Starting point guard Cashmere Wright got the first chance. Dion Dixon took a turn. So did JaQuon Parker.
In the end, Cronin decided to sink or swim with Wright, who played 33 minutes in UC’s 53-51 victory over St. John’s in New York, figuring that he was his best option, not only in that game bur for the rest of the season and into the next few years.
“He’s going to make some mistakes,” Cronin said, “but if we’re going to become who we want to become in this conference he’s got to become a player.”
During his one-and-a-half seasons at UC, Wright has shown glimpses of the kind of player he can be. But he has not been able to sustain it for a long period.
His game at St. John’s was a microcosm of his career. He scored 10 points, including eight straight that gave UC a 44-37 lead in the second half.
“He’s got to become a guy where you say, hey, that guy from Cincinnati is a heck of a point guard,” Cronin said. “He may not be the best point guard in the Big East but he’s a heck of a player. He can score. He makes plays. He’s got quickness.”
Cronin said he has been pretty hard on Wright lately because he thinks Wright has been too conservative running the offense rather than taking advantage of his talents and letting things flow naturally.
For a point guard, there’s a fine line between being too cautious in an effort to avoid turnovers and attacking a defense aggressively.
Wright is still trying to figure it out.
“I just want him to go chase his dream,” Cronin said, “come out there every day and try to become a great guard. It’s not an easy thing, especially in this conference. I was really happy to see him be aggressive. He tried to attack the paint. He made some mistakes but he can grow from that.”
Cronin exonerated Wright for some of the turnovers against the St. John’s press, claiming that his teammates didn’t come back to meet the ball when Wright approached the traps.
“His teammates left him on an island too much,” Cronin said.
Wright has become more of an offensive threat this year, averaging 9 points and shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point range and 76.5 percent from the free throw line to go with 3.8 assists and two turnovers.
He has made progress. But Cronin wants more.
“For us to be who we want to be, he’s got to be a guy who gets 10 to 15 points a night and he’s on the attack on the defensive end,” Cronin said.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110123/SPT0101/301230037/1064/Inconsistency-plagues-UC-s-Wright
In the end, Cronin decided to sink or swim with Wright, who played 33 minutes in UC’s 53-51 victory over St. John’s in New York, figuring that he was his best option, not only in that game bur for the rest of the season and into the next few years.
“He’s going to make some mistakes,” Cronin said, “but if we’re going to become who we want to become in this conference he’s got to become a player.”
During his one-and-a-half seasons at UC, Wright has shown glimpses of the kind of player he can be. But he has not been able to sustain it for a long period.
His game at St. John’s was a microcosm of his career. He scored 10 points, including eight straight that gave UC a 44-37 lead in the second half.
“He’s got to become a guy where you say, hey, that guy from Cincinnati is a heck of a point guard,” Cronin said. “He may not be the best point guard in the Big East but he’s a heck of a player. He can score. He makes plays. He’s got quickness.”
Cronin said he has been pretty hard on Wright lately because he thinks Wright has been too conservative running the offense rather than taking advantage of his talents and letting things flow naturally.
For a point guard, there’s a fine line between being too cautious in an effort to avoid turnovers and attacking a defense aggressively.
Wright is still trying to figure it out.
“I just want him to go chase his dream,” Cronin said, “come out there every day and try to become a great guard. It’s not an easy thing, especially in this conference. I was really happy to see him be aggressive. He tried to attack the paint. He made some mistakes but he can grow from that.”
Cronin exonerated Wright for some of the turnovers against the St. John’s press, claiming that his teammates didn’t come back to meet the ball when Wright approached the traps.
“His teammates left him on an island too much,” Cronin said.
Wright has become more of an offensive threat this year, averaging 9 points and shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point range and 76.5 percent from the free throw line to go with 3.8 assists and two turnovers.
He has made progress. But Cronin wants more.
“For us to be who we want to be, he’s got to be a guy who gets 10 to 15 points a night and he’s on the attack on the defensive end,” Cronin said.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110123/SPT0101/301230037/1064/Inconsistency-plagues-UC-s-Wright