I've reached my breaking point with Ollie

[BUConn10]

Anyone have any good beers over Thanksgiving?

 

[Chief00]

So the UConn team was on my flight late last night from Maui to LAX and I have to say that I found it interesting that while the team was sitting together in the airport having a reasonably decent time before boarding, Ollie was sitting on the complete opposite end of the gate area with no one from the team or staff anywhere near him. Also thought it was interesting that the entire team and staff was in coach on the flight except for Ollie sitting row 1 in first class.

I'm sure this is making something out of nothing but...

Or maybe this explains the slow starts in Maui in that our players were so stiff from being crammed in coach for 11 hours of flights. Can't believe UConn doesn't charter for something like Maui. Pretty sure Wisconsin and UNC at least chartered for the trip. Maybe this is part of the AAC purgatory effect...

I wouldn't read too much into Ollie keeping a distance from the team at times. That's probably healthy. Calhoun used to send the team back to campus with George after XL games and go out with his wife and friends.

 

[djct1999]

Texas AD Mike Perrin in statement on Charlie Strong: "The results simply aren’t there, so we’ve decided to make a change."

Good programs demand results. It's that simple.

 

[mauconnfan]

Texas AD Mike Perrin in statement on Charlie Strong: "The results simply aren’t there, so we’ve decided to make a change."

Good programs demand results. It's that simple.

26-31 at Texas and great recruiting classes - can you please now give me the other guys credentials you are speaking of?

 

[upstater]

How was Ollie heavily criticized prior to the 2014 championship? He got guys who had nothing to play for to play their butts off in 12-13 and produce better results than any of us could have imagined. He then won a ring in his second year. It's only the past year or so that he's taken heat by the fan base and rightly so, given the results.

No. Wrong. He was heavily criticized here. Heavily. It was relentless.

 

[upstater]

Texas AD Mike Perrin in statement on Charlie Strong: "The results simply aren’t there, so we’ve decided to make a change."

Good programs demand results. It's that simple.

Yes, and the change was Charlie Strong!!! Think about that.

 

[upstater]

Patience? We were just told for the past few years to support athletics unconditionally to enhance its P5 profile. Yeah, so much for that. Now, the football and more specifically men's basketball are a shell of themselves and we are supposed to be patient. Why don't you be consistent! Pick a side, you can't have it both ways. UConn can't afford to be patient. Especially with coaches 3-5 years in.
I am sorry but if you don't think Ollie deserves criticism then you don't quite understand where UConn resides in the business of college athletics. The start to this season has done more harm than a 2-4(1-4 to the committee) record would indicate.

Patience.Haha, that's a good one.

I think you're a short-termer.

 

[djct1999]

I think you're a short-termer.

Yep, seems like classifying a 30+ year fan as a short termer certainly fits the current narrative. It certainly proves how tone deaf certain people are.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Texas AD Mike Perrin in statement on Charlie Strong: "The results simply aren’t there, so we’ve decided to make a change."

Good programs demand results. It's that simple.

I hear where the KO criticism is coming from. I don't think anyone, especially now after the injuries, is calling for KO's head at the end of this season

I think if next year's team underwhelms KO needs to at least take a pay cut (although with the buyout money drying up and with UConn being stuck in the AAC for at least the next 5 years, this may happen regardless). He has shown flashes, and he is young so he does need time to learn to be a head coach, but I don't think anyone can justify continuously paying him what we are to learn. Trainees, however promising they may be, don't typically make as much as 20 year experts. He is getting paid an elite winner's salary; with that come expectations. The extension and money kept him here after the NC, and I will say this: I'm sure KO's stock as an NBA coach has fallen significantly over the last few years and we don't need to worry about him leaving any time soon regardless of his pay.

 

[djct1999]

I hear where the KO criticism is coming from. I don't think anyone, especially now after the injuries, is calling for KO's head at the end of this season

I think if next year's team underwhelms KO needs to at least take a pay cut (although with the buyout money drying up and with UConn being stuck in the AAC for at least the next 5 years, this may happen regardless). He has shown flashes, and he is young so he does need time to learn to be a head coach, but I don't think anyone can justify continuously paying him what we are to learn. Trainees, however promising they may be, don't typically make as much as 20 year experts. He is getting paid an elite winner's salary; with that come expectations. The extension and money kept him here after the NC, and I will say this: I'm sure KO's stock as an NBA coach has fallen significantly over the last few years and we don't need to worry about him leaving any time soon regardless of his pay.

