Expectations for 2015-16

[rogerOH]

other ohio players I could think of lazelle durden(orrville), bj grove, flint,burton(ky), fletcher, brannen,john jacobs

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

As a 6 year old, I'm pretty sure I thought every UC player was from Texas lol

Haha well I know Kenyon, Maxiell and Field Williams are from Texas. I think Nick Williams is, but I'm not 100% sure, plus he transferred from K-State. Rubles is the only recent one I can think of, but obviously he was also juco.

 

[rogerOH]

I always heard we took a chance on players from texas because most colleges thought that high school coaching was sub-par there

 

[jds513]

Haha well I know Kenyon, Maxiell and Field Williams are from Texas. I think Nick Williams is, but I'm not 100% sure, plus he transferred from K-State. Rubles is the only recent one I can think of, but obviously he was also juco.

Armein Kirkland as well. Other than that, I'm not sure.

 

[PakMan]

Sweet 16 is a must. But more important than that, I want to see more capable scoring next year. Defense is most important, but if we continue to live in the 50s and low 60s most games, I will be very disappointed.

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

Armein Kirkland as well. Other than that, I'm not sure.

Oh man! I can't believe I forgot about Kirkland. Good call.

 

[Robert]

My expectations for next season:

Looks like we'll have about 6 legit non-conference games with Xavier, VCU, the 2 games at the Barclays Center, and possibly Michigan and Butler. I want to go no worse than 4-2 against those teams and take care of the teams we should beat easily.

In conference, I want to go no worse than 15-3, with all 3 losses coming to teams in the top half of the conference. This team should be experienced enough to not lapse and lose to an ECU or Tulane.

I want to win the conference tournament, as it has been way too long since we have won a conference tournament. That would put us at about 29-5 with a top 15 RPI and several quality non-conference wins.

I think we can enter the tournament as a top-4 seed with a shot at the Final Four. I won't consider the season a disappointment if we don't get there, but I will be disappointed if we don't at least reach the Sweet Sixteen.

Lofty expectations, but we have never had this much talent returning during the Mick Cronin era. If the 2013-14 Bearcats with no size or depth can run through the regular season at 26-5, there's no reason next year's team can't match it. And with the depth, experience, size, and skill we will possess, we should be able to have our most successful post-season in a long time.

 

[Robert]

Levett was from the Cleveland area. Went to Euclid HS.

 

[TrillCosby]

Offense: avg 70+ pts a game
Defense: avg opp. 58 pts or less

Those are a must IMO for a deep tourney run.

 

[mdchick]

Armein Kirkland as well. Other than that, I'm not sure.

Larry Davis (the player) was from houston

 

[CanadianBearcat]

Mick all over twitter talking about setting up a game at Murray St.

Mick Cronin ‏@CoachCroninUC 14m14 minutes ago

Hey @ESPN. If you will televise the game Cincinnati will come to Murray!!! I love and miss my Murray friends. #racersshouldhavedanced.


Id love a home and home against them

 

[cincycpaw]

I think most would call this season a success, when you factor in everything that came with it. That being said, I know we're all thinking bigger and better for next season. As of right now, where would you set the bar at for next season?

For me, anything shy of this is a disappointment:

26-5 record, pre-AAC tourney
Majority of season in top 25 w/ some time in top 15
Winning the conference regular season title
Playing in the conference title game
5 seed in the NCAA tourney
Sweet sixteen with a shot at elite eight

I think Ellis, Caupain, Cobb, and Clark will all average double-figures. Shaq with 9 per game. KJ with 8.5.

As long as the turnovers are cut down, I don't think anything I've mentioned above is a stretch. Not only attainable, but expected.

For me:

Top 2 in conference
Top 20 at end of reg season
5 seed or better
Sweet 16

Though,thinking about it, if they make the sweet 16 and play tough really nothing else matters or if they win the conference regular season championship and lose playing tough but a tough matchup in the dance (like getting hosed with Michigan St. in the second round) it's still a successful season.

Lots of pressure on Mick though as he has his shot these next 2 years to make something big happen.

 

[jds513]

I think next years team will have the least trouble scoring out of any team in the Cronin Era. 1 or 2 bonafide scoring threats from every single position.

 

[Bulldog01]

I think next years team will have the least trouble scoring out of any team in the Cronin Era. 1 or 2 bonafide scoring threats from every single position.

Lance team

 

[jds513]

Lance team

That team didn't even make the tournament. Maybe they were the most offensively talented team, but I'd argue they were the least cohesive as well. Everyone tried to make their own offense on that team.

 

[Bulldog01]

That team didn't even make the tournament. Maybe they were the most offensively talented team, but I'd argue they were the least cohesive as well. Everyone tried to make their own offense on that team.

This team would've finished bottom 4 in big east. we shot good against bum competition

 

[jds513]

This team would've finished bottom 4 in big east. we shot good against bum competition

I disagree fully. That team was probably the most disapointing team to me in Mick's tenure as head coach. Lots of good pieces that never came together. This years team struggled to score, but they actually played as a unit. Also, look at a lot of the teams from the old big east and see how their seasons went. Many of them had very disapointing seasons. Pitt, Cuse, Marquette

 

[L-T]

Next year's team looks to be the strongest we've had here in 10 years, yet many are only calling for a sweet 16. We've already seen a sweet 16 with a less talented team. A sweet 16 is only one game better than this year's team. I'm going to raise the bar of expectation to Elite 8 for next year. With the possibility that the following year will be worse after key graduations, that season should have an expectation of sweet 16....not next season. It's Elite 8 or bust!

 

[bearcats5]

I disagree fully. That team was probably the most disapointing team to me in Mick's tenure as head coach. Lots of good pieces that never came together

This team was actually more efficient offensively than that one, too. The first two tournament teams have been the best offensive teams in the Cronin era, and I think that showed in those tournaments as well. The second one had the Sweet 16 run. The first, unfortunately ran into Kemba in the second round, but they were better than that result. Got a bad draw that year--no one was beating UConn with the level that Kemba was playing at during the postseason. Definitely think next year could surpass those two years. This team actually had the highest eFG% of the Cronin era, but also had the highest turnover %. The shooting moved in the right direction, but ball security took a step back. Cutting down on those turnovers will probably be the biggest key in producing the offensive improvement that everyone would like to see.

 

[#BearcatNation]

Next year's team looks to be the strongest we've had here in 10 years, yet many are only calling for a sweet 16. We've already seen a sweet 16 with a less talented team. A sweet 16 is only one game better than this year's team. I'm going to raise the bar of expectation to Elite 8 for next year. With the possibility that the following year will be worse after key graduations, that season should have an expectation of sweet 16....not next season. It's Elite 8 or bust!

I see your point, but we've also had far more talented teams fall by the wayside in the round of 32. It goes both ways, because the tourney is such a crapshoot. It sucks that you remember the success your team had solely based on the tournament. You can have a hell of a season, yet shoot 2/19 from three one game, and all of the sudden, it's over. Nova and Virginia still had remarkable seasons. Don't tell me UCLA or Xavier were more successful than them.

Anyway, I certainly think we're capable of an Elite Eight run next year, but a lot of it is luck of the draw, so I can't really sit here and say "Elite Eight or bust." If we earn a 4 seed, and beat #13, #5, and lose to #1 in a nail-biter, I'll have a hard time not calling that season successful.