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- Aug 26, 2011
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This was just one win, but it felt like so much more than that. UConn came out of the gate and played JUST LIKE a Jim Calhoun team - they embraced the ' you' mentality that has become an overused cliche in sports, but yet cannot represent this program any better. Not only did they want to win for their coach, but they almost seemed terrified of letting him down, and that means a hell of a lot more to me than anything that happened on the basketball court today. I thought Ryan Boatright put it best before the game, when he emphatically stated "We are not going to let Kevin Ollie down". Well, they certainly backed it up on the court - it almost looked like five Kemba Walker's out there at times. They clawed and fought for every loose ball, dove on the floor for loose balls, and grinded out every single point the stingy MSU defense would allow in the second half.
This team still has a lot of flaws, and they are still going to struggle mightily at times, but the way UConn played today, specificaly in the first half, was a culmination of all the program has been through the past 12 months, from the APR, to suspensions, to Roscoe and Oriakhi bailing in the face of adversity, to Jim Calhoun retiring, to the somewhat insulting one year contract, and to the medias blatant disregard of the talent on the roster. Yes, they played ANGRY today, and they played for one another.
And what other coach would have brought the whole team together for a post game interview, like Ollie did today after the final seconds had ticked away? I almost thought I was watching the end of a sports movie. Not to go overboard with the sappy nonsense, but the BROTHERHOOD Ollie has preached was extremely evident in the way they interacted with each other on and off the court.
I'll get to the X's and O's stuff tomorrow (and there was a whole lot to like in that department as well), but just one game into the season, the one thing I can say with absolute certainty, is the chemistry this team exhibits, and the work they put in, will not be exceeded by ANY other team in the country, and that means a hell of a lot.
This team still has a lot of flaws, and they are still going to struggle mightily at times, but the way UConn played today, specificaly in the first half, was a culmination of all the program has been through the past 12 months, from the APR, to suspensions, to Roscoe and Oriakhi bailing in the face of adversity, to Jim Calhoun retiring, to the somewhat insulting one year contract, and to the medias blatant disregard of the talent on the roster. Yes, they played ANGRY today, and they played for one another.
And what other coach would have brought the whole team together for a post game interview, like Ollie did today after the final seconds had ticked away? I almost thought I was watching the end of a sports movie. Not to go overboard with the sappy nonsense, but the BROTHERHOOD Ollie has preached was extremely evident in the way they interacted with each other on and off the court.
I'll get to the X's and O's stuff tomorrow (and there was a whole lot to like in that department as well), but just one game into the season, the one thing I can say with absolute certainty, is the chemistry this team exhibits, and the work they put in, will not be exceeded by ANY other team in the country, and that means a hell of a lot.
