What is Ollie doing?

[superjohn]

I love the guy but he's accumulating a lot of WTF losses pretty quickly. He outcoached Izzo, Donovan and Calipari and when we had nothing to play for his first season he willed them to more wins then we probably thought was possible so he's shown he can coach in the past but this team looks lost. Last year you could say we didn't have the talent and experience but those excuses don't fly this season. We look totally lost offensively and defensively and it confuses the hell out of me why we continue to look this way.

 

[RayRay19]

He needs a call from Calhoun.....maybe some but kicking or a punch in the stomach....dammit Ollie....that was trash.

 

[boog204]

KO was aided by having two of the ballsiest players we've ever had in Bazz and Boat. They could carry/bail out a team and will them to a victory. We don't have that this year. Defensively, our guards are as bad as any I can ever remember. Offensively, we have no cohesion and rely on one-on-one breakdowns. DHam's triple double thing was really great. But, he's becoming a massive ballstopper.

 

[mauconnfan]

Lots of WTF's tonight by KO, plenty. Where was Jalen?

I will forget about prior to the last minute for now but you take a TO and come out needing to get a good look. #1 Preferably you set a play up to shoot it within 12-15 seconds because with 50 left this gives you a chance for the last possession. #2 you need to spread the floor with shooters so DHAm has space to create, shoot or kick it out. Why the fk is Phil Nolan in the game? Why - no way. Jalen or Omar or if you want a big Facey who can rebound and putback potentially. We made our 2 FTs DHam did but still a major brain fart, major!

Then the last possession for Temple - No Adams still? Our best defender and longest guard? Really? Not fouling, really? use them please. This is making a Giants fan relive his football season all over again.

KO was bad, worst game yet. But it;s not all him. Only guys with the fire required were Miller and Adams. Thought even when Rodney missed a few he lost the passion. Think Enoch and Adams should have had more minutes too. DHam was fairly awful for the majority, wanted to score so bad wasn;t kicking it too wide open people. When he has a 0-9 night with 10 minutes left and 1 assist he's not doing his job period. Also Temple won the loose balls war which sucks. No one hit the floor except Adams, one time DHam had it rolling right in front of him and he elected to reach while the Temple guy dove and won the possession -0 that's BS. Uninspired loss which will make the road to the dance very difficult now.

Awful loss.

 

[InKembaITrust]

He needs a call from Calhoun.....maybe some but kicking or a punch in the stomach....dammit Ollie....that was trash.

I agree with this. I haven't seen Ollie win with a team that wasn't completely a product of Calhoun's recruiting and upbringing. Calhoun needs to light a fire under Ollie's a** and show him how it's done. I miss the old Calhoun days when he would show his passion and bostonian temper on the sidelines. Ollie's demeanor couldn't be more opposite. A bad play from someone doesn't result in an immediate substitution and ear-full on the sidelines Calhoun style. He just hangs his head, gives his little puppy dog sad/confused Ollie look, and does nothing to correct bad individual in-game habits. Common Ollie wake up!!!

 

[superjohn]

KO was aided by having two of the ballsiest players we've ever had in Bazz and Boat. They could carry/bail out a team and will them to a victory. We don't have that this year. Defensively, our guards are as bad as any I can ever remember. Offensively, we have no cohesion and rely on one-on-one breakdowns. DHam's triple double thing was really great. But, he's becoming a massive ballstopper.

I give Ollie credit for what he did with those teams but as you point out we had two dynamic guards that hit way more shots than any other backcourt with 5 seconds or less on the shot clock. We no longer have that and Ollie simply hasn't adjusted, it looked like Adams was growing before our eyes tonight and then Ollie takes him out for no freaking reason. I didn't even get into his substitutions patterns, it's too frustrating to even dissect.

 

[Fishy]

I am mostly puzzled by two things -

1) His substitutions. They seem to happen for the sake of happening and there is no rhyme or reason for them. And then he becomes absorbed in the game and forgets what's on the bench - Adams and Purvis were off the court way, way too long tonight.

2) When the team is crumbling, he seems to be the last person to realize it.

Overall, I think the problem is that he has little feel for the game....which is insane given his playing career.

 

[TRest]

My son and I were talking during the Tulane game that at some point people are going to start questioning what KO is doing. This sucks because I thought we had our coach for the next ten years.

 

[willie99]

LOSING

any questions?

 

[superjohn]

I am mostly puzzled by two things -

1) His substitutions. They seem to have for the sake of happening and there is no rhyme or reason for them. And then he becomes absorbed in the game and forgets what's on the bench - Adams and Purvis were off the court way, way too long tonight.

2) When the team is crumbling, he seems to be the last person to realize it.

Overall, I think the problem is that he has little feel for the game....which is insane given his playing career.

Agreed on the subs and not having the pulse of the game, what makes it even more strange is that he seemed to push every right button in the 2014 tournament.

 

[BUConn10]

The boneyard will implode when we get a decommit this offseason.

 

[mauconnfan]

The boneyard will implode when we get a decommit this offseason.

Too many kids really looking forward to being Huskies don't see that coming. And if they were watching tonight which one doesn't believe they can help boost this programs status?

 

[HooperScooper]

The boneyard will implode when we get a decommit this offseason.

Why would they decommit? They all signed LOIs. I highly doubt they're willing to sit out a year because this team maybe under achieves.

 

[Stainmaster]

The boneyard will implode when we get a decommit this offseason.

When we get a decommit?

I think most of our recruits have a much more positive view of the program than anyone on this board. Completely different mindset.

