Ollie Withdrawing from OKC Consideration

[Uconn77Duke74]

It didn't hurt our recruiting one iota. Nobody that was making a decision who committed to another school in the last week was considering UCONN. Not one recruit decommitted or wavered on their decision. If anything all it did was put his name in "great college coaches who are NBA caliber and highly sought after" category as well as "extremely loyal, and has a passion a love for UCONN basketball" and makes those recruits probably think "UCONN basketball must really be something special". All it did was give our coach 1 week of great publicity and recognition for his talent. Not to mention he made a statement a few days ago.

Agreed. Now lets figure out how to get some recruits instead of how to be recruited.

 

[3rdbass]

http://www.nhregister.com/sports/20150423/ollie-confirms-staying-at-uconn

Interesting that another team actually did contact him. I wonder who that was?

 

[CAHUSKY]

Man, if he didn't take this job its really hard to figure what job he would take. You have to feel really good as a UCONN fan today. This would have been a perfect fit for KO with a solid team with star players and he said, NO.

 

[Dove]

I challenge my fellow Yarders to unfollow Zags on the Twitter. I have. And this Woj is a UConn hater from a long time ago.

 

[bturn]

http://www.nhregister.com/sports/20150423/ollie-confirms-staying-at-uconn

Interesting that another team actually did contact him. I wonder who that was?

ask @kirkking.... i bet he knows

 

[jfuchs91]

Ollie has now turned down jobs from the most storied NBA franchise of all-time which also happened to be in the area he grew up (Lakers), and a gig with two top 5 talents in the world (Thunder).

I think it's safe to say that he's going to be at UConn for a long, long time.

 

[CAHUSKY]

I think it's safe to say that he's going to be at UConn for a long, long time.

And, amazingly, there will be posters here calling for his head the second we lose a game next year.

 

[Stainmaster]

And, amazingly, there will be posters here calling for his head the second we lose a game next year.

I'm surprised that we didn't see that peanut gallery jumping for joy yesterday.

 

[kcc1442]

Man, if he didn't take this job its really hard to figure what job he would take. You have to feel really good as a UCONN fan today. This would have been a perfect fit for KO with a solid team with star players and he said, NO.

Good question, who knows? Could still be more of a timing thing though. But maybe just maybe he can build on JC's great dynasty and create a legacy he never wants to bail on. Become a UCONN lifer!

 

[Kembacity]

It didn't hurt our recruiting one iota. Nobody that was making a decision who committed to another school in the last week was considering UCONN. Not one recruit decommitted or wavered on their decision. If anything all it did was put his name in "great college coaches who are NBA caliber and highly sought after" category as well as "extremely loyal, and has a passion a love for UCONN basketball" and makes those recruits probably think "UCONN basketball must really be something special". All it did was give our coach 1 week of great publicity and recognition for his talent. Not to mention he made a statement a few days ago.

Yeah I see it as a good thing long-run too, I mean maybe in the back of a few recruits' minds, they're thinking... "this Kevin ollie guy seems like he will eventually go to the NBA, wouldn't hurt to have a wise head coach who knows me down the line"

 

[3rdbass]

I'm surprised that we didn't see that peanut gallery jumping for joy yesterday.

Where is Freescooter? I thought he would have been happy about the possibility of KO leaving.

 

[champs99and04]

This is what I don't really get about this thread, and I suppose it's because I don't buy what I guess is now conventional wisdom on here, that the Ollie to OKC rumors were the coordinated efforts of a group of writers (or coaches, maybe, I can't keep track) to damage UConn's recruiting.

Sportswriters get these things wrong all the time. All. The. Time. It's part of the gig. When have you ever seen a reporter then write an article about how he was wrong about the rumor he was reporting or, even crazier, apologize to the subject of the rumor?

What bothers me - and I suppose this is a commentary on the way these things tend to be reported rather than any reporter specifically - is the lack of transparency.

I get that there are going to be unnamed sources, but when you tweet something as provocative as "Despite Ollie's statement, he actually does have a lot of interest in the OKC job," you had better be sure that it's a good source. If it's somebody Kevin Ollie had coffee with one time, it would probably be best to resist the urge to press send.

And yes, I know it is technically still possible that Ollie was interested in the job - and in fact, that is what I believed as recently as yesterday - but if he was ever a serious candidate, you have to think I takes longer than 24 hours for the rumor to be squashed, especially when by the sources own admission, there has been no direct contact between the two parties.

