The Absolute Worst Part.... | Page 2 | The Boneyard

The Absolute Worst Part....

Stairmaster said:
Well yeah, but the donations are coming from people are concerned with academics, not basketball coaching. Mike Melio is the biggest-name basketball guy I can think of and he will still be on the Ollie train 30 years from now.
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Werth also gave a huge sum for the basketball facility. Or maybe you missed the name on outside. LOL!
 
Stairmaster said:
It's amazing you don't see that's how he was positioned and marketed. If pretending that the program's image will revert to pre-2012 levels once the change is made helps you cope emotionally, then by all means continue to do so.

Hurley would be great, but he will have better situations to choose from. Thinking that locking him up will be easy is delusional.
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Dude nobody is saying it is a slam dunk but you are delusional to give up on UCONN. Are you even a real UCONN fan is my question. We have seen darker days before and have come out of it. We are the consummate underdog and will thrive going forward. I'm not delusional to think we will ever be the same but we can put a lot better product out there then we currently have been doing.
 
3rdbass said:
Werth also gave a huge sum for the basketball facility. Or maybe you missed the name on outside. LOL!
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The past couple of years may have rendered the Werths too disillusioned to continue supporting the program to that degree.
 
Stairmaster said:
I am being driven insane by the number of people who know with absolute certainty that we will get a good coach. No, you have absolutely no way of knowing that. There are posters here talking up coaches who have no proven track record of success at higher levels than the MAAC, Big South, and Horizon League. A change may have to be made, but man are you folks in for a rude awakening when even the scenario you described becomes tough.
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I want the guy to succeed even if I didn’t agree with the hire (not enough experience coaching and no experience running any program - coaching is only part of the job).

But if the trend line with the program continues you can’t just say “well we don’t know who we’ll get so we’ll stand pat” and hope the line reverses trajectory. That’s seems like acceptance and a defeatist attitude to me.

Giants fans didn’t say let’s hold on to Coach Mac even though the program is a mess because we went 11-5 last year and we may never get a coach that will get us back to winning, let alone the playoffs.

I appreciate the loyalty to someone that has given so much to the program - let’s not forget he’s gotten a lot from the program as well.

I also know he’s dealing with a “new” team this year, but let’s not absolve him of his role in that exodus. He recruited the kids and he either miscalculated their mental and physical tools or the kids completely changed after they arrived - possible, not probable.

It’s a tough go right now and while it’s unlikely that the program can experience the consistent heights the programs was blessed with in the past it’s not unreasonable to expect some level of success (NCAA tourney appearances, and an occasional deep run).
 
shizzle787 said:
VCU and Marquette ain't Memphis or UConn.
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A friend of mine said that the only thing good about UCONN is if a recruit wants to go to school there to watch the best women's basketball program of all time. He also said when Geno goes so will the UCONN woman program.
 
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3rdbass said:
Dude nobody is saying it is a slam dunk but you are delusional to give up on UCONN. Are you even a real UCONN fan is my question. We have seen darker days before and have come out of it. We are the consummate underdog and will thrive going forward. I'm not delusional to think we will ever be the same but we can put a lot better product out there then we currently have been doing.
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I'm plenty real. I'm the kind of person who will rearrange his schedule at the last minute and travel across state lines to see the team play Central. I spent all 40 minutes in my seat tonight.

Just because "we have seen darker days before and have come out of it" doesn't mean that will happen this time. I think much of the optimism is based on emotion and not wanting to face the alternative. I know my perspective is very dark, so I understand why it puts a lot of people off.
 
Stairmaster said:
I'm plenty real. I'm the kind of person who will rearrange his schedule at the last minute and travel across state lines to see the team play Central. I spent all 40 minutes in my seat tonight.

Just because "we have seen darker days before and have come out of it" doesn't mean that will happen this time. I think much of the optimism is based on emotion and not wanting to face the alternative. I know my perspective is very dark, so I understand why it puts a lot of people off.
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Nobody is saying UCONN is going to be great again but we can at least be competitive. This isn't college football we are talking about with the P5 conferences. A good coach an few good players can make a serious run in the tourney year in and year out.
 
3rdbass said:
Dude please give it up you sound like a broken record. Are you even a UCONN fan or just KO die hard?
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Are you kidding? There is declining interest across the board within the fanbase. Read this board, look at attendance numbers. If people whose contributions are ticket purchases don't want to invest their money any more, it's easy to see the same thing happening with people whose gifts are of larger sums.
 
Northbound said:
I want the guy to succeed even if I didn’t agree with the hire (not enough experience coaching and no experience running any program - coaching is only part of the job).

But if the trend line with the program continues you can’t just say “well we don’t know who we’ll get so we’ll stand pat” and hope the line reverses trajectory. That’s seems like acceptance and a defeatist attitude to me.

Giants fans didn’t say let’s hold on to Coach Mac even though the program is a mess because we went 11-5 last year and we may never get a coach that will get us back to winning, let alone the playoffs.

I appreciate the loyalty to someone that has given so much to the program - let’s not forget he’s gotten a lot from the program as well.

