Future Team

[cincycpaw]

Question for me is this:

A lot of these guys will be around for a few years.

So how does Cronin rebuild this thing?

By going the 64 ppg rockfight route just to make the tournament and lose early as a 7-10 seed? Where we rebuild the "toughness" and just do the same thing as always?

Or do we truly open things up and actually play faster and build this team with hopes that in 2-3 years the high end is better than having to just take a loss when a good team crazks 70 on us?

You know, Coach K is obviously a great coach. And yet he changed AFTER WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS because the game changed around him.

I don't expect Cronin to be as good a coach....I don't expect Cronin to be able to get the same recruits. But I do expect him to change as the game has changed in order to ensure this program in competitive in the tournament moving forward. I'm tired of participation trophies. He's young, he can do it. He blew it with last years team though.

We have plenty of playing time available on this team. Really only 1 kid has locked down a lot of minutes. If you are better than the others, you should get more time...except of course Cronin won't just play the better ball players.

 

[indydoug]

A bubble team.... at best. And I'm sure I'll get the oh wow from jake again. But once again, I know how hard that loss hurt. But are we really losing that much faith. Bubble team... AT BEST... smh. Our back up bigs had very limited minutes the most of the year. And each one of them showed some pretty good flashes here and there especially in certain aspects. We are gonna most likely have a guy scoring close to 20 in Cumberland. Broome is gonna have way more free reign next season, we are losing 3 of our biggest scorers from last year so he will have to do more. Moore and Williams both also looked to be pretty solid players, I know Moore was rough down the stretch but I think he was playing a lot less too, and maybe tightened up in closer, more important games. He was a freshman... same with Williams, he has great athletic ability, he made quite a few bonehead plays, and shot too much from outside, but another year and he will learn how to play in his role better. We will still be a fringe top 25 team by the time conference play rolls around. Our defense will still be top ten and that will still translate into plenty of wins.

I'm not a sky is falling poster but a realist. I'd say come Febuary UC is squarely on the bubble without an infusion of talent this year that can contribute. I'll make you a small wager (that I'll be thrilled to lose) that UC will be closer to a 9 than a 4 seed. A 6 pack of craft beer of the winner's choice?

 

[cincyguy13]

A bubble team.... at best. And I'm sure I'll get the oh wow from jake again. But once again, I know how hard that loss hurt. But are we really losing that much faith. Bubble team... AT BEST... smh. Our back up bigs had very limited minutes the most of the year. And each one of them showed some pretty good flashes here and there especially in certain aspects. We are gonna most likely have a guy scoring close to 20 in Cumberland. Broome is gonna have way more free reign next season, we are losing 3 of our biggest scorers from last year so he will have to do more. Moore and Williams both also looked to be pretty solid players, I know Moore was rough down the stretch but I think he was playing a lot less too, and maybe tightened up in closer, more important games. He was a freshman... same with Williams, he has great athletic ability, he made quite a few bonehead plays, and shot too much from outside, but another year and he will learn how to play in his role better. We will still be a fringe top 25 team by the time conference play rolls around. Our defense will still be top ten and that will still translate into plenty of wins.

I hope we are good but losing 3 of your best players on any team is going to hurt. Not like we can just reload. I think we will be around 30-40ish, maybe getting ranked a couple times but who knows. I have no idea what to expect from a couple guys.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Just to add to the 3 point shooting discussion:

Cane Broome last year made 0.9 per game and shot 39%. He is 33.5% for his career.

Justin Jenifer last year made 0.8 per game and shot 35.7%. He is at 35.8% for his career.

Jarron Cumberland last year made 1.7 per game and shot 33.9%. He is at 34.5% for his career.

Trevor Moore last year made 0.7 per game and shot 31.7%.

Keith Williams last year made 0.1 per game at 14.8%.

Mamoudou Diarra last year was 1-2.

Tre Scott is 1-4 in his career.

Nysier Brooks, Eliel Nsoseme, LaQuill Hardnett, and Logan Johnson haven't shot any 3s in their careers.

This is alarming.

 

[justinhub2003]

You know, Coach K is obviously a great coach. And yet he changed AFTER WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS because the game changed around him.

I don't expect Cronin to be as good a coach....I don't expect Cronin to be able to get the same recruits. But I do expect him to change as the game has changed in order to ensure this program in competitive in the tournament moving forward. I'm tired of participation trophies. He's young, he can do it. He blew it with last years team though.

We have plenty of playing time available on this team. Really only 1 kid has locked down a lot of minutes. If you are better than the others, you should get more time...except of course Cronin won't just play the better ball players.

To say that Cronin hasn’t changed is wrong though.

