Kevin Ollie, Future or Not?

[boog204]

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 to an extent. 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.

I think KO can/will be a great recruiter but he's got to continue to evolve. Last year's team played very hard for him but we were very limited. This team has more talent but we still look quite limited. Is that just a bad mix of players or KO not being able to figure out how to get the best out of these guys?

 

[temery]

I usually ask the same question of a poster who, on only his third post, asks if Ollie has a future at UConn.

 

[caw]

Not sure yesterday was Ollie's fault.

Napier played poorly in the first half, Houston's crappy bench played way above their heads. I mean way above, they played like All Americans when all season they have played like D2 players. It wasn't all break away dunks, these were kids who were shooting 31% from three going something like 3/3. 34% from the floor shooting 6/8 or so. One kid had 9 first half points when he had like 23 on the season. That can't be game planned, it's like Samuel coming in and scoring 15 next game. Just fluky based on the entire season.

Ollie impressed me more with how he lit a fire under UConns butt the second half. That and their scrubs mostly returned to their scrubby nature.

Sucky loss but blaming the coach or any single player is silly. Just a confluence of unfortunately hot team play by Houston and just enough non-crappiness from them the second half to win.

They still suck and UConn is still pretty good, I am pretty confident the rest of the season will show this.

 

[Ewekon]

I agree we have a keeper in KO. Everybody has to learn. Just he is learning at our top 10 program at the worst possible time for even a brief slide vis a vis conference realignment and the football team.

 

[huskyblooz]

I'm 10 Toes In, but our offensive sets are non-existent. Very little ball movement, very little player movement, an occasional ball screen, but mostly dribble dribble dribble.

 

[UCONNRPh]

I'm definitely in for KO. Just want to see some JC energy. That's all.

 

[boog204]

I'm 10 Toes In, but our offensive sets are non-existent. Very little ball movement, very little player movement, an occasional ball screen, but mostly dribble dribble dribble.

I stated this in the preseason and was shot down. But, our staff consists of 3 defensive minded point guards and a undersized garbage guy PF in Freeman. There's not exactly an offensive mastermind on the bench and our sets are, in my opinion, are much worse then when JC was here. Again, lack of interior players is a huge issue. But there are 5-6 guys who would be players on any team in the country. Yet more often than not we look hideous in the half court with confusion and stagnation.

 

[gtcam]

Now is the time if Husky Nation sees if Ollie can build a winner long term or if the success will be short lived. Don't get me wrong, I'm a supporter. However, 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.

Two years (actually 1.5 yrs under contract) doesn't give someone a good barometer, in fact, his first real recruitment class won't arrive until fall 2014. Let's measure next year. He needs to teach some of the kids to lead and forget their personal games, some need to be more aggressive and some need to man-up and play like a man.

 

[gtcam]

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. Also, why does Ollie trust Kromah more than NG?

At seasons start, especially in NYC and Brooklyn and vs FLA, Ollie was up, about and very demonstrative - last few games he has been nailed to his seat

 

[UCONNRPh]

At seasons start, especially in NYC and Brooklyn and vs FLA, Ollie was up, about and very demonstrative - last few games he has been nailed to his seat

Besides last night, was that also versus Stanford too? I must be getting old if I am wanting to see the ways of Jim Calhoun excitement. -Truly I've only seen recent games and missed the ones earlier in the season.

 

[HawkHusky]

Put down the pitchforks guys...

If UCONN drops a game to the joke that is Rutgers...then that's the time to really start questioning things.

 

[dsturdy5]

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. Also, why does Ollie trust Kromah more than NG?

That does nothing for you if it is not part of your personality. The players see right through it. They see him in practice every day and if he isn't that kind of coach there, then demonstrative actions like you describe make you seem fake to your players. That's not to say he wouldn't get a warranted technical, just it doesn't do you any good if the players see you as something different than you really are.

 

[buddy]

The real concern is not so much in game antics, but can he motivate his guys to play at all? This is the real question of how well he will do.

 

[dsturdy5]

The real concern is not so much in game antics, but can he motivate his guys to play at all? This is the real question of how well he will do.

I don't think that was a question last year.

 

[ColoradoUCFan]

Last night was an X's and O's problem, not an effort or talent problem.

