Props to TO

[ctchamps]

I asked my wife at the beginning of the game how long I would go before I moaned about Tyler's play. She said 34 seconds. Well I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by his bounce back this game. At the Paradise Jam Tyler's body language was off. In this game he played like the first two games of the season. Even when he wasn't getting rebounds he was effective at boxing out.

 

[8893]

I asked my wife at the beginning of the game how long I would go before I moaned about Tyler's play. She said 34 seconds. Well I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by his bounce back this game. At the Paradise Jam Tyler's body language was off. In this game he played like the first two games of the season. Even when he wasn't getting rebounds he was effective at boxing out.

And there's the rub. Do you let him play through the ugliness of the first few minutes, or do you give him the quick hook? I wanted to punch him in the throat in the first half, and Ollie as well for not ripping him a new one. But he got better the longer he played today.

Not sure how much of a choice we have with the lack of depth in our front court. For better or worse, TO is going to get plenty of time to develop.

 

[Fishy]

As a fan and not a coach, I have the right, and the obligation, to lose my freaking mind with practically no provocation. Tyler did a better job in the second half...

But, duck*, he can't take some of those shots.

When your 6'9" power forward has the lowest shooting percentage on the team, some coaching intervention is required.

 

[uconnfan68]

And there's the rub. Do you let him play through the ugliness of the first few minutes, or do you give him the quick hook? I wanted to punch him in the throat in the first half, and Ollie as well for not ripping him a new one. But he got better the longer he played today.

Not sure how much of a choice we have with the lack of depth in our front court. For better or worse, TO is going to get plenty of time to develop.

His game changed completely in the second half... for the better. If he's under control he'll be OK.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

As a fan and not a coach, I have the right, and the obligation, to lose my freaking mind with practically no provocation. Tyler did a better job in the second half...

But, duck*, he can't take some of those shots.

When your 6'9" power forward has the lowest shooting percentage on the team, some coaching intervention is required.

I assumed that the shots he was being set up for at the beginning of the game and early in the second half were at the direction of the coach, wanting to get him going. JC used to do this frequently for the bigs in the past.

 

[HarryAGampel]

Nice bounce back game from Olander. My concern with him is his lack of ability going right. His moves become too obvious so if teams get a good scouting report on him, he'll be completely neutralized.

 

[Fishy]

I assumed that the shots he was being set up for at the beginning of the game and early in the second half were at the direction of the coach, wanting to get him going. JC used to do this frequently for the bigs in the past.

If Ollie is trying to get Tyler Olander 'going', he should be escorted from campus or just shot. You don't run set plays to allow your 36%-from-the-field big man to get into his 18' shot groove. He doesn't possess that particular groove.

You can watch Tyler think when he gets the ball...nothing happens in the first half-second, the second half-second he looks up to see if he can pass and after that entire second or two passes, Tyler either forces a jump shot or he starts a glacial post-move that you could defend.

 

[Dove]

I know I can take Olander down low. Even worse, I know a drunken mau or even ol' Essex Ed could too.

 

[aceboon]

I assumed that the shots he was being set up for at the beginning of the game and early in the second half were at the direction of the coach, wanting to get him going. JC used to do this frequently for the bigs in the past.

He did, not sure why these guys are acting like if this is something entirely new. Tyler received the first passes into the post in the SDSU and Butler games in the '11 tourney(and converted on both) and now these guys are acting as if KO is trying to re-invent the wheel by trying to get him going against Stony Brook.

 

[mauconnfan]

I asked my wife at the beginning of the game how long I would go before I moaned about Tyler's play. She said 34 seconds. Well I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by his bounce back this game. At the Paradise Jam Tyler's body language was off. In this game he played like the first two games of the season. Even when he wasn't getting rebounds he was effective at boxing out.

Tyler had a pretty good 2nd half but the first was not very...........he forced offense and even tried 2 times to dribble through double teams...........he is playing like he needs to be something, an athlete perhaps when he just needs to be the 6'9" white guy who can make an occasional foul line jumper and back down a guy for a left handed banker.........he needs to be the guy who moves his feet more rather than body up and try to pound the offensive player.........he did that in the 2nd half for the most part but prior he was trying to be Michael Beasley and he's not close.......when he is cut off he can't force but just pivot and throw it back out - right now he seems to think it's failure and is going to get a shot off and it's either blocked or a brick........I feel for him, UConn is asking a lot to have him playing against bigger, better athletes considering his game but he needs to understand he can only do so much and trying to do more will hurt the team.......

 

[Scot-e]

TO is a great role player being forced to do more then he should - we just do not have many choices.

