Let us control our desires and give thanks for what we have.

[Goat]

My vote can be cast now. If all the verbally committed recruits come to UConn we have a great FIRST class from our new coach.

I am amazed and disappointed by the boneyarders who adhere to a 'who do we get next' approach to recruiting and are insatiable. If you have fancy cars in a full 5 car garage, maybe your friends talk about the many choices you enjoy. Still, when you go to buy groceries you have to pick one. If you are 7 years old and go to the bakery and eat everything that tastes good, you are going to get sick.

I am sure that I don't want UConn to be Kentucky. We are not a place where automatic pros go to "showcase themselves." We are where players come to improve and be the best players possible.

Ollie has said that he values teamwork and character. He recruits brains and athleticism, discipline and desire, to play in his, as yet unseen, run, read and exploit offense. He is picking players with great motors. So, I think, he recruits players with that offense in mind. He has said that the team was getting close to executing the system towards the end of last year.

There are two reasons I believe this new coach can come up with a new system of his own.
#1. Calhoun is letting him.
#2. If coaching were cooking, this guy has apprenticed for all the top chefs. Never forget that KO is smart and has had the keys to the mental filing cabinets of Jim Calhoun, George Blaney, Don Nelson, Chuck Daly, Rick Adelman, Larry Brown, Byron Scott, Bill Cartwright, Isaiah Thomas, George Karl, Nate McMillan, Paul Silas, Jim O'Brien, Maurice Cheeks, Randy Wittman, Kevin McHale and Scotty Brooks. He was the 2nd or 3rd PG on the roster of those NBA coaches. He knew their game plans throughout. If they ever wanted the first team to match up against another team's strength in practice, it was probably Ollie who was told how to run the opposing teams' schemes. Rick Pitino opened up to KO at a Celtics camp where KO was trying catch on. There are others who Ollie had this kind of relationship with, so this list is incomplete. But, you get the idea. Our cook has a lot of recipes in his head.

Last year we ran a 1 (Bazz), 2 (Boat), 3 (Omar), 3 (Neils), 3/4 (DD) look to great effect. I think KO will eventually be a coach for whom a player just wants on the floor with conceits like who starts and in what position being less important here then elsewhere.

I am ecstatic with KO's first class. When players see the scheme he envisions, they will flock to UConn for the chance to play in it. It will also help when 3* players make it and when new banners are hung.

Let get this season started.

 

[ctchamps]

#2. If coaching were cooking, this guy has apprenticed for all the top chefs. Never forget that KO is smart and has had the keys to the mental filing cabinets of Jim Calhoun, George Blaney, Don Nelson, Chuck Daly, Rick Adelman, Larry Brown, Byron Scott, Bill Cartwright, Isaiah Thomas, George Karl, Nate McMillan, Paul Silas, Jim O'Brien, Maurice Cheeks, Randy Wittman, Kevin McHale and Scotty Brooks. He was the 2nd or 3rd PG on the roster of those NBA coaches. He knew their game plans throughout. If they ever wanted the first team to match up against another team's strength in practice, it was probably Ollie who was told how to run the opposing teams' schemes. Rick Pitino opened up to KO at a Celtics camp where KO was trying catch on. There are others who Ollie had this kind of relationship with, so this list is incomplete. But, you get the idea. Our cook has a lot of recipes in his head.

I am ecstatic with KO's first class. When players see the scheme he envisions, they will flock to UConn for the chance to play in it. It will also help when 3* players make it and when new banners are hung.

Let get this season started.

He not only learned several of the coaches systems he was often asked to mentor players in the system. I agree he is well prepared to continue UConn's success.

 

[superjohn]

Don't agree with #1, it's Ollie's team not Calhoun's. I like the rest of the post though.

 

[RichZ]

When players see the scheme he envisions, they will flock to UConn for the chance to play in it.

Then explain how the orange ever gets ANY player to commit.

 

[Scot-e]

Recruiting is always a CF - we are as calm as anyone in the sport. I am always happy when we are not talking about it because- A) it makes me crazy B) I learn way too much about kids I will never care about again C) It means we are not playing games.

There is a good read on ESPN right now- talking about how traditional positions are starting to be a thing of the past- KO is most likely on the cutting edge of this with the NBA type offense he is trying to run. I do think kids will love it and once it is known- they will want to play under his system.

 

[UCONNfan1]

Recruiting is always a CF - we are as calm as anyone in the sport. I am always happy when we are not talking about it because- A) it makes me crazy B) I learn way too much about kids I will never care about again C) It means we are not playing games.

There is a good read on ESPN right now- talking about how traditional positions are starting to be a thing of the past- KO is most likely on the cutting edge of this with the NBA type offense he is trying to run. I do think kids will love it and once it is known- they will want to play under his system.

That's a great point. Looking forward to seeing it in action and how it progresses over the coming months/years as well!

 

[Goat]

Don't agree with #1, it's Ollie's team not Calhoun's. I like the rest of the post though.

I agree that the team is Ollie's.

My point is that Calhoun chose Ollie, so, therefore, he corroborates the claim that Ollie is x and o ready. I value JC's decision to entrust the program to KO.

The circle is now complete. When KO met JC, he was but the learner. Now, he is the coach.

 

[boog204]

Agree w/ most of the original post, except can we stop pretending that we are somehow "above" the one and done thing? If Jahlil Okafor wanted to commit we'd take him in a second and this board would explode with how KO is an amazing recruiter. Not one person would on it in regards to him a 1 and done who is only here to showcase himself.

We have actively recruited many one and done guys under JC and KO. We would've gladly taken any of them.

 

[OklahomaUconn]

The only thing im concerned with since hes unproven is a final 4 game or championship game with a minute to go ...his x's and o's how does he react under pressure with limited time ..how does he match up against a coach k in a mental war game when its one of his first goes at war as a the shot caller under pressure

 

[Dogbreath2U]

The only thing im concerned with since hes unproven is a final 4 game or championship game with a minute to go ...his x's and o's how does he react under pressure with limited time ..how does he match up against a coach k in a mental war game when its one of his first goes at war as a the shot caller under pressure

There are situations that he is going to have to learn by doing and he will make some mistakes. We had a coach who made it to 4 Final Fours and had a record of 6 wins, 1 loss in the Final Four. Who else has a record like that? No one is going to do that. It also took JC a good amount of time to get to that first Final Four. KO has the advantage of building from a pre-existing skyscraper rather than from a plot of dirt, but he is going to have some learning to do. I hope that our spoiled fan base (myself included) will stick with him through some less that perfect seasons. Having said that, his first season was remarkable given what he had. Now he brings in a really good recruiting class....potentially one of our very best ever in his first time out.

With all the concern we had about life after Calhoun, could it be going much better than it is? (not including the AAC and conference re-alignment crap). Considering everything, things are looking pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.

 

[Goat]

The only thing im concerned with since hes unproven is a final 4 game or championship game with a minute to go ...his x's and o's how does he react under pressure with limited time ..how does he match up against a coach k in a mental war game when its one of his first goes at war as a the shot caller under pressure

Seems to me KO had the right answers during the first ot game last year, do you foul, what factor to give to our rebounding issues. He anticipated the question. Do not discount his experience.

 

[OklahomaUconn]

Seems to me KO had the right answers during the first ot game last year, do you foul, what factor to give to our rebounding issues. He anticipated the question. Do not discount his experience.

True, does his experience under calhoun and as a nba player have the same value vs a coach k type? (Rhetorical)

 

[Goat]

True, does his experience under calhoun and as a nba player have the same value vs a coach k type? (Rhetorical)

Junior Cadoughan might say no. But, I think he played probability correctly even in the loss.