Did anyone read Jeff Goodman’s ESPN article. He’s typically a d**k to UC but this was a fair assessment & good read. I’ll try & post in a few but guys every point that’s been brought up on our threads...maybe this group should write articles for publication. Not to ESPN though.
ESPN Article
- Thread starter Shaggydog84
- Start date
You can't just tell kids "get in the gym", you have to give them structure. Vance Jackson was a kid who wanted and needed structure, and did not get it.
if u believe the “source”. have a hard time believing that but who knows. i’m constantly wrong when it comes to uconn coaches these days.
Shaggy,
True, even the source could be paraphrasing a conversation he or she did not overhear. But KO does tend to speak in generalities, cliches and platitudes, and have you really seen many signs of improvement in a lot of these guys?
True, even the source could be paraphrasing a conversation he or she did not overhear. But KO does tend to speak in generalities, cliches and platitudes, and have you really seen many signs of improvement in a lot of these guys?
i have not, and yes he does...u r correct. My wife just told me to stop watching...i just can’t.
Wondering if Sid Wilson is thinking WTF did i do, esp after how the Johnnies are playing. now that’s an improved team.
Wondering if Sid Wilson is thinking WTF did i do, esp after how the Johnnies are playing. now that’s an improved team.
+1 with everything above.... glad "Dickman" spoke to "more than 30 former Uconn players, coaches and others close to the program about what's wrong with the program -- namely, the product on the court, the recruiting classes and Ollie's leadership." Telling is that the Uconn guys "who want to be real" are staying anonymous.
Like you said Shaggy, we could have written the article, but now it's coming out of the mouth of Uconn people on the inside, not some loud mouth like me on this message board. Though at least I wasn't some lemming waiving my pom poms and knew KO stopped working, clear as day in fall of 2016. What is also shocking
is he still thinks he's Golden St. trying to play positionless BB with a bunch of 6-2 guards and 185lb forwards who are undersized & forced to guard mismatches, all over the court...."Under Calhoun, UConn was perennially one of the nation's top offensive rebounding teams. Since 2013, the Huskies have been lackluster on both the offensive and defensive glass. "They lost their identity," an ex-UConn coach said."
But at least it's in print from his peers on the Worldwide leader and he has nowhere to hide... even JC wouldn't cover his back in the article....the best he'll do is waive pom poms for him...some others:
"Nobody wants to fling dirt on a family member," one ex-Husky said. "But at the end of the day, I want what's best for the program and Kevin's not what's best for the program right now."
You have to put this on KO," one former UConn player said. "There's just not enough talent."
Ollie was in the mix for current Kentucky freshman Hamidou Diallo and also had a signed commitment from freshman guard Makai Ashton-Langford, who ended up choosing Providence. Sources with direct knowledge of both recruitments said Ollie's lack of effort cost him in both cases. "If you don't get out to see kids as much as other guys, it makes it much more difficult to evaluate them," added a former UConn assistant.
"There's nothing wrong with taking transfers, but now UConn is taking guys that just aren't good enough," an American Athletic Conference coach said.
"KO's a great guy," one former UConn assistant said. "But he's not getting paid $3 million to be a great guy."
Last edited:
If you couldn't find GM at the practice center he was at that gym in Putnam last year. I KNEW we lost HD because ko had better things to do. That's how you drive half your team away, not putting in the effort and not taking responsibility. These kids deserve better, they deserve what they were sold; a tireless coach who was about Uconn family and who could prepare them to play ball.
Agreed. Do u think if KO didn’t retire & become an ass’t coach at UC that JC would have championed either KH or GM as HC?
GM & KH both have resumes which don't qualify them to be the hc of Uconn.
GM has always been JC's boy so in his case i think if jc could have sold him he would have
GM has always been JC's boy so in his case i think if jc could have sold him he would have
Reading reactions to this article is amusing.
Too many people who've tried for too long to position themselves as insiders are now having to deny the inside story of what's played out in-game over the past few years.
GM spending the season with his fingers plugging holes convincing guys to stay when KO is icing them out of game plans.
KH leaving at 1st chance & KO not trusting anyone but Dwayne.
Why did MAL d after GM got fired? Because he didn't have a relationship with Kevin.
Why did VJ bounce? Because Kevin was proving to be incompetent.
Why did Steve & JD transfer out to better programs? Because the only 2 people who developed a relationship with them were gone.
When it's coming from "multiple sources" and their explanation fits perfectly with reality, while your version of events requires mental gymnastics, you're an obvious buffoon who's pretend online persona becomes more ridiculous as actual inside info is leaked.
Too many people who've tried for too long to position themselves as insiders are now having to deny the inside story of what's played out in-game over the past few years.
GM spending the season with his fingers plugging holes convincing guys to stay when KO is icing them out of game plans.
KH leaving at 1st chance & KO not trusting anyone but Dwayne.
Why did MAL d after GM got fired? Because he didn't have a relationship with Kevin.
Why did VJ bounce? Because Kevin was proving to be incompetent.
Why did Steve & JD transfer out to better programs? Because the only 2 people who developed a relationship with them were gone.
When it's coming from "multiple sources" and their explanation fits perfectly with reality, while your version of events requires mental gymnastics, you're an obvious buffoon who's pretend online persona becomes more ridiculous as actual inside info is leaked.
Over beers this afternoon with fellow UConn grads at local microbrewery, the conversation turned to what appears to be the inevitable firing of KO and why his contract was structured so that it couldn’t affordably happen until after next season - May 2019- which could be after 3 straight losing seasons. When the question of why Warde Manuel made this contract, the answer seemed to be, “nobody thought it could get this bad.” Sort of the Neville Chamberlain defense made by historians trying to justify the pre-World War II actions of the British Prime Minister.
Well Calhoun did force KO on Warde, but I'll have to say I originally thought it could work to keep the Uconn linkage together because JC also forced a capable "team" on him with former HC's like Miller & Hobbs. The crazy thing like I said before is on what planet does a guy with 2 years experience as a college assistant get a HC's job at a blue blood BB school ? We know the answer to that one, but since KO doesn't have any loyalty or respect for Calhoun either.......
So, problem is the guy JC handed the money spot to, thought it was all him and he didn't need em'. And it's been such a disaster since the Wagner and Northeastern games which corresponded to Hobbs leaving and KO looking like a statue ( or like he had a hangover) on the bench while his players did WTF they wanted to as he slept through game after game. Or only seems to engage himself once things get out of control. So the question remains... has KO allowed his players to get so fundamentally bad and unchecked over 2 seasons of trash BB ....while he forced guys out...Can anyone ( who? ) turn this around and can it ever be fixed ?
Last edited:
Terrible article in that it is all true and makes this SO BAD for us. Ollie not hitting the recruiting trail is inexcusable......unreal.