I call bullsh!t. We were down by 21 late in the first half. Down by 18 at the end of the first half. Bazz didn't hit a shot in the first half. After KO had them in the locker room and a chance to do some coaching during halftime we CAME BACK OUT AND TIED THE GAME AFTER BEING DOWN 21. That was an awesome comeback after the team made adjustments at halftime. We lost to a bad team; and that sucks. But, our team has grit and determination, and a coach who put them in position to win after a terrible first half. That second half performance was dominating on our part.

Also, I haven't read all the threads, but let's give KO some credit for smashing a clip board, screaming at OC and then benching him for all but 2 minutes in the second half. I've been waiting for him to show that emotion the last two years.

 

[kelde1wd]

I think KO is 100% the right guy to lead UCONN into the future. Our current roster, while good, is missing some key pieces. As 3 stated earlier in this thread, we have some pieces coming in next year to help begin the transition, it will not happen overnight. Like everyone else, I would love to see us win big every year, but that is rare with any program. Everyone has periods where they are good, but just not nCAA title good. I have no doubts KO will get us there very consistently in the future.

 

[mauconnfan]

He hasn't had a full year of his own guys yet, yeah he recruited some but not all his. Look at the bi

I don't think that was a question last year.

Nor is it this year….they aren't "kids" as far as basketball so if playing away in your first AAC game isn't enough motivation then take the uni off and hand it back to the manager because you suck!

 

[dsturdy5]

Clearly something changed during halftime. However, I don't like the idea of "half time adjustments." As Bill Belichick likes to say, you need to make adjustments throughout the game. I know football and basketball are not exactly synonymous but with three media timeouts plus team time outs and substitutions, along with a group of 4 assistants, you can make adjustments during the course of the game.

 

[mauconnfan]

Clearly something changed during halftime. However, I don't like the idea of "half time adjustments." As Bill Belichick likes to say, you need to make adjustments throughout the game. I know football and basketball are not exactly synonymous but with three media timeouts plus team time outs and substitutions, along with a group of 4 assistants, you can make adjustments during the course of the game.

This isn't the first time we've scratched our heads at half time as we did it vs UMass (32-9) and Pitt (w/Ray down 21) among others under JC……it happens. This team gets off to slow starts but JC had many like that too….last night was TOO slow unfortunately.

 

[dsturdy5]

This isn't the first time we've scratched our heads at half time as we did it vs UMass (32-9) and Pitt (w/Ray down 21) among others under JC……it happens. This team gets off to slow starts but JC had many like that too….last night was TOO slow unfortunately.

And such is life when dealing with 18-22 year olds

 

[Fishy]

I think this team would be immeasurably better next year if some of us on the Boneyard would be allowed to chip in and buy a blue-chip front-court prospect a car.

Nothing fancy - say a Nissan Altima. A sensible, four-door sedan with a little bit of style and plenty of airbags. We won't even buy it, we'll just lease it for him.

It won't even be a violation because we will develop a strong pre-existing relationship with him and he will refer to us as his 'uncles'. ("This is not my car, Mr. Investigator, it belongs to my Uncle Fishy and my Uncle Skiblets.")

Every other school has kids being stopped in late-model sports cars - that is gaudy. We just want to make sure that our new imposing front-court playin' nephew gets to and from campus safely and securely.

 

[RMoore1999]

Now is the time if Husky Nation sees if Ollie can build a winner long term or if the success will be short lived. Don't get me wrong, I'm a supporter. However, 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.

Thanks for reminding me of my policy to avoid visiting this place for a few days after a disappointing loss. With only 2 losses thus far this season, I will forgive myself for forgetting my own policy...

 

[uconnbill]

Counting on Lubin to be some sort of savior is a bit much. We know next to nothing about him and he is not highly rated. Facey was a top 100 recruit and he's nowhere near ready. Lubin is a top 250 if that. Like the muscle for sure, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Lubin's size will help and he was rated fairly high before he was hurt. I like the size he brings and can only help down the line

 

[Inyatkin]

Thanks for reminding me of my policy to avoid visiting this place for a few days after a disappointing loss. With only 2 losses thus far this season, I will forgive myself for forgetting my own policy...

What, you don't think one bad loss is grounds to question the entire direction of your program?
Seriously, mixed in with three national championships for Calhoun were all kinds of embarrassing, head-scratching losses. St. Bonaventure was one. Any number of Providence games. I vaguely recall a 33-point loss to St. John's long before we won any championships. It does happen to good coaches.

 

[ZenConn]

KO is still learning on the job and he is still coaching JC's recruiting classes.

I'd give him a few years to get a few of his own recruiting classes at Storrs.