'11-'12 Scholarship Players

[bearcat jeff]

Let's take a look at next seasons scholarship players:

Point Guards
Cashmere Wright - When healthy Cash is a diference maker. Look for him to be an offense difference maker next season if his knee holds up.

Jeremiah Davis - Can knock down open looks and get to the rim. Has very good court vision and is also a very good passer. The question is can he guard athletic, quick Big East guards. Could slide over and play some at the 2 against zone defenses and at other times depending on match ups.

Ge'Lawn Guyn - Pass first point guard who is excellent on the break and has a really good floater in the lane. Has the attitude and tools to be an excellent defender. He is much stronger than his wiry frame would indicate. The battle for minutes between he and Davis is the most interesting for me.

Shooting Guards
Dion Dixon - Pencil him in at the starting position again. If he has another off-season like last year watch out. Needs more consistency on his outside shot. Would like to see him work his left hand and use his athleticism to attack more. One of the best rebounding guards in the Big East.

Jaquon Parker - Moving over to the 2 will really benefit him next season. Looking for his shooting percentages to more closely resemble his freshman season than last seasons. Won't be surprised to see him play the 3 at times as well.

Sean Kilpatrick - My initial guess is he will start along with Cash and Dion in a 3 guard set on the perimeter. Expect to see Killa as the first or second option on offense. His outside shot needs to be more consistent and he needs to develop the mid-range game.

Small Forwards - As stated above I believe Parker and SK will see some minutes here too.

Jermaine Sanders - Has the physical attributes to play in the Big East right away. 'Maines shot is smooth and he can score inside or outside. Like Davis, the question is can he defend? With a concentration on losing body fat and becoming leaner this question should take care of itself and he may be able to play both wing positions. Has a very solid overall game.

Shaquille Thomas - Probably has the most potential of any of the incoming recruits. Shaq has off the charts athleticism. He needs to gain weight and strength but his leaping ability and athleticism will allow him to compete. Big questions with Shaq is where will his head be and will he do what's necessary to meet his potential. If he does the sky's the limit.

Low Post Players
Yancy Gates - If we see the same effort from him as we did the last 10 games of last season and he puts time in this off-season we could see something special. Continued improvemet at the free throw line, a more consistent mid-range shot and a concentration on being strong in the post should be his focus.

Justin Jackson - All he needs to do is gain good weight and get stronger. His energy and effort are unquestionable. Has the ability to take people off the dribble and has a nice 12-15 foot shot he didn't display last season. He has to put time in at the charity stripe and get his percentage to at least 60% next season.

Kelvin Gaines - Admittedly raw but the consensus is he is the most athletically gifted big man on the team and with Jackson and Gates on the roster that's saying something. Will be a rebounding and defensive specialist with shot blocking ability. Anything we get offensively from him will be a bonus.

Cheikh Mbodji - The great unknown. If you believe what you read and what his coach says, he has a very solid fundamental base. Said to be able to play inside and step out and hit shots as well. He is a good passer that knows how to play high post/low post. He didn't have great rebounding numbers as a juco so the question is can he rebound in the Big East? Bearcats will need some contribution from him.

Octavious Ellis - Is simply not physically ready for the Big East. He can be lazy, a quality he cannot afford to play on this level with his physical deficiencies. I believe he will be redshirted.

For the first time since Mick's arrival I think we are solidly 2 deep at each position. With good talent returning and the probable starting five in place all this team needs is some solid contributions from 2-3 of the bench players. The Bearcats will have reliable scorers. The loss of Bishop will hurt on defense and the team will have to come together in that regard. With the incoming talent next season could be something to watch.

 

[nparker1]

great overview of the team Bearcat Jeff...i am hoping this team will be faster and even more conditioned than last years team, which in my opinion, will make up for the lack of size...

 

[dp3113]

Let's take a look at next seasons scholarship players:

Point Guards
Cashmere Wright - When healthy Cash is a diference maker. Look for him to be an offense difference maker next season if his knee holds up.

