Not so much fun to watch.

[Strummer]

That's my issue with this team.

Combination of seeming lack of effort, lack of a coordinated offense, lack of talent, frustrating players (calhoun), and seeing my favorite player (NG) on the bench too much.

Every win seems to have the same theme:

Get lead of ______ points over inferior opponent ______ which is without key player ______. Let inferior come back with uninspired play and disjointed offense, win by __1 / 2 / 3____ points on last second shot and/or other team choking.

Not at all an entertaining. Reminds me of watching the Dyson/Robinson team - I watched out of loyalty, but got very little entertainment value.

Not sure this is curable.

Beating a dead horse here, to be sure, but Wolf would have made a huge difference for this team. He was a very legitimate threat from inside of 10', with a very nice short jumper and very good hands.

I think in a way, ironically, Wolf became the sacrificial lamb for the past ills of the program. After all the crap that had happened prior to Wolf, KO decided that one more negative event could not be let go. Essentially Wolf was not kicked off the team for an event that was so insignificant that all charges were dropped, but rather to pay for the Sins of Nate Miles, Calhoun himself, AJ and Dyson, and the APR suck asses.

Screwing the Wolf ended up being the worst decision KO has made so far as a coach. It was excessive, it was reactionary, it showed a lack of loyalty for a kid who had stayed with us through the ban, and it was a very bad basketball decision.

All you Wolf haters out there can suck it. If Wolf was on this team we'd be substantially better, and I'd be enjoying these games instead of wondering what the hell is going on with the program.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

That's my issue with this team.

Combination of seeming lack of effort, lack of a coordinated offense, lack of talent, frustrating players (calhoun), and seeing my favorite player (NG) on the bench too much.

Every win seems to have the same theme:

Get lead of ______ points over inferior opponent ______ which is without key player ______. Let inferior come back with uninspired play and disjointed offense, win by __1 / 2 / 3____ points on last second shot and/or other team choking.

Not at all an entertaining. Reminds me of watching the Dyson/Robinson team - I watched out of loyalty, but got very little entertainment value.

Not sure this is curable.

Beating a dead horse here, to be sure, but Wolf would have made a huge difference for this team. He was a very legitimate threat from inside of 10', with a very nice short jumper and very good hands.

I think in a way, ironically, Wolf became the sacrificial lamb for the past ills of the program. After all the crap that had happened prior to Wolf, KO decided that one more negative event could not be let go. Essentially Wolf was not kicked off the team for an event that was so insignificant that all charges were dropped, but rather to pay for the Sins of Nate Miles, Calhoun himself, AJ and Dyson, and the APR suck asses.

Screwing the Wolf ended up being the worst decision KO has made so far as a coach. It was excessive, it was reactionary, it showed a lack of loyalty for a kid who had stayed with us through the ban, and it was a very bad basketball decision.

All you Wolf haters out there can suck it. If Wolf was on this team we'd be substantially better, and I'd be enjoying these games instead of wondering what the hell is going on with the program.

"Screwing the Wolf"...The 2014 UConn version of screwing the pooch

 

[Penfield]

Wolf screwed himself. He made a bad decision and had to deal with the consequences. Just because some other people associated w/ the University have done similar things and gotten a pass doesn't mean Ollie made the wrong call.

 

[Palatine]

This is water under the bridge and has been rehashed forever. Still, Wolf was punished far in excess his sins while others have done much worse, Ben Gordan hit his girl friend, AJ fenced PCs, and there are other examples, none had their scholarship revoked.

 

[Penfield]

This is water under the bridge and has been rehashed forever. Still, Wolf was punished far in excess his sins while others have done much worse, Ben Gordan hit his girl friend, AJ fenced PCs, and there are other examples, none had their scholarship revoked.

Just because those people were not punished appropriately does not mean Ollie has to follow those situations as guidelines. He is not Jim Calhoun, Randy Edsall, or Paul Pasquabaloney.

We do not know if Wolf had been messing up in other aspects that are not as public - ie late for practice or classes.

 

[upstater]

This is water under the bridge and has been rehashed forever. Still, Wolf was punished far in excess his sins while others have done much worse, Ben Gordan hit his girl friend, AJ fenced PCs, and there are other examples, none had their scholarship revoked.

