The No-Backbone Yard

[uconn34]

The Boneyard has always been a great information exchange zone. A place where we exchange our thoughts and views, supplemented with a modicum of oft-questionable reasoning. Now we whine about losing recruits we wouldn't have even wanted Ollie to consider a year ago. We have dozens of threads about songs. freaking songs! We use rankings to become excited about potential recruits or to denigrate potential recruits. This is becoming a sad place to visit and yes I hear in the background then don't visit.
Here are some thoughts from someone who has lived through the good and bad times of UConn basketball.

• We don't play UConn basketball anymore - We used to run and press an entire game. The other team was running back on defense as a matter of their game plan because we could beat them down the court with a long pass and get a layup seconds after their shot. By the fourth quarter they were exhausted and we were just getting started. Ollie promised that would be back. This NBA type offense and defense is just that, fast, bad shots and often lazy defense.
• Our fans showed up all the time. In the early 70's we drove thru a major ice storm blizzard to get to an NIT game. Amtrak used to be the UConn express to the Big East tournament.

We need to do just a few things to start the process of being UConn again;

• Ollie has to take responsibility for several very important things;

One, play collegiate basketball. Run, press, share the ball. If someone is open they should have the green light.
Two recruit character. I don't care how good you are, you won't win without character (ask Shabazz, Caron, Allen, Okafor and Kemba) and this last bunch of recruits had little to none. Durham, given a scholarship while potentially having a second career ending injury never had character and when he played it showed.
Three play unrelenting defense. If you can't remember us in that manner look for a Rod Sellers game video.

I am a big Kevin Ollie fan, have been since he played! If he merely held his athletes to the same standards he set for his game, preparation and effort we won't need them to recognize we are bluebloods, it will be raining blue!
AND when he holds them to those standards, even if they leave we should have his back!

 

[Fishy]

Step one: Hold himself to the standards he holds for the kids. Ten toes in every day.

The rest will work out.

 

[Deepster]

UConn hasn't pressed in 20 years. At least.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

The Boneyard has always been a great information exchange zone. A place where we exchange our thoughts and views, supplemented with a modicum of oft-questionable reasoning. Now we whine about losing recruits we wouldn't have even wanted Ollie to consider a year ago. We have dozens of threads about songs. freaking songs! We use rankings to become excited about potential recruits or to denigrate potential recruits. This is becoming a sad place to visit and yes I hear in the background then don't visit.
Here are some thoughts from someone who has lived through the good and bad times of UConn basketball.

• We don't play UConn basketball anymore - We used to run and press an entire game. The other team was running back on defense as a matter of their game plan because we could beat them down the court with a long pass and get a layup seconds after their shot. By the fourth quarter they were exhausted and we were just getting started. Ollie promised that would be back. This NBA type offense and defense is just that, fast, bad shots and often lazy defense.
• Our fans showed up all the time. In the early 70's we drove thru a major ice storm blizzard to get to an NIT game. Amtrak used to be the UConn express to the Big East tournament.

We need to do just a few things to start the process of being UConn again;

• Ollie has to take responsibility for several very important things;

One, play collegiate basketball. Run, press, share the ball. If someone is open they should have the green light.
Two recruit character. I don't care how good you are, you won't win without character (ask Shabazz, Caron, Allen, Okafor and Kemba) and this last bunch of recruits had little to none. Durham, given a scholarship while potentially having a second career ending injury never had character and when he played it showed.
Three play unrelenting defense. If you can't remember us in that manner look for a Rod Sellers game video.

I am a big Kevin Ollie fan, have been since he played! If he merely held his athletes to the same standards he set for his game, preparation and effort we won't need them to recognize we are bluebloods, it will be raining blue!
AND when he holds them to those standards, even if they leave we should have his back!

I agree with many of your points, but are we really deep enough to press like that? We weren't last year with the injuries, and next year we return with 4 less players, actually more with the loss of our 3 seniors. And the skeleton crew coming back , we two of them are coming off of season ending injuries

 

[JMick]

Step one: Hold himself to the standards he holds for the kids. Ten toes in every day.

The rest will work out.

Yup. That would solve a lot of issues.

 

[Robertelamin]

UConn hasn't pressed in 20 years. At least.

Seriously. Before every season there would always be a thread asking if UConn was going to press that year. No one does that anymore because its been so long.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Step one: Hold himself to the standards he holds for the kids. Ten toes in every day.

The rest will work out.

Couldn't agree more
Ollie: I live and breathe UConn Basketball my whole life no matter what.
Also Ollie: sit moping on the bench for 40 straight minutes

 

[huskyrob1]

UConn hasn't pressed in 20 years. At least.

That may be true in general, but I loved watching Shabazz as a freshman pick the pocket of this or that hot shot point guard numerous times in the back court.

