Amore: Crumbling Connecticut Foundation? Kevin Ollie Under Scrutiny With UConn Men

[ctchamps]

Agree with u. Having play division 3 college ball. The coach can teach you certain things. It's up to u to repeat it on your own time to master it. The team last yr was hamper by the lack of roster so they can't play 5 on 5. They had no strong captains who insist on them playing defense in pick up games/practices. When we were practice by ourself, we only practice offense because that is the only way to get the team to show up to captains practice. Defense is what win games

AB his freshman year was lauded by the majority of this forum. He was knew to the game and we loved his shot blocking abilities. But he lacked a lot of fundamentals to his game including but not limited to staying on the floor, boxing out his player, knowing when to block and when to go for a rebound. But everyone gave him a pass because he was a freshman and relatively new to the game.

The following year you could see AB making attempts not to block every shot and trying to turn for rebounds as opposed to going for blocked shots. So he was coached. And I'm sure he put in an effort to improve. But as @mauconnfan asserts and I agree, AB could not put it together. It's not necessarily on him or the coaches. Sometimes people lack skill sets. Let's put it this way. I doubt the majority of us can speak or learn to speak five languages fluently no matter how hard we try.

 

[UConniki]

Ollie is lucky that dope Brimah was around to save the day against St. Joe's.

I gotta say that I'm pretty tired of hearing about Ollie's divorce. If he can't handle his personal life to the point where we are looking at this tire fire he should have resigned.

+ 1,000,000,000,000,000,000

 

[whaler11]

whaler is nothing to me as I am sure he is to 95% of the board who get's his deal. I don't see his replies he's ignored with the other few who are similar to him, worthless. Let me know if it's anything worthwhile, oh never mind it won't be.

Nothing like a complete loser who comments on people he blocks. You are a complete tool - try not to stay too mad because I exposed how idiotic your posts are.

The beauty is that people are upset by me using your term 'dope' to describe Brimah you mouthbreathing moran.

 

[superjohn]

Nothing like a complete loser who comments on people he blocks. You are a complete tool - try not to stay too mad because I exposed how idiotic your posts are.

The beauty is that people are upset by me using your term 'dope' to describe Brimah you mouthbreathing moran.

Stop sugarcoating things, tell us how you really feel.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

I concur, and it's what has happened like every time the wheels have fallen off the program, we bounce back

after the 2000 season, kids transferred, bad recruits, we only had Caron Butler and T Brown coming in, one year removed from from a national Championship and we were in meltdown mold. MSG was a 50+ recruit, and Meka was still out there in April for heaven's sake, how good could he be? Top talent didn't want to play for JC

2010, the wheels were coming off, Roscoe Smith should commit, we landed the wrong Lamb, our incoming class $UCKS (that class won it all twice)

2012, JC ill, AD leaves, RS and AO transfer, OMG it's over for us, yet again

Going back to 2010/2011, that season was over before it started. Ater Majok left the program in late August !!!!!!!!

doomed I tell you, we're doomed.

I don't know who was saying what and when, but I'd wager today's doom and gloom crowd was yesterday's doom and gloom crowd. Same ole same ole

You're right, it's just like the old Calhoun days. Nothing is different.

 

[whaler11]

Stop sugarcoating things, tell us how you really feel.

Christ I've got people attacking me for using his term 'dope' and then I've got him attacking me not knowing they are actually attacking him.

This is after reading how the program is on life support because Ollie got divorced. Super - who knew 3 decades of greatness was so easy to flush down the toilet.

 

[intlzncster]

In comparison with Clyde Vaughn, Miller has always seemed a mediocre big man coach. When Clyde was here all the big men developed rapidly. Under Miller, including during the Calhoun years, it was a 50-50 thing. Some developed, some didn't

Sorry no he wouldn't have. Clyde maybe a little but nope you're wrong. The guy was clueless, this one's not on the staff.

He ws quoting mau calling him a dope. What were we talking about again? As an aside, how long did the legendary Clyde Vaughn actually coach here? His legend grows with every thread.

If there is ONE thing chief has been unbelievably successful on this board with, it is this: the myth of Clyde Vaughn.

The guy was here for ONLY TWO years! Barely enough for one recruiting class to come. Barely. Coached a few guys down low for a couple years. That's it.

If he was that good, he would have jobs falling over his lap. But he doesn't currently coach MCBB. There are soooo many coaches with worse things happening background-wise who still have and get big time jobs.

