Calhoun interview on game day

[HailUConn]

The goat is still sharp as laser!
How could anyone mot want to have him around this program? Danny gets it!

 

[August_West]

The goat is still sharp as laser!
How could anyone mot want to have him around this program? Danny gets it!

The man is a mojo machine

 

[caw]

Now that is a great coach!

 

[LetsGoUC]

The greatest program builder in CBB history. UConn is not in this position without the GOAT!!

 

[Umami Zen]

Wisdom from an old warrior.. Listen and learn..

 

[UofCT]

“Some say you won 4” and Calhoun didn’t correct him.

 

[Phoenixhusky]

The greatest ever!!!!

 

[huskyjawz]

What a treat to get to take this in.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Just like always understood about a third of what he said, but that's okay - it was WELL SAID!

 

[CbbisGreat]

" nothing great in life was ever accomplished without enthusiasm "
Great stuff from a great coach

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

"Personal recognition"? - meh

 

[storrsroars]

Let's bring this euphoria down to earth!

"I still have concerns about point guard..."

That's Jim's way of saying, "We're doomed!"

 

[ucp990411]

Love that man. Thank you Coach Calhoun for everything

 

[HuskyBaggins]

“Some say you won 4” and Calhoun didn’t correct him.

Indeed. Odd to suggest this one would be his a decade after he retired. Calhoun recruited most of the guys on the 2014 team, and the allure of the UConn brand at that point was still 80% Calhoun. Now? Hurley is 100% responsible for every bit of this team and everything it accomplishes

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Love that he talks about winning as a team. "When you have Kemba Walker playing for you... " He's so right. You can do your best but at the end of the day its about the kids on the court.

 

[Peacefrog]

Interested to seem them doing a “dive on the floor for a loose ball” drill. Wouldn’t have guessed that.

 

[upstater]

Let's bring this euphoria down to earth!

"I still have concerns about point guard..."

That's Jim's way of saying, "We're doomed!"

You could really tell how important the position is to him. I don't think anything in basketball is as important to him as the point with the exception of... rebounding.

 

[RichZ]

Best word in the interview....
WE
It's a decade later, it's still 'we' when he talks about the team.

 

[giddyup]

What a special gift JC was and he left us with an incredible DNA that will will endure. Can’t keep excellence down.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Indeed. Odd to suggest this one would be his a decade after he retired. Calhoun recruited most of the guys on the 2014 team, and the allure of the UConn brand at that point was still 80% Calhoun. Now? Hurley is 100% responsible for every bit of this team and everything it accomplishes

Ok. Except the recruiting at the time was done by the assistants, like any team with an older coach.

 

[uconngb]

Best word in the interview....
WE
It's a decade later, it's still 'we' when he talks about the team.

That’s what I LOVE about this

 

[metsfan2323]

“Some say you won 4” and Calhoun didn’t correct him.

Calhoun won 3 as a coach and 1 as a GM. Like a great GM he put the team and coaching staff together and he still had the ear of the players back then.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Calhoun won 3 as a coach and 1 as a GM. Like a great GM he put the team and coaching staff together and he still had the ear of the players back then.

I hated that question to Calhoun. He won 3 and he handed off a program that was at the top but had some challenges. By most measures, that 2014 team is one of the worst teams to ever win a championship, so giving the guy that recruited several of the players credit means giving him credit for recruiting one of the worst championship teams. Kind of odd logic.

Calhoun is the GOAT, and Ollie, for a window of time, was an amazing coach and did something in beating the six teams he beat, with the team he had, that may never be replicated, ever. Both things can be true.

 

[HuskyBaggins]

Ok. Except the recruiting at the time was done by the assistants, like any team with an older coach.

A) CALHOUN'S assistants, and B) they were coming to play for Jim Calhoun the legend, not his assistants

 

[HuskyBaggins]

I hated that question to Calhoun. He won 3 and he handed off a program that was at the top but had some challenges. By most measures, that 2014 team is one of the worst teams to ever win a championship, so giving the guy that recruited several of the players credit means giving him credit for recruiting one of the worst championship teams. Kind of odd logic.

Calhoun is the GOAT, and Ollie, for a window of time, was an amazing coach and did something in beating the six teams he beat, with the team he had, that may never be replicated, ever. Both things can be true.

Dude, stop. That team was #15 in the KenPom ratings against the 13th toughest schedule in the country. They lost 8 games, three of which were against the top rated Louisville team. Would you seriously make a stink about calling Danny Manning's Kansas team " one of the worst ever" ?? KP's rating system pegs Shabbazz as the #2 player in the country that year. That's how college hoops works. Good lord

 

[CL82]

Kind of how I felt listening to that interview.

 

[Madmannsucks]

A) CALHOUN'S assistants, and B) they were coming to play for Jim Calhoun the legend, not his assistants

And C) Coached by KO.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Dude, stop. That team was #15 in the KenPom ratings against the 13th toughest schedule in the country. They lost 8 games, three of which were against the top rated Louisville team. Would you seriously make a stink about calling Danny Manning's Kansas team " one of the worst ever" ?? KP's rating system pegs Shabbazz as the #2 player in the country that year. That's how college hoops works. Good lord

That 2014 team was #15 KenPom AFTER WINNING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Most national champions finish 1 or 2 in KenPom, although there are a few 3's. The 2011 UConn team finished 10 after winning it, and Syracuse finished 8 in 2003, and other than that, every national champion was 3 or better in KenPom after winning the championship since he started his ranking system. So that 2014 is the worst national champion in the history of KenPom, and by quite a bit.

Thank you for proving my point.

 

[Hunt for 7]

I might take exception that there are no great teams this year. I mean right now UConn looks pretty great to me. I said in late February that the country will know who the best shooting guard in the country is. Now they know Jordan Hawkins and again all due respect as a sophomore he looks every bit the player that Allen and Rip where. He moves without the ball like Rip and he shoots like Allen. He may be better than both by the time his career is over.

 

[wingsfan055]

Calhoun was a great recruiter and player developer. His teams got better as the year went on.

As for building programs from scratch, of course he will also be remembered most for UConn. But people forget he turned Northeastern into a national great in the early and mid 80s including Tourney wins.