Give Kevin a Chance

[Dogdeacon]

In my opinion, different views on Kevin Ollie including his effectiveness, capabilities and competency have been the biggest point of contention in the history of the Boneyard. I agree with you that the KO era is essentially over.

My hope is that a very good new coach will guide the program back to playing the UConn basketball we grew accustomed to. I miss the excitement of having a dog in the hunt in March. I'm sure you do too.

I guess its the biggest point of contention in terms of massive crisis. But in terms of polarizing opinions or frequency of discussion I think it pales in comparison to conference realignment and Taliek Brown.

 

[Tenspro2002]

KO has been unable to recruit enough high quality players and BBIQ in to the program. KO has been unable to recruit enough quality shooters into the program. Forget about class rankings and the star system. We have 1 big injury this year but what we trot out onto the floor nightly has been a disgrace.

Put Gilbert into this system and tell me how the product looks appreciably better or what additional games we win.

 

[Tenspro2002]

He continually ignored certain types of players, hence the lack of BB IQ and shooting ability. A great team needs a mixture of different skills, namely ballhandling, shooting, rebounding, toughness. KO's positionless ideal resulted in a team lacking in ballhandling, shooting, rebounding, while making guys unclear about their roles and a poor team result.

KO confused position-less with skill-less. He's in love with the skinny 6'8 guy regardless of whether they can shoot, pass, dribble, or rebound.

 

[Tuna]

Why don't you tell us more about how Kevin Ollie is going to turn things around next season?

Relax, I was kidding.

 

[Huskybass]

I guess its the biggest point of contention in terms of massive crisis. But in terms of polarizing opinions or frequency of discussion I think it pales in comparison to conference realignment and Taliek Brown.

Funny that I don't recall Taliek Brown being as polarizing as the KO situation. I liked Taliek alot, perhaps I just wrote off his detractors as nutjobs.
As to conference realignment, I never read that stuff. It just doesn't interest me. If we eventually get into a better conference I will be happy, however, me reading about it on a message board really doesn't impact what happens either way. I really only read the men's basketball posts and occasionally something to do with the women if there is a topic that interests me.

 

[Travelman6]

Put Gilbert into this system and tell me ... what additional games we win.

Two Tulsa games for sure.

Perhaps Memphis and wsu at home and at ucf.

A lot of those 25 or 26 or 28 point losses would at least be cut in half and zona would be single digits.

 

[UconnFanDC]

Absolutely Not wait wait.... Kevin is this you?

 

[jibsey]

Why don't you tell us more about how Kevin Ollie is going to turn things around next season?

Or “Daddy, read us the story of how Kevin Ollie won the National Championship the year after everyone wanted him fired.”It’s the one in the book right after Jack and the Beanstalk.

 

[mauconnfan]

Funny that I don't recall Taliek Brown being as polarizing as the KO situation. I liked Taliek alot, perhaps I just wrote off his detractors as nutjobs.
As to conference realignment, I never read that stuff. It just doesn't interest me. If we eventually get into a better conference I will be happy, however, me reading about it on a message board really doesn't impact what happens either way. I really only read the men's basketball posts and occasionally something to do with the women if there is a topic that interests me.

How dare you call me a nutjob.

 

[Paesano]

Tom doesn’t want us discussing Ollie’s character so I’ll tread carefully, but I do wonder whether or not any of the rumors about work ethic/other stuff have burned his bridges with other members of the coaching committee.

Maybe the reason he looks so dejected on the sideline is he knows a) he blew it here, and b) he’s not getting another job anywhere for quite a while.

Would Tom be OK with people commenting on Trump's character? If so, why isn't it ok to discuss the character of a high profile coach being paid over 3mill a year by a umiversity that is impacted by his actions? People shouldn't make false accusations but why are facts an issue? And why is it not ok to say *IF* Ollie does X then it implies Y about his character when X is being openly discussed?

 

[Madmannsucks]

Because every character implication is just a rumor....unless you have a fact, you should keep it to yourself. If you have a fact about something - post it. An opinion about his character is immature and irresponsible.

 

[freescooter]

Two Tulsa games for sure.

Perhaps Memphis and wsu at home and at ucf.

A lot of those 25 or 26 or 28 point losses would at least be cut in half and zona would be single digits.

Ok so let’s here it:

N-I-T! N-I-T!

 

[Huskybass]

Why do you feel compelled to spew the same crap about someone day in day out for over a year now? It's sickening bass. You were right, there! Leave it be now let it play out now we all know he's on his way out.

