Thanks Omar and Phil (and Shonn and Sterling) | The Boneyard

Thanks Omar and Phil (and Shonn and Sterling)

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Well, a fairly fitting end to an inconsistent season... But Omar and Phil deserve some cred here. They were champions who at times were huge contributors. Omar's frosh year had him a potential star trajectory and Phil's defense in the 14 tourney and recently against Colorado were huge. Neither really developed the way I think we thought for various reasons, but props for them for sticking it out through the thick and thin.

Shonn and Sterling; well we thought we were adding mercenaries that would take us over the top. Shonn was as advertised and for much of the year was our best player. Truly sucks that our last view of him was this game. Sterling, well, you were billed as the PG we needed, and that was not your game. But you hit big shots all year, iced the Colorado game, and never stopped shooting. Props.
 

Matrim55

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Phil and Omar are champions, and a huge part of Husky lore. They helped get us through the horrible, post-APR & CR mess and put us back on an upward trajectory.

Best of luck to both of them and, of course, to Sterling & Shonn as well.
 

MattMang23

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Thanks Phil and Omar for your loyalty to our program over your four years. It would have been easy to leave or not even come here to begin with, but you both stuck with us. Thank you.

And thanks to Shonn and Sterling for choosing UConn this season. Wish we had you for four more games.
 

Dribbles

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I am going to miss Phil and Omar, it was always nice to see them at the Husky Run and to meet Sterling and Shone at the Greater Hartford Pro Am this pass summer. Thanks for all the points, the smiles and the bleed blue you gave t0 us. May your dreams all come true and may you live life to the fullest. All the best from Mrs. Dribbles
 
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I was totally convinced Omar was going to be a star. Wish it had worked out for him.
Seriously. Injuries just led to a what could have been career.

For context, the only players in the Calhoun/Ollie era to average at least 11 points a game as a freshman:

89-90: Nadav Henefeld (11.6 ppg)
91-92: Donyell Marshall (11.1 ppg)
93-94: Doron Sheffer (11.9 ppg)
93-94: Ray Allen (12.6 ppg)
96-97: Richard Hamilton (15.9 ppg)
97-98: Khalid El-Amin (16.0 ppg)
00-01: Caron Butler (15.3 ppg)
01-02: Ben Gordon (12.6 ppg)
04-05: Rudy Gay (11.8 ppg)
06-07: Jerome Dyson (13.8 ppg)
12-13: Omar Calhoun (11.1 ppg)
 
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Seriously. Injuries just led to a what could have been career.

For context, the only players in the Calhoun/Ollie era to average at least 11 points a game as a freshman:

89-90: Nadav Henefeld (11.6 ppg)
91-92: Donyell Marshall (11.1 ppg)
93-94: Doron Sheffer (11.9 ppg)
93-94: Ray Allen (12.6 ppg)
96-97: Richard Hamilton (15.9 ppg)
97-98: Khalid El-Amin (16.0 ppg)
00-01: Caron Butler (15.3 ppg)
01-02: Ben Gordon (12.6 ppg)
04-05: Rudy Gay (11.8 ppg)
06-07: Jerome Dyson (13.8 ppg)
12-13: Omar Calhoun (11.1 ppg)

I remember going to that 2ot game against Gtown his freshman year. The call at the end of the game was for Omar, not Shabazz/Boat/Giffey/Daniels. That call to go to Omar over those options shows what should have been.
 
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This thread should be pinned. The season didn't completely turn out the way we, or they, wanted. Through the up and downs, chemistry difficulties, etc., the guys always fought hard and represented UConn the right way. Let's not forget they rallied in the face of missing the NCAA tourney and won the AAC tournament.
 