I also know he’s dealing with a “new” team this year, but let’s not absolve him of his role in that exodus. He recruited the kids and he either miscalculated their mental and physical tools or the kids completely changed after they arrived - possible, not probable.

It’s a tough go right now and while it’s unlikely that the program can experience the consistent heights the programs was blessed with in the past it’s not unreasonable to expect some level of success (NCAA tourney appearances, and an occasional deep run).
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No, you're missing the point - I think he needs to go if he misses the tournament. You can't stand pat, poor performance can't be rewarded. I find it frustrating how many people are setting themselves up for disappointment when the new hire either a) takes longer to reach "some level of success," or b) potentially washes out. And I'm not saying either of those are reasons to keep KO -- just realities of the situation.
 
3rdbass said:
Nobody is saying UCONN is going to be great again but we can at least be competitive. This isn't college football we are talking about with the P5 conferences. A good coach an few good players can make a serious run in the tourney year in and year out.
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I hope you're right...
 
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Stairmaster said:
Are you kidding? There is declining interest across the board within the fanbase. Read this board, look at attendance numbers. If people whose contributions are ticket purchases don't want to invest their money any more, it's easy to see the same thing happening with people whose gifts are of larger sums.
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Well having a coach like KO is bringing us to the brink of irrelevancy. I guess that is the future no matter what we do in your eyes.
 
Stairmaster said:
I am being driven insane by the number of people who know with absolute certainty that we will get a good coach. No, you have absolutely no way of knowing that. There are posters here talking up coaches who have no proven track record of success at higher levels than the MAAC, Big South, and Horizon League. A change may have to be made, but man are you folks in for a rude awakening when even the scenario you described becomes tough.
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How much worse do you think we can do at this point? Seriously. We have an awful coach right now. Like bottom 10% of Division I. How much worse can we do??
 
Stairmaster said:
No, you're missing the point - I think he needs to go if he misses the tournament. You can't stand pat, poor performance can't be rewarded. I find it frustrating how many people are setting themselves up for disappointment when the new hire either a) takes longer to reach "some level of success," or b) potentially washes out. And I'm not saying either of those are reasons to keep KO -- just realities of the situation.
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I get it, but I also don't think any reasonable person knows who UCONN could attract as a next coach or what their success would be - if folks say they do they are delusional - there's no guarantee in any candidate. It's actually why i believe guys like Few or Marshall are smart to stay where they are as they know the landscape and how to have success where they are - why the hell would you upset that outside of ego. Could they set the world on fire somewhere else, sure, but is it a guarantee, nope.

It's a much different search if it goes in that direction than it was when JC retired. The brand has been bruised - lack of recent success (the title win is a long time ago with kids), conference affiliation, etc., etc. so the pool is likely different than it was.
 
3rdbass said:
Well having a coach like KO is bringing us to the brink of irrelevancy. I guess that is the future no matter what we do in your eyes.
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A new coach could change things, but I think it's foolish to get one's hopes hung up on it happening.
 
I disagree with the OP. Not that they are wrong about what they said, but about what's the worst part of the whole thing. To me, UConn fans made up the majority of the arena and yet they had very few opportunities to cheer. The loudest parts of the game were when UConn did something remotely positive. It could have been an electric atmosphere if UConn could have made some kind of run but I don't think they mustered anything beyond 4-0 or 5-0 runs. Very disappointing to me. The recipe for something memorable was there and then very quickly lost.
 
uconngb said:
How much worse do you think we can do at this point? Seriously. We have an awful coach right now. Like bottom 10% of Division I. How much worse can we do??
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There is no hard evidence that any of the MAAC/Horizon League/Big South names being talked up here have the capability of running a successful program at this level.
 
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Stairmaster said:
It's not bizarre. It's totally rational.

The university went all in on KO and welding his name to the program's brand. The public consciousness's association of poor performance, recruiting, the transfer woes, rumors of off the court issues...all of that is tied to the program. Not just Ollie. UConn extended him, UConn's marketing efforts rendered him the face of the program, UConn kept him around while certainly being aware of the issues being discussed in PMs...

There is no reset button once he leaves; the damage sticks around. The rest of the basketball world does not see the historical success and tradition of the program in anywhere near the same light as diehard fans posting on an internet forum.

I think many of the people who claim to skewer the "blind faith" and "pollyanna-ism" of people who support(ed) KO are guilty of the exact same thing when it comes to their views of the post-Ollie era. They refuse to acknowledge the permanence of the last three years and how much it has toxified the program.