He has.

Are we ever going to offense first ? No way. But he put in a motion offense 2 years ago and I’d say our offense was much improved.

The real issue on this team is lack of killer players. I think Cumberland can be that guy but Evans nor Clark arent. Cumberland needs to be consistent for a full 40 minutes.

Dude will drop 18 in the furst half then score 3 in the next half.


We’re gonna need cane and jarron to shoot 30 shots combined a game.

I do think we need to let one of our assistants go and get a younger better recruiter in.

 

[GarradJ21]

To say that Cronin hasn’t changed is wrong though.

He has.

Are we ever going to offense first ? No way. But he put in a motion offense 2 years ago and I’d say our offense was much improved.

The real issue on this team is lack of killer players. I think Cumberland can be that guy but Evans nor Clark arent. Cumberland needs to be consistent for a full 40 minutes.

Dude will drop 18 in the furst half then score 3 in the next half.


We’re gonna need cane and jarron to shoot 30 shots combined a game.

I do think we need to let one of our assistants go and get a younger better recruiter in.

I completely agree with that I can see Cumberland being that guy with a killer instinct. He’s not soft and that’s what we need. I think a lot of players and teams we have had have been extremly soft

 

[Jon Rycek]

Question for me is this:

A lot of these guys will be around for a few years.

So how does Cronin rebuild this thing?

By going the 64 ppg rockfight route just to make the tournament and lose early as a 7-10 seed? Where we rebuild the "toughness" and just do the same thing as always?

Or do we truly open things up and actually play faster and build this team with hopes that in 2-3 years the high end is better than having to just take a loss when a good team crazks 70 on us?

I really think he is trying to build on his offensive player recruiting. But maybe the perception superb offensive players have of us, is that they won't shine, we are a defensive school and they have to fit in that way. And for the most part I don't think it's an overly bad thing, because we are able to find some diamond in the rough guys who do have decent ability. My biggest thing I think UC had always lacked, is a killer. Besides SK, and he just didn't have the quality of player around him we are starting to have today. And I know we had higher recruits then, but they weren't as good as advertised, a lot. If you plugged SK into our team this year, no way we don't make a real run. Evans had the skill, the shot, the basketball IQ, just not a killer. Now I really think Cumberland is developing into that guy, I am most excited by what he is going to be next season than anything. I think he probably develops himself into a first round draft pick next year if he can thin out a little more. He certainly had the game. But I really think mick is evolving, maybe not as fast as some of us want, but just looking at who he recruits today, vs 6-7 years ago, you can clearly see the difference. Crunch time he likes to revert to his old self, but who doesn't.

 

[Jon Rycek]

I'm not a sky is falling poster but a realist. I'd say come Febuary UC is squarely on the bubble without an infusion of talent this year that can contribute. I'll make you a small wager (that I'll be thrilled to lose) that UC will be closer to a 9 than a 4 seed. A 6 pack of craft beer of the winner's choice?

I'll take that wager, 6 or below my way, 7 or above it goes yours.. and I'm an optimist at heart, always lol. But as usual, I'm confident some guys really wake up next season, there are voids to fill, someone will fill them

 

[Jon Rycek]

I hope we are good but losing 3 of your best players on any team is going to hurt. Not like we can just reload. I think we will be around 30-40ish, maybe getting ranked a couple times but who knows. I have no idea what to expect from a couple guys.

I can see us hanging around 30-35 for a good amount of the season, we will creep up through conference play hopefully. But all it takes is winking a couple big games before conference play starts and we will be in the top 25. We still have name recognition and that goes a long way with pollsters

 

[Jon Rycek]

Just to add to the 3 point shooting discussion:

Cane Broome last year made 0.9 per game and shot 39%. He is 33.5% for his career.

Justin Jenifer last year made 0.8 per game and shot 35.7%. He is at 35.8% for his career.

Jarron Cumberland last year made 1.7 per game and shot 33.9%. He is at 34.5% for his career.

Trevor Moore last year made 0.7 per game and shot 31.7%.

Keith Williams last year made 0.1 per game at 14.8%.

Mamoudou Diarra last year was 1-2.

Tre Scott is 1-4 in his career.

Nysier Brooks, Eliel Nsoseme, LaQuill Hardnett, and Logan Johnson haven't shot any 3s in their careers.

This is alarming.

