Hey KO

[Sonova]

Kevin Ollie spent 13 years in the NBA and won a national championship at UConn with players he largely developed.

That is why they come to UConn.

How is Florida recruiting these days without Donovan?

2017: #96, #150, 204, #233
2016: #124, #194, #283

This is a P5 school with multiple luxuries UConn doesn't have.

1. Warm weather
2. A much-remarked upon student body
3. P5
4. Two games against Kentucky each year.

Their recent history ain't bad either with 2 NCs, and they even have a good OOC schedule: Duke, Gonzaga, Florida, St.

Look at those recruiting numbers once again. They ain't pretty.

That's reality.

And you're point is....?That Florida hasn't recruited well since Donovan left. Got it.

Of course the coach matters. I never said that Kevin Ollie and his CV played zero role in recruiting. But if you think that these kids wouldn't consider UConn with a different coach, you're crazy. Today's college freshman have grown up with UConn winning 4 titles in their lifetime. UConn is a brand to them that's been associated with championships, consistent success, tv exposure and great pros. That's bigger than Kevin Ollie. By a lot. And if KO can't maintain the national level of winning or getting guys into the league, then this program will pretty quickly become irrelevant (at least in the minds of 16 and 17 year old high school basketball players). Hence my high level of concern. Just because Florida isn't recruiting well (they've had a decent start to the year btw) doesn't mean that UConn should stand by Ollie and mediocrity

 

[traitor71]

That is fair no doubt and I agree. Tough times need patience though. Does KO do some things that me go crazy, hell yeah he does...is he a top 10 or even 20 coach right now? Doubt it. Is there better guys out there for the UConn program who would come here? I doubt that one too. He has proven himself to get things done with players who are motivated and smart. Now it's up to him to those those same types and we will be successful. For those who believe UConn will get to where they will be 17-1, 16-2 in their conference and 28-2, 26-4 overall heading to the tourney's it's going to be a whining time in your life, it will almost always be a fight since the Big east departure. But they will be in it come March/April again that I have no doubt. Ways to go, I'm a believer.

Of course patience is required, and I don't even know who another coach could be, that is for someone else to decide, when the time comes. But if there is no tournament this season (looks like that is the case) and if next season were to pass without a tourney appearance, then the time will have probably come. KO has to find the solution, it's just the way it is, and I am sure he would acknowledge that.

 

[traitor71]

Reasonable take on things. I'm just curious. What's your take on the impact the APR sanctions had on Uconn?

Adverse to be sure, but they certainly aren't a program killer. They shouldn't be used as some reasoning for the on court results seeming to get worse and worse. I worry more about players that don't seem to improve, I worry about the overall talent on the team not seeming to match the "build up", I worry about a coach that often sits there and looks as lost as the kids that make the same mistakes over and over. Mostly, I worry about not being in regular tournament contention in the league we are in. I'm not one that thinks we should be steamrolling any league, but we should be better than we are for God's sake. Every year that we aren't in the tournament discussion is going to make it that much harder to get the kids here that we need. This year is almost a throwaway because of the injuries, but next year simply has to be better or the program will find itself in a big hole.

 

[Paesano]

@Paesano if he struggles for a few more seasons and we don't see the tourney. I have a hard time believing we will miss the tourney next season. Also, last season was not bad or mediocre, no matter what asterisk you add, we still won a tourney game. year before that we lost three pros. Its not as simple as going and getting a random mid major coach, your recruiting will take a major hit and the brand will diminish.

So you are saying three more years after this year. Correct? And, if understand you correctly, we would have to completely miss the tournament all three years. Is that also correct? Assuming I get you correctly, I will just have to disagree with your standards. I see it this way, missing the tournament is flat out bad for UConn. So, assuming a miracle doesn't occur and we miss it this year, you wouldn't make a change until we missed four years in a row. And that would be on top of a mediocre (or whatever you want to call last year) season and another bad season prior to that. That would be a total of six un-UConn-like seasons in a row. You are more patient and generous that I am.

As for last year, I agree that is wasn't "bad" but I call it mediocre because, in this conference, an actual good year would require either winning the conference (regular season) or finishing in the Top 25 and, preferably, both. That is my standard. Yours can be different. I also don't think we should see four bad OR mediocre seasons in a row. Calhoun had bad seasons now and then. I think he even had a mediocre and bad season back-to-back. And it did take a few seasons to get it going. So I can see have a few bad and/or mediocre seasons in a row early in his career. I am just not sure I can accept four in a row and I don't think I can accept six in a row. So I will agree to disagree.

