UConn basketball....

[LStudfellow]

You're on an incredible roll here, Sir. The rest of us here in the so-called "Pollyanna" camp should just get out of your way, read and enjoy.

Thanks Nick - honestly, I have started and erased at least half a dozen posts on different threads recently, all meant to argue with either JMick, Paesano or a few others of the "bash Ollie on everything possible" on practically every thread. I for one enjoy a good debate, as well as talking about recruits and other pertinent info brought to us by informed posters like tcf15, Matrim55 and others. But time and time again I have read through threads the last few months as this group takes pot shots, states that we have no chance with any good recruits any more, or that Ollie is the worst coach ever, blah, blah, blah.

As I saw Mau post in a recent thread... ENOUGH ALREADY! We know how you (JMick and others) feel about Ollie and what you perceive is every horrible thing he has done to ruin the program. You do not have to destroy every thread with your continual negativity. We got it.

Here is my suggestion to JMick, Paesano and other bashers: make your own thread, and have at it... I have no doubt you all need the outlet to release your negative feelings. I get it. After the way this year went, we all need at least a little (or more) venting. But STOP RUINING EVERY FREAKING THREAD OTHERWISE! No one here says Ollie is perfect, or beyond criticism. We just want to see if the changes he has made, to himself and the coaching staff, can have the desired effect that most (maybe even all) of us want... and that is a perennial winner again, a practically yearly trip to the tournament with a legit chance to make a deep run.

Leave the other threads to constructive conversation, and healthy debate. And if you have a real desire to be involved in these conversations and debates in a constructive way, then by all means join in.

Unfortunately this board has been getting way too much like watching the political talk on TV. People are all one way, or another, with hardly any room left for rational, honest discourse and healthy debate. The sad thing is, it is within rational, honest discourse and debate in which the most constructive conversation happens.

 

[JMick]

Thanks Nick - honestly, I have started and erased at least half a dozen posts on different threads recently, all meant to argue with either JMick, Paesano or a few others of the "bash Ollie on everything possible"

No, I'm "bashing him" for a specific set of very relevant and real issues. Fortunately for you we don't discuss those things on this board. I'm not even firmly on the fire Ollie bandwagon, but people like you assume that bringing up his negative traits means we want him gone right now.

As I saw Mau post in a recent thread... ENOUGH ALREADY! We know how you (JMick and others) feel about Ollie and what you perceive is every horrible thing he has done to ruin the program. You do not have to destroy every thread with your continual negativity. We got it.

Do you even know what I'm talking about? If you do PM me so we're on the same page.

Here is my suggestion to JMick, Paesano and other bashers: make your own thread, and have at it...

we tried. it got deleted

Leave the other threads to constructive conversation, and healthy debate. And if you have a real desire to be involved in these conversations and debates in a constructive way, then by all means join in.

If you're ignorant to the facts or ignoring them, how is there supposed to be a debate? Do your CAPITALIZED WORDS mean more than mine? It's like you don't want an actual debate, you want a safe space of positivity

 

[LStudfellow]

If you're ignorant to the facts or ignoring them, how is there supposed to be a debate? Do your CAPITALIZED WORDS mean more than mine? It's like you don't want an actual debate, you want a safe space of positivity[/QUOTE]

No, no "safe space of positivity" needed. Again, I am plainly aware of the negativity. And that a significant amount of it is warranted. There is a big difference between "some, and the situation is salvageable" and "all is negative with little if any hope". There are precious few things in this world that are absolutes like that - and certainly not in this case. Stop making this an "all or nothing" debate. I am not "all positive". You keep saying I am, when everything I have stated obviously says otherwise. Why do you bashers always want to make it like we do not see Kevin Ollies' flaws, or how bad things were this year. This year sucked, on many different levels. DUH!

And as for your "being a fan and an alumnus", so am I. Class of '91. And, I used to announce games on WHUS while I was there with John Tuitt. I was, in fact, at our first Big East Championship tournament run in 1990 doing color commentating, and also did color commentating on the UConn-Duke Elite 8 game. I knew Coach Calhoun well enough to sit down and have conversations with him. So yeah, I have my sources, also.

