Rock bottom? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Rock bottom?

superjohn said:
Next season if healthy we'll have a junior pg top 25 recruit, a sophomore pg McDonald's all-American recruit, a freshman pg top 35 recruit, a junior sf top 35 recruit, a sophomore sf top 100 recruit, a sophomore pf top 50 recruit, and a junior pf/center top 100 recruit. That's a lot of talent IMO. Throw in Vital, hopefully a healthy Diarra and maybe some contributions from the other freshmen and I think we should expect a successful season, dare I say the expectation should be a top 25 team.
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My only issue here is Diarra and Gilbert got practically zero (in Diarra's case, actually zero) minutes in terms of court time. They're just as much a wild card as anyone else. Larrier hasn't played 8 games of college basketball in two years. A couple of those other guys haven't done almost anything yet (minus Adams). I mean sure the raw talent is there - but this team isn't close to being a top 25 team until some major questions are answered and even then - there are still... more questions. Big men in the middle, can the coaching staff connect with these kids, do some of the underperforming chronic underperformers figure it out... I mean I'm not anywhere near ready to say this team's going to turn around.

Better? I mean they'd better be. But how much better? I honestly don't know.
 
EBonz30 said:
We are not a top program, exactly expectations are scewd.

My expectation is to be a top 25 program which we will be next year with our players coming back
from injuries.

Never going to be a top 5 or 10 program again now that Calhoun left and we are in the American.

We need to be realistic, Uconn was a NOTHING before Calhoun came, we are not UNC, DUKE, Kentucky, UCLA, or Kansas.

We are not, we were because of Calhoun, good luck finding the greatest coach of all time again, and yea then get in a top 5 conference as well.
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I dont understand your stance at all. You're defending Ollie for winning a national title but blaming us for expecting it again? You say he's a championship caliber coach but we should expect to be mediocre because that is the new normal? Well if thats the case the new normal sucks and our fan base has every right to be upset. Remember this board defending this program as a blue blood? Remember posters saying the conference wont affect us because Ollie is recruiting at a high level? Now both those narratives have flipped on their ear and we are now back to being URI. K
 
Athlete94 said:
Love it, become a top 25 team, what happened to a top 10, top 5, THE TOP... C'MON.. STOP accepting mediocrity..
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So if we say it will you feel better. OK! I'll say it. I won't accept mediocrity.
 
fleudslipcon said:
So if we say it will you feel better. OK! I'll say it. I won't accept mediocrity.
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if you're confused about the types of people Athlete is talking about, go look at EBronze's posts. He's saying our ceiling should be top 25 and we shouldn't expect anything better and because of that Ollie is a great coach
 
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superjohn said:
Next season if healthy we'll have a junior pg top 25 recruit, a sophomore pg McDonald's all-American recruit, a freshman pg top 35 recruit, a junior sf top 35 recruit, a sophomore sf top 100 recruit, a sophomore pf top 50 recruit, and a junior pf/center top 100 recruit. That's a lot of talent IMO. Throw in Vital, hopefully a healthy Diarra and maybe some contributions from the other freshmen and I think we should expect a successful season, dare I say the expectation should be a top 25 team.
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yes, on paper we look pretty good,but I am going to remain cautiously optimistic.
 
Since we joined the AAC our inability to win on the road in buildings that are at least half empty against teams that are mediocre at best is a big indictment of the coaching staff. Ollie needs to get this turned around next year. We aren't trying to win at Michigan State or UNC with packed houses, lots of noise and and facing teams with talent.
 
JMick said:
This is pathetic. You think like a loser.
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I'm not sure any fan is a winner or loser. Well maybe fans are losers in that they need to find something outside themselves, something they have no control over, to put so much energy and passion into. Winners are the guys making real statements in life by changing the world in a positive way. I'm not sure posting in a forum meets this qualification.

Yikes I'm a double loser. By both yours and my standards.
 
UConnSwag11 said:
We haven't had a healthy team this entire season. Ollie had a post season band, recruiting restrictions, constant rumors about leaving for the nba, then this season. In that he's won a nc and conference tournament. He's safe. Next year purvis and brimah are gone and that should help. Don't like saying it but it should be true. Ollie has only been a coach for what, 5 years? We have 6.5 players tonight that were healthy. They made 10+ threes
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We had a completely healthy team and lost to Wagner and northeastern at home.....

