Where Was There a Disconnect?

[UCFan1513]

Going into this season I sensed so much hype for this team. Not only on here, but from insiders and the media. This was probably the most hype for a season since 2011-12. And it isn't often that insiders and the media, especially ESPN (ranking us 11th), spread that much hype about UConn. And many of us on here, myself included, bought into this team wholeheartedly.
I'm confused as to where the disconnect in this team is between expectations and reality.
The only things I can really think of is the extremely high expectations placed on the freshmen, and a possible overlooking of the holes in development of older players. I don't think it can be blamed so much on KO, as much of his veteran leadership has been hurt by sanctions, but I feel that some of it does come down to him and his player development and in game coaching. Something just doesn't feel right about where this team was expected to be, and how extremely far they are from that reality. Probably the biggest gap between expectations and talent of any team I've ever followed.
What is everyone's thoughts about this? Where is the disconnect with this team? It doesn't seem right that they can go from how we all expected them to play, to losing games that we have not seen a UConn team lose in a VERY long time. Thoughts?

 

[uconngb]

The biggest gap has to be preparedness. It's almost as if no one played any ball during the off season or did anything to try and improve themselves. Not sure that's on coaches or players, but it's clear that there has been little to no improvement in most returning players. And the coaches have clearly failed at preparing this team both for the season, and each individual game. I think we are all wondering what goes on at a UConn practice, but there seems to be no semblance of organization on offense and no sense of urgency so far after three games. I think the blame has to lay at the feet of the coaches. Yes, players execute, but they just don't seem prepared at all for anything that is being thrown at them. That being said, the players have responded by lack of effort, energy and hustle, and have proven to be more likely to shut it down then respond when getting hit in the chops. As bad as we are fundamentally, I think there is talent on this team....the staff just seems clueless as to how to get the most out of it.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

They weren't expecting Purvis to cut his production by 60%

 

[tcf15]

For me, the main issue with the projections for this team and where they currently are is Purvis being a completely different player than he was last year.

PPG
2015-16: 12.8
2016-17: 5.7

FG%
2015-16: 43.4%
2016-17: 28%

3P%
2015-16: 38.5%
2016-17: 12.5%

When your leading scorer from an NCAA tournament team returns, you do not expect a regression like that.

 

[FeedTheDove]

PPG
2015-16: 12.8
2016-17: 5.7

FG%
2015-16: 43.4%
2016-17: 28%

3P%
2015-16: 38.5%
2016-17: 12.5%

Oof.. That's tough to look at.

 

[UCFan1513]

For me, the main issue with the projections for this team and where they currently are is Purvis being a completely different player than he was last year.

PPG
2015-16: 12.8
2016-17: 5.7

FG%
2015-16: 43.4%
2016-17: 28%

3P%
2015-16: 38.5%
2016-17: 12.5%

When your leading scorer from an NCAA tournament team returns, you do not expect a regression like that.

That is very true. I was thinking and realized that UConn team's have really never been highly successful without a bonafide leader. And with Purvis stepping into the leadership role last year, and especially this year, I think he has shown that he just doesn't have what it takes as a leader both in his communication and emotional leadership of the team, and his play on the court. The aspects of being a great leader both through your play, and through your communication and ability to bring the best out of others around you has proven key to leading UConn teams to success. We haven't have a leader with those skills since Shabazz.

 

[BlueMAB]

1) Youth: The freshman need time to adjust to college ball. Gilbert was playing his best game (in his very short career) and we were seeing what made him so highly thought of. He was on his way to 20 points and we were just beginning to control the game.

2) Injuries: Vital, Diarra, and Gilbert all had/have injuries affecting the team.

3) Unfamiliarity: No matter how many pickup games you play with each other, the real thing is different. They need time to gel on offense.

4) Purvis: I was one of the posters who expected Purvis to improve his shooting, and average upwards of 18 points/game. He only needed to become a moderately better shooter. Instead he might be having the worst shooting streak of his life.

He will have to find his rhythm because we can't win with him shooting the ball like this. He and Larrier should be our leading scorers.

It's not about Ollie "not developing" Purvis. You don't blame a coach for a guy going from 38.5% from three to 12.%. Ollie can't shoot for him. He's not a ferrari, he's not first round talent (or maybe NBA talent) but he just has to keep shooting, he's a better player than this.

