Player Development for 2018-2019 Season

[jacobkdoyle]

So a place like Nevada has 3 "killers" on one team. We have had 1 "killer" in 12 years. And that's not the coach's fault?

 

[waterhead]

Watching Caleb Martin....thats what i want

He is obviously a headliner. But there are others who may not be quite as good that can help us. Asking for a 6'7" guy who can dribble, create, and knock down shots is like the holy grail. But we don't really recruit that style. Cumberland was an offensive recruit but he has proven to be a MORE than serviceable defender because he knows how to play BB.

We have guys in our own conference who can do it. We can't hit home runs all the time with recruiting...but the difference between a guy like KJ and Martin is about as far as you can get. I am not picking on KJ...he did a good job with the skills he had when recruited. He just didn't have the necessary tools. SK is an outlier. But again, like Cumberland, SK did not have all the quickness and athleticism in the world for defense but he did a very good job on D because he knew how to play BB. He was a well above average defender...and so is Cumberland.

 

[waterhead]

So a place like Nevada has 3 "killers" on one team. We have had 1 "killer" in 12 years. And that's not the coach's fault?

I agree 100% with you. The coach can't make shots for the players but he can recruit the players who make shots.

 

[Jon Rycek]

This is why the "cincinnati fans are the worst" thing is stupid. Go to any teams message board or social media after they lose, it's the exact same. People just venting

Yeah I'm sorry. I just made it all up. It's not like after we lost our last coach, we couldn't sell out a game for 5+ years. Half the "fans" acted like the program stop existing when Huggins left. I understand that you're going to lose viewership like that, and people are gonna take time to adjust. But that's another thing Mick doesn't get enough for us the resistance of the fans he had to deal with. The lack of interest in the program. We are all complaining now but he brought us back to national relevance. We were all so happy, great season, won both conference championships, had the POY. Tied for most wins in school history. An EPIC meltdown as disappointed as it is, as frustrating as it is watching teams who aren't as good as us, just play better and advance further in the tourney. It really sucks. But that doesn't diminish this season or the accomplishments of our players. I totally understand the frustration, and I'll stick to my guns that cincinnati fans are unusually fair weather. It's just how it is. Either way you guys will be back next season cheering, whether you say it or not right now.

 

[Jon Rycek]

I agree 100% with you. The coach can't make shots for the players but he can recruit the players who make shots.

But we do have players that can make shots. Are we saying Evans isn't a tuge now? Even though he did not play very well the home stretch, he's still a great shooter. Same with Cumberland, I think broome showed he can be very effective from 3. He'll even Clark and Washington were pretty proficient from behind the arc. They collectively choked, that's what happened. And Cumberland may have been the only guy that could save us at that point, but he choked too. You can blame Cronin for keeping him in, or you can blame him for going after a ball he shouldn't have and picking up a really stupid 5th foul. I think Micks biggest issue is running sets, he just doesn't do it enough. We need to practice offense too, I understand defense is always gonna be his crutch. But end of games when we need buckets, we can't just play ISO or 2v2 basketball. We need to get guys moving around and get open looks, we certainly had the guys who could make those plays. And Mick has to learn to utilize his guys on offense too.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

But we do have players that can make shots. Are we saying Evans isn't a tuge now? Even though he did not play very well the home stretch, he's still a great shooter. Same with Cumberland, I think broome showed he can be very effective from 3. He'll even Clark and Washington were pretty proficient from behind the arc. They collectively choked, that's what happened. And Cumberland may have been the only guy that could save us at that point, but he choked too. You can blame Cronin for keeping him in, or you can blame him for going after a ball he shouldn't have and picking up a really stupid 5th foul. I think Micks biggest issue is running sets, he just doesn't do it enough. We need to practice offense too, I understand defense is always gonna be his crutch. But end of games when we need buckets, we can't just play ISO or 2v2 basketball. We need to get guys moving around and get open looks, we certainly had the guys who could make those plays. And Mick has to learn to utilize his guys on offense too.

