It doesn't get any better than this. These are going to be some very tough Uconn teams with these guys running the ship. Uconn will be the most exciting team to watch as all out defense makes the game, not that pretty boy stuff from Duke and Kentucky.
Yeah, if true, than Ricky joining the staff gives us another former player who was outstanding defensively(KO, KFree). I am really starting to like how things are coming together. I am becoming more confident that UConn can carry on its legacy post Calhoun.
Ricky Moore is one of my favorites EVER in a Husky uniform. He was a complete reflection of Calhoun's toughness and tenacity. Welcome back! This is very exciting news.
No doubt this staff will have a tough team that will be a defensive nightmare hawking the ball. Some rival Big East point guards just got their jobs made tougher over the near future.
Personally I see more toughness, and perseverance with this coaching crew than defense. Basically "no excuses" and "hate to lose".
Love this. Curious, though. Anyone have any insight into his influence on the defensive side of the ball at Dartmouth?
Toughness and defense. Like the move. Dug up a good read on Ricky when he was hired at Dartmouth. http://www.dartmouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11600&ATCLID=205101526
this is toughest gorup of mfers to coach any big time college hoops program in a long time. I want rickey teaching on ball defense all day and night I think Ollie's teams will look at a lot like the 90s terams at uconn in terms of their approach
I'd love to see Ricky join the staff. Not that they don't already have coaches who showed toughness on the court, but few rivaled what we witnessed with Ricky. If that can rub off on the current players, his impact will be realized. One thing this team must have to succeed will be the ability to out-will and out-tough their opponents. They're going to be undersized a lot and will have to try to outwork the other team. Maybe I'm wrong with this assessment, but if not, Ricky is one who I can see passing on his toughness to the players. The one thing that concerns me, just a tad, is the need they've had for a big-man's coach. Other than KFree, most of the other staff members were guards. Now that doesn't mean they can't teach the bigs how to play in the post. It might also be a non-issue since the strength of this team is in the guards and wings, so it really might not matter. I do wonder if teams will point to this with negative recruiting. We need bigs, and I've wondered if KO is more likely to have success with the 1s through 3s and be a tad harder sell with the 4s & 5s. I really don't think that will be a big issue at all. It's not like the other programs have some 6-8 plus coach looking eye to eye with the bigger recruits. With KO at the helm, other than what is tells the recruits, no one really knows what type of style of play he will embrace the most. I'm assuming he'll continue a similar O and D that JC ran throughout the years, though JC often adjusted to the personnel he had. I'm not so sure he adjusted that well last season, but that's a whole other issue that doesn't belong in this thread. I could see coaches from other programs pointing out UConn's coaching staff and telling recruits that UConn is going to be a guard oriented team. Other than KO and his assistants pointing out UConn's track record over the years (Jake, Emeka, Boone, Hilton, Hash, etc.) the recruits will have to believe what KO tells them it will be like.
Per Gavin Keefe, the job Ricky applied for was assistant director of bball operations (the job Freeman had last year).
Great Hire. This is great. Everybody outside of the staff and us think that we are in trouble this year with the transfers and post season bans BUT as Ricky Moore said in 1999 "They don't know" But they will know after playing against this tough minded team and staff.
Love it... Defense will be killer but you've got to score some to win and that is not something that KO, Ricky, or Kfree could do at all.
Over achiever's seems to be the pattern huh? Love it too........They may have 4 NC's if Ricky doesn't hurt his ankle vs Colgate in the 1st round in 96...........?? One tough kid and a pleasant surprise coming back home!!
