Kevin Ollie, Future or Not?

[freescooter]

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

I'm definitely taking a wait and see attitude on Ollie. I'm not overly confident, but he did fine last year and I'm willing to see what he does this year. I will say, though that last year was in some ways a unique set of circumstances that aren't in place this season. At least to some extent, he was able to motivate guys to play in part because some of those games "were there ncaa tournament" in part because a popular assistant was playing for his job, and in part because the schedule wasn't overly difficult. Except for the last one, those don't apply this season. So we'll see whether he can motivate a team under a more normal set of circumstances. To date he hasn't done a great job. This team plays to its opponent and that can and has resulted in losses to lesser opponents and close games against some very mediocre opponents. I would say this, though, if UConn misses the NCAA tournament or becomes a real bubble team in this league, I would expect him to have a very very short leash next season.

 

[DCUconnfan]

I generally would like to see this thread removed from the forum. Bash the game all you want, we deserve some criticism. But to call out Ollie and his future here is just asinine and ludicrous.

 

[cohenzone]

We've heard many times before "awful half court offense", "just throwing it around the top", "too much dribbling" with many good teams including JC's…….yet they just win. Not every team has every piece like '99 or '04 where it's all going to fall in place.

It is what it is, no inside outside because they have no "inside"…..a smooth offense needs all the pieces they don't have them all……all the pieces need to handle or at least pass to make the offense look real smooth, they don't have that. Wings who can handle, take their guy and penetrate kick, bigs who can stand on top and pass the ball efficiently while off ball picks are created…..this won't happen with this team. Not enough good ball handlers or passers besides the guards I'm afraid!

11-2 is fine. They will need to get tougher but anyone looking for the offense to run like a well oiled machine with the cards they are dealt better not hold their breath.

There's no doubt ball movement was not the hallmark of JC's teams. They relied mostly on guards who could break down a D and using screens. KO is Jimmy's guy, so maybe it was nuts to think that might change at least somewhat to more ball movement, certainly against zones. Frankly. I'm more disappointed with the lack of intensity throughout most of each game. I don't buy into the idea of players being disinterested or not trying. I think just about every player thinks they are trying their best. It's up to the coach to build the level of intensity and focus during practice so the players naturally focus and play as hard as possible during games. Again though, 11-2 is fine. so lets hope the ratio of Ws to Ls stays that way.

 

[Scot-e]

Nothing major will happen in terms of a big muscle guy this year. However, hopefully things can be changed for next year.

Lubin is going to bring instant muscle to this team. Already at 246lbs. and being 6'8" he will be a bruiser down low. He's currently averaging about 20pts. and 11-12rbs. a game.

Then Nolan, Brimah, and Facey will all be stronger next year.

For all of you guys to be saying this year is lost is absolutely crazy. WE ARE 11-2! We have had a rough stretch of games. It happens. We should be fine.

UCONN3 is 16 and has a higher basketball IQ then the college grads/students who posted this thread.
We could have had a disaster on our hands when JC left and when we got left behind in our new "wonderful" conference- but we had a 20 win season last year. We have 2 MC D AAs on the team next year and a good class of kids coming in- including a steal in Prince Ali in 2015. Things look pretty good. I really thought we could do a Kensucky or Indiana and fall off the map for several years when our Hall of Fame coach left.

IF you are not happy with where we are- your expectations are out of line.

 

[Hoophound]

A big man from Europe with some skill would work wonders for us. He can be a little slow and his shoes can be nailed to the floor, but if he can shoot and catch the ball in the post, this team will thrive around him. Just no beef and no skill in the post right now. I hope KO will look into it.

 

[ctchamps]

Brimah was KO's - and frankly a pretty good spring signing. He's shown some flashes and has contributed to some close wins early on, so he's given us something - definitely glad we got him. Whether he gets better from here or if he'll just be a guy who blocks a few shots here and there, that remains to be seen,

KO recruited Brimah while JC was a head coach. The level of recruiting had begun to deteriorate because of JC's history of health, his age and the possibility of retirement, and the apr issues. So technically Brimah is KO's recruit but the circumstances surrounding recruiting at the time of his recruitment were not the issues of KO.

 

[metsfan2323]

\UCONN needs championships to be relevant in conference realignment.

"Championship" cannot be the bar for success/failure, it's just unrealistic. Hall of Fame coaches only win one championship every 10 years if they are lucky.

We are a spoiled fan base.

 

[mcs333]

I believe AB was only recruited after JC left. AB is KO's first recruit.

 

[freescooter]

"Championship" cannot be the bar for success/failure, it's just unrealistic. Hall of Fame coaches only win one championship every 10 years if they are lucky.

We are a spoiled fan base.