You're missing a lot of context here. Getting physical on a university campus creates a situation where the school is liable. Stealing a PC doesn't do the same. This is why students getting caught stealing PCs are dealt a 1 semester suspension. I believe Price received a year's suspension.

 

[tykurez]

That's my issue with this team.

Combination of seeming lack of effort, lack of a coordinated offense, lack of talent, frustrating players (calhoun), and seeing my favorite player (NG) on the bench too much.

Every win seems to have the same theme:

Get lead of ______ points over inferior opponent ______ which is without key player ______. Let inferior come back with uninspired play and disjointed offense, win by __1 / 2 / 3____ points on last second shot and/or other team choking.

Not at all an entertaining. Reminds me of watching the Dyson/Robinson team - I watched out of loyalty, but got very little entertainment value.

Not sure this is curable.

All the Wolf stuff aside (because frankly, we'll never know if it would've made a difference and who cares?) ... this is exactly how I'm feeling.

I'm usually the overly optimistic type, but I've just lost that feeling with this team as of late. Something has happened since that 2nd half against Stanford that I can't put my finger on ... but this has not been an enjoyable team to watch as of late. The remaining optimistic part of me is waiting for that moment where it all turns around though ... just hope it isn't too late.

And I get it, the team is 12-3. Why are we complaining? Because that passion from last year has suddenly disappeared. Where's that "ten toes in" and "we're all brothers" mentality that Ollie brought out in these guys that made us so excited, even without a postseason?

 

[James]

How about people just stop watching. Save yourselves the effort. There is no loyalty if all you do is on them on here and in your head. I guarantee you're one of those imbeciles clamoring for Ollie to do a better job and turn Giffey to jj redick.

 

[dsturdy5]

Not fun to watch? Not liking what you see? Great, don't watch. Thanks for your interest in UConn basketball. See you during the next Final Four run.

 

[Inyatkin]

How about people just stop watching. Save yourselves the effort. There is no loyalty if all you do is on them on here and in your head. I guarantee you're one of those imbeciles clamoring for Ollie to do a better job and turn Giffey to jj redick.

He just needs some confidence, man. That and more basketball ability.

 

[Huskyfan990411]

Give this team a little bit of a break. They struggled for a couple games. Let the season play out and see where they end up at the end of the year.

 

[CodyJ.]

We won a championship with 9 losses right? was it nine? I think so. at any rate, these guys need these lumps to get better. I agree, they aren't playing that well right now. They'll come out of it

 

[ctchamps]

I think someone who expresses he's not having fun watching the games can still be a supporter of this team. So I have no issue with the OP being honest about his feelings. I agree with tykurez about Wolf. We have no idea if Wolf makes a difference or not. If Wolf was back Lasson isn't here and he was critical for last nights victory.

I actually enjoyed the second half as far as the team played with the exception of the first and last minutes of that half. I think I'm a little spooked about how this team might find new ways of losing a game. Just a problem with me and not the team. The way we feel is as much about us as it is about the object we're observing.

 

[Kitaman]

I think the OP meant that the excitement is missing. Its not that they are unexciting but the in-game runs, alley oops, highlight put backs, defensive flexing, etc.. have been missing for a few games. The close games are exciting but not the in-game play. I'll also say they don't appear to be having fun, maybe they are pressing, have less confidence or something else.

A winning streak should fix some of this.

 

[Waquoit]

Not fun to watch? Not liking what you see? Great, don't watch. Thanks for your interest in UConn basketball. See you during the next Final Four run.

I think the 9,000 people at Gampel agree with the OP's point.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

@Penfield "Wolf screwed himself."

Great post.

In what fcking world do we live in where a kid beats up his girl friend ( charges dropped NOT acquitted) yet the head coach/ university is the one screwing over the player by ONLY taking away his schollie.

I liked Wolf, but he screwed up, and even after they still have him the option to walk on.

It's his own damn fault.

 

[Strummer]

Thanks FreudslipConn -

I say that I find the games less entertaining than prior UConn teams/games and I get told I'm not a fan and piss off? Wow.

Anyway, gotta respond to ConnHuskBask.

Wolf was not charged with battery, assault, or domestic violence.

Got it?

