Jaquon Parker

[bearcat jeff]

There's been a lot of speculation regarding JP's future with Cincinnati. One thing is evident, with the arrival of Jeremiah Davis and Ge'Lawn Guyn, he isn't going to see time at the lead guard position. Fact is, Jaquon was never meant as a long term answer at point guard. He is a pure combo guard and was brought in for insurance against Cashmere Wright's health issues.

Next Season JP will be able to play the wings where he is more comfortable. I look for him to get some minutes (if he remains and all indications are that he will) at both the 2-3 positions next season and to be told to work on his shot and driving skills from the wing during the offseason.

One thing that made JP an intersting recruit, that many felt was a sleeper, was his ability to drive and finish. JP has the size to get in the lane but he has to be more agressive with the ball. Overall, he didn't look like the same player when he got on the court this season. His minutes were cut from 13.2 to 8.5 and he appeared in 23 games as opposed to 26 last season. You have to wonder what kind of effect this had on his confidence. His shooting dropped tremendously (45% to 18% overall, 36% to 15% from the three point line, 60% to 58% from the foul line). He simply never seemed to find a niche this season and never looked comfortable on the floor. Spotty minutes will do all the above to a player.

This is a big offseason for Jaquon. He will be entering his third season as a Bearcat and can play a major role next season off the bench. No matter how talented a freshman is you never know how they'll adjust to the transition to high D1 basketball. Not to mention the physical grind of a full Big East schedule. Jaquon could fill a gap that is being left by guys like Davis and Wilks on defense and provide energy and a spark for this team.

The bottom line is you work hard or you get left behind. With guys like Cash, Dixon and Kilpatrick returning at your spot who are gym rats, you have to put in the extra time and effort. Not to mention guys like GG, JD, and 'Maine that are also in the gym constantly trying to improve. Lots of players hit the gym. It's the ones who do so with a purpose that get better year after year.

JP can be a better player then he has shown to this point. A move off the ball and to the wing could be the ticket to help him get there. There's an opportunity, the question is will he do all he can to make it happen?

 

[anbuc88]

There's been a lot of speculation regarding JP's future with Cincinnati. One thing is evident, with the arrival of Jeremiah Davis and Ge'Lawn Guyn, he isn't going to see time at the lead guard position. Fact is, Jaquon was never meant as a long term answer at point guard. He is a pure combo guard and was brought in for insurance against Cashmere Wright's health issues.

Next Season JP will be able to play the wings where he is more comfortable. I look for him to get some minutes (if he remains and all indications are that he will) at both the 2-3 positions next season and to be told to work on his shot and driving skills from the wing during the offseason.

One thing that made JP an intersting recruit, that many felt was a sleeper, was his ability to drive and finish. JP has the size to get in the lane but he has to be more agressive with the ball. Overall, he didn't look like the same player when he got on the court this season. His minutes were cut from 13.2 to 8.5 and he appeared in 23 games as opposed to 26 last season. You have to wonder what kind of effect this had on his confidence. His shooting dropped tremendously (45% to 18% overall, 36% to 15% from the three point line, 60% to 58% from the foul line). He simply never seemed to find a niche this season and never looked comfortable on the floor. Spotty minutes will do all the above to a player.

This is a big offseason for Jaquon. He will be entering his third season as a Bearcat and can play a major role next season off the bench. No matter how talented a freshman is you never know how they'll adjust to the transition to high D1 basketball. Not to mention the physical grind of a full Big East schedule. Jaquon could fill a gap that is being left by guys like Davis and Wilks on defense and provide energy and a spark for this team.

The bottom line is you work hard or you get left behind. With guys like Cash, Dixon and Kilpatrick returning at your spot who are gym rats, you have to put in the extra time and effort. Not to mention guys like GG, JD, and 'Maine that are also in the gym constantly trying to improve. Lots of players hit the gym. It's the ones who do so with a purpose that get better year after year.

JP can be a better player then he has shown to this point. A move off the ball and to the wing could be the ticket to help him get there. There's an opportunity, the question is will he do all he can to make it happen?

I would love for him to be a productive player next year, but he seems to be stuck in a numbers crunch. It seems that he has been recruited over, and I'm not sure if his minutes will increase next year. Guyn or Davis are going to get all the backup minutes at the 1, and Dixon, SK, Sanders, and Shaq will split the minutes at the 2 and 3 spots. Davis is likely to to also get some minutes at the 2 if he can consistently hit the outside shot. Given all this, where does Jaquon fit in? The only way I see him getting meaningful minutes is if Davis is redshirted. I don't think Guyn will as he seems to be more of a 1 than Davis, and has a year of prep school under his belt.

 

[JasonS]

I would love for him to be a productive player next year, but he seems to be stuck in a numbers crunch. It seems that he has been recruited over, and I'm not sure if his minutes will increase next year. Guyn or Davis are going to get all the backup minutes at the 1, and Dixon, SK, Sanders, and Shaq will split the minutes at the 2 and 3 spots. Davis is likely to to also get some minutes at the 2 if he can consistently hit the outside shot. Given all this, where does Jaquon fit in? The only way I see him getting meaningful minutes is if Davis is redshirted. I don't think Guyn will as he seems to be more of a 1 than Davis, and has a year of prep school under his belt.

