I disagree, I think mick didn’t want to speed the game up. Thats been his style for years. That’s why they didn’t expose the press. They could have easily thrown over the top or put a guy in the middle to have a 3 on 2 break.
If you keep losing in the tournament, people will try to figure out why. If we won, these conversations wouldn’t happenDon't forget, last year when we lost to Nevada what did everyone day? We lost our composure and let Nevada speed us up. We didn't stick to our gameplan and let them make it into a track meet.
This year we don't let Iowa speed us up and the complaint is that we should have let them speed us up.
After the loss yesterday (and it was worse in person), I asked my friend...what does the end of season meeting with Mick and the AD go like?
Overall this team performed well this season. Finishing 2nd was good. Winning the conference tournament was awesome. Losing in the first round was disappointing. Overall it was a really good season. Would have been great with 1 win in the tournament.
Still - the trend in March is not good. There has to be an honest dialogue with the coach about March expectations and what is missing. Mick and Bearcats underperformed in the tournament the last 3 years now. And last year was the year mick needed to make a run and had everything break right.
Something needs to change. No more excuses for recruiting. Mick needs to step it up there, cause with the right players and a couple of shooters, mick system can work. It wins a lot of games, just missing depth on the front court and a lack of space maker shooters. So either mick needs to change it his recruiting has to change/step it up.
I am tired of waiting till next year...but the reality is this team could be very good next year. And then we lose a lot. So I think next year is my final season of waiting for a sweet 16 run. Make it happen or start thinking about who can replace Mick.
I’m usually on the fire mick train but I want him to have success. I think the only way for him to have success is to look in the mirror and ask what he can better at and change. I don’t think that will happen because he is so cocky and stubborn. Last year should definitely be his last chance to do something in March because his recruiting will only get worse. He will then blame not having good recruits for losing even though it’s his fault he can’t get recruits. Eventually the AAC will catch up to us and mick will be the coach stuck in mediocrity if we don’t make a change in some way shape or form.
I'm a Cronin guy, but my patience is wearing thin. I'd love him to simply take ownership of the yearly March debacle, instead he basically brushes it off that if you dont win the whole thing, it's basically the same thing as losing in the first round. Tourney runs matter. It matters to your players, it matters to your fan base, and it damn sure matters to recruits.
Why do we believe we will be better next year? The two red shirts? The one incoming frosh? The lojo who hardly saw minutes this year? I’m missing why people think we will be that much better if at all next year. Of all the us players only a few have shown significant development. Will brooks be that much better? Mamadu? Scott?
We can always point to Jackson and kilpatrick as making significant jumps but there are far more examples of no development... Shaq, sanders, wilks, and more.
Just asking what the reasoning is that we will be better outside of a year playing for brooks, Scott, etc...
If you don't see development you obviously aren't looking, or choosing to be blind to it. Just this year we had significant improvements from Jenifer, Cumberland, Scott, Williams and Brooks. Look at Clark's growth over 4 years and Evan's developed enough he was able to go pro as a junior.
Will Brooks be that much better? Brooks was our 2nd best player by the end of this year. He averaged a 15.5% offensive rebound percentage in conference (over 3% better then Clark last year). If Brooks played like he did at the end of the season he will be an excellent player, if he continues to improve (like he did all year) he will be a star.
Next years team will be better, because the players will continue to improve as they did last off-season and have generally done every year under Cronin.
For most of those you mentioned was is development or Cronin had to play them significant minutes now. Cumberland was aac player of the year this year, if he had the freedom last year as he did this year he probably could have done it then.
I’m not saying players don’t get better, I believe they inherently would get better from strength training, more practice at the college level... but to make significant jumps in level is not the norm for the Cronin program.
So if a player doesn't get better it's Cronin's fault. But if a player does develop, that's just part of college basketball and Cronin probably had nothing to do with it. Gotcha.
So if a player doesn't get better it's Cronin's fault. But if a player does develop, that's just part of college basketball and Cronin probably had nothing to do with it. Gotcha.
I don’t know why you’re so offended. Do I believe Cronin made kilpatrick into a all American? No. Do I think he made Evans into a first round pick? No. Clark was basically a four year starter.
Mamadu redshirted a year and he couldn’t get on the floor. Moore took a step backwards. Broome... transfer year then two playing.
Your’re basically saying you have to be good enough to start as a frosh or have pro talent to develop in micks system.
I’m not saying development is non existent just not enough to make me believe next year will be significantly better. The players you site produced more because they played significant more minutes year over year.
You take things to the extreme which shows your lack of understanding on how discussions work.
So what about Jenifer, Brooks, Williams and Scott? I'm saying guys consistently develop in Mick's program. You are saying Mick doesn't deserve credit for the successes (and ignoring as many of the successes as you can), but he deserves blame for the guys who aren't developed enough to get on the floor.
I’m not ignoring any successes they are just much rarer In comparison. I’m trying to understand your logic on Williams and Brooks. If they played as many minutes last season as this there results would have been the same. They were sitting behind other players.
Jenifer did take a jump forward between junior and SR year.
Why do we believe we will be better next year? The two red shirts? The one incoming frosh? The lojo who hardly saw minutes this year? I’m missing why people think we will be that much better if at all next year. Of all the us players only a few have shown significant development. Will brooks be that much better? Mamadu? Scott?
We can always point to Jackson and kilpatrick as making significant jumps but there are far more examples of no development... Shaq, sanders, wilks, and more.
Just asking what the reasoning is that we will be better outside of a year playing for brooks, Scott, etc...
We have no one to shoot 3s next year.Well I think the Bearcats have a shot to be better:
Cumberland returns and improves ballhandling
Williams hit a wall this year, he breaks through that wall this offseason
LoJo will provide someone that can stop dribble penetration and rebound from the guard position.
Scott - kid give a lot of effort. Another year will have him at least a little better
Brooks - kid might be who he is. But if he can work on Eliminating the stupid foul, he will play more. His defense and rebounding is elite.
Curtis - I’m hopeful he comes in with the ability to play close to Williams soph level. Might be hoping for too much, but he is thevplayer of the year in OHio
Prince/Diarra/Nsoseme - all getting a bit better. Diarra if he doesn’t get lost on D and works on his hands...could be very good.
So I’m not sure we will be better but if we have a senior Cumberland Vs a junior cumberland...it already seems better.
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.