You have to wonder about the KO contract.

[ctchamps]

I understood the rational for the short term contract, but I strongly disagreed with it believing it had more disadvantages than advantages. I wanted a four or five year contract and felt that WM should fire him if KO was totally ineffectual or an embarrassment to the university. Since there's nothing we can do about it but complain I've moved on.

But I have to wonder. Any disadvantage that took place in the fall recruiting will could now turn into an advantage for the spring and next fall recruiting with all the negative publicity regarding the contract. Weirdly the publicity could be having the affect that KO is the next great superstar coach. No one is saying that of course but if broadcasters keep touting the mistake of the contract it gives the appearance KO is fantastic. IMO he is anyways but a recruit in Cali may not know much about him. That certainly can offset the lack of exposure KO will have to deal with by UConn not appearing in tournaments.

So at this stage I believe WM should wait until semester break!

 

[Danzz]

3 years would have worked.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Interesting thought. But for every broadcaster talking positively about Ollie, there will be five coaches at other schools telling recruits that they would have to be insane to commit to a program that doesn't know who the coach will be next year.

Duffy said that no decision will be made until first semester grades come out. Assuming that those grades turn out OK, I'd be pretty shocked if Ollie isn't extended shortly thereafter.

 

[ctchamps]

I strongly felt a four or five year deal should have been given from the beginning. If KO was a disaster most people would have supported WM's firing KO after one year. Turns out KO is anything but a disaster so the four or five year deal would have looked like a smart move on WM's part.

I'm not sure coaches can contact players currently. So the positive publicity by broadcasters is the only thing these kids are hearing right now. Outside of the original four or five year contract, one offered at semester break will stop any recruiting bleeding. Then the major problem will be conference perception. I believe KO has the chops to overcome this disadvantage.

 

[dogpause]

Until we're in a major conference again, recruitng is going to be difficult, so I'm happy to let an inexperienced coach earn his stripes. So far, I'm very impressed. However, maybe WM had Smart or another up and comer lined up and Calhoun forced his hand.

It also keeps UConn in the news.

 

[Pudge]

Sometimes ODD things have unintended consequences ...

As a Basketball Program, I believe we need to get KO on a solid working contract that is Multi-year. But, I do think there is the possibility that the urgency of that contract & the way the TEAM/OLLIE is focused may be linked by this 7 month thingy.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I feel totally comfortable admitting that I have no idea what the right thing to do is.

 

[ctchamps]

I feel totally comfortable admitting that I have no idea what the right thing to do is.

Any guy who can interpret a HFD post for businesslawyer can be pretty much comfortable about anything.

 

[UConn5]

3 years was and continues to be the appropriate contract in my opinion. One year of horrible recruiting when you are in need of players can set a program back 3 years. Not fair to Ollie. This is just how college coaching contracts work, you don't get 1 year deals when you are being asked to get kids to come to your campus for what could be 4 years.

 

[uconNYC]

Until we're in a major conference again, recruitng is going to be difficult

Why do UConn fans keep saying this? The PAC-12 sucks, does UCLA and Arizona struggle to recruit? The Big East will at the very least still be better than the PAC-12 and SEC going forward. Put the teams in the 3 conferences side by side and it's not even close.

 

[8893]

Perhaps we can make another unintended benefit from this situation by turning it into a drinking game. Drink every time there is a reference to KO's contract situation and/or Warde Manuel.

 

[ctchamps]

Perhaps we can make another unintended benefit from this situation by turning it into a drinking game. Drink every time there is a reference to KO's contract situation and/or Warde Manuel.

I'll drink to your proposal.

 

[60'sfan]

Why do UConn fans keep saying this? The PAC-12 sucks, does UCLA and Arizona struggle to recruit? The Big East will at the very least still be better than the PAC-12 and SEC going forward. Put the teams in the 3 conferences side by side and it's not even close.

I agree with you and as far as recruiting is concerned, it is like throwing the dice anyway. If we lose a recruit or two, so what. I remember three years ago when Calhoun was trying to recruit several big name high school players. He missed on all three and had to "settle" for Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier. The big name recruits went to Kentucky and Texas and Uconn won the National Championship.

