James Akinjo and Emmitt Mathews

[KembaStepback]

A four and a three star recruit are reason to keep KO. With this kind of thinking he is unfireable.

This place really is crazy town.

Why do you consistently worry about rank of recruits? Who cares? All I care about is it they can play. Didn't Matthews have a big growth spurt? Hasn't Akinjo been climbing? Whaley and Carlton weren't highly ranked and look like players. Aside from the top top players, rankings are complete trash. No one knows ANYTHING it's a joke.

 

[mauconnfan]

Why do you consistently worry about rank of recruits? Who cares? All I care about is it they can play. Didn't Matthews have a big growth spurt? Hasn't Akinjo been climbing? Whaley and Carlton weren't highly ranked and look like players. Aside from the top top players, rankings are complete trash. No one knows ANYTHING it's a joke.

He'd be excited about these 2 kids if he didn't have an agenda, there's your answer. Honestly almost wish they would keep KO just to watch that show from guys like him LOL

 

[superjohn]

Why do you consistently worry about rank of recruits? Who cares? All I care about is it they can play. Didn't Matthews have a big growth spurt? Hasn't Akinjo been climbing? Whaley and Carlton weren't highly ranked and look like players. Aside from the top top players, rankings are complete trash. No one knows ANYTHING it's a joke.

Because the logic in keeping a bad coach because of a couple of recruits is ridiculous especially when they aren't can't miss top 10 types. Whaley and Carlton look like guys ranked where they were ranked.

 

[8893]

He'd be excited about these 2 kids if he didn't have an agenda, there's your answer. Honestly almost wish they would keep KO just to watch that show from guys like him LOL

He'll love these kids the minute they go elsewhere.

 

[superjohn]

People said the same thing about this years class. I would say the only players that consistently play with "hunger" are Vital and Whaley. Everyone else is either soft or hasn't been given a chance. Jalen I'm 5050 on. We have no idea how much heart the recruits have, because unlike the coaches we haven't seen them in practices, games when they're down in the 4th, or spoken to AAU guys, or even just watched them play more than in highlights. I wouldn't get carried away.

It's pretty easy to say "these guys have heart" when you're winning. We aren't.

It was said about this years class, the class the year before that and every other class. The #8 recruiting class was raved about and those kids said all the right things.

 

[Chief00]

I hope we keep these two Blaze certified recruits.
I think people are making a mistake if they don’t understand how Blaze changed everything and regardless of what happens at the end of the season, we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

A four and a three star recruit are reason to keep KO. With this kind of thinking he is unfireable.

This place really is crazy town.

Every time I look at your avatar, I can't help thinking that we're not getting your best. But I do appreciate that the Likes you got for this post rallied the troops.
"C'mon in, the water's fine."

 

[PAHusky]

The delusions in this thread are baffling to me. I love this kid's heart, I think he's underrated, and I would love to see him in a UConn uniform next year. But keeping KO after the debacles of the last few years because we may lose a kid ranked one spot below a Princeton recruit? Wildly irrational. He's ranked about the same as Mamadou Diarra coming in. The tune I'm hearing sung about how we need to write this year off to injuries and poor recruiting choices is the same thing that was said after last year. Yes, it's natural to assume that this team will be better next year provided Gilbert can actually play, Sid is what that say he is (and not another ferrari in the garage situation), the freshman this year grow up and next year's can step in right away. Not likely.

KO has you all brainwashed. For the last few years, the wheels have come off early (the two awful losses last year before any injuries, the Arkansas/Auburn/pick any number of blowouts), a few injuries happen, KO looks lost, and then he insists things will be ten toes in the next year. His 8th ranked recruiting class didn't pan out and we expect next year's class to be infinitely better? He had a mass exodus last offseason, what stops the same thing from happening now with the threat of sanctions looming? Are we just ignoring the fact that the team sucks and we're under investigation?

I like the team more than I like Ollie, and right now he's not doing much to convince me he's the solution to turning things around.