 

[Husky68]

If Ollie is trying to get Tyler Olander 'going', he should be escorted from campus or just shot. You don't run set plays to allow your 36%-from-the-field big man to get into his 18' shot groove. He doesn't possess that particular groove.

You can watch Tyler think when he gets the ball...nothing happens in the first half-second, the second half-second he looks up to see if he can pass and after that entire second or two passes, Tyler either forces a jump shot or he starts a glacial post-move that you could defend.

Makes good sense to me. Getting ball inside requires ball movement and player spacing. Good way to start game, get ball inside. It's a 40 minute game, make the other teams bigs play defense early. TO needs to play better and make shots (and quicker decisions and pass out), just like DD and OC and Giff; need to get them involved in offense so they can get better. I'd do same when Wolf comes in (not so much Nolan) and get him ball with space to work; need other teams bigs to have top spend some energy guarding their guy rather than roaming around ready to help on defense.

 

[ctchamps]

Tyler had a pretty good 2nd half but the first was not very...........he forced offense and even tried 2 times to dribble through double teams...........he is playing like he needs to be something, an athlete perhaps when he just needs to be the 6'9" white guy who can make an occasional foul line jumper and back down a guy for a left handed banker.........he needs to be the guy who moves his feet more rather than body up and try to pound the offensive player.........he did that in the 2nd half for the most part but prior he was trying to be Michael Beasley and he's not close.......when he is cut off he can't force but just pivot and throw it back out - right now he seems to think it's failure and is going to get a shot off and it's either blocked or a brick........I feel for him, UConn is asking a lot to have him playing against bigger, better athletes considering his game but he needs to understand he can only do so much and trying to do more will hurt the team.......

On the offensive end he did seem to force things as oppose to kick it out. My gut tells me that he is being coached to do this. Like it or not TO and DD have to keep opposing defenses honest. It is painful to watch sometimes but I'm happy with this coaching choice. Limited is better than absent even if not by much. There was a sequence of three plays midway in the second half, one by TO, one by DD and one by OC, all floaters that went in. After that SB packed it in and that opened the perimeter for UConn. This is the time of year to give players opportunities to develop that will serve the team better mid and late season. SN is the only player on the team who doesn't need that opportunity.

What I was happiest about in this game was TO's play on the defensive end. He stayed vertical and boxed out his player much better in this game than the Paradise Jam. He appeared to have shed his funk. He is a 4-8 rebound guy but this team needs all of those rebounds or at least his ability to keep his player honest.

 

[zls44]

Makes good sense to me. Getting ball inside requires ball movement and player spacing. Good way to start game, get ball inside. It's a 40 minute game, make the other teams bigs play defense early. TO needs to play better and make shots (and quicker decisions and pass out), just like DD and OC and Giff; need to get them involved in offense so they can get better. I'd do same when Wolf comes in (not so much Nolan) and get him ball with space to work; need other teams bigs to have top spend some energy guarding their guy rather than roaming around ready to help on defense.

My retort: how about running some plays for Boatright or Napier instead. You know, the players who score.

 

[ctchamps]

My retort: how about running some plays for Boatright or Napier instead. You know, the players who score.

Too short sighted. These guys are the most polished players on the team. The other guys are the ones needing to figure things out. I want the focus to be on their development first half of the season.

 

[aceboon]

My retort: how about running some plays for Boatright or Napier instead. You know, the players who score.

Good luck with those being the only guys that can score once conference play hits. Bazz and Boat can get theirs anytime they want(well Bazz can, since I'm not sure what's up with Boat), other guys need to have confidence that they can hit a shot, you build that confidence by doing it against non conference foes that are overmatched.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

you build that confidence by doing it against non conference foes that are overmatched.

Or, in the case of this season, that are just as good as you.

 

[Scot-e]

or not that over matched in the front court.

 

[aceboon]

Or, in the case of this season, that are just as good as you.

Well yea, overmatched was probably a poor choice of words, my point still stands. I have no issues with trying to get him going and letting him shoot a face up 15 fter(which he's gotta start knocking down consistently) or trying to execute a quick post move, none of this whirling, spinning nonsense he's been trying to pull off.

 

[uconnfan68]

My retort: how about running some plays for Boatright or Napier instead. You know, the players who score.

Meh, they run their own plays. Sometimes too much.

 

[Kitaman]

I hope Tyler doesn't get the Taliek treatment while here. He's the best big we have and decided not to transfer like his frontcourt teammates. He earned a Championship Ring, it wasn't gifted.

He is not an All American, or an Anthony Davis, but he can play Div 1 basketball. What more do people want?