A Look at the Uncertain Future of UConn Men's Basketball

[Joseph Zocco]

With Midnight Madness behind us, the season is almost here. No one can really be sure about what is in store for the UConn men or the future of the Big East Conference. As a UConn fan myself, this scares me. The Big East was the best conference in all of college basketball just two seasons ago, and now it is crumbling all around the UConn Huskies. For more information about this and a look back at UConn's three National Championships click here.
I am curious to see what everyone else has to say about the future of the program. I am nervous to say the least.

 

[RayRay19]

doomed...

 

[uconnric]

double doomed

 

[Husky68]

nervous is as nervous does

 

[CAHUSKY]

With Midnight Madness behind us, the season is almost here. No one can really be sure about what is in store for the UConn men or the future of the Big East Conference. As a UConn fan myself, this scares me. The Big East was the best conference in all of college basketball just two seasons ago, and now it is crumbling all around the UConn Huskies. For more information about this and a look back at UConn's three National Championships click here.
I am curious to see what everyone else has to say about the future of the program. I am nervous to say the least.

There are probably 5000 posts on this very topic over the past year.

 

[mauconnfan]

I think it is in great hands and UConn will be continue to be a player on the national scene......may have a bump in the road for a couple years but I like what I'm hearing and seeing........

 

[Joseph Zocco]

sorry if there are already posts about this! I wrote an article about this and it got me thinking about what other people thought.
But I agree mauconnfan i think there will be some bumps but things do like bright. doesnt mean I shouldn't be nervous though haha

 

[Fishy]

I wasn't worried until I discovered that we faced both an uncertain and unclear future - I think we can handle either one, but both? That's ominous.

I understand that the author is a kid and this is their new website, but that's not a 'look' at UConn's future. That's an experiment in trying to say "the Big East lost more teams" in about 11 different ways.

Do better or you won't get another crack at people's attention.

 

[freescooter]

People here are giving you grief, but you are right on all fronts. I think a lot of the grief is because deep down almost everyone shares your concern. they just don't want to admit it. The Big East going forward is not what it was. Over the next year it loses 3 of its marquee programs and despite what people try and tell you, Memphis and Temple don't have the appeal of Pittsburgh and Syracuse. It isn't even close. Houston isn't comparable to Notre Dame in terms of cache or in terms of quality of play. again, not even close. Phi Slamma Jamma was a quarter century ago. The remaining big East traditional powers are not what they were. Georgetown is a good, but hardly feared program. Villanova is in the process of falling off the map. Only Louisville is really still relevant nationally in a big way. And again despite what people will tell you, Kevin Ollie is an absolute unknown. Absolute. And he's taking a program this year that has some serious flaws (see frontcourt, UConn's) and is banned from the post season. he might be a fine coach. he might be a total disaster. he might be Herb Sendek. Anyone who tells you he knows is simply making it up. But if he's anything but a very good coach, we could be in for a long slog. Anyone who denies that is whistling past the graveyard. If you let a program slip too far, it can take decades to bring it back. given the conference situation, it will likely be more difficult, not less.

 

[rbny1]

Everything in life is uncertain. Will the laundry tear a hole in my favorite shirt? Will a hacker gain access to my bank account? Will the Mets continue to be awful?

Which comes to the question: Will UConn men's basketball go into a tailspin? I think not. The school's administration supports the program and is committed to its success. Moreover, we have a great new coach who seems to have the fire and basketball smarts to return the program to its winning ways. But whether he does or not, worrying about it is useless. I plan to enjoy the games one at a time, as I have in the past. I also plan to keep in mind that we are just two years off a national championship, our third since 1999 -- and that's awfully good (fans of most programs would kill to have UConn's results) even if we have to endure a couple of rocky years ahead.

 

[8893]

Will the Mets continue to be awful?

Well let me at least help you out with that one:

As a Mets fan, I highly recommend Metsoloft.