Meanwhile, Ollie twice in the span of 24 hours stated that he would not be pursuing any other jobs, the one this morning being more definitive. So, apparently if we are to believe the narrative they will soon begin spinning (that Ollie "withdrew" because he wasn't getting the job), Ollie was contacted about, expressed interest in, and was turned down within that span, likely without ever being interviewed. I find this hard to believe unless I am completely off on the timetable.

I don't think any of these reporters are tossing and turning at night worrying about UConn, but could some of them be quicker on the trigger than others when it comes to passing along negative information? I think so, especially a guy like Woj, who as recently as last season reported on Calhoun being rejected by BC with the same amount of non-verifiable sources.

Reporters definitely get this stuff wrong, but that doesn't mean your credibility doesn't take a hit when you do.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I don't disagree with any of that. I just don't think it reflects some malicious intent vis-a-vis UConn like the tin foil hat brigade. It's amazing that I'm the outlier for laughing at the idea that media stories are being pushed with the express purpose of damaging UConn's recruiting. Somehow, when this kind of stuff comes up concerning - oh, I don't know, any other coach in America - no one here fires up the conspiracy machine.

Good reporting in the age of the 24 hour news cycle is a lost art, and people "breaking" stories aren't incentivized to be accurate or penalized when they're not.

 

[DogMania]

Good to see he nipped this in the bud today and didn't let it get drawn out. I hope this didn't impact any recruits' decisions.

I was thinking about this the other day, how this has a very positive spin for our program. The fact that UConn has a head coach that is so highly regarded in NBA circles has to be an attractive thing for many recruits. Wouldn't you rather be coached up by one who has won a NC and has such a strong rep at the highest level than being coached by others who have neither or aren't as highly regarded?

I hope the assistance coaches are pointing that out to the recruits. It would be sort of strange for KO to say such, but I'm sure the assistant coaches can mention how they could have the opportunity to be coached up by KO who is so highly regarded by many in the NBA.

 

[UConn990411]

Where is Freescooter? I thought he would have been happy about the possibility of KO leaving.

I think he's still celebrating UConn getting knocked out the 1st round of the NIT.

 

[djct1999]

KO could not have handled this situation any better or differently. Anyone who thinks there is a better person on this planet to fill Calhoun's shoes is simply crazy.

 

[ctchamps]

I don't disagree with any of that. I just don't think it reflects some malicious intent vis-a-vis UConn like the tin foil hat brigade. It's amazing that I'm the outlier for laughing at the idea that media stories are being pushed with the express purpose of damaging UConn's recruiting. Somehow, when this kind of stuff comes up concerning - oh, I don't know, any other coach in America - no one here fires up the conspiracy machine.

Good reporting in the age of the 24 hour news cycle is a lost art, and people "breaking" stories aren't incentivized to be accurate or penalized when they're not.

I was part of that brigade and what set me off was the following tweet by Woj in response to a CBS guy claiming these rumors were fabricated.

Adrian Wojnarowski ✔ @WojYahooNBA Follow


Despite public statement, UConn's Kevin Ollie does not really enjoy playing golf. And he's a top choice for using foot wedge.

3:10 PM - 22 Apr 2015


There are a number of posters who admire him and feel he has credibility. I would imagine some recruits, or their handlers, with NBA aspirations might also consider Wojo in the same vein. Had he stuck with the insistence about his sources, fine. But he specifically targets KO. If it was a hack like Goodman I wouldn't have cared.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Luckily should only be 1 more year of rumors now before we know whether he's a UConn lifer.

 

[Walker11]

Luckily should only be 1 more year of rumors now before we know whether he's a UConn lifer.

What is the next big job opening? Or do you just mean the buy out?

 

[8893]

I was part of that brigade and what set me off was the following tweet by Woj in response to a CBS guy claiming these rumors were fabricated.

Adrian Wojnarowski ✔ @WojYahooNBA Follow


Despite public statement, UConn's Kevin Ollie does not really enjoy playing golf. And he's a top choice for using foot wedge.

3:10 PM - 22 Apr 2015

Just to be clear, I made that one up.

 

[James]

that okc job was his if he said "yes". there wouldn't be much of an interview process, the entire organization from owner downward is already familiar with him. he turned down presti

 

[Leebo]

Just to be clear, I made that one up.

fleud mentioned that one in the Yahoo topic too... where did you originally make it up that he found it?

 

[temery]

Luckily should only be 1 more year of rumors now before we know whether he's a UConn lifer.

There is no way we don't see this nonsense on a yearly basis. If he has a losing season, it's time to jump. Wins another national championship, it's time to jump. Youngest kid just graduated, it's time to jump.