Frank Haith has done a good job

[Pudge]

I haven't read more than a few sentences posted from last night.

But I get the impression that Tulsa is considered below us. Why? When you string an All-Junior class Harrison & Woodard & Smith together with effort, and at Home, you think they should just roll over. Do we automatically think a Providence or St Johns is better? I don't. That's a solid team.

It's not easy doing what Haith has done. He looks to have taken the same exact Team Danny Manning had & made them better. I saw Teamplay. Solid interior defense. They shared the ball & got kids to spots they could score. Haith has done an impressive job.

 

[8893]

I agree Pudge. I thought Tulsa was a decent team that played well. I keep reading that they are trash and we should have blown them out. What I saw was a well-coached team that never let up and kept coming at us stronger whenever we threatened. Granted, we played horribly--it happens. But I really don't get the people who thought that Tulsa was a crap team. That looked like an experienced, composed tourney team to me. Not a world beater, but definitely not a cupcake.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Yeah I thought they were a good team and its good for the conference. Still we should not have lost

 

[mauconnfan]

The only credit I can give a Haith team is they played much harder and wanted this game more than UConn. That's part of coaching too and he and his staff had them ready. As far as coaching, maybe he gets more out of a less talented team because he's had talent before and they usually underachieve with him at the helm. To me they weren't all that pretty out there, made some crazy shots but also beat our defenseless team a lot to eh beast and created. Give him credit, they were better for sure. But he's not a good coach - has a nice staff though with Leitao and the other ex-head coach i recognized on the sideline.

 

[zls44]

Amazing what happens when your staff is made up of people qualified to be assistants on something other than past glories as players.

 

[aceboon]

Amazing what happens when your staff is made up of people qualified to be assistants on something other than past glories as players.

Is this staff different than the one he had when you were clowning him during the Mizzou tourney loss to Colorado St when they gave no effort on D and on the glass? Is it different than the one he had when Mizzou missed the tourney last year? The staff probably looks better when your able to coach a veteran team that just made the tournament and is now on year 3 of playing together.

 

[Pudge]

I will tell you what is different ...

Harrison, Smith, Woodard (and 4 other Juniors) are in their third year of College ball. They know their roles and they know how to play defense. Experience matters. Our two comparable players - I believe - have talent; but, they still haven't gotten to the point that they perform consistently nor know their roles. (I'm thinking Calhoun & Purvis) I think Ollie can have both performing far better with this year's gametime play. But ... WE need them now.

 

[mauconnfan]

I will tell you what is different ...

Harrison, Smith, Woodard (and 4 other Juniors) are in their third year of College ball. They know their roles and they know how to play defense. Experience matters. Our two comparable players - I believe - have talent; but, they still haven't gotten to the point that they perform consistently nor know their roles. (I'm thinking Calhoun & Purvis) I think Ollie can have both performing far better with this year's gametime play. But ... WE need them now.

No doubt because Omar can't stay on the court unless he can guard someone and while Purvis has been better on-man he still doesn't do all the right things away from the ball. He had them playing solid D and they worked harder than our guys, and that was scary obvious.

 

[aceboon]

No doubt because Omar can't stay on the court unless he can guard someone and while Purvis has been better on-man he still doesn't do all the right things away from the ball. He had them playing solid D and they worked harder than our guys, and that was scary obvious.

I believe it was 2 fouls away from the ball while they were in the bonus on Purvis, and he did the same thing against Cincy, SMH. Gotta stop all of the unecessary fouls, him and DHam both, DHam has fouled more guys shooting jumpers through 15 games than I can remember any other UConn player for their entire career.

 

[zls44]

Is this staff different than the one he had when you were clowning him during the Mizzou tourney loss to Colorado St when they gave no effort on D and on the glass? Is it different than the one he had when Mizzou missed the tourney last year? The staff probably looks better when your able to coach a veteran team that just made the tournament and is now on year 3 of playing together.

Yeah it's different. It has Dave Leiato.

 

[champs99and04]

Amazing what happens when your staff is made up of people qualified to be assistants on something other than past glories as players.

I don't get the shot at our coaching staff here. Didn't we just win the championship with this staff last year or am I missing something?

 

[aceboon]

Yeah it's different. It has Dave Leiato.