You saying he "beat up" his girlfriend is bullsh-t, defamatory, and plain stupid. You don't know the whole story and you never will. It's completely wrong to make up garbage and then present it as a fact.

The charges that were dropped were "burglary, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct."

All of those relate to simply not leaving a room when asked. BIG WHOOP.

Ollie screwed up.

Kro MAH (shoot that guy) is great, but I'd much rather have Wolf.

 

[Penfield]

You don't know the whole story and you never will.

And neither do you.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

From the Hartford courant:

Wolf, 22, was charged Monday with third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, according to a UConn police report. Police arriving at an on-campus apartment determined that Wolf, who is 7 feet 1 and 245 pounds, had been in a physical altercation with a female resident.Court records say the pair were dating."Upon arrival," the report reads, "Officers discovered that Enosch Wolf had been in a physical altercation with a female resident of the building. Wolf refused to leave the apartment when he was asked to and grabbed the hair of the victim and pushed her head. Wolf also knocked the glasses off of the victim's face with his hand. Wolf continued to remain in the apartment and was subsequently arrested by police."



So yeah, blame Ollie you lunatic.

 

[Inyatkin]

I'll never get this elevation of Wolf as the would-be savior based on 2 points a game, but that's not the point.
The point is that his arrest did not happen in a vacuum. It happened at a low point, reputation-wise, for UConn basketball. The absolute last thing we needed, with everything else going on, was someone on our team arrested in a domestic-violence situation. So, sure, we don't know what really happened, but we know he was arrested and we know how bad it might have been, and how bad it would have looked had he just waltzed back onto the team.
I don't believe Wolf paid too heavy a price, but that's immaterial. But I think it's inarguable he picked a terrible time to get arrested.

 

[dtrumpet]

From the Hartford courant:

Wolf, 22, was charged Monday with third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, according to a UConn police report. Police arriving at an on-campus apartment determined that Wolf, who is 7 feet 1 and 245 pounds, had been in a physical altercation with a female resident.Court records say the pair were dating."Upon arrival," the report reads, "Officers discovered that Enosch Wolf had been in a physical altercation with a female resident of the building. Wolf refused to leave the apartment when he was asked to and grabbed the hair of the victim and pushed her head. Wolf also knocked the glasses off of the victim's face with his hand. Wolf continued to remain in the apartment and was subsequently arrested by police."



So yeah, blame Ollie you lunatic.

and these are the charges that were dropped, just sayin'.

putting that aside, the OP is spot on. These games are a grind, an endurance contest hoping all goes well. Of course we all still watch, we're fans and loyalists, but its okay to admit it hasn't been all that much fun for the last couple of weeks.

 

[Rico444]

LOL, yeah, Enosch *ing Wolf is the reason we've struggled the last few games. He was also punished unfairly for smacking the hell out of his girlfriend. Poor guy!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

and these are the charges that were dropped, just sayin'.

putting that aside, the OP is spot on. These games are a grind, an endurance contest hoping all goes well. Of course we all still watch, we're fans and loyalists, but its okay to admit it hasn't been all that much fun for the last couple of weeks.

I mean, is it shocking a gf would go back to her bf after abuse? Or in this case, drop the charges?

 

[champs99and04]

Was the Wolf thing even Ollie's call? I was under the impression that it wasn't, but I've long since blocked the whole Wolf saga from my mind, so I don't really know.

Anyway, while I don't necessarily disagree with the OP, we have to keep in mind that every fan base experiences ebbs and flows throughout the season from an enjoyment/entertainment standpoint. I think a lot of people forget how maddening the 2011 team was until the very end of the season. Were they enjoyable when they were grinding out 61-59 wins over Seton Hall, losing by 17 to St. John's, and unraveling at the end of close games in BE play? No. So there's still hope that this team puts it together, especially given how entertaining they were to watch at the beginning of the season. A lot of our problems could be as simple as Shabazz hitting a wall after having to carry the team for so long in November and December. If he discovers a second gear like Kemba did in 2011, this team will be dangerous.

 

[Kitaman]

If anyone here has daughter(s), Wolf's situation looked a lot more serious than many here are suggesting. I would further say that a lot of fathers are probably not likely to complain that much about UConn revoking his schollie.