Juwan Durham news...

[upstater]

I'd say thinking you will improve your game faster in the D-league than staying and potentially making a run in the tournament the next year with your college team expresses the notion that they did not see eye to eye. It doesn't just have to be screaming and being a jerk.

That's it? That was the nature of their disagreement?

That's pretty tame.

These are discussions that Calhoun had with players as well. Some kids left earlier than he recommended.

 

[BUConn10]

That's it? That was the nature of their disagreement?

That's pretty tame.

These are discussions that Calhoun had with players as well. Some kids left earlier than he recommended.

To me, our star player thinking he can develop more in the NBA developmental league that only broadcasts its games on YouTube than being the focal point for a promising year at THE University of Connecticut is a bigger concern for my program than how amicable my relationships with my players are. That's a huge area of concern

 

[intlzncster]

True, guys left during Calhoun tenure too, but the difference was Calhoun always had a functioning rotation and planned for future seasons properly. Transfers with nothing left to replace them is the exact type of turnover that drains a program's talent pool and creates compounding bad season after season.

Yes and no. Earlier in JC's career, I think you're right. But for a while, towards the end of his career, JC had guys leave who were supposed to be good without a great backup plan. Some of it is era based I think.

I mean, everyone of Oriakhi's class (trice, darius smith, oriakhi, and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel) left early. JC didn't have a great backup plan in place for that. In fact, this is what left us with the anemic roster that eventually won in 2014. Things worked out, but let's not act like it was planned and executed properly.

 

[upstater]

To me, our star player thinking he can develop more in the NBA developmental league that only broadcasts its games on YouTube than being the focal point for a promising year at THE University of Connecticut is a bigger concern for my program than how amicable my relationships with my players are. That's a huge area of concern

Eh. I chalk it up to the Hamilton family's way of doing things.

This year, the kids are fleeing because of how many games they lost.

Ollie didn't forget how to coach overnight. A combo of bad chemistry, lack of talent, and obviously not enough buy in caused this.

 

[lange10]

Have sources as well to backpack off the recent posts. Ollie has lost the locker room. Hence the full house clear out. The players do not fully trust his abilities to help them develop nor do they think he's that great of a coach. Many won't believe it, but it's true. He builds a relationship with these recruits and gets them to buy in and come but then behind closed doors once they're here he's a different man and the players aren't fond of it.

 

[intlzncster]

Have sources as well to backpack off the recent posts. Ollie has lost the locker room. Hence the full house clear out. The players do not fully trust his abilities to help them develop nor do they think he's that great of a coach. Many won't believe it, but it's true. He builds a relationship with these recruits and gets them to buy in and come but then behind closed doors once they're here he's a different man and the players aren't fond of it.

I'm not trying to be a blue-tinted-glasses guy here, as I think it's obvious we've got some problems here, but there's also the idea that some of it could be on the players' makeup.

Let me ask you: when you describe Hamilton, Durham, and Vance, is one of the first words out of your mouth "toughness"?

And why are there guys who love Ollie then? Boat, Bazz, Giffey, Purvis, Adams? Same question as above with these guys, and one of the first words out of my mouth every time is "toughness".

 

[BUConn10]

I'm not trying to be a blue-tinted-glasses guy here, as I think it's obvious we've got some problems here, but there's also the idea that some of it could be on the players' makeup.

Let me ask you: when you describe Hamilton, Durham, and Vance, is one of the first words out of your mouth "toughness"?

My counter is that roster selection is 100% Ollie's job. Who would you blame if the Lakers signed a team full of Nick Youngs? Would you blame the players, or Mitch Kupchak (pre-Magic Johnson reference).

 

[lange10]

I'm not trying to be a blue-tinted-glasses guy here, as I think it's obvious we've got some problems here, but there's also the idea that some of it could be on the players' makeup.

Let me ask you: when you describe Hamilton, Durham, and Vance, is one of the first words out of your mouth "toughness"?

I get that. But I just want to call attention to those who defend Ollie to the grave that we have some serious problems right now because many still refuse to believe it.

 

[upstater]

Have sources as well to backpack off the recent posts. Ollie has lost the locker room. Hence the full house clear out. The players do not fully trust his abilities to help them develop nor do they think he's that great of a coach. Many won't believe it, but it's true. He builds a relationship with these recruits and gets them to buy in and come but then behind closed doors once they're here he's a different man and the players aren't fond of it.

I wonder if these guys spoke to the kids from 2014, what the talk would be. Talk to Ryan Boatright or Napier--those kids had heart.

 

[intlzncster]

My counter is that roster selection is 100% Ollie's job. Who would you blame if the Lakers signed a team full of Nick Youngs? Would you blame the players, or Mitch Kupchak (pre-Magic Johnson reference).

Absolutely. I'm on board with that. Ollie's got to do a better job of finding his guys. Guys like Adams, Purvis (attitude-wise) et al. This is something he'll have to learn. JC had a knack for finding diamond in the rough guys who were his type of player. Hopefully Ollie can pick up some of this as he goes along.

Problem is, he's got to learn quick.

 

[upstater]

My counter is that roster selection is 100% Ollie's job. Who would you blame if the Lakers signed a team full of Nick Youngs? Would you blame the players, or Mitch Kupchak (pre-Magic Johnson reference).

