Speaking of overrated...

[rocky_warrior]

Based on the 'Nova find yesterday...Can Calhoun / UConn do well this year?

I read all these BE previews which slot Uconn somewhere around 5-6 in the BE, but can Calhoun really get his young sqaud to play together as a team enough to win that much? Sure, others in the BE are having "rebuilding" years too, but many of the teams ranked below Uconn have at least a few returning starters.

No doubt they have loads of (young) talent, but they did last year too - a year where they talent never really came together as a team to perform up to their potential.  I'm not sure I buy all this "reloading" talk.  Comparing to UNC last year, it took until sometime in Feb before they really started looking like the team they have the potential to be.

Yes, I know Marquette did well starting 3 frosh all last year - but we also had proven senior leadership, and the 3 starting frosh really got along well.  I'm just not so sure you can take a team of 8 newcomers (all superstars), mix them up with a PG that hasn't played for a over a year and have a great team.  Despite his yelling on the sideline, Calhoun didn't really show last year that he could handle all of the talent that he had.

Whatta' you think? Is it just a case of the media being too afraid to ignore all that star potential, or am I missing something?

[OfficeLinebacker]

After the UCONN game at the BC I commented that I thought alot of the blame on the UCONN side had to go to Calhoun.  He constantly was yelling at Williams for not Keeping DJ out of the lane.  On his best day Williams could not keep DJ out of the lane.  Calhoun was asking him to do things he physically could not do.  Which resulted in many open looks for Novak.  Not to mention the fact his team looked like they thought they would just come in the BC and dominate without much effort.

[NYWarrior]

Calhoun also blew it by failing to sit Armstrong in favor of a smaller player who might have been more able to chase Novak on the perimeter

[spiral97]

He constantly was yelling at Williams for not Keeping DJ out of the lane.  On his best day Williams could not keep DJ out of the lane.  Calhoun was asking him to do things he physically could not do.

I agree.  If you are a coach and a member of your team is not effectively (for whatever reason) implimenting a crucial portion of your defensive game plan and the motivate by yelling approach doesn't work within a few minutes, then it is your responsibility as the team coach to devise and try an alternate solution.  Further, if that portion of the defensive game plan is so crucial (as it was here) then a smart coach would have:
1.) an understanding of his players capabilities before the game and understand where the potential weaknesses are
2.) such alternate strategies already defined
3.) utilize a team approach in the primary strategy (e.g. double teaming wade is the most obvious example of his opponents strategies but there are other more subtle team efforts against him).

[rocky_warrior]

Just read an interesting article on the subject

Here's what Crean had to say about UConn

'It can't just come from Coach Calhoun,' Marquette coach Tom Crean said. 'No matter how many rings he's won, no matter what that Hall of Fame trophy looks like, it's got to come from more than the head coach and assistant coaches. It's got to come from the players. I've never been around having nine new players, but I've been around having a whole new lineup, and that's what happens.'

http://www.topix.net/content/trb/1311042470094909772909904510511980674555