2015-16 "Too Early" Preseason Basketball Top 25

[BearcatSpaniard513]

Did we not have a chance with Abu or Terrell? Same for Kemba, Hasheem, Hopson etc...

We always were in with top talent, we were always bridesmaids. Partly due to facilities being outdated. I think that is the bigger issue, not sure if UA will actually help in recruiting. Lawrence was a big Adidas guy, but I have never heard a recruit say he wants to play for a UA school.

I think UA will definitely help out. We can promise them the top of the line gear, and plenty more of it. Not only that, but our uniforms will look much better than the current unis with Adidas. Go in the book store and notice the clothes you check out first. Most likely they'll be UA, or at least from my personal experience. Adidas has some nice stuff, but I think they try too hard to differentiate from Nike

 

[IABearcat]

Diamond Stone mentioned Under Armour when picking Maryland over Wisconsin.

 

[Bulldog01]

We are making the tourney every single year with these underrated players, but I fear our style of play is keeping NBA ready players away. Defense doesn't really matter in the NBA

Cuban basically trashed teams like us saying were bad for basketball. I believe he's 100% correct also. Cronin doesn't care if he wins 1-0 or 99-24 he just want wins. Development of players in our program is horrendous from our style of play. Speed tempo up and put shooters in corners, I guarantee recruiting picks up. Players trying get to nba want to play like Shaq not Caupain.

 

[Bulldog01]

Diamond Stone mentioned Under Armour when picking Maryland over Wisconsin.

if a top aau team is sponsored by nike 85% of money players going to Nike colleges. Unless a parent has special preference coaches push hard for players to attend sponsored school

 

[JasonS]

Cuban basically trashed teams like us saying were bad for basketball. I believe he's 100% correct also. Cronin doesn't care if he wins 1-0 or 99-24 he just want wins. Development of players in our program is horrendous from our style of play. Speed tempo up and put shooters in corners, I guarantee recruiting picks up. Players trying get to nba want to play like Shaq not Caupain.

As usual you are clueless.

 

[bearcat jeff]

And the AAU Coaches and sometimes parents and kids pockets get lined. These brands have far to much power.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Cuban basically trashed teams like us saying were bad for basketball. I believe he's 100% correct also. Cronin doesn't care if he wins 1-0 or 99-24 he just want wins. Development of players in our program is horrendous from our style of play. Speed tempo up and put shooters in corners, I guarantee recruiting picks up. Players trying get to nba want to play like Shaq not Caupain.

I don't care if they win 1-0 or 99-24.... just win

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

As usual you are clueless.

He's kind of on to something. Recruiting is a dirty game and I can guarantee the way we play offense is used against us.

 

[Robert]

He's kind of on to something. Recruiting is a dirty game and I can guarantee the way we play offense is used against us.

Yep. I get that defense is our identity, but we will never win a championship playing the way we currently do. I do think we made a noticeable improvement on offense late in the year, and Mick Cronin's frequent comments about pushing the tempo are encouraging.

But yeah... it's kind of hard to recruit elite offensive talent playing offense the way we do. I don't necessarily want a bunch of one-and-done guys, but guys who can shoot the ball would be nice. I have a lot of hope for this year's recruiting class, and hopefully it's a sign of things to come. I know I sound like a broken record...

 

[JasonS]

He's kind of on to something. Recruiting is a dirty game and I can guarantee the way we play offense is used against us.

I should have bolded the part I was referring to. The part about player development. It just isn't true and it also doesn't help to put inaccuracies out there.

 

[BearcatSpaniard513]

Cuban basically trashed teams like us saying were bad for basketball. I believe he's 100% correct also. Cronin doesn't care if he wins 1-0 or 99-24 he just want wins. Development of players in our program is horrendous from our style of play. Speed tempo up and put shooters in corners, I guarantee recruiting picks up. Players trying get to nba want to play like Shaq not Caupain.

I respect Mark Cuban and think he is a great owner and business man. BUT he does wake up every day focused on making more $$$$$$$. And he is really good at it. His comments are his opinion and focused around the NCAA not catering to the NBA style of play and developing guys for him to have more success. If he could have it his way the NCAA would be the NBA D-league and game scores would be in the 100s.

I believe college basketball is the purest form of basketball. They press and actually play defense, and give it their all every single game. When you play an 82 game schedule and playoffs that go on FOREVER, you are bound to take plays or even games off. Me personally, I cannot stand watching an NBA game unless it's during the Playoffs, even then it would have to be a team like the Spurs were last year.

On a side note, how cool would it be to have an owner like him for the Bengals? The guy is extremely passionate about what he does.

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

I should have bolded the part I was referring to. The part about player development. It just isn't true and it also doesn't help to put inaccuracies out there.

Mick has had 1 2nd round draft pick in 9 years. Our player development hasn't been good bc of our style of play. Not sure how you can disagree with that.

