UConn basketball....

[Allbite]

It's really simple... We need to have a serious bounce back year and all of the positives we've heard in regards to KO's renewed energy and verve, the Chill and Kill effect, and the new S&C guy need to come to fruition. On paper, we have four very good players in Jalen, Alterique, Larrier, and CV. Those four guys have to carry the load and I believe they are talented enough to make this an NCAA team next year. Anderson, again, on paper, is a very good fourth guard. The key will be one or two of the other guys stepping up and being better than we anticipate. I believe that at least one of Cobb, Diarra, Carlton, Whaley, or Polley is going to be better than we anticipate. Optimism, maybe, delusional, maybe...

The second part, and sadly, this is the part that worries me the most, is if KO can actually coach this team up. If we broke down KOs five years here:

2013 - Great coaching job with a depleted roster
2014 - Incredible postseason run after a very inconsistent regular season. If we want to play the hypothetical game, if Amida does not for a brief moment develop great hands and coordination, KO might be gone.
2015 - Very inconsistent, disappointing year.
2016 - Great postseason run (with a major save by Jalen) and a very inconsistent year. Through the first 5-6 games (up until halftime of Michigan game) we looked like a final-four caliber squad.
2017 - Depleted roster, dissension, and questionable coaching.

It's not the best resume. KO has to recover that passion and bring some innovation to his game planning. We know he has the ability to coach; he out-coached in succession Jay Wright, Hoiberg, Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan, and Cal... But we have not played with anywhere near that precision or intensity since. Yes, players have a lot to do with it. But so does the coach.

Spot on analysis - as Jazz said, "That there what it is."

 

[Son of Robert]

Also I think people should stop worrying about alterique. Kids been in the gym everyday at 4AM working hard

My man, setting the tone, leading by example. Players like this help create the work ethic that leads to the team having a winning mindset.

 

[UC313]

 

[gtcam]

Superjohn says he'll only be 80% at best.

When Superjohn shows us his medical degree and physical therapy certification some may think of listening to him, but I surely wont because I can't see him anymore!

 

[gtcam]

No, it isn't. As someone right above you pointed out, Cinci and SMU. Conference may be a small factor but it isn't some massive albatross and it never will be, no matter how many times people say it is.

In the same way, the Big East isn't some major draw to top recruits. We have the P5, not some fictious P6 or P5+. People made that up to explain why we suck and Nova doesn't. Besides Nova, how do people explain Gonzaga? Do we have a P7 now?

The real reason why Cinci, SMU, Nova and Gonzaga win as much as they do is coaching. A great coach can win from within any conference. You can win more consistently and have a better shot of winning it all if you are in a P5 conference but you can still win from within a non-P5 conference and you can still get to the final four and you can still even win a championship. The Big East was not P5 before Nova won it all and still isn't, period. Coaching matters.

A great coach is one who wins it all - when has the leprechaun and zaga or smu hoisted a NC trophy? Coaching Matters

 

[gtcam]

Yeah, we will be LOLing if we have another two seasons of winning less than SMU and Cinci. But you keep pointing to that post season run in 2014 with Calhoun's players as proof that we are better off than those teams. If Ollie can get Calhoun to pick and develop players, we may see another miracle run in the NCAAs. By the way, I was at the UConn/St. Joe's game in 2014. St. Joe's outplayed us and Ollie's whole "legacy" hinged on a rare great play by Brimah. Other than that run, Ollie doesn't have much to point to. Even that regular season was mediocre by UConn standards. If this conference sucks so much and SMU and Cinci have such chokers as coaches, WIN THE DAMN CONFERENCE REGULAR SEASON!!!!

Some of you guys are so damned obtuse.

The more you write the more ridiculous you sound
I don't have the time or the patience to tear apart your laughable comments
Quit now - please

 

[huskiesnyc]

Thing is most people, myself included, think that's a long term death sentence for CBB too. I see the BE floundering eventually, especially if the P5 break from the NCAA and form their own thing. Money and TV control everything, and that's driven by football and football alone.

Trust me I was under the same thinking as you...but now it's been 5 years in the AAC! I'd personally like to go back to enjoying conference games against opponents I actually give a about and going back to the Garden.

 

[willie99]

I will never comprehend people getting offended by optimism, I just don't get it, it makes no sense whatsoever

And I never worried about recruits, I never will. We always land just what we need, and we never land burger boys anyhow

I want kids who buy into working, I trust that's Kevin's approach too. I think he's learned some valuable lessons in recent years

 

[UConniki]

Imagine Caupain and Gary Clark injured before November 15th.

