Rutgers and UConn Men's Basketball, It's All About the Uniform
Connecticut is in the Elite Eight. They play Michigan State tomorrow in New York City. Second year coach Kevin Ollie has them believing that they can win. He is also already known as a master coach. His utilization of a smaller line-up in the second half against a talented Iowa State team was the difference in the win. Shabazz Napier does not hurt Ollie's coaching either. UConn now stands at 29-8 and the beat will go on next season, win or lose Sunday, as Ollie has a top recruiting class coming in, led by Daniel Hamilton.
Juxtaposed against the UConn success is former rival, Rutgers, entering the Big Ten next season. First year coach Eddie Jordan, simply said, apparently had his team believing that they would lose once they took the court. He showed no coaching acumen, despite his years coaching three teams in the NBA. His team finished at 12-21 and ended with an amazing 61 point loss to Louisville on a neutral court.
Other coaches in college and the NBA scratched their heads at Jordan's performance. Some could not believe that he was hired in the first place. Jordan has already lost three players from this season's team due to transfer and has very little coming in next year to compete in the difficult Big Ten.
Rutgers was once a proud program when Jordan played in the 1970's. Even one of his former teammates is stunned at how Jordan's first Rutgers team performed. UConn may not win tomorrow, but they will be expecting to, as they take the court. Ollie has them believing.
Jordan is almost assuredly looking at another 20 loss season next year. It's all about the uniform sometimes and in the cases of Rutgers and UConn, that is truer than ever.