 

[upstater]

I agree with you and as far as recruiting is concerned, it is like throwing the dice anyway. If we lose a recruit or two, so what. I remember three years ago when Calhoun was trying to recruit several big name high school players. He missed on all three and had to "settle" for Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier. The big name recruits went to Kentucky and Texas and Uconn won the National Championship.

So what? We lose recruits? Have you seen this year's team? We're talking multiple middling years on the horizon.

By the way, Napier and Lamb were on board already. The losses happened in the previous Spring and Summer. Go back and check to see when Lamb committed to UConn. It was in August I believe. The early signing period is over. Slim pickins out there.

 

[Donyell]

I'll drink to that and smoke some gancha umm!!! Feel good.

 

[UCONNfan1]

The thing is, we have a pretty decent class for 2013 already. I know we need more size, depth, etc but I think Facey and Samuels are pretty decent. The thing is, the only guy we lose so far is Evans. And he's really solid, but not even a starter.

If everyone comes back, I think we will be pretty good next year. Now of course, some guys could jump early, but there's no reason to believe that if we at least keep Napier or Boatright (or hopefully both), we'll be solid.

Starters of Napier/Boat (if one leaves), Calhoun, Daniels/Giffey, Olander, Wolf. I'm ok with that lineup... Just my 2 cents...

 

[60'sfan]

So what? We lose recruits? Have you seen this year's team? We're talking multiple middling years on the horizon.

By the way, Napier and Lamb were on board already. The losses happened in the previous Spring and Summer. Go back and check to see when Lamb committed to UConn. It was in August I believe. The early signing period is over. Slim pickins out there.

As I recall, Uconn was pursuing and had offered Doron Lamb (Kentucky), Brandon Knight (Kentucky) and Corey Joseph (Texas). We struck out on all three but brought in Jeremy Lamb (considered to be the lesser Lamb at the time) and Shabazz Napier who was not heavily recruited. Undaunted, on our way to the National Championship, we beat both Kentucky twice and Texas once. My point is that we should not panic if we miss out on a recruit or two, with the right team chemistry and solid coaching, we can still win.

 

[caw]

So what? We lose recruits? Have you seen this year's team? We're talking multiple middling years on the horizon.

By the way, Napier and Lamb were on board already. The losses happened in the previous Spring and Summer. Go back and check to see when Lamb committed to UConn. It was in August I believe. The early signing period is over. Slim pickins out there.

I more or less agree. There are always transfers around this time, who could be affected theoretically. Ollie will have a contract well before any spring recruits sign or probably trim their lists (or he won't have a contract and UConn will have a new coach, IMO). There are slim pickings in the spring, but (and I can't say this enough) with the number of coaches switching jobs and 5th year transfers, there might be a good player out there that is let free of a LOI or wants to do a fifth year at UConn. There are also the late bloomers.

 

[upstater]

As I recall, Uconn was pursuing and had offered Doron Lamb (Kentucky), Brandon Knight (Kentucky) and Corey Joseph (Texas). We struck out on all three but brought in Jeremy Lamb (considered to be the lesser Lamb at the time) and Shabazz Napier who was not heavily recruited. Undaunted, on our way to the National Championship, we beat both Kentucky twice and Texas once. My point is that we should not panic if we miss out on a recruit or two, with the right team chemistry and solid coaching, we can still win.

But you're disregarding the timeline. We lost out on those players in the summer. Jeremy came on board in August. There's a big difference there. XRM, for instance, verballed to FSU in Sept. We're way beyond the signing period now.

Historically, this is the time of year UConn brought in players like Darius Smith, Garrison, Trice, Haralson, Majok, Beverly. There have also been others good spring signees like Emeka and Thabeet. But we knew about those guys and were recruiting them in the Fall. Unless Ollie is being incredibly tightlipped, such players don't exist this year. In fact, Okafor and Thabeet were top 100 players. None like them are available this year.