Jacobs Q+A with KO

[UConnfan8]

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...obs-ollie-transcript-0419-20170419-story.html

Covers everything except Diallo. Pretty insightful. Figured I'd post.

 

[WrenchFan69]

The Courant website is a nightmare. Chrome has optimized 99% of the internet to move smoothly but just can't get that one right. Great interview though. Gotta have kids who want to be here, especially in an era where we might see 1000 D1 transfers in a single offseason. Also love the jab about other coaches poaching players, absolutely 100% what Cooley did with MAL.

 

[UConnSwag11]

We can't go around recruiting players who are on somebody else's team. That's happened. That's a big epidemic, too. It's not just the guys transferring. It's other college coaches also. I'm not afraid to speak on it.

Hmmm....

 

[AntG168]

That was a fantastic interview. After reading that you dont get the feeling Ollie has lost control. I believe that he believes we will be ok, which is comforting.

 

[pj]

You can also see why some recruits might not be excited about the pitch. Other coaches are saying what they will do for the recruit, Ollie is saying what recruits will do for the team.

The good thing is that that approach filters for high character players. The question is, how many high character players are there out there?

 

[AntG168]

You can also see why some recruits might not be excited about the pitch. Other coaches are saying what they will do for the recruit, Ollie is saying what recruits will do for the team.

The good thing is that that approach filters for high character players. The question is, how many high character players are there out there?

Good Point. I mean thats Calipari's whole scam, "I'll get you to the NBA". UConn has never been a 5* destination. What Ollie has to get back to is identifying potential 3-4 yr stars from 25-100 range. While also continuing to take shots at the big boys. But the days of turning away 4* recruits to wait on the 5*'s(ie. David Beatty) should be over. That has never been our recipe for success

 

[rip7774]

Before I even got to the JC part, I thought, it sounds like KO is getting back to the roots of the program: TOUGHNESS. Mentally and physically.

I think KO has decided if I go down, I'm going to go down doing it my way, the UConn way!

I'm a huge KO fan, but he absolutely deserves a lot of criticism and my most pointed criticism is very fixable: Recruiting. He has spent a ton of time chasing five star players and missed on virtually all of them. 5-star prima donnas like Diallo, Stone etc were not how this program was built into a national powerhouse, but Bruce Brown and Beattys were (perhaps) those kind of players. 4-stars with some versatility and toughness. This is fixable, why Killings and Chillious were brought in. They can do more heavy lifting, I think KO had to do too much recruiting. KO is going to get TOUGH kids, physically and more important, mentally.

It's crazy that we went from this guy is the hottest college coach NBA candidate EVERY offseason to it's a sinking ship and recruits won't return our calls. It seems really overstated, but these coaches have to get some momentum going again. Perception is reality. Don't know how but they need to fight like never before to change it, I believe they can.

I also think it shows great growth as a leader to not do the comfortable thing and retain the entire staff. It was very clear change was needed after 3 underwhelming seasons, I have never seen such a weak mentality in our team that if things started to go south they almost always snowballed, and absolutely never seen us manhandled physically like we were game in and out. The coaches that left I have nothing bad to say but KO needed to rock the boat for everyone, including himself.

KO's back is against the wall. I love that he's coming out punching and not feeling sorry for himself. I am very concerned as the national perception of recruits has fallen off a cliff but I think the changes KO and his staff have made suggest positive changes are ahead.

 

[pj]

KO's back is against the wall. I love that he's coming out punching and not feeling sorry for himself. I am very concerned as the national perception of recruits has fallen off a cliff but I think the changes KO and his staff have made suggest positive changes are ahead.

The good side is that when UConn is back, as we will be, KO can use this whole episode as another motivational story. Life has ups and downs for everyone, and when you are down, double the effort and get back to the top.

 

[TRest]

I'm starting to think grabbing a championship in his second year was problematic for KO's approach. It took JC years of knocking on the door to get the first final four/ring, and to have it happen so fast for KO really interrupted his growth as a head coach.

 

[Ricker]

This is the kind of interview that should have been done weeks ago, and many of the key questions were asked head on, but there are still a few others I wish were addressed.

Q: Individually each player might see their future better addressed somewhere else, but you have lost ALL your returning front players in spite of all minutes available to be earned at multiple frontcourt positions. Instead, the players decided they would rather sit out a year at another school rather than compete for these minutes playing for you. The usual transfer reasons relate to no playing time, being recruited over, not having the ability to play at a UConn level, or having a head coaching change, and these reasons do not appear to exist. These are your recruits. Why do you feel they do not want to stick it out with you? Why could they not have been re-recruited?

