That Confirms It

[mauconnfan]

FYI, some publications I read called him the "best finisher in his class". Maybe he forgot when he got here? So he's not a good shooter, driver, finisher, passer, handles.... shoots 32% from the field. Also I would argue his d is terrible. He's always on the oppositions best perimiter player and gets lit up. Why does he play? Ya last night we were short a guy but at this point the season is a dumpster fire and Adams, Vital and Enoch should play all the rest of the minutes with the Brimah and Purvis coming off the bench.

Wow stupid question like that I'm not sure you deserve a response but here goes. Why does he play? Oh never mind this is way too stupid to answer. He has to what else do they have and by the way, he's won games for them too I know you forgot about that because that's what whiners do they pick and choose. They jump off the boat, congrats you win! LOL

 

[UConnSwag11]

He peaked at 10th grade as an athlete do I really need to spell it out to you guys or can we grab someone who knows a little about basketball. Do you even watch the games? He is what he is, can make some shots, plays good D most of the time but for a "superior athlete" he can't finish, doesn't change direction at all he's a straight at it guy, he's not a good passer at all and not a good ball handler. If he's not any of these by the time he walks through the door at Storrs he's not going to get much better they're all natural gifts. He wasn't going to be any better if he played for K, Pitino or anyone you care to replace KO.

Man this place is full of crap! Hard to believe this is the BY today it's pathetic.

These are trolls who only come out when uconn loses. It's not hard to see. But then you have regular good posters who start slightly acting like them. It's a disease

 

[yukonyc212]

Wow stupid question like that I'm not sure you deserve a response but here goes. Why does he play? Oh never mind this is way too stupid to answer. He has to what else do they have and by the way, he's won games for them too I know you forgot about that because that's what whiners do they pick and choose. They jump off the boat, congrats you win! LOL

No why would you play him at this point in a lost season? You said he can't do anything yourself?? Why not get the underclassmen more minutes??

 

[mauconnfan]

No why would you play him at this point in a lost season? You said he can't do anything yourself?? Why not get the underclassmen more minutes??

I never said he can't do anything, if you can read into my post he is limited. You said he came in with all these tools, he showed they weren't there for the college game. He was a man among boys in HS and it never transitioned into college because of what he needs to be better at. He is proof of not being able to improve the things which come so naturally to others because Lord knows as hard a worker as he is he's tried to be a better ball handler, a better finisher (small hands hurt) , a better passer - he's not. If Larrier and Gilbert were here he may been relegated to the bench more who knows. But with this team explain to me who will take his minutes? jackson can't guard a 2 hardly a 3. The rest of the bigs can't - he still needs to play he is one of their better options not sure why you would ask that question. It is what it is!

 

[yukonyc212]

These are trolls who only come out when uconn loses. It's not hard to see. But then you have regular good posters who start slightly acting like them. It's a disease

Maybe the majority can see things for what they are and you're the blind one???

 

[SirHypeAlot]

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.

Yah because Ollie was holding out scholarships for home run commits that never happened. He cooled off Bruce Brown who is lighting it up at Miami in the best conference in college basketball. All indications were that Brown was ours ...maybe Ollie will learn from this past offseason the old proverb a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Hanging on to scholarships has done us ZERO.

 

[Candyman]

Here's the funny thing, when he took the job over in a time of weakness for the program and won 20, then a NC was he average at best? I mean JC's players yes but none were great or impactful as they were when KO took them on. Deandre and Giffey certainly did very little until KO, Bazz became a leader under KO like no other in college (Kemba prior same thing). He fit the pieces together, made that calls as a coach that won it all. How quickly we forget?

His players now aren't smart at all - on him for sure - can't turn crap into diamonds. He has seen improvement in some Adams has been very good as a soph still learning, VJ is solid and will be a piece, Vital is more than one can imagine but that can't be KO right, he's a failure? LOL - while others who would have impacted are hurt, out for the season. How do we just brush this aside as if it happens all the time? Maybe it can at UK, KU, Duke but it can't right now where we are but it did.

The guy can coach, this crazy talk is really not like UConn fans, more like UConn spoiled whining fans.

Spoiled whining fans? Fans that expect to win against East Carolina are now whiners? What are we spoiled about? The last three seasons? If being a UConn fan that expects to win against mid majors a whiner than thats me.