Jeremiah Davis - Can knock down open looks and get to the rim. Has very good court vision and is also a very good passer. The question is can he guard athletic, quick Big East guards. Could slide over and play some at the 2 against zone defenses and at other times depending on match ups.

Ge'Lawn Guyn - Pass first point guard who is excellent on the break and has a really good floater in the lane. Has the attitude and tools to be an excellent defender. He is much stronger than his wiry frame would indicate. The battle for minutes between he and Davis is the most interesting for me.

Shooting Guards
Dion Dixon - Pencil him in at the starting position again. If he has another off-season like last year watch out. Needs more consistency on his outside shot. Would like to see him work his left hand and use his athleticism to attack more. One of the best rebounding guards in the Big East.

Jaquon Parker - Moving over to the 2 will really benefit him next season. Looking for his shooting percentages to more closely resemble his freshman season than last seasons. Won't be surprised to see him play the 3 at times as well.

Sean Kilpatrick - My initial guess is he will start along with Cash and Dion in a 3 guard set on the perimeter. Expect to see Killa as the first or second option on offense. His outside shot needs to be more consistent and he needs to develop the mid-range game.

Small Forwards - As stated above I believe Parker and SK will see some minutes here too.

Jermaine Sanders - Has the physical attributes to play in the Big East right away. 'Maines shot is smooth and he can score inside or outside. Like Davis, the question is can he defend? With a concentration on losing body fat and becoming leaner this question should take care of itself and he may be able to play both wing positions. Has a very solid overall game.

Shaquille Thomas - Probably has the most potential of any of the incoming recruits. Shaq has off the charts athleticism. He needs to gain weight and strength but his leaping ability and athleticism will allow him to compete. Big questions with Shaq is where will his head be and will he do what's necessary to meet his potential. If he does the sky's the limit.

Low Post Players
Yancy Gates - If we see the same effort from him as we did the last 10 games of last season and he puts time in this off-season we could see something special. Continued improvemet at the free throw line, a more consistent mid-range shot and a concentration on being strong in the post should be his focus.

Justin Jackson - All he needs to do is gain good weight and get stronger. His energy and effort are unquestionable. Has the ability to take people off the dribble and has a nice 12-15 foot shot he didn't display last season. He has to put time in at the charity stripe and get his percentage to at least 60% next season.

Kelvin Gaines - Admittedly raw but the consensus is he is the most athletically gifted big man on the team and with Jackson and Gates on the roster that's saying something. Will be a rebounding and defensive specialist with shot blocking ability. Anything we get offensively from him will be a bonus.

Cheikh Mbodji - The great unknown. If you believe what you read and what his coach says, he has a very solid fundamental base. Said to be able to play inside and step out and hit shots as well. He is a good passer that knows how to play high post/low post. He didn't have great rebounding numbers as a juco so the question is can he rebound in the Big East? Bearcats will need some contribution from him.

Octavious Ellis - Is simply not physically ready for the Big East. He can be lazy, a quality he cannot afford to play on this level with his physical deficiencies. I believe he will be redshirted.

For the first time since Mick's arrival I think we are solidly 2 deep at each position. With good talent returning and the probable starting five in place all this team needs is some solid contributions from 2-3 of the bench players. The Bearcats will have reliable scorers. The loss of Bishop will hurt on defense and the team will have to come together in that regard. With the incoming talent next season could be something to watch.

i think everything is on point. i think biggest thing for jackson is him being able to sustain minutes by not fouling.

i have a question about the 2 deep statement- dont you think last year we were deeper? we had experience last year- and all the freshmen you listed are unknowns. i think its hard to count any of them, and gaines as "legit depth yet". we might have more athletes, but i dont think theres anyways we are deeper this year than last year.

depth isnt bodies able to play. depth means bodies you can play without a drop off in execution. right now we have 5 returning contributors, 1 guy who hardly played last year, 1 redshirt, and 6 newcomers. that doesnt really ooze depth to me.