 

[8893]

KO has you all brainwashed.

Kevin Ollie is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.

 

[Storrs South]

I hope we keep these two Blaze certified recruits.
I think people are making a mistake if they don’t understand how Blaze changed everything and regardless of what happens at the end of the season, we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

I want to see what Chill can do, but I'm also skeptical of Ollie's ability to coach and develop anyone brought in. I need to see the following to get remotely excited about him returning next season:

• We see some form of quality basketball akin to what was exemplified @ Tulane, v. UCF, v. SMU in the post Gilbert part of the season (i.e. show that they can beat lesser talent by a good margin, stay competitive with better teams)
• Able to retain Jalen Adams in offseason, Larrier I would be psyched, too, but not counting on it (historically Ollie has not done well with significant roster turnover, as any coach would struggle with this issue, and the team desperately needs these guys back to have a shot at being competitive next year)
• Able to limit transfers (if any) to the guys at the end of the bench (same reason as point #2)

I really have wanted to Ollie to succeed all season but for every time we see some remote progress in the team and players, they take 2-3 steps back. I personally need all of 3 of these conditions met to feel good about 2018-19 with Ollie at the helm.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Kevin Ollie is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.

And tragically misunderstood.

 

[the Q]

I want to see what Chill can do, but I'm also skeptical of Ollie's ability to coach and develop anyone brought in. I need to see the following to get remotely excited about him returning next season:

• We see some form of quality basketball akin to what was exemplified @ Tulane, v. UCF, v. SMU in the post Gilbert part of the season (i.e. show that they can beat lesser talent by a good margin, stay competitive with better teams)
• Able to retain Jalen Adams in offseason, Larrier I would be psyched, too, but not counting on it (historically Ollie has not done well with significant roster turnover, as any coach would struggle with this issue, and the team desperately needs these guys back to have a shot at being competitive next year)
• Able to limit transfers (if any) to the guys at the end of the bench (same reason as point #2)

I really have wanted to Ollie to succeed all season but for every time we see some remote progress in the team and players, they take 2-3 steps back. I personally need all of 3 of these conditions met to feel good about 2018-19 with Ollie at the helm.

do we even have room for transfers?

Also I'm gonna disagree with point #3 simply because that's how we ended up with Cobb, Williams, DO and Anderson. We don't need guys like that. If you're taking a transfer we should at least be shooting for a Purvis.

Otherwise try to develop a frosh.

but again, do we have room for any anyway?

 

[Storrs South]

do we even have room for transfers?

Also I'm gonna disagree with point #3 simply because that's how we ended up with Cobb, Williams, DO and Anderson. We don't need guys like that. If you're taking a transfer we should at least be shooting for a Purvis.

Otherwise try to develop a frosh.

but again, do we have room for any anyway?

Might have confusing the way I worded that last point. I meant limit players transferring out of the program, not transferring in.

If you tell me this is the following roster next year, then maybe Ollie can make some noise next year...maybe:

Starting: Adams, Gilbert, Larrier, Wilson, Carlton

Akinjo/Vital first off bench for the guards
Polley/Matthews Jr. in for the wings
Diarra/Whaley/Kisunas for the bigs

I guess KW & Cobb would be the odd guys out if Adams/Larrier didn't leave early...

 

[the Q]

Might have confusing the way I worded that last point. I meant limit players transferring out of the program, not transferring in.

If you tell me this is the following roster next year, then maybe Ollie can make some noise next year...maybe:

Starting: Adams, Gilbert, Larrier, Wilson, Carlton

Akinjo/Vital first off bench for the guards
Polley/Matthews Jr. in for the wings
Diarra/Whaley/Kisunas for the bigs

I guess KW & Cobb would be the odd guys out if Adams/Larrier didn't leave early...

That team has some depth.

Who starts for you if Larrier goes pro?

 

[Storrs South]

That team has some depth.

Who starts for you if Larrier goes pro?

