God, This Place is Miserable After a Loss

[mauconnfan]

This quote is ridiculous JC coached 40 years as a HC ...Ollie has coached for what 3 years+....Ollie is still a new coach at a great program to compare him even in the least to JC is crazy.

No it's not. He makes how many million a year? He doesn't get that money in order to make poor decisions at the end of games no matter how many years. I love KO and believe in him, but he's not excused from the mess of last night, he's a very capable coach. If you want it your way then by all means take away the NC for him too right, that's fair then?

 

[UConn990411]

The problem isn't so much that KO is making mistakes - that'll happen to any young coach, even the great ones.

But he doesn't seem to be learning from them either.

 

[UC990411]

A few things:

1. Out of all of the actors, I'm most disappointed with Hamilton's performance. And this wasn't a case of the shots not falling -- he kept forcing it when it was obvious he wasn't feeling it, taking a bunch of ill-advised shots with no rhythm or momentum. Yeah, sure he made a couple towards the end. But in a close game, you don't keep firing them up in the hopes you'll catch on fire. If you're a smart basketball player, you'll realize that your teammates offer your team a much better chance at getting and sustaining a lead.
2. One of the most underrated aspects of Brimah's absence is that we now see how he inflated Hamilton's status as a passer. Very rarely did I see him making an effort to find his teammates and pop the ball out to them. There was one play when he had the ball on the break and just tossed the ball up in the general direction of the rim, as if he forgot Brimah wasn't in the game. In the past, I've ridiculed people for saying that the Brimah lobs inflated Hamilton's assist numbers, because it's a great play when it works. But given the role we need Hamilton to play in our offense, we need more from him as a distributor.
3. I'll say this vis-a-vis substitutions: Dunphy did a much, much better job than KO. Each time we went on a mini-run, they were throwing some combination of Aflakpui, Dingle, and Williams in the post. Then, once we had tied the game, Bond and Enechionyia were well-rested and ready to be put back in. Dunphy also cut out the two freshman guards (Alston and Lowe) for the entire second half.
   
4. I haven't been one of Adams' biggest boosters as of late, and he did make a couple of crummy plays, but he was our only player who had any success taking it to the hole in the second half. He should've been in at the end.
   
5. I don't get how Facey can have such a solid game against a taller and bulkier Texas frontline of Big 12-level players, yet fall to pieces against Bond and Enechionyia. He has much more athleticism than either of those two, but for some reason they were getting more elevation than he was the majority of the time, and on the occasions when he did sky up there, he just couldn't hold onto the ball. To quote my 6th grade travel team coach: "This isn't volleyball, boys. Grab that ball."
6. In general, Dunphy is a much better coach than this board will give him credit for. This is not the first time he has taken a team of players with less talent and less hype to our turf and gotten them to a) completely outhustle us for loose balls and b) crash the boards with a ferocity that we haven't seen from our own players in years. This is not like losing to a Donnie Jones or an Ed Conroy.
7. This team will not be fixed by Ollie shouting out profanities with a Boston accent and stomping his feet. I challenge anyone to provide me with measurable proof that it would have any impact on our performance. Same goes for the assistants. Even a pollyanna like me recognizes that there are real issues with this team, but stick to the stuff that will actually make a difference: substitution patterns, adjusting the offense, the stuff that makes an impact on the court. Not the meaningless stuff that does nothing more than satisfy your nostalgia for JC's antics.
   
8. Thankfully I've only seen one "we need to think about firing Ollie" post, but if more come up, could the mods please merge them all into one thread so the rest of us know to avoid the topic?
9. Y'all are a bunch of whiny crybabies.
10. Last but not least, if we have Brimah...a) we win, b) he gets at least 5 blocked shots, and c) he slams home a lob while simultaneously putting his nuts in Josh Brown's mouth.

Have a good night and (still) Go Huskies.

you're the worst

 

[Brochacho]

This place is miserable and rightfully so. Many of use thought this team was good enough for a deep run in the tourney. Today, we lost to an extremely mediocre team in Temple and we seem to be heading back to the NIT. There's still plenty of time to turn it around but it's not looking good as of right now.

From better than the 2009 squad to NIT, what a fall in your eyes.