The notion that you all get to toss whatever garbage that comes to mind is obnoxious. There's few programs from #10 to 50 that COULD lose 2 of their top 3 players - for the year - and do a MM run. What do I ascribe our losing 3 players with potential? Wake up for KO

Yes I've been around here a long time. Few top Big recruits would want to play for Calhoun in the first dozen years. Kinda like Huggins today. The toughness quotient doesn't play well & did not in 1990 either. Ollie didn't coddle. And we have a sincere challenge in Bigs. I'm here to say it's not our first time that place.

Bleak?
Nope you're bleak. My two degrees are from UConn & UCLA - as time rolls along, I'm discouraged to see the two fan bases have frighteningly simular entitled arrogance. (But it's easier to recruit to Westwood) We collectively need to root KO to a solid 2017-2018 campaign. Steps from there. The Chillious reboot was entirely integral to that goal. Ollie was stuck. No one gave us the right to conference titles and MM. JalenAdams TerryLarrier & others need to have career making years. I think they do.

As for the BE idea. That's crazy. That grouping does nothing for our bigger strategic fit. I do think the AAC is upgrading - marginally.

I really don't think Cincy would have lost to wagner and the other the other low major with a full team to start the year out. UConn did.

 

[mauconnfan]

I really don't think Cincy would have lost to wagner and the other the other low major with a full team to start the year out. UConn did.

Solid comeback

 

[UconnU]

I miss JC. He would have never let the program get to this point. Need to start recruiting kids who are mentally tough, who want to be challenged. No more VJ types.

 

[upstater]

I really don't think Cincy would have lost to wagner and the other the other low major with a full team to start the year out. UConn did.

Well, you'd be wrong. Cronin's Bearcats lost to Presbyterian College in the 3rd game of the season a few years ago. He also managed to lose to an Ivy League school in the first game of the NCAA tournament a couple years ago as well!

 

[Bagel&Cheese]

It's quite simple why the men's program is falling down a cliff.

* AAC - Can't wait to watch the East Carolina game next year.
* Ollie - Jim Calhoun he's not. I'm not even sure he's in Perno's league.

End of story. It's not complicated.

 

[Waquoit]

I will never comprehend people getting offended by optimism, I just don't get it, it makes no sense whatsoever

Because "optimism" with no rational basis is just fantasy. And reading those "optimists" declaring that we'll be fine because "We're UConn!" is maddening.

 

[The Funster]

Our backs are against the wall, no doubt. KO and the staff need to step up their game. I'm always an optimist so I'm thinking KO can lead us back out of the wilderness. He has some serious work to do, that's for sure.

 

[jibsey]

This league doesn't hurt our recruiting? Look at the in conference schedules of P5 teams vs ours and ask why a recruit would want to play for us? A top team in the AAC for us Cincinatti was a yawn opponent when we were in the BE. Twilight Zone.

 

[AntG168]

Because "optimism" with no rational basis is just fantasy. And reading those "optimists" declaring that we'll be fine because "We're UConn!" is maddening.

I could be wrong but i haven't heard anyone say that. You guys just dont agree with our reasons. Which is fine, debate is healthy. But we arent delusional. I can speak for most of tge "optimist"(if that's what they want to call it). We call out BS and bad things when we see it. Guys like @mauconnfan myself and others are very reasonable and objective. We just get labelled as blind fans who are out of touch with reality. I've learned some things recently that gives me better understanding of why certain posters are so down on the program. I get it. But I cant help but to find positives in every situation. Its a healthy practice that I live my life by. I cant help but believe UConn will survive this and rise again

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I could be wrong but i haven't heard anyone say that. You guys juat dont agree with our reasons.

You haven't seen the myriad of posts harkening back to "in 99 nobody gave us a shot vs Duke!" and countless other random thoughts and observations from UConn games and players past?

I mean hell we have posters here calling out message board posters to be ready and on their game for the upcoming season.

None of that matters at all. Either KO shows up and performs or he doesn't.

Nothing posted on this message board matters. At all.

 

[intlzncster]

It's really simple... We need to have a serious bounce back year and all of the positives we've heard in regards to KO's renewed energy and verve, the Chill and Kill effect, and the new S&C guy need to come to fruition. On paper, we have four very good players in Jalen, Alterique, Larrier, and CV. Those four guys have to carry the load and I believe they are talented enough to make this an NCAA team next year. Anderson, again, on paper, is a very good fourth guard. The key will be one or two of the other guys stepping up and being better than we anticipate. I believe that at least one of Cobb, Diarra, Carlton, Whaley, or Polley is going to be better than we anticipate. Optimism, maybe, delusional, maybe...

