Out Coached.......AGAIN

[tentoes4rings]

Your statistic is a bit misleading. They played MSU and WSU very close to eventually lose by double digits in the final moments. I don't consider those bad losses. Auburn and Arkansas were bad losses.

Your point about starting 3 guys that didn't score a point helps make my point. After last season (which was bad, but they were destroyed with injury) then there were some transfers and graduating players. Ollie had to scramble to put together a roster. He got guys like AA and DO as fillers. These guys are terrible. They're bodies. To be fair, Anderson probably wouldn't be playing nearly as much if AG were healthy. I know he was a headache, but VJ would be perfect for this years team. Even with AG injury. you can play Adams, Vital, Larrier, VJ and one of the bigs. That team would have two good 3/stretch 4 players some decent length and some shooting. Again - that's one player difference. They need a shooter in the worst way. They need more weapons. Literally Adams, Larrier and Vital are the only guys defenses need to worry about. No one else on the roster brings anything on offense. It's tough to coach and run an offense like that. Lets give him and Chill time to build the roster. Ollie still has name recognition and Chillious already seems to be paying dividends. Patience is a virtue. I think with time we'll be back to where we should be.

I agree that Vance was the transfer that really hurts. He was coming along nicely offensively last year and would make a huge difference on this team. As for Anderson, Ollie said he had a chance to play in the NBA! So clearly he brought him in expecting more than a terrible filler.

 

[tentoes4rings]

I've been saying for a while to run a Rip offense with Larrier. I just thought of it in terms of getting open jump shots, because I wanted to maximize his best skill.

I didn't think about the second driving bit really. That's a good point. His biggest problem seems to be his first step. when he gets a step he's long enough and has big enough strides to shield the ball and smoothly elevate on the drive.

And with his length, KO needs to have his post up on the baseline more for easy 10 footers. I’m shocked he doesn’t get any post ups.

 

[mauconnfan]

I agree that Vance was the transfer that really hurts. He was coming along nicely offensively last year and would make a huge difference on this team. As for Anderson, Ollie said he had a chance to play in the NBA! So clearly he brought him in expecting more than a terrible filler.

Anderson is not a terrible "filler" at all he's just not a 30 plus minute guy which is now his role. With Gilberts injury went his 6th-7th man spot and instead he's now getting starters minutes. I will admit his game the last 5-6 has eroded but I think partially because you get to see more of why he was a Fordham guy by playing all those minutes. Coming in, playing defense, handling the ball a little and playing 12-18 minutes was more the design and now being extended just proves he's not prepped for the AAC so far. Maybe a slump, seems afraid to shoot and the way he's shooting I guess I would be too.

 

[mauconnfan]

Ollie doesn't know how to get the best out of his players and thats all on him. I'm not talking about giving it their all I'm talking knowing what they can and can't do. He wants position less basketball and everyone be able to create on their own but when you dont have the players to do this you need to adjust and he hasn't. This is why Ollie won't be successful this year or next.

Example- He is using Larrier all wrong. Kid can shoot and he runs Iso's with him when he should be running him off screens to catch and shoot. He is not a 4 and it has showed. He can't dribble and Ollie runs s a weave and expects him to turn the corner if its open when he just can't. I would say the same thing could be said of Purvis. Purvis also isn't a break you down player. Boat and Bazz were and Adams and Gilbert are but to use all your players that way is not playing to their strengths.

Larrier isn't a 4 and him at the 4 is hurting this teams rebounding. A stretch 4 should bring out the other teams PF and create a mismatch and Larrier not being able to dribble takes away that advantage. At least at the 3 he can shoot over smaller defenders. This also leaves two bigs fighting for offensive rebounds and not 1.

I get what you're saying but him not rebounding is on him. He "can" rebound he elects not to. I agree he's not a 4 and now with Anderson not playing well we need a lot less 3 guard line ups. You can run things for him and try to get him open no doubt and should, but he's predicated on being open not working for it. Physical wings won't allow him to get open and our bigs screen like pu**ies unless they are actually moving and getting called for a foul. Most of that is on KO and the staff. We have one dimensional players all over the court, it's painful.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Anderson is not a terrible "filler" at all he's just not a 30 plus minute guy which is now his role. With Gilberts injury went his 6th-7th man spot and instead he's now getting starters minutes. I will admit his game the last 5-6 has eroded but I think partially because you get to see more of why he was a Fordham guy by playing all those minutes. Coming in, playing defense, handling the ball a little and playing 12-18 minutes was more the design and now being extended just proves he's not prepped for the AAC so far. Maybe a slump, seems afraid to shoot and the way he's shooting I guess I would be too.

I agree with you, I was using the OP's wording about Anderson. I think he's grossly misused, often as a spot up 3 point shooter, which is clearly not his forte. He was supposed to be the 4th guard, who could handle and play defense. I'd like to see him at the top, initiating the offense more and attacking, like he was doing early in the season. I think he's a useful player if used correctly, which hasn't been the case.

 

[billybud]

It is not just being in the AAC that has handicapped UConn.....if Wichita State and Cincinnati are in Pomeroy's current top 10 ranking...so could be the Huskies....rather than #120.

From the outside, it looks like a perfect storm of the lack of personnel (talent) backed by the lack of effective scheme. And the appearance of a coach that can not do more with what he has been dealt or is just riding the season out.

Even if in an "off year"...for UConn to drop out of Pomeroy's top 100 has to be put on the coach.

This year is ready to be put to bed...but next year should be better....The Huskies look better in current commits (ranked #1 in AAC, #32 nationally by 247). Still need a stud big man .

 

[Son of Robert]

I agree. The program is certainly in a bad place. Some is on KO, some is just on the luck of injuries.

2013-2016 was a somewhat normal UConn cycle, though. Tough team that would have made the NCAAs if not for a dumb ban, NCAA title, down year after losing a ton of the team, an up year (that should have been better!) that was building towards...something with Adams-Purvis-Hamilton-Facey-Brimah and then recruits....which injuries and the unexpected Hamilton leaving destroyed. And then we lost half our roster again.

In other words, after the 2016 NCAAs and before Hamilton left, we all felt like the year wasn't as good as it should have been, but pretty optimistic for the future. And then it's been one gut punch after another.

As I said, I'm rooting for this team, and these players, and this coach, because that's who we have before us. If, in the off-season, there's a change, I'll root for that team, and those players, and that coach.

Good post tzznandrew some dude, that's pretty much how it went. Not an easy road to be on. This team here, constructed out of necessity, is very young and new to each other. A cohesive, polished, veteran team this is not. Bunch of moving parts of varying skill sets and skill levels, right across the board. Development of their individual games to be puzzle pieced into the framework of team concepts and coordination, especially without player leadership on the floor, is quite a task. Gilbert is very missed, and his role as team leader would have grown substantially as the season continued. Yes, it seems without question that Ollie took his complete focus off the program for a period of time, personal s###t will do that to people, but I do think he has recovered and has his head back in it. He is having to adjust his coaching to fit this developing young team, and improving teamwork can be found on both offense and defense. Long way to go, no doubt, and not fast enough for most people, but continuing improvement, or not, is the barometer by which Ollie will be judged. He is not a rah rah motivator, not quite completely sure how he goes about it, but this is a coaching trait that needs to be more impactful with his players. Like Andrew said, I am rooting for this team, and this coaching staff, and I focus on being positive, however measured that may be, with this year's team. We all approach Life differently.