University of Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun used a boxing match analogy to illustrate the physical nature of Saturday’s 66-49 loss to LSU.
“We got involved in a hand-to-hand combat situation that was very difficult for [LSU] and for us,” Calhoun said. “[LSU] made a decision that they were going to keep going through it.”
Calhoun said the contest was “the most physical game” Connecticut has played “in a long time” and attributed the loss to a lack of competitiveness.
“Somebody’s will overpowers the other one’s,” Calhoun said. “Someone decides ‘This isn’t worth it’ or ‘I can’t’ or ‘I’m not ready’ or ‘I’m too young’ or ‘I’m not strong enough’ or whatever they decide.”
Calhoun said shooting only 45.8 percent from the free-throw line and committing 19 turnovers also hampered the Huskies’ chances.
“If you only knew how many foul shots we took this week,” Calhoun said of his team’s inability to make the shots during the game.
Calhoun said he believes LSU could be a Final Four team, especially with the solid play of junior guard Tack Minor.
“Tack Minor had his best game of the season,” Calhoun said. “We knew he could be a guy who could attack and obviously he attacked us. You gotta adapt to what you’re in.”
Connecticut freshman guard Jerome Dyson, whom Calhoun said he will lean on most for offensive impact in the coming games, said the pace change from the first half to the second negatively affected his team.
“We were out early in the first half,” Dyson said. “We had them right where we wanted them. I think we just slowed it down, and that’s how they got back into the game. They played great there in the second half and we couldn’t really do anything.”
Dyson said an offensive rhythm was difficult to establish because of LSU’s presence in the paint. Connecticut scored 20 inside points compared to LSU’s 36.
“They were kind of physical,” Dyson said. “We didn’t get any easy layups inside the paint. They were contesting everything. We just couldn’t really get into offense.”
Sophomore guard A.J. Price said the Huskies “fought for a long time” until losing some determination when LSU took a double-digit lead in the second half.
“All you have to do is believe and believe in what we’re doing as a unit,” Price said. “If everybody does that and doesn’t worry about stats or whatever it may be, we’ll be fine. But we have to keep on playing. If things are not going right or if a certain person is not scoring or anything like that … I’m not pointing any fingers at anyone on this team … but I’m just saying that we have to keep playing.”
Price said he knows his starting position may be in jeopardy after a weak offensive effort. “I have to step it up,” Price said. “I know that. I shot one for nine. That’s unacceptable.”
Calhoun said his young team, which consists of all underclassmen starters, should have learned a valuable lesson in preparation for Wednesday’s game against Marquette University.
“The first time you get stood up, knocked out, the next fight is very important,” Calhoun said. “We want to win very badly. We have a great group of kids. They’re the same group of kids I loved coming in, and I love them now. I hated the way we gave that to [LSU]. We didn’t impose our will on them.”
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