So, I will respect that you have a legitimate level of knowledge... but again, you lose credibility when you make "all is negative" comments. Again, that is nonsensical, and from my sources, not true. And nor have I once said, or will I say "all is hunky dory". It isn't.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

Ok - again, neither me nor any other Ollie supporter has said he should be immune to criticism. I guess I need to translate this part of my first post for you:

"Yes, Ollie has made mistakes over the last 3 years. A few of them, obviously. He absolutely needs to recapture the best of what he was those first two years, and then take what he has learned from his mistakes the past 3 years years and be better for it. Pretty much everyone agrees, including every so-called "Pollyanna" on here."

I figured it was pretty clear I was saying exactly that.

And by the way... you and the rest of the bashers need to stop acting like myself and other pro-Ollie people do not think anything is wrong, or that you should not pick on "poor Kevie". Your false narrative on this is beyond tiresome. Kevin Ollie is a coach who deserves criticism for a number of things that happened this year. Last year to a degree, as well. Not as much 3 years ago, as once Shabazz left we saw how shallow the talent level was without him and his leadership (in addition to the huge losses of DeAndre and Niels), thanks in large part to the APR sanctions that of course were 0% of Ollie's fault, no matter how hard you and the other bashers try to change that part of history.

It's posters like you who have built this false narrative of the last 3 years being totally Kevin Ollie's fault, as if Calhoun had nothing to do with the APR ban and its effects on two years of recruiting, that the more reasonable posters find detestable.

Any time you want to have a completely honest debate about it, I am happy to oblige JMick. But I do not think you can do it, since you have shown time and again in a litany of previous posts a propensity to twist the facts of the team's recent history to push your anti-Ollie narrative.

Please tell us what the difference is in your mind between "bashing" and "criticism" and what @JMick said that constitutes "bashing" ??

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

My favorite all time Ollie take is that the 2014 championship is only because of a fluke play by Brimah. Yes -- that was a flukey play and kinda a flukey win, but that doesn't mean that you can just throw away what Ollie did the rest of the tournament, which was honestly remarkable.

He went head to head with more talented teams and HOF coaches and won every game and out coached every team. He had the defense playing at an elite level for the remainder of the tournament.

In addition to the claim that Ollie outcoached Wright, Izzo, Hoiberg, Donovan, and Calipari, it could be reasonably asserted that he did NOT get outcoached by Martelli, which was a very real risk & close to happening.

 

[JMick]

If you're ignorant to the facts or ignoring them, how is there supposed to be a debate? Do your CAPITALIZED WORDS mean more than mine? It's like you don't want an actual debate, you want a safe space of positivity

No, no "safe space of positivity" needed. Again, I am plainly aware of the negativity. And that a significant amount of it is warranted. There is a big difference between "some, and the situation is salvageable" and "all is negative with little if any hope". There are precious few things in this world that are absolutes like that - and certainly not in this case. Stop making this an "all or nothing" debate. I am not "all positive". You keep saying I am, when everything I have stated obviously says otherwise. Why do you bashers always want to make it like we do not see Kevin Ollies' flaws, or how bad things were this year. This year sucked, on many different levels. DUH!

And as for your "being a fan and an alumnus", so am I. Class of '91. And, I used to announce games on WHUS while I was there with John Tuitt. I was, in fact, at our first Big East Championship tournament run in 1990 doing color commentating, and also did color commentating on the UConn-Duke Elite 8 game. I knew Coach Calhoun well enough to sit down and have conversations with him. So yeah, I have my sources, also.

So, I will respect that you have a legitimate level of knowledge... but again, you lose credibility when you make "all is negative" comments. Again, that is nonsensical, and from my sources, not true. And nor have I once said, or will I say "all is hunky dory". It isn't.

you want to talk about overreacting and being "all or nothing" when all I've done is plainly state there are severe issues that need to be addressed. if those issues are not addressed we will be/should be looking for a new coach. It's probably one of the most level-headed positions to have. What I do get mad at is people like you, who seem to be clueless, go off on people like me who just want what is best for the program i.e., winning and a head coach that seems to give 100% to reach that goal.

 

[UCDaveD]

you want to talk about overreacting and being "all or nothing" when all I've done is plainly state there are severe issues that need to be addressed. if those issues are not addressed we will be/should be looking for a new coach. It's probably one of the most level-headed positions to have. What I do get mad at is people like you, who seem to be clueless, go off on people like me who just want what is best for the program i.e., winning and a head coach that seems to give 100% to reach that goal.

Hey, hey, hey, that's a WHUS alum you're speaking to. Show a little respect.

