Kevin Duffy: Oriakhi discovers it's a cold world

[Inyatkin]

It's not that he left -- it's HOW he left.

He walked out the door talking pot shots at JC and the Huskies while acting like a wounded child. He said almost nothing positive. All while his dad was acting like a fool.

I agree completely. That's why I don't want to defend him. I was referring to the issue of who transferred and who didn't.

 

[Gurleyman]

For what UConn got out of it, I think that it is pretty clear that bringing in Drummond was a huge mistake. He wasn't that good a player at UConn, whether it was the system, the coaching or what, and his presence completely destroyed the chemistry that group had developed during 2011. Oriakhi and Roscoe in particular, didn't quite ever figure out where they fit and Calhoun never really figured it out either. Throw in the occasional disappearing act from Lamb at key moments and that team was lucky it didn't end up playing in the NIT.

When you get a chance to bring in a guy like Drummond (top-level raw talent with a good attitude), you do it 100 times out of 100. You can't worry about how fragile everyone else might be. We didn't worry about Rash Jones and Ricky Moore being fragile and how they might handle it when we brought in Khalid. We didn't worry about Tony Robertson when we brought in Ben Gordon. We didn't worry about Denham and Rashad when we brought in Rudy.

Here's the thing nobody has pointed out. At the start of the year, Olander was kicking Oriakhi's ass seven ways to Sunday. His confidence was high - he was able to play off Drummond (and Alex when he was in) and get open put backs, get to rebounds when others were occupying the best big men in the other jerseys, and knock down 15 footers on offense. He has never played better in a UConn uniform. If AO came out of the box with that same sort of performance, maybe we develop into a better team. Tyler hit his ceiling early and the other guys didn't recover.

I would never in a million years suggest that Drummond was a mistake - he was raw, but the easy baskets, defense around the rim and rebounding alone are vital elements to success, especially on a team that wasn't lacking for scorers. If other guys couldn't adapt, that's on them. They want to be pros, don't they? Guess what - you have to adapt very quickly to different personnel in order to stick around, especially as a guy with marginal talent. Nobody's building their franchise around you.

 

[mauconnfan]

#1 "JC didn't handle it right", #2 "bringing in Drummond was a huge mistake", #3 "he helped us win a NC, what about the loyalty"

#1 - Again, did JC handle him wrong when they won a National Title the previous year? What changed? Not JC...............maybe it was AO's game or the fact it DIDN'T change and Kemba wasn't there?

#2 - That's a joke.......AD was not as good as we thought he would be but he was twice as good as AO...my preference here is AO waited too long to transfer maybe AD would have been better!!

#3 - Thanks but what have you done for me lately? He was part of it no doubt but he was also part of the reason they were only 9-9 in the BE regular season....his 6/5 a game were awful but he bounced back I give him that no doubt. I also thought he would be a man, a leader , a captain with a very nice returning team which could make a lot of noise instead he was the leader of the bad chemistry, it was noticeable and it was ugly and ruined the team. That's what I remember as a UConn fan!!! And just as an FYI Kemba, Bazz and Jeremy were all pretty good during the title run the year prior! He had 2 of the 3 back and how did he do with them?

I respect those who stick up for him and have nothing against anyone for that....I do have an issue with those that think that's the only way to remember this stiff......anyone who said "sorry to AO for our dislike" wow, think he cares? And yeah mauconnfan is going to have a huge impact on a recruit who thinks I will dislike him for leaving........there's been many transfers I promise and I have rooted for most all of them. Imagine the 2 I won't? AO and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel....anything in common for all you know it alls? Yeah please show them the love LOL

 

[kemba]

You are forgetting one huge variable is assessing AO's game vs. previous years. That being the level of competition he faced. The SEC was very weak this year with big down years for normally top level conference teams like UK, and Vandy. Hell, when Ole Miss wins the conference tourney it shows the level of weakness.

We can't predict AO's production level against the Big East, but we can say that he would have faced a much stronger competition and it would have impacted his numbers.

