I hate this place after losses

[8893]

I've been strongly on the "take it easy" train going back for some time. Yes, much of the board, including me, reacts to the good and the bad. Yes, much of the reactions are overreactions.
The only issue I have with your post is that this loss kinda makes things different because, unlike the loss to MSU, this loss felt just like last year. Which is setting off many alarm bells in my head.
It was supposed to be different this year. Today felt awfully the same.
So. We'll see. I totally respect your thoughts on this, and my heart is with you in believing that this storm will pass and halcyon days are ahead.
My brain, however, has battened down all of the hatches, stowed the sails, put on a life jacket, and woken up the captain, o captain, because it believes that we're heading into a Clooney-esque storm and the potential for disaster is acute.

So was 2014 the Flemish Cap?

 

[MadDogRevival]

Like I wrote above, don't totally disagree with you . . . but . . . Arkansas "not missing" had something to do with us playing sub par defense, including constant fouling, putting them at the line.
When the HC starts saying, "boy were they hot," after a game, that's a very loud warning bell, in my mind.

 

[Walker11]

Anyone calling for him to be fired today is crazy. Bad nights happen in basketball. In the NBA playoffs, you will see a team lose by 30 one night and win 2 days later. People are concerned because of the trends and the flashback of last year but KO and the team have a ton more ball to play. I think he's probably not the guy but he may prove me wrong.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Great through 5? Stony Brook shot 37% from 3 and 43% from 2. Hardly great, and maybe not even very good, considering the competition.
The reason that people are "forgetting" this is because it's blatantly untrue. With 5 minutes left, MSU was up 12. The game was in hand for MSU well before that, however. I don't really care, because MSU is a great team, other to correct your unsupported contention.
That written, I'd love for you to be correct. But "I've got a bad feeling about this Scoob."

 

[MadDogRevival]

I understand. I just wouldn't want it done any other way because it brought us a championship in 2014. Wouldn't trade that year for 3 tournament years following.

I agree and I too adored the 2014 run and Nattie.
But, let's not assume that a different coach wouldn't have gotten the same result - that team was special, and, as time goes on, Ollie's role in making it special appears less significant.

 

[cohenzone]

I understand. I just wouldn't want it done any other way because it brought us a championship in 2014. Wouldn't trade that year for 3 tournament years following.

It’s the unknowable. Maybe we win the last 3 NC with a different coach. All I said was we deserved a national search and if KO was still the choice,fine. And maybe you still get the 2014 result. 2014 isn’t the end note of UConn hoops, I hope.

 

[UConn_Top_Dog]

#9 UNC is getting blown out by the same MSU team we went blow for blow with for 30 min. We will be fine.

 

[upstater]

I agree and I too adored the 2014 run and Nattie.
But, let's not assume that a different coach wouldn't have gotten the same result - that team was special, and, as time goes on, Ollie's role in making it special appears less significant.

Highly unlikely IMO.
The coach and the staff had a big hand in that.
Amazing defensively. Let's not forget that was the first team to win the NC in many years with only one future NBA player.
But a lot of credit goes to the improvement in Shabaazz, Boatright, Giffey and even Nolan over the previous 2 years.
Basically, every single thing went right for them. In my mind, chances are 1% they win it with any other coach than Ollie/Calhoun. You can't know--but there was magic there in that team playing together, improbably.

 

[UConnDan97]

#9 UNC is getting blown out by the same MSU team we went blow for blow with for 30 min. We will be fine.

We'll be fine so long as we show up with the right attitude...

 

[Doctor Hoop]

Granted this was a terrible loss, but Mich St is currently spanking UNC by 21 with 9 minutes to go. Other teams can play like garbage too.

 

[mauconnfan]

Granted this was a terrible loss, but Mich St is currently spanking UNC by 21 with 9 minutes to go. Other teams can play like garbage too.

No you're wrong. Ask...ah never mind.

If our guys played well today and hard but still lost I may take something from MSU hammering UNC, but somehow the pasting they took today as they whimpered off the court doesn't allow me to even go there.

 

[Hi-Low]

When the talent was decent in 15-16 with DH, SG, SM, JA, RP we had a good (not great) year with 25 wins. Last year was brutal but we lost TL & AG so hard to gauge. This year we had a mass exodus (VJ, SE, JD) of size that we dearly miss, so much so that our best lineup right now is 4 smallish guards & TL.....it was a complete mess tonight. Maybe KO and company can figure it out before we hit conference play, not much we can do but wait and see.

 

[BUConn10]

lol piss off mau. we could have air bud as the head coach and I'd be fine with it as long as we were winning and showing promise.

This idea that because some people aren't on the KO bandwagon at the moment, or for some time now, means in any way they they are rooting for the team to lose or are celebrating KO's failure is the fundamental disconnect between the two parties, and frankly it's a toxic one.

 

[mdkhusky]

Our problem is that our leaders aren't leaders: Adams, larrier, Ollie

 

[sammydabiz]

Do you seriously think people are happy that we aren't any good? I have something like 20 or 30K posts on this board, I haven't missed a Uconn game I had the ability to watch in close to 30 years. It freaking kills me that we are no longer relevant, that blowouts, and losses to former cupcakes have somehow become tolerated, and most of all it kills me that Ollie isn't the guy.

I'm a Giants fan, I rooted for McAdoo too but it became pretty clear he isn't up to the task. I care way less about McAdoo the human being than I do Kevin Ollie the human being but that doesn't change my feelings that Ollie isn't up to the job. As much as I like Ollie as a person I care more about Uconn basketball than I do about hurt feelings.

Some people won't recognize the situation no matter how how many times they are hit over the head and shown how bad it is but none of that really matters, I'm confident Benedict knows what's going on and will deal with it.

But to pretend that any Uconn fanatic is happy or celebrating any of this is farcked up.

I couldn't have said it any better, thank you

 

[Paesano]

If you hate this place after a loss then you have been hating it a lot the past few years.

 

[Towney007]

We'll be fine so long as we show up with the right attitude...

Alcoholics hang out at the bar largely because they can be around people who can help keep up the appearance that they don't have a problem.

 

[UConnDan97]

Alcoholics hang out at the bar largely because they can be around people who can help keep up the appearance that they don't have a problem.

Well then, I hope you get the proper help for your addiction. I'm rooting for you...

 

[Tyler]

This was an embarrassing game, for sure.

BUT one result doesn't make things that different. This is the same team that needed late heroics to beat Stony Brook, played well against what will be a borderline tournament team (Oregon), and played well again MSU for a half.

This was a crappy game in particular, but people are making way too much out of one game. Progress isn't linear, and we have some pieces.

We're also going to lose some more frustrating games. But people here can't keep expectations consistent from one game to the next. Many here though we'd be 1-2, with our 1 win against DePaul.

Embarrassing loss and all, this team is what it was a week ago: a bubble NCAA team that has a decent ceiling but needs to grow.

(And among those who 'need to grow' includes, of course, our 44-year-old head coach)

I think it's more about the effort and body language.....