Enough blaming the players

[Huskyforlife]

They don't get paid millions of dollars a year to win games. I feel this is something important that gets lost here sometimes. Of course they're partially responsible, but Ollie's job is to win basketball games. The season isn't over, and there's still time for Ollie to fix this, but he's running out of time.

 

[Stainmaster]

Can we blame others teams' players? I'd love to pin this season's misfortunes on Grayson Allen and that face of his.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Ollie has had a tough year, but he isn't the one missing layups, playing bad D in spurts, and turning it over.

 

[zls44]

 

[TasteofUConn]

Ollie has had a tough year, but he isn't the one missing layups, playing bad D in spurts, and turning it over.

No. He's the one sitting idle in his seat observing it happen.

 

[Ts5034]

People always complain about the coaching staff and point the finger at them because its the easy thing to do. The thing that gets me is that nobody offers any realistic solutions. Ollie is not going anywhere after the season and im willing to guarantee he wont be going anywhere after 2017 as well. KO and the coaching staff do not get a pass by any means for whats happened over the past year and a half, but as others have said, there are a number of problems that have occured during games that the staff cant help.

As far as the staff goes, its funny how we have transitioned from "we need a big time recruiter on the staff because KO cant sign top recruits" to "we need a big man coach because the current assistants dont know how to develop big men". Kevin Ollie is a loyal guy and I cant see him making a change to his staff unless one of them leaves for a head coaching job.

 

[Mano]

Maybe they should change that from "good" to experienced.

Also, I think it's worth noting their years of head coaching experience:

Dunphy - 27
Cronin - 13
Haith - 12
Sampson - 27
Pitino - 36
Brown - ∞

HCKO - 4

Anyone care to wager that his record against each will improve some day?

 

[huskyinfl]

The whole "they don't get paid millions" argument is weak. They get a free education and access to great resources (trainers etc). If you play your cards right you can turn that into millions on the court or off the court with an education.

 

[UConniki]

Maybe they should change that from "good" to experienced.

Also, I think it's worth noting their years of head coaching experience:

Dunphy - 27
Cronin - 13
Haith - 12
Sampson - 27
Pitino - 36
Brown - ∞

HCKO - 4

Anyone care to wager that his record against each will improve some day?

Yea when they're in the Atlantic 10 or Conference USA. I THINK I'LL PASS.

 

[7774]

Yea when they're in the Atlantic 10 or Conference USA. I THINK I'LL PASS.

When who's in the Atlantic 10 or Conference USA? Our team? All those coaches? What are you talking about?

 

[Huskyforlife]

@Stairmaster He's a bad infulence on CBB players in general. However, the idea of blaming him does feel good.

@zls44 Those numbers are crazy.

@huskyinfl Over half the guys on this team will never come close too what coach makes, assuming they don't play pro basketball. Miller maybe.

 

[gtcam]

They don't get paid millions of dollars a year to win games. I feel this is something important that gets lost here sometimes. Of course they're partially responsible, but Ollie's job is to win basketball games. The season isn't over, and there's still time for Ollie to fix this, but he's running out of time.

Because he earns the $ and the players don't the onus falls only on KO's shoulders???
What kind of sense does that make?
What he is paid makes no difference at all as far as Ws and Ls
Running out of time for what? This year? and you think that KO can shake up some of these knuckleheads in the next two weeks - but, according to you and some others, KO has been sitting on his seat, going home and counting his money and ignoring all the issues
This blame on KO is getting out of hand

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think there is enough blame to go around.

We shot, I think, 8 free throws. At home. Including none when Gibbs was clearly fouled on a three at the end of the game. With Calhoun we'd shoot 20 FTs in the same game and win by 4. That's on Ollie. It's particularly noticeable when we play Cinci, who commits about 50 fouls a game and is called for a dozen. Cronin works the refs better than anybody but Calhoun, maybe it's an Irish thing.

There is plenty on the players too, they don't seem to know how to stop an opposing team's run, to tighten up the D when it matters. They don't have anyone who can get that run-stopping basket, or make that clutch shot (like Houston's 3 pointer with 2 seconds on the shot clock late). They had wide open looks for Gibbs and Purvis and they missed. Ball-game.

 

[raf46]

They don't get paid millions of dollars a year to win games. I feel this is something important that gets lost here sometimes. Of course they're partially responsible, but Ollie's job is to win basketball games. The season isn't over, and there's still time for Ollie to fix this, but he's running out of time.

29 games into the season we are just not good enough. Small margin between winning and losing and we do not measure up. If we are having this same conversation two years from now, then we look at a coaching change.

 

[KemBuckets21]

Maybe they should change that from "good" to experienced.

