Calhoun Shakes Up UConn Lineup

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Boatright, Smith Start Over Napier, Oriakhi




Jim Calhoun and his assistant coaches brainstormed and talked long and hard. They could be deliberate but, they decided, the Huskies no longer could be.

So as they arrived in D.C. for their 21st game of the season, Calhoun announced a lineup shake-up aimed at speeding up the offensive attack. Expect the Huskies to run more against Georgetown Wednesday night at the Verizon Center.

Freshman Ryan Boatright will take over at point guard for Shabazz Napier, and Roscoe Smith will start at power forward instead of Alex Oriakhi.


"We have to push the pace," Calhoun said Tuesday as the Huskies were checking into their hotel. "We can't win at the pace we've been playing."

Calhoun said he considered making the move after the Jan. 21 loss at Tennessee, although he didn't know when he would get Boatright back. Before flying to Washington, Calhoun said he and his staff talked it over for five hours before deciding to make the moves.

It could not have been easy. Napier, a sophomore, and Oriakhi, a junior, are co-captains. Napier had to play the entire 40 minutes nearly every game while Boatright was out during the NCAA investigations. But with Boatright's return, Calhoun has options, and the Huskies, who have lost three in a row and five of seven, needed a change.

"Of course it was difficult," Calhoun said. "But we think it's best for the team. It's not against anyone, it's a move for us. I expect Shabazz will still play a lot of minutes. From 'Bazz's standpoint, he'll get a better viewpoint coming off the bench."

UConn (14-6, 4-4 in the Big East) has 10 games left, five against teams currently ahead of them, including Georgetown (16-4, 6-3), 14th in the AP poll. The Huskies, ranked fourth at the start of the season, dropped out of the Top 25 this week.

Napier played mostly off the bench last season with Kemba Walker at the point. This season, the Huskies became his show to run. At times, he has been brilliant, such as his triple-double against Coppin State in November. At times he has been clutch, hitting a three-pointer to tie Cincinnati in the final seconds two weeks ago. At other times, the offense has stagnated as he has dribbled too much, or thrown bad passes or forced shots. He is averaging 14.3 points, with 121 assists and 64 turnovers 36 minutes a game.

Against Notre Dame on Sunday, Napier went 0-for-7 from the floor and the Huskies scored a season-low 48 points. They took just 47 shots. Jeremy Lamb, their top scorer, took nine.

"One way to get Jeremy more shots is to take more shots," Calhoun said. "And he will get a few of those."

Boatright, after missing the first six games, had 14 points in a win over Florida State and 23 in a win over Arkansas. He has not been as productive since. He missed three more games, then came back and scored six points, with some spectacular moves, against the Irish.

"He has 11 games experience," Calhoun said. "He's going to be asked to push the ball. He's going to push it against a lot of three-quarter [court] pressure. [Georgetown] is going to trap."

Oriakhi, averaging 6.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.9 minutes, was out of the starting lineup for three games in late November, but has started every game since. Calhoun has been trying to restore his confidence, but Oriakhi has remained tentative. He is 5-for-19 from the floor the past three games, most of those shots in the paint.

Smith, who has also been in and out of the lineup, has more quickness at power forward, but can be erratic. "He'll get up the floor," Calhoun said, "you don't know what's going to happen when he gets there."



Niels Giffey, one of UConn's quickest players up and down the court, will start again at small forward. Calhoun envisions a full-court running game that would make a number of players more effective, including freshman DeAndre Daniels.

Andre Drummond, at center, and Lamb at the two-guard, retain their starting roles.

"When guys are just standing around, they can get exposed," Calhoun said. "I think some of that has been happening. We can't keep playing the way we've been playing, scoring 50 points per game. We're just not going to win that way."

 

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Georgetown : Pre-Game Report




February means business, and the last six seasons have drawn a sharp contrast for the Georgetown Hoyas in the penultimate month of the season.

From 2005-06 through 2007-08, Georgetown teams under coach John Thompson III were 18-5 in February; in the last three seasons, 10-11. For Georgetown to make a statement in March, it needs to take care of business in February, and with three of its next four at home, it starts Wednesday against a Connecticut team that has rebuilt itself from the loss of Kemba Walker, and poses a particular challenge to the Hoyas up front. UConn has held six of its nine Big East opponents under 40 percent this season.

