By now, you’ve heard. UConn is rebounding deficient. In fact, they’ve played 6 games thus far in the 2012-2013 season and have outrebounded their opponent exactly…never. Not a single player on the roster averages 5 or more rebounds per game. There are 314 teams in the nation that average more rebounds than the Huskies.
Those statistics are maddening enough on their own – and will certainly spell doom for the Huskies down the line – but the true crime of UConn’s inability to rebound is that it has robbed them of their greatest tool, the fast break.
Coming into the season, UConn’s frontcourt disadvantage was painfully obvious. Following the loss of center Andre Drummond – who fled college for the browner pastures of Detroit – along with transfers Alex Oriakhi, Roscoe Smith and Michael Bradley, UConn’s roster had shrunk a few inches. Last season’s strategy of crashing the glass and fiercely defending the low post would have to be replaced with one that maximized UConn’s speed, their most abundant gift.
The hope was that guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright would overwhelm opponents by beating them down the court at every instance. The swingman tandem of DeAndre Daniels and freshman Omar Calhoun would give up some size on the defensive end, but be let loose on the fast break to wreak havoc upon their slower counterparts. Let’s review the plan in full.
Step 1: Defend ferociously. Aggressively go for steals and make the opposing guards so uncomfortable that the offense cannot be run effectively. Post players will be unable to utilize their size advantage because their guards will be incapable of getting them the ball at opportune times.
Step 2: …
Step 3: Outlet to fast break. Wear down the opponents by racing up the court for forty minutes. Expand leads or erase deficits by exploding in a frenzy of high-paced scoring by a backcourt that can run with any guards in the nation.
Step 4: Profit?
You can have one guess what Step 2 should be. For the most part, UConn has defended very well so far this season. Their opponents are shooting just under 39% against them. That percentage would be significantly lower if the Huskies hadn’t allowed so many second-chance opportunities. Despite all of their defensive efforts, and relatively low turnover numbers, UConn is averaging 67.5 possessions a game. That’s the exact same amount as their opponents.
To counter the frontcourt struggles, the guards have taken it upon themselves to carry some of the rebounding burden. After Sunday night’s win over Stony Brook, coach Kevin Ollie and Napier both emphasized that when a shot goes up, it’s all hands on deck. Every player on the court feels a personal responsibility to help rebound. Hopefully that will lead to fewer second-chance points for their opponents but it likely wont lead to more opportunities for UConn to run, with no guard ready for the outlet pass at midcourt and no one trailing close enough behind to carry the play to the rim.
Ollie’s strategy is sound. He’s playing the hand he’s been dealt and – especially once Big East play starts – this team will need to rebound better in order to win. Though admittedly, during this season of process over results, it’s hard not to look back at that preseason plan and imagine how much fun it would be to watch these Huskies get out and run.
Time to employ another saying we’ll be using a lot this season: maybe next year.