He had a great game changing player in Shabazz Napier, sure Ollie was crucial in his development. How has he been since Bazz moved on? Since then UConn has fell off the national radar fast. Each of those years we were ranked in the top 25 to start the year and plunged fast. I dont want to hear well we won the AAC tourny, cmon first its the AAC tourny and 2nd SMU didn't play in it.

I don't hate him think hes an average coach, since we have been an average team since Bazz left. I feel his style of coaching is suited for the NBA. It worked with Bazz and Company but hasn't since and he hasn't adjusted. This year he gets a pass and hopefully next year he gets us back to the top but if we are average again is it time to move on or will you settle for average?

 

[yukonyc212]

Spoiled whining fans? Fans that expect to win against East Carolina are now whiners? What are we spoiled about? The last three seasons? If being a UConn fan that expects to win against mid majors a whiner than thats me.

He had a great game changing player in Shabazz Napier, sure Ollie was crucial in his development. How has he been since Bazz moved on? Since then UConn has fell off the national radar fast. Each of those years we were ranked in the top 25 to start the year and plunged fast. I dont want to hear well we won the AAC tourny, cmon first its the AAC tourny and 2nd SMU didn't play in it.

I don't hate him think hes an average coach, since we have been an average team since Bazz left. I feel his style of coaching is suited for the NBA. It worked with Bazz and Company but hasn't since and he hasn't adjusted. This year he gets a pass and hopefully next year he gets us back to the top but if we are average again is it time to move on or will you settle for average?

Ollie isn't settling for "average pay." He's one of the top 10 highest paid coaches in the game. Why should we be ok with poor - average results. The problem is when you are paid a salary like that, there are certain expectations that you need to live up to. I don't think he's earned his money the past few years.

 

[mauconnfan]

Spoiled whining fans? Fans that expect to win against East Carolina are now whiners? What are we spoiled about? The last three seasons? If being a UConn fan that expects to win against mid majors a whiner than thats me.

He had a great game changing player in Shabazz Napier, sure Ollie was crucial in his development. How has he been since Bazz moved on? Since then UConn has fell off the national radar fast. Each of those years we were ranked in the top 25 to start the year and plunged fast. I dont want to hear well we won the AAC tourny, cmon first its the AAC tourny and 2nd SMU didn't play in it.

I don't hate him think hes an average coach, since we have been an average team since Bazz left. I feel his style of coaching is suited for the NBA. It worked with Bazz and Company but hasn't since and he hasn't adjusted. This year he gets a pass and hopefully next year he gets us back to the top but if we are average again is it time to move on or will you settle for average?

Let me answer this about since Shabazz moved on. Adams is better than either Kemba or Shabazz as a sophomore. Vital came in with many of you wondering why he even took him? Seems to me he's exceeded expectations, maybe just hard work maybe some of KO and the staff. Vance, looked to be overmatched early is playing well and I'd project him to be a big piece in the program for the next few years. The bigs are a different story, some has to do with recruiting and some just not having the smarts to get better. I'd just be rehashing the obvious in going over this piece of it and yes, it stings need smarter more skilled bigs, that's on him. Larger and Gilbert, somehow they are forgotten as if this would not have been huge to this year?

Not calling you a whiner, this was purely within the realm of the way this site has gone since last night. To think the way this team played his first 2 years as a coach has suddenly just become "an NBA type" is ridiculous but hey you can think what you want. He has plenty to learn still but he can do it he's proven it already no need to do that again to many of us. For me he needs to get healthy players and more intelligent players and he will once again be a solid Husky coach as many of you first thought. Up to him to win some naysayers back I guess what else is there to say?

 

[3rdbass]

I do agree with the outrage on the board somewhat but let's not call for KO's head yet. He is short-handed right now and just starting getting decent recruiting classes. I still think he is a not a great game plan coach as evident in the ECU game. I mean one guy was killing us so what do we do but stay in a loose zone with no one really keeping tabs on White. It looks like we didn't go to a quite box in one when we played zone in the second half but we definitely kept tabs on him which was needed. Not sure why KO seems always late to realize changes in the game and gets TO's at the end of the game when we still have a chance instead of early. Maybe he is a little slow understanding the game and needs a real good Assistant Coach like we had with George Blaney. I'm not saying KO is dumb but he might need some help understanding the flow of the game due to his lack of experience. I think next year with a full team and all his recruits there is no excuse if we don't finish in the top 3 in the AAC and get into the tourney. UCONN men's basketball is an embarrassment right now and I have been a fan since the late 70's with Don Perno. This is the worst feeling I have had about the program and I want changes if KO can't coach well next year. UCONN Men's basketball can't be left to go into purgatory.

