Let's debate this. Yancy Gates came into the University of Cincinnati with a reputation of being lazy and anybody that watched his high school career knew he took games off. This is where I disagree with some on here, and other boards. A player has a personal responsibility to improve. A coach and a coaching staff can only do so much. The player has to want it. You cannot put a heart in a players chest. There have been several centers at Cincinnati that were lazy who had potential that didn't pan out. BJ Grove and Robert Whaley instantly come to mind. Did Bob Huggins lower the bar? No those players failed in their personal responsibility to work hard and improve.
The condition of this program is a direct result of events this staff had no control over. It is climbing out of a near death experience. Again I ask people to look at Baylor and I.U. and see the difficulty at this level, in tough leagues, to rebuild programs. Too many confuse accountability with responsibility. As I've said before, Mick Cronin is accountable for this program. It doesn't mean he is responsible for everything that happens. That rests on the shoulders of each person involved. If you disagree than you must also admit that Bob Huggins was responsible for the trouble his kids got into. He wasn't. He was accountable for it.
One thing Butler showed the world was that one don't have to have a team of stars. You need a team that plays together for a common goal. Sean Kilpatrick is better than most on here know or believe and he plays with purpose and passion. Justin Jackson also plays with a high motor and will contribute. There are other kids this team is currently pursuing as well. If they play hard, play together, rebound, and play defense, it can carry them a long way. I want a team that plays for the name on the front of the jersey not the back. If we get that we'll be fine.