 

[UConnNick]

no, it's clear you're out of the loop as to what's going on with the program. I barely scratch the surface and have limited knowledge in terms what I know, but none of it is good.

OK, on one hand you claim you have "limited knowledge" about what you know regarding the program, yet whatever limited knowledge you have is all bad. If your knowledge is so limited, then what if some or even most of the other significant percentage of knowledge about the program that you don't have isn't necessarily all bad? Wouldn't that possibly trump your "limited knowledge"? in that case, whatever point you're trying to make about what you know about the program is largely meaningless.

Also, you can't call out other posters as not knowing what's going on with the program unless and until you're willing to share whatever specific negative facts you're claiming you do know. Your credibility is suspect until such time as you're willing to share all these horrible things you know about the program.

Look, there's plenty of blame to go around if all you're interested in doing is assessing blame. Ollie has made mistakes, the prior athletic administrations made mistakes, we've missed on some key recruits, we had two games at the beginning of this past season that should have been W's, we can go on and on. But we're still only three seasons removed from a NC (how many other schools can say that?), and we went to the NCAAs a year ago and lost to a clearly superior No. 1 seed in the second round, no shame in that. This past season was a total throwaway due to injuries and we still came relatively close to willing ourselves to an AAC tourney win. No shame there either, considering there were some games we only suited up six scholarship players for. Maybe we made some wrong calls about the character of the kids that have been recruited over the past few seasons. Maybe we had to settle for less due to the sanctions, who knows? If you do, enlighten us. Otherwise, Ollie has bought himself enough street cred to be given the opportunity to turn this thing around. If after another season that goes relatively injury free we still can't win games we should win, then maybe it's time to move on and recognize Ollie may not be the guy to get us there. Until then, he deserves the chance. Constant, irrational bashing of him, the program, etc., etc., etc., may be entertaining for some but it adds nothing to any intelligent discussion.

 

[JMick]

OK, on one hand you claim you have "limited knowledge" about what you know regarding the program, yet whatever limited knowledge you have is all bad. If your knowledge is so limited, then what if some or even most of the other significant percentage of knowledge about the program that you don't have isn't necessarily all bad? Wouldn't that possibly trump your "limited knowledge"? in that case, whatever point you're trying to make about what you know about the program is largely meaningless.

Also, you can't call out other posters as not knowing what's going on with the program unless and until you're willing to share whatever specific negative facts you're claiming you do know. Your credibility is suspect until such time as you're willing to share all these horrible things you know about the program.

Look, there's plenty of blame to go around if all you're interested in doing is assessing blame. Ollie has made mistakes, the prior athletic administrations made mistakes, we've missed on some key recruits, we had two games at the beginning of this past season that should have been W's, we can go on and on. But we're still only three seasons removed from a NC (how many other schools can say that?), and we went to the NCAAs a year ago and lost to a clearly superior No. 1 seed in the second round, no shame in that. This past season was a total throwaway due to injuries and we still came relatively close to willing ourselves to an AAC tourney win. No shame there either, considering there were some games we only suited up six scholarship players for. Maybe we made some wrong calls about the character of the kids that have been recruited over the past few seasons. Maybe we had to settle for less due to the sanctions, who knows? If you do, enlighten us. Otherwise, Ollie has bought himself enough street cred to be given the opportunity to turn this thing around. If after another season that goes relatively injury free we still can't win games we should win, then maybe it's time to move on and recognize Ollie may not be the guy to get us there. Until then, he deserves the chance. Constant, irrational bashing of him, the program, etc., etc., etc., may be entertaining for some but it adds nothing to any intelligent discussion.

I could care less about what you think in regards to my credibility. I'm not claiming to be some "insider" but a lot of these things are generally well known. Well enough known that it's effecting recruiting and being actively used against us.

 

[LStudfellow]

Please tell us what the difference is in your mind between "bashing" and "criticism" and what @JMick said that constitutes "bashing" ??

Here are a few for you, SouthBayHusky. Direct quotes from other threads:


- "it appears that not even the staff has an idea of who wants to be here and who doesn't. it's pathetic."

- "What the majority of people want is competency. We haven't had that since 2014." Calling Ollie incompetent because the 2015 team was shallow on depth due to issues caused by others is unfair, and frankly untrue. That falls under the realm of "bashing" to me.

