I'm starting to think it isn't Ollie.

[Danzz]

So at this point next season, we'll be 12-11 instead of 11-12? Yes. Return to glory! I'll never be satisfied with being better than this year. We're worse than last year this year. Why would anyone assume we'll be better next season? I guess we should hope every other school gets worse.

We'll have a real PG or 2 and our young front court will be more experienced and hopefully stronger especially Carlton. If Jalen comes back he'll play off the ball more and you'll see better shots from him and a better shooting percentage.We'll be a lot better than 12-11. This assumes that our recruits actually play here and we can get something out of Gilbert.

 

[huskyrob1]

Gee thank you, every-time I see I've been quoted, I expect to find someone telling me how stupid I am again

I'm telling you, It's a rough crowd

Same crowd starting rumours that Dave Benedict is Jeff Hathaway's bastard son.

 

[AdamaNation]

I guarantee with Coach K we would have had more than 5 assists today. That’s hard to believe, and this is a huge reason for our ineptness on O.

nO assists with nO O. Can’t have assists if you can’t make shots. See week 1. Hasn’t changed. Won’t change. No pg only makes it worse.

 

[TRest]

Bagley would get 4 shots a game under KO.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

The point I'm getting at is...are these players nothing more than giant lumps of clay, or are there factors within their control (and not the coach's) that determine the trajectory of our development?

I think there are always intangibles in players that are not readily apparent when going through the recruiting process. Some coaches can't mold that clay into the right shape after the miss. Others can. That is something experience helps with. I mean lets face it some of the clay we are working with was "purchased" at Joe's Cheap Art Stuff Store located under a bridge.

The question is...??? IF I WENT on an excursion to Mars and brought back KO the best clay in the world...after one year what would that clay look like?

 

[huskyrob1]

With our roster Coach K would be sidelined with an illness.

KO with Duke's roster means two transfers, one 6'10" white guy stealing laptops, one broken wrist in practice, one point guard who forgot how to dribble, and three players out with Mono.

 

[Fairfied109]

Appreciate Ollie for all he did for our program but maybe I didn’t appreciate Calhoun enough. When you look back pretty incredible.

 

[huskyrob1]

I think there are always intangibles in players that are not readily apparent when going through the recruiting process. Some coaches can't mold that clay into the right shape after the miss. Others can. That is something experience helps with. I mean lets face it some of the clay we are working with was "purchased" at Joe's Cheap Art Stuff Store located under a bridge.

The question is...??? IF I WENT on an excursion to Mars and brought back KO the best clay in the world...after one year what would that clay look like?

A driver, a three wood, a sand wedge, a putter and a box of Titleists.

 

[Jaker]

Even if we had Trae Young, we still wouldn't be a tourney team

 

[HuskyHawk]

A group of more talented guys playing pickup style street ball, will always lose to a less talented, well coached team Playing strong fundamental basketball. These guys have more talent than you are seeing, even if they aren’t Cinci or Nova. They should be much better than this.

 

[Husky68]

So it's just a coincidence that Geno's teams are the best-passing, best-shooting, hardest-working year in and year out, with different players? Nothing to do with his coaching?

No it's not a coincidence. He gets great players. I'll give you contrary example. A kid named Elena Della Donne was #1 in high school, committed to UConn, never played at UConn and transferred and played for Delaware. Did she turn out to be failure; hardly. She was college AA, WNBA allstar and Olympian. This year his team has a 7th man who was #1 recruit from high school and a 6th man who was an ACC 1st team player. Watch how lame Geno's 2nd team plays and you'll see it's not all coaching.
Coaching plays a factor in player development but the major, major onus is on the player. If not Molly Bent on Geno's team would be as good as Crystal Dangerfield; and she ain't. A team of Molly Bent's would play like crap (like UConn boys), a team of Crystal Dangerfield's would play like a well oiled machine (like Villanova boys).
Talent 1st, effort 2nd, and coaching 3rd (and moves the needle only so far given the teams 1st 2 factors makeup).

 

[KodiacKemba]

I would suggest that is Ollie and his staff’s fault. I see zero player development/improvement. Makes me wonder what the heck they actually do during practice.

Wasn’t Miller on that staff

 

[AZHuskiePop]

A top 10 national recruited class is who replaced Hamilton and he still failed.

