UConn Men Now #2 in FT%, #3 in FG% Defense in NCAA

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

2nd in NCAA to #1 Villanova in FT%:

http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/team/150

3rd in NCAA in FG% Defense:

http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/team/149

It's very, very rare to see a team in the top 3 in both of these two categories.

 

[Silk31]

Yet we are one of the worst teams in the nation in FT attempts. We have to take advantage of one of our only offensive strengths. The fact that we don't drive to the basket more often, especially down the stretch in close games when in the bonus is what has baffled me all season long.

KO has got to stress this to our guys. Rather than coughing up leads in crunch time we should be nursing them and closing it out from the FT line like we did so well in 2014 when we were automatic from the stripe

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Silk,

Other than Jalen Adams, this just isn't a team of guys who effectively drive and finish, although the lack of FTs attempted is somewhat puzzling.

Back in 2014 when UConn won the national championship, they shot 101-115, 88%, on FTs, a record I feel will never be broken and in the same class as Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, which is untouchable due to modern relief pitching. I recall my uncle telling me, "that is why they won the NCAA tournament."

 

[Silk31]

Khalid,

It's all about knowing how to draw a foul. Purvis and Gibbs drive to the rim enough to get to the line more often but they don't know how to finish or draw contact enough to get a whistle. They have to be the two worst finishers that I can recall in recent memory.

You are right in the sense that JA is the only guy on our team who can successfully penetrate and finish strong on drives. DHam should be better at this but he would prefer to fade away or shoot an off balance shot rather than going into the defender and absorbing some contact

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Both Purvis and Gibbs have a tendency to anticipate contact rather than just take the contact. Purvis and Gibbs have both missed easy transitions layups because they anticipated contact that never came, resulting in the hoisting of a bricked layup. Purvis has actually airballed a few layups.

Hamilton seems to be badly thrown off by minimal contact that causes him to be off balance, or as you say he fades away and then hoists bricks. He can rectify this by gaining strength and leaning towards the contact rather than fading away from it. Fouls are not called in favor of those who fade away from contact.

All of the above is why Ollie made recent noise about the team having to toughen up. Kemba Walker and Ryan Boatright were way smaller than these guys but nobody ever accused Kemba or Ryan of being gunshy about contact. Kemba lived at the free throw line. He had an explosive first step but once he beat his man he often went into the teeth of the interior defense, drew contact, and would throw up assorted floaters and spins that went in. I never saw Kemba airball shots because he was anticipating contact. He took the contact and made spectacular shots after getting hammered. And he absorbed the hammering with a tiny body. I met Kemba in person and he is not a big man either in height or body. He is very small for a basketball guard even on this level.