- "But please, tell me how your pathetic standards were misrepresented by me? Tell me how your logic is sound? Your reasoning for keeping Ollie around is that he won a championship. By that metric he could literally be here forever and be awful forever and it wouldn't matter to you. Stop being so emotional about the coach and care about the health of the program." Seriously? Upstater was not saying he supported Ollie being here forever if things stay on their current course. As he, I and others have stated quite reasonably, the National Championship should buy Ollie the chance to turn his recent mistakes around. No more, but certainly no less. To me, that means 2 years. How JMick gets "forever" out of a reasonable amount of time is beyond me (I read the whole thread and Upstate did not say that). And again, he uses the word "awful" to describe Ollie's coaching. The guy had a bad year. So did Calhoun. Several times. I can name the years, if you like. Doesn't mean you through the guy out. If that mentality had won out after those years, we would have never won the 4 NC's we have, for Calhoun would have never made it to 1998-1999 to begin with.

- "and beyond that the staff seems to be clueless. what a combination"

- "They don't want to come here because of Ollie"

And those are just a few of the ones he made over the last few days. I mean seriously... You guys are all the same. Bash away, but oh my gawd, don't call me or my merry band of Ollie haters out for it! All in the last 3 days he has referred to Ollie, either directly or indirectly, as: pathetic, incompetent, clueless, and no one wants to come to UConn because of him.

Dictionary: Bashing: "verbal abuse" - I think pretty much all of that qualifies as verbal abuse, huh SouthBay?


As I have said before, I would defy anyone on here to have coached our 2013 team with nothing to play for to 20 wins and the 2014 team to a National Title. I mean any one on this board. No one here could have. And frankly, I doubt Calhoun could have either. Why JMick or any other of you anti-Ollie guys can not give him credit for things like: out-coaching Jay Wright, Fred Hoiberg, Tom Izzo, Bill Donovan and then Calipari (admittedly the easiest of the bunch to outcoach, but still) in those 5 games is beyond me. The only honest explanation is that it does not fit into your "anti-Ollie" narrative. And by the way, that would be outcoaching Tom Izzo both times he has faced him so far in his young coaching career...

You negative guys do realize that Ollie doing an amazing job in his first two years, a credible (not great, but credible) job in his third and fourth years and a poor job this year are not mutually exclusive, yes? And that any reasonable human being would be willing to give him at least one year and realistically two with this new staff (unless next year is an utter disaster of epic proportions) to turn the downward trend around?

 

[JMick]

Here are a few for you, SouthBayHusky. Direct quotes from other threads:


- "it appears that not even the staff has an idea of who wants to be here and who doesn't. it's pathetic."

- "What the majority of people want is competency. We haven't had that since 2014." Calling Ollie incompetent because the 2015 team was shallow on depth due to issues caused by others is unfair, and frankly untrue. That falls under the realm of "bashing" to me.

- "But please, tell me how your pathetic standards were misrepresented by me? Tell me how your logic is sound? Your reasoning for keeping Ollie around is that he won a championship. By that metric he could literally be here forever and be awful forever and it wouldn't matter to you. Stop being so emotional about the coach and care about the health of the program." Seriously? Upstater was not saying he supported Ollie being here forever if things stay on their current course. As he, I and others have stated quite reasonably, the National Championship should buy Ollie the chance to turn his recent mistakes around. No more, but certainly no less. To me, that means 2 years. How JMick gets "forever" out of a reasonable amount of time is beyond me (I read the whole thread and Upstate did not say that). And again, he uses the word "awful" to describe Ollie's coaching. The guy had a bad year. So did Calhoun. Several times. I can name the years, if you like. Doesn't mean you through the guy out. If that mentality had won out after those years, we would have never won the 4 NC's we have, for Calhoun would have never made it to 1998-1999 to begin with.

- "and beyond that the staff seems to be clueless. what a combination"

- "They don't want to come here because of Ollie"

And those are just a few of the ones he made over the last few days. I mean seriously... You guys are all the same. Bash away, but oh my gawd, don't call me or my merry band of Ollie haters out for it! All in the last 3 days he has referred to Ollie, either directly or indirectly, as: pathetic, incompetent, clueless, and no one wants to come to UConn because of him.

Dictionary: Bashing: "verbal abuse" - I think pretty much all of that qualifies as verbal abuse, huh SouthBay?