Then again, you're the one who posted that people will soon be citing Duke as the team who won 5 in 5 at MSG/played in the 6 OT game, so I'm not surprised.

 

[pnow15]

When you argue that he should play Facey over Nolan, a freshman Adams over a fifth year senior Gibbs, you have answered your question. No combination of Nolan, Facey,
Enoch is half as good a player as Daniels was.
No combination of Dham, Adams or Gibbs at point is as good as Bazz, Kemba, Boat, Kalid, Chris Smith, Williams etc.
Purvis is not Ray Allen or Rip Hamilton.

 

[superjohn]

The boneyard will implode when we get a decommit this offseason.

Nobody is decommiting but I could certainly see another commit.

 

[selles]

I am mostly puzzled by two things -

1) His substitutions. They seem to happen for the sake of happening and there is no rhyme or reason for them. And then he becomes absorbed in the game and forgets what's on the bench - Adams and Purvis were off the court way, way too long tonight.

2) When the team is crumbling, he seems to be the last person to realize it.

Overall, I think the problem is that he has little feel for the game....which is insane given his playing career.

As to (1), he rode Hamilton (who is our best player), Miller (who'd been playing well), and Gibbs (who bailed us out last game). Purvis and Adams subbed for each other. What would you have had him do? (also, the whole 'Jalen was coming into his own' argument neglects the fact that, after some great play to bring us back, he'd allowed a terrible 3 and fired up an awful shot before coming out).

As to (2), at what point of this game in the 50's were we crumbling where he failed to realize it, and what should he have done?

KO has had two godawful endgame brainfarts this year (Syracuse and tonight), and that's frustrating and concerning.

But the 'no feel for the game' thing is going way overboard.

 

[uconngb]

Agreed on the subs and not having the pulse of the game, what makes it even more strange is that he seemed to push every right button in the 2014 tournament.

Anyone on this board could have pressed the right button that year: "Shabazz.......take over." Everyone else: "make your foul shots"

 

[UChusky916]

Posted this in another thread...
4 big qualms with KO's coaching tonight:

1) What the efff was he thinking with the rotations? Purvis played great early on in the first half and then barely saw the court. What gives? Hamilton and Gibbs couldn't buy a shot... shot a combined 3 for 21. Yet they played 34 and 35 minutes respectively. Purvis played only 24 after scoring 8 points in less than 5 minutes early. In a game where our starting PG Gibbs made 1 shot and had 1 assist all game, Jalen only saw 19 minutes. Enoch had 2 points and 4 rebounds in his 7 minutes, but disappeared from the line up as well. Hell even Omar made a few good plays, grabbed an offensive board and scored, but didn't see any additional time. Yet, somehow Cassell and Nolan are still getting minutes. They combined for 10 minutes -- 0 points, 0 reb, 0 assists. Wasted minutes.

2) We call time out with 50 seconds left, down 2... WHY NOT PLAY FOR 2 POSSESSIONS?! Take a shot within 15 seconds to give yourself another possession. Where's that NBA background?! Why didn't he do this?

3) Last possession we had a FOUL TO GIVE -- 5 team fouls. Yet, we did not pressure them at all. No attempt at a steal. There was no risk in fouling, so why not try to apply pressure on the final possession? Worst case scenario, go for the steal, we play overly aggressive, foul them and force them to inbound the ball again! Instead, we let them have their way on the perimeter, kill the time, and then in the lane as Gibbs' defense was non-existent.

4) KO does not provide any lift the team. I never see him motivating the team. He just sits there on the bench. I never see him in the refs ears. Nothing. It's getting old.


I love KO, but he needs to wake up and this was easily his worst game as HC.

 

[Jimdish255]

That was horrible. A couple guys who gave the team energy were Jalen and Omar. Facey was ineffective on the boards where Enoch at least seemed to assert his physical presence now and then. Shaking my head at how bad DHam was, and Gibbs still can't finish and was just as cold offensively. I don't care how good you were the last game or the last ten but if you're supposed to be leaders and you come out that flat at home against Temple it has to be next man up.

This game wasn't nearly as close as Temple's foul shooting and some fortunate calls made it seem. A few guys played with the energy to match Ollie's passion and he benched them in favor of guys who had a terrible night from beginning to end. The low point of the season so far.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I love the guy but he's accumulating a lot of WTF losses pretty quickly. He outcoached Izzo, Donovan and Calipari and when we had nothing to play for his first season he willed them to more wins then we probably thought was possible so he's shown he can coach in the past but this team looks lost. Last year you could say we didn't have the talent and experience but those excuses don't fly this season. We look totally lost offensively and defensively and it confuses the hell out of me why we continue to look this way.

Did Ollie outcoach them, or did Shabazz bail us out every freaking game?

 

[Stainmaster]

Did Ollie outcoach them, or did Shabazz bail us out every freaking game?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_revisionism_(negationism)

 

[upstater]

The boneyard will implode when we get a decommit this offseason.

Uh, not sure what you mean. There is a thing called a Letter of Intent. Ain't gonna be no decommits.

 

[intlzncster]

Nobody is decommiting but I could certainly see another commit.

If recruits were as schizophrenic as posters, not one three star on up would come here.

 

[upstater]

Anyone on this board could have pressed the right button that year: "Shabazz..take over." Everyone else: "make your foul shots"

Uh, no. There was a lot of good coaching. Even on the most crucial play, Kromah's pump fake and foul to seal it, Ollie coached him to that space.