We Have To Take Hold Of Ourselves

[HuskyHawk]

Apart from Enoch -- and underage big men are notoriously slow to develop -- you are basically putting your finger on this year's senior class. They appear to be -- how can I say this politely -- a bit dim. Slow learners. Remember they came in at a time of recruiting handicaps and uncertainty for the program. UConn was begging for players and couldn't be choosy.

Recruiting has picked up and there's every reason to think we've gotten smarter and more talented players recently. Jalen Adams has improved substantially. I think these concerns about Ollie will dissipate by March 2018.

Not really. I think maybe this is an underachieving class of players, sure. But I also think that Ollie and his staff have generally done a lousy job of game preparation. Maybe we need better advanced scouts. Maybe we need better assistants. I don't know. But when the team looks unprepared for what the opponent is doing on offense and defense over a two year stretch, that's more than just the players. Because that "dim" senior class somehow, in the span of 15 minutes at halftime, figured out how to beat Houston. It's not proof, but it suggests strongly that the game-plan going in did not prepare them properly.

 

[ctchamps]

It isn't just one thing. Several players have disappointed. Facey was highly regarded and should have been playing the way he is now by his sophomore year. Enoch...where is the improvement? Brimah goes without saying. Purvis has regressed in his shooting ability.

Meanwhile, Coach Ollie has not coached with the level of intensity and enthusiasm he showed in 2013-14. He also has not prepared the team well. They consistently start poorly and look confused, as if they received no advanced scouting on the other team or it was completely wrong. That's on the staff, and it has cost us games. Yesterday was one of those days. Shorthanded yes...but that shorthanded team, when properly motivated and with proper coaching adjustments at halftime, outscored Houston. That tells me that they could have won. So who is that on? The players? Yes. The coaches? Yes. Could we have overcome that lousy play and lousy coaching if we had all our injured guys? Sure, because we'd be a vastly more talented team than Houston, one that should win by 15, so we'd manage a 4 point win.

That's what I've seen the last two years. A team that plays below its capabilities almost every single game.

Facey, Brimah and Enoch have one thing in common besides size. They all began playing basketball at a late age. Big men progress slower than guards and recruiting big men who are new to the game increases the problem. However most people continue to ignore or forget the events that occurred when these players were recruited. The coaching change and the APR sanctions severely handicapped KO's ability to recruit. These inexperienced players were pretty much all the staff had a chance to recruit the first two seasons. The blame does not lie with KO but with Jeff Hathaway and Mark Emmert. Those sanctions were vendettas and not justice.

When the sanctions were lifted KO was finally at an even playing field with other non cheating coaches. He got the consensus 2nd best big in the class when Durham committed. And what happens? The kid suffers his second ACL tear in two years, losing a second year of playing time and gaining a factor of fear he might do it again. This season KO gets a top big in Zach Brown and stops recruiting other bigs to go after players like MAL and Hamidou. And what happens? The kid implodes emotionally and the staff rightfully parted ways.

Sometimes events are in our control and we don't make the most of things. I'm not sure the recent failures are staff /player related but circumstances outside their control and that anyone short of a deity would have gotten similar results.

 

[ctchamps]

Apart from Enoch -- and underage big men are notoriously slow to develop -- you are basically putting your finger on this year's senior class. They appear to be -- how can I say this politely -- a bit dim. Slow learners. Remember they came in at a time of recruiting handicaps and uncertainty for the program. UConn was begging for players and couldn't be choosy.

Recruiting has picked up and there's every reason to think we've gotten smarter and more talented players recently. Jalen Adams has improved substantially. I think these concerns about Ollie will dissipate by March 2018.

LOL. Was writing something very similar while you posted this.

 

[ctchamps]

Not really. I think maybe this is an underachieving class of players, sure. But I also think that Ollie and his staff have generally done a lousy job of game preparation. Maybe we need better advanced scouts. Maybe we need better assistants. I don't know. But when the team looks unprepared for what the opponent is doing on offense and defense over a two year stretch, that's more than just the players. Because that "dim" senior class somehow, in the span of 15 minutes at halftime, figured out how to beat Houston. It's not proof, but it suggests strongly that the game-plan going in did not prepare them properly.

