5 Good Minutes with Jim Calhoun

This is actually about 2 weeks old but I've been a little slow going through some stuff lately and only came across it today. PTI's Kornheiser and Wilbon interviewing UConn head coach Jim Calhoun. Definitely one of the best coaches in the game, I'd like to sit and pick his brain for an afternoon.

A few things that Coach Calhoun mentioned that were especially poignant. First, talking about defending the PNR with a dominant shot blocker like Hasheem Thabeet, it gives you the advantage of always trapping the ball-screen or at least a hard hedge, and zoning up 3v4 on the backend.

Next was fouls. The first thing I look for when I get the stat sheet at halftime is turnovers, next is fouls. Fouls against is an important stat because it reveals who the aggressor is. Of course, you have to adjust based on the officiating, but if there is a big differential between your fouls and fouls against, it is significant beyond just the numbers. Another stat related is 3-pt FGA. The more 3-pointers your team attempts, the less fouls against you will have. So, unless you shoot the 3-pointer above 50%, watch the number of 3s you're taking in a half/game.

Lastly, I like at the end of the clip where Coach Calhoun was talking about FOCUS. I especially liked when he talked about his 2006 team and how that was a great team, filled with stud players, but lacked focus. As y'all Varsity coaches are headed towards playoffs, remember the f-o-c-u-s.

Anyways, some interesting stuff for sure, here is the video clip in case you missed it:




If you are a big Jim Calhoun fan like me, and you want an unprecedented look at his practices, then you definitely want to check out Jim Calhoun's brand new 3-pack DVD on UConn's All Access Practices. That's 360 minutes worth of video on an NCAA Div1 practice, doesn't get any better than that. Don't forget to check out the X's and O's Basketball Forum to discuss this and any of your favorite basketball topics.