Mick Cronin

[cincyguy13]

I don’t disagree. But let’s compare against Iowa - they had 2 guys on their entire roster that were ranked in the top 150 Garza and Meiskamp. Same as us (and if you count Logan and Diarria, as some services did, we’d have 4). Talent difference wasnt the problem today.

I agree. Iowa is not that good. Nevada is not that good. Have to be able to beat those teams. Those are teams in the lower half of the tournament

 

[cincyguy13]

I am surprised he hasn’t been able to recruit a little better. We should be able to get 1-2 top 100 guys a year. I get the conference thing, but seems like we could do a little better.

 

[Alum2013]

I mean how many years do we give excuses? Harvard and St. Joe's dont have better players, Nevada didn't have better. Iowa didn't have better. His coaching style just isn't one to get it done in March. How many years do we have to see the same exact thing with the same results until we stop using whatever excuse we decide on? This year it appears to be we need more talented players except for the part where we've never been the less talented team except for UK.

 

[HarryBosch]

I am surprised he hasn’t been able to recruit a little better. We should be able to get 1-2 top 100 guys a year. I get the conference thing, but seems like we could do a little better.

Mark Few seems to do ok in a crap conference.

 

[z_bearcat]

Having been to a game in renovated Fifth Third Arena, there are no longer acceptable reasons for the Coach not to be able to recruit. If he cannot recruit given an awesome venue like he has now, then he has a problem. I do think his lack of success in March plays a big part in recruiting. However, I feel next year the team has a chance to be really special.

 

[cincyguy13]

Mark Few seems to do ok in a crap conference.

I’m not making excuses, I’m saying he should be getting better players. I don’t understand why he is not

 

[Queens_NYC]

Given the amount of unknowns going into this season (lost 3 NBA-caliber players, returned 3 significant contributors), playing for an AAC regular season title on Senior Day, winning the AAC tournament, finishing the regular season ranked in the top 25, and earning our 9th consecutive NCAA tournament bid constitutes a successful season for me.

If we won today, the season would've been on the verge of great. Since we lost, I'd still count it as pretty good.

If Cumberland returns and we don't experience unexpected attrition, then the expectations should be upped a notch next season (as they were in 17-18).

 

[TheRealUC]

The coaching isn’t great either but I do think he needs to start with getting multiple top 100-150 guys.

so he's not getting talented enough players and still making the tournament every year, all while also being a bad coach? that's an impossible statement to make. I'm as disappointed as anyone, but winning the conference tournament with this squad, in a 4 bid conference, is a significant achievement in my book. Yes he needs to shift his mindset, and i guess i'll be the hopelessly optimistic one that believes he'll do it.

 

[cincyguy13]

so he's not getting talented enough players and still making the tournament every year, all while also being a bad coach? that's an impossible statement to make. I'm as disappointed as anyone, but winning the conference tournament with this squad, in a 4 bid conference, is a significant achievement in my book. Yes he needs to shift his mindset, and i guess i'll be the hopelessly optimistic one that believes he'll do it.

I think he is good at some things and not good at others. He gets his guys to play hard. I think he did great this season. Last season I think we should have been better. He is good at finding talent but not got at landing top talent. All things can be true

 

[cliftonballer]