UConn's options because of injuries were limited. Sampson game planned a zone which was designed to double down on any player who received an interior pass all but challenging UConn to win by making their 3 point shots. It wasn't a brilliant strategy given Kentan was shooting well from mid range and UConn was 342nd in the nation in making 3's. If Christian, Rodney and Vance made 3's in the first half, and they had open looks, Houston would have had to readjust. But that didn't happen until the game was over.

 

[djct1999]

Do you honestly feel his first UCONN team under performed? In my opinion that team over performed. To win 20 games with no incentive to play in the post season was a tremendous accomplishment.

No I don't. I think I am giving him a lot of credit by saying that is KO at his best. I don't think anyone could have a done a better job that year.

 

[djct1999]

So it's a weak argument to point out underclassmen aren't as good when they are underclassmen as they are when they are upperclassmen?

With each post, you dig deeper into the loam of the lame.

You are insufferable. I honestly feel after a certain point you forget what your initial point even is. You love playing the contrarian, regardless of accuracy.

 

[gtcam]

A player's IQ is usually a reflection of his coach. And if you want a sample set of how mediocre this staff is, take a look at Ollie's overall regular season record in the American. FYI, at best, the American is the seventh ranked conference during that same span. I am not sure what the answer is or if there a better coach out there for this program. I do know that Ollie has been average at best and certainly not worth the money this state is paying him. Maybe I am old school, but in my world, coaches make players betters, not smarter players will improve the staff.

That's a mighty big statement - a players IQ is the reflection of his coach?
Is a players attitude a reflection of the coach?
Are the players actions both on and off the court a reflection of the coach?
So the coach is the sole dictator of how the player thinks and acts?
The American may be the 7th ranked conference but during the short span of the conference life, how many NCs did Ollie win? How many Conference tournaments did he win? How many conference finals was he in?
Old school, New school, players get smarter because they want to, coaches are there to supply training and basics, its up to the player to take and run with it. In my opinion, a player like AB and to some extent, RP have not improved to the highest degree because they have decided not to work on the basics.
Don't be ignorant to think that if KO had another 7' big man who grasped the basics of footwork, positioning, rebounding and post moves that player would not be taking all ABs playing time.
KO won a NC, he's worth quite a bit in my eyes - he's not JC but he isn't Josh P either

 

[djct1999]

That's a mighty big statement - a players IQ is the reflection of his coach?
Is a players attitude a reflection of the coach?
Are the players actions both on and off the court a reflection of the coach?
So the coach is the sole dictator of how the player thinks and acts?
The American may be the 7th ranked conference but during the short span of the conference life, how many NCs did Ollie win? How many Conference tournaments did he win? How many conference finals was he in?
Old school, New school, players get smarter because they want to, coaches are there to supply training and basics, its up to the player to take and run with it. In my opinion, a player like AB and to some extent, RP have not improved to the highest degree because they have decided not to work on the basics.
Don't be ignorant to think that if KO had another 7' big man who grasped the basics of footwork, positioning, rebounding and post moves that player would not be taking all ABs playing time.
KO won a NC, he's worth quite a bit in my eyes - he's not JC but he isn't Josh P either

I think its pretty ignorant of you to assume AB and RP chose not to work on basics and didn't work hard enough to improve.

 

[OkaForPrez]

There's only been one real winner this season and that's the research study pinned at the top of the board. My god the data.

 

[upstater]

You are insufferable. I honestly feel after a certain point you forget what your initial point even is. You love playing the contrarian, regardless of accuracy.

Stop it. My point was simple. Everyone understood it.
But you.
To say that the 2014 team was battle hardened is right. The question is, were the players considered tough when they were frosh and soph?
It was very different around here then.
Plenty of people agreed with me on here that Shabazz was criticized his sophomore year, heavy criticism. His basketball IQ was rated lowly. Only you deny it. Daniels was ripped to shreds--EVEN in his junior year.
Deny it all you want--it is the truth.

 

[upstater]

Not really. I think maybe this is an underachieving class of players, sure. But I also think that Ollie and his staff have generally done a lousy job of game preparation. Maybe we need better advanced scouts. Maybe we need better assistants. I don't know. But when the team looks unprepared for what the opponent is doing on offense and defense over a two year stretch, that's more than just the players. Because that "dim" senior class somehow, in the span of 15 minutes at halftime, figured out how to beat Houston. It's not proof, but it suggests strongly that the game-plan going in did not prepare them properly.

