Question about injuries

[willie99]

My buddy and I were both talking about injuries and how Ollie might still be our coach if the team was healthy the last two years.

We also think the team should have been better even with the injuries, so Ollie didn't adjust well.

Then he said Calhoun always coached better through injuries. So we were trying to come up with an example, and we couldn't.

This is not intended to be a thread about Ollie, he's gone and that's that. But did we ever have such significant season ending injuries before? I'm not talking about something like AJ getting hurt in the tournament. Have we ever lost a star player for the season in the Calhoun era?

I can't think of any, but I'm probably missing someone.

 

[raf46]

My buddy and I were both talking about injuries and how Ollie might still be our coach if the team was healthy the last two years.

We also think the team should have been better even with the injuries, so Ollie didn't adjust well.

Then he said Calhoun always coached better through injuries. So we were trying to come up with an example, and we couldn't.

This is not intended to be a thread about Ollie, he's gone and that's that. But did we ever have such significant season ending injuries before? I'm not talking about something like AJ getting hurt in the tournament. Have we ever lost a star player for the season in the Calhoun era?

I can't think of any, but I'm probably missing someone.

Jerome Dyson tore his meniscus at the end of the 2009 season. We still went to the Final Four. But was a player short. As for injuries this past season. Losing AG . He played 6 games in two years. So was never a major player for us. Or a major minutes guy.

 

[HooperScooper]

Jerome Dyson tore his meniscus at the end of the 2009 season. We still went to the Final Four. But was a player short. As for injuries this past season. Losing AG . He played 6 games in two years. So was never a major player for us. Or a major minutes guy.

Exactly.

If Calhoun lost a player like Gilbert for the season we wouldn't remember it. Point being is we have no idea what Gilbert is. He hasn't proven anything yet to be considered a significant injury. It's all speculation.

 

[upstater]

Exactly.

If Calhoun lost a player like Gilbert for the season we wouldn't remember it. Point being is we have no idea what Gilbert is. He hasn't proven anything yet to be considered a significant injury. It's all speculation.

But what if we lost Taliek Brown?

I still can't understand how we managed the Brown years without a suitable backup. Crazy.

 

[selles]

My buddy and I were both talking about injuries and how Ollie might still be our coach if the team was healthy the last two years.

We also think the team should have been better even with the injuries, so Ollie didn't adjust well.

Then he said Calhoun always coached better through injuries. So we were trying to come up with an example, and we couldn't.

This is not intended to be a thread about Ollie, he's gone and that's that. But did we ever have such significant season ending injuries before? I'm not talking about something like AJ getting hurt in the tournament. Have we ever lost a star player for the season in the Calhoun era?

I can't think of any, but I'm probably missing someone.

There was Dyson as raf noted. Rudy Johnson is probably most similar to Alterique - stud out of high school who was basically lost for a couple years with chronic knee issues. Rudy came back to be a contributor, but nowhere near what he'd been in high school.

Then there were guys lost but not due to injury - particularly Kirk King. That hurt the 1997 team badly but by the end Calhoun had that team forged into a unit that got to the semis of the NIT. That team was the seed that blossomed into a national championship.

Everyone has had a rough year now and then, especially due to injury, and even Calhoun. But two in a row, where you get worse in the second? Where you set records for horrible losses in the second? At that point comparisons to Calhoun become an insult to JC, and comparisons to Bruiser Flint become more apt.

 

[willie99]

That's right, Dyson was a big loss, forgot about him. He was having a very good 8/9 season, 9/10 not so good. Did Jerome ever play in any post season game we won? Think we were 0-3 in the BET, 0-1 in both the NCAA and NIT.

Don't remember much about Rudy's injuries, maybe because we were WINNING throughout the 90's

The injuries I do remember most all happened in March, AJ 08, Special K 00, Ricky 96.

Geno had some devastating losses, Shea 2x, Sue, Svetlana and Natashia, that was a bad run in the 90's. He might have a few more titles.

 

[AdamaNation]

There was Dyson as raf noted. Rudy Johnson is probably most similar to Alterique - stud out of high school who was basically lost for a couple years with chronic knee issues. Rudy came back to be a contributor, but nowhere near what he'd been in high school.

Then there were guys lost but not due to injury - particularly Kirk King. That hurt the 1997 team badly but by the end Calhoun had that team forged into a unit that got to the semis of the NIT. That team was the seed that blossomed into a national championship.