As I have said before, I would defy anyone on here to have coached our 2013 team with nothing to play for to 20 wins and the 2014 team to a National Title. I mean any one on this board. No one here could have. And frankly, I doubt Calhoun could have either. Why JMick or any other of you anti-Ollie guys can not give him credit for things like: out-coaching Jay Wright, Fred Hoiberg, Tom Izzo, Bill Donovan and then Calipari (admittedly the easiest of the bunch to outcoach, but still) in those 5 games is beyond me. The only honest explanation is that it does not fit into your "anti-Ollie" narrative. And by the way, that would be outcoaching Tom Izzo both times he has faced him so far in his young coaching career...

You negative guys do realize that Ollie doing an amazing job in his first two years, a credible (not great, but credible) job in his third and fourth years and a poor job this year are not mutually exclusive, yes? And that any reasonable human being would be willing to give him at least one year and realistically two with this new staff (unless next year is an utter disaster of epic proportions) to turn the downward trend around?

if being frank is your definition of bashing then you need some thicker skin. please, PM me what you know about our current situation. I'm certain you know nothing.

 

[LStudfellow]

you want to talk about overreacting and being "all or nothing" when all I've done is plainly state there are severe issues that need to be addressed. if those issues are not addressed we will be/should be looking for a new coach. It's probably one of the most level-headed positions to have. What I do get mad at is people like you, who seem to be clueless, go off on people like me who just want what is best for the program i.e., winning and a head coach that seems to give 100% to reach that goal.

Sorry - but calling the coach "pathetic, "awful" and "incompetent" is "one of the most level-headed positions" to have?

Seriously - you are the clueless one if you honestly can stand on that position after making those kinds of statements. Kevin Ollie had a bad year. Sorry, but that does not make him "pathetic", "awful" or "incompetent". I have not called him, nor you any of those things. You want to make outrageous statements about the man, and then say you are level-headed. Ok.

You are right about one thing - I definitely can not debate someone who sees themselves as level-headed but can turn around and call a coach who won a National Championship "incompetent" and "pathetic" after one bad year. I hope for your sake your boss does not hold you to the same standards there JMick. Because I guarantee you that you will be out of a job and begging for dollars at the bottom of an I-95 off ramp in the very near future.

 

[JMick]

Sorry - but calling the coach "pathetic, "awful" and "incompetent" is "one of the most level-headed positions" to have?

Seriously - you are the clueless one if you honestly can stand on that position after making those kinds of statements. Kevin Ollie had a bad year. Sorry, but that does not make him "pathetic", "awful" or "incompetent". I have not called him, nor you any of those things. You want to make outrageous statements about the man, and then say you are level-headed. Ok.

You are right about one thing - I definitely can not debate someone who sees themselves as level-headed but can turn around and call a coach who won a National Championship "incompetent" and "pathetic" after one bad year. I hope for your sake your boss does not hold you to the same standards there JMick. Because I guarantee you that you will be out of a job and begging for dollars at the bottom of an I-95 off ramp in the very near future.

PM me dude. If you're tuned in at all and still hold this attitude then I'll give you major props. Did it with a few others yesterday.

 

[UConnNick]

I could care less about what you think in regards to my credibility. I'm not claiming to be some "insider" but a lot of these things are generally well known. Well enough known that it's effecting recruiting and being actively used against us.

Yes, it's pretty obvious you could care less about credibility since you have none. "Generally well known" things that are affecting (corrected that one for you) recruiting and being actively used against us. Sounds to me like three year olds whining about the other kids in preschool being mean to them.

You really think negative recruiting is something new, or only started happening when Ollie became our coach? Short of you having some 8 x 10 glossy color photos of Ollie caught in a compromising position with a donkey, again you choose to retreat and hide in your foxhole after spending the evening sniping away at the enemy.

You are right about one thing, though. They are all actively conspiring against us. It's called recruiting. They've also stolen all of our strawberries. We need "Captain Queeg" to correct this situation.

 

[uconnbill]

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.

I remember the Perno years all too well with the talent he had and UConn went to one NCAA tournament. Perno was much worse and you forget Ollie did win a National Championship, which took some good coaching along with great play.

 

[superjohn]

Sorry - but calling the coach "pathetic, "awful" and "incompetent" is "one of the most level-headed positions" to have?