 

[bearcat jeff]

i think everything is on point. i think biggest thing for jackson is him being able to sustain minutes by not fouling.

i have a question about the 2 deep statement- dont you think last year we were deeper? we had experience last year- and all the freshmen you listed are unknowns. i think its hard to count any of them, and gaines as "legit depth yet". we might have more athletes, but i dont think theres anyways we are deeper this year than last year.

depth isnt bodies able to play. depth means bodies you can play without a drop off in execution. right now we have 5 returning contributors, 1 guy who hardly played last year, 1 redshirt, and 6 newcomers. that doesnt really ooze depth to me.

Your points are valid ones. Most coaches will tell you that will take talent over experience any day. I believe you need a mix. The only place I think UC will see a drop off is in the variety of ways Bishop contributed. Mick is smart enough to alter style to fit the roster. If the top 6 or 7 have to play more minutes he will set tempo to do that. If the freshman pg's can't handle their role Dixon will play some point. Jackson played a key role as a frosh and you won't convince me he played near the competition in HS that Davis, Thomas, Guyn and Sanders played against. Defense is my major concern. Not depth.

 

[dp3113]

Your points are valid ones. Most coaches will tell you that will take talent over experience any day. I believe you need a mix. The only place I think UC will see a drop off is in the variety of ways Bishop contributed. Mick is smart enough to alter style to fit the roster. If the top 6 or 7 have to play more minutes he will set tempo to do that. If the freshman pg's can't handle their role Dixon will play some point. Jackson played a key role as a frosh and you won't convince me he played near the competition in HS that Davis, Thomas, Guyn and Sanders played against. Defense is my major concern. Not depth.

i agree for the most part on talent over experience- but you need a mix.

however, my point is that the talent needs to be able to come in and not let there be a big drop off to constitute depth. we do have more talent. can they come in and play d? know the sets? guard without fouling? make the right pass? understand how to play the zone press?

we definitely have more talent and more big east caliber players. i just dont think we have legit depth that exceeds last year, even though our seniors were not a very talented group.

 

[bearcat jeff]

We both agree for the most part. All valid points.

 

[JasonS]

Put me down as one that thinks this team will be deeper, offensively, than last year. How many of these freshmen play will be contingent on how good they are defensively. The seniors last year were good defensively.

Bishop could have been the Big East defensive player of the year.
Larry Davis was arguably our best perimeter defender.
Wilks held his own at the 4 and did a good job of rebounding the ball.
Biggie was much stronger down low and was not taken advantage of and usually contributed solid minutes when he was in there.
Thomas got into foul trouble too often but he played well more often than not.

This year's freshmen have to be able to guard someone to have an impact. If Sanders can improve his lateral quickness by dropping some weight, he could have an immediate impact. On the other side of the spectrum, Shaq Thomas will have to add a little bulk to hold up physically in Big East play. His skill is without question. I think Davis and Guyn will play well enough defensively to see significant time at the point. With Davis' offensive ability, I think Mick will give him every chance to get minutes. I also think Ellis is not physically ready at this point and I agree with Jeff that he will most likely be red-shirted this year (which will also help balance the classes). Mbodji should be physically ready to play and if he can knock down a 15 foot jumper on a regular basis, he could be a nice piece to the puzzle this year.

All in all, if 2 or 3 of the freshmen can log minutes and Mbodji is what he was billed as, this team will be 8-10 deep again but much better offensively in terms of talent. There will no doubt be a drop off defensively, but I don't know how much. Hopefully the offensive upgrade can offset anything lost defensively.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Put me down as one that thinks this team will be deeper, offensively, than last year. How many of these freshmen play will be contingent on how good they are defensively. The seniors last year were good defensively.

Bishop could have been the Big East defensive player of the year.
Larry Davis was arguably our best perimeter defender.
Wilks held his own at the 4 and did a good job of rebounding the ball.
Biggie was much stronger down low and was not taken advantage of and usually contributed solid minutes when he was in there.
Thomas got into foul trouble too often but he played well more often than not.