At this point in time I don't see anyone getting redshirted. Maybe Ellis if Mick brings in another big and feels like he isn't going to get minutes. The guards and wings will all play.

 

[Thegreatone]

I think Parker will get good minutes next year. He had a tough year but I know Mick wants him here. He said one of his biggest regrets was not redshirting him this previous year. He is a big, strong, smart player.

 

[anbuc88]

I think Parker will get good minutes next year. He had a tough year but I know Mick wants him here. He said one of his biggest regrets was not redshirting him this previous year. He is a big, strong, smart player.

I hope you are right. Jaquon's production was the biggest disappointment for me this year, as I was expecting him to be a solid contributor. At the end of his freshman campaign, he was someone we could count on. He was a big reason UC did as well as they did in the BE tourney, and the back to back victories over RU and UL could not have been possible without him. But it seems that the rest of the backcourt passed him over the offseason. It is too bad that he wasn't redshirted, but hindsight is 20-20. At the beginning of this year, I think we all felt that he would be a solid contributer. Having 2 years experience in the system, he could stabalize the backcourt, and would allow the freshman to be brought along slowly. It would be a win-win if he could start realizing the potential we saw in him at the end of his freshman year.

 

[dp3113]

At this point in time I don't see anyone getting redshirted. Maybe Ellis if Mick brings in another big and feels like he isn't going to get minutes. The guards and wings will all play.

mick said this year that its impossible to give 6 guys minutes on the wing- as they had this year- and one guy usually gets left out, and wishes they could have redshirted Parker.

next year there will be Wright, Dixon, Kilpatrick, Parker, Sanders, Thomas, Guyn, and Davis. That is 8 guys on the wing. guys may not get redshirted, but if they arent, they arent going to get minutes- they just arent available.

 

[catsfan32]

mick said this year that its impossible to give 6 guys minutes on the wing- as they had this year- and one guy usually gets left out, and wishes they could have redshirted Parker.

next year there will be Wright, Dixon, Kilpatrick, Parker, Sanders, Thomas, Guyn, and Davis. That is 8 guys on the wing. guys may not get redshirted, but if they arent, they arent going to get minutes- they just arent available.

First off, how are Wright and Guyn on the wing? They are PG's. Second, several players can play a hybrid 4, essentially playing small and having no center. This opens up another spot in the 3 guard offense. I see it playing out like this in terms of minutes. (Obviously this is just a guess and frosh minutes can't be determined)

Cash (PG-25-30min) Guyn (PG-10-15)
DD (SG-25-30min) JP (SG/SF 5-15min) JD (SG-5-10min)
Killa (SG/SF 25-30min) JS (SG/SF 5-15 min) Thomas (SF-10-20 min)
Yancy (PF/C 25-35 min) JJ (SF/PF 20-25 min) Gaines (PF/C 15-20 min)
Ellis (SF/PF- 0-10 min) Juco (PF/C 15-25 min)

It really just depends on what style we want to play next year. I'm hoping for a quick, athletic pace because we have inexperienced depth which could make the frosh tighten up in half-court sets. I believe it also allows them to play more loosely when they are making easy buckets. We'll also have very big guards and athletic wing players with our weakness being our lack of depth in the post. I would like to see some 4 guard sets with Yancy playing a hybrid 4 on Offense with no center position. I think our rebounding will be very good again because of our guards size and our wings having the ability to play the 2,3,4 positions. I think we will look a lot more like the Calipari Memphis teams, Baylor, Tennessee, and Marquette teams of old because of our lack of post options and our straight nasty athleticism on the wings and guard positions.

Oh, and as for Parker. I think he will get some solid minutes because he is our only option off the bench with BEAST experience. That and I think moving him to a wing position will help his confidence and hopefully let him find his stroke.

 

[bearcat jeff]

I think you already have your starting 5 here:

Cash
Dixon
Kilpatrick
Jackson
Gates

My guess is Jackson may be the only exception to this senario based on who UC lands as another big in the rotation, or the development of Gaines but if he adds some muscle and strength over the offseason I think he starts.

The bench is going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Big East history says experience matters so I have to think JP has an edge at least initially. Sanders and Davis are physically strong enough. It should be really intersting watching Guyn and Davis battle for minutes. Thomas has off the chart athleticism but has to get his head on straight all the time. I just don't see Ellis playing much if at all.

 

[anbuc88]

I think you already have your starting 5 here:

Cash
Dixon
Kilpatrick
Jackson
Gates

My guess is Jackson may be the only exception to this senario based on who UC lands as another big in the rotation, or the development of Gaines but if he adds some muscle and strength over the offseason I think he starts.

