Ollie Zone D and Thoughts

[huskymagic]

This game was obviously an affront to anything that resembles UCONN basketball, but with our history down at SMU and with this squad to be expected. Our guys looked so weak, scared, and soft compared to SMU athletes who looked well conditioned, strong, physical D-1 players it was shocking to behold.

The completely half-hearted and inept zone defense that Ollie preaches that always gets completely abused by a half-decent team is troubling. We need to stay in man to man on defense as we dont know how to play effective zone and guys are not in correct position most of the time. When you do this you send a message to the other team that we stink and cant guard you so we'll play some horrible looking zone that you will still score on.

With a week to prepare, the team looked completely lost on the court and tentative that SMU bottled them up like they were playing a JV team. Albatross Rod doing his thing, Amida not playing well but showing some fire at least, Jalen playing very bad, Vital chucking bad shots and not passing on a break. Vital and Rodney both walking away from Ollie when he was about to yell at them. Facey great game, but passes the ball out of bound on an inbound play because no one comes back for the ball, Albatross Rod hanging his head in the huddle and running away from the ball. These are all traits of an undisciplined team and a team that lacks good coaching. Some of you worrying about Ollie's contract: Don't be because next year 2017-2018 is judgement day as it concerns Ollie and the programs future. The only thing positive that Ollie did was yell at Purvis and Vital for their horrendous display on the court, and bench Jalen with 5 minutes to go in the game. More messages need to be sent.

 

[mauconnfan]

This game was obviously an affront to anything that resembles UCONN basketball, but with our history down at SMU and with this squad to be expected. Our guys looked so weak, scared, and soft compared to SMU athletes who looked well conditioned, strong, physical D-1 players it was shocking to behold.

The completely half-hearted and inept zone defense that Ollie preaches that always gets completely abused by a half-decent team is troubling. We need to stay in man to man on defense as we dont know how to play effective zone and guys are not in correct position most of the time. When you do this you send a message to the other team that we stink and cant guard you so we'll play some horrible looking zone that you will still score on.

With a week to prepare, the team looked completely lost on the court and tentative that SMU bottled them up like they were playing a JV team. Albatross Rod doing his thing, Amida not playing well but showing some fire at least, Jalen playing very bad, Vital chucking bad shots and not passing on a break. Vital and Rodney both walking away from Ollie when he was about to yell at them. Facey great game, but passes the ball out of bound on an inbound play because no one comes back for the ball, Albatross Rod hanging his head in the huddle and running away from the ball. These are all traits of an undisciplined team and a team that lacks good coaching. Some of you worrying about Ollie's contract: Don't be because next year 2017-2018 is judgement day as it concerns Ollie and the programs future. The only thing positive that Ollie did was yell at Purvis and Vital for their horrendous display on the court, and bench Jalen with 5 minutes to go in the game. More messages need to be sent.

You do realize you are a joke don't you? A clueless one at that.

Love the Brimah apologists "but playing with fire" - does fire make up for plain stupid you guys? UConn came out in man and they were getting to people, looking very active and playing them even for 10 minutes or thereabouts. Loved the effort, then reality sets in they can't make shots and SMU can. That's pretty much it in a nutshell all your other crap is just that - CRAP. They aren't very good, they aren't very deep and they have 2 seniors who do nothing during most games, yet you have one of them breaking records in the NBA someday. You're an idiot, just stop please!

 

[HuskyHawk]

You do realize you are a joke don't you? A clueless one at that.

Love the Brimah apologists "but playing with fire" - does fire make up for plain stupid you guys? UConn came out in man and they were getting to people, looking very active and playing them even for 10 minutes or thereabouts. Loved the effort, then reality sets in they can't make shots and SMU can. That's pretty much it in a nutshell all your other crap is just that - CRAP. They aren't very good, they aren't very deep and they have 2 seniors who do nothing during most games, yet you have one of them breaking records in the NBA someday. You're an idiot, just stop please!

What I found silly really, was Len Elmore talking about that great SMU defense (it was pretty decent) as UConn missed open look after open look. I don't know when I've seen more balls hit the back and then front of the rim and go out. The 6th grade girls team I used to coach certainly threw up more wild shots and airballs, but made just as many. It almost defies logic and physics that these guys can put up shots that always catch the inside of the rim but never go in.

That was it really. Make shots at a normal pace and I don't know if they win, but it's essentially an even game. SMU looked very good on offense, I'll give them that.