I'm very confident in the fact that UCONN's record would look exactly the same were he never to have been a coach here*. And this is someone who likes Clyde and would welcome him back.

*yes I know you change one thing in the past and everything else after is different yada yada yada

 

[pj]

If there is ONE thing chief has been unbelievably successful on this board with, it is this: the myth of Clyde Vaughn.

The guy was here for ONLY TWO years! Barely enough for one recruiting class to come. Barely. Coached a few guys down low for a couple years. That's it.

If he was that good, he would have jobs falling over his lap. But he doesn't currently coach MCBB. There are soooo many coaches with worse things happening background-wise who still have and get big time jobs.

I'm very confident in the fact that UConn's record would look exactly the same were he never to have been a coach here*. And this is someone who likes Clyde and would welcome him back.

*yes I know you change one thing in the past and everything else after is different yada yada yada

I remember those years vividly. They were our best two years of big man development, ever. I was really disappointed when we lost Clyde.

 

[intlzncster]

I remember those years vividly. They were our best two years of big man development, ever. I was really disappointed when we lost Clyde.

Lmao. This is looking at it through a one way lens, with absolutely zero nuance. If you remembered them vividly, you would know it didn't really have as much to do with 'development' as it did with having thoroughbreds coming in. You are making the same mistake a bunch of people are doing with this current group of guys.

In 03, the only good Big was Emeka, and that wasn't Clyde's doing because he was already good. I'm sure Clyde helped. Marcus White was OK, but he ended up leaving anyway. Mike Hayes was OK as a senior.

In 04, they got Boone and Charlie V. Two highly rated guys. I think Charlie was even ranked 2 or 3 coming out. Of course they are going to look good. Hilty didn't develop at all that year so that is what it is there; didn't develop until after Clyde left.

Funny how that works. Emeka was developing if Charlie Brown coached him. Why didn't Clyde turn Justin Brown into a stud???

You're conflating player development and natural talent. Give UCONN of the last two years Emeka, Charlie V, and Boone...and we are having a totally different conversation.

And to take it further, amazing how we had a bunch of other good bigs develop, even after Clyde left. Guys like Jeff Adrien, Gavin Edwards and HT. Thabeet made one of the biggest jumps I've seen in the post.

Common thread? Jim Calhoun.

 

[ctchamps]

You're right, it's just like the old Calhoun days. Nothing is different.

Quite frankly as an individual who completely summarized the position of a poster in this thread I must reply to this.

Confirmed!!!!!

 

[ctchamps]

If there is ONE thing chief has been unbelievably successful on this board with, it is this: the myth of Clyde Vaughn.

The guy was here for ONLY TWO years! Barely enough for one recruiting class to come. Barely. Coached a few guys down low for a couple years. That's it.

If he was that good, he would have jobs falling over his lap. But he doesn't currently coach MCBB. There are soooo many coaches with worse things happening background-wise who still have and get big time jobs.

I'm very confident in the fact that UConn's record would look exactly the same were he never to have been a coach here*. And this is someone who likes Clyde and would welcome him back.

*yes I know you change one thing in the past and everything else after is different yada yada yada

And here I am not worried about losing an X's and O's guy because all he could do was have the team play a zone. Don't do this to me intlzncster.

 

[tzznandrew]

I gotta say that I'm pretty tired of hearing about Ollie's divorce. If he can't handle his personal life to the point where we are looking at this tire fire he should have resigned.

People were justifiably irritated when people started bringing up his divorce. Part of that is because we want to keep people's private lives private. Part of it is because divorces suck, but they happen, and professionals keep on going in the face of that suckiness.

By and large I've been resistant to the divorce being a problem because of the latter. If the divorce IS a problem, then we're in deeper trouble than I've thought.

 

[ctchamps]

People were justifiably irritated when people started bringing up his divorce. Part of that is because we want to keep people's private lives private. Part of it is because divorces suck, but they happen, and professionals keep on going in the face of that suckiness.

By and large I've been resistant to the divorce being a problem because of the latter. If the divorce IS a problem, and then we're in deeper trouble than I've thought.

I was one of those people who originally brought it up. And for the reasons you pointed out in your first paragraph, I felt uncomfortable doing it and quickly refrained from continuing to comment on it.

But it has bothered me ever since. Suffice it to say if was a factor that has led up to recent events we have to hope KO can move past it.

 

[whaler11]

People were justifiably irritated when people started bringing up his divorce. Part of that is because we want to keep people's private lives private. Part of it is because divorces suck, but they happen, and professionals keep on going in the face of that suckiness.