Q: If your front court players believed that they weren't being used 'correctly' it seems to validate perception outside the program that there is not good big man coaching. Yet the coaching change made appears to relate to recruiting rather than 'big man' player development. Don't these defections re-enforce the negative perception and therefore require being addressed with an action or response?

Q: With all the time and travel contact with your team, the number of advisors, managers, etc. how could the coaching staff be surprised that there was dissatisfaction sufficient to result in these transfers and defections? How much in advance of the announcements did you realize these things were likely to happen?

Q: The split with Glen Miller was hard, but was it done well? Has the departure contributed to anything else related to other departures or defections?

Obviously all answers are spin, but there are some nuggets. The fact that he had wanted each of the transfers to stay, the implication that there may have been meddling with MAL, no mention of homesickness as a contributing factor, ... just not ten toes in with a team first attitude. That is the one thing that Purvis really displayed to me over time. He sat on the bench at times and fought his way back to the court appearing to have the right attitude.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That was superb. I am confident that he gets it. He sees what we all have seen, a team that isn't playing UConn basketball. He was careful to say he wanted all the transfers back, but between the lines you know they were given very frank assessments. They were going to play max defensive, and unselfish, high effort basketball or they were going to sit.

I'm encouraged. As I said in another thread, I think Kevin believes that the core guys coming back have enough talent to win now if surrounded by guys who know how to play. So far a JUCO and a grad transfer, and I suspect we will see another grad trasnfer. Those guys are hungry to win games. They aren't out for personal glory. They know they aren't going to the NBA.

 

[jibsey]

It's amazing to read an article this long with Q and A and have nothing new, no real revelations about the players leaving. He alludes to defense which is no news, and while he does doesn't want to trash anyone he skirts around the questions, says nothing and sounds like a politician being interviewed. Nothing new about MAL either. Understand that 1000 players are transferring and sit just happens. The Glen Miller thing was to go in a different direction, case closed. He talks in a convoluted way about defense (doesn't come out and say Enoch and Jackson couldn't or wouldn't buy in), about going "big" with Brimah and Facey, and making adjustments on the fly. To me that was something he did not do well last year even with the injuries. The one thing I do not question is KO's work ethic and desire to make the team better and he does have a talented and solid core to add to but we don't walk away from this interview with any real insight.

 

[AntG168]

I

It's amazing to read article this long with Q and A and have nothing new, no real revelations about the players leaving. He alludes to defense which is no news, and while he does doesn't want to trash anyone he skirts around the questions, says nothing and sounds like a politician being interviewed. Nothing new about MAL either. Understand that 1000 players are transferring and sit just happens. The Glen Miller thing was to go in a different direction, case closed. He talks in a convoluted way about defense (doesn't come out and say Enoch and Jackson couldn't or wouldn't buy in), about going "big" with Brimah and Facey, and making adjustments on the fly. To me that was something he did not do well last year even with the injuries. The one thing I do not question is KO's work ethic and desire to make the team better and he does have a talented and solid core to add to but we don't walk away from this interview with any real insight.

I respectfully disagree. Your point is true on its face that Ollie didnt say anything "ground breaking". But it's not so much what he said that is encouraging. It's the idea that he is getting back to UConn basketball that gave me hope. He's changing his approach. He's going back to toughness>talent. Which is what Calhoun built this program on. If you werent tough idc how talented you were Calhoun didnt want you. Also, i believe he revealed what happened with the 3 transfers without saying as much. He wanted them to stay but also made it clear that things were going to be different and that the culture would be changing. And i dont think Vance, steve, and juwan wanted to be apart of that. KO the nice, lovable, easy going coach recruited them. But the Calhoun esque Ollie was going to be taking over and not every kid wants to play for a coach like that. I think we are going to see a different KO, but for the better. His legacy at UConn is on the line and he looks and sounds ready to fight fot it

 

[UConnStats]

Some interesting parts:

KO mentioned a core 5 rather than 4. Seems to be bullish on Diarra being an impact player.

This also caught my interest as it confirms what we thought. Vance Sr's twitter rampage early in the season was like dumping chum with Jaws in his vicinity.

We can't go around recruiting players who are on somebody else's team. That's happened. That's a big epidemic, too. It's not just the guys transferring. It's other college coaches also. I'm not afraid to speak on it.

 

[AntG168]

Some interesting parts:

• Mentioned a core 5 rather than 4. Seems to be bullish on Diarra being an impact player.

