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

[Robertelamin]

Yeah I agree. He has a year or two left and if it doesn't work the school will go in a different direction.

 

[uconnbill]

My hope is that UConn and coach Ollie can get the ship righted. If not he will be on a really warm seat at the very least at the end of next season.

 

[CTBasketball]

Yeah I agree. He has a year or two left and if it doesn't work the school will go in a different direction.

Like I've said before, no one is bigger than the program. Do what it takes to legally be at the top.

 

[Robertelamin]

Like I've said before, no one is bigger than the program. Do what it takes to legally be at the top.

Everyone know this too. There is too much passive aggressive behavior on this board.

 

[willie99]

"I have had a lot of visits with [Ollie] over the last month and a half. I have met with all the student-athletes that are coming back, as well as the ones that are departing — not just because of graduation — and from all of those meetings and the time spent just evaluating things, I feel very good about the leadership and feel good about the direction we're going.

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seems like a lot of people may have missed this quote from our AD

 

[Chief00]

You gotta chill out, deep breaths. Again, there are a few dullards on this board but you are becoming the straw man king.

Good luck with that dude LOL.

 

[Chief00]

What I'm gathering from reading this thread is that because Calhoun has a high opinion of Miller, firing him has automatically rendered a net negative effect on the program.

Why you always coming after Coach Calhoun? Did he disrespect you?

 

[Huskybass]

"I have had a lot of visits with [Ollie] over the last month and a half. I have met with all the student-athletes that are coming back, as well as the ones that are departing — not just because of graduation — and from all of those meetings and the time spent just evaluating things, I feel very good about the leadership and feel good about the direction we're going.

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seems like a lot of people may have missed this quote from our AD

What's is the AD supposed to say? "We have no big men who have ever played a minute of D1 basketball and all of the defections cause me real concern". ???

Of course the AD is going to try to put a positive spin on the situation.

 

[AntG168]

What's is the AD supposed to say? "We have no big men who have ever played a minute of D1 basketball and all of the defections cause me real concern". ???

Of course the AD is going to try to put a positive spin on the situation.

With that mind set it woulf be impossible to get anything positive out of the article, because any and everything the AD says thats positive you attribute to him having to say that. You went into the article pessimistic so much you got pessimistic results

 

[Hoophound]

Benedict has to say he believes in the leadership at this point. If KO told Dave that Enoch got chances but couldn't make a layup, Durham was soft mentally and physically and Jackson's dad was a cancer, he might believe it. The evidence for Enoch and Durham was on the court (remember AD David Benedict watched a lot of practice too) and Jackson's dad was all over Twitter spouting off.

From there, KO is going to sound great with his talk of hard work, perseverance and getting the right type of guys. My concern is that there were some times when JC really shifted gears when the talent dictated. Sometime in the early 90's we played Duke early in the season and just shredded them with back doors plays and good old fashioned offense. It was totally surprising to both fans and Duke. JC knew he needed to use an organized offense and set of plays to be effective against them and it worked beautifully. I haven't seen an incredible set of adjustments out of the current staff since 2014.

 

[imno1]

"I have had a lot of visits with [Ollie] over the last month and a half. I have met with all the student-athletes that are coming back, as well as the ones that are departing — not just because of graduation — and from all of those meetings and the time spent just evaluating things, I feel very good about the leadership and feel good about the direction we're going.

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seems like a lot of people may have missed this quote from our AD

The old "Vote of Confidence"

 

[upstater]

Here's where I'm at. I think Ollie gets at least one-two more years regardless of this article and mess. If these players didn't leave, and he underperformed in 17/18 then that's another story.

But for the entirety of Ollie's career people advised he needed an X's and O's guy on the bench. He had one in Miller and was pretty clear based on the article that he wasn't using that resource, favoring his style of offense. Ollie was viewed as an elite recruiter, helping secure UConn players from 2010 onward.

So now he fires the one guy on the bench that The Almighty Father Jim Calhoun blesses Miller as "one of the best X's and O's guys I've ever worked with." And hires an unproven game plan coach, but an awesome recruiter.

So is Ollie admitting he needs help recruiting because he knows he struggles coaching non 4/5 star talent? Hence the Chillious hire? A lot of this is dependent on Ollie listening to his peers and not introverting to find answers, as the article suggests.