We've had our fair share of challenges. But so does every team. Other teams in he conference face the same challenges with less talent and consistently outperform us overall (and crush us when we play them..smu/Cincy)

Smu plays 6 players, is in the same conference, and has a second year coach who also replaced a (lessor) legend. They seem to be doing ok.

There's a difference between recognizing the challenges and reducing expectations and just making excuses. If we were 25-5 right now and people were still bitc**ng then that would be dumb.

But we've been a relatively average aac team for years now. Even with the injuries, we have 3 seniors, a stud sophomore, two good freshman who have outperformed expectations, and two high upside role players. That should be more than enough to consistently dominate the teams in this conference.

Instead, we lose to them constantly.
 
buddy said:
He'll be definitely a top draft pick with AB for the NBA no doubt! I suspect his presence or absence next year won't make much of a difference if he is surrounded by a bad cast of characters. He cannot carry this team alone.
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Top draft pick? AB drafted? Ur delusional man. Boat was better than JA with twice the athleticism of JA and he didn't even get drafted. AB doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of sniffing the NBA.
 
JMick said:
if you're confused about the types of people Athlete is talking about, go look at EBronze's posts. He's saying our ceiling should be top 25 and we shouldn't expect anything better and because of that Ollie is a great coach
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I've read his posts. He's qualifying that position. And even if you are perfectly correct what of it? He like all of us are passionate fans posting on a website none of us except one person are bank rolling. I respect most opinions being offered, but none of us are the real shakers when it comes to UConn. We're not even footnotes in the scheme of the events that are playing out. Well maybe my screaming and losing my voice at games had a little impact. And certainly if the fan base checks out that could kill the program. And certainly no one wants to watch losing programs year after year. Except today I ran into a Cubs fan here in North Carolina. I gave him a shout out. Some fans, the ones I consider winners, stick with their teams even after many years of losing.

I've supported teams all my life that never won it all. One came close three times. One came close once. The other four not close at all. And then things turned around for me. I, like all of you, love winning championships. I hate this season and seasons like it that I suffered in the past. I'm just not going to let those feelings define me. I'm sure you and most of the others complaining won't either.
I don't think we're really different in that respect.
 
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EBonz30 said:
Get over it people, this is not Uconn with the greatest men's basketball college coach to ever live with Calhoun and we are no longer in the big east.

This program was going to fall no matter what considering greatest coach leaving, it's Uconn (not UNC, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke) the program was poor before Calhoun, all those others were strong for the last 70 years.

Not to mention we are now in the American.

Ollie has done a masterful job since starting at Uconn as a head coach, masterful.
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Kook
 
Between the championship in 2014, recruiting, and injuries, Ollie and staff get a pass this year.
However...
I hate having to keep saying "wait 'til next year", but if we are healthy, next year truly is the gauge for whether we have the right personnel on the bench. I mean, we have the potential to have some serious talent and depth at guard next year.
 
UConnSwag11 said:
All these people who want Ollie gone, who will you bring in? Who will bring in top 15 classes year after year and won a nc and a conference tourney in 3? Ollie inherited a mess and then this season with the injuries did bring it to rock bottom. But Ollie is not the reason. The players need to put in work in the offseason, bb iq as well
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Top 15 classes with the worst season in 30 years might tell us something. It certainly suggests we should be able to put enough key players on the court to beat Wagner and Northeastern. No, something beyond injuries is at work here.
 
fleudslipcon said:
I'm not sure any fan is a winner or loser. Well maybe fans are losers in that they need to find something outside themselves, something they have no control over, to put so much energy and passion into. Winners are the guys making real statements in life by changing the world in a positive way. I'm not sure posting in a forum meets this qualification.

Yikes I'm a double loser. By both yours and my standards.
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Earlier in the season, I simply cut to the chase and said I wasn't seeing an "entertainment product" that justified my attention when so many other options were available. I adjusted my scheduling and managed, joyously, to see the second half against Memphi and the final minutes & OT against Temple. If I'd turned off the TV at halftime of the Houston game, I'd be feeling pretty good about player & team development during this undeniably last season, but no... I had shifted to scheduling things around games. Doh.

Last night was pretty much dreadful after the 8-0 Vance Jackson run. Yes, there was the comeback after ECU was held down 5 consecutive possessions & stuck on 52, but I'd recruited Lady Hans to join me, and this Texas gal contributed a wonderful homemade chicken pot pie & deserved more than just the amusement of learning that TCU is the Horned Frogs when ESPNU switched over after that debacle.