 

[3rdbass]

Let me answer this about since Shabazz moved on. Adams is better than either Kemba or Shabazz as a sophomore. Vital came in with many of you wondering why he even took him? Seems to me he's exceeded expectations, maybe just hard work maybe some of KO and the staff. Vance, looked to be overmatched early is playing well and I'd project him to be a big piece in the program for the next few years. The bigs are a different story, some has to do with recruiting and some just not having the smarts to get better. I'd just be rehashing the obvious in going over this piece of it and yes, it stings need smarter more skilled bigs, that's on him. Larger and Gilbert, somehow they are forgotten as if this would not have been huge to this year?

Not calling you a whiner, this was purely within the realm of the way this site has gone since last night. To think the way this team played his first 2 years as a coach has suddenly just become "an NBA type" is ridiculous but hey you can think what you want. He has plenty to learn still but he can do it he's proven it already no need to do that again to many of us. For me he needs to get healthy players and more intelligent players and he will once again be a solid Husky coach as many of you first thought. Up to him to win some naysayers back I guess what else is there to say?

I really think the reason why we were good the first two years was having George Blaney right next to KO. Once he left, the program has fallen off the cliff so to speak. We need to hire an assistant coach who really understands the game and create plays and get the team in the right defenses. I just don't think KO is good enough of a coach in that respect to not have someone strong who understands the x's and o's of the game. KO's coaches might be decent recruiters but I don't see a good x's and o's guy on the staff to help him with game management.

 

[tcf15]

I really think the reason why we were good the first two years was having George Blaney right next to KO. Once he left, the program has fallen off the cliff so to speak. We need to hire an assistant coach who really understands the game and create plays and get the team in the right defenses. I just don't think KO is good enough of a coach in that respect to not have someone strong who understands the x's and o's of the game. KO's coaches might be decent recruiters but I don't see a good x's and o's guy on the staff to help him with game management.

Blaney was here for only 1 year under KO. He retired in June of 2013.

 

[3rdbass]

Blaney was here for only 1 year under KO. He retired in June of 2013.

Ok I missed on that one. Though we still had JC and GB coached kids on the staff as well as a long time coach in Karl Hobbs. Who do we have on the staff besides GM who might understand the game? GM was never a long time head coach like Karl Hobbs or George Blaney. I really think they are missing a coach who can really teach x's and o's to the players. I just don't see it in KO or his current staff. I also still think KO has changed a lot emotionally from the first 2 years which could be contributed from his divorce. It seems like he has lost something emotionally from when he started at UCONN. I love KO as a person but just not sure he is the right coach going forward especially with the current staff. Either way he is getting paid too much money not to be able to get us into the tourney next year. If he falters next year his job is clearly in trouble.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

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.

Do not compare the men to women. Geno is a great coach but the last 4 years he could have stayed in the locker room during games and still won 4 NCs

 

[QDOG5]

The team is exhausted and banged up. If Vital plays last night we win by 10. I'm looking forward to hitting the refresh button for next year. Some our saying we will miss the seniors( I thank them and wish them well) but I'm looking forward to seeing a different group of guys out there. On paper they should be a tourney team and I think KO will show his coaching accumen with them.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

I am getting to the point where I am embarrassed by being associated with this forum because of the way some of you treat our great coach, I don't know how much more of this I could take.

I think he is agreeing with you. Sarcasm

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Yah because Ollie was holding out scholarships for home run commits that never happened. He cooled off Bruce Brown who is lighting it up at Miami in the best conference in college basketball. All indications were that Brown was ours ...maybe Ollie will learn from this past offseason the old proverb a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Hanging on to scholarships has done us ZERO.

Ok. No one here knows anything about recruiting.

 

[Husky25]

I am getting to the point where I am embarrassed by being associated with this forum because of the way some of you treat our great coach, I don't know how much more of this I could take.