Ten toes in.

Either the admin and alumni are in with the coach or they're not.

As soon as you start talking about one more year, or whatever, it's over.

As soon as the hot seat starts cooking, it's over.

Recruits are not stupid. They are not going to come here now.

The real question is what to do next.

 

[willie99]

What's is the AD supposed to say? "We have no big men who have ever played a minute of D1 basketball and all of the defections cause me real concern". ???

Of course the AD is going to try to put a positive spin on the situation.

well a lot of people read that article and concluded "Ollie's on the hot seat"

I read that same article and concluded everyone involved is on the same page about making changes

What did that article say that many of us weren't thinking?

need to make changes, check
need players that buy into the system, check
need to be tougher, check

and as always, you need players that want to be here

I'm more convinced then ever the transfers didn't like what Ollie was telling them, let someone else promise them utopia

we're a blue collar program


PS: one thing that surprised me, 700 transfers nationwide, about two per school, a sure sign of the entitled times IMHO

 

[CTBasketball]

Ten toes in.

Either the admin and alumni are in with the coach or they're not.

As soon as you start talking about one more year, or whatever, it's over.

As soon as the hot seat starts cooking, it's over.

Recruits are not stupid. They are not going to come here now.

The real question is what to do next.

Of course. You can't go public with that.

 

[willie99]

The old "Vote of Confidence"

haha, he would have said something like "Ollie's job is not in jeopardy". Those statements usually don't conclude with something like "I feel good about the direction we're going". I read that as something stronger

Having said that, if we don't improve over the next two years he's on the hot seat. Many of us including myself wanted changes, and he's making changes. With both the coaches and the players

 

[willie99]

Obviously Calhoun loves Miller, but Ollie has to be Ollie, he has to be true to himself. He has to run the systems and style he wants to run. I think a man has to win or lose doing what he believes in, Ollie has to find what works for him.

I would never want to be fired trying to be somebody else.

So I have no problem with any of the changes he's making, including Miller.

 

[ucp990411]

He wants tough players with high basketball IQs? Is he changing his recruiting philosophy? We have not had that type of player in some time. And doesn't everyone want that type of player. I want results not spin.

 

[jibsey]

You can't do anything without a lot of good and experienced players and going into next year we have just 4 of them and one of those was a surprise to most everyone. Heaven help us if injury happens to any one of them.

 

[HuskylnSC]

After watching UConn being brutalized by Cincinnati and other physical clubs, I have wondered where the old toughness has gone.

We never lacked toughness under JC. Do you remember Ricky Moore slapping the court with two hands and daring the Duke point guard to try him. I remember the physically imposing Elton Brand being a whimper in the national championship.

Where has it gone. Where is the Kenna will to win. Where is Khalid jumping on the scorers table in Pitt.

This has not been the UConn I fell in love with so many years ago.

Ricky is here. Donny is here. KO is here. Maybe the can bring it back and maybe they are mellow old men like me

 

[HuskylnSC]

Should be Kemba

 

[Mr. French]

What's is the AD supposed to say? "We have no big men who have ever played a minute of D1 basketball and all of the defections cause me real concern". ???

Of course the AD is going to try to put a positive spin on the situation.

Ummm what?

Just in THIS situation alone, you have people making it clear with their quotes what they're feeling.

So you think this one quote was an isolated incident of lying by our AD in order to make it seem everything is fine?

That's ridiculous for this particular case for many reasons ...

 

[pj]

Ten toes in.

Either the admin and alumni are in with the coach or they're not.

As soon as you start talking about one more year, or whatever, it's over.

As soon as the hot seat starts cooking, it's over.

Recruits are not stupid. They are not going to come here now.

The real question is what to do next.

Es tu, @upstater?

 

[intlzncster]

Fair enough. There is some tension in these parts

No worries. Doing the lord's work over here trying to dissipate it.

 

[8893]

Fair enough. There is some tension in these parts

No worries. Doing the lord's work over here trying to dissipate it.

 

[intlzncster]

Rule number one of message boards is don't call out another poster by name in a thread they haven't posted in.

Unless it's hilarious.