The problem for UConn is national perception. Not what people on this board think but what others around the nation think about UConn. It's indisputable that going 1-2 in Maui and losing to Wagner and Northeastern at home has caused irreparable harm to UConns national perception. Those losses coupled with the dumpster fire of a football program help fuel the fire of any UConn critic. Rivals are laughing at just how far UConn has fallen. Evaluating where both programs currently are prove what the naysayers claimed would happen, albeit faster than even they probably anticipated. And we are supposed to be patient? That is a word thrown around programs trying to rebuild. If UConn hoops has to rebuild, then it's probably to late. To not be critical of the early season performance says how out of touch people on here really are. We are past the point of excuses. We are at the point for this administration and these coaches to be accountable.

 

[7774]

Yep, seems like classifying a 30+ year fan as a short termer certainly fits the current narrative. It certainly proves how tone deaf certain people are.

It's been very easy to be a fan the last 30 years, that's his point.

 

[Rocktheworld]

The problem for UConn is national perception. Not what people on this board think but what others around the nation think about UConn. It's indisputable that going 1-2 in Maui and losing to Wagner and Northeastern at home has caused irreparable harm to UConns national perception. Those losses coupled with the dumpster fire of a football program help fuel the fire of any UConn critic. Rivals are laughing at just how far UConn has fallen. Evaluating where both programs currently are prove what the naysayers claimed would happen, albeit faster than even they probably anticipated. And we are supposed to be patient? That is a word thrown around programs trying to rebuild. If UConn hoops has to rebuild, then it's probably to late. To not be critical of the early season performance says how out of touch people on here really are. We are past the point of excuses. We are at the point for this administration and these coaches to be accountable.

I was with you at first then read this display of short-sightedness and immaturity. Two bad November losses causing "irreperable harm" lmao you drama queen

 

[7774]

The problem for UConn is national perception. Not what people on this board think but what others around the nation think about UConn. It's indisputable that going 1-2 in Maui and losing to Wagner and Northeastern at home has caused irreparable harm to UConns national perception. Those losses coupled with the dumpster fire of a football program help fuel the fire of any UConn critic. Rivals are laughing at just how far UConn has fallen. Evaluating where both programs currently are prove what the naysayers claimed would happen, albeit faster than even they probably anticipated. And we are supposed to be patient? That is a word thrown around programs trying to rebuild. If UConn hoops has to rebuild, then it's probably to late. To not be critical of the early season performance says how out of touch people on here really are. We are past the point of excuses. We are at the point for this administration and these coaches to be accountable.

You appear to be delusional.

 

[djct1999]

You appear to be delusional.

Yeah?

 

[djct1999]

I was with you at first then read this display of short-sightedness and immaturity. Two bad November losses causing "irreperable harm" lmao you drama queen

Start with the name calling when you move outside the comforts of the UConn bubble. If anything, your response is what's immature.

 

[Rocktheworld]

If anything, your response is what's immature.

"I know you are but what am I"

How immature.

 

[7774]

Yeah?

Yeah. I'm curious what your expectations were for the 5 year period
post Calhoun, because your comments make it seem like you expected that losing one of the greatest coaches of all time + recruiting restrictions + scholarship restrictions + a tournament ban would have no impact.

 

[intlzncster]

It's indisputable that going 1-2 in Maui and losing to Wagner and Northeastern at home has caused irreparable harm to UConns national perception. .

At the end of the year, all anyone will see (nationally) is that uconn was down 3-4 players and had a rough year as a result. 'Bad losses' et al won't be part of the conversation.

 

[huskymagic]

The problem for UConn is national perception. Not what people on this board think but what others around the nation think about UConn. It's indisputable that going 1-2 in Maui and losing to Wagner and Northeastern at home has caused irreparable harm to UConns national perception. Those losses coupled with the dumpster fire of a football program help fuel the fire of any UConn critic. And we are supposed to be patient? That is a word thrown around programs trying to rebuild. If UConn hoops has to rebuild, then it's probably to late. To not be critical of the early season performance says how out of touch people on here really are. We are past the point of excuses. We are at the point for this administration and these coaches to be accountable.