 

[gtcam]

This game was obviously an affront to anything that resembles UCONN basketball, but with our history down at SMU and with this squad to be expected. Our guys looked so weak, scared, and soft compared to SMU athletes who looked well conditioned, strong, physical D-1 players it was shocking to behold.

The completely half-hearted and inept zone defense that Ollie preaches that always gets completely abused by a half-decent team is troubling. We need to stay in man to man on defense as we dont know how to play effective zone and guys are not in correct position most of the time. When you do this you send a message to the other team that we stink and cant guard you so we'll play some horrible looking zone that you will still score on.

With a week to prepare, the team looked completely lost on the court and tentative that SMU bottled them up like they were playing a JV team. Albatross Rod doing his thing, Amida not playing well but showing some fire at least, Jalen playing very bad, Vital chucking bad shots and not passing on a break. Vital and Rodney both walking away from Ollie when he was about to yell at them. Facey great game, but passes the ball out of bound on an inbound play because no one comes back for the ball, Albatross Rod hanging his head in the huddle and running away from the ball. These are all traits of an undisciplined team and a team that lacks good coaching. Some of you worrying about Ollie's contract: Don't be because next year 2017-2018 is judgement day as it concerns Ollie and the programs future. The only thing positive that Ollie did was yell at Purvis and Vital for their horrendous display on the court, and bench Jalen with 5 minutes to go in the game. More messages need to be sent.

You say more messages need to be sent:
Here's one - You and the rest of the KO bashers please do yourselves and the rest of us a favor - don't watch, don't post or better yet, if you do - create your own blog and then all of you can be miserable together.
I agree with Mau amd HuskyHawk , UConn had so many shots look like they were going in but didn't while SMU was shooting lights out. Yes their passing was crisp and yes they looked more physical but that is what you are going to see - bigger, stronger and older guys vs UConn - men vs boys
The game results can be tied to the seniors - AB played with fire???? yeah OK. The team was playing hard and hanging in up until AB decided to be stupid and it resulted in a technical foul which completely changed the tempo of the game. RP was simply bad but I do not feel he is the albatross - that belongs to the injury demon.
The ONLY thing KO did well was one instance when he yelled??
You are, in Mau's words - an idiot - I hate resorting to name calling but along with WestHrtfrdHusky's insane comments about KO's contract I am amazed on how shallow some people can be

 

[huskymagic]

You do realize you are a joke don't you? A clueless one at that.

Love the Brimah apologists "but playing with fire" - does fire make up for plain stupid you guys? UConn came out in man and they were getting to people, looking very active and playing them even for 10 minutes or thereabouts. Loved the effort, then reality sets in they can't make shots and SMU can. That's pretty much it in a nutshell all your other crap is just that - CRAP. They aren't very good, they aren't very deep and they have 2 seniors who do nothing during most games, yet you have one of them breaking records in the NBA someday. You're an idiot, just stop please!

Don't ever compare Albatross Rod to Amida who was a contributing player on a NCAA championship team and made a crucial play that helped us defeat St. Joe's in the first round. Even this year for the most part Amida has played much better than Purvis. Amida did have 2 horrible games in a row, but he is frustrated with himself, the team, and the refs that led to that dumb technical. Amida's regression is on the coaching staff as he was a NBA level talent. This mess is on Ollie who has this team playing undisciplined and lacking any mental fortitude with or without injuries homeboy. You have players like Vital walking away from Ollie on the bench when he is yelling at them... you think that would have happened under Calhoun: NO.

P.S. If you want to see a well-coached team look at Tim Jankovich's SMU squad.

 

[boog204]

Amida's regression is on the coaching staff as he was a NBA level talent.

Name me one true skill that Amida possesses that would garner "NBA level talent." He is a solid shot-blocker, but as many here have proven over and over again, his desire to try to block everything puts him and team constantly out of position. Please enlighten me on his skillset.

 

[Banta55]

I don't post much , for the simple reason all you do is get bashed here , if you have a opinion...Someone post their thoughts about Ollie and instantly gets killed , some which i agree with ...

 

[Hi-Low]

Name me one true skill that Amida possesses that would garner "NBA level talent." He is a solid shot-blocker, but as many here have proven over and over again, his desire to try to block everything puts him and team constantly out of position. Please enlighten me on his skillset.

So true....if Amida was 6'7" instead of 7' he would be maybe a division 3 player

 

[boog204]

I don't post much , for the simple reason all you do is get bashed here , if you have a opinion...Someone post their thoughts about Ollie and instantly gets killed , some which i agree with ...

