ok, last years chemistry issues?

[Kitaman]

Didn't Selvie host a team meeting sometime last year?

 

[HuskyBballFan]

The whole Drummond situation was just poorly handled last year...it had a significant domino effect on the team. it wasn't a question of playing someone who was better...it was the whole way things were handled...moving Oriakhi to power forward, moving Roscoe to the bench...it would have been one thing if Drummond was a terrific player, but he just wasn't...good for a freshman big man, but no where near the dominant player many were expecting, and he was not as good as Oriakhi was at the end of 2011. One didn't get the sense that Drummond "earned" his time exactly but more that a decision was made to play him and try to work Oriakhi in at the 4 and Smith off the bench...it caused problems all the way around.

1) There is absolutely no difference between the 4 and the 5 in Uconn's system. How was Oriakhi's role any different in 2012 than it was in 2011? He was asked to do three things on offense since he enrolled at Uconn: set screens, post up, and rebound.

2) How is it relevant that 2011 Oriakhi was better than 2012 Drummond? Who was better in 2012?

 

[UConn990411]

FTR, none of us are around the team on a daily basis, so it's impossible for any of us to know for sure.

Still, from what someone told me, a lot of team members had more of an issue with Napier off the court than Oriakhi on the court.

I heard the same thing from a couple people who were around the team every day.

But Napier was a sophomore trying his best to fill a HUGE leadership void left by Kemba's departure. If it really was a problem last year, I'd think it's something he would be much better at as a junior.

 

[willie99]

Coaches push buttons all the time. Sometimes their strategies don't work. They read guys wrong or they use an approach that "worked before" or they just make errors in judgement. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last time. When that happens, its on the coach. He may have had a plan, but when it didn't work, he stayed with it anyway. That was the situation last year.

I would suggest Alex is the one that should have changed, assuming he wants to play in the NBA that is

 

[progrocks]

It's all part of the same whole. If a body is riddled with cancer, treating that one tumor doesn't make that much of a difference. Calhoun's actions set forces in motion that he was ultimately unable to control.

Yes, it would have been great if AO had handled the situation as well as Ricky Moore did when JC took his job away and gave it to KEA. But Ricky wasn't coming off a National Champioship.

Jones lost his minutes when KEA came, Ricky still got all his minutes, just more off the ball.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

agreed, if anyone can recall, Kemba really struggled as pg as a soph. Shabazz may have tried too hard to be the main leader. There aren't too many who can be very positive, charismatic leaders as freshman or sophomores. Let's see, UConn has had, um, one in the JC era.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I imagine there were issues across the board.

First let's look at leadership:

1. Calhoun benches Oriakhi for lax play. Oriakhi responds by sulking and calling out Calhoun in public (twitter). Who knows what was said in private. Either way this takes away from the leadership on the team. You have a popular most senior player (who is co-captain) and the head coach arguing on the bench and in the press/twitter. Let's not even get into Oriakhi's daddy issues.
2. Calhoun misses a string of games. This further takes away from the leadership, by taking away a very strong willed coach.
3. Napier tries to assert himself and has issues. First, he has a bit of an abrasive personality. He seems a bit too serious, which may have clashed with some of the more laid back personalities on the team. Second, he is the same year as the majority of players. Third, he isn't the most talented among his peers (fellow sophomores). Ideally Oriakhi would have been a stronger, positive presence and Napier could have taken less of a leadership role until this coming year.

Second let's look at on the court issues:

1. Boatright misses a ton of early season games. This causes Lamb and Napier to be the only two guards on the team. With both Napier and Lamb on the court almost 40 minutes a game, the wear and tear on their bodies is evident by the time Boatright gets back. I don't blame Boatright for this, but it was an issue. Secondly, Napier picks up his nagging ankle injury (see current boot). Thirdly, this messes with the flow of rotations and sets back the halfcourt offense by at least 10 games.
2. Drummond commits late in the summer, which means he misses a ton of summer practice with the team and coaches. I truly believe he would have been much better if he had had more individual workouts with the team and coaches. His high school and AAU coaches failed him.
3. Roscoe wanting and failing to play the 3 effectively. His best games were at the four, where his hustle was great. His ballhandling and shooting left a lot to be desired at the 3 (or even the 4).
4. Shortcomings from all the bigs offensively. Screening, shot-making, charges, etc. were just bad.
5. The 3's all failing to provide a consistent, or any, presence (making Lamb play the 3 a ton).

Other off the court issues:

1. Daniels, I do not blame him (obviously), but his sisters health issues had to have a drag on his mental game.
2. Hangover from a bunch of freshman winning a NC.
3. Kemba leaving (strong willed, likeable leader who loved Calhoun).

This was a tremendous post and I couldn't agree with you anymore.

Everyone seems to want to place the blame on one person or one thing, but that just wasn't the case.

Sometimes teams just don't gel together for whatever reason and while they look good on paper, the consistent results just aren't there.

How else could anyone explain how these three teams with, on paper, not a huge and discernible talent gap had such different outcomes?

2009-2010 Sticks, Dyson, Alex, Kemba team makes the NIT
2010-2011 Kemba, soph Alex and Fresh win the BE Championship and NCAA Championship
2011-2012 Alex, all the sophs, plus AD get bounced in the 1st round of the NCAAs

As caw pointed out above it's a ton of different things that we can only speculate on, but what's certain is that it wasn't just one player or one move by Calhoun.

