KO better Offensive Coach than JC?

[northdakotahusky]

I'm not ready to say KO is better than JC, but his offensive sets are quite brilliant. I'm certainly biased, but UCONN runs these clever double ball screens that I don't remember JC running. I'm sure many of you guys noticed this, but I don't remember seeing other teams run this play...or previous UCONN teams. The intent is clearly to get the defenders guarding the wrong guy and it works brilliantly. Go back and watch our NCAA games again. It's common that 3 or 4 defenders are guarding the wrong guy. I have never heard anyone claim our offense is brilliant, but I think it is. It reminds me of the Princeton offense, but it doesn't result in back door cuts for layups. It results in defenders guarding the wrong people. So go back and watch some of our highlights. You will see these back to back screens by Nolan and Daniels or Nolan and Brimah or Brimah and Daniels. The second screen follows the first screen almost instantly. Like the Princeton offense, the bulk of the offensive players are up top. Away from the hoop. Some may think I'm crazy and really biased, but our offense looks like a twist on the Princeton offense to me...but unique in it's own way.

 

[northdakotahusky]

I'm not sure if it worked so well because of our personnel but I'm hoping to see more of it.

Needless to say, it's less effective against the zone, but it cuts right through man d.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I have thought KO to be a better offensive coach than Calhoun from day one. Better halfcourt offenses.

 

[northdakotahusky]

At this point I'm definitely on board with you. I don't think I have ever seen a team get so much out of a couple of fast guards.

 

[Silk31]

KO >> JC on offense for sure.

Nothing against JC but I found his lack of offensive in game management very frustrating at times. It was as if he didn't have any set plays that he could draw up. Following every timeout, KO has a set play that usually gets what he wants .

Our offense sometimes grew stale under JC but I think Ollie has a better grasp of how to think outside of the box and create mismatches and put his players in great positions to execute offensively. I think KO would have handled that 2011-12 team better, they were an utter disaster on offense despite having plenty of weapons.

Now KO will have to prove it in the long run and he will face a challenge in not having his floor general Bazz out there to bail our offense out on a broken possession. It will be very interesting to see his game plan and how he uses his players this season, we have a totally different look and I'm sure he's pumped about the versatility of his options

 

[northdakotahusky]

I actually think UCONN has developed a new style of offense. Something that could be known as the UCONN offense. Similar to the Princeton offense.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

KO has said that UConn wants to run more this year, and the personnel they have will dictate more transition offense and less halfcourt offense. As far as how effective any halfcourt offense will be, it will go back to replacing the 3 point shooting of last year's team. You can run any halfcourt offense and if guys cannot stick open 3s at a solid %, the offense is going to suck. This was a problem Memphis had last year. They had games where they ran some decent offense but did not consistently hit the 3 and UConn made them pay.

 

[12rtackerman12]

Just reading back through some old threads and came across this one. Just curious as to what you guys think now. Do you still think KO is a better offensive coach than JC or was it just his personnel at the beginning.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Personnel because when you have 3 starters who can shoot 40% or better from 3 point land, your offense is always going to look good because that kind of shooting must be honored and respected. It's also very rare to have 3 starters who can hit over 40% on 3s and not sure it was ever done before.

That being said UConn won in 2014 due to great team defense and record setting FT shooting in the NCAA tourney. The defense made the offense look better than it was.

 

[Ozzie3178]

Agree with most offensively yea better but other areas that JC was a MASTERMIND in KO still needs to learn those ways IMO

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

A more interesting comparison would be Geno and Calhoun because as I watched Geno this year he, like Calhoun, had a zero tolerance policy on mental mistakes. Geno in a few games this year would yank players and ask them what the hell they were thinking as Calhoun used to do. It's only different because Geno is yelling at girls but like a softer yell and possibly cleaner language than Calhoun who would growl and cuss with the best.

KO not quite as intense as Geno or Calhoun on the sidelines and not as aggressive with referees as we saw in the first two Cincy games where Mick Cronin out worked him on the refs. Cronin is a very talented worker of refs but no reason KO can't be. He just needs to go out and command that respect.