I loved this guy’s posts! Pure fan passion, knew his hoops, hated on Calipari. Added something to every thread he posted in. What happened to him?
What happened to poster Dominick?
- Thread starter KhalidShockedTheWorld
- Start date
Another one of KO's buddies who fell by the wayside. I think "Ozzie" was another one. Too bad, I liked these guys.
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Don't think Dom was a KO loyalist....Ozz is good people and a true blue HFL. He's still on twitter:
But some fans wanted to support KO or friends they had on his coaching staff at all costs. Guys like Canolee and me saw the cracks in KO's game almost 2 years ago, even b4 the Maui tourney. KO had no clue how to manage on gameday, reel in players who would lose their minds with low IQ play, when to call timeouts or teach them to run an offense. Off the court, look at the players he ran off because they didn't trust him. And his 2 new super hires that alot of fans on this board were glowing about, as Asst's, didn't do squat.
And alot off people didn't want to believe it because of the NC. But Bazz as a 4 year SR ( who learned under Kemba and JC) had as much to do with that NC if not more than KO. I was down with the KO hire when it happened because it was the best way to keep the linkage to a HOF program and with recruiting. But I only believed in it because of the TEAM coaching staff that JC put in place. (including himself as a salaried Uconn advisor)
Once Hobbs and Miller where gone and KO pushed JC away, KO was a version of "The Emporer has no Clothes" ....Way to many of the loyalists didn't want to accept that the things don't always stay the same and sometimes the Emporer will "hire a couple swindlers ( Killings and Chillious) claiming to be weavers....Hearing of the weaver's amazing "talent", the foolish Emporer thought he could use such (their) cloth to weed out undesirables in his city. He paid the swindlers an enormous sum & they set out to "create" the clothes; knowing they would only need go through the motions."
But as I said when I was critical back in 2016, we're all Husky fans, but if someone is naked I'm gonna say it.
But some fans wanted to support KO or friends they had on his coaching staff at all costs. Guys like Canolee and me saw the cracks in KO's game almost 2 years ago, even b4 the Maui tourney. KO had no clue how to manage on gameday, reel in players who would lose their minds with low IQ play, when to call timeouts or teach them to run an offense. Off the court, look at the players he ran off because they didn't trust him. And his 2 new super hires that alot of fans on this board were glowing about, as Asst's, didn't do squat.
And alot off people didn't want to believe it because of the NC. But Bazz as a 4 year SR ( who learned under Kemba and JC) had as much to do with that NC if not more than KO. I was down with the KO hire when it happened because it was the best way to keep the linkage to a HOF program and with recruiting. But I only believed in it because of the TEAM coaching staff that JC put in place. (including himself as a salaried Uconn advisor)
Once Hobbs and Miller where gone and KO pushed JC away, KO was a version of "The Emporer has no Clothes" ....Way to many of the loyalists didn't want to accept that the things don't always stay the same and sometimes the Emporer will "hire a couple swindlers ( Killings and Chillious) claiming to be weavers....Hearing of the weaver's amazing "talent", the foolish Emporer thought he could use such (their) cloth to weed out undesirables in his city. He paid the swindlers an enormous sum & they set out to "create" the clothes; knowing they would only need go through the motions."
But as I said when I was critical back in 2016, we're all Husky fans, but if someone is naked I'm gonna say it.
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Blades, I was furious that Giffey didn't start right away in '14. 
I was talking mess about Follie all the way back then.
I was talking mess about Follie all the way back then.
The failure to start Giffey initially was due to 2 or 3 early season games in which Lasan Kromah proved to be a tremendous spark defensively. Kromah was inserted into the starting lineup off of a few hot games, although at the time it was still controversial because Giffey was leading the nation in 3 point FG% (way over 50% as I recall). I think Giffey shot close to 48% on 3s for that season. I do not believe anyone has been anywhere close to that number since. Ollie recruited another German kid named Tolksdorf to replace the Giffey 3 point shooting but Tolksdorf was not as good an athlete as Giffey. He transferred from UConn and basically was not heard from again.
