Some quotes from Dave Benedict

[UConnNick]

if he's not gone, why not announce that he's coming back? Benedict also said, again, that they will evaluate after the season.

Because it makes it at least appear that your options are being kept open. Who knows if the NCAA decides to hammer us next month? Giving the dreaded vote of confidence now could look silly pretty quick. Granted that's a very unlikely scenario, but it affords Benedict some wiggle room.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This program has already lost the casual fan.

If KO is back after another sub-.500 record, with a so-so recruiting class, the more committed fans may stay home as well.

I don't think these statements from AD Dave mean anything one way or another, just like how players have said they were coming back, only to leave weeks later.

That said, he should recognize that he may not have much more time to resuscitate the program.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Also sick of the misogynist comments from some on this board. Never ask if someone is KO's dad when they voice their opinions.

It doesn't have to be misogny; it could be a realistic recognition that men, whether here or in general, aren't notably nurturing. In that context, it could be as much a compliment as a jab.
That said, I appreciate your speaking up, and as with @UConnDan97, I admire your optimism re KO but have found it too difficult to share in it.

 

[CTBasketball]

Enoch didn't get PT because he was always out of position and didn't hustle on the defensive end. Jackson left because his Lavar Ball like dad wanted his son to be the man and knew with a healthy Gilbert and Larrier he would be a bench player. Dad started complaining the 1st week of December. If he was so good why didn't some great P5 school snatch him up.

Enoch needed playing time, like most young unpolished bigs do. Need to let him learn. He had a quick hook here at UConn.

Who would you rather have at this point? Jackson being our #1/2 scorer or Larrier? I’ll take Jackson all day - even as a freshman he was better defensively, offensively, and basketball IQ wise than Larrier.

KO stuck with his boys and our record shows. 30-34 overall and 16-20 in conference. 10 Toes In.

I base everything off facts so if people want to subjectively say “we looked like we’re turning the corner with that Temple win and tough Houston loss” then so be it. Took us 62 games to turn the corner?

 

[Scrutineer]

They don’t have ten million dollars.

There are no slam dunk candidates.

There is nobody in their right mind signing up with the investigation lingering.

If you squint hard enough and Adams comes back.. they could be better.

All good points, especially the money. I mentioned the furious debate ongoing on the Boneyard about Kevin and a person very close to the athletic department said anyone that thinks the money is a small issue isn't fully aware that the buyout is one year's salary per year remaining on the contract and then decreases by the annual salary amount each year. So, it's nine or ten million right now and that's not happening. But, who really knows except Benedict.

 

[Scrutineer]

Then why don't you just come out and say he'll be back? There's no reason not to do so.

Maybe the money is too much but if the NCAA finds some violation all bets are off, so that may be why he didn't say implicitly one way or the other. A good guess is he stays because of the money but is gone if there are violations.

 

[Scrutineer]

The lights are out. Benedict wouldn’t talk to KO the night before a game, if the plan is for him to be here next year. A donor step forward for a negotiated buyout a few weeks ago - Oz did not apparently realize it until last night.

I'm too new to know your sense of humor, so I'll pretend you're serious. It strikes me as very odd that Benedict would bring up something like that before the last game of the regular season when Kevin finally has DO rounding into shape for a big role in the tournaments.

 

[bazzketball13]

The lights are out. Benedict wouldn’t talk to KO the night before a game, if the plan is for him to be here next year. A donor step forward for a negotiated buyout a few weeks ago - Oz did not apparently realize it until last night.

The donors LOVE Kevin and are not giving money to pay for a buyout. No way

 

[UCDaveD]

The donors LOVE Kevin and are not giving money to pay for a buyout. No way

Do the donors LOVE back to back losing seasons for the first time in over 30 years?

 

[Huskyforlife]

To whoever said Jackson left because he wouldn’t start here... LMAO. Have you seen our power forwards?

We know why he left. It was in some article awhile ago. He met with Ollie after the season, and Ollie had no plans for him. And he’s at a smaller school because he wanted to be the man, and the high maintenance dad didn’t help. But he was looked at by Baylor I remember that.

