Isn't It Remarkable ...

[pj]

That Ollie was able to improve from one of the worst coaches in DI to a better coach than Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim in less than one week?

Kudos to the man!

 

[Ts5034]

People used to say that the Yankees play 162 one game seasons every year. UConn fans are very passionate and I really believe that holds true for us to. Our fans, especially here on the Boneyard live and die with every game, every possession. Sometimes people can overreact (myself included), but I never question anyones passion for UConn basketball.

 

[UConnfan8]

Didn't agree with his benching of Brimah in the first half at all. I understand that he was maybe trying to keep him out of foul trouble? But I mean, when your his short handed...you play your best men. Brimah- for all the he gets from me and everyone else- is a ****g rim protector man. The percentages must be staggeringly low when he's in the game for other teams. He may not grab boards, but he changes the whole outlook of going down low for the opposing teams. Cuse can't shoot worth a lick either, so for me, that was the ball game. The man (Ollie) coached a great game defensively. Switching to man at key points was smart.

 

[gtcam]

Worst in Div 1?????????? I had to laugh
Only here, only here

 

[Kitaman]

That Ollie was able to improve from one of the worst coaches in DI to a better coach than Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim in less than one week?

Kudos to the man!

The Boneyard is like the Twilight Zone, not a good barometer for rational thoughts. We posters move in out out frequently.

 

[HuskyHawk]

As I said the other day about this, I don't know what the staff does in practice, so it's hard to criticize lack of "development" or "game planning". I've seen Ollie fail to adjust in games, to shift defenses or personnel, and I think those criticisms are fair.

Last night we really saw from the outset that the team put in effort on attacking a 2-3 zone. It was obvious and while they missed a lot of shots, they managed to get good looks against the zone and the offense looked organized. There's no way they lose the Northeastern game if they attacked that zone the same way. So credit to the staff and players for that. I don't know if it finally clicked for them last week, or if they really just started working on it for Syracuse. If the latter, shame on Ollie as we've seen mostly zone all year and will until we show we can beat it, if the former...well at least they finally figured it out.

 

[Dove]

That Ollie was able to improve from one of the worst coaches in DI to a better coach than Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim in less than one week?

Kudos to the man!

I see you follow Fishy on the Twitter.

 

[John]

That Ollie was able to improve from one of the worst coaches in DI to a better coach than Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim in less than one week?

Kudos to the man!

Holiday Inn?

 

[Chin Diesel]

The injuries and short bench will force Ollie to make more efficient decisions.

He seemed like a deer in the head light the first two games trying to figure out rotations and stuff. He doesn't like the quick hook which let those games get away.

I'll give him a pass for Maui since the Larrier and Gilbert injuries were so fresh.

No one will debate he showed more passion last night and made more adjustments than he did in those first few games.

 

[businesslawyer]

Didn't agree with his benching of Brimah in the first half at all. I understand that he was maybe trying to keep him out of foul trouble? But I mean, when your his short handed...you play your best men. Brimah- for all the he gets from me and everyone else- is a ****g rim protector man. The percentages must be staggeringly low when he's in the game for other teams. He may not grab boards, but he changes the whole outlook of going down low for the opposing teams. Cuse can't shoot worth a lick either, so for me, that was the ball game. The man (Ollie) coached a great game defensively. Switching to man at key points was smart.

Eh. We were playing zone for much of the game, as we will have to this year with our lack of depth, and Brimah is much less important defensively when we're in a zone than when we're playing man. Add that to the fact that he kills us on the other end against zone Ds and limiting his minutes in the first half was fine.

 

[Mr. French]

I "liked" that and agree with the sentiment...

But they still played like 6th graders in many ways yesterday. I've always believed it's more on lack of BBall IQ with most guys, or slowing themselves down and breaking bad habits, but the staff has a part on reaching them.

But ya, anyone who thought he was "an awful coach" was kooky then and is kooky now.

 

[willie99]

now if he can only out coach Bashir Mason or Bill Coen, we'd be on a roll







sorry, couldn't resist

 

[Walker11]

There would be posters calling for KO's head if Cuse made an additional bucket. Including the 3rd poster in this thread.