 

[Chief00]

I think Blaney gets some blame. Calhoun always goes with tough over smart but George liked Olander compared to Roscoe or Alex. Turn out to be a major mistake.​

 

[mauconnfan]

Blaming a kid instead of a multi-millionaire is the joke.

Blaming a kid who has the skills to be MUCH better than he was as a National Champ is much bigger JOKE Waqjob......did you ever play anything in your life? Guessing NOT because if you had any athletic ability you wouldn't rely on someone else to make you better than you are/were........AO was never all that good and Kemba made him ok........he never worked hard enough to make himself better physically, mentally or fundamentally and that's not on the "multi-millionaire" and not close!!!!

 

[RichZ]

Calhoun.
He destroyed the team chemistry early in the season by benching Scoe and relegating AO. It's really that simple.
Scoe was the heart and soul of the inside guys. He epitomized UConn toughness. He sustained an iconic eye injury during "The Run." He was tougher 'n nails when we needed it. For that, he was benched in favor of a guy who only committed to the team a few months before. That guy was an unproven frosh who ended up having a fairly sizable dud of a first season.
AO was the inside anchor on the team during The Run. His reward for that was being put 2nd on the depth chart behind another johny-come-lately who was almost certainly a one and done and who ended up having a so-so season. His minutes were also cut.
Last year was on Calhoun.

He didn't give Scoe and AO any deference for what they had already put in at UConn, and they returned the favor.

Agree to an extent on Roscoe, but Alex came in playing like crap and continued to play like crap, THEN he was benched. And he took poorly to being benched. I think the guys who had his ear (outside the team) need a big share of the blame.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Blaming a kid who has the skills to be MUCH better than he was as a National Champ is much bigger JOKE Waqjob......did you ever play anything in your life? Guessing NOT because if you had any athletic ability you wouldn't rely on someone else to make you better than you are/were........AO was never all that good and Kemba made him ok........he never worked hard enough to make himself better physically, mentally or fundamentally and that's not on the "multi-millionaire" and not close!!!!

How the hell do you know how hard he worked?

 

[AJC88]

There's a million things that could have been/were wrong with the team.
1) Players clearly weren't as close as they were the year before.
2) Did players resent the fact that Bazz had such a close relationship with coach?
3) JLamb, AO and Boat were regularly out together, I never saw Bazz out with the team
4) Boat missing so many games hurts
5) Coach missing games hurt, as you lose crucial leadership at an integral parts of the season (suspension, right before post season)
There's a ton of variables that went wrong with last season. I am just happy that it's over, and I'm looking forward to this upcoming season to see a group of players that actually want to be here and are ready to work.

 

[Waquoit]

Jones lost his minutes when KEA came, Ricky still got all his minutes, just more off the ball.

I didn't say minutes.

 

[Waquoit]

Blaming a kid who has the skills to be MUCH better than he was as a National Champ is much bigger JOKE Waqjob......did you ever play anything in your life? Guessing NOT because if you had any athletic ability you wouldn't rely on someone else to make you better than you are/were........AO was never all that good and Kemba made him ok........he never worked hard enough to make himself better physically, mentally or fundamentally and that's not on the "multi-millionaire" and not close!!!!

The JOKE is reading this stuff from a Yankee fan who loved to rag on Sox fans for the way they felt about Nomar after he left. He sulked and left with millions. AO left with no millions, just a ring.

 

[mauconnfan]

The JOKE is reading this stuff from a Yankee fan who loved to rag on Sox fans for the way they felt about Nomar after he left. He sulked and left with millions. AO left with no millions, just a ring.

Nomar? Who the hell is he? And please you making fun of me/Yankee fans for the way you felt about someone who left? Mirror Waq...mirror......

Anyway he was awful, he was the returning leader and he provided nothing....no leadership, awful basketball and effort on the court.....and I agree with others not all on him, but we also don't know the influence he had on others like Roscoe and such, him and his dad of course!! JC can always get some blame and should, but not for anything having to do with AO....nothing!!

And john huskies how the hell do I know? Did you watch the games? See ANY improvement from him? nuff said.........he knew what he needed to do over the summer and what needed improvement....didn't happen!
If he worked hard it would've shown.........it really is that simple. He's physically gifted and yet he still had that same left handed throw jump hook which he rarely made. Didn't have post move back to his right which is a little crazy for a righty. If you work over the summer you bring new things to your game, if you don't and think you're already good enough then you have year like that......awful.

 

[mauconnfan]

1) There is absolutely no difference between the 4 and the 5 in Uconn's system. How was Oriakhi's role any different in 2012 than it was in 2011? He was asked to do three things on offense since he enrolled at Uconn: set screens, post up, and rebound.

2) How is it relevant that 2011 Oriakhi was better than 2012 Drummond? Who was better in 2012?

Thank you HuskyBballFan.....4 and 5 were the same. Anyone trying to make a play on AO playing awful because he was a "4" doesn't know what he's talking about. He was in the same spot on offense basically the whole year as he was in '11....low block with his back to the basket most of the time. Can't put him anywhere else because he can't pass the ball, handle or shoot it good enough. The same place on offense and guarding (or not) the same people he would've in '11.........Oriahki's '11 and AD's '12 were comparable..........agree