Djct99 I couldn't agree more with your sentiments as I have been saying the same myself but to convince patient do-gooders and the world is sunny crowd will be a Herculean effort. They don't realize that for the 3rd year going, we have displayed sub-par basketball defensively, offensively, and coaching that we are not accustomed to and should not be accustomed considering Ollie's success his first 2 years. For them the answer always is wait for next year. If Adams leaves for the NBA after this year coupled with the loss of Brimah, the excuses will be prepared for next year's team.

Your right to take this seriously as Ollie's effort coupled with Diaco's dumpster fire display in football is going to put us right in position for the next realignment 10 years from now. We need to bring an experienced assistant coach, get rid of Killings, and look at options including going to the Big East for basketball.

 

[djct1999]

At the end of the year, all anyone will see (nationally) is that uconn was down 3-4 players and had a rough year as a result. 'Bad losses' et al won't be part of the conversation.

Maybe on this board. Nationally, things will be looked at much differently. Especially when the worst two losses were at full strength at home.

 

[tentoes4rings]

No. Wrong. He was heavily criticized here. Heavily. It was relentless.

Are you serious? Maybe by Tampa Bill or Freescooter or someone but overall I think the rational posters were largely behind him.

 

[djct1999]

Yeah. I'm curious what your expectations were for the 5 year period
post Calhoun, because your comments make it seem like you expected that losing one of the greatest coaches of all time + recruiting restrictions + scholarship restrictions + a tournament ban would have no impact.

First, if you are willing to give Ollie credit for the championship(which I do) he is certainly equally deserving of criticism. What did I expect? Top 25 recruiting classes, top 25 ranking, top 2-3 in aac regular season, annual NCAA tourney appearance, player development, and most importantly, for UConn to remain relevant. I thought and still do think Ollie was the right hire. I also feel he has grossly underachieved the last few years.

 

[CAHUSKY]

I also feel he has grossly underachieved the last few years.

He won a National Championship 2 years ago.

 

[Walker11]

I have no issue with people criticizing Ollie but please realize he is absolutely our best option. Good luck finding someone to recruit like he has in the AAC. Do you want to replace him with a great tactical, mediocre recruiting coach, e.g. Dunphy? The upside isn't nearly is high with a coach like that and I don't think we could find a bigger recruiting draw than Ollie.

Ollie has a really tough job. Playing in the AAC gives him very little margin for error. This team was destined to start slow with so many new pieces. Granted, that doesn't explain the Wagner, Northeastern games, but plenty good teams lose to scrub squads early in the season. The difference is that P5 schools have so many chances to get quality wins and we don't. IMO, its a helluva lot easier for a pretty good, not great team to go 10-8,11-7 in a P5 than it is to go 14-2 in the AAC.

 

[7774]

First, if you are willing to give Ollie credit for the championship(which I do) he is certainly equally deserving of criticism. What did I expect? Top 25 recruiting classes, top 25 ranking, top 2-3 in aac regular season, annual NCAA tourney appearance, player development, and most importantly, for UConn to remain relevant. I thought and still do think Ollie was the right hire. I also feel he has grossly underachieved the last few years.

I'd say the level you described is the level we were at the last few Calhoun years. It seems unrealistic to think we would start from that level, have a worse coach and a couple recruiting classes killed by sanctions, and stay at that same level. We should still be beating Wagner and Northeastern though.

I agree Ollie deserves criticism, you're acting like he's not heavily criticized here. Most people who think the talent level is driving a large percentage of our poor play still admit there are many things Ollie needs to do better.

 

[intlzncster]

Maybe on this board. Nationally, things will be looked at much differently. Especially when the worst two losses were at full strength at home.

See it's just the opposite. On this board, there will be complaining. No one nationally will care when the guys were injured, just that it was a few games in. They'll chalk it up to a write off season. That's the narrative sports commentators will go with, because it's an easy sound bite. Nationally, UCONN doesn't get remotely the scrutiny as on this board (obviously). The narrative will be that UCONN was ravaged by injuries, and had a very tough season as a result.