 

[UCFan1513]

1) Youth: The freshman need time to adjust to college ball. Gilbert was playing his best game (in his very short career) and we were seeing what made him so highly thought of. He was on his way to 20 points and we were just beginning to control the game.

2) Injuries: Vital, Diarra, and Gilbert all had/have injuries affecting the team.

3) Unfamiliarity: No matter how many pickup games you play with each other, the real thing is different. They need time to gel on offense.

4) Purvis: I was one of the posters who expected Purvis to improve his shooting, and average upwards of 18 points/game. He only needed to become a moderately better shooter. Instead he might be having the worst shooting streak of his life.

He will have to find his rhythm because we can't win with him shooting the ball like this. He and Larrier should be our leading scorers.

It's not about Ollie "not developing" Purvis. You don't blame a coach for a guy going from 38.5% from three to 12.%. Ollie can't shoot for him. He's not a ferrari, he's not first round talent (or maybe NBA talent) but he just has to keep shooting, he's a better player than this.

Very well put

 

[SouthBayHusky]

I have no inside info on what offense (or lack thereof) they run/practice, but come game time it's looks like zero....Just 1 on 1 street ball. And unless you have some stud guards circa 2014, it's going to look ugly against quality squads. But I would allocate issues as follows:

*Coaching -40%
*Lack of inside post/player - 25%
*Purvis inconsistency- 25%
*Youth - 10% ( you can blame youth on losses vs top 75 teams, but not vs top 200 teams)

 

[TampaHusky78]

The biggest gap has to be preparedness. It's almost as if no one played any ball during the off season or did anything to try and improve themselves. Not sure that's on coaches or players, but it's clear that there has been little to no improvement in most returning players. And the coaches have clearly failed at preparing this team both for the season, and each individual game. I think we are all wondering what goes on at a UConn practice, but there seems to be no semblance of organization on offense and no sense of urgency so far after three games. I think the blame has to lay at the feet of the coaches. Yes, players execute, but they just don't seem prepared at all for anything that is being thrown at them. That being said, the players have responded by lack of effort, energy and hustle, and have proven to be more likely to shut it down then respond when getting hit in the chops. As bad as we are fundamentally, I think there is talent on this team....the staff just seems clueless as to how to get the most out of it.

When Hilton Armstrong was a senior, I met Hilton Sr at a HS tournament. Sr. said until the summer before his senior year at UConn, Hilton went home and hung out with his girlfriend and played video games. All summer. Never touched a basketball or worked out. But before his senior year he worked hard, played very well and was a first round draft pick.

So unless our players are staying in Storrs during the summer break, who the heck knows if they do anything at all. Very sad.

 

[upstater]

UConn has not been hyped in a very long time. Prior to the 2011 season, in fact, the Boneyard consensus was that it was the weakest team since the early Calhoun years. And it was a consensus. Pull up threads from back then--abysmal stuff. We were looking at a freshman class of Giffey, Olander, and Lamb. Underwhelmed is putting it mildly. And our elder statesmen had not shown much promise the previous year, Kemba Walker, Okwandu, Donnell Beverly.

 

[uconNYC]

1) Youth: The freshman need time to adjust to college ball. Gilbert was playing his best game (in his very short career) and we were seeing what made him so highly thought of. He was on his way to 20 points and we were just beginning to control the game.

2) Injuries: Vital, Diarra, and Gilbert all had/have injuries affecting the team.

3) Unfamiliarity: No matter how many pickup games you play with each other, the real thing is different. They need time to gel on offense.

4) Purvis: I was one of the posters who expected Purvis to improve his shooting, and average upwards of 18 points/game. He only needed to become a moderately better shooter. Instead he might be having the worst shooting streak of his life.

Still no excuse to lose to Wagner and Northeastern, and such a close game against LMU

 

[BlueMAB]

Still no excuse to lose to Wagner and Northeastern, and such a close game against LMU

Team > Talent. I wonder if the team has the same entitled attitude as this fanbase. It's like that elite 8 game never happened. Or SDSU. Or the fact we've got a losing record at Houston. We don't win games by showing up and saying "UConn is here".

I should have added:

5) Coaching. Ollie and staff have to figure out how to get them to move without the ball when facing drills. I always liked eliminating the dribble in practice. When guys aren't allowed to use their dribble, they are forced to learn how to pass the ball, and move without the ball to get into open space for shots. The passes have to be quick and deliberate. The worst thing we do on offense is just stand in one spot and pass the ball around. Without movement it's just time wasting.