I read this thread and actually find merit a number of posts getting Likes from people I Ignore. That's indicative of something, alarming, almost bottom-y. Rock, as well? I won't go there. Instead, I'll watch as the playing warrants and be thankful for eases in a busy leisure life if that's where things go.

This has indeed been a year for perspective building.
 
Regarding the 2018 Huskies (and everything else) I will only accept.......
Reality

Everything else is pretty irrational.
 
JMick said:
You're not a true fan if you think our ceiling is a top 25 program. That's literally loser-talk. Your fan card deserves to be revoked.

and newsflash, we've been a top 25 program once under Ollie.
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Let's look at this program in the real world, please....

Before Calhoun, not a top 25 program, a basic nobody.

During Calhoun a top 10 program, at times a top 5 or 3 program for about 20-25 years.

What did you expect when Calhoun left? Obviously considering before him Uconn was a nobody that was going to come back into the picture in some capacity (not UNC, Kansas, Dukes or Kentucky who are good no matter who the coach is) so I expected to be around top 25-30 program because I live in the world of reality.

Add on all the NCAA violations, transfers, and the biggest negative of all into the American conference.

I don't ever see this men's program becoming a top 10 program for an extended period of time ever again unless we did move back into a top 5 conference and even with that said we were a nobody before Calhoun, so yea we would need I believe another H.O.F. Coach to get it to a top 10 program again for an extended period of time.

Listen we can all say what we want Uconn to be, but unfortunately a top 10 program is no longer realistic for the reasons stated above.

Please live in reality, not the reality you want to live in, but the reality that is.
 
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BlueDogs said:
Top 15 classes with the worst season in 30 years might tell us something. It certainly suggests we should be able to put enough key players on the court to beat Wagner and Northeastern. No, something beyond injuries is at work here.
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Lol ok. Only thing is that purvis and brimah have not improved and have kept other players from wanting to come here
 
KO is a very good guy. He is a great recruiter, and the players seem to like and respect him. For the most part, he is a good defensive coach.

On offense though, he really struggles. Too often his teams score about 60 points, and that just doesnt get it done.

In the last 3 seasons, how often has UConn been in the top 20? If the answer doesn't disappoint you, your expectations are simply too low given UConn's history over the past two and a half decades. Sadly, the program has become irrelevant on the national landscape, even if some of you refuse to see it.
 
It's pretty cut and dry and I've been a big Ollie support but:

Year 1 Very good job
Year 2 Great job, National Title
Napier leaves
Year 3 Massive underachievenent.
Year 4 Massive underachievement.
Year 5 Abomination, but injuries.

It's not just the losses, but rather the same types of losses and same type of play we are seeing now for the past 3 seasons.

Would it be that shocking to anyone that maybe, just maybe, we had an all time great player in Napier catch fire at the right time? We didn't even have a good regular season that year and only got a 7 seed.

I understand having a down year and I understand injuries but there is absolutely no excuse for about 6 or 7 losses we've had this season. At 3.1M dollars I don't care who is on that court you're not losing to Wagner, Northeastern or ECU. I mean for Christ sake Loyola Marymount and even Chaminade gave us trouble!
 
Last year was not a massive under achievement, other than that I agree with the observation. Last year Uconn won a NCAA tournament game, going into the season most of us thought or hoped that we would be a sweet sixteen team so if anything I would call it average or a slight underachievement.

This year obviously all the injuries is the reason why we are where we are.

Please take a look at the other programs with injuries or suspensions who don't have multiple HS all Americans.

How is Oklahoma doing?
How is Xavier doing since Sumner got hurt, lost last 7?
How is Creighton doing since Watson got injured and kicked off the team?
How is Texas doing?
How is Texas A&M doing?
How is Washington doing?

Again, let's please be realistic with our expectations, most of the teams above didn't lose two starters for the year, an HS all American for the year, 3 rotational players for the year, and other various injuries game to game.
ConnHuskBask said:
It's pretty cut and dry and I've been a big Ollie support but:

Year 1 Very good job
Year 2 Great job, National Title
Napier leaves
Year 3 Massive underachievenent.
Year 4 Massive underachievement.
Year 5 Abomination, but injuries.

It's not just the losses, but rather the same types of losses and same type of play we are seeing now for the past 3 seasons.

Would it be that shocking to anyone that maybe, just maybe, we had an all time great player in Napier catch fire at the right time? We didn't even have a good regular season that year and only got a 7 seed.