I was all in on Ollie because a) I knew that the only way those issues could go away were if he fixed them himself, and b) I think that the fanbase as a whole collectively underrates how much of a detriment the conference is in terms of attracting a coach who could meet the fanbase's standards (because, let's be real - people will not be happy with merely finishing in the top 3 of the conference and making the tourney. It will always be blue-blood status). It was in his hands. Unfortunately it looks like he is not up to the task.
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Ollie is awful. How much evidence are you going to need to admit that? 2 more years of underperformance? 5? Keep in mind, however long it is, it's going to take the next guy at least 3 years to unwind it. I can't guarantee the next coach is going to be the savior, but you also can't guarantee me that KO is the guy. And the only difference between our arguments is that we know that RIGHT NOW, KO ain't gettin it done......not even close
 
Stairmaster said:
The past couple of years may have rendered the Werths too disillusioned to continue supporting the program to that degree.
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I know I'm an outsider but I just have to ask because I can't go and read all your responses I assume are in all the other threads, but have you actually been saying that Ollie has damaged the UConn brand so badly that he actually shouldnt he fired and should be retained because they can't get anybody better because of the damaged brand?

That's the craziest BS I have ever heard of.
 
uconngb said:
Ollie is awful. How much evidence are you going to need to admit that? 2 more years of underperformance? 5? Keep in mind, however long it is, it's going to take the next guy at least 3 years to unwind it. I can't guarantee the next coach is going to be the savior, but you also can't guarantee me that KI is the guy. And the only difference between our arguments is that we know that RIGHT NOW, KO ain't gettin it done.not even close
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I've been saying since the end of last year, he should go if he doesn't make the tournament this year. I don't think he should be kept if this continues.
 
FriarJ said:
I know I'm an outsider but I just have to ask because I can't go and read all your responses I assume are in all the other threads, but have you actually been saying that Ollie has damaged the UConn brand so badly that he actually shouldnt he fired and should be retained because they can't get anybody better because of the damaged brand?

That's the craziest BS I have ever heard of.
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No, people have been making up that I'm saying that because they suck.

I've been adamant that he should go if he doesn't make the tourney. I'm not at all saying he shouldn't be fired -- merely pointing out that his failure means UConn may be in for a line of disappointing, underachieving coaches.
 
Yeah I mean I think everyone's kind of spectacularly over the top in a lot of different directions.

-Ollie isn't a disaster, but he hasn't been good. He deserves to finish the season. But no tournament = not coming back. No way around that
-I think we'll get a lot of really good candidates for the job. I think we'll get a really, really good coach. And I don't think the turnaround will take as long as people think it will but the beginnings of it could be pretty brutal - even compared to now.
-Time isn't up on UConn getting into a Big East or ACC, but it's ticking faster because of this - the AD clearly need to hit on this coach. There's zero margin for error.
-No reason to not try to load up the out of conference schedule as much as humanly possible and dump a lot of the cupcake games to help with attendance. Especially if you're rebuilding, you're only benefitting by the Arizona's, Dukes and Kentucky's of the world coming in and pushing your stuff in. If you're not winning anyway, give them big competition, give the fans some big games to go to

I think ultimately - we'll be OK.
 
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Stairmaster said:
No, people have been making up that I'm saying that because they suck.

I've been adamant that he should go if he doesn't make the tourney. I'm not at all saying he shouldn't be fired -- merely pointing out that his failure means UConn may be in for a line of disappointing, underachieving coaches.
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okay that makes more sense, 2 points; 1 Jim Calhoun was one of a kind, no more like him anywhere ever, for any school, so that yardstick needs to be tossed. 2. You will find someone who can teach offense and inspire effort on defense better for the college game certainly. I like Ollie but he has regressed more than the players from what I can see without having all the passion while watching that most of you have. I have no idea what's going on over there in Storrs but something is broke.
 
FriarJ said:
okay that makes more sense, 2 points; 1 Jim Calhoun was one of a kind, no more like him anywhere ever, for any school, so that yardstick needs to be tossed. 2. You will find someone who can teach offense and inspire effort on defense better for the college game certainly. I like Ollie but he has regressed more than the players from what I can see without having all the passion while watching that most of you have. I have no idea what's going on over there in Storrs but something is broke.
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There's bad stuff behind the scenes. It's been a messed-up locker room for a coupe of years now.
 
Towney007 said:
-I think we'll get a lot of really good candidates for the job. I think we'll get a really, really good coach. And I don't think the turnaround will take as long as people think it will but the beginnings of it could be pretty brutal - even compared to now.
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What exactly is it that's making you so confident? Genuine question.
 
nyhuskies13 said:
By far the most disappointing part of this after speaking to a few people on the way out, it’s just now expected...

We fought hard. Tried our best.

Lost to an unranked, young Syracuse team. It’s the norm these days...

Columbia takes uconn to overtime... back to back losses at HOME to Wagner and Northeastern last year. Monmouth takes us to overtime...

We

Are

UConn

Basketball
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Conspiracy theory time, I think the people that want to ride this out with Ollie are generally in their 50s-60s, if not older, and genuinely want to go back to the Perno era in the hope that enough people walk away to where UConn basketball becomes their little secret niche thing again.



There's really no other reason why anyone would continue to defend Ollie at this point. Not sure how many times we need to see this same non competitive, scatterbrained, poorly coached movie before people get sick of it. And that's before the 3+ transfers/declare+sign that we all know are coming.
 
Stairmaster's position appears to be that we can no longer hope for anything better than ineptitude at all levels of the program.
 
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