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You never liked Ollie. Hurt the brand? Who should UConn have hired? I always ask you this. Lay your cards on the table. Who should UConn have hired?
Ollie was terrible in the last five minutes.
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You never liked Ollie. Hurt the brand? Who should UConn have hired? I always ask you this. Lay your cards on the table. Who should UConn have hired?
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You know you have been actively posting the last few weeks. Its like you have been resurrected or something (perhaps motivated?). Were you out of the country Nov. and Dec.?
8893
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Apparently, the head coach of Buffalo or Fairfield.
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You make the occasional valid point. But the fact that you only post when they lose really makes you seem like the trolling, hostile-to-the-program that most people on the board think you are.
UChusky916
Making the board a little less insufferable
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Yeah, Ollie sucked. He didn't score any points or grab any boards. Well, at least he didn't turn it over either.
(sarcasm off)
Ollie can only do so much you guys. He's not out there on the floor. The players just look defeated out there the past few games. They're playing tight, almost like basketball is a chore for them. Their mentality seems like they're afraid to lose rather than being motivated to win.
Granted, I think we can run better offensive sets (and thats on KO), but the guys on the floor made some boneheaded plays to let Harvard back in it. I also don't agree with not having a true center in there at the end to protect the rim and prevent easy hoops. But after Amida fouled out, I didn't really trust anyone else in there at the 5.
We tried playing straight up D at the end and resulted in a dumb 4-pt play. Next drive was a and-1 call that gave them more easy points. By then, I'm sure Ollie was telling them NOT TO FOUL and that resulted in easy drives to the hoop. Just one of those games where you mark down a W and move on.
(sarcasm off)
Ollie can only do so much you guys. He's not out there on the floor. The players just look defeated out there the past few games. They're playing tight, almost like basketball is a chore for them. Their mentality seems like they're afraid to lose rather than being motivated to win.
Granted, I think we can run better offensive sets (and thats on KO), but the guys on the floor made some boneheaded plays to let Harvard back in it. I also don't agree with not having a true center in there at the end to protect the rim and prevent easy hoops. But after Amida fouled out, I didn't really trust anyone else in there at the 5.
We tried playing straight up D at the end and resulted in a dumb 4-pt play. Next drive was a and-1 call that gave them more easy points. By then, I'm sure Ollie was telling them NOT TO FOUL and that resulted in easy drives to the hoop. Just one of those games where you mark down a W and move on.
ctchamps
We are UConn!! 4>1 But 5>>>>1 is even better!
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And you think I'm not aware of his history. He's a HOF coach having a horrible up and down season. The point I'm making is that bad seasons happen to great coaches, even those with history. Shaka is not having a great season this year. I doubt he would have done any better with this group of UConn players than Kevin. The point I'm making is that there is no certainty anything would have been different this season even if you had your choice of coach.
But it is easy to second guess things when they are not able to be measured.
So go ahead and reduce my statement as absurd. It was meant as an over the top comparison to make the salient point that no one knows anything with certainty. Most of us understand this point and we can admit that. I see your inability to understand this as a flaw.
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He never liked Calhoun either. Ignore function is wonderful, cause he only posts when we're down.
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Having watched the last five minutes (OK, 4 minutes):
First possession after the under 4 media timeout, we play terrific defense - gave them absolutely nothing. Ends with a Boat steal. Makes 1 of 2 to go up 5.
Then Kromah had a terrible defensive breakdown. He left Chambers to help and stood in the paint ball watching when Chambers hit the three to cut it to two. Just an individual defensive lapse - they didn't even run a play to get him open, Kromah just left him.
Before Napier hit his first of two straight 3s, Boat drove and kicked twice - once to Bazz for a miss (we get the rebound o/b), once to DD who did not shoot as a defender flew by, but we had the defense scrambling. Decent offense - Bazz hits a 3 after the scramble which is semi-contested, but feet were set and it was a good rhythm 3. A better offensive player off the bounce than DD would have used that fly-by and slashed to the rim, but he picked up his dribble wisely knowing that the paint was too crowded - then Bazz had to take a more difficult shot, but this is our world.
That was followed by another good defensive possession as their big (Casey) shoots a corner 3 with Daniels contesting under control. On Napier's tough 3 to push it to eight, we run a decent set with about 15 on the clock where Boat could have shot a semi-contested 3 or drove from the left wing, but wisely ran more clock. The set also resulted in Brimah posting up with great position, but Boat wisely doesn't throw it to him. Maybe later in his career, but certainly not now. Then Boat clears out and it becomes an iso in last 10 seconds where Napier at least can go with no help defense in sight. Bazz makes a great individual play, but our clearout enabled him to have a whole half of the court to work with and no help defenders.