 

[gtcam]

The biggest gap has to be preparedness. It's almost as if no one played any ball during the off season or did anything to try and improve themselves. Not sure that's on coaches or players, but it's clear that there has been little to no improvement in most returning players. And the coaches have clearly failed at preparing this team both for the season, and each individual game. I think we are all wondering what goes on at a UConn practice, but there seems to be no semblance of organization on offense and no sense of urgency so far after three games. I think the blame has to lay at the feet of the coaches. Yes, players execute, but they just don't seem prepared at all for anything that is being thrown at them. That being said, the players have responded by lack of effort, energy and hustle, and have proven to be more likely to shut it down then respond when getting hit in the chops. As bad as we are fundamentally, I think there is talent on this team....the staff just seems clueless as to how to get the most out of it.

You slay the coaching by saying the blame has to lay at the feet of the coaches and the biggest gap has to be preparedness. Yet you say that the players have responded by lack of effort, energy and hustle, and have proven to be more likely to shut it down when getting hit in the chops.
My head is spinning
Why not just understand that a bit of the blame goes all around.
KO can teach until his head bursts but if the players aren't going to give 100% then it ain't working.
KO can teach until his head bursts but if is not going to recruit kids who are going to run through a wall for the school, their teammates and themselves then it ain't working.
I've been to KO's practices where these kids run through schemes with and without balls and the passing looks effective and he demands a lot. Somehow it doesn't translate into the game. Maybe these kids aren't nearly as good as many of us thought - they look good against each other but not against bigger and stronger guys.
Does KO deserve criticism? Hell yeah but sometimes people take it way too far.
A good example is during the chatroom last night, the usual suspects, kill KO on every thing that doesn't go right. If RP misses, its KO fault, if AB cant hold on to a rebound, its on KO, if JA throws the ball away, its on KO. However when UConn goes ahead by 10 - these suspects say nothing positive but jump right on the "its on KO" when the lead shrinks to 6.
KO doesn't lace up the sneakers and the kids don't recruit.
I think there is hope for both KO and the players as the season rolls on................................

 

[Horatio]

Our last team leader was Boat. The kid that could've led the team is in the D- League. Period.

 

[maineuconnfan]

I agree with a lot that has been said here. I think there has been a lot of times throughout their history and other teams history were this disconnect has occurred and it is always a number of things happening, not usually just one. However my approach to every season is..."let's just wait and see." I have just been fooled to0 many times both ways to be thinking that this season is done with. Of course we had some pretty rough patches in 2011 and 2014 and that turned out well. On the opposite side of the token, I remember in consecutive years them collapsing and in this day in age, might not have made the tournament. In 1990-1991, they started 12-1 and finished 20-11 and the following year they started 16-1 and were #6 in the country and finished 20-10. Three games can seem like a huge deal for us today because of our conference situation and the great emphasis by the committee on the RPI. Regardless, I will be a fan, not get too high, not too low. Probably scream at the t.v. a few times. Jump up in jubilation a few times. I am a fan of course, but I just think 3 games is just to early to call what type of season it is. Some people may call and now, be correct and later be saying, I told you so. But It really is still mere speculation to me.

 

[Eskapeesto]

High expectations leading to a shocking opposite outcome? I blame Nate Silver.

 

[HuskyFich]

Or maybe it's that our seniors are (WELL) below average. So when our leaders stink and our freshman are not top 10 freshman.....

It's not rocket science....

 

[Ewekon]

Our last team leader was Boat. The kid that could've led the team is in the D- League. Period.

We certainly would be better off with DeAndre

 

[intlzncster]

I have no inside info on what offense (or lack thereof) they run/practice, but come game time it's looks like zero....Just 1 on 1 street ball. And unless you have some stud guards circa 2014, it's going to look ugly against quality squads. But I would allocate issues as follows:

*Coaching -40%
*Lack of inside post/player - 25%
*Purvis inconsistency- 25%
*Youth - 10% ( you can blame youth on losses vs top 75 teams, but not vs top 200 teams)

I have that different (w/ two extra categories).

*Significant Departures - 20%
*Having no upperclass PG - 25%
*Coaching - 13%
*Lack of inside post/player - 25%
*Purvis inconsistency- 12%
*Youth - 5%