Leiato was on the staff at Mizzou when they got blown out by Colo St in the first round, and he was on the staff when they missed the tourney while having a backcourt last year of Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown. Hobbs and Leiato are no different from each other, and last I checked Hobbs and Miller have now been assistants on multiple UConn title teams. You would be better off just walking it back and admitting you are being over reactionary as usual and having a temper tantrum(see the Shabazz is the worst starting PG under Calhoun thread), you sure weren't a fan of Haith and his staff when you made this thread:

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/mark-titus-presently-winning-the-internet.36139/

 

[gtcam]

I will tell you what is different ...

Harrison, Smith, Woodard (and 4 other Juniors) are in their third year of College ball. They know their roles and they know how to play defense. Experience matters. Our two comparable players - I believe - have talent; but, they still haven't gotten to the point that they perform consistently nor know their roles. (I'm thinking Calhoun & Purvis) I think Ollie can have both performing far better with this year's gametime play. But ... WE need them now.

In college basketball these days - having 3 guys who have played together for 2 years or more in a starting/meaningful role - that is a HUGE bonus

 

[zls44]

Frank Haith is a bad coach. He was handed a good team at Mizzou, won, ran it into the ground over time. I trust he will do the same at Tulsa. Know who else feels that way about him? Mark Titus. I'll walk something back as soon as I have a reason to. None yet.

Leiato is still miles better than the other assistants on this staff. Love them for their accomplishnents as players but they are getting it handed to them in recruiting. You can't just get one star guy. They're totally blowing it with stone.

 

[8893]

They're totally blowing it with stone.

What, exactly, did they do to blow it with him?

 

[aceboon]

Still waiting for you to explain how Leiato is a difference maker in less than a year at Tulsa, but wasn't a difference maker to prevent Missouri from sliding to a worse record each year once Anderson's players eventually moved on. You're just being reactionary and emotional while making little sense, but its not like we haven't seen this act from you before. You'll be on the Summer Jam screen again before the season ends.

 

[aceboon]

What, exactly, did they do to blow it with him?

good luck getting a logical response on that front. KO and the staff lands borderline 5star Adams and 4star Enoch, the BY's response is that those guys are local and they should have got them anyway, no pat on the back for them. If Stone stays local and attends a perennial Big Ten power, it will be KO and the staff have no business losing Stone to Wisconsin.

 

[Jerry27]

What, exactly, did they do to blow it with him?

Well it hasn't been announced that he has committed to UConn so that must mean they are blowing it! (apply appropriate amount of sarcasm)

 

[zls44]

They were in the lead, had a chance to close and are getting outmuscled by Mark freaking Gottfried.

 

[8893]

They were in the lead, had a chance to close and are getting outmuscled by Mark freaking Gottfried.

What was the "chance to close"? Telling him to sign or else? Looks like refusing to do that with Hamilton paid off, against all predictions to the contrary.

Really, NC State is in the picture now? Ahead of us? You know this how?

 

[CallMeBruce]

What was the "chance to close"? Telling to sign or else? Looks like refusing to do that with Hamilton paid off, against all predictions to the contrary.

Really, NC State is in the picture now? Ahead of us? You know this how?

I'm assuming he meant Mark Turgeon.

 

[zls44]

I'm assuming he meant Mark Turgeon.

Yeah. Got my crappy mid-tier program coaches confused there.

 

[8893]

Yeah. Got my crappy mid-tier program coaches confused there.

And when asked what MD is doing to be in the running, the response has been allusions to UA sneaker money. I'm still waiting to hear what they or WI have done/are doing that those who are indicting our staff say we should have done or should be doing.

I keep hearing calls for getting an "ace recruiter" or a "closer" on the staff. That's all well and good, but the only basis I am hearing for this "need" is the lack of results. I get that. But I am genuinely curious what those with all the grand insights like you, '99 and fishy legitimately believe we should be doing differently, other than actually getting guys to sign. In other words, what are the specific recruiting activities, actions, omissions, etc. that you believe are leading to these "failures" and warrant staffing changes?

 

[jibsey]

I don't get it, here we are with the same argument. Who here doesn't understand that we are trying to recruit 5 star talent into a non power 5 conference? Look at the ranked teams in those conferences. Being in those conferences let's you play them and have opportunities to improve your position. TV exposure, national press coverage has those kid's faces all over the networks. Since we are out of the top 25 now and don't play anyone in the top 25 when will our game be covered on sports center? Do kids notice this? Dave Leito on our staff ain't gonna change that and the fact that we're still in it with Stone is a miracle.

 

[zls44]

Here's what they should do differently: can 2 of the assistant coaches and hire guys tied in with the modern AAU circuit.

It's a deep cut and would hurt because they're all loyal to the program, but change is never easy.