Also, I think it's worth noting their years of head coaching experience:

Dunphy - 27
Cronin - 13
Haith - 12
Sampson - 27
Pitino - 36
Brown - ∞

HCKO - 4

Anyone care to wager that his record against each will improve some day?

Yeah, I agree with you. KO also beat Thad Matta, Shaka, JTIII, and Bielein this season. Just manipulating numbers to fit a preconception.

 

[KemBuckets21]

What annoyed me about yesterday, is that we got away from the hi-lo action that worked pretty well for us the game before. The dribble hand off nonsense for 24 seconds was back in full effect.

 

[gtcam]

What annoyed me about yesterday, is that we got away from the hi-lo action that worked pretty well for us the game before. The dribble hand off nonsense for 24 seconds was back in full effect.

I think the fact that Houston, in its zone, was much more athletic, quicker feet and longer than USF

 

[UConnJim]

This UConn team is a collection of players and not a team of players. This team is essentially a thrown together team of 2 post grad seniors, a transfer, a group from recruiting years in which APR woes and a coaching transition impacted recruiting, Daniel Hamilton, and the freshmen class. When you look at all of the team pieces, you would think the team has the possibility to be very good, but when you see them play as a team, the pieces don't work well together. Ollie took a risk to try to accelerate the improvement of UConn basketball and it has only been partially successful. He prevented a collapse, but unfortunately, he could not create a top team with this approach, although he has gotten UConn to 20 wins in every season so far. (Imagine this year's team without Gibbs and Miller!)

So many things are missing from this team such as player leadership. Think about this, how can you have two of the best players lead when they just joined your team in the summer before their last season? When Kromah and Evans joined UConn as graduate transfers they weren't expected to become team leaders, just contributors to the team.

End of the day, the season has been disappointing, but the pipeline of players is improving and Ollie will soon have UConn back to the top.

 

[Rewster]

What annoyed me about yesterday, is that we got away from the hi-lo action that worked pretty well for us the game before. The dribble hand off nonsense for 24 seconds was back in full effect.

Agree 100 percent. The last game the offense was good. Used the high post , flattened the defense then had passing options.

We reverted back to east west dribbling and hand offs again yesterday.

 

[Lefty2one]

It's a two-way street and Ollie hasn't been good but we simply need to get the talent level in the program back up and get past the negative impact of the sanctions, a new coach and the conference shift. Adams was a good start in the '15 class, hopefully the incoming frosh next year prove to be a talented group. We have to get some NBA-caliber kids back in the program.

As for in-game, KO is a lot like JC on the offensive end - he's stubborn but also gives his kids a tremendous amount of freedom and leeway to make plays. Plenty of people bashed JC for it over the years when our halfcourt offense looked gross. Neither coach is a micromanager on the offensive end but of course JC was a master with plays out of timeouts and pretty darn good with OOB stuff. Right now, our players (especially the backcourt outside of Jalen) aren't talented enough to make plays consistently. A more structured offense would be better off with this group but you aren't going to make a massive change like that mid-season - or ever, most likely. KO will probably be just like JC and always stick to his guns and hope he has the talent on board for the offense to succeed.

 

[BobbySteels]

AAC Coaches to win National Championship:

Kevin Ollie - 1
Larry Brown - 1
Dunphy - 0
Cronin - 0
Haith - 0
Sampson - 0

 

[intlzncster]

As Bill Belichick says all the time, "It's a players game. Players play".

Is Ollie and staff a part? Absolutely, but the buck stops with the guys on the floor.

At the end of the day, all the talent in the world or not, no one is ever happy with a team that lacks a top shelf experienced PG.

 

[KemBuckets21]

I think the fact that Houston, in its zone, was much more athletic, quicker feet and longer than USF

I figured the reason we didn't was because of a perceived poor matchup. I guess I was just happy to see a set offense. Still think Hamilton could have done some damage at the free throw line and kicking to the wings or shonn on the baseline. Also, how much did everyone like Enoch's baseline jumpers? Pretty sure he was only 1 for 3 but I think that's going to be a nice option to have next season and going forward.

 

[intlzncster]

Maybe they should change that from "good" to experienced.

Also, I think it's worth noting their years of head coaching experience:

Dunphy - 27
Cronin - 13
Haith - 12
Sampson - 27
Pitino - 36
Brown - ∞

HCKO - 4

Anyone care to wager that his record against each will improve some day?

Thank god you did that. I was going to, and was annoyed that I had to. @zls44 as a numbers guy, should have done that in his post.

 

[intlzncster]

Yea when they're in the Atlantic 10 or Conference USA. I THINK I'LL PASS.

Since the basketball team's performance has damn near zero to do with getting in a P5, what's your point? This is a straw man.