Houston: Round 2: The Battle for Everything

[cincyguy13]

We've been over this before.

I don't judge success by the NCAA tournament. I think it's a crapshoot and a terrible measure of success. I won't judge Brannen by it either.

I judge success by the regular season and by kenpom and end of season rating (and I suppose to a degree by NCAA tournament seed).

Mick just had the highest combined wins over 3 years in UC history. He had a top team 2 years ago and we were set to be a top 15 team this year. We seemed to be the achieving the rotation of 1 great year, followed by 1/2 rebuilding years (but still make the NCAA tournament). I think in our conference, that is the best we can be. Eventually that would have resulted in an NCAA tournament run.

The odds of getting a better coach than Cronin were minimal, the odds of getting a worse coach were quite high, so I would have preferred keeping Cronin. I liked Brannen when we hired him and still am rooting for him, but thus far he looks like a worse coach.

I also think many fans don't care that much about the NCAA tournament. They use it as an excuse to justify their hatred of Cronin. Some hate Cronin because he's not Huggins, some hate him because of his (rather grating) personality.

When you talk about Cronin or another coach, that wasn't an option. He left. Had to move on. It wasn't a choice between the two. At least not for the fans. I'm sure many would have preferred to keep him, but no one cares what we prefer.

No one cares about the NCAA tournament? Really? I would say that's most of what people care about. It gets you the most exposure. It's all the casual fan cares about. That's the height of the sport.

Not many people hate Cronin like you claim. We just didn't think he was as great as some of you think. That's not hatred. It's just not caring that he left.

The wins thing was a bit of a smoke screen. Like previously posted, which you choose to ignore. It was a ton of cupcakes. When we played a good team, it usually didn't go well. But I'm sure you'll ignore that again.

 

[cincyguy13]

You do remember there was like a 30 year stretch between the '62 NC and Huggins where they barely made the tournament AT ALL, right? If you're in UC's position, you're a couple of bad hires away from THAT.

Real roll of the dice because you're dissatisfied about "not enough Sweet 16s".

Keep trying the same thing because there is a chance it goes bad. Never try to improve. Got it.

 

[cincyguy13]

We've been over this before.

I don't judge success by the NCAA tournament. I think it's a crapshoot and a terrible measure of success. I won't judge Brannen by it either.

I judge success by the regular season and by kenpom and end of season rating (and I suppose to a degree by NCAA tournament seed).

Mick just had the highest combined wins over 3 years in UC history. He had a top team 2 years ago and we were set to be a top 15 team this year. We seemed to be the achieving the rotation of 1 great year, followed by 1/2 rebuilding years (but still make the NCAA tournament). I think in our conference, that is the best we can be. Eventually that would have resulted in an NCAA tournament run.

The odds of getting a better coach than Cronin were minimal, the odds of getting a worse coach were quite high, so I would have preferred keeping Cronin. I liked Brannen when we hired him and still am rooting for him, but thus far he looks like a worse coach.

I also think many fans don't care that much about the NCAA tournament. They use it as an excuse to justify their hatred of Cronin. Some hate Cronin because he's not Huggins, some hate him because of his (rather grating) personality.

Racking up wins against a bunch of cupcakes never impressed me. Maybe some of you really enjoyed that but I would much rather play Duke than Alabama A & M. Every game I look back on and remember was a big game. Not some buy games that get your win total up

 

[justinhub2003]

I love how all these guys show up on the message board when we lose to Houston right after Brannens dad died but weren’t giving him praise when they were down 15 and came back and beat Houston. Just go to the UCLA board and have your Cronin circle jerk there.

What the hell does his dad dying have to do with anything ?


Mick almost lost his own life to an aneurysm and people still talked shit.



We sucked today. Straight up .

John Brannen has turned 2 of the winningest players in college basketball (Jarron and Tre) into an irrelevant NIT team.


Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not.

Can he turn it around in a few years ? Absolutely


But I don’t think he’s near the basketball mastermind that some of you made him out to be.

 

[justinhub2003]

We've been over this before.

I don't judge success by the NCAA tournament. I think it's a crapshoot and a terrible measure of success. I won't judge Brannen by it either.