 

[msgordon]

lol at the self-righteous title and a whole page of whining before declaring everyone else crybabies..wow

 

[August_West]

1. This team will not be fixed by Ollie shouting out profanities with a Boston accent and stomping his feet. I challenge anyone to provide me with measurable proof that it would have any impact on our performance. Same goes for the assistants. Even a pollyanna like me recognizes that there are real issues with this team, but stick to the stuff that will actually make a difference: substitution patterns, adjusting the offense, the stuff that makes an impact on the court. Not the meaningless stuff that does nothing more than satisfy your nostalgia for JC's antics.

.

I know you are a young'un and a good guy, so I will excuse that one, but all of us who were here for the entire JC duration can tell you first hand that Boston accent profanities and a good heaping of fear and accountability could be exactly what this team needs. JC rarely lost these types of games. And when he did they were on his terms. (he would pull people winning or losing if they did not do things his way in a flat January matchup to make his point. It is why we were always known as a late season peaking team. By february his system was instilled as rote) . You did things his way or you got a face full of Irish invective and spit. I don't expect KO to ape JC. Everyone has a different approach. I don't think KO has found HIS way to get the most out of his players yet. That is troubling.

 

[imno1]

I'm just not sure what other reaction anyone would have expected.

"Oh well, they played their hardest and that's all that matters." They didn't.

"At least we can see the progress." We can't.

"Temple is a very tough team." They're not.

"They've been playing good basketball so this is an anomaly." They haven't and it's not.

Sure, there are some people diving off a cliff but those people react hysterically to everything. And there are almost enough polyanna's explaining away the loss to balance the first group out.

The rest of the posters seem justifiably disappointed in what is surely the worst result of the season. Brimah's return will undoubtedly prevent some of the layup lines we saw tonight, but this team is way behind where it should be given the talent. I'm not in the camp that's putting them in the NIT on January 5, but if you had asked me on 11/1 if this team was going to miss the tourney I would have laughed at you - now it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable as a possibility. They are just not progressing. It's the same bonehead defensive lapses, same clogged toilet offense. Maybe this is who they are, but it still seems to me that the individual pieces are better than the whole, and ultimately that falls on one guy's shoulders to get right.

Fk you and your moderate points of reason that make so much sense. We need to hang someone. I don't care who. I'll let fishy decide.

 

[FartMan69]

Not ready for prime time. We'll see where they are in late February.

Luckily in the AAC there is no such thing as prime time. But yeah were not ready for it.

 

[jibsey]

I'm just not sure what other reaction anyone would have expected.

"Oh well, they played their hardest and that's all that matters." They didn't.

"At least we can see the progress." We can't.

"Temple is a very tough team." They're not.

"They've been playing good basketball so this is an anomaly." They haven't and it's not.

Sure, there are some people diving off a cliff but those people react hysterically to everything. And there are almost enough polyanna's explaining away the loss to balance the first group out.

The rest of the posters seem justifiably disappointed in what is surely the worst result of the season. Brimah's return will undoubtedly prevent some of the layup lines we saw tonight, but this team is way behind where it should be given the talent. I'm not in the camp that's putting them in the NIT on January 5, but if you had asked me on 11/1 if this team was going to miss the tourney I would have laughed at you - now it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable as a possibility. They are just not progressing. It's the same bonehead defensive lapses, same clogged toilet offense. Maybe this is who they are, but it still seems to me that the individual pieces are better than the whole, and ultimately that falls on one guy's shoulders to get right.

"Clogged toilet offense" Only 2 ways to treat that, a pass, assist and flush or a plunger. I wish we had a plunger.

 

[Stainmaster]

you're the worst

News flash: they aren't firing the coach after last night's game.

 

[Stainmaster]

lol at the self-righteous title and a whole page of whining before declaring everyone else crybabies..wow

There's a difference between actual objective analysis of what happened during the game and whining "woe is me, this program is doomed".

 

[Stainmaster]

I know you are a young'un and a good guy, so I will excuse that one, but all of us who were here for the entire JC duration can tell you first hand that Boston accent profanities and a good heaping of fear and accountability could be exactly what this team needs. JC rarely lost these types of games. And when he did they were on his terms. (he would pull people winning or losing if they did not do things his way in a flat January matchup to make his point. It is why we were always known as a late season peaking team. By february his system was instilled as rote) . You did things his way or you got a face full of Irish invective and spit. I don't expect KO to ape JC. Everyone has a different approach. I don't think KO has found HIS way to get the most out of his players yet. That is troubling.

