Houston: Round 2: The Battle for Everything

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We are currently ranked #69 in kenpom offense. It has been three years since we were finished the season ranked lower (#70 in 2016-17).

Not only does UC's defense look significantly worse under Brannen, the offense has also gone backwards.

We just look like a poorly coached team now.

Maybe Brannen will end up being a great coach, I haven't given up on him yet. But he hasn't been good this year. It's been a long time and I don't have the greatest memory, but I recall even in Cronin's early years - when we were rebuilding and badly lacked talent - we played tough and brought energy and intensity. It's hard to believe in Brannen when he can't get that out of talented players.
 
skyblade said:
We are currently ranked #69 in kenpom offense. It has been three years since we were finished the season ranked lower (#70 in 2016-17).

Not only does UC's defense look significantly worse under Brannen, the offense has also gone backwards.

We just look like a poorly coached team now.

Maybe Brannen will end up being a great coach, I haven't given up on him yet. But he hasn't been good this year. It's been a long time and I don't have the greatest memory, but I recall even in Cronin's early years - when we were rebuilding and badly lacked talent - we played tough and brought energy and intensity. It's hard to believe in Brannen when he can't get that out of talented players.
Click to expand...

This is what it looks like when your best player is struggling and you recruit half your roster is June.
 
skyblade said:
We are currently ranked #69 in kenpom offense. It has been three years since we were finished the season ranked lower (#70 in 2016-17).

Not only does UC's defense look significantly worse under Brannen, the offense has also gone backwards.

We just look like a poorly coached team now.

Maybe Brannen will end up being a great coach, I haven't given up on him yet. But he hasn't been good this year. It's been a long time and I don't have the greatest memory, but I recall even in Cronin's early years - when we were rebuilding and badly lacked talent - we played tough and brought energy and intensity. It's hard to believe in Brannen when he can't get that out of talented players.
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45 in d
 
UCats329 said:
3 regular season and 2 conference tournament championships in the AAC in 6 years. By my math that's 5 out of 12. I think if you asked most teams if they'd like to win their conference roughly half the time they would say "**** yes". If you're going to sit here and bash him for never winning the Big East you're nuts (they did make the tournament final the same year they made the Sweet 16.)

As for the NCAA tournament, yes, they lost to a few lower seed teams (#12 Harvard--who should have been more like a 7; #7 Nevada--literally the only MAJOR ****-up I would hold against him in his 13 year tenure) but also had the pleasure of getting to play #1 seed Kentucky in Lexington and #3 seed UCLA in Sacramento. They lost as the 6 seed against #3 National Champion UConn in 11. They lost a few 8-9 games as the 9 seed, including one where they had to play an underseeded Creighton team that had NPOY Doug McDermott. They made a Sweet 16 by winning a 6-3 game against FSU as the 6. That's his tournament record. It's really not as bad as people make it out to be.
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This is the biggest difference between teams like Uconn and Uc. Teams that have success in March. They also play good teams in the tourney, but they expect to win and believe they can beat these teams. We blame seeds, regions, times, and whatever else we can blame.
 
cincyguy13 said:
This is the biggest difference between teams like Uconn and Uc. Teams that have success in March. They also play good teams in the tourney, but they expect to win and believe they can beat these teams. We blame seeds, regions, times, and whatever else we can blame.
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The difference between pre-2014 UConn and UC is simple: HOF Coach Jim Calhoun. UConn ain't been shit since.
 
UCats329 said:
The difference between pre-2014 UConn and UC is simple: HOF Coach Jim Calhoun. UConn ain't been shit since.
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I think they are starting to believe again. I agree, Calhoun was the main reason but they also weren't scared when they seen more talented teams or higher seeded teams. I feel like we never even expect to win those games. Someone talked about "a low seeded Creighton team" or "A talented Ohio State team". My point is, you're still allowed to win those games. Other teams do it all the time. Cronin was terrible in the tournament. No one should ever defend that.
 
Bcatfollower said:
And he isn’t in a place to yank guys based on effort; he has said as much in his post games.

A few guys on here are hurt by the loss of mediocre mick and will pick out anything no matter how irrational.
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Bro its just some ppl are more capable of getting others to do things its really as simple as that. Brannen doesn't strike as one of those guys thats really effective getting the most out of somebody he's probably a more x and o analytical kind of guy and theres nothing wrong with that...
 
JoeRunner89 said:
Bro its just some ppl are more capable of getting others to do things its really as simple as that. Brannen doesn't strike as one of those guys thats really effective getting the most out of somebody he's probably a more x and o analytical kind of guy and theres nothing wrong with that...
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Ok brah
 
JoeRunner89 said:
Bro its just some ppl are more capable of getting others to do things its really as simple as that. Brannen doesn't strike as one of those guys thats really effective getting the most out of somebody he's probably a more x and o analytical kind of guy and theres nothing wrong with that...
Click to expand...

How did he have so much success at NKU? Do you think he was able to get the most out of his guys there, or is it completely different?
 
cincyguy13 said:
How did he have so much success at NKU? Do you think he was able to get the most out of his guys there, or is it completely different?
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I think its very simple... The best player on the floor needs to be locked in. The rest falls in line.

Ive seen the best player on the floor pout. Walk to the bench all year long. And unfortunately if you call him out. Or chew him up some he will just further shut down.
 
skyblade said:
In his last 3 years here, he set UC's record for most combined wins over a three year period, won a regular season title (plus two second place finishes) and two conference tournament titles (plus a second place finish).