Shabazz Napier has handled the point for UConn for much of the year but his shooting has cratered in the last five games (7-30) and Jim Calhoun's wanting patience will not last long with the return of Ryan Boatright from NCAA purgatory. Boatright, the latest in a line of Huskies which have run afoul of NCAA enforcement in Calhoun's tenure, arrived at UConn as a heralded Chicago recruit and averaged just over 10 points per game until sidelined over improper benefits relayed to his family. In his return versus Notre Dame, Boatright played 30 minutes and scored six points, but is due for a better effort Wednesday.

Jeremy Lamb played understudy to Kemba Walker last season and has taken the scoring mantle as a sophomore. Averaging 51 percent from the floor and 85 percent from the line in Big East play, Lamb has been as good as its gets, a strong scorer that can set the tone defensively. Lamb's three point shooting has been a weakness in Big East play, where he is shooting 30 percent in the last five games. A strong outside effort from lamb is a bad sign for Georgetown's perimeter defense.

UConn's size gives Georgetown some matchup problems in this game. 6-8 DeAndre Daniels may remind some of a younger Hollis Thompson, in that they both played in Los Angeles and possess a similar frame. Daniels does not have Thompson's shooting touch but he can be effective in defensive screens and clogging up Thompson's path to the basket. As Thompson has not had to deal with many 6-8 small forwards, this represents a tactical challenge to his ability to better assert himself on offense.

UConn doesn't have many four year players, so 6-8 junior Alex Oriakhi is the closest thing to a veteran up front. Like his fellow new Englander, nate Lubick, Oriakhi's numbers have waned in 2011-12, and he is also playing at about 20 minutes a game. Oriakhi is a capable rebounder who can pound inside when needed. Lubick's challenge is not to get pushed around inside while keeping Oriakhi from sagging into Henry Sims defensively. However, it is expected that 6-8 Roscoe Smith will start, according to late reports. Smith's shooting has suffered but he figures to platoon with Oriakhi the game.

Freshman center Andre Drummond has already become a force inside for UConn, not only for his Mike Sweetney-esque frame but his ability to control the boards, allowing UConn to place in the top five in the Big East in rebound margin. The #2 recruit in 2010-11. Drummond nearly averages a double-double in Big East play (10 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and has seven such marks this season, including 15 and 11 versus Notre Dame last weekend. The seven double-doubles tied the mark set by Emeka Okafor, and Drummond's potential seems equally lofty.

Uconn figures to go eight or nine deep. In addition to Oriakhi and Smith, a mix of 6-7 Niels Giffey and 6-9 Tyler Olander (5.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) give UConn a lot of options inside. More than most, this front line works best when Lamb and the guards are on the mark. Keeping lamb off the ball may be a tougher test to see if the front line can lead the Huskies forward.

Keys to the game:



Forty Minutes: Just eight points separate UConn from a 7-1 mark in Big East play, but instead, it's 4-4. Georgetown must avoid the first half lapses that have caused problems all January.
The Rule Of 70: In the Jim Calhoun era, Connecticut is 19-0 versus Georgetown when it scores 70 or more points, 5-16 when it fails to do so.
Outside Shooting: UConn's margin of field goals vs. opponents is exactly equal in its last three games: 65 baskets shot, 65 allowed. The margin, however slim, comes in a +8 in opponent three point shooting. GU's outside shooting must be up to the task.
Keep UConn Off The Line: In games it has won, UConn has averaged a extra 8 in free throw attempts. In games it has lost, the margin is roughly even. In its last game vs. Notre Dame,, the Irish were a +2 at the line, and won by two.
Alex Oriakhi: Oriakhi's numbers have been down this season but he has played Georgetown tough in the past, averaging 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in three games. Keeping Oriakhi off the boards is a priority.
Points in the Paint: Pitt was able to dominate inside versus Georgetown, and UConn held a +16 on the stat versus Notre Dame Saturday. Georgetown must address this issue, or expect more of the same if it continues.