Everyone has had a rough year now and then, especially due to injury, and even Calhoun. But two in a row, where you get worse in the second? Where you set records for horrible losses in the second? At that point comparisons to Calhoun become an insult to JC, and comparisons to Bruiser Flint become more apt.

Sadly Omar is the next best comparison but yet another Ollie guy. Snake bitten!!

 

[SubbaBub]

This injury excuse is getting old. Look at the losses with the injured players and stop.

 

[freescooter]

In 2005-06 we lost Williams for half the season and AJ for the year. Our starting back court. Craig Austria ran the show until second semester.

 

[metsfan2323]

Injuries cost Calhoun two championships, Ricky in 96 and Jerome in 09. Steve Peikell's promising playing career was destroyed by a bad shoulder.

Roster construction and positional depth are obviously a big part of why Ollie is gone. Broome and likely Vann wanted to come here but Ollie wasn't interested. Ollie was a terrible GM.

 

[Huskybass]

This injury excuse is getting old. Look at the losses with the injured players and stop.

No doubt. Anyone who wants to blame the last 2 years on the Gilbert injury conveniently forgets the losses to Wagner and Northeastern were with a full, healthy roster.

 

[buddy]

No doubt. Anyone who wants to blame the last 2 years on the Gilbert injury conveniently forgets the losses to Wagner and Northeastern were with a full, healthy roster.

I agree with you with the caveat that some of the players, including Gilbert, had preexisting injuries, and would likely never be at full capacity. And anyone who thinks AG is going to be a major contributor given his surgery this year is delusional.

 

[Horatio]

My buddy and I were both talking about injuries and how Ollie might still be our coach if the team was healthy the last two years.

We also think the team should have been better even with the injuries, so Ollie didn't adjust well.

Then he said Calhoun always coached better through injuries. So we were trying to come up with an example, and we couldn't.

This is not intended to be a thread about Ollie, he's gone and that's that. But did we ever have such significant season ending injuries before? I'm not talking about something like AJ getting hurt in the tournament. Have we ever lost a star player for the season in the Calhoun era?

I can't think of any, but I'm probably missing someone.

I've never seen any sports team have to deal with injuries the way UConn did for two years. We were an ankle sprain from playing
Walk ons regularly or forfeiting games last year. For two seasons we had too many injuries and then the "healthy" guys would get sick / minor injuries and miss a couple of games. I think KO's downfall is 65% injuries 35% KO .

 

[Danzz]

Exactly.

If Calhoun lost a player like Gilbert for the season we wouldn't remember it. Point being is we have no idea what Gilbert is. He hasn't proven anything yet to be considered a significant injury. It's all speculation.

I remember when we had to start Kellogg at PG and it turned out to be a disaster but I can't recall the exact circumstances. Marcus Williams suspension?

 

[Huskybass]

I've never seen any sports team have to deal with injuries the way UConn did for two years. We were an ankle sprain from playing
Walk ons regularly or forfeiting games last year. For two seasons we had too many injuries and then the "healthy" guys would get sick / minor injuries and miss a couple of games. I think KO's downfall is 65% injuries 35% KO .

Pure fantasy. Please explain losses to Wagner and Northeastern with a full, healthy roster; or having to go to overtime at home to beat both Columbia and Monmouth this season.

If UConn had kicked the crap out of Wagner and Northeastern with Gilbert your theory might have some validity, but they were bad even with a full, healthy roster. UConn's record with Gilbert over the two years is 5-4. Other than Larrier missing a couple of games this season, Gilbert's injury is the only one of consequence. Overall, the team was very healthy this season outside the loss of Gilbert.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Not any injury, but Stanley didn't play until the winter of the 2008/2009 season if memory serves.

They were #1 when Dyson went down and I believe at another point were #1 with Stanley. If not #1 overall, certainly top 5 as they got a #1 seed in the Dance that year.

 

[8893]

This injury excuse is getting old. Look at the losses with the injured players and stop.

No doubt. Anyone who wants to blame the last 2 years on the Gilbert injury conveniently forgets the losses to Wagner and Northeastern were with a full, healthy roster.

Pure fantasy. Please explain losses to Wagner and Northeastern with a full, healthy roster; or having to go to overtime at home to beat both Columbia and Monmouth this season.

If UConn had kicked the crap out of Wagner and Northeastern with Gilbert your theory might have some validity, but they were bad even with a full, healthy roster.

The "look at the losses with a full, healthy roster" rejoinder is also getting old. In any other season they could have been chalked up to early season WTF losses by a team that hadn't played together a la St. Bonnie's when JC was here.