At the beginning of games I would give the nod to Diarra at 4, move Wilson to 3. Then move to 3 guard lineups at varying points throughout the game considering we would have 3 good ball handlers (Adams, Akinjo, Gilbert) that all need time on the court. You could pick 2 of those 3 and push Vital to the 3 at varying parts of the game. Gilbert also may have the training wheels on early in the year since we saw what happened when you don't do that. Maybe Akinjo or Vital starts in that case.

 

[husky429]

At the beginning of games I would give the nod to Diarra at 4, move Wilson to 3. Then move to 3 guard lineups at varying points throughout the game considering we would have 3 good ball handlers (Adams, Akinjo, Gilbert) that all need time on the court. You could pick 2 of those 3 and push Vital to the 3 at varying parts of the game. Gilbert also may have the training wheels on early in the year since we saw what happened when you don't do that. Maybe Akinjo or Vital starts in that case.

You have Wilson at the 4? What's your rationale? I've always pinned him as closer to "2" than "4" (really, a prototypical college 3). But I could be off. I only watched him play once

 

[Storrs South]

You have Wilson at the 4? What's your rationale? I've always pinned him as closer to "2" than "4" (really, a prototypical college 3). But I could be off. I only watched him play once

He's 6'7" and I don't believe known as a shooter (for perspective, Larrier is listed at 6'8"). Rivals mentioned him a wing replacement for Larrier, the Hartford Courant referred to him as a Forward, SNY refers to him as a wing. He'd be pretty big for a 2, from the video I have seen does not have the handle of a guard. I always figured he could become a mismatch problem for opponents like D. Daniels was at 6'9" moving back and forth between the 3 & 4 spots.

 

[KembaStepback]

Might have confusing the way I worded that last point. I meant limit players transferring out of the program, not transferring in.

If you tell me this is the following roster next year, then maybe Ollie can make some noise next year...maybe:

Starting: Adams, Gilbert, Larrier, Wilson, Carlton

Akinjo/Vital first off bench for the guards
Polley/Matthews Jr. in for the wings
Diarra/Whaley/Kisunas for the bigs

I guess KW & Cobb would be the odd guys out if Adams/Larrier didn't leave early...

I agree with this. But if they all come back, wouldn't they only need 1 transfer? So they could keep one of Cobb or KW.

If Adams comes back even better than he is this yr, that team could def make noise.

I keep going back and forth on Larrier. When he tries to create for himself, he's not very good. When he plays within the offense he looks much better. However, he plays soft. Id like to see him put on some bulk. If not, then its tough, because we'd continue to lose the rebounding battle.

If he were to leave, I'd feel really good about a starting 5 of:

Adams Gilbert Wilson Whaley and Carlton. That team would have some energy/rebounding, defense and some scorers. Hopefully Polley can take the next step and JA2 and EM come ready to play.

Next yrs team, even without Larrier is looking like a solid improvement on this yrs team. This is the only reason I hesitate getting rid of Ollie. If he goes, we could be starting from scratch. Which could mean a team worse than this yr or last yr. If you told me we could have this roster with a shiny new coach, I'd be very agreeable.

 

[8893]

If you told me we could have this roster with a shiny new coach, I'd be very agreeable.

Sean Miller isn't coming here.

 

[whaler11]

He'd be excited about these 2 kids if he didn't have an agenda, there's your answer. Honestly almost wish they would keep KO just to watch that show from guys like him LOL

I still think there is a pretty decent chance KO is back and the best thing about it would be his reaction.

 

[RJScootin]

Trust in Blaze

Who's the coach in the Blaze strategy?

 

[Madmannsucks]

Need to stop looking at stars. Akinjo had offers from many high profile programs. Cal, Colorado, Pitt, Indianna, Virginia among several others. Tells me he is the real deal.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Oh, by the way, if you've gotten this far without reading the linked article, give it a read.

 

[8893]

I still think there is a pretty decent chance KO is back and the best thing about it would be his reaction.

 

[80shusky]

And tragically misunderstood.

Aren't we all?