Basketball Coming Early!

[bearcat jeff]

The Can-Am Shootout is just around the corner and our Cincinnati Bearcats will be a part of it. The early practice and game will be a big benefit since they are plugging in new parts, new starters, and probably style of play. I believe this gives the team an extra 10 practices. With them recruiting in Canada as well, this is big in other ways. I'm looking forward to the bonus play this season. I can't get enough UC Basketball!! Tip is Sept.,4th, at 6:00 pm against Carleton. Last time Carleton hosted this, they played Kansas very well, losing 84-83. Carleton has has won the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national title in six of the past eight years, will return all but one player from last year’s team. Should be a solid test and be a great indicator of where the team needs work in preparation for the upcoming season.

 

[anbuc88]

There still does not seem to be any official word on the status of Rashad Bishop. I am assuming he will be part of the team, but I thought that this would be decided in the first week of August. Mick also mentioned that they can practice for 10 days prior to their trip, and that they may get in 30 practices during this time. I think this will be invaluable for this team, especially guy like Kilpatrick who had to sit out last year and the incoming freshman. Anyone know when was the last time the Bearcats went on a summmer trip? I think they did this prior to KMarts senoior seaon, but I may be wrong.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Good Enquirer article from this morning.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100819/SPT0101/8200365/1062/SPT/Cronin-UC-prep-for-Canada

 

[david aka the TYZ]

"We're trying to develop some fluidity," Cronin said. "We struggled with that last year. A lot of it was trying to fit Lance in and the fact that he and Deonta probably needed different styles of play. One (Stephenson) needed an open style. One (Vaughn) needed a screen. It was hard to devise something that fit both of those guys At times the pieces didn't fit."

UC, Cronin said, will work hard on shot selection in an attempt to improve on its 42.8 shooting percentage, which ranked 13th in the 16-team Big East last year. The Bearcats were 11th in scoring with 68.8 points per game.

"Unexpected shots kill chemistry and unexpected bad shots or challenged shots are hard to rebound," Cronin said. "When a guy takes a shot that's expected in the flow of what we're doing, kids know to rebound it. An unexpected tough shot is a hard shot to rebound. It's the No. 1 frustration of teammates."

I won't claim to have heard everything Cronin has said following last year, but this is the first I've heard him come out and mention some specifics in why they struggled last year and not speak in generalizations. These comments further explain what he means by addition by subtraction, which I completely agree with. This team will play more like a team this year. They lost their top two scorers but those two players didn't mesh and took a lot of bad shots. If you replace their bad shots with smarter shots this year then scoring should increase. (Seems simple enough, at least.)

 

[bearcat jeff]

Wouldn't it be nice if DeAndre Daniels would look our way....Not going to happen. For anyone it appears.

DeAndre Daniels, a top 20 national prospect, had been mentioned as a possible 11th-hour addition to Kentucky’s basketball team this coming season.

But his trainer said Monday afternoon that Daniels will attend prep school in the 2010-11 year and enter college in the fall of 2011.

Daniels, a 6-foot-7 wing from Woodland Hills, Calif., committed to Texas in the summer of 2009. However, he changed his mind this year and re-opened the recruiting process.

Kentucky was one of several schools wanting Daniels to enter college in the fall semester of 2010 and play this coming season.

However, trainer Alex Parker said that Daniels will attend a prep school this coming academic year. An announcement on the prep school should come in the next week or so, Parker said.

Parker emphasized that Daniels is going to a prep school to make sure he is physically and mentally ready for college. Family issues limited Daniels’ high school career to “one solid year” of varsity basketball, Parker said.

The prep school option is not related to academics, said Parker, who added that Daniels had a 3.2 grade-point average and had met the NCAA standards for freshman eligibility.

In its summer ratings, the Prep Stars recruiting service rated Daniels as the No. 18 in the class of 2011.

http://ukbasketball.bloginky.com/2010/08/23/deandre-daniels-to-attend-prep-school/

 

[bearcat jeff]

Bishop has been practicing. I'll be surprised if he doesn't make the trip.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Bishop has been practicing. I'll be surprised if he doesn't make the trip.

that is good to hear, although not a surprise, still good to hear

 

[bearcat jeff]

Mick Cronin and his Cincinnati Bearcats continue to prep for their trip to Canada Labor Day weekend with the extra practices the team gained by scheduling a playing trip to Canada. Mike DeCourcy of the SportingNews.com takes a look at how UC is spending their practice time to improve an offense that finished 10th or worse in every major offensive category in the Big East last season AND must replace their two leading scorers (Deonta Vaughn and Lance Stephenson) from last year’s team as Cincinnati Focuses on Offense in Canada Prep work.

