what did napier do to be benched

[BoatShow]

Unauthorized haircut.

Speaking of haircuts, really cool SJU with that little wave thing shaved into your heads

 

[ctchamps]

The real answer is that he overslept and was a little late for a team meal

understand why KO needed to send a message and understand why this must have bothered SN. Now if I had to discipline someone, it would be Tim Welch who has not changed his tune about SN even as the evidence over the season has disputed his pat statement. A much greater infraction imo.

 

[Waquoit]

The real answer is that he overslept and was a little late for a team meal

Really? Is that worth giving up a game?

 

[rbny1]

Really? Is that worth giving up a game?

It may have cost us the game, maybe not. In any event, Ollie is making clear that he's the boss and the players have to follow his rules. It's a great message and a great way to avoid problems in the future.

 

[Waquoit]

It's a great message and a great way to avoid problems in the future.

Is it a great message? I'm not sure but like I asked before I don't remember JC using that tactic very often (if at all). I'm sure he had to deal with tardiness on his watch. You don't win 800 games by sacrificing wins just because a guy overslept. What about suicides or running steps?

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Is it a great message? I'm not sure but like I asked before I don't remember JC using that tactic very often (if at all). I'm sure he had to deal with iness on his watch. You don't win 800 games by sacrificing wins just because a guy overslept. What about suicides or running steps?

Did he really sacrifice the win by sitting Napier to start the game? I know we got off to a terrible start, but Shabazz played 34 minutes at the end of the day.

 

[Buffett10]

Ollie came from the NBA where you miss a team function you get disciplined. Have no problem with him benching Shabazz to start the game.

 

[ctchamps]

Is it a great message? I'm not sure but like I asked before I don't remember JC using that tactic very often (if at all). I'm sure he had to deal with iness on his watch. You don't win 800 games by sacrificing wins just because a guy overslept. What about suicides or running steps?

I have to agree with you on this. No need to embarrass the kid on national television when he's carrying the team on his back, got honors and decided to remain with the program. He deserved punishment but your suggestions were more appropriate imo. Next transgression would be fine. But not the first one and certainly not for the kid who did more for this incarnation of the program than anyone else.

 

[IMind]

I have to agree with you on this. No need to embarrass the kid on national television when he's carrying the team on his back, got honors and decided to remain with the program. He deserved punishment but your suggestions were more appropriate imo. Next transgression would be fine. But not the first one and certainly not for the kid who did more for this incarnation of the program than anyone else.

You're assuming it was the first transgression... who knows...

 

[Perspective]

There are many, many ways to skin a cat. Of course, nowadays, there is not a lot of cat skinning going on, as we pretty much wiped out indigenous cats, and feline domesticus is rarely skinned, due to its relatively small fur size and the general fickle hesitancy of the American public to accept cat fur lined garments into their wardrobes. In China, however, they still skin cats, and they, for sure, know that there are many ways to accomplish said skinning.

You're worried about Ollie "embarrassing" the kid on National Television? As the youth would say, "srsly?"

Has it been that long since our demi-god Jim Calhoun yanked a kid out of a game .4 milliseconds after a ball flub, gave him the coach's line stare down, got .5 inches from his face, and did his best impression of the drill Sargent in Full Metal Jacket (without so much as having the courtesy of giving him a reach around), with a national TV camera beaming the whole episode out to the entire United Federation of Planets, with the feed being pirated out of China to some distant Romulan outposts?

Hmmm?

Or did you forget that?

Shabazz Napier is the best player on the team. He's also the most critical player on the team. Without him, we probably lose every Big East game and half of the cupcake ("Oldander Time") games. He is our leader and our between-the-ribs dagger.

But Ollie, that was never him. He was cut from a different cloth. He made his way to a decade long pro career without ever having been "that guy." Without ever having been the head honcho. The big cheese. Zu Tsar. El Cabron. Mr. Macho. The Big Dog. Damn that escalated quickly.

And Ollie, mind you, is not going to cotton to nobody being bigger than the team. Not even the best player. Especially the best player. And that's the way it's going to be. For now and for ever. Nobody is going to get the star treatment. Nobody is going to get the exception. That was certainly not the old King's way. He had his favorites. They were untouchable. That worked for a time. Quite a long time, in fact. But there's a new batch of cats in town. And a new cat skinner. He's the new king. His name is Ollie.

Long live the King.

 

[RoderickSpode]

Now if I had to discipline someone, it would be Tim Welch...

I agree. The guy has a tendency to get blasted and fall asleep at traffic lights.

 

[Greathusky]

????

He only put 9 toes in.

 

[8893]

Is it a great message? I'm not sure but like I asked before I don't remember JC using that tactic very often (if at all). I'm sure he had to deal with iness on his watch. You don't win 800 games by sacrificing wins just because a guy overslept. What about suicides or running steps?

I do remember JC using the exact same tactic at least a few times, at least one of which was with Khalid.

I think KO expected to get him in sooner, but there were no chances unless he wanted to call timeout.

I disagree that that alone cost us the game, but even if it did, if there was ever a season to chance that, this is it.

 

[ctchamps]

You're assuming it was the first transgression... who knows...

Of course it could be for repeat offenses. We don't know and I like that we don't know. If a certain moper was on the team and he was disciplined everyone would get a biased version of events.

SN doesn't always do things right, but when he is in the wrong, and taken to task for it, he respects the discipline (unlike the aforementioned mummu)!

So I suspect this was a first offense that KO wanted to nip in the bud and that's why I agreed with Waquoit. Particularly since SN has been a model for the program up to this point and KO made a big deal about this being the last game this season at MSG! IMO it was not a smart move by KO in an otherwise brilliant season!

Whatever value KO derives by keeping a tight ship is lost on kids who will feel that no matter what they do they can't do enough. It's the kid getting 98 and the parent saying why not 100 only this is not about effectiveness but about being perfectly good!