Fastest break makes UConn special

Sporting News, The, Feb 2, 2004 by Mike DeCourcy

Of all the fast breaks the Connecticut Huskies have undertaken, the most memorable might be one that did not result in a basket. It occurred during an overwhelming victory over Oklahoma, so it didn't matter much. Coach Jim Calhoun almost chuckles when he says, "We screwed it up." The problem: There were too many guys involved. How do you run a 5-on-0 break? Nobody practices that.

The Huskies are so fast, they can be too fast for the game. Watching them soar with the ball is like watching an F-14 Tomcat leaping from the deck of the USS Enterprise. You have seen T.J. Ford push the ball up the floor on his own, as if he's running the Olympic 100-meter dash. You have seen Kirk Hinrich ferry an outlet pass up the floor for Kansas like a cheetah chasing down an antelope dinner. But unless you've seen this Connecticut team, you have not seen the fastest of college fast breaks.

When Pittsburgh assistant coach Joe Lombardi was prepping for the Panthers' visit to UConn last week, he was watching a DVD of the Huskies that included a clip of one break. "I thought my computer was broken," Lombardi says. "I thought it was on super-fast speed."

Center Emeka Okafor's two-way dominance and guard Ben Gordon's quick-release, long-range shooting are essential ingredients in UConn's national championship plans. But what separates the Huskies from nearly every other serious contender is their ability to turn around the game with their wheels.

"The first time you see us run in person, it's kind of startling" Okafor says. "I remember one time I was on the sidelines and I was looking, and it was like, 'Dang, we're fast.' Zip-zip-zip. And if it surprises me, and I'm part of this team, I'm sure it'll be a shock to other teams."

Beyond the speed, the difference between UConn's break and other teams' is the involvement of Okafor and the other big men. Okafor's commitment to run the floor results in plenty of baskets for himself and drives teammates to do the same.

Following Okafor's lead, 6-10 freshman Charlie Villanueva discovered a tremendous untapped gift. He is a breathtaking finisher. It's as if Mozart had been using the piano as a breakfast table all his life, then sat down at the keys and pounded out the Jupiter Symphony. As a prospect playing summer ball, Villanueva mostly jogged from 3-point line to 3-point line. NBA scouts were not impressed by his abortive entry into last June's draft. Calhoun says, "We made some logical sense with him about his future--the fact that everybody came away from his workouts disgusted with the shape he was in, that he had a chance to be a special player"

Once intent on proving himself as a long-range shooter--and nothing more--Villanueva has tried only 19 3-pointers, collecting much of his 11.8 scoring average in transition. "I look at the tape" he says, "and I'm like, 'Wow, I'm improving a lot.'"

In the NCAA Tournament, it is not easy to make an uncommon specialty matter. Pressing teams can have a tougher time squeezing out turnovers, and running teams can by slowed by slogging opponents. Okafor is developing impressively as a low-post scorer. Gordon shoots well under tight pressure. Small forward Denham Brown is a physical, relentless scorer. But UConn's many offensive options sometimes have trouble getting the ball in good scoring position in a halfcourt game. Point guard Taliek Brown is not a great shooter, so defenses can commit more resources to stopping those who are. That's why the running game is so important to the Huskies.

"If you don't cut down the breaks, they'll pick you apart," says Pittsburgh point guard Carl Krauser. "If you force them to play the halfcourt game, that's trouble for them."

The Huskies were pleased to beat Pitt, an outstanding opponent, with minimal help from the transition game. Only 10 of their points came from the break. That indicates they can find other ways to win. But the Panthers not only controlled the pace, they showed other teams how.

Pitt owned a big rebounding edge. It grabbed 15 balls off the offensive boards, just four fewer than what UConn got on the defensive end. The Panthers exploited Villanueva's lack of rebounding strength and defensive polish, which might force Calhoun not to play him as much.

The alternative is not all that pleasant for opponents--6-10 freshman Josh Boone is an imposing rebounder and shot blocker and promising inside scorer--but the Huskies are most frightening when Villanueva streaks upcourt for four or five transition baskets. He'll have to continue improving his all-around game, or UConn will be in trouble when it faces teams that have the ability to muscle him.

"The key to basketball sometimes is imposing your own will on the other team," Calhoun says. "We really run the break well? Well, we work 25 minutes every day on the break. We should be pretty good at it."

The more you see of the Huskies' break, the more you'll see of them.

Don't blink, though. You might miss a lot of the show.

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