Let take a close look at that class
1. Gilbert How many games has he played in in two years
He was the cream of the class. Hard to develop when your in the operating room.
2, Jackson After a rocky start not unusual for a freshman he found his stoke and started most of the games after January. He was slow footed and hurt on D but probably was the best pure shooter on last years team and far and away would have been the best shooter on this years team. That was a huge lose.
He decided to go elseware . His father didn’t help our cause.
3. Durham former top recruit coming off double a ACL surgery
Was not physically ready to play and would have been redshirted accept for injuries.
Lacked confidence which isn’t surprising for a guy who hadn’t played much in two years.
4, Diarra a throw in missed all of last season with a leg injury that some thought would end his career .Has had some moments as a redshirt freshman but he is a raw player
Ranked about 130
5, Christian Vital
A throw in three star rank about 160 who developed into the number one sub on last years team and leads this years team in a number of categories

So your top ten class is a gimpy redshirt freshman and a throw in who developed better than anyone predicted.
Frankly if everyone was heathy and came back this year no better than last then you might have a weak case for development issues.

 

[whaler11]

No it's not a coincidence. He gets great players. I'll give you contrary example. A kid named Elena Della Donne was #1 in high school, committed to UConn, never played at UConn and transferred and played for Delaware. Did she turn out to be failure; hardly. She was college AA, WNBA allstar and Olympian. This year his team has a 7th man who was #1 recruit from high school and a 6th man who was an ACC 1st team player. Watch how lame Geno's 2nd team plays and you'll see it's not all coaching.
Coaching plays a factor in player development but the major, major onus is on the player. If not Molly Bent on Geno's team would be as good as Crystal Dangerfield; and she ain't. A team of Molly Bent's would play like crap (like UConn boys), a team of Crystal Dangerfield's would play like a well oiled machine (like Villanova boys).
Talent 1st, effort 2nd, and coaching 3rd (and moves the needle only so far given the teams 1st 2 factors makeup).

I don’t ask for much. Please tell me Crystal Dangerfield is Rodney’s granddaughter.

 

[jibsey]

they can't shoot, they can't shoot, they can't shoot

but they can certainly shoot better than they're shooting, they're pressing IMO

a few made shoots would heal a lot of wounds, they have to make some shots

in some cases, they have to take some shots, they're afraid to miss

look at Charlton today, they started both halves setting him up for a bunny, and he clanged them. Those shots will start falling, if not this year then next

And the fact that we can’t shoot is not a 1 week sample. Players at this level and by this time of the season aren’t pressing with nervousness. They are just not good enough % shooters. Even with wide open uncontested shots many times. We’re they great shooters in high school? I bet not.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

Every time I read these arguments that KO is not responsible for how bad we are, I think of the nihilists from Big Lebowski:

“We believe in nothing Lebowski, nothing!”

What is a coach responsible for? “Nothing!”

(1) Players simply appear at a program. “Can’t recruit a kid who doesn’t want to play here!”

(2) Players also simply leave a program sometimes. “Nothing you can do if a guy doesn’t want to be here!”

(3) Players perform according to a pre-determined path. You’re either high basketball IQ or low basketball IQ. Nothing a coach can do!

(4) If the team consistently makes the same mistakes or fails to execute, it’s their fault alone *unless* the coach specificaly told them to make those mistake. (“I doubt KO told them to inboud it to the other team!”)

(5) Sometimes you just can’t catch a break! (Lose by 28? “We just can’t catch a break!”)

OK . . . . then why are we paying KO $3M and why do you care if he’s replaced? It only makes sense to pay a coach big bucks (and to care who the coach is) if that person is ultimately responsible for the product on the court.

 

[Scrutineer]

Does it have anything to do with the players, or is it 100% Geno’s coaching?

Maybe 50% on the type of players he recruits and 50% on coaching?

 

[AdamaNation]

Bagley would get 4 shots a game under KO.

But 8 offensive boards.