By and large I've been resistant to the divorce being a problem because of the latter. If the divorce IS a problem, then we're in deeper trouble than I've thought.

It's fine for a period of time. It can't be an issue forever. The biggest hardship with divorce is money when the kids are grown - that isn't an issue here.

 

[willie99]

You're right, it's just like the old Calhoun days. Nothing is different.

no you're right, it's over, the world is crumbling, run for the hills, we have no chance oh the horror, the catastrophe

how many times can people jump on and off the bandwagon?

I never have, served me well, still batting 1,000, how about you?

 

[willie99]

we can actually take our doom and gloomers back to the late 1990's

does anyone remember the "Calhoun can't win the big game" mantra? No, I'm not joking, it was real

They appreciated what he did for the program, but it may be time to find a coach that could take us to the next level

I'm sorry, you're just going to have to forgive me for my optimism. I'm sure the doom and gloom crowd may be right some day, one day, who knows, forever is a long time, but not just yet

Our program has earned more respect than many are giving, especially from their own fans

 

[SouthBayHusky]

no you're right, it's over, the world is crumbling, run for the hills, we have no chance oh the horror, the catastrophe

how many times can people jump on and off the bandwagon?

I never have, served me well, still batting 1,000, how about you?

You a funny dude

 

[Huskybass]

no you're right, it's over, the world is crumbling, run for the hills, we have no chance oh the horror, the catastrophe

how many times can people jump on and off the bandwagon?

I never have, served me well, still batting 1,000, how about you?

Currently you are batting .000 if you are hugging the Titanic.

 

[Towney007]

Eh, I hate getting into a staff vs. the players thing - because I think at the end of the day it's kind of moot... BUT - it's kind of hard to really avoid putting things on the coaching staff.

-The whole miscalculation on recruits isn't new. This has been a few years of this, now.
-The same problems manifest themselves in different iterations every year.
-The problems stay the same while the cast is changing.
-The number of transfers keeps bubbling up and up.
-Now you've got people who feel so compelled to say something, that they're slagging Ollie as anonymous sources

I mean the bad luck is not lost on me. Gilbert and Larrier were more or less freak things. They've also had some significant obstacles thrown in front of them that have muddied the water. But what i see ON THE COURT - it's just the same. I really, really think the writing's on the wall right now. Ollie's got this season to right the ship. If he doesn't, he's 1,000% gone. Not a little - COMPLETELY gone. Just watching how all the pieces are getting more or less shifted around, this just has 'setting up the scaffold' written all over it.

I'm rooting for the guy pretty hard. I'm just not confident he can really deliver at the level the school wants. '14 was a really, really fun run - but that aside? It's not good.

 

[intlzncster]

Ollie's got this season to right the ship. If he doesn't, he's 1,000% gone. Not a little - COMPLETELY gone. Just watching how all the pieces are getting more or less shifted around, this just has 'setting up the scaffold' written all over it.

Depends what you mean by 'right the ship'. His contract says he won't be fired. It will very, very hard to convince the University to do this.

 

[Towney007]

Depends what you mean by 'right the ship'.

Forward progress. An NCAA appearance. Maybe an NIT run saves his bacon. But not being in the post season is just... so unacceptable on so many levels.

It will very, very hard to convince the University to do this.

It will also be very hard to convince the University to keep lighting $3 million+ a year on someone who's actively damaging and diminishing the value of one of your significant revenue programs.

$3 million's a drop in the bucket when you look at the bigger picture. He'll be gone.

 

[intlzncster]

$3 million's a drop in the bucket when you look at the bigger picture. He'll be gone.

It would be 3 million plus whatever they had to pay for the next coach. Likely 2-3 just to get anyone good to come to this place. That's 5-6 million to the HBB coach. For CT, that's not a drop in the bucket at all.

 

[Towney007]

It would be 3 million plus whatever they had to pay for the next coach. Likely 2-3 just to get anyone good to come to this place. That's 5-6 million to the HBB coach. For CT, that's not a drop in the bucket at all.

Right and compared to what they could potentially lose by not swallowing the pill? That's a drop in the bucket.

 

[intlzncster]

Right and compared to what they could potentially lose by not swallowing the pill? That's a drop in the bucket.

Not for the state budget. There's concerns that trump athletics here, which is what I'm referring to.

 

[Towney007]

Sure are. When you make bad decisions, it tends to be really expensive.