Ollie Calls Team ‘Talented Group'

You get the sense Ollie really does feel good about the roster, especially with the addition of three veteran transfers.

Kevin Ollie spoke to reporters last week about the 2015-16 Huskies team and he called it "a talented group," according to the New Haven Register.

Hardly surprising, we know. Every coach, at least publicly, will offer a similar refrain this time of year, but you get the sense Ollie really does feel good about the roster, especially with the addition of three veteran transfers that provide some much-needed experience.

Speaking of which, Shonn Miller, in Ollie's eyes, is "rebounding magnet ... very cerebral, able to pick up on things quickly," while Sterling Gibbs is "just a basketball player. He plays at a pace you can't get him out of, which is something I love."

"He's not a Ricky Moore, as far as pushing the ball. But he's also a very smart player throwing the ball ahead."

As for the veterans currently on the roster, Ollie had this to say about junior Amida Brimah: "[He needs to] eliminate some of those foolish mistakes that he did. Some of them were trying to take charges, or illegal screens 35 feet from the basket ... It happens, but I think it happened too much for him. Freshman, sophomore year, I'll lay off, but junior year, you've got to eliminate some of those mistakes and stay on the court. I think he's heard that a lot from me, he's aggravated from me saying that -- which is a good thing."

Then there are Terrence Samuel and Rakim Lubin, who transferred this offseason.

"Sooner or later, it's gonna happen," Ollie said. "They felt they had a better situation playing a little more in another program."

"I thought Terrence played a lot of minutes. I stuck with him, but he stuck with me, too. He allowed us to win a championship. He played a pivotal role. You hate to see him go, because that team was something special to me. Not because we won the national championship, but that year prior, to stick by me in the lean times, I've got a special place in my heart for that team."

Oh, and there's the third transfer, Terry Larrier, who will sit out the upcoming season but be eligible for 2016-17.

"Wow. Ooooooh, he is so good," Ollie said. "Man, he is fantastic. He's long, he's athletic, he can shoot the ball, runs the court, great person to be around. His teammates love him."

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