Random thoughts on the career of the great Tyler Olander

[champs99and04]

Since we still have some time to kill before the end of finals break, I wanted to bring attention to one of the great mysteries of our time. Tyler Olander, in the first ten games of his sophomore season, averaged 7.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1 block in 26.2 minutes per game. That's 11.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 blocks extrapolated out to a per 40 rate.

Then, he got dunked on by his brother, and he was never quite the same player. He basically went from somebody who could have been a poor man's Travis Knight type (I'm not just making that comparison because he's white, I swear) to a guy who never really looked like a high-major player as a junior or senior. Was it injury-related? Trauma? With a guy like Olander, you wonder if he had been given so many gifts, both as an athlete (let's not forget his baseball career) and as a rapper that he was never able to channel all of it into one avenue.

If we can have @Chief00 weigh in on this, perhaps some light can be shed on his regression as a player. Was this guy simply bigger than the program?

 

[Waquoit]

He still holds the record for times scoring the first FG of the game in the same Final Four (2).

 

[RichZ]

He still has more rings than Boeheim.

 

[lange10]

Ton of off the court issues

 

[Johnny Mac]

Still a professional baseball player. I'd switch places.

 

[tdrink]

All his attention went to developing his career as a rapper.

 

[alexd]

He still has more rings than Boeheim.

The greatest parts about this fact is that most people would still say, "Tyler who?????"

 

[Husky25]

If we can have @Chief00 weigh in on this, perhaps some light can be shed on his regression as a player. Was this guy simply bigger than the program?

You knew Chief's view before you summoned him. He's obviously going to reference strength and conditioning.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I think he had plantar fasciitis or something right?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Ton of off the court issues

Being so dumb that when you get pulled over the cop thinks your drunk?

 

[Waquoit]

Being so dumb that when you get pulled over the cop thinks your drunk?

I'm sure you never got drunk in college.

 

[4in16]

He's the one player you've never heard of that has 2x the national titles most players will ever hope to win.

 

[BUConn10]

I think if Olander didn't go to high school almost quite literally next door to the Storrs campus, then I don't think he would have been recruited by JC. I remember watching him when we were both in high school and he was considered a big deal player for CT standards, but I heard he was a bit of a punk and never really lived up to the relative reputation he had as a high school player in CT. Regardless he was a much more intelligent basketball player than he was a capable athlete, which isn't a bad thing on a team of wild athletes. He was a great big against the zone when JC would put him at the FT line and he could quickly swing the ball to the open man vs the zone. Also who could forget the least likely character seemingly getting drawn up the first beautiful play of our two biggest games in 2011 FF.

 

[Pudge]

I think you are inflating Tyler Olander's actual productivity. Particularly when you expand it out to 40 minutes.

Is / Was Olander more productive (ultimately) than Facey, Edwards, Okwandu, Wane etc? Certainly, through most of his UConn years, he was useful. Not ever near the level of Travis Knight. I actually think we could see Facey be more important this year.

Our success, often, has been the Guards and Wings. The Bigs are sometimes just filling a role or specific limited part of that Team.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I'm sure you never got drunk in college.

That's not the point. He wasn't drunk but was such an oaf that the cop initially gave him a DUI.

 

[Waquoit]

That's not the point. He wasn't drunk but was such an oaf that the cop initially gave him a DUI.

I know what your point was, a mean-spirited shot. Merry Christmas.

 

[husky429]

Olander would be useful on this team just for his screens. He was way better than our bigs right now.

He was still a great athlete by normal standards... just not high major d1

 

[pnow15]

Yawn....

 

[mauconnfan]

Olander would be useful on this team just for his screens. He was way better than our bigs right now.

He was still a great athlete by normal standards... just not high major d1

"way better"? I don't think so but he wouldn't have hurt this team if he was on it.

 

[Jaker]

"way better"? I don't think so but he wouldn't have hurt this team if he was on it.

He would of been very useful.

 

[Hoophound]

He was better with long hair if I remember right. Once he cut his hair, he had less potential. He was a Gonzaga prototype until the Howdie Doodie cut.
After that, his ceiling dropped.