Five Steps To Reach The Next Level

The last four seasons have ended in some sort of disappointment for the UConn basketball program. There have been too many choke-jobs and not enough resilience. But after Hasheem Thabeet announced his return and a potentially great freshmen class incoming, the Huskies will have their most loaded team in three years. However, there are still areas where UConn has to improve if they want to get to the next level. Assuming A.J. Price returns to last season's form, here are five things next year's Huskies will have to do in order to make a national title run.

5. Play Kemba Walker - I'm not going to pretend that I have seen Walker play much in high school, but from everything I have read, the future UConn point guard is going to be a stud. It will be extremely beneficial for both UConn and Walker if Jim Calhoun plays him at least 15 minutes per game and perhaps more depending on his development. There are a few reasons for this. First, scouts say he will immediately provide leadership, toughness and passion that this team is lacking. Second, Walker will be handed the keys to the UConn offense in 2009-2010. A.J. Price and Craig Austrie will be gone, meaning Walker will be by far the best point guard on the roster. If he gets solid minutes next season, Walker will be adept at running the team the following year. While no one knows the impact Walker might have next season, there should be no fear to see what he brings to the table.

4. Let confidence grow - Confidence and mental toughness are just as important as ability in basketball. Calhoun loves playing musical chairs with his roster, but this year, that has to change. Known for his quick hooks, UConn's coach needs to give his players more breathing room - especially the younger ones. Obviously, Calhoun knows his team better than anyone, but it has to be awfully hard to be afraid to make a mistake. The last few seasons, certain players were caught looking over their shoulders after just one slip-up. It's not easy to get into a rhythm or build confidence when you're being yanked in and out of the lineup.

3. Get consistency from Stanley Robinson - The wing has always been a vital part of the UConn offense and that's why Robinson needs to make the jump from average player to star. The talent and athletic ability is obviously there - few players in the country can match Robinson's athleticism. But the consistency every game is still lacking. "Sticks" picked it up towards the end of the season, scoring in double figures in six of his last seven games. But Robinson was very ordinary once again in the team's two most important games of the season - both losses in the Big East and NCAA tournaments. In those games, Robinson lacked the offensive aggressiveness that could make him a future pro. The sophomore's numbers of 10 points and 6.5 rebounds weren't too bad last year. But it would be terrific if he could improve to about 16 points and eight rebounds a game. That shouldn't be asking too much, considering the jump he made from his freshman season. UConn doesn't have another true small forward on the roster right now so getting consistency from Robinson is a must for a successful season.

2. Tighten up the perimeter defense - There were far too many times last year when UConn would be prone to the big 3-pointer against them. The Huskies' guards must do a better job in locking down their men and preventing penetration into the lane. Often, defensive rotation was poor and hedging through screens was non existent. There were times when the opposition seemed to get any shot they wanted. When Thabeet got his award for Defensive Player of the Year, he joked that he would like to thank the guards for letting guys go by so he could block shots. Sadly, there's probably too much truth to that. But the good thing is, it shouldn't take too much to fix this. UConn has the athletes on the perimeter in Jerome Dyson and Price to lock down opposing guards. When maximum effort was given by all five players on the floor, the Huskies proved they could be dominant on defense. But, too often, that effort was not given and team defense was lacking. It has to start with the guards to make things better.

1. Play smarter in the half-court - This might seem too general, but it's still the most troubling thing about recent UConn teams. Too many times, it looks like the opposition just runs better plays than UConn. I don't know if that's Calhoun's fault or lack of execution from the players. It's probably a little of both, but either way, it needs to be changed. More often than not, there was a lack of movement, screen-setting and intensity on the offensive end. In the San Diego game that ended their season, UConn looked as listless on offense as possible - a disturbing thought, considering the magnitude of the game. Maybe the problem is that only Price has the ability to effectively take his man off the dribble. But that shouldn't matter, because there is too much talent on this team to struggle in the half-court so much. Things should get better, though; Thabeet will be a more viable offensive option and Dyson and Robinson should be smarter players with more experience. Calhoun might have to adjust a little bit, but ultimately it's up to the players to run the offense efficiently considering this style has worked in the past.

Rajiv Leventhal's NCAA

basketball runs every Tuesday.

He can be contacted at

Rajiv.Leventhal@UConn.edu.