Bottom line.....he lost minutes to Drummond, and lost more minutes because he pouted about it. He got those minutes back at Missouri and posed numbers quite similar to 2011. He shot a high % because he got his points from rebounding and put backs not from being part of the system.

It was a weak conference, that's a fair point. Still doesn't account for all the improvement in his numbers, nor does it mean he wouldn't have helped us this year. It's also fair to point out that in 2011 his best games were generally in the biggest games against the best teams we faced, so he's proven he can get it done against strong competition.

As far as the last paragraph, points from rebounds and putbacks count the same. Never said he developed into a big time offensive threat. He has definite weaknesses in his game that are still there. Still doesn't change the fact that he would have been a major upgrade over what we had at center this year.

 

[UConnRock]

Agree

It was a weak conference, that's a fair point. Still doesn't account for all the improvement in his numbers, nor does it mean he wouldn't have helped us this year. It's also fair to point out that in 2011 his best games were generally in the biggest games against the best teams we faced, so he's proven he can get it done against strong competition.

As far as the last paragraph, points from rebounds and putbacks count the same. Never said he developed into a big time offensive threat. He has definite weaknesses in his game that are still there. Still doesn't change the fact that he would have been a major upgrade over what we had at center this year.

Agreed that he would have been a positive for this year's team, but to imply that his game improved much after his sophomore year is a reach.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Please Waq.........was the coach part of the problem the year before too with the same guy.....oh how could he be they won a National Championship with him at the 4/5 and made him captain because of it........did coach help him work on his game over the summer? Ridiculous, he has nothing in this one is a proven commodity in his profession the other a proven chemistry issue when not getting his way. If you want to blame JC's health then maybe but the way he handled Ao, his playing time, his sulking etc - you have no argument!!

You can't just put a bunch of !!!!s after a sentence and claim you win the argument. What was the difference between 2011 and 2012? I'll give you a hint, he wears #15 for the Charlotte Bobcats.

The bottom line is we have a lot of message board warriors attributing blame for a failed season to certain people - AO, AD - based on nothing more than an outsider's opinion. Maybe - and I know this is way too much for some people to comprehend - just maybe, the same guy that gets sanctified around here when they win bears a tiny, tiny share of the blame when he takes a team as talented as last year's and leads them into a brick wall. I know that's crazy to suggest, but sometimes the coach has a say in how things go too.

I do know this - when teams from other schools with the talent UConn had last year have disappointing seasons and then quit and get blown out in the tournament, this board fills up with posts calling the coach of that team a hack.

 

[Jluc]

It was 100% the way AO left that makes me feel bitter towards him. Bad talking his HOF coach and what not. I specifically remember a tweet from Roscoe the day he announced he was transferring where he thanked Husky fans, said he would always be a Husky and will always bleed blue. Now THAT'S the way to leave a school who you helped win a national championship. Roscoe never bad talked the staff or tweeted dumb things. For that I respect Roscoe a lot.

 

[Northbound]

You can't just put a bunch of !!!!s after a sentence and claim you win the argument. What was the difference between 2011 and 2012? I'll give you a hint, he wears #15 for the Charlotte Bobcats.

The bottom line is we have a lot of message board warriors attributing blame for a failed season to certain people - AO, AD - based on nothing more than an outsider's opinion. Maybe - and I know this is way too much for some people to comprehend - just maybe, the same guy that gets sanctified around here when they win bears a tiny, tiny share of the blame when he takes a team as talented as last year's and leads them into a brick wall. I know that's crazy to suggest, but sometimes the coach has a say in how things go too.

I do know this - when teams from other schools with the talent UConn had last year have disappointing seasons and then quit and get blown out in the tournament, this board fills up with posts calling the coach of that team a hack.

If posters on this board call Mike K. at Duke a hack they are nuts (yeah, I don't love the guy, but he can coach). That's the only true comparative you've got here because we're talking about a guy that's won three national titles.

 

[nomar]

Also, he says the loyalty is overblown because it would have made absolutely no sense for the guys that stayed to transfer and sit out a year. This is ridiculous, Roscoe Smith did it, and Napier, Boatright and Daniels could have done the same thing.