Or, more likely, Houston let off the gas. Anyone at the game could see Sampson laying into his best players, especially Gray, at TV timeouts in the second half. They got lazy.

 

[mauconnfan]

Not really. I think maybe this is an underachieving class of players, sure. But I also think that Ollie and his staff have generally done a lousy job of game preparation. Maybe we need better advanced scouts. Maybe we need better assistants. I don't know. But when the team looks unprepared for what the opponent is doing on offense and defense over a two year stretch, that's more than just the players. Because that "dim" senior class somehow, in the span of 15 minutes at halftime, figured out how to beat Houston. It's not proof, but it suggests strongly that the game-plan going in did not prepare them properly.

Tale of 2 halves has little or nothing to do with preparation. It's as easy as making shots, that's it. Nothing changed, still ugly basketball without a PG but they made some shots. Not sure what else we can ask for without much to rely on except hard work, keep shooting until they go in and defend to the buzzer which they do. If anyone is breaking down KO's coaching ability and ability to prepare the kids on yesterday's game then it's ridiculous from here. I mean what was anyone's expectations being so undermanned against a pretty good team? I was with buddies and we had some fun knowing the result far before it ended, of you didn't then you need to rewind and look at much of this year from a different angle. I saw that Vital could hit some shots and get some rebounds. I saw Vance make some plays, make a couple really good passes and rebound a little. These are the things I will look for, growth from the people who will be impacting UConn for the next few years. Other than that you can't be that serious about what the outcomes will be, we aren't the same team we were supposed to be.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Tale of 2 halves has little or nothing to do with preparation. It's as easy as making shots, that's it. Nothing changed, still ugly basketball without a PG but they made some shots. Not sure what else we can ask for without much to rely on except hard work, keep shooting until they go in and defend to the buzzer which they do. If anyone is breaking down KO's coaching ability and ability to prepare the kids on yesterday's game then it's ridiculous from here. I mean what was anyone's expectations being so undermanned against a pretty good team? I was with buddies and we had some fun knowing the result far before it ended, of you didn't then you need to rewind and look at much of this year from a different angle. I saw that Vital could hit some shots and get some rebounds. I saw Vance make some plays, make a couple really good passes and rebound a little. These are the things I will look for, growth from the people who will be impacting UConn for the next few years. Other than that you can't be that serious about what the outcomes will be, we aren't the same team we were supposed to be.

It's not just yesterday, it's a pattern ever since the NC game. I'm not saying it's all Ollie's fault. I think it's on the players and the staff, the collective staff. In part I think Ollie has one of the same problems Diaco did (and he had lots of other problems), too many yes men on the bench. They could really use a veteran assistant that is not from the Calhoun coaching tree and who challenges Ollie a bit.

It's really ridiculous how people either say that Ollie is useless or needs to go or that he's brilliant and wonderful and it's all just players who are stupid or can't shoot (even if they could shoot and pass better before they came to UConn, like Gibbs). Both positions are idiotic.

 

[mauconnfan]

It's not just yesterday, it's a pattern ever since the NC game. I'm not saying it's all Ollie's fault. I think it's on the players and the staff, the collective staff. In part I think Ollie has one of the same problems Diaco did (and he had lots of other problems), too many yes men on the bench. They could really use a veteran assistant that is not from the Calhoun coaching tree and who challenges Ollie a bit.

It's really ridiculous how people either say that Ollie is useless or needs to go or that he's brilliant and wonderful and it's all just players who are stupid or can't shoot (even if they could shoot and pass better before they came to UConn, like Gibbs). Both positions are idiotic.

He's not great and brilliant, who is? You're only as brilliant as your players, they all say it minus scum like Cal. The players aren't playing, they recruited what they could 4 years ago coming off some bad stuff, it caught up and now after a very solid recruiting campaign we are injured, crazy stuff 2 of our finest players who would've made a HUGE difference at this point there's no denying it. If Monk goes down for Cal he's even screwed at this point so take another from him. I mean it's not on anyone but bad luck right now from what I can see, to dig much deeper is just not worth it this year.