Roll Call: I have full faith in KO, who else does?

[Towney007]

Yeah, honestly I dunno if it's just a total lack of perspective.

First year was a post season ban. Second he won a national championship. Last year was almost a complete rebuilding year. This year isn't a rebuilding year - but I'm not sure you could genuinely say this was a year where this team was set up to go deep. I felt like this board got super excited and sure - in theory they should. Lots of solid, older players on this team - but there weren't many national pundits who were losing their mind over this team.

So to me - I think an over eager fan base probably had an inflated view of what these guys could be/are this season. The disappointment comes from that, not from actual under performance. To me this is a patch work season to accelerate the rebuilding process. Not many of these guys are Ollie's guys and there isn't much elite talent on this team. He did a good job of raiding the transfers, but transfers are transfers. I mean sure- maybe this team makes run if everything falls into place - but it hasn't so far and I'm not really confident that it will.

Next year is going to be the first killer class he's had, but he also brought in two really important pieces in Hamilton and Adams - both of whom should be back. Purvis and Brimah will be back, too. Enoch probably takes a significant step forward as well. We should be pretty darn good. I'd love to see us add another big man, but we should be very good with what we have. It's kind of a process and these kinds of transitions don't always go smoothly. I'm not ready to toss him out of a window yet. Should make the tournament this year. Has a national title. Had he not had a ban, he'd have been in the tournament in his first season as well. Is what it is.

 

[jibsey]

I think Ollie has done a tremendous job with a team that is loaded with average talent.

Wasn't Gibbs first team BE? Rodney a McD? DHam and Jalen a top 25?

 

[Tacodrone]

I feel like I have seen this happen before in other sports. Larry Coker at Miami is the closest thing to this situation that I can think of.

Coach won championship...check
Team declined as the previous coaches players left..check
Team struggled in a league that their fans felt they should have dominated....check
Fans got angry at head coach, assistant coaches, AD, everything under the sun...check
Head coach scored major recruits...check
Said recruits either weren't as good as advertised or were not developed...yet to be determined
Program fell off the map and has been stuck trying to get back ever since...yet to be determined

I feel like we are closer to that happening than we are to things swinging upwards again. These next recruiting classes simply have to hit, because in this league and with the lack of respect it commands, every down year will make it tougher to get back where we would all like to be.

I really hope this is all just the fatalist in me and what we are seeing is just a result of losing scholarships, the natural upheaval of changing coaches, etc. But good lord it seems damn similar to me.

You must get invited to a lot of parties.

 

[willie99]

Kevin will be fine

we're playing great D for 35 minutes a game, we're rebounding better, we run offense most of the time and we make free throws

things are trending up

but we still can't get a bunny out of a time out, so there

 

[Kitaman]

So why not start this Thursday night or perhaps after the next loss when its most needed? This thread (and similar) won't stop posters angst, expressed frustration or complaining after repeated losses or late game collapses. Just saying many claws are reclined right now because we won.

History has proven here that winning brings out the best tool for targeted posters, not these well intention threads, so lets just keep winning.

 

[Towney007]

Wasn't Gibbs first team BE?

Gibbs is a good player, but he's not a standout. People forget he transferred from Texas when a guy ranked #72 among freshman was recruited to come replace him.

 

[Locustsalsa]

Glad to have KO - players not playing once they get a lead is a major problem. KO may have to coach this team much tougher though using pine as a motivator more to determine who really wants to play hard with leads. More of that problem tonight - blew a big lead again, but at least they one. Blowing leads will come back again to haunt them unless they really wake up

 

[Scot-e]

Love KO. Not crazy about the Temple game choices- but I believe he is detained to do great things at UCONN.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I like KO and have plenty of faith. This team needs a strong lead guard and they would be freakin' awesome. Adams is an incredible open court guy. Not the greatest half court guy or shooter at this point. This will all be forgetten when Adams and Gilbert roll through the tournament for our fifth.

 

[mdkhusky]

I think Ollie has done a tremendous job with a team that is loaded with average talent.

im hoping this was sarcasm? we have vastly underperformed based on our talent level

 

[uconn34]

Seeing 10 threads blasting KO for his coaching is just ridiculous and the basis for criticizing him is mind blowing. Many of the comments from those hating on KO are repetitive, lack any substantive analysis, and makes you question what they are watching, such as:

1) KO not showing enough passion and emotion: Are people watching the game?! KO was ripping into the players during the TOs and during the last minute of the game he was literally 5 (maybe more) feet on the court directing his players where to be. He is always emphatically cheering his guys when we are doing well. I literally can't envision him being anymore passionate.