I judge success by the regular season and by kenpom and end of season rating (and I suppose to a degree by NCAA tournament seed).

Mick just had the highest combined wins over 3 years in UC history. He had a top team 2 years ago and we were set to be a top 15 team this year. We seemed to be the achieving the rotation of 1 great year, followed by 1/2 rebuilding years (but still make the NCAA tournament). I think in our conference, that is the best we can be. Eventually that would have resulted in an NCAA tournament run.

The odds of getting a better coach than Cronin were minimal, the odds of getting a worse coach were quite high, so I would have preferred keeping Cronin. I liked Brannen when we hired him and still am rooting for him, but thus far he looks like a worse coach.

I also think many fans don't care that much about the NCAA tournament. They use it as an excuse to justify their hatred of Cronin. Some hate Cronin because he's not Huggins, some hate him because of his (rather grating) personality.

Do you know who doesn’t hate Mick Cronin?

UCLA Fans


It’s a love fest over on their board

 

[Jon Rycek]

All in all comparing first seasons mick 2-14 in conference play and brannen 11-5 so far, I mean the proof is in the pudding

They’re incomparable. There’s no proof in anything, and if you don’t see that I’m not sure you know much about the program at all

 

[Jon Rycek]

Mick has a team of almost entirely freshmen and sophomores currently tied for first in the PAC-12 with 1 game to play and on the verge of an NCAA tournament berth.

A team that finished 7th in the PAC-12 last year and lost it's 3 best players and was picked to finished 8th in the PAC-12 this year.

Go tell UCLA fans you can't coach effort. I'm sure that will give them a good laugh.

Thank you, people are acting as if the Cronin guys are garbage players. Who that Brannen brought in is better??

 

[cincyguy13]

What the hell does his dad dying have to do with anything ?


Mick almost lost his own life to an aneurysm and people still talked shit.



We sucked today. Straight up .

John Brannen has turned 2 of the winningest players in college basketball (Jarron and Tre) into an irrelevant NIT team.


Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not.

Can he turn it around in a few years ? Absolutely


But I don’t think he’s near the basketball mastermind that some of you made him out to be.

So this isn’t on jarron at all? He’s either hurt or terrible. Neither are helping.

 

[Jon Rycek]

Lol. If mick was amazing why the lack of success in March? Why did we lose to the same teams, have bad losses, etc? Why did x own him? His coaching effort amounted to one conference win and a what? One or two conference tourney championships? In 12 years

So you’re saying a mediocre offensive coach is better than arguably one of the best defensive coaches in NCAA basketball

 

[UCats329]

Racking up wins against a bunch of cupcakes never impressed me. Maybe some of you really enjoyed that but I would much rather play Duke than Alabama A & M. Every game I look back on and remember was a big game. Not some buy games that get your win total up

Brannen can barely win the buy games with Mick's players, sooooo...

 

[Jon Rycek]

I think it's wanting two different things. I honestly don't care about tournament appearances and making the tourney if we lose every time. To me, it gets kinda embarrassing after 20 years. I don't think it is that exciting if you know you have no chance. Some people like just being part of the tourney. Which is fine but I will never understand that mindset.

Yes, I know Brannen could turn out to be a bad hire. We will see but that's why I didn't really care if Mick left.

Yeah it’s would be so much more fun as a fan to only make the tourney ever few years and then every few of those times make it to the sweet 16 or something. People act as if some wild stuff hasn’t kept us from making a run. We’ve had some bad luck and lost some games we probably should have won but to think you’re getting anything better than that out of Brannen from what we’ve seen so far, you’re crazy

 

[Jon Rycek]

Our roster before transfers wouldn’t have beat this Houston team.

Hahaha

 

[cincyguy13]

Brannen can barely win the buy games with Mick's players, sooooo...

So we are already calling brannen a failure not even a year in? This is what we are doing?

 

[justinhub2003]

I’m not mad we lost. I didn’t expect to.

I’m mad that for a month straight our opponent has seemed to want it more than us.

And I don’t see us winning next season and maybe even the year after that.

Zach Harvey was ranked higher then mills and Sasser and I’d take both those guys over him.

Keith is a mick guy so he sucks. So next year we will rely on Vogt, who now looks like NKU Vogt and a bunch of barely contributed freshman.


