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Message: [QUOTE="Son of Robert, post: 2562208, member: 7415"] I really respected and appreciated Alterique's comments in the Hartford Courant this morning. He spoke to being 100% committed to the Uconn program, and that all the noise circulating around KO and his teammates doesn't bother him. He infers that given time this program will return to prominence. I admire his unshakeable faith, and believe this is the most important thing he brings to the team. The rest is some fact and some speculation, but I'm going to lay it down anyway. AG brings things to this team, a McD AA skill set that no one else on the team has specifically like his, and also all the attributes of a team leader so very influential in creating, growing, and holding fast team chemistry. Only a freshman remember, in games played, so he is not the complete mature veteran player yet that will make him a star here at Uconn, but his impact was already being felt the first few games of the season. I think people underrate his shooting, scoring, and leadership abilities and/or potential to improve on these. I do not. I think his early and growing influence on this very young team is in great part why we were able to hang with such a tough skilled MSU team, his skills on the floor, and also the players around him being better, because while he was on the floor the offense flowed differently and better, defensively also, plus he was the chemistry glue guy who helped make his teammates believe they could win. He brought such confidence to this team, and this would have increased throughout the season. I think the Arkansas game, the ugly, mentally out of it blowout, was in large part due to this team losing their emerging leader and the chemistry he brought. And they have not quite recovered. They have gotten better, individually and as a team, as players and coaches learned, adjusted, and improved. Chemistry wise they would have been on a different track if Gilbert had not gotten hurt, and their proficiency on the court would have been much more visible. Absolutely no doubt. Very tough year, plain and simple. The breakup of the old Big East has decidedly hurt us with recruiting, it is surely much more difficult, but there are other schools that excel outside the P5, and we must be committed to being one of them. Not sure how next year will shake out, but I do like our incoming recruits, those 3 help 3 different aspects of our team. Wilson on the bench already plus improving big men, three, freshman only, Carlton, Whaley, and Diarra, possibly some other roster shakeups, Jalen may or may not return, but I am again optimistic about the team next year. I do look forward to seeing Gilbert and Akinjo on the floor together. Maybe Kisunas is a big man who can pass in and out of the post. The rest of this season we continue to grow and improve and get some wins, and never, never count ourselves out til the last buzzer sounds. Being mentally tough doesn't just happen, it needs to be learned and exercised. In closing, I do not have a firm opinion on Kevin Ollie. A great deal of our downward slide must fall squarely on his shoulders. Kevin is no stranger to adversity or resilience and I do believe if given the opportunity will continue to turn things around. It does not happen overnight. However, management is going to do what management is going to do, and I will support KO or another coach equally. Go Huskies! Bleed Blue! [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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