 

[huskyrob1]

The Boneyard has always been a great information exchange zone. A place where we exchange our thoughts and views, supplemented with a modicum of oft-questionable reasoning. Now we whine about losing recruits we wouldn't have even wanted Ollie to consider a year ago. We have dozens of threads about songs. freaking songs! We use rankings to become excited about potential recruits or to denigrate potential recruits. This is becoming a sad place to visit and yes I hear in the background then don't visit.
Here are some thoughts from someone who has lived through the good and bad times of UConn basketball.

• We don't play UConn basketball anymore - We used to run and press an entire game. The other team was running back on defense as a matter of their game plan because we could beat them down the court with a long pass and get a layup seconds after their shot. By the fourth quarter they were exhausted and we were just getting started. Ollie promised that would be back. This NBA type offense and defense is just that, fast, bad shots and often lazy defense.
• Our fans showed up all the time. In the early 70's we drove thru a major ice storm blizzard to get to an NIT game. Amtrak used to be the UConn express to the Big East tournament.

We need to do just a few things to start the process of being UConn again;

• Ollie has to take responsibility for several very important things;

One, play collegiate basketball. Run, press, share the ball. If someone is open they should have the green light.
Two recruit character. I don't care how good you are, you won't win without character (ask Shabazz, Caron, Allen, Okafor and Kemba) and this last bunch of recruits had little to none. Durham, given a scholarship while potentially having a second career ending injury never had character and when he played it showed.
Three play unrelenting defense. If you can't remember us in that manner look for a Rod Sellers game video.

I am a big Kevin Ollie fan, have been since he played! If he merely held his athletes to the same standards he set for his game, preparation and effort we won't need them to recognize we are bluebloods, it will be raining blue!
AND when he holds them to those standards, even if they leave we should have his back!

Let's just hope he can turn Cobb into the big guy we need down low.

 

[JMick]

Couldn't agree more
Ollie: I live and breathe UConn Basketball my whole life no matter what.
Also Ollie: sit moping on the bench for 40 straight minutes

Ollie needs a wakeup call. If this past season wasn't it then I'm afraid he's already dead in the water.

 

[willie99]

we really only pressed in the dream season, and it was of the best presses ever

the press disappeared a long time ago

I do agree with many of the points made in the OP

 

[Ant3411]

The Boneyard has always been a great information exchange zone. A place where we exchange our thoughts and views, supplemented with a modicum of oft-questionable reasoning. Now we whine about losing recruits we wouldn't have even wanted Ollie to consider a year ago. We have dozens of threads about songs. freaking songs! We use rankings to become excited about potential recruits or to denigrate potential recruits. This is becoming a sad place to visit and yes I hear in the background then don't visit.
Here are some thoughts from someone who has lived through the good and bad times of UConn basketball.

• We don't play UConn basketball anymore - We used to run and press an entire game. The other team was running back on defense as a matter of their game plan because we could beat them down the court with a long pass and get a layup seconds after their shot. By the fourth quarter they were exhausted and we were just getting started. Ollie promised that would be back. This NBA type offense and defense is just that, fast, bad shots and often lazy defense.
• Our fans showed up all the time. In the early 70's we drove thru a major ice storm blizzard to get to an NIT game. Amtrak used to be the UConn express to the Big East tournament.

We need to do just a few things to start the process of being UConn again;

• Ollie has to take responsibility for several very important things;

One, play collegiate basketball. Run, press, share the ball. If someone is open they should have the green light.
Two recruit character. I don't care how good you are, you won't win without character (ask Shabazz, Caron, Allen, Okafor and Kemba) and this last bunch of recruits had little to none. Durham, given a scholarship while potentially having a second career ending injury never had character and when he played it showed.
Three play unrelenting defense. If you can't remember us in that manner look for a Rod Sellers game video.

I am a big Kevin Ollie fan, have been since he played! If he merely held his athletes to the same standards he set for his game, preparation and effort we won't need them to recognize we are bluebloods, it will be raining blue!
AND when he holds them to those standards, even if they leave we should have his back!

Nicely and accurately said.

 

[gtcam]

Couldn't agree more
Ollie: I live and breathe UConn Basketball my whole life no matter what.
Also Ollie: sit moping on the bench for 40 straight minutes

Please provide me with a tape of KO "moping on the bench for 40 STRAIGHT minutes"
My season tickets (since 1965) are directly across from the bench - I have not witnessed this
Exaggeration to the maximum and to make a point?

Fish swung and missed on his statement - but not the first time he's done that - this week

 

[champs99and04]

Step one: Hold himself to the standards he holds for the kids. Ten toes in every day.

The rest will work out.

You've been pretty consistent for a while now in these veiled references to Ollie's work ethic (or lack thereof). Do you ever plan on elaborating on what the genesis of this might be and whether there is reason to believe it has continued? Honest question.