Well we are losing 3 of our prominent scores, so of course we are gonna have guys who haven't shot a lot. They will shoot more next year and they can average the same clip, minus Williams, (he should just stop lol), I think we will be alright. And I'd like to see moores average go up a few pts, maybe 35-36 percent. Which I would guess it was closer to that 2/3 of the way into the season, I don't know actual stats, but he shot worse down the stretch and I'm sure that skewed his numbers quite a bit.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Well we are losing 3 of our prominent scores, so of course we are gonna have guys who haven't shot a lot. They will shoot more next year and they can average the same clip, minus Williams, (he should just stop lol), I think we will be alright. And I'd like to see moores average go up a few pts, maybe 35-36 percent. Which I would guess it was closer to that 2/3 of the way into the season, I don't know actual stats, but he shot worse down the stretch and I'm sure that skewed his numbers quite a bit.

Gonna be Rockfight USA up in this mother.

 

[Nayers]

And Cronin will be so happy. He will talk about toughness after every loss and not enough deflections. And when we have that random preseason game where we put up 95+ he will say it was all about defense.

 

[Jon Rycek]

And Cronin will be so happy. He will talk about toughness after every loss and not enough deflections. And when we have that random preseason game where we put up 95+ he will say it was all about defense.

And I bet you an offensive minded coach speaks the exact same way about offense.

 

[ZCat]

To say that Cronin hasn’t changed is wrong though.

He has.

Are we ever going to offense first ? No way. But he put in a motion offense 2 years ago and I’d say our offense was much improved.

The real issue on this team is lack of killer players. I think Cumberland can be that guy but Evans nor Clark arent. Cumberland needs to be consistent for a full 40 minutes.

Dude will drop 18 in the furst half then score 3 in the next half.


We’re gonna need cane and jarron to shoot 30 shots combined a game.

I do think we need to let one of our assistants go and get a younger better recruiter in.

I’m not trying to be a pessimist, or a jerk, but are we positive Cane will even start? And is he really going to be given freedom to shoot?

And I just feel like Micks style of building a team is different. I just can’t see him ever firing an assistant. I don’t know how other teams are. But I’ve seen in our football teams, they let defensive coordinators go all the time. I just don’t see it here. I think the loyalty is good but it can lead to complacency. People are not fighting for their jobs. Wondering if they’re gonna be back the next year.

 

[justinhub2003]

I’m not trying to be a pessimist, or a jerk, but are we positive Cane will even start? And is he really going to be given freedom to shoot?

And I just feel like Micks style of building a team is different. I just can’t see him ever firing an assistant. I don’t know how other teams are. But I’ve seen in our football teams, they let defensive coordinators go all the time. I just don’t see it here. I think the loyalty is good but it can lead to complacency. People are not fighting for their jobs. Wondering if they’re gonna be back the next year.

Football teams have like 15 coaches and support staff.

Next year is going to be a zero expectations season. I mean as good as cane is; I still would have rather have Jacob, Gary, Kyle and jarron
Shooting the most on the team. However next season, cane is the number 2 option and will need to shoot as many shots as jarron did this year.

If cane was so miserable he’d transfer. I’m 100000% confident he is a far better player after 2 years at UC

 

[Jon Rycek]

I wouldn't set the bar at zero expectations, I expect to be in the running for conference championship again, even if we don't win, I expect to be within a game or two. And I expect us to make the tournament. As far as cane, he will have free reign next year. There is no reason for him not to

 

[justinhub2003]

My concern os thst we’re going to start getting way out recruited in our own league.

Sampson already stole one recruit from us, and is now a brand Jordan school.

Memphis is going to slay in recruiting

UConn is going to kill it as well

WSU will get high major talent

I’m not sure we will finish in the top 5 of recruiting in own conference. We need a better recruiter.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

My concern os thst we’re going to start getting way out recruited in our own league.

Sampson already stole one recruit from us, and is now a brand Jordan school.

Memphis is going to slay in recruiting

UConn is going to kill it as well

WSU will get high major talent

I’m not sure we will finish in the top 5 of recruiting in own conference. We need a better recruiter.

When do we get the arena bump?

 

[ZCat]

My concern os thst we’re going to start getting way out recruited in our own league.

Sampson already stole one recruit from us, and is now a brand Jordan school.

Memphis is going to slay in recruiting

UConn is going to kill it as well

WSU will get high major talent

I’m not sure we will finish in the top 5 of recruiting in own conference. We need a better recruiter.

Is there any chance that happens?

 

[Nayers]

And I bet you an offensive minded coach speaks the exact same way about offense.

not true. when ive seen offensive minded coaches do a post game presser after a loss in which they lost 87-92, they talk about not getting stops when they needed to.


I really cant think of a coach that has ever said "we needed more buckets" after putting up 90 in a losing effort.

Most offensive-minded coaches, at least the good ones, respect the need for defense. Cronin dismisses the importance of offense way too much.