Regardless of the outcome, it was nice to see less lost assignments on D and better ball movement vs. the zone (against the best zone we have seen so far).

 

[mauconnfan]

How hard they came out and played and finished the game the same way is a tribute to this undermanned teams coach and staff.

 

[pj]

I see you follow Fishy on the Twitter.

Deplorable minds think alike.

(I did follow @TheFishofWV at one point, what is Fishy's handle?)

 

[IMind]

Just for a sense of perspective, at the same point in time in Calhoun's NCAA head coaching career he was going 12-14 at Northeastern. I know it's a different time and place... but Ollie's going to have growing pains.

 

[ctchamps]

IMO, there is not a wanna be coach in this forum who I feel could have done a better job coaching this team than KO with the outside exception of @mauconnfan. I'm not sure anyone has been more astute at breaking down this season. Good job mau. The rest of the posters really need to get some perspective.

 

[SubbaBub]

I must have missed this coaching excelence last night.

I saw a shorthanded bench in early foul trouble resort to zone out of necessity.

I don't have a problem with KO as a coach other than his hook is way too slow by UConn standards and guys repeat the same mistakes too often for my liking.

AB should have been a stud by now with all the minutes played to date. He's a one trick pony whose trick isn't as helpful to the cause as it used to be.

 

[Walker11]

IMO, there is not a wanna be coach in this forum who I feel could have done a better job coaching this team than KO with the outside exception of @mauconnfan. I'm not sure anyone has been more astute at breaking down this season. Good job mau. The rest of the posters really need to get some perspective.

The notion that any message board poster could do a better job than KO is baffling.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Honestly that game last night was barely watchable. If it hadn't been UConn vs. Syracuse I would've turned the channel. At one point I didn't think either team was going to hit double digits. Yes we won (thank goodness) and yes it was against Syracuse (even better) but it certainly wasn't a game to brag about by any stretch. Let's see if this win gives them a little momentum.

 

[ctchamps]

The notion that any message board poster could do a better job than KO is baffling.

Not baffling. Just sad. Same with the excuse of denigrating players and teams. Certainly there are posters who critique things and quite astutely. But the majority of the stuff posted is sour grapes or amateurish. It's good to be passionate. But out of control passion is dangerous.

 

[Walker11]

Not baffling. Just sad. Same with the excuse of denigrating players and teams. Certainly there are posters who critique things and quite astutely. But the majority of the stuff posted is sour grapes or amateurish. It's good to be passionate. But out of control passion is dangerous.

I disagree with this narrative. I think its more of the dumbest being the loudest.

 

[mauconnfan]

Honestly that game last night was barely watchable. If it hadn't been UConn vs. Syracuse I would've turned the channel. At one point I didn't think either team was going to hit double digits. Yes we won (thank goodness) and yes it was against Syracuse (even better) but it certainly wasn't a game to brag about by any stretch. Let's see if this win gives them a little momentum.

I hear you to a point but while I agree it's not to brag about, winning ugly is still winning and they should be proud the way they played to gut this one out vs another reputable program struggling to find themselves.

 

[ctchamps]

I disagree with this narrative. I think its more of the dumbest being the loudest.

Not sure we're disagreeing. UNLESS PEOPLE DO THIS THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHO IS SHOUTING. So the majority of people make a statement and move on maybe with one or two elaborations or changing of the wording to express themselves more clearly. There is a minority who need to be heard and thus they repeat themselves ad nauseum believing the same argument expressed exactly the same way will convince someone to change their mind on the umpteenth attempt. They believe by repeating something over and over again they can wear someone down and make them capitulate.

 

[Pudge]

I am thinking about the supersomethingorote Punks who said we were going to lose by 30 to Syracuse. (and then saw they beat North Florida by a whopping 5 points). We are going to be a work-in-process. And last years play and results don't matter when you see 4 guys (often) that didn't play at all last year. A Zone inefficient offense in Game 2 should be better in play by Game 8. The other bothersome thing is ... "We don't have a Big Man Coach" ... when we actually have a UConn Cult that can step in and help a fellow UConn alum as HC. We can fix things.