The second part, and sadly, this is the part that worries me the most, is if KO can actually coach this team up. If we broke down KOs five years here:

2013 - Great coaching job with a depleted roster
2014 - Incredible postseason run after a very inconsistent regular season. If we want to play the hypothetical game, if Amida does not for a brief moment develop great hands and coordination, KO might be gone.
2015 - Very inconsistent, disappointing year.
2016 - Great postseason run (with a major save by Jalen) and a very inconsistent year. Through the first 5-6 games (up until halftime of Michigan game) we looked like a final-four caliber squad.
2017 - Depleted roster, dissension, and questionable coaching.

It's not the best resume. KO has to recover that passion and bring some innovation to his game planning. We know he has the ability to coach; he out-coached in succession Jay Wright, Hoiberg, Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan, and Cal... But we have not played with anywhere near that precision or intensity since. Yes, players have a lot to do with it. But so does the coach.

Way more than that. Ollie needs to hit not just a home run, but a grand slam, with the 2018 class. With possible defections of Adams/Larrier and an inevitable transfer, he needs a monster 2018.

 

[AntG168]

You haven't seen the myriad of posts harkening back to "in 99 nobody gave us a shot vs Duke!" and countless other random thoughts and observations from UConn games and players past?

I mean hell we have posters here calling out message board posters to be ready and on their game for the upcoming season.

None of that matters at all. Either KO shows up and performs or he doesn't.

Nothing posted on this message board matters. At all.

This is true it doesnt matter. But we all come here because we have a common love for UConn basketball. We all want the same thing. And this board is a good barometer of the tone of the fans. What we post here is what most fans feel. And right now the fan base is polarized. Why? Is half the fan base delusional? I dont believe that. The reality is there are truths to both sides and once we can all agree that each side has valid points this place will become much more enjoyable again

 

[ConnHuskBask]

This is true it doesnt matter. But we all come here because we have a common love for UConn basketball. We all want the same thing. And this board is a good barometer of the tone of the fans. What we post here is what most fans feel. And right now the fan base is polarized. Why? Is half the fan base delusional? I dont believe that. The reality is there are truths to both sides and once we can all agree that each side has valid points this place will become much more enjoyable again

I don't think half the fan base is delusional, but I do think people are unwilling to look at the situation at hand and not look at the core issue, but rather blame external factors (injuries, conference, etc.).

It all comes down to KO. Can he step up? He's shown in the past he can. I don't like the trajectory we're on, but I hope he can change it.

 

[AntG168]

I don't think half the fan base is delusional, but I do think people are unwilling to look at the situation at hand and not look at the core issue, but rather blame external factors (injuries, conference, etc.).

It all comes down to KO. Can he step up? He's shown in the past he can. I don't like the trajectory we're on, but I hope he can change it.

I think we all can agree on that. Things havent been UConn level in a few yrs and Ollie must do better.

 

[Waquoit]

We call out BS and bad things when we see it.

IMO, you've been serving much more BS than you've been calling out.

 

[pj]

Way more than that. Ollie needs to hit not just a home run, but a grand slam, with the 2018 class. With possible defections of Adams/Larrier and an inevitable transfer, he needs a monster 2018.

I don't think a monster 2018 is realistic. The 2018 class is already too far along in their recruiting for either 2017-18 wins or even the arrival of Chill to make a big difference. We need to get 3 good class of 2018 guys, patch holes again with a grad transfer or two, and get an elite 2019 class. To get there, 2017-18 has to be a highly successful season, UConn players have to strongly endorse the coaching staff to recruits, and KO needs to get the program's marketing pitch and sales process to a higher level of professionalism.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't think half the fan base is delusional, but I do think people are unwilling to look at the situation at hand and not look at the core issue, but rather blame external factors (injuries, conference, etc.).

It all comes down to KO. Can he step up? He's shown in the past he can. I don't like the trajectory we're on, but I hope he can change it.

The reality is that it is all of those factors and more. They are axiomatically not mutually exclusive. If you can't put most of last years results on injuries, you're fooling yourself*. If you can't put defections on Ollie and staff and some parental involvement, you are fooling yourself. Why's this so hard?

*yes I know they lost their 1st two games to crappy teams--still can't extrapolate that out; does not work that way.