That Confirms It

[huskymagic]

Amida didn't play enough to have that much of an effect on this game. Of course Albatross Rod who was brutal on both offense and defense is not mentioned by Mau and others. Brimah wasn't good but he didn't cost us the game. Kevin Ollie, Jalen Adams , Albatross Rod, and Kentan missing free throws cost us this game. I warned about this for a while now, and the last thing I am is happy about any of this. Recruiting is a part of coaching unless some of you don't realize. This team has much bigger problems than injuries as losses to Wagner and Northeastern showed. With the players we had out there we should never lose to ECU.

PS: Any coach who loses to Wagner, Northeastern, Tulsa, ECU in one season at a place like UCONN is a great coach by some of you. Why are so many guys open for 3 against UCONN, it's a field day for them.

 

[buddy]

We had 3 100% healthy players. Fire Kevin Ollie for recruiting guys with the ability to get hurt.

Two of them at least had preexisting injuries prior to their admission to UConn.

 

[Athlete94]

Yeah lets fire Ollie so we set the program back even more. It's a bad year. It will be over soon. Not all on Ollie.

It's all on Ollie, last I checked, he's the head coach and the buck stops there... if this was PP, or Bobby red pants everyone on this board would be calling for a change.. wake up brother, good posts..

 

[CardiacAndre7]

KO has not been great this season, I think most of us can agree. But, he has been working with a depleted, super young roster with no depth. Genuinely think, if these exist, that he should go to a coaching camp for a little in the summer, I know it sounds weird but his in game coaching needs some work. He doesn't make many adjustments, maybe due to personnel, but not 100% on it. Needs to use his timeouts strategically too. We'll be better next year, but starting to question how much better.

 

[gampelcrazies]

It's all on Ollie, last I checked, he's the head coach and the buck stops there... if this was PP, or Bobby red pants everyone on this board would be calling for a change.. wake up brother, good posts..

Coaches get to much credit and to much blame.

 

[Athlete94]

Coaches get to much credit and to much blame.

Yeah and it's all warranted.. coaches coach and lead.. players play..that simple..

 

[superjohn]

Coaches get to much credit and to much blame.

And get paid over 3 million per year for it.

 

[Okafour rings]

KO has not been great this season, I think most of us can agree. But, he has been working with a depleted, super young roster with no depth. Genuinely think, if these exist, that he should go to a coaching camp for a little in the summer, I know it sounds weird but his in game coaching needs some work. He doesn't make many adjustments, maybe due to personnel, but not 100% on it. Needs to use his timeouts strategically too. We'll be better next year, but starting to question how much better.

It was a depleted roster to be sure, but "super young"? Of the 7 players available for tonight's game, 3 were seniors (including a 5th-yr senior, 2 sophs and 2 frosh). The injuries happened to the younger guys. That isn't an overly young team.

 

[auror]

It's not all on Ollie.

The injuries sucked.

Player development has mostly not gone well, but hard to separate coach from player on that front.

But why the hell are we taking top of the key 3's with 25 seconds left in the shot clock when down 4 or whatever?

Why is Jalen pulling up for long 2s against anybody, ever? At any point? In his career?

 

[ctchamps]

They didn't waste a second.

So proud.

Just curious about something. Which way did freescooter lean with regards to Randy. Was he an RE apologista or one that wanted him gone well before RE left.

 

[ctchamps]

It's not all on Ollie.

The injuries sucked.

Player development has mostly not gone well, but hard to separate coach from player on that front.

But why the hell are we taking top of the key 3's with 25 seconds left in the shot clock when down 4 or whatever?

Why is Jalen pulling up for long 2s against anybody, ever? At any point? In his career?

Because Jalen was the only player who could drive to the basket and he was missing a couple of cylinders this game. So the play drawn up, unlike the Temple game in which he was healthy, was to drive and kick to Vance. Unfortunately ECU played Vance tightly. Jalen then made an attempt to go to the basket but ECU blocked the lane so he kicked it out to Rodney who had less than three seconds left on the clock when he got the ball.

 

[Danzz]

This game pretty much confirmed it for me that Ollie is going the way of Bob Diaco and JT III. Coaching is a big problem for us, player discipline, execution, and development are all problems. Ollie keeps setting records at UCONN taking us the way of Georgetown and St Johns. Losing games like this unacceptable with the players we had out there. Good to see Kevin Ollie has another great suit to look like a clown out there while his team keeps setting new lows for UCONN.

PS: Dwayne Killings is bad mojo. He doesn't do anything but provide a useless yes man for Ollie to bounce ideas with. He needs to be at the end of the bench move Ricky Moore up.

How the hell do you know what Dwayne Killings does or doesn't do or Ricky Moore for that matter? The fact is you don't know crap.

 

[ctchamps]

How the hell do you know what Dwayne Killings does or doesn't do or Ricky Moore for that matter? The fact is you don't know crap.

I'll wager he knows more about pimp suits than most of us.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

It was a depleted roster to be sure, but "super young"? Of the 7 players available for tonight's game, 3 were seniors (including a 5th-yr senior, 2 sophs and 2 frosh). The injuries happened to the younger guys. That isn't an overly young team.

3 players that were not expected to play much (Jackson, Vital and Durham)and a sophomore who was pretty much a freshman in terms experience (Enoch).

 

[Sea Goat]

And get paid over 3 million per year for it.

