One big thing that Crean has going for him is support. Even when he was 6-25 they nearly sold out every game and supported the team. Recruits notice that, a lot. Quite the opposite has happened at UC. People want to find reasons to complain and moan about things and not go to games.
One big thing that Crean has going for him is support. Even when he was 6-25 they nearly sold out every game and supported the team. Recruits notice that, a lot. Quite the opposite has happened at UC. People want to find reasons to complain and moan about things and not go to games.
It's too hard is not an acceptable answer and as a fan you shouldn't accept it. Simple fact is there is a guy here right now who is in his 8th year and isn't getting it done at the level many people expect. Would you rather wait another 5 or 6 years and see if he maybe puts it together or would you rather have a chance at finding that success sooner?
Don't settle for mediocrity just because greatness seems like a hard thing to obtain. As Cincinnati fans we've done that for far too long with the sports franchises in this city. As a passionate sports fan I expect the best from the teams I root for. There's no reason not too, we can and should expect our teams to be great.
Bingo. I'm all for being upset about a team performing poorly (you should've seen me at US Bank), but fan support does wonders. If you'd rather whine in a forum and never go to the Shoe until they're top 10, that's your call, but don't expect the school to build a new arena, land top-notch recruits, and hire a big name coach while averaging 5400 a game.
The only people Cronin has to impress are Ono and Whit. If they see the attendance or coaching an issue they will do the necessary things.
People say that they want to get rid of Mick but have no idea who we would get to replace him and "revive" the fan base. And please don't say Pearl.
I would venture to guess that most of the people whining on this board are people who support the athletic program with their attendance and dollars. The people posting on this message board wouldn't be enough to fill up one row at The Shoe.
The casual fans isn't posting on this board and they're not attending the games either. They're simply not going because they're not being given a reason too.
Really? Like when we were ranked #8 last year and still averaged like 6500? That wasn't enough reason? I get that the weak OOC doesn't help, but it isn't simply the product on the field. We all know our fan base is unbelievably flaky.
I cry and moan and bitch but I've probably missed 4 home games since Mick has been here. The problem is the casual or fringe fan isn't bought in to Mick because he has not delivered and there are many other things to do in this city.
IU is in Bloomington, there isn't much else to do and they have a greater tradition than we do. At IU you can count on fans being there regardless, at UC you have to give them a reason to show up.
Jay Bilas interview with Dan Hoard
http://www.gobearcats.com/allaccess/?media=424713
States Mick has done a phenomenal job rebuilding UC.
I will say this again. They have to be inspired to go. Winning will get some there. But to get the blue collars there, they have to identify with the program, the coach, and the team. The red sweaters go because they feel obligated. The students go because it is free. The upper deck goes because they are inspired to be there. A large portion of those fans did not attend college at UC and probably never did attend a college. They were there because they became fans of that team. Those are the fans who have left the building. Cronin and the type of recruits he brings in do not identify with this city's working class.
I will say this again. They have to be inspired to go. Winning will get some there. But to get the blue collars there, they have to identify with the program, the coach, and the team. The red sweaters go because they feel obligated. The students go because it is free. The upper deck goes because they are inspired to be there. A large portion of those fans did not attend college at UC and probably never did attend a college. They were there because they became fans of that team. Those are the fans who have left the building. Cronin and the type of recruits he brings in do not identify with this city's working class.
Guess all those missing fans didn't get his memo then. What do you expect Bias to say to "bearcat radio"? "Your coach sucks"? "Your fans stink"?
The only people Cronin has to impress are Ono and Whit. If they see the attendance or coaching an issue they will do the necessary things.
People say that they want to get rid of Mick but have no idea who we would get to replace him and "revive" the fan base. And please don't say Pearl.
I don't buy this at all. So I am supposed to believe that if we recruited Willie Cauley Stein and Patrick Young and Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins the city's working class would relate to them, or would they relate to them b/c of the W/L record???
But DUI-Huggs and the crazies he recruited do? Come on.
I do believe that if this team were as good as the Huggs days, the attendance would be just about as high. But since its not, so many refuse to go, since it isn't. Still way too many bitter people.
That would only solve part of the problem and I am not sure those players would relate to anyone. I am talking about the guys who stay 4 years. Bust their tails those 4 years. A coach who is all over the city talking with fans. A personality. It has to be more than a couple good players.
Can everyone please stop bringing up the situation that Mick took over? That is long gone, 8 years is a VERY LONG TIME.
Mick knew what he was signing up for, he knew what a lot of people's expectations were when he came. Year 8 and we're still rebuilding?? The only real positive we have to show for the first 7 is one run to the sweet 16. Meanwhile there are a boatload of negatives that can be pointed out.
C'Mon people, wake up!!! Being a Cincinnati sports fan is hard enough and we shouldn't stand for this basketball program becoming what it has with no real hope for the future. Get this team to start winning championships, get back into the Top 15 on a consistent basis, get some All Americans, make the tourney as a high seed and have it be the rule not the exception, reunite the fan base, give us an exciting product to watch and be proud of.
Do all these things or GTFO!!!!
Nobody had an idea who would replace Tony Yates either. We had just come thru 10 years of futility and losing, a couple probations, one year in which every single recruit was a Prop 48 and had to sit out the whole season. We picked an obscure name coach that nobody had ever heard of, who was handed a team of basically 4 players. In his press conference, he said he wanted to win a national championship and hang banners. We all laughed and chuckled, but we loved the brashness of the statement. He had to recruit a short chunky player from our football team to start and play forward. He had to move a juco forward recruit over to play point guard, where he had never played in his life. In his 1st game ever, he defeated one of the better Big 10 teams and went on to take this joke of a team to the NIT. Two years later, he had us in the final 4. When some in here speak of the miracle that Mick Cronin has accomplished, it is light years behind taking the piece of crap that our program was in the 80s and in three years putting us in the Final 4.
So, we will always have no idea who will replace a coach until we start the process and our talented AD and president evaluate all the candidates, known and unknown, and do the interviews and make the decision. We always hear about our finances, but we somehow found a lot more money to pay Tommy Tuberville than we were paying Butch Jones. Who knew Buzz Williams? Who knew Brad Stephens? Who knew Shaka Smart? Who knew Mark Few? There are great coaches all over the college basketball landscape just waiting for their first great opportunity like the one we gave the obscure coach we hired in the late 80s.
The situation that Mick took over is not long gone, the program is still feeling the effects today. Mick had to field a team for the 2006-2007 season, UC could not tell the Big East they were going to take the year off and not play. He had no option but to sign a lot of JUCO's, which lead to unbalanced recruiting classes. Also he had to live through the most negative recruiting imaginable, what the other coaches Mick was recruiting against were telling the recruits. Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News says if UC hired anyone but Mick it would take at least 10 years to remotely recover. The team has made the NCAA Tourney 3 consecutive years, that is a major accomplishment for a team that had no players when Mick took over.
UK did not make the NCAA tourney last year and they have John Calipari as their coach, heck they lost to Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT last year.