You're correct I flew off the handle and you didn't deserve that but it really is annoying. My apologies you are probably a great guy, just not over the past few months from my pint of view, at least here.

I don't spew the "same crap". The 20 plus point blowouts, head scratching substitutions, and failure to reward productivity with increased playing time are all relatively new points.

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't spew the "same crap". The 20 plus point blowouts, head scratching substitutions, and failure to reward productivity with increased playing time are all relatively new points.

OK

 

[UConnRock]

Two Tulsa games for sure.

Perhaps Memphis and wsu at home and at ucf.

A lot of those 25 or 26 or 28 point losses would at least be cut in half and zona would be single digits.

Realistically, I look at Gilbert making a difference (by difference I mean a chance to win) in the following games:

Syracuse, Wichita (H), 2 Tulsa games, UCF, Cincy (H), Arizons, and Memphis (H). Remember Arizona was a 2 point game with 6:00 left. Lets say Uconn wins both Tulsa games, the UCF game, and one each of 'Cuse/Memphis and Wich/Cincy. That is 5 more wins and currently 19-11 with 4 -5 of those wins being in conference, so 11-6 0r 12-5 in conference. That would have been about the expectations if you told me that Larrier was not going to come close to expectations. I would suspect that a true playmaker at PG would have limited several of the huge early deficits that UConn faced in many games when teams focused on Adams and Uconn didn't know which Larrier or Adams was going to show up.

The bottomline is nobody knows where this team could have gone with a healthy Gilbert and a win against Syracuse, maybe Arizona, playing Wichita St. tougher at home, and beating Tulsa. A 4-1 start to the conference schedule would have been a confidence builder. I do think Gilbert would have enhanced the development of the youngsters in the middle. It may have ended up being an NIT team, but it would have been a team with a defined path forward.

 

[Paesano]

Because every character implication is just a rumor....unless you have a fact, you should keep it to yourself. If have a fact about something - post it. An opinion about his character is immature and irresponsible.

No. Some of it is judgment. Let me give you a hypothetical. If UConn fires him for cause because he would not negotiate a deal that would allow him to resign and leave with a lesser amount, does that say anything about his character? It does to me and I am not sure why some mods have a problem with stating that. First of all, it is a hypothetical and, second, it is an opinion. No one presented it as fact.

This hypothetical is being floated out there by several people so why is it not okay to then say, "well, if he does that then I think ." People can't call him "family" and then say he should insist on his full buyout and not expect others to then question the character of a man who would do that. Maybe I expect too much of people.

 

[polycom]

No. Some of it is judgment. Let me give you a hypothetical. If UConn fires him for cause because he would not negotiate a deal that would allow him to resign and leave with a lesser amount, does that say anything about his character? It does to me and I am not sure why some mods have a problem with stating that. First of all, it is a hypothetical and, second, it is an opinion. No one presented it as fact.

This hypothetical is being floated out there by several people so why is it not okay to then say, "well, if he does that then I think ." People can't call him "family" and then say he should insist on his full buyout and not expect others to then question the character of a man who would do that. Maybe I expect too much of people.

The only reason this matters is because KO played at UConn. It is what it is, KO will always have his fans.

 

[intlzncster]

Would Tom be OK with people commenting on Trump's character? If so, why isn't it ok to discuss the character of a high profile coach being paid over 3mill a year by a umiversity that is impacted by his actions? People shouldn't make false accusations but why are facts an issue? And why is it not ok to say *IF* Ollie does X then it implies Y about his character when X is being openly discussed?

No he wouldn't. I mean, that's one of the most basic rules on the boneyard: No politics. Which translates to 'no inane pissing matches'.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Funny that I don't recall Taliek Brown being as polarizing as the KO situation. I liked Taliek alot, perhaps I just wrote off his detractors as nutjobs.
As to conference realignment, I never read that stuff. It just doesn't interest me. If we eventually get into a better conference I will be happy, however, me reading about it on a message board really doesn't impact what happens either way. I really only read the men's basketball posts and occasionally something to do with the women if there is a topic that interests me.

Really? You don't remember all the jokes about the hook shot being blocked by an armpit? TB was hated, right up until he was loved.

 

[Madmannsucks]

No. Some of it is judgment. Let me give you a hypothetical. If UConn fires him for cause because he would not negotiate a deal that would allow him to resign and leave with a lesser amount, does that say anything about his character? It does to me and I am not sure why some mods have a problem with stating that. First of all, it is a hypothetical and, second, it is an opinion. No one presented it as fact.