Exactly. Scoe left even though he had to sit out a year. Bazz and Daniels easily could have said, why waste a year of eligibility on a season where I'm not playing postseason ball? They didn't.

I don't blame Oriakhi for leaving. I blame him and his father for being the whiniest player and parent that ever passed through Storrs. Not everything belongs on Facebook and Twitter, you two morons.

 

[mauconnfan]

You can't just put a bunch of !!!!s after a sentence and claim you win the argument. What was the difference between 2011 and 2012? I'll give you a hint, he wears #15 for the Charlotte Bobcats.

The bottom line is we have a lot of message board warriors attributing blame for a failed season to certain people - AO, AD - based on nothing more than an outsider's opinion. Maybe - and I know this is way too much for some people to comprehend - just maybe, the same guy that gets sanctified around here when they win bears a tiny, tiny share of the blame when he takes a team as talented as last year's and leads them into a brick wall. I know that's crazy to suggest, but sometimes the coach has a say in how things go too.

I do know this - when teams from other schools with the talent UConn had last year have disappointing seasons and then quit and get blown out in the tournament, this board fills up with posts calling the coach of that team a hack.

Not trying to "win" arguments and I guess you can quit reading my posts if you dislike exclamation points! I will try to refrain though I promise........I blame JC for not placing AD closer to the basket and instead allowing him to wander and take dreadful shots at times, I do.......I do not blame JC for a Jr with a NC under his belt who didn't work hard enough to get better despite knowing what it takes to win more so than the frosh, who he should be tutoring also! Pretty simple....agree with everyone JC was never perfect but to claim anyone suddenly was "used wrong" after 2 years playing for him already is ignorant!!!....oh sorry

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

If posters on this board call Mike K. at Duke a hack they are nuts (yeah, I don't love the guy, but he can coach). That's the only true comparative you've got here because we're talking about a guy that's won three national titles.

That's my point. Because of the titles people regard Calhoun as infallible and immune from criticism for anything that happens to the program, on the court or off. APR issues? Support staff fell down on the job, or the rules are unfair. Nate Miles fiasco? Rogue assistants. Lackluster 20-14 season with multiple NBA players capped off by a drubbing by Iowa State in the first round of the tournament? Oriakhi's fault.

I am eternally grateful to Calhoun for what he created. But he's still a human being, and he still deserves his share of the blame when warranted, and a lot of people on this board just don't accept that idea.

I don't give a **** who the coach is, if Boeheim, Pitino, Calipari, Cryin' Roy, whoever, slogged through a season like last season with a team with last year's talent and then laid down in the first round of the tournament they'd get killed on this board, but when it's UConn it's everyone else's fault but the guy who actually runs the show. Flame away.

 

[UCONNfan1]

I am eternally grateful to Calhoun for what he created. But he's still a human being, and he still deserves his share of the blame when warranted, and a lot of people on this board just don't accept that idea..

I actually think people were fairly pointed in the blame they placed on JC and the staff with regards to the APR issue. Additionally, JC is old school and I've read numerous posts that old school doesn't seem to work any more. It certainly didn't with most of the kids who transferred and count me as one who likes Ollie's approach with the players much better.

JC took this program from zero to hero over his time at the helm. I don't think there's a single fan who wouldn't readily acknowledge that. But, there were things about the guy many just did not like. It's easy to overlook that stuff when the NC's are pouring in, but the reality is the JC attitude wouldn't work in this day and age with a new coach...

 

[mauconnfan]

That's my point. Because of the titles people regard Calhoun as infallible and immune from criticism for anything that happens to the program, on the court or off. APR issues? Support staff fell down on the job, or the rules are unfair. Nate Miles fiasco? Rogue assistants. Lackluster 20-14 season with multiple NBA players capped off by a drubbing by Iowa State in the first round of the tournament? Oriakhi's fault.

I am eternally grateful to Calhoun for what he created. But he's still a human being, and he still deserves his share of the blame when warranted, and a lot of people on this board just don't accept that idea.