I would say it was an iffy decision at the time to start Kromah, but in defense of KO, Kromah was a real spark defensively early in that season and looked like a momentum changer. What finally got Giffey back in the starting lineup was a late season 33 point loss to Louisville. Almost immediately the team looked better offensively with Giffey in the starting lineup. Giffey's defense was instrumental in both the 2011 and 2014 championships. In the 2011 game he shut down Butler's 3 point shooter. Butler shot 19% for the game and got zero inside against Oriakhi and Okwandu, who had a block party at Butler's expense.
In conclusion the decision was arguable at the time it was made but in hindsight Giffey should have been starting all season and he did in fact get inserted into the postseason starting lineup so the decision was corrected.
I would say it was an iffy decision at the time to start Kromah, but in defense of KO, Kromah was a real spark defensively early in that season and looked like a momentum changer. What finally got Giffey back in the starting lineup was a late season 33 point loss to Louisville. Almost immediately the team looked better offensively with Giffey in the starting lineup. Giffey's defense was instrumental in both the 2011 and 2014 championships. In the 2011 game he shut down Butler's 3 point shooter. Butler shot 19% for the game and got zero inside against Oriakhi and Okwandu, who had a block party at Butler's expense.
In conclusion the decision was arguable at the time it was made but in hindsight Giffey should have been starting all season and he did in fact get inserted into the postseason starting lineup so the decision was corrected.
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+1, I hear ya, if you read some of my posts from the fall of 2013, I lost my sh$t too regarding Giffey not getting more PT/ starting. But it was never about Kromah for me. He was a needed rotation player and more than did his job.. It was KO's love affair with Omar Calhoun who he started 11 strait early games that drove me nuts. Undersized/unathletic OC couldn't guard a chair, rebound or shoot(.305 FG%/ 241% 3's) compared to Neils(.540/ .483) and Kromah(.433/.339)who was a plus defender /good athlete too. Omar would also loose the ball every time he dribbled. The only redeeming thing for KO that year..... was even though it took him 3 months, after us, to see it.... by the NCAA's he finally got it & Omar played a grand total of 4 minutes in the 6 games. While NG became a starter and Kromah, another glue guy off the bench, made the winning play chasing down a rebound and hit the FT's to clinch the NC, and the rest is history.Blades, I was furious that Giffey didn't start right away in '14.
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Kromah was the second of a vaunted group of KO grad transfers which also included Shonn Miller, and Sterling Gibbs. The first was a kid named RJ Evans who was very aggressive but got his shot blocked more than anyone I have ever seen. I know records are not maintained on blocked shots against individual players, but I suspect Evans might have the UConn record for BSA per minutes played. I couldn't figure out whether he was telegraphing his shot, not using head and pump fakes or lacked the ability to rise, but I think it was maybe a perfect storm of all 3.
Yeah RJ really didn't belong at this level but he was a warm body and hard worker. Kromah on the other hand was good enough to be on the floor for the last 8 minutes of the NC game. But we can't even thank KO for that addition since it was all Karl Hobbs, who LK played for at GW, who brought him in. And when we look back, Hobbs had to be the smartest guy in the room to see the handwriting on the wall with KO & leave a NC program for an assistants job one of the worst BB programs in decades at Rutgers.
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He did and I'm sure he felt alot more secure working for Pikeill , than KO, since Steve worked for KH at GW. But if I recall wasn't a huge amount ( maybe $20 K), Especially since he part of the Uconn family too (like Glen) and had to sell his home in South Windsor. When you look back KO did more to break up the Uconn family than anyone, along with pushing away JC, so I find it laughable when KO tries to play the Husky family card.
edit correction: " That’s the same role Knight is filling at Rutgers he received the same two-year contract with an annual salary of $300,000 that was given to associate head coach Karl Hobbs. "
Hobbs last 2 years at Uconn compensation: $294K + $307 K
edit correction: " That’s the same role Knight is filling at Rutgers he received the same two-year contract with an annual salary of $300,000 that was given to associate head coach Karl Hobbs. "
Hobbs last 2 years at Uconn compensation: $294K + $307 K
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Interestingly KO’s other assistants Raphael Chillious and Dwayne Killings both landed on their feet. The Chill got an assistant coaching job at East Carolina so we will see him on the sideline when UConn plays ECU. Meanwhile, Killings got an assistant job at Marquette.
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