Article in the N.Y. Times today on Connecticutt's ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. A philosophy for coaches is that they want their team to make more free throws than their opponents attempt. Not only are they getting to the foul line, but they are also keeping their opponents off the free throw line, committing the fewest amount of fouls out of any tournament team:When it comes to fouls in college basketball, not all teams are created equal. And this season’s UConn team has been called for fewer fouls than any other (12.1 a game in the regular season) while getting fouled more than most (20.6).
That foul differential of 8.5 is far larger than any other team’s. It allowed UConn, the top seed in the West Region of the N.C.A.A. tournament, to shoot an average of 14.5 more free throws a game than its opponents.
“Every game we’re coming in, we’ve got 8 points built in the bank on foul shots,” Calhoun said in a phone interview on Sunday. UConn averaged nearly 10 more points a game on free throws, actually. “That’s unusual. But it’s a great advantage.”
Seven of the past eight national champions have had differentials of at least 2.6. (The exception was Kansas last year, at 1.1, which beat Memphis — 2.7 — in overtime.) Only 11 of this year’s tournament teams have differentials that high.
“Ours is, without question, a concerted effort to try to get fouls,” Calhoun said. “For example, if one of our kids tries to take the ball to the rim and avoids the foul by trying to scoop the ball, we would be all over him. We want him to initiate contact. Nine times out of 10, around the basket, if you’re trying to complete a shot, the call’s going to go against the defensive player.”