 

[UConnNick]

Either way we will know in the next couple days. No announcement before the AAC tournament IMO suggests he is gone.

Announcement about what? Typically most programs do not make an announcement that the head coach is going to be back for the next season. That's usually a given, unless there's an announcement that he's resigned, or has been fired. Benedict isn't going to fire him before the AAC tournament, so to me, no announcement in that time frame means nothing one way or the other.

 

[UConnNick]

Do the donors LOVE back to back losing seasons for the first time in over 30 years?

No, but my guess is the big donors love having the 10 million dollars in their bank accounts and not spending it to pay off a coach.

 

[UConnNick]

There are very few lunatics like me around who would even root for the UConn chess team. I know it's a problem but I'm not seeking help for it...

Last summer I rooted for a UCONN team of nerds to win some kind of video game competition against Arizona State, IIRC. It was on TV, which was amazing in and of itself. I think it was in some sort of playoff format.

If UCONN was involved in a nationwide collegiate rat race competition, I would be rooting for the UCONN rat to win the race.

 

[Chief00]

It’s great having a staff that could all be good at something one day.

George Blaney wasn’t a recruiter but analytically he could breakdown a game or team like few could. He could develop guys, once they arrived.
So there’s room for different skill sets on the staff. But, somebody better have this or that skill. I fear currently that’s not always the case.

 

[metsfan2323]

Announcement about what? Typically most programs do not make an announcement that the head coach is going to be back for the next season. That's usually a given, unless there's an announcement that he's resigned, or has been fired. Benedict isn't going to fire him before the AAC tournament, so to me, no announcement in that time frame means nothing one way or the other.

Not true, after two seasons like this with the NCAA looming, and at least half the fan base in a "fire him" frenzy they at least leak to the press he's coming back so Ollie can recruit. Doing it before the AAC tournament is ideal because a tournament run although unlikely is not completely out of the question given that the team has been playing better. Either way DB can't let this thing linger much longer because a lot of decisions will be made based on the answer.

 

[Chief00]

Sounds like he's gonna be back.

And with this offseason being big for coaching hires I bet we will see a couple of the guys on our wish list get scooped up by similar tier jobs so this could end up hurting even more if we lose out on our guy.

Just curious - why do you think that?

 

[UConniki]

it's just an opinion and personal observation. you can disagree with me as much as you'd like. i think you dislike me much more than i dislike you lol

Don’t take it personally He dislikes almost everybody

 

[UConnNick]

Not true, after two seasons like this with the NCAA looming, and at least half the fan base in a "fire him" frenzy they at least leak to the press he's coming back so Ollie can recruit. Doing it before the AAC tournament is ideal because a tournament run although unlikely is not completely out of the question given that the team has been playing better. Either way DB can't let this thing linger much longer because a lot of decisions will be made based on the answer.

I think some folks here vastly overestimate the "fire him" frenzy going on among the fanbase, because the only fans who truly matter are the ones with big enough bank accounts to actually pony up the 10 million dollars it will take to get rid of Ollie. Until a "fire him" frenzy exists among those folks, nothing is happening. A "fire him" frenzy among some Boneyarders means nothing.

There's no reason to be leaking anything to anybody at this point, unless you've got something to leak. Ollie can tell recruits he's going to be back unless he's heard otherwise from Benedict. They can either choose to believe him or not believe him. Announcements always smack of votes of confidence, which usually mean the opposite is going to happen.

 

[Bonehead]

Doesn't sound like anything has been decided yet.

Chief told us decision game was 4 games ago?

 

[Edward Sargent]

There are very few lunatics like me around who would even root for the UConn chess team. I know it's a problem but I'm not seeking help for it...

I don't know the only sport that was big when I went to school here was polo. We had great horses

 

[RJScootin]

The lights are out. Benedict wouldn’t talk to KO the night before a game, if the plan is for him to be here next year. A donor step forward for a negotiated buyout a few weeks ago - Oz did not apparently realize it until last night.