I'm at the point where I've been avoiding posting as much on the sports boards and spending more time in the Cesspool.

Whodathunk?

 

[Doctor Hoop]

It seems to me, and certainly I could be wrong, that Ollie's X's and O's depend on offensive flow, players knowing their roles, and on-court decisions, like an NBA offense. This group doesn't have the high BBIQ that takes, nor does it have the dribble drive skill needed to force the defense to collapse, and the passing/finishing skill to take advantage.

Maybe next year with Gilbert, Adams, Larrier, Ashton Langford, Jackson on the perimeter, Polley, Enoch's shooting touch, Vital's ability to hit 3's and drive that will all look a lot better. This year needed a more structured offense...and even then with only Adams able to beat his guy off the dribble we would still have struggled.

This teams offense looks a lot better when Purvis hits 3's; it looks like a slog when he doesn't.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Remember when many on this board wanted Calhoun fired right up to the start of the 2011 season.

 

[huskyrob1]

Do not compare the men to women. Geno is a great coach but the last 4 years he could have stayed in the locker room during games and still won 4 NCs

Sure, I gotcha. I got it. Practices and how they're run, helps in the women's game but not so much in the men's game. You're absolutely right. Lol

 

[yukonyc212]

Remember when many on this board wanted Calhoun fired right up to the start of the 2011 season.

Who wanted Calhoun fired in 2011? We had an exceptional final 4 season 2 years prior?

 

[huskyrob1]

Remember when many on this board wanted Calhoun fired right up to the start of the 2011 season.

Fired for what reasons? I do recall the usual board trolls, but that was just a few posters. When you say "many" I take that to mean something like "many" wanting Diaco fired, last December. This board is tame compared to the Cuse board where people call for Boeheim's firing everyday.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Who wanted Calhoun fired in 2011? We had an exceptional final 4 season 2 years prior?

Fired for what reasons? I do recall the usual board trolls, but that was just a few posters. When you say "many" I take that to mean something like "many" wanting Diaco fired, last December. This board is tame compared to the Cuse board where people call for Boeheim's firing everyday.

There were more than a few who wanted him gone as I remember.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Sure, I gotcha. I got it. Practices and how they're run, helps in the women's game but not so much in the men's game. You're absolutely right. Lol

I took your post as comparing Geno to Ollie. Geno did not need to practice the last 4 years with the players he had.

 

[huskyrob1]

I took your post as comparing Geno to Ollie. Geno did not need to practice the last 4 years with the players he had.

Thanks for clarifying, I wasn't going there. Just brought up Geno because he has said so many times in interviews how important practice is at improving team play as well as individual skills, regardless of whether it's the men or women. Any college coach worth his salt would agree.

 

[mauconnfan]

Who wanted Calhoun fired in 2011? We had an exceptional final 4 season 2 years prior?

Which is much different than the exceptional final 4 season we had in 2014, 3 years ago? And by the way for everyone who asks for KO to do better since Bazz left who led the way for JC that year - similar I would say no?

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Thanks for clarifying, I wasn't going there. Just brought up Geno because he has said so many times in interviews how important practice is at improving team play as well as individual skills, regardless of whether it's the men or women. Any college coach worth his salt would agree.

Agree completely. Geno has a problem with AAU also because all these kids do is play games with little practice.

 

[mauconnfan]

Thanks for clarifying, I wasn't going there. Just brought up Geno because he has said so many times in interviews how important practice is at improving team play as well as individual skills, regardless of whether it's the men or women. Any college coach worth his salt would agree.

Problem we have is you can't teach skills if you don't have any. Geno gets the players who have the skill set to learn in that system, get better because they are smart players with some natural gifts. Not the same world here, too many people without any instinctive qualities on the mens team.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I have a vastly different opinion on Ollie and where we're at right now. He came into a tough situation and did a great job with Calhoun's players. It takes a while to make inroads with players and to get them interested in your school, so for a year or 2 he was playing catch-up trying to recruit the type of players he wants. I think we're finally starting to see quality classes and the fruits of the labor. This year has been a bust given the injuries, but my expectations for him and the team will be increasing. If Adams comes back and either we find a new pivot or Enoch is able to greatly up his defense, I'd be very optimistic for next season.