I understand having a down year and I understand injuries but there is absolutely no excuse for about 6 or 7 losses we've had this season. At 3.1M dollars I don't care who is on that court you're not losing to Wagner, Northeastern or ECU. I mean for Christ sake Loyola Marymount and even Chaminade gave us trouble!
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ast
 
ConnHuskBask said:
It's pretty cut and dry and I've been a big Ollie support but:

Year 1 Very good job
Year 2 Great job, National Title
Napier leaves
Year 3 Massive underachievenent.
Year 4 Massive underachievement.
Year 5 Abomination, but injuries.

It's not just the losses, but rather the same types of losses and same type of play we are seeing now for the past 3 seasons.

Would it be that shocking to anyone that maybe, just maybe, we had an all time great player in Napier catch fire at the right time? We didn't even have a good regular season that year and only got a 7 seed.

I understand having a down year and I understand injuries but there is absolutely no excuse for about 6 or 7 losses we've had this season. At 3.1M dollars I don't care who is on that court you're not losing to Wagner, Northeastern or ECU. I mean for Christ sake Loyola Marymount and even Chaminade gave us trouble!
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"Napier leaves" so what does that mean? KO made him who he was his last 2 years or was it JC? LOL people just try to make it sound like it was Napier or Boat or someone but not a good coaching job this is really ridiculous. Anything to make their point now, 3 years later on how bad he really is suddenly.
 
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EBonz30 said:
Huskymagic the empire fell once Calhoun left and we were moved to the American conference.
Are you people living in 2009?
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You want to give Ollie credit for 2014 title that was with Calhoun players in the American conference no less, but you want the fanbase to accept mediocrity as the new normal as that's all he can do now. What's worse is this university gave him a 5 year 18 million extension in secret knowing how the fanbase would react. Cincinnati is in the American they are doing fine. SMU is doing fine. Hell Houston is on the upswing in the American. No, one thing you can count on from me is I will never accept St. John's or Georgetown status for UCONN now or moving forward. Ollie's so-called calling card his defense has been abysmal and a huge part of why every team lights us up from the perimeter. Nobody fights through screens or stays attached to their man with Vital as an exception. To mask poor perimeter defense Ollie switches to some horrible looking zone with announcers saying "Ollie is switching to his patented 1-3-1 zone" that makes the team look worst and enhances terrible defensive principles being shown.

PS: This type of thinking is what's ruining the program as it has infected the minds of the coaching staff and players as well.
 
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huskymagic said:
You want to give Ollie credit for 2014 title that was with Calhoun players in the American conference no less, but you want the fanbase to accept mediocrity as the new normal as that's all he can do now. What's worse is this university gave him a 5 year 18 million extension in secret knowing how the fanbase would react. Cincinnati is in the American they are doing fine. SMU is doing fine. Hell Houston is on the upswing in the American. No, one thing you can count on from me is I will never accept St. John's or Georgetown status for UCONN now or moving forward.

PS: This type of thinking is what's ruining the program as it has infected the minds of the coaching staff and players as well.
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The fact you would even call anything you post "thinking" is hilarious. You are a joke, you know nothing, you change your spin every game you are the reason this BY is now the hell it is because of total idiots like you with no clue of what UConn basketball is or was. The fact you are still here amazes me, allowed to spew worthless crap over and over, just do us all a favor and find another team please.
 
mauconnfan said:
"Napier leaves" so what does that mean? KO made him who he was his last 2 years or was it JC? LOL people just try to make it sound like it was Napier or Boat or someone but not a good coaching job this is really ridiculous. Anything to make their point now, 3 years later on how bad he really is suddenly.
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Are you just going to ignore the fact I said his first two seasons were good and great coaching jobs? What I'm saying is that it would be foolish to ignore the fact they were largely helped out by a great player. He gets credit for developing Napier and he gets credit for keeping the program together in Year 1 and then of course the title in Year 2. It's not mutually exclusive to coach at a high level and to also have an all time great Husky.

My concern is that he isn't able to take good, solid Husky teams and coach a full and quality regular season with them. Year 1 was probably his best regular season, with a depleted squad coaching us to 10-8 in the old Big East. Since then in the AAC: 12-6, 10-8, 11-7, and now likely 9-9.

The reality is we've had some pretty good teams and players the last few seasons. We've also seen the same periods of offensive ineptitude, slow starts and simply put, losses to teams we had no business losing to the past few seasons.

KO gets credit where credit is due and that's the first two seasons. The last three have been 1 NIT, 1 first round exit and 1 no post season. To me, it's fair to raise some criticism and be a bit alarmed at the trajectory of the program.
 
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