Im going to go on a huge rant because I call it like I see it...there just aren't any valid excuses anymore for this. So predictable. It's like battered wife syndrome listening to our fanbase. Mick has peaked guys. What really bothers me is how dishonest, stubborn and self deluded he has become as head coach here. Won't ever take any blame, adapt, change or switch gears. Hell even his mentors Huggs and Pitino always recruited a guy or two who's sole job was to shoot and not worry about defense. I.e Luke Hancock, Lazelle Durden would get 2 shots in every game because he couldnt play defense. If he missed both Huggs pulled him. If he made one or both he let him rip it till he cooled off. Mick really thinks he's arrived and is an elite coach like his mentors by winning a lot of games against marginal competition. I'd like to be optimistic but after 14 years there is ZERO possibility about us ever breaking out on a big stage. All the statistics point in that direction. Things aren't going to get better. Because the archaic system and philosophy has remained constant and the recruting has now stagnated. Mick is either going to be exposed the next few years in league play or somehow rise to the occasion because the AAC is on the up and up with exciting, energetic new coaches and top level recruits now coming in the leaugues never seen. There is no energy or excitement around this program anymore. It has actually become a detriment making the tourney every year because it has allowed Mick this "pass" and given himself confirmation bias while our national image has suffered. Nobody cares or knows we won the AAC 2 years in a row. We make the big tourney every year but no one respects or even talks about us. And rightfully so. Perception is everything. Mick's supposed best team ever was the recipient of the biggest comeback ever in NCAA tourney history last year against Nevada. This Iowa team was on total life support and a hot mess. You wouldnt even think they made the tourney listening to their fans. They have been calling for Fran McCaffrey's head for 2 years now. Fran got suspended even, had huge dustups with the media, refs, league officials and there was talk he was going to be fired midseason to the delight of the fanbase. They wanted the AD gone too and even their play by play guy got suspended. They got totally plastered by Michigan the last game they played before us. They got straight bullied the last half of the year by everyone. And thats where I have the major problem. All we hear from Mick is defense defense, toughness toughness every damn year as if nothing else matters. And every year we get out-toughed by a supposedly less physical, offensive minded team thats supposed to be weaker than us. Creighton, St. Joes, Princeton, Nevada, Iowa and insert the next team. Thats what really pisses me off and why I think Mick's a fraud. We make guys like Luka Garza look like world beaters. I watched a lot of Iowa games this year and Garza is very skilled but got bullied all year from a physicality stand point. The one thing his teams are exclusively known for don't ever live up to the billing when push comes to shove, literally. Thats a major problem. Never mind the offensive ineptitude. Kind of ironic we started the year getting beat by a middle of the road Big Ten team and ended up being beaten by one to end it. You could argue we didnt get any better all year. The mid-major excuse is total bullcrap too. Little Liberty just beat the team MSU that beat us handily this year. Buffalo can play with anyone. And the huge irony is this Murray St. team, Mick's former program would destroy every team he's ever assembled at UC in 14 years. With all the resources that are now available it's embarassing. I don't see how any honest fan can look forward to next year and say we'll breakout or improve over what we're accustomed to. It's total insanity. Cumberland returning doesn't mean anything but plugging the whole another year and holding on for dear life. Cincinnati will be such an easy team to beat next year whenever we play a half-way decent opponent. It's just too easy. I mean weak Iowa put a half assed press on us and we turned to stonemen. You don't even have to scout us. I'd like to remain semi optimistic about Samari Curtis but he's just one recruit and even if he was the next coming of Steph Curry he would be held back and hindered by Micks archaic coaching style and philosophy. There is 14 years of corrobative evidence on my side. Not this psychotic "we'll get them next year" mentality that pervades the entire Cincy sports culture.

 

[Alum2013]

Im going to go on a huge rant because I call it like I see it...there just aren't any valid excuses anymore for this. So predictable. It's like battered wife syndrome listening to our fanbase. Mick has peaked guys. What really bothers me is how dishonest, stubborn and self deluded he has become as head coach here. Won't ever take any blame, adapt, change or switch gears. Hell even his mentors Huggs and Pitino always recruited a guy or two who's sole job was to shoot and not worry about defense. I.e Luke Hancock, Lazelle Durden would get 2 shots in every game because he couldnt play defense. If he missed both Huggs pulled him. If he made one or both he let him rip it till he cooled off. Mick really thinks he's arrived and is an elite coach like his mentors by winning a lot of games against marginal competition. I'd like to be optimistic but after 14 years there is ZERO possibility about us ever breaking out on a big stage. All the statistics point in that direction. Things aren't going to get better. Because the archaic system and philosophy has remained constant and the recruting has now stagnated. Mick is either going to be exposed the next few years in league play or somehow rise to the occasion because the AAC is on the up and up with exciting, energetic new coaches and top level recruits now coming in the leaugues never seen. There is no energy or excitement around this program anymore. It has actually become a detriment making the tourney every year because it has allowed Mick this "pass" and given himself confirmation bias while our national image has suffered. Nobody cares or knows we won the AAC 2 years in a row. We make the big tourney every year but no one respects or even talks about us. And rightfully so. Perception is everything. Mick's supposed best team ever was the recipient of the biggest comeback ever in NCAA tourney history last year against Nevada. This Iowa team was on total life support and a hot mess. You wouldnt even think they made the tourney listening to their fans. They have been calling for Fran McCaffrey's head for 2 years now. Fran got suspended even, had huge dustups with the media, refs, league officials and there was talk he was going to be fired midseason to the delight of the fanbase. They wanted the AD gone too and even their play by play guy got suspended. They got totally plastered by Michigan the last game they played before us. They got straight bullied the last half of the year by everyone. And thats where I have the major problem. All we hear from Mick is defense defense, toughness toughness every damn year as if nothing else matters. And every year we get out-toughed by a supposedly less physical, offensive minded team thats supposed to be weaker than us. Creighton, St. Joes, Princeton, Nevada, Iowa and insert the next team. Thats what really pisses me off and why I think Mick's a fraud. We make guys like Luka Garza look like world beaters. I watched a lot of Iowa games this year and Garza is very skilled but got bullied all year from a physicality stand point. The one thing his teams are exclusively known for don't ever live up to the billing when push comes to shove, literally. Thats a major problem. Never mind the offensive ineptitude. Kind of ironic we started the year getting beat by a middle of the road Big Ten team and ended up being beaten by one to end it. You could argue we didnt get any better all year. The mid-major excuse is total bullcrap too. Little Liberty just beat the team MSU that beat us handily this year. Buffalo can play with anyone. And the huge irony is this Murray St. team, Mick's former program would destroy every team he's ever assembled at UC in 14 years. With all the resources that are now available it's embarassing. I don't see how any honest fan can look forward to next year and say we'll breakout or improve over what we're accustomed to. It's total insanity. Cumberland returning doesn't mean anything but plugging the whole another year and holding on for dear life. Cincinnati will be such an easy team to beat next year whenever we play a half-way decent opponent. It's just too easy. I mean weak Iowa put a half assed press on us and we turned to stonemen. You don't even have to scout us. I'd like to remain semi optimistic about Samari Curtis but he's just one recruit and even if he was the next coming of Steph Curry he would be held back and hindered by Micks archaic coaching style and philosophy. There is 14 years of corrobative evidence on my side. Not this psychotic "we'll get them next year" mentality that pervades the entire Cincy sports culture.