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

Yep. I get that defense is our identity, but we will never win a championship playing the way we currently do. I do think we made a noticeable improvement on offense late in the year, and Mick Cronin's frequent comments about pushing the tempo are encouraging.

But yeah... it's kind of hard to recruit elite offensive talent playing offense the way we do. I don't necessarily want a bunch of one-and-done guys, but guys who can shoot the ball would be nice. I have a lot of hope for this year's recruiting class, and hopefully it's a sign of things to come. I know I sound like a broken record...

If we play zone defense against crap teams next year, I'm going to pull my hair out. Not forcing turnovers and having a team shoot after 30 seconds every time doesn't help pace (although actually I do think someone posted that our average offensive possessions were longer than defensive possessions last year). But that certainly doesn't help. No reason why we should have to pack in a zone against at least 20 teams on our schedule next year. Anyone have numbers on deflections last year? No way we were getting anywhere near 40.

 

[Robert]

Mick has had 1 2nd round draft pick in 9 years. Our player development hasn't been good bc of our style of play. Not sure how you can disagree with that.

Good lord, I didn't realize Lance was our only draft pick since James White. And since he was one-and-done, you can't really count him under the "player development" category.

 

[coachpipe]

Mick has had 1 2nd round draft pick in 9 years. Our player development hasn't been good bc of our style of play. Not sure how you can disagree with that.

People are still downplaying the whole shambles this program went into. Had to completely try and resell a product to the masses while everyone(fans, university, players and recruits gave up on the program). Not to mention at the worst time possible while Heading into the best college basketball conference that ever was. Zero recruits, Zero players, No head coach and probably the worst facilities in the entire conference. Has that EVER actually happened to a school before? and how long did It take them to recover?

I think we are just now starting to see a payoff. SK may not have been drafted, but his development can not be overlooked.

I also think if we hadnt been going into the big east that year it wouldnt have hit us as bad and wouldnt have taken as long to recover.

 

[BearcatSpaniard513]

Good lord, I didn't realize Lance was our only draft pick since James White. And since he was one-and-done, you can't really count him under the "player development" category.

There is no one on the coaching staff to blame for Yancy Gates not being in the NBA other than himself. I know that would still only give us 2, but it's better than 1

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

People are still downplaying the whole shambles this program went into. Had to completely try and resell a product to the masses while everyone(fans, university, players and recruits gave up on the program). Not to mention at the worst time possible while Heading into the best college basketball conference that ever was. Zero recruits, Zero players, No head coach and probably the worst facilities in the entire conference. Has that EVER actually happened to a school before? and how long did It take them to recover?

I get all that. But we're entering season #10 under Mick. At what point is that stuff no longer an excuse? We went to the Big East finals and Sweet 16 in year 6...why was that not the moment where the program got over the hump?

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Good lord, I didn't realize Lance was our only draft pick since James White. And since he was one-and-done, you can't really count him under the "player development" category.

If you take out the one and dones then UK hasn't developed anyone, well maybe Darius Miller. How many college Jr and Sr's are in the draft? UK has a junior that was a top 20 recruit that nobody guarded the whole tourney.

Is the NBA the only metric people are using for player development?

In one regard it is a testament of what Mick can do with inferior talent.

 

[coachpipe]

I get all that. But we're entering season #10 under Mick. At what point is that stuff no longer an excuse? We went to the Big East finals and Sweet 16 in year 6...why was that not the moment where the program got over the hump?

We have gotten over the hump. 5 NCAA tourney(some will say thats not an accomplishment, thats fine)

But I still want to know if that has ever happened to a program and what their recovery time was. Its 2015 everyone wants quick results without the work, but usually that isnt the case. when a kid comes to visit UC and sees our amenities and then goes to Louisville or Cuse its obvious who the choice will be. The university withing the last 5 years finally started to do renovations to the campus(thats what draws 17-18 year olds), to start drawing up plans for new facilities, ect. Mick and co werent the deterrent, the facilities were, the fact there was no brand. Things take time. People have a hard time understanding that. I blame everyone uptop who took the passive approach of we will take care of it when the time comes instead of the proactive step to making the area a better place

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

If you take out the one and dones then UK hasn't developed anyone, well maybe Darius Miller. How many college Jr and Sr's are in the draft? UK has a junior that was a top 20 recruit that nobody guarded the whole tourney.

Is the NBA the only metric people are using for player development?

In one regard it is a testament of what Mick can do with inferior talent.

Kentucky has had guys stay in college more than 1 year. Liggins, Miller, Meeks, Harrison's, Cauley-Stein, Patterson, Poythress, T Jones, Dakari Johnson, Lee, Wiltjer (didn't go pro). They just seem to have lots of guys leave in the years they make a Final 4. So maybe we could use tournament success as a mark for player development as well.