2) Players not developing under KO: Under KO DHam's free throw % went from 67% last year to 86% this year, Gibbs free throw shooting has gone up from 70% to 87% this year, even Purvis' % has gone up from last year. That improvement is due to coaching. The individual defensive play of every player has improved, and that development is due to coaching. Miller shot 43% from the field last year and this year he is shooting at 59% from the field; one of the most efficient scorers in the whole country. That is due to coaching.

3) KO not yelling enough at the refs : Really?.... KO does his fair share of ripping into the refs (as all coaches do) but to expect anymore is just ridiculous. Newsflash refs are not thinking "hmm the Uconn coach is not yelling at us enough this must mean we should call the game in favor of the other team." Yelling at refs has very little effect on the outcome of the game, to believe otherwise is a result of not being able to analyze set plays or offensive schemes. Anyone can say we lost because KO didn't yell enough but thats not analysis thats just being stupid.

I could go on but to respond to some other stupid comments (such as Jalen should be yelling at coaches) is a waste of time.

Because of KO we have one of the best defensive teams in the country and we have enough offensive talent to win games in March.I just want to say that I have full faith in KO, and I am confident KO will get us on a run. I am confident we will make a big, aka UCONN, run in the tournament.

Who else has full faith in KO?

(DO NOT REPLY IN THIS THREAD TO BASH KO THERE ARE 10 OTHER THREADS TO DO SO; THIS IS SIMPLY A ROLL CALL FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN KO BEING OUR LEADER)

TRUTH!!!!!

 

[RedStickHusky]

+1 for supporting KO
-2 for trying to create an internet safe zone...

 

[mdkhusky]

KO does alot well but he needs to improve vastly on his substitution patterns. they create instability for players singularly and for the team as a whole. how does facey play 0 minutes vs temple and then gets big minutes last night. foul trouble obviously changes circumstances but were in foul trouble almost every game so i dont see what changes so much from game to game

 

[pj]

How many coaches are there in college basketball you'd take over KO? There aren't any I'd take.

 

[Danzz]

Seeing 10 threads blasting KO for his coaching is just ridiculous and the basis for criticizing him is mind blowing. Many of the comments from those hating on KO are repetitive, lack any substantive analysis, and makes you question what they are watching, such as:

1) KO not showing enough passion and emotion: Are people watching the game?! KO was ripping into the players during the TOs and during the last minute of the game he was literally 5 (maybe more) feet on the court directing his players where to be. He is always emphatically cheering his guys when we are doing well. I literally can't envision him being anymore passionate.

2) Players not developing under KO: Under KO DHam's free throw % went from 67% last year to 86% this year, Gibbs free throw shooting has gone up from 70% to 87% this year, even Purvis' % has gone up from last year. That improvement is due to coaching. The individual defensive play of every player has improved, and that development is due to coaching. Miller shot 43% from the field last year and this year he is shooting at 59% from the field; one of the most efficient scorers in the whole country. That is due to coaching.

3) KO not yelling enough at the refs : Really?.... KO does his fair share of ripping into the refs (as all coaches do) but to expect anymore is just ridiculous. Newsflash refs are not thinking "hmm the Uconn coach is not yelling at us enough this must mean we should call the game in favor of the other team." Yelling at refs has very little effect on the outcome of the game, to believe otherwise is a result of not being able to analyze set plays or offensive schemes. Anyone can say we lost because KO didn't yell enough but thats not analysis thats just being stupid.

I could go on but to respond to some other stupid comments (such as Jalen should be yelling at coaches) is a waste of time.

Because of KO we have one of the best defensive teams in the country and we have enough offensive talent to win games in March.I just want to say that I have full faith in KO, and I am confident KO will get us on a run. I am confident we will make a big, aka UCONN, run in the tournament.

Who else has full faith in KO?

(DO NOT REPLY IN THIS THREAD TO BASH KO THERE ARE 10 OTHER THREADS TO DO SO; THIS IS SIMPLY A ROLL CALL FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN KO BEING OUR LEADER)

12 years in the NBA, 4 at UConn and some of these all back yard Boneyarders think that they know a better way to coach the team. They also want staff changes even though they don't have a clue about the effectiveness of any coach and have never been near a practice. The ignorance is amazing.