Kevin Ollie Merrimack Postgame

[tcf15]

 

[Stainmaster]

"Work in progress"

 

[UCFan1513]

I understand the optimism but at some point how can you be "proud" of a 15 point win against Merrimack where we looked lackadaisical at best?

 

[Athlete94]

I understand the optimism but at some point how can you be "proud" of a 15 point win against Merrimack where we looked lackadaisical at best

 

[Stainmaster]

I understand the optimism but at some point how can you be "proud" of a 15 point win against Merrimack where we looked lackadaisical at best?

Something tells me that laying into the team at a press conference the way some here want may not improve on-court performance.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Best quote:
"Doin' what Mamadou doin'."

 

[Uconn92387]

I’m happy with the progress people forget these are kids playing basketball and pretty much the whole team is new and a few who didn’t play that much last year. This team is deep player wise. I like how you have 5 bigs who can come in and give you 2 to 8 points each. Only guy who I’m not impressed with is Anderson.

 

[willie99]

1) New roster, new rotations, new rolls, no experience

2) October 31st (really Oct 30)

 

[HooperScooper]

Something tells me that laying into the team at a press conference the way some here want may not improve on-court performance.

Not that I disagree with you, but it used to work for Jim Calhoun.

 

[AntG168]

Not that I disagree with you, but it used to work for Jim Calhoun.

Jim Calhoun was special lol. There arent many Jim Calhouns

 

[krinklecut]

Not that I disagree with you, but it used to work for Jim Calhoun.

KO is not Jim Calhoun

 

[SirHypeAlot]

1) New roster, new rotations, new rolls, no experience

So if Jalen and Terry leave after this year and we graduate David and Anderson will this excuse apply again next year? 4 out 3 new in...

the continuity excuse is getting really old

 

[AntG168]

So if Jalen and Terry leave after this year and we graduate David and Anderson will this excuse apply again next year? 4 out 3 new in...

the continuity excuse is getting really old

I don't think anyone is using it as an excuse to have a bad season. No one thinks that is exceptable. I see many using it to say we wont be world beaters from the jump

 

[UCFan1513]

Something tells me that laying into the team at a press conference the way some here want may not improve on-court performance.

I didn't say lay into the team, but saying you're "very proud" of the team's performance is also too far on the other end. I know he acknowledged the "work in process," but at some point being 'very proud' of the way we played is going to the opposite extreme. That was just lazy, sloppy basketball against an inferior opponent.

 

[Kenny11]

Not that I disagree with you, but it used to work for Jim Calhoun.

Calhoun would do that when he felt like it. But there have been more times where he ripped into the reporters for asking questions that came off as critical of his players. I was at a game once where UConn was playing horrible and was down at halftime and the crowd booed and Calhoun started screaming at the crowd for booing his players, sarcastically clapping at them, etc. He stuck up for his players more times than not.

 

[HooperScooper]

Calhoun would do that when he felt like it. But there have been more times where he ripped into the reporters for asking questions that came off as critical of his players. I was at a game once where UConn was playing horrible and was down at halftime and the crowd booed and Calhoun started screaming at the crowd for booing his players, sarcastically clapping at them, etc. He stuck up for his players more times than not.

I think that was the UMass game in 2003. I was there and remember JC looking up at us.

 

[uconn34]

So if Jalen and Terry leave after this year and we graduate David and Anderson will this excuse apply again next year? 4 out 3 new in...

the continuity excuse is getting really old

Respectfully, if Jalen and Terry play well enough to leave tbeir/our game will be much better. Sorry, don't see it, wish I could.

 

[gtcam]

I understand the optimism but at some point how can you be "proud" of a 15 point win against Merrimack where we looked lackadaisical at best?

At 10/30 and during exhibition you can be satisfied with a W
He was "proud" of them executing the scouts and "proud" of what the reserves/freshmen did- no problem with that
He had things he was disappointed with and never said he was completely satisfied as you are alluding
Were you at the game? There was no lackadaisical feeling to it (times when the play was choppy and they were trying to feel things out) I did not have that impression at all

 

[UCFan1513]

At 10/30 and during exhibition you can be satisfied with a W
He was "proud" of them executing the scouts and "proud" of what the reserves/freshmen did- no problem with that
He had things he was disappointed with and never said he was completely satisfied as you are alluding
Were you at the game? There was no lackadaisical feeling to it (times when the play was choppy and they were trying to feel things out) I did not have that impression at all

During the second half it had a feeling reminiscent of a pick-up game with players taking it end to end and little defense being played. Just left a bad taste in my mouth and felt little room for overt optimism after the game. Don't disagree with your analysis though.

 

[TRUCONN76]

During the second half it had a feeling reminiscent of a pick-up game with players taking it end to end and little defense being played. Just left a bad taste in my mouth and felt little room for overt optimism after the game. Don't disagree with your analysis though.

I guess a lot of you don't remember thabeet's freshman year when Calhoun had nine new players. They were terrible that year but were in the final four two years later. From what I have seen the new guys this year are further along and more ready to contribute early on.

 

[UCFan1513]

I guess a lot of you don't remember thabeet's freshman year when Calhoun had nine new players. They were terrible that year but were in the final four two years later. From what I have seen the new guys this year are further along and more ready to contribute early on.

We can hope!

 

[mauconnfan]

Not sure why a "work in progress" isn't ok? I mean they ARE just that. Not throwing fluff around this team will struggle early and if you don't like that don't watch them. Hell, I would be a fool not to wonder if they will struggle all year as there's just some things that concern me. But for now it is what it is, they need to play together, KO needs to see different guys in the line up with Jalen and what should be the regulars. He needs to see everyone play while he can and that will stop more than likely once he gets a sense of who is going to command the minutes. It may stop when they tip off the first game next week.

Heck even Jalen and Alterique are a work in progress playing together in more than a practice setting. They need to make each other better and find a way to do that. That would be on both ends as they both have the same tendencies of not keeping their guy in front of them and that will lead to all kinds of disarray on D. If they don't make shots it will be a long year anyway I mean it's a must. They didn't look good against a zone with a bunch of 6'2-6'4 kids imagine a zone with 6'2-6'10 kids long and fast? All of them tried to cut the mustard too much when they found a seam and threw some dreadful passes which will lead to fast breaks the other way against better teams. Terry will be huge if he can shoot it from 12-15 against the zones as well as maybe even Polley.

Long way to go I'm afraid, hang on for the ride that hopefully gets smoother game to game.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

So if Jalen and Terry leave after this year and we graduate David and Anderson will this excuse apply again next year? 4 out 3 new in...

the continuity excuse is getting really old

Concentrating exclusively on the first point about continuity and calling it an "excuse," while completely ignoring the second point that it was the second exhibition game in October is much worse than "really old."

Please list all other teams that have 10 out of 12 new active players this year. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong and you have a point.