Thank you! Was waiting for an insider to confirm the nightmare will end.

 

[the Q]

No he went because he thought he should play more. Not the first kid to leave a school for that reason.

The worst part about guys Like Durham is that if they do good next year everyone will say they could’ve done that this year, but will forget that he got an extra year to get healthy, practice and build up his body.

 

[CTBasketball]

The worst part about guys Like Durham is that if they do good next year everyone will say they could’ve done that this year, but will forget that he got an extra year to get healthy, practice and build up his body.

And they upgraded coaching staffs.

 

[UConnStats]

Not to burst anyone’s bubble, but putting stock into public statements made by the AD is folly. Ollie is still done.

 

[dennismenace]

Good Lord. I know we had injuries last year. This year, other than losing Gilbert, we have been injury free. Most teams have it much worse.

I suspect he’s back because we can’t afford to let him go. That makes me sad, because all you have to do is watch them, and see his decisions to tell that he is a pretty bad basketball coach. He still doesn’t know who his best players are and his better lineups. Still. Last game of the year and the guys played hard, but his personnel and strategy decisions doomed them.

I can only hope they find a way to move on from him. You could give him James Harden and he’d sit him on the bench.

To me the most disheartening thing about this team is a lack of identity. By that I mean "we are Uconn" (UNITY) is missing from the minds of this years team as well as the last few years going back to the end of Bazz year. It's a "we" thing and KO can talk about it and the jersey but it must be decisively defined and drilled every day with plans. He looks confused and overwhelmed for years now and I think it is time for a change for the best interests of everyone. Mantras are fine but they must be backed up with action plans that make sense and that leadership must come from the top. Cannot be waffling every week. Those plans are foundational. Not sure where he got the S and C ideas but our guys with the exception of Dave (a transfer) and Vital look like they got lost in the desert for the last 6 mos. Looking forward to changes.

 

[Paesano]

I think some folks here vastly overestimate the "fire him" frenzy going on among the fanbase, because the only fans who truly matter are the ones with big enough bank accounts to actually pony up the 10 million dollars it will take to get rid of Ollie. Until a "fire him" frenzy exists among those folks, nothing is happening. A "fire him" frenzy among some Boneyarders means nothing.

There's no reason to be leaking anything to anybody at this point, unless you've got something to leak. Ollie can tell recruits he's going to be back unless he's heard otherwise from Benedict. They can either choose to believe him or not believe him. Announcements always smack of votes of confidence, which usually mean the opposite is going to happen.

The "fire him" frenzy exists among those who used to buy tickets and merchandise. That matters.

 

[auggie22]

After reading the full interview in the current, I don’t think he was setting up Ollie’s return as much as he was signaling the start of a formal evaluation process.

 

[nadav]

So the alum are bigger fans than people who started to go to games at 3 years old.

 

[TopDogs]

This thread is a nightmare to fully read through, but in case it hasn't already been posted, here's the full article from the courant: UConn Men Notebook: AD David Benedict Beginning Evaluation: 'We Need To Be A Tournament Team'

 

[BlueMAB]

Enoch needed playing time, like most young unpolished bigs do. Need to let him learn. He had a quick hook here at UConn.

Who would you rather have at this point? Jackson being our #1/2 scorer or Larrier? I’ll take Jackson all day - even as a freshman he was better defensively, offensively, and basketball IQ wise than Larrier.

KO stuck with his boys and our record shows. 30-34 overall and 16-20 in conference. 10 Toes In.

I base everything off facts so if people want to subjectively say “we looked like we’re turning the corner with that Temple win and tough Houston loss” then so be it. Took us 62 games to turn the corner?

Enoch had a quick hook because he shot 40% from the field and was lost on defense. Had he stuck around, he would have had plenty of opportunity to earn PT this year. Jackson would have seen a ton of minutes this year too, but Ollie had no plan for how to use him on offense. Our. Best. Shooter. And he had no plan. Incredible.

Couldn't agree more with the "62 games to turn the corner" question.