 

[Pudge]

People here are giving you grief, but you are right on all fronts. I think a lot of the grief is because deep down almost everyone shares your concern. they just don't want to admit it. The Big East going forward is not what it was. Over the next year it loses 3 of its marquee programs and despite what people try and tell you, Memphis and Temple don't have the appeal of Pittsburgh and Syracuse. It isn't even close. Houston isn't comparable to Notre Dame in terms of cache or in terms of quality of play. again, not even close. Phi Slamma Jamma was a quarter century ago. The remaining big East traditional powers are not what they were. Georgetown is a good, but hardly feared program. Villanova is in the process of falling off the map. Only Louisville is really still relevant nationally in a big way. And again despite what people will tell you, Kevin Ollie is an absolute unknown. Absolute. And he's taking a program this year that has some serious flaws (see frontcourt, UConn's) and is banned from the post season. he might be a fine coach. he might be a total disaster. he might be Herb Sendek. Anyone who tells you he knows is simply making it up. But if he's anything but a very good coach, we could be in for a long slog. Anyone who denies that is whistling past the graveyard. If you let a program slip too far, it can take decades to bring it back. given the conference situation, it will likely be more difficult, not less.

I going to call BS on this.

Why would you nattering nabobs continue to go this path? We get it. We lost the World Beaters in Syracuse & Pitt ... and woooooah West Virginia with Rod Hundley & Jerry West. If this is a kid with a website ... let's point him to a reality: We were in a Fieldhouse one day where dust regularly landed on you during games. 1 hour before the game, you could see the Indoor Track team doing High Jump. All we really had was a good fight song.

I have said this since September 13th ... we will know a lot more about Kevin Ollie in 10 weeks. Here we are at the BE Media Day ... and I am pretty stoked. It's an energy level & a throwback to when we had something to prove. Kids will gravitate to his voice. I feel good ... with reservations. That's, I believe, the general feel of the Boneyard.

Herb Sendek? Herb is who you get if you have Jeff Hathaway selecting your coach. Jim Calhoun, with all due respect has a little to say about UConn hoop, pushed for Ollie. And, we are giving him a shot.

 

[freescooter]

Pudge,
That would be great if Calhoun had turned out one top notch head coach from among his many assistant. But when the best you can come up with is Ted Woodward, claiming that he knows who will succeed is hardly equal to the good housekeeping seal of approval. And here's the other thing, with the Ollie PR offensive, it will take a really courageous AD to replace him regardless of how his team performs this year and even next year. We're already working on the excuses...oooh, we can't be expected to actually win games...oooh, we can't be expected to recruit without a long term contract...oooh,( insert excuse of the week here). Somebody, Fairfield CountyFan I think, mentioned Dom Perno and how for several years it was clear he was over his head but he was bullet proof because he stole the ball from Bill Bradley. I suspect that Kevin Ollie is in the same situation...he's safe because he's Jim Calhoun's pick even if he is mediocre or worse...and somehow this idea that Kevin Ollie is the second coming of Calhoun is just a bit disrespectful of Calhoun in a way. Though I wouldn't expect you to get that. I mean you met Rick Kuhn and all that...

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Pudge,
That would be great if Calhoun had turned out one top notch head coach from among his many assistant. But when the best you can come up with is Ted Woodward, claiming that he knows who will succeed is hardly equal to the good housekeeping seal of approval.

How many times are you going to throw Ted Woodward's name (or Karl Hobbs, or Glen Miller, or a dozen other guys) out there as an example of Calhoun not knowing a good Big East head coach when he sees one. Calhoun never said that Ted Woodward would be great as the next coach at Uconn. There have been exactly 2 Calhoun assistants who got his seal of approval: Ollie and Tom Moore. Ted Woodward's head coaching record couldn't be more irrelevant.

 

[Pudge]

Pudge,
That would be great if Calhoun had turned out one top notch head coach from among his many assistant.

Give the guy 10 weeks.

Gosh ... what is your problem. My issue with YOU is that you keep on prejudging something that we are largely going to know far more in just a short time. Will his team PLAY HARD?

We might be better off with the Ollie2o12 than the Calhoun2011 ... in that respect. And, then you go from there. Did you really think we are going to get Pitino to come over here? There's NO Italian restaurant that you can bang MILFs in Storrs ... yet.

 

[freescooter]

The point is that none of them have really made it as head coaches. Jeez, Tom Moore isn't even the best coach in the NEC for heaven sakes. claiming Ollie is a "great choice" because he was anointed by Calhoun, if you look at the track record of Calhoun assistants, is akin to saying someone has a great haircut because he went to Donald Trump's barber.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

The point is that none of them have really made it as head coaches. Jeez, Tom Moore isn't even the best coach in the NEC for heaven sakes. claiming Ollie is a "great choice" because he was anointed by Calhoun, if you look at the track record of Calhoun assistants, is akin to saying someone has a great haircut because he went to Donald Trump's barber.

I know that's your point. My point is that you're missing the point completely.

