Will Calhoun Get Involved

[djct1999]

The funny thing about all the complaints of Calhoun shoehorning his choice of successor into the job (which immediately paid dividends) is that the other candidate people were salivating for was Shaka Smart. Smart lead Texas to a 11-22 record last year (with pro talent on the team). Today they got the doors blown off of them. I realize the score was much worse in the Nova game than it appeared, but Texas lost 86-51, 54-29 in the second half alone. And last year they had a couple of WTF losses like we did (UT Arlington, Kent, etc.).

The big difference is that Texas is middling with a lot of talent.

This year, they have kids who were ranked: 10 (Bamba), 27, 31, 44, 56, 58, 73, 77, 96

That's 9 top 100 kids. 4 in the top 50!

Where would we be? Chances are, in the same place, but with one less championship.

Great points. As bad as KO is now, he was perfect for the job back then. I do hope UConn fans remember that. I want him gone badly. I also realize that probably no other coach in America could have done what he accomplished in 2013-2014. I miss that KO but the truth is, we haven't seen him in years.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

You'd think they would be addressing the elephant in the room head-on, reassuring the base that UConn is 100% committed to championship level basketball.

It's not the good practice for the AD to comment on the program during the season unless a change has been made. His lack of Twitter or media presence says all you need to know.

 

[djct1999]

The silence from UConn's so called leadership is deafening. It suggests a strong no confidence vote for KO at minimum, but leadership means leading. You'd think they would be addressing the elephant in the room head-on, reassuring the base that UConn is 100% committed to championship level basketball. Instead of dumping money into softball and soccer, they ought to be investing hard in revenue producing sports that sustain the school's national reputation and allure.

AD DB is no fool and fully understands what is important. The size of the buyout is an obstacle created here. I know he can get it done.

 

[upstater]

The silence from UConn's so called leadership is deafening. It suggests a strong no confidence vote for KO at minimum, but leadership means leading. You'd think they would be addressing the elephant in the room head-on, reassuring the base that UConn is 100% committed to championship level basketball. Instead of dumping money into softball and soccer, they ought to be investing hard in revenue producing sports that sustain the school's national reputation and allure.

Are you not aware a rich alum is paying for soccer?

 

[BlueDogs]

AD DB is no fool and fully understands what is important. The size of the buyout is an obstacle created here. I know he can get it done.

I hope so.

 

[BlueDogs]

Are you not aware a rich alum is paying for soccer?

$4.5MM in design fees. $8MM donated. About $40MM more at least needed I believe.. Total project is 46MM before usual cost overruns wth state run projects.

 

[Fishy]

Shaka Smart would outcoach Ollie 25 different ways before halftime.

He also undressed our guy twice with Larrier and Mack.

 

[Northbound]

BANNED!!

Bravo. Just made me bust out. Wife from upstairs yells - what the hell is so damn funny”

 

[upstater]

Shaka Smart would outcoach Ollie 25 different ways before halftime.

He also undressed our guy twice with Larrier and Mack.

Yeah, but would he have succeeded here? Or won a championship?

If you're going to go 11-22 at Texas and get your doors blown off with all that talent, you're not going to do it here either.

 

[Fishy]

Would he have succeeded here?

Yes. He’s succeeded at VCU. He’s succeeding at Texas. He’d outwork Kevin Ollie seven days out of seven.

The title question is unanswerable.

 

[upstater]

Would he have succeeded here?

Yes. He’s succeeded at VCU. He’s succeeding at Texas. He’d outwork Kevin Ollie seven days out of seven.

The title question is unanswerable.

He's succeeding at Texas? That's what my whole post is about. He's not, but whatever. It's not that important.

 

[Fishy]

Oh, god.

Have you seen Texas play? I assume not.

They’ve taken Duke and Gonzaga to overtime. Won at Alabama. Played well against Kansas and at Michigan. Beat #16 TCU. Beat #8 Texas Tech. Roster is now stocked with young four and five star players. They’re the absolute picture of a program on the rise.

UConn is the picture of a grease fire.

 

[uconnfan68]

Great points. As bad as KO is now, he was perfect for the job back then. I do hope UConn fans remember that. I want him gone badly. I also realize that probably no other coach in America could have done what he accomplished in 2013-2014. I miss that KO but the truth is, we haven't seen him in years.

Think his divorce did him in. He never seemed the same.

 

[mauconnfan]

Shaka Smart would outcoach Ollie 25 different ways before halftime.

He also undressed our guy twice with Larrier and Mack.

Let's not forget with better players by far and being in a P5 he got his butt waxed but WVU for 34 today. Don' think you have a leg to stand on here because they are both overrated!! Underachieving despite what you think, they are very similar.

 

[mauconnfan]

Oh, god.

Have you seen Texas play? I assume not.