I don't necessarily disagree with a lot of the points that the OP stated. I don't like the zone KO plays, I do think we look inept offensively, and I do not think that KO has exactly established himself as an x's and o's guy this year. It's more the source and the continuous barrage and agenda pushing involved. Oh that and he thinks that Amida is a lottery pick. That gets me.

 

[boog204]

So true....if Amida was 6'7" instead of 7' he would be maybe a division 3 player

No, he'd probably still be playing soccer in Ghana. Amida is what he is. I thought there was the potential to be G-Town era Mutombu by the time he was done. That development stalled long ago; not due to coaching, but just Amida's lack of basketball instinct. He is almost always a 1/2 step behind physically and mentally. That's why he is such a poor rebounder and is so often out of position. That's why his post moves look so robotic and uncoordinated. You can coach technique, but if the instinct is missing you are still going to be lost. I have never in my life seen someone try to rebound without jumping before. Amida does it all the time. Not because he physically cannot jump, but because he is just a tad behind the flow of the game. That's not the coach's fault nor is it Amida's fault. It's just reality.

 

[ctchamps]

I don't post much , for the simple reason all you do is get bashed here , if you have a opinion...Someone post their thoughts about Ollie and instantly gets killed , some which i agree with ...

Do you agree with their posts and think it's wrong to get bashed or do you agree the posts are bash worthy?

This forum certainly isn't as polite as the women's bb forum so it's not for the feint of heart. One needs a thicker skin to come here. It's hard not to take things personally and when we do we often react in a manner intended to inflame.

Magic started out with bashing the team. He deliberately chose inflammatory words in addition to ignoring very important points in presenting his opinion. He's reacting to the situation emotionally and although not completely irrationally he's approaching that state.

He has a history of that just as there is a history this season of problems. And people are reacting emotionally to him. And you are reacting emotionally to them, and maybe to him.

We can avoid emotionally charged situations, pretend they don't exist, further the process or shine a light. I do all of this depending on my assessment of the situation. A poster like @Gurleyman stays above the fray and doesn't get caught up in any of the drama. IMO there is no right way. Not in the absolute sense. There are just better and worse ways of doing things and that will be judged subjectively.

If you are afraid to post for fear of getting bashed, ask yourself why. You're not the only one who chooses to avoid commenting, but is this avoidance because you prefer not wasting your time or is it too uncomfortable to have people treat you in the manner you see in this thread. They are both valid reasons but the second reason is something that might serve you well to overcome.

 

[Banta55]

At times the offense has looked good moving the ball etc...R.P. has no respect for Kevin its obvious , you could watch 10 minutes of that game last night and realize that SMU was better coached , and tougher..I think Kevin is a good coach , but his team lacks fundamentals, and toughness..Jim Calhoun would've benched everyone except Vance Jackson...

 

[ctchamps]

At times the offense has looked good moving the ball etc...R.P. has no respect for Kevin its obvious , you could watch 10 minutes of that game last night and realize that SMU was better coached , and tougher..I think Kevin is a good coach , but his team lacks fundamentals, and toughness..Jim Calhoun would've benched everyone except Vance Jackson...

Glad you posted. I have some differences of opinions and maybe you'd like to hear them sometime. Just know there's always didn't viewpoints and different ways people express those viewpoints. You can't change others but you can change yourself.

 

[Waquoit]

At times the offense has looked good moving the ball etc...R.P. has no respect for Kevin its obvious ,..

KO is going to have to earn his money with RP from here on out. Purvis has gone FIGMO but we just don't have the bodies to cut him out completely.

 

[Banta55]

Do you agree with their posts and think it's wrong to get bashed or do you agree the posts are bash worthy?

This forum certainly isn't as polite as the women's bb forum so it's not for the feint of heart. One needs a thicker skin to come here. It's hard not to take things personally and when we do we often react in a manner intended to inflame.

Magic started out with bashing the team. He deliberately chose inflammatory words in addition to ignoring very important points in presenting his opinion. He's reacting to the situation emotionally and although not completely irrationally he's approaching that state.

He has a history of that just as there is a history this season of problems. And people are reacting emotionally to him. And you are reacting emotionally to them, and maybe to him.

We can avoid emotionally charged situations, pretend they don't exist, further the process or shine a light. I do all of this depending on my assessment of the situation. A poster like @Gurleyman stays above the fray and doesn't get caught up in any of the drama. IMO there is no right way. Not in the absolute sense. There are just better and worse ways of doing things and that will be judged subjectively.