This hypothetical is being floated out there by several people so why is it not okay to then say, "well, if he does that then I think ." People can't call him "family" and then say he should insist on his full buyout and not expect others to then question the character of a man who would do that. Maybe I expect too much of people.

I don't want hypothetical examples if you are attacking his character. If you don't have a fact, keep it to yourself.

 

[intlzncster]

Realistically, I look at Gilbert making a difference (by difference I mean a chance to win) in the following games:

Syracuse, Wichita (H), 2 Tulsa games, UCF, Cincy (H), Arizons, and Memphis (H). Remember Arizona was a 2 point game with 6:00 left. Lets say Uconn wins both Tulsa games, the UCF game, and one each of 'Cuse/Memphis and Wich/Cincy. That is 5 more wins and currently 19-11 with 4 -5 of those wins being in conference, so 11-6 0r 12-5 in conference. That would have been about the expectations if you told me that Larrier was not going to come close to expectations. I would suspect that a true playmaker at PG would have limited several of the huge early deficits that UConn faced in many games when teams focused on Adams and Uconn didn't know which Larrier or Adams was going to show up.

The bottomline is nobody knows where this team could have gone with a healthy Gilbert and a win against Syracuse, maybe Arizona, playing Wichita St. tougher at home, and beating Tulsa. A 4-1 start to the conference schedule would have been a confidence builder. I do think Gilbert would have enhanced the development of the youngsters in the middle. It may have ended up being an NIT team, but it would have been a team with a defined path forward.

I think you are being a tad optimistic, but it would certainly have made a difference. From an optics perspective, I don't think we'd have as many blowouts, which added insult, upon insult, to injury. We might have seen growth in this team, not regression.

The follow on affect to other players would probably have been the key. The energy he brings is infectious, which would have a huge impact on the team throughout games. The biggest effect would probably have been getting Anderson less time on the court--no offense to the kid. He'd likely have opened things up for Adams, kept him fresher, and put less overall burden on him. Maybe less forced bad shots (vital). Perhaps it would have lead to Larrier getting the ball in better sports, and having less a need to create and turn it over. Bigs getting the ball in better spots, and perhaps more frequently.

This is all complete speculation. No idea how many wins it would translate to, but it would have been far better to watch.

 

[UConnRock]

I think you are being a tad optimistic, but it would certainly have made a difference. From an optics perspective, I don't think we'd have as many blowouts, which added insult, upon insult, to injury. We might have seen growth in this team, not regression.

The follow on affect to other players would probably have been the key. The energy he brings is infectious, which would have a huge impact on the team throughout games. The biggest effect would probably have been getting Anderson less time on the court--no offense to the kid. He'd likely have opened things up for Adams, kept him fresher, and put less overall burden on him. Maybe less forced bad shots (vital). Perhaps it would have lead to Larrier getting the ball in better sports, and having less a need to create and turn it over. Bigs getting the ball in better spots, and perhaps more frequently.

This is all complete speculation. No idea how many wins it would translate to, but it would have been far better to watch.

Agree that the product would have been much more pleasurable to watch. It would have been a trickle down effect in terms of PT with less reliance on just Vital and Larrier as options to Adams for scoring. Anderson would have had his expected role off the bench as an energy guy. It would have been less 1-on-1 time at the end of the shot clock because of Gilbert's penetrating and passing ability. Just a more creative offense because of his ability. It is how the team practiced throughout the fall and then it was drastically altered by the injury.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Funny that I don't recall Taliek Brown being as polarizing as the KO situation. I liked Taliek alot, perhaps I just wrote off his detractors as nutjobs.
As to conference realignment, I never read that stuff. It just doesn't interest me. If we eventually get into a better conference I will be happy, however, me reading about it on a message board really doesn't impact what happens either way. I really only read the men's basketball posts and occasionally something to do with the women if there is a topic that interests me.

Talek’s teams went 103-35, in an extremely tough Big East Conference, culminating in a national championship his season year. He played great D and had a better than 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. That was at a time when we had a dominant program and needed things to bitch about. Contrast to 2016-18 where we could construct an entire dart board with real issues and never miss once.

 

[imno1]

"my PINT of view" - was that supposed to be on the BEST BEER

Looked it up in Webster’s “”Pint of view” ones opinion after a few brews

 

[CTBasketball]

How many chances should KO get to recruit a shooter?

There’s been a lot of good shooters come thru this state that we’ve passed on.