bearcat jeff
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As the official start of the basketball season looms I wanted to put my thoughts down on what I expect for the new season. I believe that while there are certainly question marks; that this season also holds a lot of promise. Below I have put down my thoughts about my expectations and what I hope to see.
Backcourt:
As is case since he's been here, Cashmere Wright is the key to this UC offense. When he is healthy and relatively pain free, he adds an entirely different dimension to the offensive flow as well as to the defensive pressure that can be applied out front.
Word is that his offseason surgery has been successful and his health is the best it's been since his injury occurred his freshman year. If this is true that is a huge boost for this team. It should allow him better balance on his shot as well as enable him to get to the rim and finish. Strength as always been an issue for him and another year of maturity and strength training will benefit him greatly in this area.
Dion Dixon made a huge leap last season and with his work ethic I expect to see more improvement this season. That could well be expressed in his ability to shoot more consistently and taking on a greater role as a leader. With his athletic ability, Dion needs to get to the basket more. This will force defenders to stay back and help him to get more open looks from the perimeter. His strength and athleticism also makes him a dangerous defender. The biggest thing we need from Dion is for him to fight thru bad offensive days and contribute in other ways. Namely on defense and crashing the boards from the perimeter.
Jaquon Parker will benefit greatly from moving from the point to the wing. He has good size and from all indications he has had his best offseason since his arrival in Clifton. He will be asked to help fill the defensive void left by Davis and Bishop and how he responds to that will not only determine his playing time, but how well the Bearcats play on defense. Parker will be huge with the graduation of Bishop and the loss of Shaq for the season. He can give valuable minutes at both wing positions.
J.D. and Guyn give Cincinnati the most depth they've had at point guard perhaps since the 1992 season. Both have attributes that will help this team. They are physically strong and hard workers. Davis has the shooting ability to move over to the 2 and the savvy to score from the point. Guyn has the ability to be a defensive stopper and be a major assest on the press.
Small Forward
Sean Kilpatrick will get the nod here to start the season in my opinion. Like many of the Bearcats, Sean is a gym rat. If he finds consistency on his shot, Killa can be a scoring machine. He has to be able to guard on the wing and eliminate mental lapses when he is playing defense. Ball handling has also been an issue and he has worked hard to improve this area of his game. He is at his best when he attacks and takes open shots rather than settle for jump shots. I look for him to have a big offensive season but his defense will determine if he starts or comes off the bench.
Jermaine Sanders is a do everything kind of guy. He brings a high basketball iq and a good shooting touch. His role becomes more critical with the loss of Thomas. He is at his best in a structured offense and people will see a different player then the one they saw in the DSL. Again, defense will be the key with him. How has his body responded to better conditioning and has it improved his lateral quickness? If he hasn't improved in this area look for him to get spot minutes and Parker to fill the role as back up in this position.
Low Post
Yancy Gates is the rock for this team. When the offense runs thru him this team is very efficient. Gates has lost weight and is even in better shape than last season. If he stops thinking before making his moves and uses his new found quickness to his advantage, Yancy could have a monster season. More importantly he has to be a force rebounding. When he is motivated to do so, he has the abilty. If we see the Yancy we saw to end the season this team will be dangerous.
Cheikh Mobodji could be a real sleeper for this team. He is an upgrade from last season and will provide some relief for Yancy. He will rebound and block shots and be a great compliment to Gates in this area. The best part about him is he can make the midrange shot or play with his back to the basket. Him and Yancy could well make up the best low post tandem in the Cronin era.
Justin Jackson is the hustle guy every team needs. Play defense, rebound the basketball, and give your team an edge on the 50-50 balls. He has to improve his free throw shooting and slow himself down and not commit stupid fouls. Jackson also has the ability to take other low post guys off the dribble and has to utilize his ability to shoot out to 15 feet.
Gaines is another player that should help in blocking shots, rebounding and playing defense. Yancy Gates said he is by far the most athletic of the UC bigs. He is a hard worker and got a lot of one on one coaching while sitting last season. He has to provide solid minutes while in the game. Just concentrate on rebounding and defense and any offense will be a bonus.
Ellis gives Mick some versatility. He can be a Darnell Wilks type player who could spell both the 3 and 4 positions. His lack of weight and strength could hurt him initially. Ellis was a one time top 135 player but his work ethic and inability to control his emotions hurt his development. He is young and Mick has shown he won't tolerate bad attitudes. He could help the Bearcats where they are thin at the 3 in certain match ups.
Offensive consistency and defense will be the keys to this season. We know Mick will put an emphasis on defense and the ability to play it will determine players minutes. To move to elite status in the Big East UC has to be able to score consistently. Last season it was like pulling teeth at times.
I truly believe this team has top 5 potential in league play. If they can play solid defense, get consistent efforts from Gates, Kilpatrick and Dixon, and Cash stays healthy, this team could be the best we've seen in years. Freshmen aren't Freshmen like they used to be, but there is still a huge learning curve and how they adapt to the fast, stronger play at the high D1 level will go a long way in determing if this team can play fast or must grind it out and rely on their upperclassmen to completely carry the load.
I love the depth and the ability of the newcomers. Cheikh will be a good addition. Question marks remain at the small forward position and how this team plays defense. I believe they will rebound and block shots. Overall I'm going to predict a 4th place finsih in the Big East and a trip to the sweet 16. Bold I know, but I think the pieces are in place to do both.