 

[jibsey]

KO seems to be balls to the wall as far as work ethic in the program goes but when player's don't perform or follow his coaching you see the scowl, and players hate criticism. I see KO as a basketball lifer, I mean what else does he do? He must be in a desperate mode to fill out his roster number one with Chillious, and trying to deal with rejections of players he thought he had a chance with. Maybe someone knows, is KO playing 18 holes every day? If that's the case only then I will buy in to the theory that he's not working hard enough.

 

[JMick]

KO seems to be balls to the wall as far as work ethic in the program goes but when player's don't perform or follow his coaching you see the scowl, and players hate criticism. I see KO as a basketball lifer, I mean what else does he do? He must be in a desperate mode to fill out his roster number one with Chillious, and trying to deal with rejections of players he thought he had a chance with. Maybe someone knows, is KO playing 18 holes every day? If that's the case only then I will buy in to the theory that he's not working hard enough.

I believe it to be a work ethic issue.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Step one: Hold himself to the standards he holds for the kids. Ten toes in every day.

The rest will work out.

What do we know about this? Since his divorce, I certainly perceive a difference in his level of intensity and interest in this job. He doesn't seem to get the same enjoyment he once did. Given who he is, and the importance he's always placed on his family, that wouldn't be surprising.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I believe it to be a work ethic issue.

Please elaborate.
Sincere request.

 

[boog204]

What do we know about this? Since his divorce, I certainly perceive a difference in his level of intensity and interest in this job. He doesn't seem to get the same enjoyment he once did. Given who he is, and the importance he's always placed on his family, that wouldn't be surprising.

We know nothing. However, there were quite a few rumors about KO investing a lot of time into his personal life. Rumors, of course, but...

 

[Mr. French]

Couldn't agree more
Ollie: I live and breathe UConn Basketball my whole life no matter what.
Also Ollie: sit moping on the bench for 40 straight minutes

Eh, not really.

Also, Fishy and JMick clearly believe or know he's been either in a personal funk which has taken away some strands of his work ethic, or he's been partying too much.

I don't know or really care at this point, but that's clearly the insinuation and not "moping on the bench for 40 minutes."

Regardless of what else is going on, his bench demeanor is indicative of very little, factually.

 

[8893]

We know nothing. However, there were quite a few rumors about KO investing a lot of time into his personal life. Rumors, of course, but...

In the absence of any concrete information, I am conjuring images of Tim Meadows's "Ladies Man" character from SNL.

 

[boog204]

Ten. Toes. In.

 

[tentoes4rings]

What do we know about this? Since his divorce, I certainly perceive a difference in his level of intensity and interest in this job. He doesn't seem to get the same enjoyment he once did. Given who he is, and the importance he's always placed on his family, that wouldn't be surprising.

Also, he did receive a very lucrative 5 year extension after the national championship. We've had little success since that day. I'm not saying he's mailed it in but we've seen countless examples of athletes who had career years entering free agency, got a huge deal, and their performances dropped significantly. We always blame the divorce, but I think it's foolish to not think KO could have gotten somewhat complacent after landing the first big multiyear deal of his life.

 

[jibsey]

Did someone say partying? Please substantiate. This is the same KO that as a pro when he disappeared in the afternoon, some players followed him to find out he was going to bible study class. Not exactly my idea of a party.

 

[CL82]

I wish those who seem to suggest their is an issue with KO just come out and say what they've heard or just STFU.

Kind of tired of the constant...

 

[tentoes4rings]

Also, he did receive a very lucrative 5 year extension after the national championship. We've had little success since that day. I'm not saying he's mailed it in but we've seen countless examples of athletes who had career years entering free agency, got a huge deal, and their performances dropped significantly. We always blame the divorce, but I think it's foolish to not think KO could have gotten somewhat complacent after landing the first big multiyear deal of his life.

I should note, I wasn't attacking his character in my post, just saying it's common and natural for someone to take their foot off the gas a little after success and being set for life.

 

[JMick]

I wish those who seem to suggest their is an issue with KO just come out and say what they've heard or just ****.

Kind of tired of the constant...

People have. It goes poof. And it shouldn't be here anyway

 

[JMick]

Like the thread that asked what exactly KO excels at? That was a valid post that was well written but for some odd reason was deleted.

I'm not sure what that post was. But there are legitimate concerns regarding Ollie's leadership and if someone says otherwise they're just out of the loop. The good news is that I think Ollie is a good coach and if he can just get it together then we may be fine with him at the helm.

 

[CL82]

People have. It goes poof. And it shouldn't be here anyway

Mmm. Agree to disagree. They post around it. They allude to it but they don't come right out and say it.

If it does belong here in an outright statement, then it definitely doesn't belong here in repeated hints and whispers.

 

[JMick]

Mmm. Agree to disagree. They post around it. They allude to it but they don't come right out and say it. .

No, you are wrong. It has been posted before but it was removed which is probably for the best.