I wanted to make the tourney because I know a next year isn’t going to be pretty.

I guess I’m also mad that Bearcats toughness culture is gone. I mean I watched a UCLA team that had the softest players in America to start the year, now look like one of the toughest in the nation. I want our team to have some sort of identity.

 

[Bcatfollower]

So we are already calling brannen a failure not even a year in? This is what we are doing?

Seems like it. However, it will probably be tough for them to be fans going forward... 2 or 3 years of Brannen then whoever’s next... I mean, no one can compare to mick anyway. Remember 2012!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jon Rycek]

The amount of people who trash Cronin absolutely blows my mind. He literally brought this program back from ashes. Seems so many of you forgot having football players fill in just so we had enough players. And then took us to the tournament year after year. Had we not blown up against Nevada, and made an elite 8 or final four all of you would have zero argument. One game changed the course of this whole argument. He IS as good a defensive coach as there is in basketball. He was never a great recruiter yet we still managed to be relevant every single year. Now he is at a school that recruits itself, he will build them into a powerhouse again and you guys will sit back and eat your words. He’s gone, I get it, and I only want what is best for UC and I’m not convinced either way on Brannen yet, still needs time. But I do think he struggles to get his guys to play, and he’s made quite a few head scratching moves. But the point of my post is shut up about Cronin being some average coach already. UCLA isn’t hiring some guy because he is average.

 

[Bcatfollower]

I’m not mad we lost. I didn’t expect to.

I’m mad that for a month straight our opponent has seemed to want it more than us.

And I don’t see us winning next season and maybe even the year after that.

Zach Harvey was ranked higher then mills and Sasser and I’d take both those guys over him.

Keith is a mick guy so he sucks. So next year we will rely on Vogt, who now looks like NKU Vogt and a bunch of barely contributed freshman.


I wanted to make the tourney because I know a next year isn’t going to be pretty.

I guess I’m also mad that Bearcats toughness culture is gone. I mean I watched a UCLA team that had the softest players in America to start the year, now look like one of the toughest in the nation. I want our team to have some sort of identity.

Why does that identity have to be teams that can’t score and have their games consistently referred to as ugly and rock fights.

 

[Bcatfollower]

The amount of people who trash Cronin absolutely blows my mind. He literally brought this program back from ashes. Seems so many of you forgot having football players fill in just so we had enough players. And then took us to the tournament year after year. Had we not blown up against Nevada, and made an elite 8 or final four all of you would have zero argument. One game changed the course of this whole argument. He IS as good a defensive coach as there is in basketball. He was never a great recruiter yet we still managed to be relevant every single year. Now he is at a school that recruits itself, he will build them into a powerhouse again and you guys will sit back and eat your words. He’s gone, I get it, and I only want what is best for UC and I’m not convinced either way on Brannen yet, still needs time. But I do think he struggles to get his guys to play, and he’s made quite a few head scratching moves. But the point of my post is shut up about Cronin being some average coach already. UCLA isn’t hiring some guy because he is average.

They hired average Alford. And mick was the 5th choice..

 

[Jon Rycek]

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.

And how many time did Jarron do this last year. Simple but very telling question. You think your best players confidence has nothing to do with his coach?

 

[cincyguy13]

I’m not mad we lost. I didn’t expect to.

I’m mad that for a month straight our opponent has seemed to want it more than us.

And I don’t see us winning next season and maybe even the year after that.

Zach Harvey was ranked higher then mills and Sasser and I’d take both those guys over him.

Keith is a mick guy so he sucks. So next year we will rely on Vogt, who now looks like NKU Vogt and a bunch of barely contributed freshman.


I wanted to make the tourney because I know a next year isn’t going to be pretty.

I guess I’m also mad that Bearcats toughness culture is gone. I mean I watched a UCLA team that had the softest players in America to start the year, now look like one of the toughest in the nation. I want our team to have some sort of identity.

Is having Mills and Sasser an option? Pretty sure both of those guys were already signed when Brannen took the job. So I'm not sure what point you are making.

Do Mick's guys suck? I've been saying Jarron is hurt. You've been saying he isn't good enough to handle a new system.