Backcourt:
As is case since he's been here, Cashmere Wright is the key to this UC offense. When he is healthy and relatively pain free, he adds an entirely different dimension to the offensive flow as well as to the defensive pressure that can be applied out front.
Word is that his offseason surgery has been successful and his health is the best it's been since his injury occurred his freshman year. If this is true that is a huge boost for this team. It should allow him better balance on his shot as well as enable him to get to the rim and finish. Strength as always been an issue for him and another year of maturity and strength training will benefit him greatly in this area.
Dion Dixon made a huge leap last season and with his work ethic I expect to see more improvement this season. That could well be expressed in his ability to shoot more consistently and taking on a greater role as a leader. With his athletic ability, Dion needs to get to the basket more. This will force defenders to stay back and help him to get more open looks from the perimeter. His strength and athleticism also makes him a dangerous defender. The biggest thing we need from Dion is for him to fight thru bad offensive days and contribute in other ways. Namely on defense and crashing the boards from the perimeter.
Jaquon Parker will benefit greatly from moving from the point to the wing. He has good size and from all indications he has had his best offseason since his arrival in Clifton. He will be asked to help fill the defensive void left by Davis and Bishop and how he responds to that will not only determine his playing time, but how well the Bearcats play on defense. Parker will be huge with the graduation of Bishop and the loss of Shaq for the season. He can give valuable minutes at both wing positions.
J.D. and Guyn give Cincinnati the most depth they've had at point guard perhaps since the 1992 season. Both have attributes that will help this team. They are physically strong and hard workers. Davis has the shooting ability to move over to the 2 and the savvy to score from the point. Guyn has the ability to be a defensive stopper and be a major assest on the press.
Small Forward
Sean Kilpatrick will get the nod here to start the season in my opinion. Like many of the Bearcats, Sean is a gym rat. If he finds consistency on his shot, Killa can be a scoring machine. He has to be able to guard on the wing and eliminate mental lapses when he is playing defense. Ball handling has also been an issue and he has worked hard to improve this area of his game. He is at his best when he attacks and takes open shots rather than settle for jump shots. I look for him to have a big offensive season but his defense will determine if he starts or comes off the bench.
Jermaine Sanders is a do everything kind of guy. He brings a high basketball iq and a good shooting touch. His role becomes more critical with the loss of Thomas. He is at his best in a structured offense and people will see a different player then the one they saw in the DSL. Again, defense will be the key with him. How has his body responded to better conditioning and has it improved his lateral quickness? If he hasn't improved in this area look for him to get spot minutes and Parker to fill the role as back up in this position.
Low Post
Yancy Gates is the rock for this team. When the offense runs thru him this team is very efficient. Gates has lost weight and is even in better shape than last season. If he stops thinking before making his moves and uses his new found quickness to his advantage, Yancy could have a monster season. More importantly he has to be a force rebounding. When he is motivated to do so, he has the abilty. If we see the Yancy we saw to end the season this team will be dangerous.
Cheikh Mobodji could be a real sleeper for this team. He is an upgrade from last season and will provide some relief for Yancy. He will rebound and block shots and be a great compliment to Gates in this area. The best part about him is he can make the midrange shot or play with his back to the basket. Him and Yancy could well make up the best low post tandem in the Cronin era.
Justin Jackson is the hustle guy every team needs. Play defense, rebound the basketball, and give your team an edge on the 50-50 balls. He has to improve his free throw shooting and slow himself down and not commit stupid fouls. Jackson also has the ability to take other low post guys off the dribble and has to utilize his ability to shoot out to 15 feet.
Gaines is another player that should help in blocking shots, rebounding and playing defense. Yancy Gates said he is by far the most athletic of the UC bigs. He is a hard worker and got a lot of one on one coaching while sitting last season. He has to provide solid minutes while in the game. Just concentrate on rebounding and defense and any offense will be a bonus.
Ellis gives Mick some versatility. He can be a Darnell Wilks type player who could spell both the 3 and 4 positions. His lack of weight and strength could hurt him initially. Ellis was a one time top 135 player but his work ethic and inability to control his emotions hurt his development. He is young and Mick has shown he won't tolerate bad attitudes. He could help the Bearcats where they are thin at the 3 in certain match ups.
Offensive consistency and defense will be the keys to this season. We know Mick will put an emphasis on defense and the ability to play it will determine players minutes. To move to elite status in the Big East UC has to be able to score consistently. Last season it was like pulling teeth at times.
I truly believe this team has top 5 potential in league play. If they can play solid defense, get consistent efforts from Gates, Kilpatrick and Dixon, and Cash stays healthy, this team could be the best we've seen in years. Freshmen aren't Freshmen like they used to be, but there is still a huge learning curve and how they adapt to the fast, stronger play at the high D1 level will go a long way in determing if this team can play fast or must grind it out and rely on their upperclassmen to completely carry the load.
I love the depth and the ability of the newcomers. Cheikh will be a good addition. Question marks remain at the small forward position and how this team plays defense. I believe they will rebound and block shots. Overall I'm going to predict a 4th place finsih in the Big East and a trip to the sweet 16. Bold I know, but I think the pieces are in place to do both.
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