Make some paragraphs and try again. I feel like you may have said something grand but couldn't make it past the 3rd line.

 

[Alum2013]

Given the amount of unknowns going into this season (lost 3 NBA-caliber players, returned 3 significant contributors), playing for an AAC regular season title on Senior Day, winning the AAC tournament, finishing the regular season ranked in the top 25, and earning our 9th consecutive NCAA tournament bid constitutes a successful season for me.

If we won today, the season would've been on the verge of great. Since we lost, I'd still count it as pretty good.

If Cumberland returns and we don't experience unexpected attrition, then the expectations should be upped a notch next season (as they were in 17-18).

If we made it to the sweet 16 or elite 8 last year I don't think anyone really minds the results this year. Given the talent of last year and what we didn't accomplish and then didn't accomplish again this year or the last like 6 is just draining.

 

[cliftonballer]

Make some paragraphs and try again. I feel like you may have said something grand but couldn't make it past the 3rd line.

It's just a stream of concsiousness rant. Take it for what it is. More for my mental health than anything. Needed to get that out.

 

[Profchaos102]

Make some paragraphs and try again. I feel like you may have said something grand but couldn't make it past the 3rd line.

Yeah I tuned out after the second line. Not much sense was made after that.

 

[Profchaos102]

If we made it to the sweet 16 or elite 8 last year I don't think anyone really minds the results this year. Given the talent of last year and what we didn't accomplish and then didn't accomplish again this year or the last like 6 is just draining.

Why hold this year’s team accountable for last year’s result? They simply didn’t have the talent this year to make a run. Let’s be real, in October if we said hey we made the tournament as a 7 seed our reaction would be “excellent year.” What changed? We simply didn’t have the horses this season.

 

[Alum2013]

Why hold this year’s team accountable for last year’s result? They simply didn’t have the talent this year to make a run. Let’s be real, in October if we said hey we made the tournament as a 7 seed our reaction would be “excellent year.” What changed? We simply didn’t have the horses this season.

I'm not holding this years team. Im holding this years coach. This thread is about Mick Cronin is it not? Has he not failed to do anything come the tournament for years now?

 

[TheRealUC]

Let’s be real, in October if we said hey we made the tournament as a 7 seed our reaction would be “excellent year.” What changed? We simply didn’t have the horses this season.

This...

 

[cincyguy13]

Why hold this year’s team accountable for last year’s result? They simply didn’t have the talent this year to make a run. Let’s be real, in October if we said hey we made the tournament as a 7 seed our reaction would be “excellent year.” What changed? We simply didn’t have the horses this season.

Let’s be real. We had the horses to beat Iowa.

 

[mdchick]

What he did with this years team was one of the best coaching jobs in the country

 

[Bcatfollower]

What he did with this years team was one of the best coaching jobs in the country

Weren’t we picked preseason 2nd or 3rd in the aac? So he achieved what was expected.... not over achieved.