No he's just not they level of terry, eique, and Jalen. I think by the time mama is a senior he'll be terrific

 

[rip7774]

Amen!

Coming out of the corner FIGHTING!!!

So sick of watching guys dip their heads when things go wrong and getting manhandled physically!

JC is back!!!!

 

[upstater]

Jalen Adams was a top guard. UConn recruited him almost exclusively. UConn has always had success by recruiting one or two real talents to feature.

UConn should not ignore that.

Think of how key players like Kemba Walker and Deandre Daniels have been. These were high level 5 star recruits.

Daniel Hamilton and Jalen Adams are in the same category.

Of course, yes, what makes UConn special is the Jeremy Lambs, Emeka Okafors, Shabazz Napiers, etc. that did not have that very high pedigree. But Ollie has already reeled in two such players in Adams and Hamilton. Also a McD All-American in Alterique Gilbert. It would be preposterous to say Ollie should not recruit these types of players anymore just because of Diallo.

 

[AntG168]

Jalen Adams was a top guard. UConn recruited him almost exclusively. UConn has always had success by recruiting one or two real talents to feature.

UConn should not ignore that.

Think of how key players like Kemba Walker and Deandre Daniels have been. These were high level 5 star recruits.

Daniel Hamilton and Jalen Adams are in the same category.

Of course, yes, what makes UConn special is the Jeremy Lambs, Emeka Okafors, Shabazz Napiers, etc. that did not have that very high pedigree. But Ollie has already reeled in two such players in Adams and Hamilton. Also a McD All-American in Alterique Gilbert. It would be preposterous to say Ollie should not recruit these types of players anymore just because of Diallo.

Agreed. Recruit them, but no more turning down the beatty, and bruce browns of the world. Im all for going for the big fish. We'd be dumb not to

 

[Silk31]

Loved this quote and back it 100%. You can't predict how kids will act in the face of adversity but we need to evaluate recruits and try to our staff's best to bring in players who WANT to be at UConn for the long haul. I also didn't like that quote that surfaced of KO saying that he would guarantee MAL playing time right away. That wasn't the JC way. You weren't handed anything you earned it and if you couldn't handle it, then kick rocks and we'll find someone who can.

"There's got to be toughness over talent sometimes. You have to get players that will be confident in themselves, confident and believe in the coaches' direction and being consistent. I have to get those players that are going to do that in those critical moments.

There are going to be critical moments where it's not going to be everybody smiling and enthusiasm and all that stuff. You're going to have to live beyond that. Those are the type of players I want and allowed us to win championships."

 

[ScottBonz]

The Courant website is a nightmare. Chrome has optimized 99% of the internet to move smoothly but just can't get that one right. Great interview though. Gotta have kids who want to be here, especially in an era where we might see 1000 D1 transfers in a single offseason. Also love the jab about other coaches poaching players, absolutely 100% what Cooley did with MAL.

Its all Tribune Sites so thsi is the one time you can't blame The Hartford Courant. I've tried turning off the Chrome Add Blocker and trying the new Princeton blocker that allows for the ads to not bother you but doesn't block them. That didn't help with Performance Either.

 

[my2cents]

I like KO, but it sounds like nonsense.
"Its a rare player" that can play at UCONN? So rare that we have only 5 player left.
He read the Art of War??? How about the Art of winning basketball games. Do you have to be a master strategist to know that every time you threw the ball to Brimah in the low post he fumbled it out of bounds or threw it over the backboard?
Ollie's problem is that he is not recruiting NBA quality players after 1,2,3, or even 4 years. Calhoun did.

 

[CTBasketball]

KO goes out and recruits these guys then proceeds to say stuff like this?

 

[upstater]

KO goes out and recruits these guys then proceeds to say stuff like this?

What did he say that offended you?

He was complimentary of each player.

 

[Stainmaster]

Do you have to be a master strategist to know that every time you threw the ball to Brimah in the low post he fumbled it out of bounds or threw it over the backboard?

Wow this is super accurate and exactly what played out on the court this year.

 

[Tenspro2002]

It's obvious that KO is learning and changing his approach, which obviously hasn't been working. That's good.

The question is, why did it take 5 years to figure out that you can't just recruit for talent and that you need to have a feel for who actually wants to be here, who's actually willing to buy in and work hard?

It's especially surprising given that KO was a "lunch pail" sort of player himself, and that his success in 2013-2014 was largely predicated on that sort of buy-in and toughness (Bazz, Boat, Giffey, etc.). He should have had an appreciation for this from the outset.