If Championships aren't the goal UConn should just say screw it and join the NEC or better yet a recreational league at the Willimantic Y. I can't believe the levels some people are willing to go to to give Ollie cover. As I said, I'm willing to wait in evaluating him for at least another season but if we're not playing to win it all, we shouldn't bother playing at all

 

[Inyatkin]

If Championships aren't the goal UConn should just say screw it and join the NEC or better yet a recreational league at the Willimantic Y. I can't believe the levels some people are willing to go to to give Ollie cover. As I said, I'm willing to wait in evaluating him for at least another season but if we're not playing to win it all, we shouldn't bother playing at all

You heard him, KO. A title in a year or else.

 

[ctchamps]

I believe AB was only recruited after JC left. AB is KO's first recruit.

AB was already in house when JC announced his retirement.

 

[tcf15]

AB was already in house when JC announced his retirement.

Brimah committed during the Louisville game last year. Facey and Samuel were already in house when JC retired.

Only started watching him after the games in the Virgin Islands: http://articles.courant.com/2013-11...117-20131116_1_amida-brimah-noah-vonleh-ollie

 

[aboogieee]

This thread is asinine, asiten.. ass-eleven!

 

[ctchamps]

Brimah committed during the Louisville game last year. Facey and Samuel were already in house when JC retired.

Only started watching him after the games in the Virgin Islands: http://articles.courant.com/2013-11...117-20131116_1_amida-brimah-noah-vonleh-ollie

I stand corrected!

 

[freescooter]

You heard him, KO. A title in a year or else.

Not a title but we ought not be satisfied with 21 wins and a 12 seed either. We need to be one of the teams in the conversation every year.

 

[Inyatkin]

Not a title but we ought not be satisfied with 21 wins and a 12 seed either. We need to be one of the teams in the conversation every year.

I can't help wondering who you're arguing with. Who wants a 12 seed? Who would be "satisfied" with that? Who doesn't want championships? Everyone does, Kevin Ollie more than any fan, I promise.

 

[mauconnfan]

Not a title but we ought not be satisfied with 21 wins and a 12 seed either. We need to be one of the teams in the conversation every year.

Like we were with JC right? He never had any off years….ask Jackson State! I would argue to have agreed with jay Bilas and left them out of the conversation, others would say no. The talent and ability says no but they still might so let's take a wait and see approach rather than a "free scooter approach" when nothing is good enough!

 

[dsturdy5]

A big man from Europe with some skill would work wonders for us. He can be a little slow and his shoes can be nailed to the floor, but if he can shoot and catch the ball in the post, this team will thrive around him. Just no beef and no skill in the post right now. I hope KO will look into it.

You just described Arvydas Sabonis. I don't think he has much eligibility left though.

 

[Hoophound]

You just described Arvydas Sabonis. I don't think he has much eligibility left though.

I was thinking of him. However, he was a great player, I just want a guy with a decent shot and good hands. The focus on getting the best athletes is going overboard in college basketball. When you have plenty of fire power, a big guy with good hands and the ability to make a layup is all you really need in the middle. I am in the camp that Wolf would be a big help right now. I know it isn't a certainty that he'd make us much better, but I am certain that he has some skills our current bigs lack.

 

[metsfan2323]

Like we were with JC right? He never had any off years….ask Jackson State! I would argue to have agreed with jay Bilas and left them out of the conversation, others would say no. The talent and ability says no but they still might so let's take a wait and see approach rather than a "free scooter approach" when nothing is good enough!

Yup, JC's last year we had Drummond and Roscoe Smith and still couldn't rebound. Sometimes the chemistry fails.

 

[metsfan2323]

If Championships aren't the goal UConn should just say screw it and join the NEC or better yet a recreational league at the Willimantic Y. I can't believe the levels some people are willing to go to to give Ollie cover. As I said, I'm willing to wait in evaluating him for at least another season but if we're not playing to win it all, we shouldn't bother playing at all

Having the goal of a championship and setting championship as the bar for success / failure are two different things.

Tom Izzo is a hall of fame coach who has one championship, Kevin Ollie is in the middle of his very first tournament eligible season.

Its so nice that you are willing to wait another year. You are a peach.

 

[sparky]

Ollie needs Metamucil. He looks constipated. That being said this team may lack size, but that is no reason for them to not box out and fight for the ball. Bazz should not be the top rebounder. Omar may have to sit more. Apparently his hip issues have caused him to change hi shooting mechanics. I am not a fan of Ollie's substitution patterns, but I also think there is not a whole lot to choose from in the frontcourt. This was a stupid loss and everyone has one of those in a season. It's behind us. Boat saved our bacon in the first half from being down 30. Bazz woke up from his trip to Narnia in the second half. We will be better.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

If Championships aren't the goal UConn should just say screw it and join the NEC or better yet a recreational league at the Willimantic Y. I can't believe the levels some people are willing to go to to give Ollie cover. As I said, I'm willing to wait in evaluating him for at least another season but if we're not playing to win it all, we shouldn't bother playing at all

Goals and expectations are two different things.