This year's freshmen have to be able to guard someone to have an impact. If Sanders can improve his lateral quickness by dropping some weight, he could have an immediate impact. On the other side of the spectrum, Shaq Thomas will have to add a little bulk to hold up physically in Big East play. His skill is without question. I think Davis and Guyn will play well enough defensively to see significant time at the point. With Davis' offensive ability, I think Mick will give him every chance to get minutes. I also think Ellis is not physically ready at this point and I agree with Jeff that he will most likely be red-shirted this year (which will also help balance the classes). Mbodji should be physically ready to play and if he can knock down a 15 foot jumper on a regular basis, he could be a nice piece to the puzzle this year.

All in all, if 2 or 3 of the freshmen can log minutes and Mbodji is what he was billed as, this team will be 8-10 deep again but much better offensively in terms of talent. There will no doubt be a drop off defensively, but I don't know how much. Hopefully the offensive upgrade can offset anything lost defensively.

I will not be surprised at all to see more zone/press next season. If the frosh can't play strong enough m2m I fully expect them to 3/4 court press and zone.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Put me down as one that thinks this team will be deeper, offensively, than last year. How many of these freshmen play will be contingent on how good they are defensively. The seniors last year were good defensively.

Bishop could have been the Big East defensive player of the year.
Larry Davis was arguably our best perimeter defender.
Wilks held his own at the 4 and did a good job of rebounding the ball.
Biggie was much stronger down low and was not taken advantage of and usually contributed solid minutes when he was in there.
Thomas got into foul trouble too often but he played well more often than not.

This year's freshmen have to be able to guard someone to have an impact. If Sanders can improve his lateral quickness by dropping some weight, he could have an immediate impact. On the other side of the spectrum, Shaq Thomas will have to add a little bulk to hold up physically in Big East play. His skill is without question. I think Davis and Guyn will play well enough defensively to see significant time at the point. With Davis' offensive ability, I think Mick will give him every chance to get minutes. I also think Ellis is not physically ready at this point and I agree with Jeff that he will most likely be red-shirted this year (which will also help balance the classes). Mbodji should be physically ready to play and if he can knock down a 15 foot jumper on a regular basis, he could be a nice piece to the puzzle this year.

All in all, if 2 or 3 of the freshmen can log minutes and Mbodji is what he was billed as, this team will be 8-10 deep again but much better offensively in terms of talent. There will no doubt be a drop off defensively, but I don't know how much. Hopefully the offensive upgrade can offset anything lost defensively.

I will not be surprised at all to see more zone/press next season. If the frosh can't play strong enough m2m I fully expect them to 3/4 court press and zone.

 

[cincinnati insanity]

I agree with maybe ellis not being strong enough physically, but sometimes kids frames will not hold weight like others. I for one think Ellis will be very good and dont think that they should necessarily red shirt him unless skill wise he is behind. there is to much emphasis on bulk and not skill. darnell for example could of been redshirted 10 times and still would not of added bulk to him. Wilks needed a better understanding of the game more than he needed weight. i would love to see Ellis next year playing. And all though i believe he should gain some weight, i wouldnt risk what he brings to the table for a legitimate elite eight team.

 

[dp3113]

I agree with maybe ellis not being strong enough physically, but sometimes kids frames will not hold weight like others. I for one think Ellis will be very good and dont think that they should necessarily red shirt him unless skill wise he is behind. there is to much emphasis on bulk and not skill. darnell for example could of been redshirted 10 times and still would not of added bulk to him. Wilks needed a better understanding of the game more than he needed weight. i would love to see Ellis next year playing. And all though i believe he should gain some weight, i wouldnt risk what he brings to the table for a legitimate elite eight team.

you cant play everyone though. if you play too many players, roles are undefined and that leads to problems. there is a reason the best teams routinely have rotations of 8 guys who play a lot and maybe a 9th or 10th who contribute here or there at certain points.

a good example is texas 2 years. probably 12 d-1 starters on their team. yet they collapsed because there was no cohesion or roles. ellis is a raw player. a 185 PF isnt going to come in and do anything on defense in the big east. darnell didnt add weight, but he got stronger. he was a solid 205 and could actually guard by his senior year without getting knocked over like he did his first two years.