 

[intlzncster]

They don't realize that for the 3rd year going, we have displayed sub-par basketball defensively, offensively, and coaching that we are not accustomed to and should not be accustomed considering Ollie's success his first 2 years. For them the answer always is wait for next year.

I do not think anybody is pollyanna about where the program is at right now (except Scrappy).

Your point loses weight when you look at UCONN's defensive numbers. They are very good for much of the last few years. Offensively, they have not been good. Much of that is do to not having a top shelf experienced PG. Historically, the years where we do do well, they almost always have that. We've got Jalen and Alterique (not so much atm), who have a chance to be top shelf, but are limited experience-wise.

The pipeline is still getting back to full in the post sanctions era. It's not making excuses, it's just a simple fact. The last of our 'sanction class' are graduating this year.

If Adams leaves for the NBA after this year coupled with the loss of Brimah, the excuses will be prepared for next year's team.

Again, this is very much a pipeline issue. Big class this year (unfortunately kneecapped by injury) and next.

Your right to take this seriously as Ollie's effort coupled with Diaco's dumpster fire display in football is going to put us right in position for the next realignment 10 years from now. We need to bring an experienced assistant coach, get rid of Killings, and look at options including going to the Big East for basketball.

Killings is an experienced assistant coach, who's noted for both recruiting and player development. What more do you want?

UConn set five years experience as a college assistant coach as a minimum, and preferred requirements included experience with multiple college programs, including a staff with multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, and with some NBA experience. Killings checked all those boxes.

You aren't getting Jim Calhoun to come out of retirement and sit on the pine at UCONN.

If we go to the BE for basketball, we are done for football and future conference realignment (our only hope). If that's what you want, then simply state it.

 

[intlzncster]

Yeah. I'm curious what your expectations were for the 5 year period
post Calhoun, because your comments make it seem like you expected that losing one of the greatest coaches of all time + recruiting restrictions + scholarship restrictions + a tournament ban would have no impact.

+ recruiting to a 2nd tier conference.

 

[intlzncster]

He won a National Championship 2 years ago.

And has two top recruiting classes (incls next year) under his belt. And has won the AAC tournament. Lost to a juggernaught in the NCAAs. Was ranked for periods.

Has it been all what I want? No. But it hasn't been death either.

I would like to be able to win the AAC, year in year out.

 

[upstater]

Are you serious? Maybe by Tampa Bill or Freescooter or someone but overall I think the rational posters were largely behind him.

It's easy to go back on this board as it started in 2011. It's not a mystery. I just looked up dozens of posts. I also saw posts by people saying the opposite of what they're saying now. I saw posts from people saying Ollie doesn't know what he's doing by not playing Facey and Brimah together (3 years ago), and it's the exact opposite now. There was a lot of anti-KO stuff here 3 years ago (the NC championship season).

There were people here not named the 2 you mentioned and they were tying Ollie to the downfall of the program, projecting our future as Indiana, Marquette, UCLA, and I thought that was funny then, and think it's funny now. I don't expect UConn to win championships (something Kansas has a very difficult time doing) but I do expect them to compete for championships every few years (like and Indiana or UCLA).

(As an aside, and maybe irrelevant, I just read a thread on Manuel in my search for Ollie stuff, regarding Ollie's contracts, and the possible firing of Pasqualoni in his third year, and it is hilarious, as to how the insiders--who this poster claimed he knew--were absolutely not going to allow Manuel to fire PP because of money concerns, and yes I was critical about Manuel for various reasons (that had everything to do about my inside info in other areas, but I never let it muck things up on this site)).

Go back. Read the threads: This is a very good poster typically, but stuff like this was said: "We're naive to assume that those "intangible" qualities as a coach necessarily go hand-in-hand with in-game, X's and O's acumen. Today was the first jarring example of his inexperience or weakness in this area. We spent 15 minutes doing absolutely nothing against the zone, with no adjustment whatsoever. It was as if we didn't have a coach at all."

A short response to this post from another: "We have had many of these types of games with Calhoun too. It happens."

Then this: "That happens when you call ineffective plays and don't make adjustments."

And another from another: "The problem with Ollie's adjustments is that he doesn't make any. The offense has gotten progressively worse just about every time the team steps out on the court. That's not a very good reflection on Ollie."