Seriously - you are the clueless one if you honestly can stand on that position after making those kinds of statements. Kevin Ollie had a bad year. Sorry, but that does not make him "pathetic", "awful" or "incompetent". I have not called him, nor you any of those things. You want to make outrageous statements about the man, and then say you are level-headed. Ok.

You are right about one thing - I definitely can not debate someone who sees themselves as level-headed but can turn around and call a coach who won a National Championship "incompetent" and "pathetic" after one bad year. I hope for your sake your boss does not hold you to the same standards there JMick. Because I guarantee you that you will be out of a job and begging for dollars at the bottom of an I-95 off ramp in the very near future.

What Ollie did in his first season was great with a team that had no postseason to play for and the postseason run the next year was amazing and he coached his arse off but since then it's been downhill. It's more than one bad year, we've been a middle of the pack AAC team picking up losses to teams I never dreamed UConn could lose to. That's with teams full of talented players.

Next year scares the hell out of me, we have three big talents, a nice third string guard and a bunch of new kids that frankly wouldn't have played on UConn teams from the past.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that those three guys play out of their minds and it all somehow clicks for a great season but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[superjohn]

Yes, it's pretty obvious you could care less about credibility since you have none. "Generally well known" things that are affecting (corrected that one for you) recruiting and being actively used against us. Sounds to me like three year olds whining about the other kids in preschool being mean to them.

You really think negative recruiting is something new, or only started happening when Ollie became our coach? Short of you having some 8 x 10 glossy color photos of Ollie caught in a compromising position with a donkey, again you choose to retreat and hide in your foxhole after spending the evening sniping away at the enemy.

You are right about one thing, though. They are all actively conspiring against us. It's called recruiting. They've also stolen all of our strawberries. We need "Captain Queeg" to correct this situation.

Enoch, Jackson, and Durham didn't want to play for Ollie anymore and MAL had no interest in coming here either. Negative recruiting has always been used against us and others but it's no secret our recruiting is toxic right now. All the playing time in the world is there for some of these kids and it's just not happening for us. KO desperately has to change the narrative.

 

[JMick]

Yes, it's pretty obvious you could care less about credibility since you have none. "Generally well known" things that are affecting (corrected that one for you) recruiting and being actively used against us. Sounds to me like three year olds whining about the other kids in preschool being mean to them.

You really think negative recruiting is something new, or only started happening when Ollie became our coach? Short of you having some 8 x 10 glossy color photos of Ollie caught in a compromising position with a donkey, again you choose to retreat and hide in your foxhole after spending the evening sniping away at the enemy.

You are right about one thing, though. They are all actively conspiring against us. It's called recruiting. They've also stolen all of our strawberries. We need "Captain Queeg" to correct this situation.

of course teams are going to negatively recruit against us but giving them ammunition by hurting your own image certainly makes things worse.

 

[JMick]

Enoch, Jackson, and Durham didn't want to play for Ollie anymore and MAL had no interest in coming here either. Negative recruiting has always been used against us and others but it's no secret our recruiting is toxic right now. All the playing time in the world is there for some of these kids and it's just not happening for us. KO desperately has to change the narrative.

no it's definitely the conference. it's not all the other crap. let's just place 100% of the blame on the AAC and then whine about it again when we finish in the middle of the pack.

 

[Chief00]

Ok - again, neither me nor any other Ollie supporter has said he should be immune to criticism. I guess I need to translate this part of my first post for you:

"Yes, Ollie has made mistakes over the last 3 years. A few of them, obviously. He absolutely needs to recapture the best of what he was those first two years, and then take what he has learned from his mistakes the past 3 years years and be better for it. Pretty much everyone agrees, including every so-called "Pollyanna" on here."

I figured it was pretty clear I was saying exactly that.

And by the way... you and the rest of the bashers need to stop acting like myself and other pro-Ollie people do not think anything is wrong, or that you should not pick on "poor Kevie". Your false narrative on this is beyond tiresome. Kevin Ollie is a coach who deserves criticism for a number of things that happened this year. Last year to a degree, as well. Not as much 3 years ago, as once Shabazz left we saw how shallow the talent level was without him and his leadership (in addition to the huge losses of DeAndre and Niels), thanks in large part to the APR sanctions that of course were 0% of Ollie's fault, no matter how hard you and the other bashers try to change that part of history.

It's posters like you who have built this false narrative of the last 3 years being totally Kevin Ollie's fault, as if Calhoun had nothing to do with the APR ban and its effects on two years of recruiting, that the more reasonable posters find detestable.

