Coach Cal's busy offseason begins: UConn picks up Tyler Olander

by Kevin Meacham on Mar 25, 2010 12:21 PM EDT

Olander_medium

There's little doubt that UConn could use some reinforcements heading into next year. By my count, the Huskies need a guard to play alongside Kemba Walker who can hit somewhere between 35 and 100 percent of his jumpshots, and a skilled big man to push the Oriakhi-Majok-Okwandu trio of offensive hell.

Coach Cal, benevolent leader as we know he is, has perhaps solved the second problem this morning.

According to Scout.com (I don't have a Scout subscription, but the headline on the UConn Scout page, as well as this Boneyard message board thread, have some of the details) UConn picked up the committment of Tyler Olander, a 6-8 senior forward at EO Smith in Storrs. (UConn alumni/students/visitors may know EO Smith as "the high school you pass walking by the art complex on Bolton Road on your way to Wings or DP Dough".)

Olander chose UConn over Wake Forest, Florida and Virginia, which makes sense because, again, he can take a jump shot on EO Smith's campus and hit UConn's campus.

The book on Olander is that he is athletic, a good finisher, and a decent passer.

The New England Recruiting Report ranks Olander the 5th-best prospect in Connecticut (and eighth in the region) for the 2010 class, and the best non-prep school player. So this doesn't sound like an overwhelming get, but at the very least it sounds like the kid has some skills. UConn already has enough pure athletes...time will tell, but maybe it's good that we start balancing the scale a bit.

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Last comment summed it up

I am all for Calhoun’s approach of going after athletes…but…you need heady basketball players with above average skills to fill specific roles. If this years team had one outside threat (i.e. a Rashard Anderson Reverse Hot Tub Time Machine), the complexion of this team would have been much different allowing someone to stretch the defense and create room for Dyson/Kemba to drive with the threat of a kick.

I want those step up role players to compliment the Stix of the world.

Fireside Chats, the best Red Sox podcast on the web (or off it)

by tdaloisio on Mar 25, 2010 12:36 PM EDT reply actions

remember Brian Fair?

He was my favorite UConn deep threat ever. Utterly incompetent at everything except shooting threes.

by llimllib on Mar 25, 2010 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

If only

this guy came in when I was covering the team. I wonder how many times I would have replaced the “a” with an “e” when writing a story.

Needless to say, this is such a close spelling, I feel like I have family on the team now.

by The Columnist on Mar 25, 2010 1:08 PM EDT reply actions

e o smith commit...

ugh

"...Don't talk black to me. How do you even talk black? End words with izzle..." Modern Family

by kemba walker is my hero... on Mar 25, 2010 3:31 PM EDT reply actions

Really excited about this kid

For mostly abstract reasons. Love the idea of having a kid who balled next door to campus on the team. Love the idea of having someone who doesn’t rely on his athleticism to come be a not so timid Gavin Edwards for a couple years. And he’s left handed!

From what I’ve read he sounds aggressive and polished, at least at the Connecticut Class M level. Interesting to see him develop. Also heard rumor that was top 50 for 2011, but decided not to do a postgrad year. Also seems like his ceiling is Division 1 basketball. Maybe he’ll turn into one of those psycho duke-like players who only wants to win national championships because they’re never going to play in the NBA. The kind who chews out the jerome dyson types for taking wild drives. Wow. Imagine if someone did that? That’d be totally awesome.

I’d be okay with that.

by ponta on Mar 26, 2010 5:08 PM EDT reply actions