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Just something to keep in mind for those who felt Omar was going to be a star or that he was a disappointment, Spike Albrecht of Michigan had the same surgery Omar had this off season and it ended his career.
 

huskyharry

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Just something to keep in mind for those who felt Omar was going to be a star or that he was a disappointment, Spike Albrecht of Michigan had the same surgery Omar had this off season and it ended his career.
IIRC, Omar's surgery on both hips was after his freshman year. However, I did have two Marines who had to be medically boarded out of the military after the hip impingement relief surgery because they couldn't recover well enough to perform their duties.
 
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IIRC, Omar's surgery on both hips was after his freshman year. However, I did have two Marines who had to be medically boarded out of the military after the hip impingement relief surgery because they couldn't recover well enough to perform their duties.
Yes it was after his freshman year, the "this off season" was in reference to Albrecht who had the same double hip surgery and eventually had to retire from basketball after trying to play this season.
 
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Too bad Omar didn't get a chance to play today. I think he might of matched up well with Kansas big guards. Maybe his outside would be falling. Weird KO didn't give him a chance today. All the other seniors had tough games though SG at least gave it all he had until the buzzer. Unfortunately all he has is his shooting.
 

Stainmaster

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They gave it their all on the court and were players of high integrity and character for the entirety of their time in Storrs. I don't want to make any objective statements on the depth of their impact in the locker room was since I'm not in there with them, but I'd have to imagine they were able to use their age and experience to really help our younger guys. Over the next few years, the team's success will be in at least some part due to the foundation these guys laid of hard work and perseverance.
 
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Too bad Omar didn't get a chance to play today. I think he might of matched up well with Kansas big guards. Maybe his outside would be falling. Weird KO didn't give him a chance today. All the other seniors had tough games though SG at least gave it all he had until the buzzer. Unfortunately all he has is his shooting.

Omar played a little. Gave an up fake on a 3 and missed a baseline pull-up in first half. It was a short stint and maybe he should have gotten another chance at it - KU was over playing the passing lanes on the perimeter which screamed for some dribble penetration, so that may have hurt his minutes.
 

joober jones

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I will greatly miss those guys. Best of luck to Nolan, Calhoun, Amilo, Gibbs, and Miller.
 
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Seriously. Injuries just led to a what could have been career.

For context, the only players in the Calhoun/Ollie era to average at least 11 points a game as a freshman:

89-90: Nadav Henefeld (11.6 ppg)
91-92: Donyell Marshall (11.1 ppg)
93-94: Doron Sheffer (11.9 ppg)
93-94: Ray Allen (12.6 ppg)
96-97: Richard Hamilton (15.9 ppg)
97-98: Khalid El-Amin (16.0 ppg)
00-01: Caron Butler (15.3 ppg)
01-02: Ben Gordon (12.6 ppg)
04-05: Rudy Gay (11.8 ppg)
06-07: Jerome Dyson (13.8 ppg)
12-13: Omar Calhoun (11.1 ppg)

That's the strange thing. It wasn't the injuries. It was the treatment.

Omar played well through the injuries in 2013. Then after the surgeries he was never the same. Not exactly a bright spot on that doctor's resume.
 
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That's the strange thing. It wasn't the injuries. It was the treatment.

Omar played well through the injuries in 2013. Then after the surgeries he was never the same. Not exactly a bright spot on that doctor's resume.

Pretty sure that's just the unfortunate nature of that injury/ailment. It can be a career ended. Not a doctors fault.
 
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Omar played a little. Gave an up fake on a 3 and missed a baseline pull-up in first half. It was a short stint and maybe he should have gotten another chance at it - KU was over playing the passing lanes on the perimeter which screamed for some dribble penetration, so that may have hurt his minutes.
What was frustrating, too, was that our guys could get into the lane, even players like Gibbs who had traditionally had difficulty. They just couldn't finish at the rim (a couple of monster blocks), and that then caused hesitation going forward.
 
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Pretty sure that's just the unfortunate nature of that injury/ailment. It can be a career ended. Not a doctors fault.

I guess what I'm implying is: was there a reason he couldn't continue to play successfully through the injury, rather than undergo a risky surgery that effectively (with 3 year delay) ended his basketball career?
 
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