And that's fine. Still doesn't change the fact that we have a lot of parents interfering, a lot of kids who would have been laughed off the 2014 team. And then we hear reports that the seniors did not really see eye-to-eye with the younger guys.

Gee, I wonder why.

The whole thing we heard about Ollie in the NBA is that he set the tone for locker rooms, set the winning culture.

 

[upstater]

I get that. But I just want to call attention to those who defend Ollie to the grave that we have some serious problems right now because many still refuse to believe it.

Do you think there are people here who are saying there are no serious problems right now?

 

[Rocktheworld]

Have sources as well to backpack off the recent posts. Ollie has lost the locker room. Hence the full house clear out. The players do not fully trust his abilities to help them develop nor do they think he's that great of a coach. Many won't believe it, but it's true. He builds a relationship with these recruits and gets them to buy in and come but then behind closed doors once they're here he's a different man and the players aren't fond of it.

Funny that Shabazz, Boat, Omar, DeAndre, Niels, etc. had all the excuse in the world to leave but didn't. They sure didn't seem to dislike KO.

 

[Rocktheworld]

My counter is that roster selection is 100% Ollie's job. Who would you blame if the Lakers signed a team full of Nick Youngs? Would you blame the players, or Mitch Kupchak (pre-Magic Johnson reference).

To what degree was JC responsible for the APR sanctions? 100%?

 

[BUConn10]

Funny that Shabazz, Boat, Omar, DeAndre, Niels, etc. had all the excuse in the world to leave but didn't. They sure didn't seem to dislike KO.

2012 KO was not 2017 KO. The terms and conditions have changed as did the game plan and philosophy.

 

[BUConn10]

To what degree was JC responsible for the APR sanctions? 100%?

I'd say a large part sure, it's part of his oversight.

 

[Rocktheworld]

2012 KO was not 2017 KO. The terms and conditions have changed as did the game plan and philosophy.

Really? Please expound. This is kind of bizarre to me.

 

[TRest]

Do you think there are people here who are saying there are no serious problems right now?

There are people here who wave the 2014 season around like a magic talisman that negates any of KO's flaws. He may not be the long term answer.

 

[upstater]

There are people here who wave the 2014 season around like a magic talisman that negates any of KO's flaws. He may not be the long term answer.

You may be right. He may have developed amnesia or something, something absurd.

 

[BUConn10]

Really? Please expound. This is kind of bizarre to me.

The man got divorced, also he stopped the whole Ollie-isms and bring the whole team with your arms around them to the post-game interview thing. The first year coach on a temporary contract and all the obstacles in the world against him isn't the same tone 5 years into the job with the seat heating up. And yes, the divorce was cited by the player I have been referencing.

 

[Rocktheworld]

The man got divorced, also he stopped the whole Ollie-isms and bring the whole team with your arms around them to the post-game interview thing. Yes, the divorce was cited by the player I have been referencing.

I was afraid you'd say that.

So when we all look back, a divorce is what ultimately tanked the once elite UConn Men's Basketball program. Like I said, bizarre. We were all led to believe that KO had all this resolve, to stick it out at UConn being homesick when his mother hung up on him his freshman year, to sticking around on 10-day contracts on 11 different teams across 13 seasons, which is what developed the massive respect he garners throughout the league. It makes no sense.

 

[TRest]

The man got divorced, also he stopped the whole Ollie-isms and bring the whole team with your arms around them to the post-game interview thing. The first year coach on a temporary contract and all the obstacles in the world against him isn't the same tone 5 years into the job with the seat heating up. And yes, the divorce was cited by the player I have been referencing.

All I know is the guy who upset Much State in Germany his first game was clearly loved by his players. I was stoked seeing them jump all over him after the game. That guy has been missing for a while.

 

[BUConn10]

I was afraid you'd say that.

So when we all look back, a divorce is what ultimately tanked the once elite UConn Men's Basketball program. Like I said, bizarre. We were all led to believe that KO had all this resolve, to stick it out at UConn being homesick when his mother hung up on him his freshman year, to sticking around on 10-day contracts across 11 different teams, which is what developed the massive respect he garners throughout the league. It makes no sense.

Yes that's exactly what I was arguing and you aren't jumping to conclusions to discredit what I'm saying. That the divorce will be the downfall of UConn basketball, exactly.

Awesome series of guided questions there by the way, you really cracked the case wide open.

 

[80shusky]

College players being shown the door because their scholarship is needed or they aren't wanted anymore is not a new phenomenon. It's a harsh world. Those decisions will at some point be seen as good ones or bad ones.

 

[djct1999]

Have sources as well to backpack off the recent posts. Ollie has lost the locker room. Hence the full house clear out. The players do not fully trust his abilities to help them develop nor do they think he's that great of a coach. Many won't believe it, but it's true. He builds a relationship with these recruits and gets them to buy in and come but then behind closed doors once they're here he's a different man and the players aren't fond of it.

I try hard to be completely objective when it comes to Ollie. Of all the things said, if he lost the locker room and that's how these kids think, then good riddance. They aren't the right kids. Ollie stayed 13 years in the league for owning the locker room. Seriously. The optics are bad, but all three kids who decided to leave weren't that good. They can think what they want. eventually, reality will set in.