Kevin Ollie, UConn ready to rebound after rough season | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Kevin Ollie, UConn ready to rebound after rough season

This will be the year KO will prove if he knows how to coach basketball or not. As long as everyone stays relatively healthy, KO will have zero excuse to not be a top 25 basketball team this year. If KO fails to do so...I'd argue that KO is the cause of the issues. However, we'll see how it goes.
 
polycom said:
This will be the year KO will prove if he knows how to coach basketball or not. As long as everyone stays relatively healthy, KO will have zero excuse to not be a top 25 basketball team this year. If KO fails to do so...I'd argue that KO is the cause of the issues. However, we'll see how it goes.
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Palatine is that you?
 
polycom said:
If this year's team isn't well coached it's absolutely time to wonder about KO's coaching ability. To think otherwise is comedy. If this team is well coached they'll be a top 25 team.
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Just having fun, no doubt his ability to do something with this team is on the radar. Just not sure what that expectation is until we see the pieces on the court, but no doubt there needs to be a positive feel for the season and hopefully a tourney bid.
 
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mauconnfan said:
Just having fun, no doubt his ability to do something with this team is on the radar. Just not sure what that expectation is until we see the pics on the court, but no doubt there needs to be a positive feel for the season and hopefully a tourney bid.
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Fair fair. Well Jalen should at least be in conversation for AAC POY. From there we should be a solid team granted injuries are my concern.
 
polycom said:
If this year's team isn't well coached it's absolutely time to wonder about KO's coaching ability. To think otherwise is comedy. If this team is well coached they'll be a top 25 team.
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The big problem, as we all know, is the unbalanced schedule. It ain't like this team is an experienced bunch used to playing together. It will likely take them awhile to jell. That unfortunately means early losses. And that in turn puts significant headwinds on Top25 status. It's a lot easier to start high and not fall than it is to climb the ladder.

I'm hoping they do jell, and play really well in the AAC. And then show in both tournaments.
 
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intlzncster said:
The big problem, as we all know, is the unbalanced schedule. It ain't like this team is an experienced bunch used to playing together. It will likely take them awhile to jell. That unfortunately means early losses. And that in turn puts significant headwinds on Top25 status. It's a lot easier to start high and not fall than it is to climb the ladder.

I'm hoping they do jell, and play really well in the AAC. And then show in both tournaments.
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We are going to get destroyed in dec but if we use that experience we should be dominate at the end of the season.
 
fleudslipcon said:
Lose to Oregon and that happiness will be short lived for some. Quite a lot of fans in this forum with di
fferent takes on what qualifies as success.

I think the predominant viewpoint for a successful season is finishing no lower than fourth in the AAC and at least getting to the second round in the NCAA tournament.

Given that only two players have played significant minutes and given the need to band aid the front court, I would be ecstatic if one or both of those events happened.
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With our front court and the total lack of college D1 playing time, I think making the tournament would be success. I hope we catch lightening in a bottle, but in reality, getting to the NCAAs is decent improvement.
 
This team will have three "tune-up" games that they will not only have to win, but have to develop some chemistry and ability to play together, some sense of a rotation, and Ollie will be able to see who wants it and will put in the effort. Then it's Oregon, who lost a lot from last year's team, and although it will be tough it's plausible. The 5th game against MSU I'm not liking. But a great start would be 4-1 at that point.

In December the gauntlet is Arizona-Auburn-Wichita State over 10 days. You need to find a way to not lose all three of those. Winning two of three would be solid.
 
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Doctor Hoop said:
This team will have three "tune-up" games that they will not only have to win, but have to develop some chemistry and ability to play together, some sense of a rotation, and Ollie will be able to see who wants it and will put in the effort. Then it's Oregon, who lost a lot from last year's team, and although it will be tough it's plausible. The 5th game against MSU I'm not liking. But a great start would be 4-1 at that point.

In December the gauntlet is Arizona-Auburn-Wichita State over 10 days. You need to find a way to not lose all three of those. Winning two of three would be solid.
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This is the key to the early season evaluation. It's anyone's guess if there is a front court presence to help a talented, albeit, somewhat rusty, backcourt.
 