I don't give a **** who the coach is, if Boeheim, Pitino, Calipari, Cryin' Roy, whoever, slogged through a season like last season with a team with last year's talent and then laid down in the first round of the tournament they'd get killed on this board, but when it's UConn it's everyone else's fault but the guy who actually runs the show. Flame away.

You win.........talent always wins right? We know that because the prior year they were the most talented team in the tourney....I forgot.......I have a question......if he and Roscoe bought into the program the prior year then why did they allow the chemistry to fail? Is that on the incoming freshman for being a talented player who needed to fit in? Or is it on the returning players?

We can go over and over on this and JC has a hand in it no denying it, Roscoe did, Bazz did too, Jeremy did too (but they all played hard despite the inconsistencies).......but the biggest hand was simple. The pouting, the weak effort, the fact he didn't improve over the summer and lead.....this being one of your captains - can't happen!! The impact was obvious.

 

[Northbound]

That's my point. Because of the titles people regard Calhoun as infallible and immune from criticism for anything that happens to the program, on the court or off. APR issues? Support staff fell down on the job, or the rules are unfair. Nate Miles fiasco? Rogue assistants. Lackluster 20-14 season with multiple NBA players capped off by a drubbing by Iowa State in the first round of the tournament? Oriakhi's fault.

I am eternally grateful to Calhoun for what he created. But he's still a human being, and he still deserves his share of the blame when warranted, and a lot of people on this board just don't accept that idea.

I don't give a **** who the coach is, if Boeheim, Pitino, Calipari, Cryin' Roy, whoever, slogged through a season like last season with a team with last year's talent and then laid down in the first round of the tournament they'd get killed on this board, but when it's UConn it's everyone else's fault but the guy who actually runs the show. Flame away.

I think you actually missed my point. None of Boehein, Pitino, Calipari, Roy have three national titles, so JC is different that all of those guys, so I think he gets a bit more relief from shouldering all of the responsibility for the inconsistent season. I do think its absurd to expect a guy that coached one way for X number of years and had success doing it to change in his last few years...what did you expect JC to become cuddly and bro down with these guys? Name me a guy that's done that successfully beside Tom Coughlin. When you're recruited, it's not like you've never seen UCONN on TV, Calhoun on TV, how he reacts to things, etc.

Does JC have some responsibility, yup, its a team so everyone shoulders some of the burden. The pouting and woe is me stuff by the players is rubbish and I don't expect a HOF coach to change his style or personality to coddle a few babies that were getting just what they saw when they were in high school. I think JC has been pretty consistent over the years and he got killed on here a ton for the quick hook with kids.

 

[CL82]

He's definitely not on my list of favorite Huskies of all time, but I don't dislike him. Being a huge part of a national championship earns a lot of goodwill. I don't like the way he left, but that doesn't turn him into a villain to me.

As far as Oriakhi this year, his fg% has skyrocketed to 63%, he's scoring at a career high, his rebounding has returned to his '11 numbers. Of course he still has weaknesses but saying he's the same player now as he was last year is wrong, and he absolutely could have helped us this year

Agree with the first paragraph but not the second. I doubt we'd have seen the cohesiveness of this year's unit with him aboard. I appreciate his contribution to the 2011 NC is was significant. The way he left and father's comments, unanswered by him, burned up much of that goodwill.

 

[ctchamps]

Mau and I were critical of AO's play during the championship season. He just wasn't that good of a player but he was certainly important in contributing to the season. There is no way UConn wins without him, but he was only a cog. He was not a pivitol cog by any stretch of the imagination. I think he would have shown his true colors during that year if not for a guy named Kemba.

Last season there were multiple problems. JC had health issues once again with cancer which he didn't let anyone know about until it got very serious. That was his major distraction so blame his body as much as anything for the way the team was handled.