Quite frankly, you sound like a self-entitled weeny rather than someone enjoying the entertainment of being a fan.

It's a long season. Don't ruin it for yourself by being a slave to your expectations. This team doesn't deserve fans who feel no satisfaction in victories, and are only motivated to speak by the urge to complain.

Ungrateful bastard.

 

[upstater]

Goals and expectations are two different things.

Quite frankly, you sound like a self-entitled weeny rather than someone enjoying the entertainment of being a fan.

It's a long season. Don't ruin it for yourself by being a slave to your expectations. This team doesn't deserve fans who feel no satisfaction in victories, and are only motivated to speak by the urge to complain.

Ungrateful bastard.

I keep asking people, who would you prefer as coach? I am not limiting this question at all. Carolina's coach? Syracuse's? Indiana's? VCU's? Freescooter, it's well known, prefers Shaka Smart to Ollie. How is Shaka doing this year?

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I keep asking people, who would you prefer as coach? I am not limiting this question at all. Carolina's coach? Syracuse's? Indiana's? VCU's? Freescooter, it's well known, prefers Shaka Smart to Ollie. How is Shaka doing this year?

Once freescooter makes up his mind, there's no changing it. He's stunted intellectually that way.

 

[joober jones]

The title of this thread ruined my day.

 

[freescooter]

You think Jim Calhoun ever came to a season thinking winning a championship is too high a bar? I can tell you, he never did. Not when he was coaching at Northeastern. Not when he was trying to resuscitate a UConn program that had fallen off the map in Perno's last couple of years. You actually think Jim Calhoun would have not smacked you in the mouth if you said, "We'll Jim, you're not a Hall of Fame Coach so we'll never expect you to win anything.?" I have higher expectations of Ollie than any of you guys do. Win championships. No excuses.

 

[8893]

Scooter must have missed the first dozen years of Jim Calhoun's tenure here, when he spent most of his time explaining why it wasn't fair to judge the success or failure of a season or a program based on whether or not you won the National Championship.

 

[dsturdy5]

Scooter must have missed the first dozen years of Jim Calhoun's tenure here, when he spent most of his time explaining why it wasn't fair to judge the success or failure of a season or a program based on whether or not you won the National Championship.

I'm fairly certain Bobby Knight also said this.

 

[Dmike]

This thread is disappointing in many regards, but I'm glad to see that many of the Boneyard faithful have stepped in to counter the chicken littles who can't suck up a truly awful loss. Yes, Houston is a bad team. Yes, they were missing their starting backcourt, 2 top 100 recruits (House and Rose), Yes, we only played one half of basketball while Houston got to play two halves. Yes, our offense has become somewhat stagant. Yes, our big men are disappointing and can't rebound. Yes, Calhoun is suffering from something.

Now that we have that out of the way. Let's take stock of a few things. We are 11-2. We are a ranked team. We are getting solid Top 100 recruits, and maybe some steals in Lubin and Cassell, although we need to land some more talented bigs. We have an extraordinary fan base who cares about the program and the kids that play for it. Bottom line, we are relevant on the national scene, despite conference realignment, post season bans, lost scholarships, and mass defections.

JC built UConn into a powerhouse, but we lost in the Great Alaskan Shootout in '95 or something to Ohio University,. We lost in the '08 NCAA tournament to San Diego. We lost to Central FL in the Puerto Rican Shootout. happens.

End of the day, our kids tie the shoe laces on their sneakers, the same as the other 350 NCAA Division 1 teams, and when you play a game, talent, stats, records, good lucking alumni, ugly cheerleaders, attendance, etc. aren't what win games. Its the performance of five players when they are on the floor that dictates the result of the game. We are dealing with college kids, who are trying to live with all of our expectations, build a career for themselves, competing for playing time and usage, while trying not to fail out of school or get caught smoking a joint like mots other college kids. They work incredibly hard and sometimes they have a bad day at the office.

Whether we should have beat Houston or not is irrelevant - we didn't. If we wing a national championship this year, a loss to Houston means nothing. If we don't do well in the NCAA tournament, this loss still means next to nothing in the scope of a season and KO's head coaching experience.

KO is a winner. Our team wins way more than it loses. We are in games at the end and have a chance to win. Finally, we score a lot of baskets out of timeouts, where KO is setting plays. He is a good coach and he's not going anywhere. I loved him as a college player, NBA player, representative of our university, assistant coach, and now head coach.

As sports fans go, in spite of the mess we were in a few years back, we're blessed to be where we are. We have a winning program with an identity that manages to consistently win more than 95% of the rest of college basketball. I feel blessed to have KO as a coach, blessed to have the players we do, blessed to have this program to root for. This New Year, Boneyard take stock of what you have instead of a stupid loss to a game we lost.