave their mark on the wing to help their beaten teammate. When opposing post players get the ball inside, ill-timed block attempts and poor rotation on help defense has allowed an inexcusable amount of offensive rebounds. The offense has suffered as a result. The fast paced, run-out strategy has been curtailed by a lack of blocks and outlet passes on defensive rebounds.
What’s disconcerting about this year’s team on defense is that they have the skills to be better. Napier and Boatright are almost always quicker than their counterparts. They should stay in front of them, make it difficult for them to penetrate instead of surrendering the lane. The length on the wing of Jeremy Lamb and Roscoe Smith should make entry passes near impossible. Oriakhi and Drummond should be focused on guarding opposing big men instead of being forced to help on guards running unchecked into the paint.
The defensive strategy enjoyed by Jim Calhoun for the last decade is a sound one. It just doesn’t fit the roster. It’s probably too late in the season to administer dramatic changes, but you know what they say. Defense wins championships.