They’ve taken Duke and Gonzaga to overtime. Won at Alabama. Played well against Kansas and at Michigan. Beat #16 TCU. Beat #8 Texas Tech. Roster is now stocked with young four and five star players. They’re the absolute picture of a program on the rise.

UConn is the picture of a grease fire.

So this excuses how they got waxed today? lol, he's no good either. Hammered by a better team never in the game, sounds familiar.

 

[husky8273]

$4.5MM in design fees. $8MM donated. About $40MM more at least needed I believe.. Total project is 46MM before usual cost overruns wth state run projects.

The greatest portion of the soccer/softball/baseball complex is coming from bonding. see attachment 11 from the Nov. 2017 BOT meeting agenda, https://boardoftrustees.uconn.edu/w...-11-01-Board-Agenda-with-Attachments-v2-1.pdf

 

[Adios]

Think his divorce did him in. He never seemed the same.

It did. I think being a successful husband was part of the image he wanted to sell to recruits.

 

[temery]

Imagine your dad gifts you with his most prized possession - a Ferrari. And you drive it off a cliff and it explodes into a million flaming parts....

How anxious are you to talk to your dad?

The Ferrari was out of gas and had a rejection sticker.

 

[Stinger92860]

So this excuses how they got waxed today? lol, he's no good either. Hammered by a better team never in the game, sounds familiar.

That's one game, even Calhoun had that happen. Unfortunately, this our new normal.

 

[Dove]

Calhoun himself wouldn't give a dime back, why should Ollie?

JC did it the old fashioned way...he earned it.

 

[Dove]

Imagine your dad gifts you with his most prized possession - a Ferrari. And you drive it off a cliff and it explodes into a million flaming parts....

How anxious are you to talk to your dad?

But...but...KO kept his Ferrari in the garage. Remember?

 

[Stinger92860]

JC did it the old fashioned way...he earned it.
View attachment 27908

KO earned it also, but then something happened to him. He is no longer that guy, and probably never will be.

 

[Uconnfanatic]

I wanted desperately to see KO succeed. His first couple of years he did great. Considering how little coaching experience he had, it is amazing how well he did in those two years. Since 2014, it has been a very different experience. Somehow he lost his way. Did his divorce affect him? It undoubtedly did. Whether because of that or other reasons, the team never looks prepared or fundamentally sound anymore. So many turnovers, lots of dribbling around on the perimeter and then settling for a three, poor defensive focus giving up a lot of open threes. Also coming out sluggish and falling way behind early before closing the gap a bit. Generally, we have seen some improvement of late, particularly on defense since switching to a zone. Still not a lot of fun to watch though. We lack the toughness so characteristic of the Calhoun teams and that will to win. I think trying to run a pro offense when you don't have the horses is probably a mistake but that may be all KO knows since that's what he played at UConn & obviously in the NBA.

All this being said, I still wonder what part of this is bad coaching and what part is the result of a young team that is still early in its development. We are seeing good progress from Carlton & Whaley. They need to get stronger and still have a long way to go development wise but clearly they are improving. Jay Wright and Bruce Pearl have both gone out of their way to say they think Kevin is doing a good job with a very young team. Maybe that's just the coaching fraternity supporting one of their own but I sensed it was more than that.

Recruiting has been hurt. I think the focus on athletes at the exclusion of shooters has clearly been a mistake. KO also passed up on some good guys who wanted to come here in hopes of getting higher ranked players. Hindsight is 20/20 but I think we paid a price for KO's inexperience in recruiting. He's learning and evolving in this area. I also think negative recruiting has hurt us tremendously. Some of that is on him and some is the inevitable price we are paying for our slide and our failure to get into a P5 conference. Sure hurts to see the likes of Villanova, West Virginia and Seton Hall do so well while we languish.

I am rooting for Kevin to turn it around but with every double digit loss, I think the odds of his surviving beyond this year are growing short. Maybe Danny Hurley is the answer but I am not convinced. I just hope that if AD David Benedict does decide to make a move, he will conduct a thorough nationwide search and not just grab Hurley because he wants to come here and is coaching nearby. I am not one who wonders whether we can attract a first rate coach given our poor standing of late. I am sure lots of good young coaches would love to have the opportunity to coach at the institution that has won 4 NCAA championships since 1999 and bring us back to prominence. Whatever happens, just remember KO is a big part of our family and our legacy and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.

 

[Cheddie]

Would he have succeeded here?

Yes. He’s succeeded at VCU. He’s succeeding at Texas. He’d outwork Kevin Ollie seven days out of seven.

The title question is unanswerable.

It's clearly apples and oranges to compare the two now. But did KO match Smart's work ethic in the beginning before the things started to go downhill? I remember reading how astute UConn's game plans were in the NCAA run. Was that a committed KO, or Blaney and assistants?

 

[jibsey]

I remember Glenn Miller talking about the 24/7 preparation during the championship runs. KO got most of that credit in 2014.