You don't pay a coach $3mm per year and then argue he's not responsible for team deficiencies. Sure there have been injuries, but the players left have regressed IMO. The reason you make the big bucks is that you figure how to be competitive in the face of adversity. He hasn't and he isn't very good at in-game adjustments. The whole staff has a perplexed look when things start to slide. Let's not forget the special chemistry and maturity of the 2014 team - all JC boys. Ollie was a great steward, but those guys willed themselves to victory.

 

[auror]

Because Jalen was the only player who could drive to the basket and he was missing a couple of cylinders this game. So the play drawn up, unlike the Temple game in which he was healthy, was to drive and kick to Vance. Unfortunately ECU played Vance tightly. Jalen then made an attempt to go to the basket but ECU blocked the lane so he kicked it out to Rodney who had less than three seconds left on the clock when he got the ball.

Yeah that play makes sense, but it was not the plays I was referring.

Vance took a top of the key "3" with a toe on the line while still moving with legitimately 25 seconds left on the shot clock. Stupidity. Jalen and Purvis took similar shots, if not quite as egregious.

Jalen took a few 1 foot inside the 3-point line pick and roll jumpers. Just yuck. I think he made 1/3. I get that he wasn't 100% healthy, but that's like the 3rd worst shot in basketball. It's never right to take it. (Unless you're Kemba and you've practiced the stepback enough to get it to a decent %, but even then, step back into a 3!)

 

[huskyrob1]

Is it ollies fault that Jalen had possibly his worst game of the year at maybe 70% today? Is it ollies fault the Rodney purvis continues to be the frustrating player he's been throughout his career going 2-14? Is it ollies fault that facey missed 6 free throws tonight and that him and brimah still can't touch the ball without the worry of a turnover in everyone's mind? We played like tonight and while I agree the coach deserves some of the blame a lot of this is on the players having to just step up and play much better.

Well it's the coaches that run the practices, right? I always thought practice was supposed to make you better and step up, at least according to Geno.

 

[ctchamps]

Yeah that play makes sense, but it was not the plays I was referring.

Vance took a top of the key "3" with a toe on the line while still moving with legitimately 25 seconds left on the shot clock. Stupidity. Jalen and Purvis took similar shots, if not quite as egregious.

Jalen took a few 1 foot inside the 3-point line pick and roll jumpers. Just yuck. I think he made 1/3. I get that he wasn't 100% healthy, but that's like the 3rd worst shot in basketball. It's never right to take it. (Unless you're Kemba and you've practiced the stepback enough to get it to a decent %, but even then, step back into a 3!)

I thought he made two of five. It appears he's more comfortable taking that shot than shooting the three when dribbling. He makes them at a good rate so it doesn't bother me. This game he gets a pass for gutting it out. I don't think he plays if Vital didn't suffer the concussion. One thing I've noticed is Jalen is much more comfortable taking the three when he's the off guard and get's the ball on the pass. It will be interesting to see how Alterique and Jalen play together with more than just four games.

The Vance shot made sense and I was impressed with that play even though it was a momentum killer. He was there before ECU set up. What I felt he did wrong was looking down to see if he was behind the arc when he stopped. He should have kept his eye on the basket the entire play. I want to see more aggressiveness from Vance not less. He's showing me things that I never would have guessed from the beginning of this season.

 

[ctchamps]

Well it's the coaches that run the practices, right? I always thought practice was supposed to make you better and step up, at least according to Geno.

If Kia Nurse doesn't come back from her injury I doubt UConn wins an NC.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I think a lot of it actually is on Ollie. 2 of our 3 primary starting seniors are exactly the same players they were when they stepped foot on campus 3 and 4 years ago.

Has it crossed your mind for even a second that maybe they just arent very good? Maybe they are playing to the level theyre capable of. I look at this team and while there is some talent here there is no A level talent out there and no JA isnt A level although hes close.

 

[jibsey]

Has it crossed your mind for even a second that maybe they just arent very good? Maybe they are playing to the level theyre capable of. I look at this team and while there is some talent here there is no A level talent out there and no JA isnt A level although hes close.

I think what you say rings true. Many want to blame Ollie, and then the players for not playing to their capabilities but I don't agree. We are lacking 2 big players that would have made a difference sure but Brimah and Purvis are lacking and Jalen has had to carry this load almost alone at times. We need a big time talent to add to the mix next year or it is likely to be more of the same that we saw last year and this.

 

[huskyrob1]

If Kia Nurse doesn't come back from her injury I doubt UConn wins an NC.

Yeah, you're right they really suck since Geno took her out of the lineup. Average margin victory is only 30 points now, and the freshman Dangerfield starting in her place just doesn't get it done. Nice post

 

[superjohn]

Has it crossed your mind for even a second that maybe they just arent very good? Maybe they are playing to the level theyre capable of. I look at this team and while there is some talent here there is no A level talent out there and no JA isnt A level although hes close.

Yes but we are losing to D level talent.

 

[yukonyc212]

Has it crossed your mind for even a second that maybe they just arent very good? Maybe they are playing to the level theyre capable of. I look at this team and while there is some talent here there is no A level talent out there and no JA isnt A level although hes close.

Again... except for the fact that Purvis was a top 10-15 player in high school and a McDonald's AA. Not sure what more you can ask for than that in a recruit??

 

[MexicoHusky]

We literally had zero backup guards tonight. I can't remember ever being in that situation. And I'm not sure if you noticed, guard play is our thing.