Up 8 after they miss 2 FTs, we wisely just kill clock and Bazz shoots at the end of the shot clock (45 seconds left). Would like to see him go up strong instead of the contorted dipsy-do thing, but no worries.
The four-point play was pretty inexcusable from Napier. It happens sometimes (Kemba fouled in that situation up 3 to Louisville with three seconds left in the BE Championship game - got away with it). Napier frankly sagged way too far into the paint when the ball was on the weak side (he went all the way inside the circle under the basket). He doesn't need to help that far off his man. More worried about 3s than 2s (and certainly don't want 4s). He seems to have this tendency late in games to try to be everywhere and end up in no-man's land. You can put some of the blame on Ollie and staff for not having implored to Bazz to stick to his responsibilities in these situations. He sort of got there in time to give a good contest on the 3, but was a little out of control and his momentum carried him into Rivard, so he didn't really get there in time. Don't help that far into the paint, and you can contest under control.
Boat splits two to go up 5, we stop the ball this time and force them to a 30-footer. KO then pulls us off the line on our foul shots to get back and get organized - wise coaching move, but we don't execute. Boat misses the second FT and his man (Chambers) sprints up with a head of steam. Boat hangs his head for a split second after his FT rattles out and trails the play, but Daniels man, who grabbed the missed FT, is way behind the play, so DD is available to help on the drive (and Boat is the one guy who couldn't get back into position). DD is a little slow to read the play - or perhaps a little lazy - and gives up the driving lane, but still contests the initial shot well enough to get him to miss.
Meanwhile, Kromah could help, but instead goes to Rivard in the corner, which is 100 percent the right move - take away the spot up 3 there from your responsibility, and give up the drive. But he turns his back totally on Rivard and ball watches again, and Rivard goes baseline to get the rebound and the and one with Kromah 10 feet away accomplishing nothing. Daniels fouls, but that's unlucky - he was trying for the rebound after contesting the first shot. You could say that Daniels should have let him have the rebound, but that's 20-20 hindsight, especially since they have it drilled into their head to f'in rebound and a rebound there effectively ends the game.
With the lead down to 3, Napier has no problem getting inbounds, makes 2, and once again we pull our team off the line to set up. Everyone is in position, and Kromah is assigned to Chambers this time. He is a little too worried about fighting over a screen to defend the 3 and lets him go right by the other way for the layup. Too tentative, but not an egregious error since the 3 hurts us more. Giffey sort of helps off a big and lazily swipes at the ball - dangerous risk of an and one, but he resists just enough and concedes the 2. Everyone else stayed at home on 3 point shooters.
On the turnover, we got the ball in bounds fine. Boat and Bazz had come to the ball effectively the previous four times to get fouled and Harvard takes them away, Giffey was the relief valve (a good FT shooter), and he cut hard to the ball to present himself. Perfectly fine design. Have no idea why a senior who has played international basketball doesn't dribble there and pick the ball up when his momentum stops. Harvard is going to foul immediately - not like you have to worry about a five-second call. That's on Giffey. You can design a play to get the ball in, but the players have to actually catch it and not take four steps with it.
Giff makes up for the mistake with good D switching onto Chambers off the inbounds, and Boat does a great job hustling over the top of the screen to take away the potential 3 from Curry. If we didn't get the steal, Chambers might have been open at the top of the key, since Giffey left him to help on Curry with Boat (which was probably a mistake, but Curry might have had a sliver of daylight fading to his left, so can't really harp on that). Daniels was also rushing out to Chambers in probably plenty of time, and Chambers probably would have had to reverse the ball to Casey for a 3 - Napier would have had to rush out at Casey as the clock expired, hopefully without a foul. But we'll never know.
Anyway, there isn't some great coaching breakdown going on in the last five minutes. We have seniors making a couple mistakes (Napier over-helping and fouling a 3 point shooter, Kromah with three bad breakdowns, Giffey forgetting to dribble). And we're too tentative and afraid to foul as they rush up court in the last 20 seconds - which we might not have been had we just not surrendered a four-point play. The coaching staff does have to work on finding the balance between "don't foul" and "EZ Pass to the rim", but that's really all I saw down the stretch where you can say the staff needs to work on something.
First possession after the under 4 media timeout, we play terrific defense - gave them absolutely nothing. Ends with a Boat steal. Makes 1 of 2 to go up 5.
Then Kromah had a terrible defensive breakdown. He left Chambers to help and stood in the paint ball watching when Chambers hit the three to cut it to two. Just an individual defensive lapse - they didn't even run a play to get him open, Kromah just left him.