 

[freescooter]

Give the guy 10 weeks.

Gosh ... what is your problem. My issue with YOU is that you keep on prejudging something that we are largely going to know far more in just a short time. Will his team PLAY HARD?

We might be better off with the Ollie2o12 than the Calhoun2011 ... in that respect. And, then you go from there. Did you really think we are going to get Pitino to come over here? There's NO Italian restaurant that you can bang MILFs in Storrs ... yet.

Pudge,

That isn't the standard. Jeez, lots of teams "play hard." I care that they play well. And I know this is a foolish standard that nobody wants to hold Ollie to, but I care if they win games. With the usual marginal teams on the early season schedule plus the dreck at the bottom of the Big East (and we play both Depaul and PC twice as well as a mediocre South Florida team) we can't go 10-20, 3-15.

 

[freescooter]

I know that's your point. My point is that you're missing the point completely.

I don't get it? I'm not the one who said Ollie will be a great coach because Calhoun picked him. You and Pudge make that case. And I say the love affair with Kevin Ollie will make it difficult to replace him unless he is terrible. If we lose to Providence, Seton Hall, Rutgers and DePaul I damned sure will want to replace him. but as long as his team "plays hard" whatever that means, Pudge and everyone else will be giving him a pass.

 

[dapriest]

Indiana. Kentucky. UCLA. Marquette? The timeline is long. We think in 3 or 5 year spurts because that seems to be the amount of time that reloading takes. UConn, as a University, is getting bigger and better every day, and will continue to do so into the next two decades. The sports programs cannot help but be dragged along for the ride.

Any downturn will be temporary, regardless of conference affiliation. Perhaps I'm just old and I see the forest.

It is almost impossible that UConn won't be on the national stage, contending a few years from now, so please remove bunch of panties from ass crack and stop the hysterics; your fears are irrational, overblown, and premature.

You're like a 16 year old who just broke up with his first girlfriend, who was hot, wondering if he'll ever make it again.

Pop your zits and gather your wits, young fella, you will ride again.

 

[District-Husky]

To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable,
But to be certain is to be ridiculous.

 

[Huskies4ever]

To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable,
But to be certain is to be ridiculous.

Pop your zits and gather your wits, young fella, you will ride again.

Ahh, Boneyard words of wisdom.

 

[Huskies4ever]

There are glass half full types (most of us) and then freescooter and the original poster. I understand both sides. KO will either succeed or he will fail. To this point, he has shown us enough to be excited and to want to give him a chance. That's how I feel. And I respect Calhoun's wishes. He built the program, and knows who he thinks would be good to continue his legacy. His legacy, the UConn family, tradition, are all important, and KO can bridge the gap better than anyone outside the program. I'm all about that. Good enough for me. Make no mistake, KO will be a great coach someday. At this level or another. Jeez, freescooter, just give KO a chance. Do the worrying if/when it happens.

As for the future of the Big East I am worried, because it won't be what it used to be. It will suck by comparison. So, I hope we join a better conference, or raid some other BCS conferences and land some top-notch bball programs.

 

[freescooter]

There are glass half full types (most of us) and then freescooter and the original poster. I understand both sides. KO will either succeed or he will fail. To this point, he has shown us enough to be excited and to want to give him a chance. That's how I feel. And I respect Calhoun's wishes. He built the program, and knows who he thinks would be good to continue his legacy. His legacy, the UConn family, tradition, are all important, and KO can bridge the gap better than anyone outside the program. I'm all about that. Good enough for me. Make no mistake, KO will be a great coach someday. At this level or another. Jeez, freescooter, just give KO a chance. Do the worrying if/when it happens.

As for the future of the Big East I am worried, because it won't be what it used to be. It will suck by comparison. So, I hope we join a better conference, or raid some other BCS conferences and land some top-notch bball programs.

What is this "enough" he has shown you to be excited? Certainly hasn't been his coaching since he hasn't done any. Recruiting? he landed 2 guys we ought to be getting without even trying. he apparently struck out on the 2 big names he was after...

 

[Huskies4ever]

The point is that none of them have really made it as head coaches. Jeez, Tom Moore isn't even the best coach in the NEC for heaven sakes. claiming Ollie is a "great choice" because he was anointed by Calhoun, if you look at the track record of Calhoun assistants, is akin to saying someone has a great haircut because he went to Donald Trump's barber.

None of Calhoun's other assistants spent 13 years as a backup point guard in the NBA, learning under hall of fame coaches.