UConn's excellence is wrapped around simplicity
Albany, N.Y. – They were just two of UConn's 39 made baskets Saturday afternoon. You won't see them on any highlight packages. And yet anyone who gets a twinkle over fundamental basketball would have wept tears of joy.
Sometime in the first half, Breanna Stewart banked home a jumper. And meant to.
A little later in the first half, Morgan Tuck pulled up and banked home a jumper. And meant to.
The bank shot.
And you thought they disappeared with Sam Jones.
Au contraire. Along comes the new Jones. The UConn women. Sure, they have some of the best players in the country. But the more you watch and appreciate, the more you realize how well they're taught.
"Before I got here, I never really did a lot of pull up game because I didn't have to," Tuck said, after Connecticut's 105-54 victory over Texas in the Sweet 16. "Our coaches, Marisa (Moseley) and CD (Chris Dailey) are always working with us on that. I've gotten (called for) a lot of charges, driving too far into the lane. Today, was a good day to use the pull up. If I drove in there today, I would have gotten my shot blocked. We practice bank shots every day.
"As long as you get it on the glass," Tuck said, "you're pretty sure it's going in unless you just chuck it up there. It's easier to make than a straight on shot. Working on it every day makes you a little more confident."
There's that line again. They work on it every day. And maybe other programs do, too. But this much we know: UConn seems to lead the country in practical application.
"Every day we do bank shots. It's the easiest shot to make," Dailey said. "When you're at that angle, you need to use the backboard. With Tuck, it's more so that she pulls up and doesn't charge as much. With Stewie, we want her to turn away from the defense and use the backboard."
Simple is so simple isn't it?
"It's like the mid-range jump is a lost art, too," Dailey said. "Sue Bird and Bria Hartley were probably the two best at it. Every time they took a pull up, I thought it was going in. ... It's pretty simple. Basketball doesn't need to be reinvented. If people came to our practices they'd be surprised at how fundamental and basic they are.
"I get paid a lot of money to say 'when you shoot, keep your eyes open.' I remember when Tina Charles and Kaili McLaren were here, there was a picture of them in the paper and each of them had their eyes closed when they were shooting. How do you think it's going in if your eyes are closed?"
If you are old – and fortunate enough - to have watched Larry Bird, you may remember his most famous bank shot. The Celtics were down nine late to the 76ers in the seventh game of the 1981 Eastern Conference finals. Boston, once down three games to one, rallied to force a seventh game at the old Garden. And just as it looked bleak, they rallied again within a point.
Bird took an outlet, several dribbles on the dead run and pulled up on the left wing. And banked home a 15-footer in the closing seconds. The Celts won 91-90. Still one of the great series and moments in their history. And in a series with high flying Doctor J and Darryl Dawkins dunking, the final play was a bank shot.
"It was probably the norm in basketball back then," Dailey said. "Now it's become an art because a lot of people don't do it. And when they have success doing it, they do it more."
It's just part of the deal with the Huskies. They pass and cut or pass and screen. They don't pass and stand still. Or as basketball analyst Deb Antonelli tweeted during the Saturday's game, "UConn only dribbles to improve their angle, get to the basket. Passing ability noted. Does UConn take contested or bad shots? No."
It is a privilege to watch. It's even better on days like Saturday, when they shoot 56 percent.
And while some of us loudly lament the lack of competitive games, there is plenty here to be appreciated. Excellence wrapped around simplicity.
This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro. Twitter: @BCgenius
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.