And lets not forget the 9 straight NCAA tournaments, a streak that Brannen seems likely to end in his first year.

He was a top coach in the American. The only thing he didn't do is win in the single elimination NCAA tournament - which is largely random.

More importantly, his teams came out almost every night and played with effort, intensity and focus on both ends of the court. He may not have had the best offensive players, but they generally avoided beating themselves.

Brannen's first year has a lot of silly TO's, bad defense and lack of effort at rebounding. I would feel better if we were playing hard and smart and getting beat because of lack of talent. But it seems to me that we have the talent to compete, it's lack of effort and focus where we generally get beat.
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Excerpts from 2019:

Mick's Win/Loss Record against ranked opponents (Last 5 years): 8-18, 31% Winning Percentage

Mick's Win/Loss Record against ranked opponents in OUR CONFERENCE (Last 5 years): 4-11, 36% Winning Percentage

Games UC outscores the opponent in 2nd Half against ranked opponents: 7 of 26, only 27% (3 of 4 games he does not)

Last season, UC was outscored in the 2nd Half against ranked opponents by a total NET of 216-196 (-12.5%)
 
bearcat1518 said:
Excerpts from 2019:

Mick's Win/Loss Record against ranked opponents (Last 5 years): 8-18, 31% Winning Percentage

Mick's Win/Loss Record against ranked opponents in OUR CONFERENCE (Last 5 years): 4-11, 36% Winning Percentage

Games UC outscores the opponent in 2nd Half against ranked opponents: 7 of 26, only 27% (3 of 4 games he does not)

Last season, UC was outscored in the 2nd Half against ranked opponents by a total NET of 216-196 (-12.5%)
Click to expand...

But they tried hard...
 
cincyguy13 said:
How did he have so much success at NKU? Do you think he was able to get the most out of his guys there, or is it completely different?
Click to expand...
I wasnt impressed. They never beat anybody got to the tournament and got waxed. If he played against UC better those yrs they played I would of been more inclined something like how UC beat UCLA those two yrs in a row and had thier administration was like ok.... But brannen said it himself in that league sometimes the season wouldn't get started foreal until the conf tournament. Said he was adjusting to every game mattering
 
JoeRunner89 said:
I wasnt impressed. They never beat anybody got to the tournament and got waxed. If he played against UC better those yrs they played I would of been more inclined something like how UC beat UCLA those two yrs in a row and had thier administration was like ok.... But brannen said it himself in that league sometimes the season wouldn't get started foreal until the conf tournament. Said he was adjusting to every game mattering
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If you weren't impressed with making a brand new Division 1 program in to the class of the league in 3 years time, I' not sure anything could impress you. There seems to be something else going on.
 
UCats329 said:
That team is all freshman and sophomores, it's basically the same team that went 16-17 and finished 7th in the Pac 12 last year--minus its three best players--and they looked absolutely dead in the water in December.

All of the things that have made them a good team--solid defense, rebounding, hustle, valuing the ball and not turning it over--are things that you COACH. They are things that Cronin coaches, and they are things that Brannen does NOT apparently coach.

A good team gets BETTER as the year goes on. It's the same shit beating UC that was beating them in November: inexplicable turnovers, missed defensive assignments, not rebounding the ball (especially on defense) or getting after loose balls, and missing an ungodly number of free throws.

Brannen has shown he's absolutely incapable of lighting a fire under these guys' asses. They're just going through the motions at this point. I said it at the time and I'll reiterate--Brannen was a shitty hire, his "system" isn't going to work in a league where they play actual defense, and he'll be gone in 3 years after he fails to make the tournament.
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At least be honest - the leader/leading scorer is a Junior (Smith). And the only true freshmen that contribute are Jasquez and Kyman...who only recently has been getting regular minutes.
 
bearcat1518 said:
At least be honest - the leader/leading scorer is a Junior (Smith). And the only true freshmen that contribute are Jasquez and Kyman...who only recently has been getting regular minutes.
Click to expand...

There are a few ppl here that only say the pieces that help their narrative but ignore the facts
 
bearcat1518 said:
Excerpts from 2019:

Mick's Win/Loss Record against ranked opponents (Last 5 years): 8-18, 31% Winning Percentage

Mick's Win/Loss Record against ranked opponents in OUR CONFERENCE (Last 5 years): 4-11, 36% Winning Percentage

Games UC outscores the opponent in 2nd Half against ranked opponents: 7 of 26, only 27% (3 of 4 games he does not)

Last season, UC was outscored in the 2nd Half against ranked opponents by a total NET of 216-196 (-12.5%)
Click to expand...
They must have accidentally left these parts out.

Let's be honest, The league wasn't great the the last couple years. Still isn't great. It was usually a two horse race. SMU and UC, or Houston and UC. Mick loaded up on cupcakes in the non-conference. He'd play 3-4 harder games, rest were trash. When he played a league road game, it was tough. @UCF, @Moody, @ Houston. We didn't win many of these games. To be fair, not many teams do. But before we put Mick in the Hall of fame, let's not sugar coat what we actually were. We were a top 30ish team every year, with a couple good years and one great year. You would think we were a top 10 team every year the way some talk.

Oh, and we were and still are a joke nationally when people talk about the tournament.
 

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