STORRS – UConn went for an intentional foul on Seton Hall’s Budd Clark with a three-point lead in the final seconds of Saturday’s Senior Day win. It went without a whistle, which Clark was anticipating as he chucked an air ball from beyond the 3-point line that decided the game.
That play, and a quick look at the box score that showed a 29-9 free throw advantage, 21-2 in the second half, this time in favor of the Huskies, sparked a conversation about the way the game was officiated.
Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway, who wore a mask on the sideline as he coached through the flu, led the charge.
“I can’t believe that. I’m sick already. That’s making me more sick,” he said. “Let’s just make sure we understand how crazy this is, to take 21 free throws and we took only two. That’s crazy. That should never happen.”
The Pirates are known for physical defense, restricting off-ball movement, and their strategy was clear from the opening tip as they fouled four times in the first three minutes of that game. UConn coach Dan Hurley wasn’t buying the idea that the Huskies got any gifts.
“I watched the film of the game, I mean, we probably could’ve shot a bunch more free throws,” he said after Thursday’s practice. “But that’s conference play though. When you get to the NCAA Tournament, especially those early rounds, I think things do get called tighter.”
Hurley actually said he wants his team to foul more. Not the ticky-tack, “dumb” fouls that it had trouble with earlier this year, but more physicality at the point of attack and off the ball, like Big East opponents have done to disrupt the Huskies’ offense all year.
“I mean, we get mauled when we play. And I don’t think we foul enough on defense,” he said. “We don’t guard the ball with the physicality or guard cutters anywhere near the physicality that other teams do. I’ve been all over my players for the last several games about being more physical. Like, if they’re gonna let other people do this to us, then where’s our physicality?”
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Hurley and ball security
Consistency has been a major question mark with this Huskies’ team all season. They’ve largely played up to their competition in big games, but too many opportunities against lesser foes have been up in the air down the stretch.
“I feel like a lot of people have kind of got the team wrong. I think the team has got a high ceiling and a low floor,” Hurley said. “The floor is low, meaning we’ve, at times, played down, or gifted teams charity at both ends of the court, turning the ball over, doing mind-boggling things on defense or just not grabbing the ball off the glass. But then, we’re probably one of the only teams in the country with wins versus two top-five teams in the NET (Florida, Illinois).”
Ball security and rebounding, he says, is what prevents the team from consistently reaching that ceiling. UConn has turned the ball over at least 10 times in 19 of its 30 games so far this season. Saturday’s win over Seton Hall was the seventh time the Huskies have had at least 15 giveaways.
“It’s driving me crazy. I mean, it’s bad,” Hurley said, his head in his hands. “You preach ball security is job security – I heard Aaron Rodgers say that… A lot of the turnovers we’ve made were not forced by great defense. They’re aloofness, they’re carelessness with the ball, it’s being late, it’s being sloppy, it’s not valuing every possession. And championship teams don’t do that. In the end, if we don’t end up with any championships in any run in March, it’s gonna be because we turn the ball over.
“And it’s not like we turn the ball over in these games and then we just ignore it in the lead-up to the next one. You could probably get a pretty good idea that myself and this staff is doing everything we can to not turn the ball over. Because literally, if we rebound the ball and we don’t turn the ball over, we’ve got a chance to win a lot of games here. Just do those things, we’ve got a very high ceiling.”
Demary embracing the opportunity
Silas Demary Jr. came to UConn to be in the exact position he’s in. One more win and the Huskies will have at least a share of the Big East’s regular season title. A No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament at this point seems to be the Huskies’ to lose.
“I’ve won at places before, but to win in college is hard to do,” the former Georgia point guard said. “To be able to do it my first year being here is kind of a goal I have… To be a part of a team that has won so much in the past and to now be at a point where we can win something, it’s a lot of fun. I think obviously the pressure is there, but that’s what we came here for. The pressure to win, that’s the standard here.”