Funny how no one pointed out that SN played all season with a fractured foot and RB missed the first third of the season so his development was delayed. And funny how everyone jumped on SN last season for his public comments thinking he was the chemistry issue. It wasn't him. It was AO. AO is a moper. His body language and public commentary makes it difficult to refute this. What no one knew was he was leading other players to party instead of practice. Normally I would't hold AO responsible for this because it was up to those players to decide if they should follow AO. But he was a co captain and that changes the dynamics.

SN, played the whole season through pain and watched his fellow captain leading players away from their commitment to the program. If anyone should have left the program after last season it was SN and not RS or AO. We could all be grateful that AO was public with his announcement of his intentions to leave and made the decision to do so quickly. I can only imagine how horrible this season would have been if AO stayed and SN left. And I'm sure no one would have to imagine how insufferable freescooter would have been about KO if that scenario had happened.

It was known there would be no postseason this year for UConn. All the more reason not to give up last year. RS did this. He lost minutes, but he never tweeted the coach was a mummu. He was the example that AO was not. If you're not happy with things you change what can be changed, accept things if you can't change them or leave. RS handled things maturely. AO did not. And that is why RS is not hated and AO is hated.

Every one knew JC's coaching style. If a kid decided to come to UConn they knew two things about JC. First he was a demanding coach who was not hugs and kisses. Second, playing time was not guaranteed. The player had to earn it. AO, in addition to his whining and his team chemistry issues, lacked awareness of how things worked at best or felt a sense of entitlement at worst.

 

[Gurleyman]

It wasn't the best job of JC's career, but the same way nobody ripped on Kemba when he had a bad shooting night in February of his junior year, nobody should be up in arms about JC not getting the most out of one of his teams.

Some criticism is certainly fair, even warranted (with greatness comes expectations). But in context. "Kemba blew that Marquette game, we can't win when he unravels in crunch time like that...but he's carried us all year. We still want the ball in his hands every time."

The reason why it is rare that coaches stay in the same place at the pro level for a long time, is that often you reach the point where the players tune them out. Happens with a guy like JC, too. AO probably reached the point where all the fire and brimstone speeches in the world weren't going to do anything.

 

[GlastonTim]

You win.........talent always wins right? We know that because the prior year they were the most talented team in the tourney....I forgot.......I have a question......if he and Roscoe bought into the program the prior year then why did they allow the chemistry to fail? Is that on the incoming freshman for being a talented player who needed to fit in? Or is it on the returning players?

We can go over and over on this and JC has a hand in it no denying it, Roscoe did, Bazz did too, Jeremy did too (but they all played hard despite the inconsistencies).......but the biggest hand was simple. The pouting, the weak effort, the fact he didn't improve over the summer and lead.....this being one of your captains - can't happen!! The impact was obvious.

There, you did it....JC had a hand in it..... now was that so painful?

 

[huskyharry]

But Roscoe never stopped playing hard while here, never talked about JC at least openly and just felt it was time to leave. To me Roscoe is certainly not the most "disloyal" person..........he just needed to move on and become a 3 somewhere.........

While I do agree that Roscoe has gotten a free pass and was also quite disloyal, AO was the friggin' TEAM CAPTAIN who abandoned his teammates!

 

[gtcam]

I don't see him getting past it; if his professional career doesn't go exactly the way he'd like it to, it's all going to be Calhoun's fault.

JC was/ia responsible for placing most of the players from UCONN overseas - good luck with AO getting any help there. There arent many coaches with connections like JC

 

[joober jones]

In terms of implications for the players themselves, Roscoe by far made the worse choice. In terms of how they carried out their decisions, Oriakhi was infinitely worse.

 

[SJ]

Didn't read all the comments, just the article. I notice Shabazz is the only player he doesn't mention keeping in contact with. I knew I liked that kid! Haha. But this article made me hate him less or at least see it from his point of view.

 

[mauconnfan]

There, you did it....JC had a hand in it..... now was that so painful?

He's the head coach, he has a "hand" in every win and loss.......not in the change of attitude of a 3 year player!! JC was never perfect and I had been critical so this is far from a first........but 11-12' handling of a whining stiff is not on him.........

 

[CL82]

So are either of the two quoted guys in the article 'yarders? Just curious.