Before Napier hit his first of two straight 3s, Boat drove and kicked twice - once to Bazz for a miss (we get the rebound o/b), once to DD who did not shoot as a defender flew by, but we had the defense scrambling. Decent offense - Bazz hits a 3 after the scramble which is semi-contested, but feet were set and it was a good rhythm 3. A better offensive player off the bounce than DD would have used that fly-by and slashed to the rim, but he picked up his dribble wisely knowing that the paint was too crowded - then Bazz had to take a more difficult shot, but this is our world.
That was followed by another good defensive possession as their big (Casey) shoots a corner 3 with Daniels contesting under control. On Napier's tough 3 to push it to eight, we run a decent set with about 15 on the clock where Boat could have shot a semi-contested 3 or drove from the left wing, but wisely ran more clock. The set also resulted in Brimah posting up with great position, but Boat wisely doesn't throw it to him. Maybe later in his career, but certainly not now. Then Boat clears out and it becomes an iso in last 10 seconds where Napier at least can go with no help defense in sight. Bazz makes a great individual play, but our clearout enabled him to have a whole half of the court to work with and no help defenders.
Up 8 after they miss 2 FTs, we wisely just kill clock and Bazz shoots at the end of the shot clock (45 seconds left). Would like to see him go up strong instead of the contorted dipsy-do thing, but no worries.
The four-point play was pretty inexcusable from Napier. It happens sometimes (Kemba fouled in that situation up 3 to Louisville with three seconds left in the BE Championship game - got away with it). Napier frankly sagged way too far into the paint when the ball was on the weak side (he went all the way inside the circle under the basket). He doesn't need to help that far off his man. More worried about 3s than 2s (and certainly don't want 4s). He seems to have this tendency late in games to try to be everywhere and end up in no-man's land. You can put some of the blame on Ollie and staff for not having implored to Bazz to stick to his responsibilities in these situations. He sort of got there in time to give a good contest on the 3, but was a little out of control and his momentum carried him into Rivard, so he didn't really get there in time. Don't help that far into the paint, and you can contest under control.
Boat splits two to go up 5, we stop the ball this time and force them to a 30-footer. KO then pulls us off the line on our foul shots to get back and get organized - wise coaching move, but we don't execute. Boat misses the second FT and his man (Chambers) sprints up with a head of steam. Boat hangs his head for a split second after his FT rattles out and trails the play, but Daniels man, who grabbed the missed FT, is way behind the play, so DD is available to help on the drive (and Boat is the one guy who couldn't get back into position). DD is a little slow to read the play - or perhaps a little lazy - and gives up the driving lane, but still contests the initial shot well enough to get him to miss.
Meanwhile, Kromah could help, but instead goes to Rivard in the corner, which is 100 percent the right move - take away the spot up 3 there from your responsibility, and give up the drive. But he turns his back totally on Rivard and ball watches again, and Rivard goes baseline to get the rebound and the and one with Kromah 10 feet away accomplishing nothing. Daniels fouls, but that's unlucky - he was trying for the rebound after contesting the first shot. You could say that Daniels should have let him have the rebound, but that's 20-20 hindsight, especially since they have it drilled into their head to f'in rebound and a rebound there effectively ends the game.
With the lead down to 3, Napier has no problem getting inbounds, makes 2, and once again we pull our team off the line to set up. Everyone is in position, and Kromah is assigned to Chambers this time. He is a little too worried about fighting over a screen to defend the 3 and lets him go right by the other way for the layup. Too tentative, but not an egregious error since the 3 hurts us more. Giffey sort of helps off a big and lazily swipes at the ball - dangerous risk of an and one, but he resists just enough and concedes the 2. Everyone else stayed at home on 3 point shooters.
On the turnover, we got the ball in bounds fine. Boat and Bazz had come to the ball effectively the previous four times to get fouled and Harvard takes them away, Giffey was the relief valve (a good FT shooter), and he cut hard to the ball to present himself. Perfectly fine design. Have no idea why a senior who has played international basketball doesn't dribble there and pick the ball up when his momentum stops. Harvard is going to foul immediately - not like you have to worry about a five-second call. That's on Giffey. You can design a play to get the ball in, but the players have to actually catch it and not take four steps with it.
Giff makes up for the mistake with good D switching onto Chambers off the inbounds, and Boat does a great job hustling over the top of the screen to take away the potential 3 from Curry. If we didn't get the steal, Chambers might have been open at the top of the key, since Giffey left him to help on Curry with Boat (which was probably a mistake, but Curry might have had a sliver of daylight fading to his left, so can't really harp on that). Daniels was also rushing out to Chambers in probably plenty of time, and Chambers probably would have had to reverse the ball to Casey for a 3 - Napier would have had to rush out at Casey as the clock expired, hopefully without a foul. But we'll never know.