 

[AdamaNation]

Let take a close look at that class
1. Gilbert How many games has he played in in two years
He was the cream of the class. Hard to develop when your in the operating room.
2, Jackson After a rocky start not unusual for a freshman he found his stoke and started most of the games after January. He was slow footed and hurt on D but probably was the best pure shooter on last years team and far and away would have been the best shooter on this years team. That was a huge lose.
He decided to go elseware . His father didn’t help our cause.
3. Durham former top recruit coming off double a ACL surgery
Was not physically ready to play and would have been redshirted accept for injuries.
Lacked confidence which isn’t surprising for a guy who hadn’t played much in two years.
4, Diarra a throw in missed all of last season with a leg injury that some thought would end his career .Has had some moments as a redshirt freshman but he is a raw player
Ranked about 130
5, Christian Vital
A throw in three star rank about 160 who developed into the number one sub on last years team and leads this years team in a number of categories

So your top ten class is a gimpy redshirt freshman and a throw in who developed better than anyone predicted.
Frankly if everyone was heathy and came back this year no better than last then you might have a weak case for development issues.

Keep in mind vj mainly left due to Larrier returning and minutes evaporating. He was under the impression those were earned and not out of necessity last year. He irritated me with his pretty boy ways anyway. Deuces!!!

 

[willie99]

And the fact that we can’t shoot is not a 1 week sample. Players at this level and by this time of the season aren’t pressing with nervousness. They are just not good enough % shooters. Even with wide open uncontested shots many times. We’re they great shooters in high school? I bet not.

I guarantee you they can shoot better than they are, and they have shot better than they're shooting. They are pressing

and nobody said they were "great" shooters or even that they have to be "great" shooters

 

[zls44]

Every time I read these arguments that KO is not responsible for how bad we are, I think of the nihilists from Big Lebowski:

Its been an entire season of lingonberry pancakes.

 

[AdamaNation]

More importantly than that IMO is who leads them in practice every day....KO and his puppet show. Give me our coaches from the late 90's and early 2000's and these kids would be a much much more cohesive and better schooled team than they are now.

Oh the glory days. Avatar says it all sadly we can’t go back in time. Oddly the great saint James Calhoun from the late 70’s - mid 90’s also longed for that staff. Took him 40 years to get there. Damn KO not trying hard enough and just in over his head. Please stop comparing it is unfair to all of us and yourself as a UConn fan. I see it like the new and old testament it’s just a totally different time with deep roots to the previous. All that is shared is tradition and honor, not practice or procedure. There will be many more eras. Oddly, this is the second best one in UConn history if you can wrap your head around that one.

 

[huskyrob1]

Oh the glory days. Avatar says it all sadly we can’t go back in time. Oddly the great saint James Calhoun from the late 70’s - mid 90’s also longed for that staff. Took him 40 years to get there. Damn KO not trying hard enough and just in over his head. Please stop comparing it is unfair to all of us and yourself as a UConn fan. I see it like the new and old testament it’s just a totally different time with deep roots to the previous. All that is shared is tradition and honor, not practice or procedure. There will be many more eras. Oddly, this is the second best one in UConn history if you can wrap your head around that one.

Yes, it took Calhoun 40 years to get into the HOF, four National Championships in 15 years for UConn, at the top of the college basketball world. Even the 2014 NC is part of the Calhoun era. Then it took Ollie and his clown show only 4 years to burn it down to where we are now. You are right about one thing, there will be many more eras, one is right around the corner, when KO is either canned or resigns in disgrace in the midst of embarrassing loss after loss after loss in a crappy league, an NCAA investigation, and a slew of transfers.

 

[rich1122]

We'll have a real PG or 2 and our young front court will be more experienced and hopefully stronger especially Carlton. If Jalen comes back he'll play off the ball more and you'll see better shots from him and a better shooting percentage.We'll be a lot better than 12-11. This assumes that our recruits actually play here and we can get something out of Gilbert.

If Jalen comes back? Are you kidding. Who is gong to take him? Seriously.

 

[AdamaNation]

Yes, it took Calhoun 40 years to get into the HOF, four National Championships in 15 years for UConn, at the top of the college basketball world. Even the 2014 NC is part of the Calhoun era. Then it took Ollie and his clown show only 4 years to burn it down to where we are now. You are right about one thing, there will be many more eras, one is right around the corner, when KO is either canned or resigns in disgrace in the midst of embarrassing loss after loss after loss in a crappy league, an NCAA investigation, and a slew of transfers.

Perhaps, but will it be the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? I fear the latter.