Any time you want to have a completely honest debate about it, I am happy to oblige JMick. But I do not think you can do it, since you have shown time and again in a litany of previous posts a propensity to twist the facts of the team's recent history to push your anti-Ollie narrative.

It's amazing how your conclusion is that this is somehow Calhoun's fault. We were pretty good when he was here. We should have just let him play through this APR nonsense like UNC did with Roy or Louisville did with Pitino when the NCAA came knocking. That was the mistake in my opinion.

 

[mauconnfan]

you want to talk about overreacting and being "all or nothing" when all I've done is plainly state there are severe issues that need to be addressed. if those issues are not addressed we will be/should be looking for a new coach. It's probably one of the most level-headed positions to have. What I do get mad at is people like you, who seem to be clueless, go off on people like me who just want what is best for the program i.e., winning and a head coach that seems to give 100% to reach that goal.

Wow you're so far off now JMick it's incredible. It's fairly obvious who's level headed in the back n'forth of you and Studfellow. Hint, it's not you.

 

[mauconnfan]

Enoch, Jackson, and Durham didn't want to play for Ollie anymore and MAL had no interest in coming here either. Negative recruiting has always been used against us and others but it's no secret our recruiting is toxic right now. All the playing time in the world is there for some of these kids and it's just not happening for us. KO desperately has to change the narrative.

We all know where you stand too superjohn and where I do, you and JMick start you're own little party and I will hang with the Studfellows, Nicks and others who really know most of what's going on but try to keep that inkling of optimism as a UConn fan because we believe in what's happened before. Heck I like you guys but this constant and consistent throwing him to the lions is ridiculous.

I mean calling his teams "full of talented players" is not all that accurate either as they have not been all that good. If anything as I've said all along he's had trouble honing in on players who were smart on the basketball court and for that reason alone he should be questioned along with the staff for recruiting. 2 years ago they won the conference tourney and then beat a solid Colorado team but you and others dismiss this as a terrible season, no big deal? Toss it into the dumpster, every program has years like that huh? But suddenly we are above that because KO is coaching - lol. And how you can dismiss the injuries is also crazy but that's yet another story.

This thread could go on and on. There's an obvious divide in the BY, those who see what's ahead can't do anything about it but prefer we once again see what KO did as a player, a coach rise from the ashes with his back to the wall with a group of kids committed to be Huskies, not the one's running because they think they are better. Have a solid season, get in the tourney and start recruiting in a positive manner and move on from the rough season. Then there's those who want to see UConn succeed but not enough to support KO through the year and instead will be on him from the first loss of next year claiming "I told ya so".

Let's just wait and see. I'm not claiming he makes one side or the other happy, no prediction here as he certainly has a fight ahead. What I am claiming I prefer that he succeeds and believe in him to do so. All I can do at this point while hoping the "things he's doing wrong" which I can't control or know little about, that he understands the need to change and he gets his ten toes back in while fighting for our programs life as well as his.

Nothing else I can do, but I won't berate our guy or throw him to the lions like many of you. Not only do I like and respect the man but I really do believe he can coach and is the best thing for this program moving forward.

 

[Huskybass]

When UConn has another bad season, some of you will finally see what many of us have seen for awhile. We have had three straight seasons of irrelevancy and only return two healthy (non redshirt) players for the coming season. Everything else including KO's coaching ability is a question mark.

How can some of you not understand that having only 10 scholarship players and an extremely thin frontcourt in late May is a major problem? Those of us who look at things objectively see the uphill battle that next season promises to be.

 

[AntG168]

When UConn has another bad season, some of you will finally see what many of us have seen for awhile. We have had three straight seasons of irrelevancy and only return two healthy (non redshirt) players for the coming season. Everything else including KO's coaching ability is a question mark.

How can some of you not understand that having only 10 scholarship players and an extremely thin frontcourt in late May is a major problem? Those of us who look at things objectively see the uphill battle that next season promises to be.

Again who is disagreeing with you? Next yr is full of question marks that none of us have the answer to. The difference is a lot of you are righting next yr off while others are in wait and see mode. I have not seen many if any posters claim where we stand roster wise this late in the spring isnt an issue. Where are you guys getting this from?

 

[UCDaveD]

Where are you guys getting this from?

The thread guaranteeing a top-25 team next season would be a start.