I think it's fair to say that we have no idea what this team would have looked like if they had even one half season to play together with a full, healthy roster. The fact is, they didn't. None of it matters any more.

 

[Horatio]

That's right, Dyson was a big loss, forgot about him. He was having a very good 8/9 season, 9/10 not so good. Did Jerome ever play in any post season game we won? Think we were 0-3 in the BET, 0-1 in both the NCAA and NIT.

Don't remember much about Rudy's injuries, maybe because we were WINNING throughout the 90's

The injuries I do remember most all happened in March, AJ 08, Special K 00, Ricky 96.

Geno had some devastating losses, Shea 2x, Sue, Svetlana and Natashia, that was a bad run in the 90's. He might have a few more titles.

That's why I honor that 2009 final four banner along with the championships. Jerome was the best player on the team and
Was lost for season, but they still got to the final four. Great team.

 

[Horatio]

Pure fantasy. Please explain losses to Wagner and Northeastern with a full, healthy roster; or having to go to overtime at home to beat both Columbia and Monmouth this season.

If UConn had kicked the crap out of Wagner and Northeastern with Gilbert your theory might have some validity, but they were bad even with a full, healthy roster.

I did give KO 35% of the blame. Also, it was a new team that I think would've put it together at the end despite the coaching flaws.
Without the injuries, last years team was talented. All you "Wagner / Northeastern"
guys never factor in the natural progression
That took place when KO coached that 2014
Championship team.

 

[HuskyBoi]

i'll never forget jerome dyson going down. i knew we still had good enough pieces to win but we were ultimately stopped by tom izzo. that '09 group is my favorite group of all time... one of the most stacked teams ever.

 

[kemba]

That's why I honor that 2009 final four banner along with the championships. Jerome was the best player on the team and
Was lost for season, but they still got to the final four. Great team.

Dyson was nowhere near the best player on that team. Important loss and I would have loved to see what would have happened if he stayed healthy that year, but losing Thabeet, AJ, and arguably Adrien would have been far more devasting.

Dyson was at his best as a 3rd option, stick to playing aggressive defense and slashing on offense. 06 and 2010 when he was forced into bigger roles did not go well

 

[Huskybass]

The "look at the losses with a full, healthy roster" rejoinder is also getting old. In any other season they could have been chalked up to early season WTF losses by a team that hadn't played together a la St. Bonnie's when JC was here.

I think it's fair to say that we have no idea what this team would have looked like if they had even one half season to play together with a full, healthy roster. The fact is, they didn't. None of it matters any more.

My point is that many point to Gilbert as an alleged savior, when in fact the team was only 5 and 4 in the 9 games he did play in. If they were 8 and 1 or something similar, the argument would be easier to buy into.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think the injuries are a cop out. UConn was healthy all year. Losing only Gilbert and Terry for 3 games. Now last year, with three players lost plus Adams' ankle, that was a major injury year.

But by way of example. Kansas lost Bill Preston...better than Gilbert, for the year. He never played. They are a #1 seed. Missouri lost Porter, and is only now about to get him back, they made the tournament. There is nothing about this that is unprecedented or unusual.

Here is the complete list. NCAA Basketball Injuries College Basketball Injury Report - DonBest.com

Alabama, two guys out for the year - Made the tournament
Auburn - lost three guys
Arizona State - lost three guys
Davidson - lost three guy

It goes on and on.

 

[Austin316]

In short, if KO made the tournament he’d still have his job.

Injuries are a part of coaching college hoops. You either adjust or you don’t. KO didn’t make consistent adjustments and lacked game preparation (imo) which is why we weren’t good 2 years in a row... among other things.

 

[8893]

My point is that many point to Gilbert as an alleged savior, when in fact the team was only 5 and 4 in the 9 games he did play in. If they were 8 and 1 or something similar, the argument would be easier to buy into.

I just don't think the losses with him playing are probative of anything. He and Jalen needed time to work out the guard duties and they never got that chance. Yet. Here's hoping they do.

I don't know if Gilbert is a savior, but the influence of a lead guard who was expected to be our field general is something that no UConn fan should ever underestimate given our history. Ollie can fairly be faulted for failing to land plan B, C or D on campus, but I don't think anyone has seen enough of a healthy Gilbert to make any fair assessment of his abilities at this level.

Ever the optimist, I still see Gilbert leading us to the promised land some day.