Keeps going, several different posters: "The chance of uconn losing Ollie to the NBA, as ESPn was pimping a few weeks ago, went way down tonight. The team was not lackadaisical. A team that doesn't know what to do, often does nothing. There is no where else to pin this loss but ollie."

This was another poster's response to one of mine:
"What about next year? No development happening here. SN gone, TO gone, LK gone, NG gone. RB? DD? I can't see either leaving (based on my own opinion), but not real sure they would be a plus next year. The team is settling for lots of one-on-one, ball screens with zero pick-and-roll. It looking like a bad NBA game right now."

ME: "When people look at the recruiting and coaching landscape across the country, what do they see? Who do they like? Tom Crean? Shaka Smart? Who would you trade Kevin Ollie for right now?"

ANSWER:
"I don't want Tom Crean. I don't want Shaka Smart. I want to beat an 8-5 Houston team with an unimpressive resume and playing without 3 players. I'd like to not be so unready that we fall down by 20 points to said team. That's what I want right now. If we can't do that than we have some problems in Olliewood."

Also good stuff:
"I am sick of seeing that same type face expression (eyebrows squinted/open mouth/frustration head shake)--I want to see the old Jim Calhoun technical foul actions to wake the team up to get their tails in gear. Seldom do I see him even standing up. This team needs coaching excitement if you ask me."

I hear echoes.

More:
"He can recruit, but I haven't seen anything special in terms of coaching the game. He lets his players play too much and sometimes they shoot themselves in the foot."

"Have to agree with this. He has no big men to work with which I hope is the reason our offense is so stagnant. Voskuhl and Souley Wane were not big scorers by any means, but both were solid defensively and on the boards and Jake especially was a great screener. We don't have a big man on this team who can even set an effective screen. Tough for the offense to be any more than one on one if we can't even do that."

These are all valid criticisms. But, they go overboard when they think the situation can't improve, and they then veer toward canning Ollie, as in those below:

"Now is the time if Husky Nation sees if Ollie can build a winner long term or if the success will be short lived. In today's game, you need some sort of inside outside threat to win national championships. If Ollie can't get a Big Man on campus that can dominate, it's going to be a short lived reign in Storrs. Every championship UCONN has won, has had that dominate inside/outside threat. In fact, look at most every team that has own, each team had the guard/big man combo. In Ollie's short term at the helm, he's shown he can land recruits. The question is, our they the right recruits that wins championships. This is an important time in UCONN athletics, between Football and Basketball, UCONN needs championships to be relevant in conference realignment."

"I'm definitely taking a wait and see attitude on Ollie. I'm not overly confident, but he did fine last year and I'm willing to see what he does this year. I will say, though that last year was in some ways a unique set of circumstances that aren't in place this season. At least to some extent, he was able to motivate guys to play in part because some of those games "were there ncaa tournament" in part because a popular assistant was playing for his job, and in part because the schedule wasn't overly difficult. Except for the last one, those don't apply this season. So we'll see whether he can motivate a team under a more normal set of circumstances. To date he hasn't done a great job. This team plays to its opponent and that can and has resulted in losses to lesser opponents and close games against some very mediocre opponents. I would say this, though, if UConn misses the NCAA tournament or becomes a real bubble team in this league, I would expect him to have a very very short leash next season."

"Ollie doesn't have a coaching philosophy. He has no offense. We stand around and set ball screens. At this moment in time he is an awful coach. We never screen away from the ball, we don't even push the ball up well. Hopefully he can get this thing turned around. He is lucky he has a couple nice recruits coming in."

"The team is absolutely regressing. Player skill is getting less and less fundamental... But we do have behind the back passes, no look throws and street ball dribbling, and three on one plays, there is no denying that. It's pretty obvious the style of BBall KO has brought to UConn... Street ball."

"Would you still be berating WM and clamoring that he grant KO an extension? Or would you be saying that Warde was smart to wait out the year before committing to an unproven Head Coach?"

None of these are TampaBill or Freescooter. Well, this next one was a hat tip to Freescooter (joking) and a response to "Ollie is terrible," : "Fire him. Is Shaka smart still available ?"