I agree with you in that each coach needs his shtick in order to light a fire under his players' @$$es. But KO just can't put forth a carbon copy of what JC did. KO could try out his best fake accent and ask his son what words strike fear into the hearts of kids today, and there's no guarantee it would do anything.

My problem with citing the "JC method" is that it often hosts a subtext of "I wish JC himself would come out of retirement and immediately install himself as HC while KO gets kicked to the curb". Which is ridiculous to say after one loss.

Also, food for thought...JC's last year featured back-to-back losses to both Seton Hall and Rutgers (whose coaches don't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Fran Dunphy), so nobody should act like this has never happened before.

 

[August_West]

I agree with you in that each coach needs his shtick in order to light a fire under his players' @$$es. But KO just can't put forth a carbon copy of what JC did. KO could try out his best fake accent and ask his son what words strike fear into the hearts of kids today, and there's no guarantee it would do anything.

My problem with citing the "JC method" is that it often hosts a subtext of "I wish JC himself would come out of retirement and immediately install himself as HC while KO gets kicked to the curb". Which is ridiculous to say after one loss.

Also, food for thought...JC's last year featured back-to-back losses to both Seton Hall and Rutgers (whose coaches don't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Fran Dunphy), so nobody should act like this has never happened before.

...and was lambasted on here for it. You will not find many who don't universally acclaim 2012 as his by far worst coaching job of his career.

 

[intlzncster]

I know you are a young'un and a good guy, so I will excuse that one, but all of us who were here for the entire JC duration can tell you first hand that Boston accent profanities and a good heaping of fear and accountability could be exactly what this team needs. JC rarely lost these types of games. And when he did they were on his terms. (he would pull people winning or losing if they did not do things his way in a flat January matchup to make his point. It is why we were always known as a late season peaking team. By february his system was instilled as rote) . You did things his way or you got a face full of Irish invective and spit. I don't expect KO to ape JC. Everyone has a different approach. I don't think KO has found HIS way to get the most out of his players yet. That is troubling.

One of JC's greatest skills was imposing his will upon his team. Heck, it might have been his greatest skill. JC effectively willed teams to win games. He created that junkyard dog mentality.

KO is a super nice guy, and I feel like some of that rubs off on the team. Whether it's the guys he's getting, the team taking on the personality of the HC, or some combination of both, I don't know.

JC motivated through fear (with the understanding that he'd always have your back push comes to shove and he did it out of love). KO motivates through connection/love with his players. Maybe that shows on the court? I've no idea, just spit balling.

 

[Waquoit]

JC motivated through fear (with the understanding that he'd always have your back push comes to shove and he did it out of love). KO motivates through connection/love with his players. Maybe that shows on the court? I've no idea, just spit balling.

I think we have to stop with harking back to JC. He was the last of the mohicans and that style doesn't fly anymore. What successful coach calls his players mother effers in public these days? Not many I bet. Frank Martin?

 

[JimHurley]

From better than the 2009 squad to NIT, what a fall in your eyes.

You got me there, Brochacho. On paper, this team is better than the 2009 team but now 14 games into the season I see we're nowhere close.

 

[intlzncster]

You got me there, Brochacho. On paper, this team is better than the 2009 team but now 14 games into the season I see we're nowhere close.

Whaaaaaaaaat? That's a patently absurd statement. This team might be better at only one position.

Thabeet was the DPOY and an AA. Brimah can't sniff his jock at any one skill (except a bit more athleticism which doesn't mean dick if you don't have the rest).

Adrien was a rebounding machine down low; turned into a capable scorer from the top of the key on inside. While Miller is capable, JA can out rebound, defend, out tough, and maybe outscore him.

I'll take Hamilton over whomever 2009 plays on the wing.

You can take your pick on Dyson and Purvis, but I'll take an uninjured Dyson over Purvis. Could get to the rim like nobody since. It's pretty much a wash though.

AJ Price is the best point guard and it's not even close. Sterling/Adams are so far behind here it's comical.

Walker and Adams are a wash. Edwards/Facey is a wash. Beverly/Calhoun is pretty much a wash, with Omar having higher upside. Chuck is a wash with Enoch/Nolan.

And that team had Calhoun. Jim Calhoun.