Film Review: Anatomy of a Collapse

The Huskies choked away a win and chance to get in the driver’s seat of the AAC on Thursday night, giving up a 12-point second-half lead in a 63-58 loss at Temple. UConn is now 7-4 in the conference and 17-7 overall as the Owls improve to 9-3.

After re-watching the film here are some notes on what went wrong in the Huskies’ second-half collapse.

Where was Jalen Adams?

Every Husky fan was asking that question by midway through the second half. The freshman point guard started the game, played 16 minutes in the first half but spent the majority of the second half planted on the bench next to assistant coach Ricky Moore. Was Adams hurt? Benched? Give us something ESPN2, anything!

One account says Adams got into an argument with coaches and a teammate at halftime, leading to head coach Kevin Ollie sitting his best ball handler and arguably best perimeter player- seems plausible.

The game film offers limited insight as to what may have happened before the break and Ollie wouldn’t elaborate after the game about the benching. Here is what you see:

(3:04)—Adams in the far-side corner is clearly telling Daniel Hamilton to shoot but Hamilton doesn’t see him or the shot clock as it expires.

(1:19)—Devin Coleman buries a corner three in Adams eye. Good, not great defense.

(0:39)—For three straight possessions, Adams doesn’t touch the ball. Sterling Gibbs makes a three but is quick to pull the trigger on another. Ollie, clearly upset about the lack of ball movement, calls for a timeout.

(0:24)—Ollie draws up a high-ball screen for Adams out of the timeout and the freshman slashes to the rim for a layup.

(0:05)—Temple’s Daniel Dingle get the hoop and a foul but misses the free throw. Adams, who is responsible for pinning down on Quenton DeCosey on that free-throw attempt, doesn’t do so, allowing DeCosey to get the offensive rebound and ultimately hit a jumper as time ran out of the half.

Until someone from the team explains why Adams benched (likely never to happen) you’ll have to draw your own conclusions.

Up Twelve to Down Five

UConn opened the second half with a heavy dose of Shonn Miller. The senior scored a team-high 15 points to help the Huskies build a 12-point lead, 52-40 with 7:48 remaining. WARNING: if you have an aversion to reading about disasters, or are reading this near any small kids, stop reading now.

Here is what you see when you re-watch the film:

(6:51)—Hamilton misses a tough one as the shot clock winds down.

(6:36)—Amida Brimah leaves Jaylen Bond to help on a driving Dingle. Bond gets to the front of the rim without resistance for an easy tip in, 52-42.

(6:28)—Gibbs brings it up court and is called for a clear offensive foul for hooking the trailing defender.

(6:01)—Ollie calls a 30-second timeout and sets up a nice inside-out play with Miller hitting Rodney Purvis in the corner. Purvis is open but misses the shot. A well-executed set that just didn’t convert.

(5:51)—Gibbs comes up with a steal and is fouled in transition. Makes both free throws, 54-42.

(5:37)—Dingle knocks down a three from the left elbow. He floats from the corner to the wing behind the action of high-ball screen. Miller is sucked into to the paint helping on the rolling big leaving Dingle the open look, 54-45.

(5:10)—Hamilton hits a tough pull-up jumper, getting a friendly roll. Don’t love the shot selection but if he is the guy, he has to take and make that shot which he did, 56-45.

(4:51)—Hamilton looses Coleman on the perimeter as he is digging down to help in the post. Coleman strokes the three, cutting the lead to 56-48.

(4:45)—Temple shows a full-court press and Gibbs (Adams still on the bench) brings it up finding Purvis near midcourt. Purvis drives to the ride side of the rim and maybe should’ve tried to lay it in, but instead dishes to Brimah. Brimah can’t handle the well-placed pass, turnover.

(4:34)—Miller is late closing out on Dingle again on the three-point line, 56-51.

(3:58)—Gibbs still the primary ball handler against the pressure. There is an argument that he was fouled twice on his way into the paint following the inbounds. Huskies keep possession only to have Hamilton shoot a quick three.

(3:44)—With four Huskies in the paint trying to rebound a missed Temple opportunity in transition, Gibbs is watching the play from the perimeter. The senior doesn’t see the trailing Dingle who steps into a three at the top of the key, knocking it down and cutting the lead to 56-54.

(3:12)—Gibbs again is running the offense, this time trying to setup Miller in the post. Gibbs doesn’t pull the trigger on a pass as Miller slips the screen. Gibbs then dribbles it until the final seconds of the shot clock before committing a shot clock violation.

(2:43)—Adams checks in.

(2:11)—Gibbs receives a pass from Adams with five seconds left on the shot clock near center court. Gibbs is forced to hoist a three that rattles off the rim.

(1:51)—Neither Hamilton nor Purvis get a solid box out on DeCosey who ties the game at 56-56 with a put-back leaner.

(1:24)—Miller hits a pair of free throws, 58-56.

(1:10)—DeCosey hits a circus layup and gets the foul call. Overall good on-ball defense by Purvis, Miller was there for the help but the angle DeCosey shoots from probably negated a block. 59-58.

(0:23)—Hamilton grabs an offensive board after an Adams’ miss inside. Gibbs dribbles the shot clock down from 28 seconds to 11 before sending a skip pass to Adams, who quickly moves it to Hamilton who drives left. Both Gibbs and Purvis are well beyond the arch on the opposite wing, being guarded by one Temple player, Dingle. Hamilton is double-teamed and looking at four Owls before being stripped.

(15.8)—Two DeCosey free throws makes it 61-58. Gibbs takes it over half court and Ollie calls timeout. Out of the timeout, Purvis corralled a pass in the backcourt and dribbles toward midcourt. He is looking at a streaking Adams the whole way, double clutching on his initial pass. The Temple defender was trailing Adams but it mattered none as Purvis is called for the double dribble.

(13.9)—Two more DeCosey free throws, 63-58. Out of timeouts, UConn inbounds the ball to Adams who is trailed wide by Gibbs. The play appears to designed to hit the trailer for a rhythm three. Yet for some reason, Adams goes behind his back and throws it out of bounds.

(11.0)—Game over.