Borges: With lots of changes, is the UConn men’s basketball family still intact?

[gtcam]

What a bizarre quote from Burrell.

Not at all
Scott knows the coaching game and is tight knitted with so many of the past players - he knows the pulse but he will work to help alleviate any issues - that's the kind of guy he is. I also find it weird that AD David Benedict hasn't reached out to these guys.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Not at all
Scott knows the coaching game and is tight knitted with so many of the past players - he knows the pulse but he will work to help alleviate any issues - that's the kind of guy he is. I also find it weird that AD David Benedict hasn't reached out to these guys.

I don’t understand why David Benedict has to contact ex players. Is he supposed to give every ex-player a phone call?

 

[B1GEast]

Winning changes everything. Win the AAC tournament and no one will remember these minor complaints.

 

[MattMang23]

Scott Burrell: "I don’t know Danny well enough to call and get tickets. I know Tom real well, but he’s gonna have a million calls from other people. I don’t want to bother Coach Moore, it’s their job to win games.”

But you'd be cool with bothering Hurley, if only you knew him? Doesn't make much sense.

The PR firm guy: “If Coach Calhoun had fired and replaced the coaching staff, I think that’s one thing,” said Gold. “Since the decision was made by an AD that’s relatively new to the university — outside of the family, if you will — it lessens the impact on the health of relationships within the group.”

Well Coach Calhoun isn't the AD so that's a moot point.

 

[Ts5034]

I assumed the players from the early-mid 90’s will take this the hardest. Guys like Scott, Travis, Donny, etc, all played with KO so they probably take it a little more personal. I know its a family, but I cant see guys like Rip, Jake, Caron, or Emeka will have hard feelings toward the program just because a former player that they never played with was let go.

 

[2Infinity]

I also find it weird that AD David Benedict hasn't reached out to these guys.

Did Lew Perkins reach out to all of the former basketball players to make sure they felt connected to the program after graduation? I honestly don't know, but I'd be surprised if it was him doing that, instead of JC.

 

[HooperScooper]

Scott Burrell: "I don’t know Danny well enough to call and get tickets. I know Tom real well, but he’s gonna have a million calls from other people. I don’t want to bother Coach Moore, it’s their job to win games.”

But you'd be cool with bothering Hurley, if only you knew him? Doesn't make much sense.

That is a weird statement from Burrell. I'm sure he could pick up the phone and call anyone in the athletic department and get tickets. He wouldn't need to "bother" any of the coaches.

 

[UChusky916]

Here's what I don't understand from this weak article about the potentially 'fractured' UConn family... There were rumblings that Calhoun and KO had their issues. KO started the fracture by distancing himself from Calhoun. And Calhouns quotes about KOs firing spoke volumes about how their relationship had deteriorated.

Calhoun is the real reason for the UConn family. He started it. There is no UConn family without him. And it sounds like he's probably going to be more visible now with KO out of the picture since KO did a lot to distance himself from his former coach, mentor, and the man who went to bat for him, basically gift-wrapping the HC job for him. KO fractured the family with those actions more than anything resulting from his firing.

And it's clear Hurley respects the UConn tradition/family, harping on it on his introductory press conference and in every interview I've heard from him since. Not only that, but keeping Freeman and bringing back Moore was smart and saavy.

Those quotes from Burrell definitely sound like whining. You don't know who to call for tickets? Boo-hoo. Pick up the phone and make some calls to the university and I'm sure you won't get ignored. You just sound lazy.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I was reading this article from ESPN.com the other day.

NBA draft tracker: Who's in, and who's testing?

It was interesting that there is no mention of Jalen Adams because they don't think he's even in the top 100 of their potential draft picks. I figured he'd at least test the waters. But if there's absolutely no interest in him then he's not getting invited to any pre-draft camps and no teams are going to have him visit for workouts. If that's the case then there is no reason to test the waters since he won't get any feedback from teams. I'm guessing that's why he hasn't put his name in to enter the draft. He only has until Sunday so we'll know soon if he will.

He needs to come back and lead this team to a good season. That would help his reputation.

Ive seen nothing from JA in his 3 years here that says hes an NBA player. Ok athlete and more a combo guard than a true pg or sg. Hes a good college player at this point but thats about it. He really needs to take huge step next year to even get on the NBA radar.

 

[BlueDogs]

Jalen probably wants to lay low and make an impression next season. I’m sure the new staff is in his ear about lifting, shooting hundreds of jumpers per day and helping him study film.

I think it may be to his benefit to stay under the radar.

I’ll guarantee that come next spring he’ll be a vastly improved, more balanced player taking better shots, distributing smarter and moving under control. It’s the best thing he could do for his future.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

What a god damn baby.

Those quotes were pathetic.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Who cares, getting back to a culture of winning should be the #1 priority.

 

[Fishy]

Burrell has all summer to get in the car and come up and meet the staff. And as a D2 coach with designs on moving up, the networking will do him good.

He can sort out the ticket conundrum at the same time.

 

[uconnever]

Burrell has all summer to get in the car and come up and meet the staff. And as a D2 coach with designs on moving up, the networking will do him good.

He can sort out the ticket conundrum at the same time.

Couldn’t agree with you more.....but I also see where he’s coming from. I ve always felt that the role players from years past are not appreciated enough and it has gotten worse and worse...he’s right. I also wanted KO gone, but they did it the wrong way, anyone who doesn’t see that just lives by a different set of standards.