 

[TheLongHaul]

you cant play everyone though. if you play too many players, roles are undefined and that leads to problems. there is a reason the best teams routinely have rotations of 8 guys who play a lot and maybe a 9th or 10th who contribute here or there at certain points.

a good example is texas 2 years. probably 12 d-1 starters on their team. yet they collapsed because there was no cohesion or roles. ellis is a raw player. a 185 PF isnt going to come in and do anything on defense in the big east. darnell didnt add weight, but he got stronger. he was a solid 205 and could actually guard by his senior year without getting knocked over like he did his first two years.

I agree. Depth tends to be very overrated. It's helpful when in foul trouble but in reality most good teams play their best 8 or so player the vast majority of the game.

 

[psax889906]

I agree. Depth tends to be very overrated. It's helpful when in foul trouble but in reality most good teams play their best 8 or so player the vast majority of the game.

I'm not sure it's over rated. I think there is a fine line- you need a certain amount of depth for the style of play Mick wants to run as well as you mentioned, it can aid in situations of foul trouble. At the same time, I agree that if your rotation goes too deep (10, 11, 12 guys regularly) roles are difficult to define and cohesion on the court is as well.

Give me a strong 8,9 or 10 and I'm happy. Theoretically (and hopefully) that means you've got interchangeable parts and lose as little as possible when a starter comes out of the game. Clearly that's not always the case but I think that's what you strive for.

 

[adrock]

I agree. Depth tends to be very overrated. It's helpful when in foul trouble but in reality most good teams play their best 8 or so player the vast majority of the game.

Depth is critical for disciplinary and practice intensity reasons. Just because you only play 7 or 8 in a typical game doesn't mean being 10-11 deep with talented players doesn't bear fruit.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Depth is critical for disciplinary and practice intensity reasons. Just because you only play 7 or 8 in a typical game doesn't mean being 10-11 deep with talented players doesn't bear fruit.

It's nice to have for injuries and foul trouble as well. You can also exploit match ups, and use it defensively to wear a player or players down.

 

[TheLongHaul]

Depth is critical for disciplinary and practice intensity reasons. Just because you only play 7 or 8 in a typical game doesn't mean being 10-11 deep with talented players doesn't bear fruit.

Never said it's worthless. But if you look at the best teams over the past decade, they tend to go about 8 deep. IMO, the so called "depth" of the roster hurt this team the last two years. IMO too many players got too much playing time, especially early on.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Your points are valid ones. Most coaches will tell you that will take talent over experience any day. I believe you need a mix. The only place I think UC will see a drop off is in the variety of ways Bishop contributed. Mick is smart enough to alter style to fit the roster. If the top 6 or 7 have to play more minutes he will set tempo to do that. If the freshman pg's can't handle their role Dixon will play some point. Jackson played a key role as a frosh and you won't convince me he played near the competition in HS that Davis, Thomas, Guyn and Sanders played against. Defense is my major concern. Not depth.

I think defense off the bench will be a bigger drop off than what we lose with Bishop. Don't get me wrong, Bishop's loss will be felt as well as Thomas ability to position himself on the rebounding end (hopefully Jackson can replace this), but what Davis and Wilks brought off the bench was invaluable last season. There were games where they came in for a brief spell and as a team we just shut opponents down. I'm hard-pressed to believe we'll see that type of discipline on the defensive end out of freshmen. My only hope is Parker can mature enough to come off the bench and kind of be our Larry Davis the next two seasons.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Exactly why I believe there will be more match up zone. They will be long and athletic. Mick and the staff do a very good job teaching team rebounding. The perimeter guys are experienced for the most part. I look for zone early in the season with some m2m mixed in and for the team to transition as the season goes on to more man defense. The one constant I believe will be a 3/4 court press with some fullcourt press as well.

 

[bearcat jeff]

It won't be long and players will start arriving on campus for the summer! I'm already excited for the summer league!!