Anyway, there isn't some great coaching breakdown going on in the last five minutes. We have seniors making a couple mistakes (Napier over-helping and fouling a 3 point shooter, Kromah with three bad breakdowns, Giffey forgetting to dribble). And we're too tentative and afraid to foul as they rush up court in the last 20 seconds - which we might not have been had we just not surrendered a four-point play. The coaching staff does have to work on finding the balance between "don't foul" and "EZ Pass to the rim", but that's really all I saw down the stretch where you can say the staff needs to work on something.
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I din't need to make your statement absurd. It was on its face. As you know, Hall of Fame coaches get much more benefit of the doubt than inexperienced guys who got jobs they likely weren't well prepared for. Again, sheesh.
ctchamps
We are UConn!! 4>1 But 5>>>>1 is even better!
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Didn't know Shaka or Brad were HOF coaches. Fans do not give experienced coaches any more benefit of doubt than inexperienced ones. Experience certainly didn't help PP. TJ was a light in an otherwise dark season and he didn't have HC experience. And yes you will argue that he has had coaching experience, but experience did not help GDL or PP. People want results no matter what a coaches experience is.
The only difference between you and me is that you are looking at KO's inexperience as a pre drawn conclusion he will fail. I have no idea if that is the case. There certainly are problems with inexperience. But I have valued his experience in the NBA as part of the measurement I calculated as experience. The number of teams and coaches KO has played for indicates a guy who is capable of learning systems quickly, who has a tremendous vault of coaching styles and team play allowing him to be a great coach. I get you would have been happier to have Shaka than KO because Shaka meets your criteria of who should be hired.
I guess the world according to freescooter is the best option in your mind. I disagree. I'll take the opinions of two HOF coaches that KO is the coach for UConn over you any day. That's my criteria.
unlike jc Ollie doesn't micro manage his guys. when you have senior leadership you expect them to handle things. unfortunately, our guys didn't. Ollie kills me with his subbing but the guys play hard. we are flawed and Ollie is dealing with it as a young coach.
ctchamps
We are UConn!! 4>1 But 5>>>>1 is even better!
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Interesting
Interesting. I felt that he had a longer leash than JC up until the last two games. Now he doesn't go all ballistic when a guy makes a mistake and gets taken out, but he has gone to the quick hook. I would say he is certainly a micro manager in certain situations.
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Playing the game like they did at the end is the equivalent of the "prevent defense". It happens to all coaches, think of the Darius Rice game, or even the mere fact we got to OT vs. George Mason by scoring a bunch of points in a hurry.
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I actually thought of the Darius Rice game too
I actually thought of that game, too. Twice we let them go right to the rim up 4 with no resistance. First time, Ben hit 2 FTs to push it back to 4, second time the inbounds pass didn't quite work out the way we had it planned. I have no empirical data to support this, but it seems like officials can't wait to call that foul on the drive late if the team that's ahead by 4 or more challenges the shot, and blow the whistle on much softer contact than earlier in the game. Almost like they want to punish the team that's ahead for contesting and anticipate fouls. Odds are, most players have fouled in that situation at some point in their careers, even with little contact, and been screamed at, so they are very hesitant to challenge. If the lead is 3 or less, officials seem to let more go for fear of directly influencing the game with a phantom foul.
I actually thought of that game, too. Twice we let them go right to the rim up 4 with no resistance. First time, Ben hit 2 FTs to push it back to 4, second time the inbounds pass didn't quite work out the way we had it planned. I have no empirical data to support this, but it seems like officials can't wait to call that foul on the drive late if the team that's ahead by 4 or more challenges the shot, and blow the whistle on much softer contact than earlier in the game. Almost like they want to punish the team that's ahead for contesting and anticipate fouls. Odds are, most players have fouled in that situation at some point in their careers, even with little contact, and been screamed at, so they are very hesitant to challenge. If the lead is 3 or less, officials seem to let more go for fear of directly influencing the game with a phantom foul.
David 76
Forty years a fan
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Who the hell didn't think we would be set back by the loss of scholarships from Nate Miles, the loss of tournament eligibility for APR and JC's retirement? We couldn't recruit much as a result and at least 3 players on the team jumped ship. So all this happens and at the lowest point of it all KO came in with a contract for a few months AND the team went 20-10!!!
We are still digging out of a huge whole.
You don't like the team, there are hundreds of others from which to chose. Didn't want Ollie? Too late. Move on or get out.
There are fans and then there are entitled brats that feel like the team owes them something
We are still digging out of a huge whole.
You don't like the team, there are hundreds of others from which to chose. Didn't want Ollie? Too late. Move on or get out.
There are fans and then there are entitled brats that feel like the team owes them something
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