Kevin Ollie killed the momentum.

[tentoes4rings]

So true - it took St. Jim 27 years to win his first title. Only took HCKO two!

Thanks for bringing much-needed perspective to this board.

You're being sarcastic right? JC coached the first 13 at Northeastern and played in the Big East his entire UConn career! KO inherited a pretty loaded team in a relatively soft conference with a player of the year type lead guard who had already won a NC. Not a fair comparison by any means.

 

[formerlurker]

I'm more of a UCONN football guy but these types of posts happen here too?

KO is family and you never throw family under the bus.

Especially when they've spent years learning from the best bus driver ever.

OP is a clown in my book.

 

[tzznandrew]

You're being sarcastic right? JC coached the first 13 at Northeastern and played in the Big East his entire UConn career! KO inherited a pretty loaded team in a relatively soft conference with a player of the year type lead guard who had already won a NC. Not a fair comparison by any means.

Let's be clear: that 2014 team wasn't "a pretty loaded team," and he got them to 20 wins in the Big East that first year, without the benefit of the BE or NCAA tournament. It had no McDonald's AAs. It lost a ton of huge recruits (Drummond, Oriakhi, Roscoe, and Lamb all left in the off season), and it only really brought in Phil Nolan and Omar Calhoun. We were freaking out about the fact that a guy named Wolf left our team for godsakes.

Boatright, Napier, Daniels, and a bunch of under-recruited overachievers. That was the 2014 team. And only Boat and Napier had really proven themselves in any measure before the season started.

 

[David 76]

Don't know what bothers me more, the way the team is playing or the crazy stuff on these boards.

 

[Stainmaster]

Don't know what bothers me more, the way the team is playing or the crazy stuff on these boards.

Gives you extra imperative to root for the team to win, no?

 

[Athlete94]

Really? Have you ever coached at a high level? I have. The call on JA was pure crap, it was a touch foul at best BUT to call it when the momentum was swinging was/is a wrong thing to do by ant official at that stage of the game, if its blatant yes, but touch foul, no, unless JA continued to do that.
KO did not lose the game. the game was lost in the first half when Gibbs, Miller, Purvis and AB decided it was a vacation day in NYC rather than a work night.
KO was frustrated, I've been there, done that.
Until you are in his shoes......
KO has made mistakes but this was not one he made with premeditated action - it was reaction
Speaking of reaction, the players in white could have used some reactionary tactics on defense all night.
And for all those dolts who say "what does he teach/do in practice" - I am positive he teaches at both an acceptable level in both content and style, within the areas of tactics and execution BUT look who he is working with - he has no bench so these guys work against crap every day - Maryland seems to have studs in their 1-10 players.
JC had that luxury but the recent loss in recruitment has hurt them - think that doesn't make a difference?
KO is not the reason - lack of a PG (JAA will be there real soon), lack of a leader and a bunch of guys with a lax attitude is part of the problem.

Hey moron, yes I have coached at a high level and recruited too, but you seem to have made this about me and you. So, should the call have been made ?. No!!! It's a let them play moment, instead the ref wanted to make the highlights on ESPN. Ollie is a great man, I've met him in person and he treated me as if he knew me. That's a special kind of coach. As I said, I wasn't saying he isn't a good coach or he lost the game, but the foul and tech killed the momentum. Any coach at any level would admit that, as Ollie did in his own way. I'm sure everyone here would want JA to keep being aggressive like he was trying to be, but to change the approach. This game was on the players from the start, you could see it once they missed several looks early and kept the crowd from being that 6th man it was hoping to be, and the one this team needed to pull this one out. Coaching only goes so far, the players have to have their own inner fire/heart what ever you want to call it. That is something you can't teach, either you have it or you don't. Go read my other post on that before quoting something and trying to call someone out.