 

[Chief00]

Here's what I don't understand from this weak article about the potentially 'fractured' UConn family... There were rumblings that Calhoun and KO had their issues. KO started the fracture by distancing himself from Calhoun. And Calhouns quotes about KOs firing spoke volumes about how their relationship had deteriorated.

Calhoun is the real reason for the UConn family. He started it. There is no UConn family without him. And it sounds like he's probably going to be more visible now with KO out of the picture since KO did a lot to distance himself from his former coach, mentor, and the man who went to bat for him, basically gift-wrapping the HC job for him. KO fractured the family with those actions more than anything resulting from his firing.

And it's clear Hurley respects the UConn tradition/family, harping on it on his introductory press conference and in every interview I've heard from him since. Not only that, but keeping Freeman and bringing back Moore was smart and saavy.

Those quotes from Burrell definitely sound like whining. You don't know who to call for tickets? Boo-hoo. Pick up the phone and make some calls to the university and I'm sure you won't get ignored. You just sound lazy.

Didn’t Benedict renew Jim Calhoun’s contract that was to expired on 3/28. With benefits, he’s getting over $400,000 - memo to Scott - call your old coach’s office and you will get tickets.

 

[Hoophound]

I think Scott was just answering questions and telling the truth. The little guys feel like they are disconnected and the stars don’t care because they can show up out of the blue anywhere and get treated like royalty.

1. Scott is a UConn superstar but didn’t say it. He was humble.

2. The little guys feel a disconnect because KO disconnected in a lot of ways, especially from JC. Yet, nobody wants to blame KO for anything because he’s a fraternity brother. Understandable.

3. We all feel disconnected. It isn’t that we are being pushed away, it’s that the program itself was failing and the passion for it deteriorated in all of us. It just isn’t the same because our pride has taken a huge hit. Our desire to be part of the family is diminished. When coach Hurley restores our confidence and pride, much of the connection will be restored simply by refilling our energy buckets.

 

[djct1999]

Not at all
Scott knows the coaching game and is tight knitted with so many of the past players - he knows the pulse but he will work to help alleviate any issues - that's the kind of guy he is. I also find it weird that AD David Benedict hasn't reached out to these guys.

I find it weird you don't know that AD David Benedict has both Brian Fair and Craig Austrie on his speed dial and speaks with both of them before making any decision.

 

[djct1999]

I think Scott was just answering questions and telling the truth. The little guys feel like they are disconnected and the stars don’t care because they can show up out of the blue anywhere and get treated like royalty.

1. Scott is a UConn superstar but didn’t say it. He was humble.

2. The little guys feel a disconnect because KO disconnected in a lot of ways, especially from JC. Yet, nobody wants to blame KO for anything because he’s a fraternity brother. Understandable.

3. We all feel disconnected. It isn’t that we are being pushed away, it’s that the program itself was failing and the passion for it deteriorated in all of us. It just isn’t the same because our pride has taken a huge hit. Our desire to be part of the family is diminished. When coach Hurley restores our confidence and pride, much of the connection will be restored simply by refilling our energy buckets.

Winning cures all. # 2 and # 3 are spot on. To me, Scott came across as more bitter than humble. Not a great look.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The encouraging thing is I thing Hurley understands the importance of this. The UConn family is very much apart of the recruiting pitch. I also think Calhoun will be around a lot more

I think you meant "a part" rather than "apart," and, ironically, that's the point of the article.

What matters most is institutional response in the wake of this public airing. By reading both the link and this thread, one can see that the situation certainly hasn't brought out the best in anybody. It shouldn't be too hard to address & correct, though it's not surprising that "the way" KO was let go would come in for some criticism. There's room for improvement all the way around.

Complaints about whining usually have the same effect as whining.

https://Post original url/images/mXYvgd

 

[djct1999]

I don’t understand why David Benedict has to contact ex players. Is he supposed to give every ex-player a phone call?

Nope. He is supposed to focus on the present and future, not the past. The attendance of an all-star game has more to do with Calhoun than Benedict.

 

[djct1999]

Jalen probably wants to lay low and make an impression next season. I’m sure the new staff is in his ear about lifting, shooting hundreds of jumpers per day and helping him study film.

I think it may be to his benefit to stay under the radar.

I think Jalen, like everyone, would prefer to have options. He doesn't. The boneyard values Jalen far more than any NBA scout. He has a lot to work on to make it to the next level. Can he do it in a year? I hope so. I am happy he is coming back.

 

[8893]

*intacted

 

[freescooter]

What a silly article and what a pretentious jerk Burrell sounds like. Look, over time life changes. People change and institutions change. 5 years from now Paul Ryan will walk into the Capital and there will be people who ask him if he used to be somebody important. Former players are in a snit because Ollie got fired? They should have been angry that he set a record for blowout losses.

And Scotty, you played basketball. You didn’t cure cancer or win a Nobel Peace Prize. You want tickets? There is a number you call. Ask your town mayor. Or better yet show your support by buying season tickets. Uconnhuskies.com/tickets. Even if you can’t use them donate them to a local charity or give them to a kid in your neighborhood. He or she will be thrilled and you’ll show your support for the family.

 

[CTBasketball]

Why does Scottie care if he can call the head coach at UConn?

Shouldn’t he be worried about his own program?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Look, over time life changes. People change and institutions change. 5 years from now Paul Ryan will walk into the Capital and there will be people who ask him if he used to be somebody important. .

You used to be somebody I Ignore.
Yesterday.