The bench is going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Big East history says experience matters so I have to think JP has an edge at least initially. Sanders and Davis are physically strong enough. It should be really intersting watching Guyn and Davis battle for minutes. Thomas has off the chart athleticism but has to get his head on straight all the time. I just don't see Ellis playing much if at all.

I think this is the de facto starting five. Even if Gaines adds weight and strength, I doubt that he will start over JJ. JJ has BE experience and would have the edge over a JUCO or Gaines. The only caveat I see for a change in the starting 5 is if someone gets in the habit of picking up early fouls, then it may be better to bring them off the bench. Cash and Yancy though will start every game, regardless. With the expected player improvement in the offseason, this 5 can compete with any starting 5 in the BE. We have a chance at a very special season next year.

 

[Not Guilty]

I'll be very intersted to see what type of offseason JaQuon has. I was ready to give up on Dion last year and he completely proved me wrong. This year was a disappointment for Parker, no doubt, but he has shown flashes of being a good player in his time here, especially in the Big East tournament his freshman year. If he has a big offseason, I could see him playing a significant role next year off the bench. If it doesn't come together, he will surely get passed by the talented freshmen wings we have coming in. Really tough to say at this point.

 

[psax889906]

I'll be very intersted to see what type of offseason JaQuon has. I was ready to give up on Dion last year and he completely proved me wrong. This year was a disappointment for Parker, no doubt, but he has shown flashes of being a good player in his time here, especially in the Big East tournament his freshman year. If he has a big offseason, I could see him playing a significant role next year off the bench. If it doesn't come together, he will surely get passed by the talented freshmen wings we have coming in. Really tough to say at this point.

Good perspective and I agree with your sentiments.

 

[dp3113]

First off, how are Wright and Guyn on the wing? They are PG's. Second, several players can play a hybrid 4, essentially playing small and having no center. This opens up another spot in the 3 guard offense. I see it playing out like this in terms of minutes. (Obviously this is just a guess and frosh minutes can't be determined)

Cash (PG-25-30min) Guyn (PG-10-15)
DD (SG-25-30min) JP (SG/SF 5-15min) JD (SG-5-10min)
Killa (SG/SF 25-30min) JS (SG/SF 5-15 min) Thomas (SF-10-20 min)
Yancy (PF/C 25-35 min) JJ (SF/PF 20-25 min) Gaines (PF/C 15-20 min)
Ellis (SF/PF- 0-10 min) Juco (PF/C 15-25 min)

It really just depends on what style we want to play next year. I'm hoping for a quick, athletic pace because we have inexperienced depth which could make the frosh tighten up in half-court sets. I believe it also allows them to play more loosely when they are making easy buckets. We'll also have very big guards and athletic wing players with our weakness being our lack of depth in the post. I would like to see some 4 guard sets with Yancy playing a hybrid 4 on Offense with no center position. I think our rebounding will be very good again because of our guards size and our wings having the ability to play the 2,3,4 positions. I think we will look a lot more like the Calipari Memphis teams, Baylor, Tennessee, and Marquette teams of old because of our lack of post options and our straight nasty athleticism on the wings and guard positions.

Oh, and as for Parker. I think he will get some solid minutes because he is our only option off the bench with BEAST experience. That and I think moving him to a wing position will help his confidence and hopefully let him find his stroke.

the wing means non inside players. he might have said perimeter and i misspoke.

and dude, UCs rotation will not feature all 13 players next year. that is absolutely beyond unrealistic. 11 players became too many this year, and we USUALLY saw 10 players max- sometimes only 9 this year. we have a good recruiting class, but all 5 guys are not going to play significant minutes. its absurd to think 13 players will be receiving consistent PT next year.

 

[Ryno99]

There is no scenario that I can see Ellis not redshirting. He needs that extra year to bulk up, he'd get thrown around in the BEast. He's just not ready for that without a redshirt year.

 

[dp3113]

There is no scenario that I can see Ellis not redshirting. He needs that extra year to bulk up, he'd get thrown around in the BEast. He's just not ready for that without a redshirt year.

agree 100%

 

[TheLivingLegend]

Parker will be fine. He is strong enough to finish. He just needs some minutes...

 

[bearcat jeff]

the wing means non inside players. he might have said perimeter and i misspoke.

and dude, UCs rotation will not feature all 13 players next year. that is absolutely beyond unrealistic. 11 players became too many this year, and we USUALLY saw 10 players max- sometimes only 9 this year. we have a good recruiting class, but all 5 guys are not going to play significant minutes. its absurd to think 13 players will be receiving consistent PT next year.

I still think they'll play 9, possibly 10 deep.

 

[dp3113]

I still think they'll play 9, possibly 10 deep.

absolutely. my only point was that not all 8 guys are going to play on the perimeter- and not all 13 guys will be in the rotation as that person insinuated.

Wright, Dixon, Kilpatrick, Jackson, Gates, Parker, JUCO PF, Sanders, Thomas are all certainties to be in the mix. The 10th man will probably be either Gaines out of necessity or one Guyn or Davis backing up the point- depending if they are ready and/or if they want to keep Dixon off the ball.