Stairmaster said:
My god, put this to bed. Only in your mind are Wagner and Northeastern still hanging over the program. You are unhealthily obsessed.
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It takes a really long time to beat a dead horse back to death when you're the only idiot taking part
 
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UCONN is an elite program and elite programs don't complain about unbalanced schedules. Some of you are trying to rationalize Ollies inability to win those games while at the same time touting his coaching greatness. You can't have it both ways.

PS: Oregon lost their 4 best players from last year while we return our 4 best players. That game is an absolute must win for team confidence and fan confidence in Ollie.
 
polycom said:
Please point to a season where we were prepared for Nov. in recent history under Ollie.
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2013 and 2014 I know that was so long ago and we better get some big wins in Nov and Dec if we want any chance at a decent NCAAT seed
 
while we return our 4 best players

in name or based on last years performance?
Huge difference
 
Doctor Hoop said:
This team will have three "tune-up" games that they will not only have to win, but have to develop some chemistry and ability to play together, some sense of a rotation, and Ollie will be able to see who wants it and will put in the effort. Then it's Oregon, who lost a lot from last year's team, and although it will be tough it's plausible. The 5th game against MSU I'm not liking. But a great start would be 4-1 at that point.

In December the gauntlet is Arizona-Auburn-Wichita State over 10 days. You need to find a way to not lose all three of those. Winning two of three would be solid.
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Tough but plausible? There is absolutely no excuse to not beat Oregon this year. They lost Jordan bell, Tyler Dorsey, Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, Dylan Ennis, and Payton Pritchard.
 
Hard to perform when you're redshirting.

You can argue about Vital >< Jackson.

Gilbert and Larrier were starters before they went down, and better than the guys that left. All of them.

At worst, we return our 3 best players. The 4th is debatable. There isn't a huge difference.
 
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intlzncster said:
And those wins apply to this current group how?
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If you're responding to my post about Michigan St, Florida, and Kentucky, then you should read Palatine's post again.

He said "Ollie" has yet to demonstrate he can beat Yale, Wagner, and Northeastern.

The current group didn't beat MSU, Fla, and UK, but they also didn't lose to Yale, Wagner, and Northeastern.

But if someone is arguing that Ollie hasn't shown the ability to beat weak teams, it's absolutely relevant to remind that poster how silly he sounds.
 
superjohn said:
Tough but plausible? There is absolutely no excuse to not beat Oregon this year. They lost Jordan bell, Tyler Dorsey, Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, Dylan Ennis, and Payton Pritchard.
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Tough because at that time they will likely be the most athletic team we've faced, and we'll need to be ready. Plausible because of all the personnel losses. Clear?
 
WingU-Conn said:
If you're responding to my post about Michigan St, Florida, and Kentucky, then you should read Palatine's post again.

He said "Ollie" has yet to demonstrate he can beat Yale, Wagner, and Northeastern.

The current group didn't beat MSU, Fla, and UK, but they also didn't lose to Yale, Wagner, and Northeastern.

But if someone is arguing that Ollie hasn't shown the ability to beat weak teams, it's absolutely relevant to remind that poster how silly he sounds.
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Nope, I was responding to somebody else who said we own Arizona and we've beat them in December a couple times. So I asked how that was remotely relevant to this year's team? New year, new team. In fact, really new team.
 
intlzncster said:
Nope, I was responding to somebody else who said we own Arizona and we've beat them in December a couple times. So I asked how that was remotely relevant to this year's team? New year, new team. In fact, really new team.
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My mistake, that ignore feature has some drawbacks.
 
We have a fairly decent roster despite numerous question marks. I think this will be the year that it becomes clear what kind of coach KO is. If he can keep the team ranked and relevant, I will be thrilled. That would be a huge step in the right direction.
 
Huskybass said:
We have a fairly decent roster despite numerous question marks. I think this will be the year that it becomes clear what kind of coach KO is. If he can keep the team ranked and relevant, I will be thrilled. That would be a huge step in the right direction.
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Keep ranked isn't going to be easy, but if he does that it will be impressive. I think the year will be judged more on how they are prepared for each game, how they compete and if they show they can win games they should while throwing a few surprise W's in. The hope is hanging around #25 as well as making the tourney. Not sure we should throw "numbers" around as the barometer as fans we will see what's going on and the direction this team is heading.
 
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