If you are afraid to post for fear of getting bashed, ask yourself why. You're not the only one who chooses to avoid commenting, but is this avoidance because you prefer not wasting your time or is it too uncomfortable to have people treat you in the manner you see in this thread. They are both valid reasons but the second reason is something that might serve you well to overcome.

 

[Banta55]

I certainly don't need thicker skin people get personal here...Enjoy the different posts, some are very insightful ...

 

[donyell34]

For what its worth. Only the strong survive here on the boneyard where just about anything is fair game.

 

[ctchamps]

I certainly don't need thicker skin people get personal here...Enjoy the different posts, some are very insightful ...

One has to navigate a lot of "junk" in this forum versus some of the others, but it is spicy and I love spice.

 

[ctchamps]

KO is going to have to earn his money with RP from here on out. Purvis has gone FIGMO but we just don't have the bodies to cut him out completely.

This. Which is sad that it has come to this but for a lot of people in this forum it will be something they will relish in. Which is also sad imo.

 

[huskymagic]

I certainly don't need thicker skin people get personal here...Enjoy the different posts, some are very insightful ...

Banta I don't mind it, I enjoy the heat and expect it from the usual characters you see in this thread. They get inflamed because my posts are filled with too much truth and it bothers them and they want to silence dissenting opinions as is natural in human nature and human history. Fleud and Mauconn and others think we lost because SMU had experienced guys and we had young guys who are inexperienced and a short bench, and SMU is a bad matchup for us. Nothing is ever the fault of Kevin Ollie, he has just been dealt a rough hand last 3 years. Remember as the great George Orwell said in 1984 "Ignorance is Strength"

 

[Stainmaster]

They get inflamed because my posts are filled with too much truth and it bothers them and they want to silence dissenting opinions

No, we just remember you being the guy who wanted to run Gibbs off the team last year, and as such don't take you seriously at all.

 

[ctchamps]

Banta I don't mind it, I enjoy the heat and expect it from the usual characters you see in this thread. They get inflamed because my posts are filled with too much truth and it bothers them and they want to silence dissenting opinions as is natural in human nature and human history. Fleud and Mauconn and others think we lost because SMU had experienced guys and we had young guys who are inexperienced and a short bench, and SMU is a bad matchup for us. Nothing is ever the fault of Kevin Ollie, he has just been dealt a rough hand last 3 years. Remember as the great George Orwell said in 1984 "Ignorance is Strength"

Matter of opinion whether there is too much truth or some truth and a lot of exaggeration or omitting of circumstances. I rarely take specific people to task. We're all entitled to our opinions. I know I come across to some as condescending, and at times I have no problems being snarky and putting a dig on people, but in general I like to offer a balance to what I consider an unbalanced narrative people create. I can't know how much KO is involved in the difficulties. He has to be included in the discussion. Same with RP and AB. But so do the circumstances surrounding the program starting with the APR sanctions and CR. Given that the majority of posts we've seen this year are similar to yours I've primarily presented those circumstances as balance to opinions such as yours.

I've expressed where I draw the line. It's personal for me so for that reason I emphasize it more. I don't like bullying of any sort, whether is an authority subtly or overtly hurting people or the mob acting likewise.

 

[chiller99.5]

Im more amazed with Brimahs lack of offense and bad hands . There is no way this is a coaching issue and if you wish to play in NBA you would work endless to develop these talents. Right now he seems to be Thabeet light

 

[Danzz]

You do realize you are a joke don't you? A clueless one at that.

Love the Brimah apologists "but playing with fire" - does fire make up for plain stupid you guys? UConn came out in man and they were getting to people, looking very active and playing them even for 10 minutes or thereabouts. Loved the effort, then reality sets in they can't make shots and SMU can. That's pretty much it in a nutshell all your other crap is just that - CRAP. They aren't very good, they aren't very deep and they have 2 seniors who do nothing during most games, yet you have one of them breaking records in the NBA someday. You're an idiot, just stop please!

"they can't make shots and SMU can..."
Pretty much the story of the season. There are other problems but that is the big one. We are getting good shots but aren't making enough of them. Hell, we have players who struggle with layups. As far as the zone is concerned, KO would rather play man but we have a limited roster with key players that can't stay out of early foul trouble.

 

[greydog]

Get used to seeing zone - with only 7 deep squad there's not much choice, particularly against better teams. Comments re Brimah are funny; he's got NBA height but not skills, and never has had them. He simply must stay home under the basket on D and for that matter O too, can't get dragged out beyond foul line ever, and he can't make silly touch fouls with limited squad.