About the only certainty to the lineup is that center Yancey Gates and power forward Ibrahima Thomas will start inside and the team will use a deep rotation. Redshirt freshman Sean Kilpatrick will be counted on to add significant scoring punch from the wing and a hope that the offense will share the ball better as it was dominated by the freshman Stephenson last year.

UC will also need to improve their performance in close contests if they hope to improve in 2010-2011.

http://www.nbebasketball.com/w3/2010-0824/big-east-news-notes-8242010/

 

[cincycpaw]

and the team will use a deep rotation.

Anyone else remember how we used too many players last year?

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Anyone else remember how we used too many players last year?

These are scrimmage games. Everyone SHOULD play. I rotation should be set after the first 5-7 regular season games, IMO.

 

[bearcat jeff]

I agree 100% BA1. This is the time to look at the new faces and get guys minutes. It's no different than NFL exhibition games. The primary issue last season was Stephenson and Vaughn and the styles they played, and no strong floor leader to sort it out.

 

[anbuc88]

Mick mentioned on his most recent interview on GoBearcats.com that Biggie is up to 290lb and won't be pushed around in the paint like he used to. Hopefully we can count on 10-15 servicable minutes per game. It doesn't appear that Gaines will be providing much, as he is athletic but is a project. If Biggie can provide some good backup minutes then I would favor Gaines to be redshirted. I don't think that the Canadian trip will allow them to make this decision, but hopefully Biggie can become a part of the big man rotation and feel that his 4 years at UC weren't a waste.

 

[ready2go]

I agree 100% BA1. This is the time to look at the new faces and get guys minutes. It's no different than NFL exhibition games. The primary issue last season was Stephenson and Vaughn and the styles they played, and no strong floor leader to sort it out.

Mick has it all figured out. JOB SECURITY. Keep bringing in new faces and say were a young team, wait till next year.

 

[JasonS]

Mick has it all figured out. JOB SECURITY. Keep bringing in new faces and say were a young team, wait till next year.

Last time I checked this is college basketball where you recruit new players every year. You are really reaching with your comment considering Jeff wasn't even quoting Mick.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Couple things. The frontline is so thin I'm not sure you can redshirt anybody. Secondly, I was making a comparison to illustrate that exhibition games are to watch your players and evaluate them. You want to win every game, but your primary goal is evaluating your players, seeing how different mixes play together, and you get to run your schemes against competition and not your own players.

 

[cincycpaw]

These are scrimmage games. Everyone SHOULD play. I rotation should be set after the first 5-7 regular season games, IMO.

Absolutely agree about exhibition games, it's what it is for.

Perhaps I misread it. I read it as saying that UC would use a deep rotation THIS YEAR, not in the exhibition games.

 

[cincycpaw]

I agree 100% BA1. This is the time to look at the new faces and get guys minutes. It's no different than NFL exhibition games. The primary issue last season was Stephenson and Vaughn and the styles they played, and no strong floor leader to sort it out.

I think it was more than a lack of floor leadership last year.

 

[Catpaw]

Mick has it all figured out. JOB SECURITY. Keep bringing in new faces and say were a young team, wait till next year.

I don't think so. The program is irrelevant sadly in this area. Even diehards like myself have concluded that something drastic has to happen this year. I don't think that is being bitter or overly negative. The program is flat lining right now in almost every way.

 

[bearcat jeff]

I think it was more than a lack of floor leadership last year.

11 games lost by 6 or less points. That's 11 games that could have swung either way. The team was not far off from being very good. This team had no sense of self and it was fractured. Locker room leaders are what brings a team together. You have to have a strong player presence to hold other players accountable and show them the right way to do things. Look what Scott Rolen has done for the Reds. It matters..

 

[westsidecat]

Mick mentioned on his most recent interview on GoBearcats.com that Biggie is up to 290lb and won't be pushed around in the paint like he used to. Hopefully we can count on 10-15 servicable minutes per game. It doesn't appear that Gaines will be providing much, as he is athletic but is a project. If Biggie can provide some good backup minutes then I would favor Gaines to be redshirted. I don't think that the Canadian trip will allow them to make this decision, but hopefully Biggie can become a part of the big man rotation and feel that his 4 years at UC weren't a waste.

Man, it would be such a huge plus if Biggie can give us solid minutes everytime he's on the court. Gates, Thomes, and if Biggie can provide solid minutes I really like what we have down low.

I feel the ball should be work down low more often then in years past. I think this team has a good chance of being good if they play "power basketball" next year. I think this would help Bishop out a lot as it would give him a chance to get more open shots. Either from inside the line or out.