 

[mauconnfan]

Of course patience is required, and I don't even know who another coach could be, that is for someone else to decide, when the time comes. But if there is no tournament this season (looks like that is the case) and if next season were to pass without a tourney appearance, then the time will have probably come. KO has to find the solution, it's just the way it is, and I am sure he would acknowledge that.

Agree next year if all are healthy, it needs to be an eyebrow raiser

Ah the cagey veteran of an internet message board who calls people "rookies." You go old fella. Good one. I know one helluva lot more about the entire situation with UConn and college basketball than you could ever hope to. Im cool with that. And really, my point isn't that any of them should be the next UConn head coach - I said as much. My point is that they're doing a better job than Kevin Oillie. And that's scary.

"one helluva a lot more" huh dopey? Nice, I'm pretty doubtful you know even one thing more about this program than I, as a matter of fact based on your early posts I am quite sure. But dream on pal!....you're cute when your mad.

 

[upstater]

Florida isn't recruiting well (they've had a decent start to the year btw)

They still have Donovan's recruits there. Devin Robinson is still at Florida.

 

[Tuna]

Piss off. Steve Fisher won a title too and I wouldn't consider him a great coach by any means.

You lost any shred of credibility you may have had with this one.

 

[Huskybass]

I wouldn't necessarily call it a bad year, but for good (never mind top) programs, it's a bare minimum season, especially when bookended by years of missing the tournament. Nice that we won the conf tournament, and Jalen's shot was indeed a part of the month's highlight reel. But if we are satisfied by being a mid level AAC team (at best) with our facilities, tradition and Ollie's recruited talent, we deserve this misery.

Newsflash back at you - top players aren't coming to play for a program that isn't making the tournament or a coach who isn't putting guys into the league. And in the circles that matter, the whispers are starting that he is a guy who isn't developing talent. Whether that changes or not remains to be seen. But top 100 talent will come to UConn for the near term because it's UConn. They really don't give a about said coach's label or whether they came from a mid level program. Kevin Ollie is a "name" (for now) because he's at UConn.

And if you don't think that there are more than a few who are better college coaches at programs lower than UConn (heck look around the AAC and youll see a few) you're more daft than I thought. And that's saying something.

Knockout punch.

 

[rex33]

So many of you who just don't want to face reality, it's truly hard to understand.

Let's look at KO's resume at Uconn....

First year- takes a team with half a roster because everyone transferred and won 20 games.

Second year- wins a national championship, a feat that is nearly impossible for so many other programs that win 20+ games every year.

Third year- a down year, the only year where we underachieved, had a lot to do with Daniels making a poor decision and jetting to nowhere.

Fourth year- We go to the tourney and win a game and lose to the 1 seed.

This year- obviously we all need to take this year and throw it out considering 2 of our best players are out for the season since the 5th game of the year and our best player sat out two games.

Put things in perspective....

How is Oklahoma doing without Woodward???

0-5 and that is just one player.

Are you going to get on Kruger too now?

Wake up negative Husky fans, please wake up.

How about you wake up. We used to be that 1 seed, not lose to them in the second round. We got extremely lucky with both Kemba and Shabazz but lets not pretend that we have been a consistent top 25 team for the last several years.

 

[Huskybass]

So many of you who just don't want to face reality, it's truly hard to understand.

Let's look at KO's resume at Uconn....

First year- takes a team with half a roster because everyone transferred and won 20 games.

Second year- wins a national championship, a feat that is nearly impossible for so many other programs that win 20+ games every year.

Third year- a down year, the only year where we underachieved, had a lot to do with Daniels making a poor decision and jetting to nowhere.

Fourth year- We go to the tourney and win a game and lose to the 1 seed.

This year- obviously we all need to take this year and throw it out considering 2 of our best players are out for the season since the 5th game of the year and our best player sat out two games.

Put things in perspective....

How is Oklahoma doing without Woodward???

0-5 and that is just one player.

Are you going to get on Kruger too now?

Wake up negative Husky fans, please wake up.

Whats truly hard to understand is that you and so many others on here are willing to settle for absolute mediocrity after becoming an elite program. JC busted his ass to turn a nothing program into an elite program. Sad to see it become what it is now. Sunday's game, however, gives me some hope that better days are ahead.