I'll be back cheering of course. But I won't be believing. And that's bc our coach has failed to make it out of the first weekend 7 out of 8 NCAA Tournament years.

It has nothing to do with our players. I believe in them. I'll root for them no matter what. I just don't have any faith that Coach Cronin can prepare us for the biggest moments and go adjustment for adjustment on the fly with the better coaches around.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

I agree 100% with you. The coach can't make shots for the players but he can recruit the players who make shots.

We could make a giant list of the things the coach gets paid millions per year to be responsible for. It all translates into what we get on the floor during games.

 

[BearcatsNE]

But we do have players that can make shots. Are we saying Evans isn't a tuge now? Even though he did not play very well the home stretch, he's still a great shooter. Same with Cumberland, I think broome showed he can be very effective from 3. He'll even Clark and Washington were pretty proficient from behind the arc. They collectively choked, that's what happened. And Cumberland may have been the only guy that could save us at that point, but he choked too. You can blame Cronin for keeping him in, or you can blame him for going after a ball he shouldn't have and picking up a really stupid 5th foul. I think Micks biggest issue is running sets, he just doesn't do it enough. We need to practice offense too, I understand defense is always gonna be his crutch. But end of games when we need buckets, we can't just play ISO or 2v2 basketball. We need to get guys moving around and get open looks, we certainly had the guys who could make those plays. And Mick has to learn to utilize his guys on offense too.

The problem lay when you do let kids play to their strength or what you recruited them for. When you see a kid you grab them for what you see on the court at that time as well as the up potential. I just think Cronin needs to do a better job at using these guys strength.

 

[BearcatsNE]

The problem lay when you don’t let kids play to their strength or what you recruited them for. When you see a kid you grab them for what you see on the court at that time as well as the up potential. I just think Cronin needs to do a better job at Playing to the strength of the players.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

The problem lay when you do let kids play to their strength or what you recruited them for. When you see a kid you grab them for what you see on the court at that time as well as the up potential. I just think Cronin needs to do a better job at using these guys strength.

Yeah you see Broome as an electric scorer. You know we need that. You get him to UC. Then you say "Ok now be Troy Caupain or you can't play PG here". Cronin gets cold feet. When push comes to shove, he is who he is. He says things all offseason and early on. He seems to mean it until conference play. Then we slowly morph into the team that does things like what happened on Sunday. He said we would see a bunch of different starting lineups all year. That was a lie. He really just couldn't wait to put Jenifer in. Then he gets stubborn and refuses to come off of things. It stops him from making the necessary adjustments bc at the end he believes he already knows best. So he'll go back to the tried and true approach of screaming at guys, benching guys, making guys play tight, and ultimately choking. If he was serious about anything he said when it came to switching lineups, he would've put Broome back in when he started playing well late in conference play after our 2 game losing streak. At the end of the day though, it's all on him. Which is fine. He's the head coach. But like I said yesterday, when things go way wrong, he's the one who needs to answer for it. Bc it's the decisions he is making that lead us to wherever we end up.

The fact that Broome, Cumberland, Evans, Clark, and Washington didn't get major run together all season is a crime.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Every year we start a guy who shouldn't be starting.

Who will it be this next year?

 

[Jon Rycek]

I disagree that it's Cronins fault for our early exit. I really think his game plan (and yes the play of our players) is what built us that 22 point lead. He tried to slow it down, used a couple time outs. Ran one really good out of bounds play after the first one I believe. But guys we're missing shots, guys were not getting hands in the face of shooters til it was too late. We missed layups, and 1 ft put backs, and loose balls we could have grabbed, we didn't. Our players choked, and I love our players, but they felt them taking over and they tightened up and they shut down. I'm sure there were some adjustments or something Mick may have been able to do, but he can't play the game too and I just don't think it's fair to put it all on him. That being said, I completely agree about our starting 5. Our best 5 need to be out there together more than they're not. We aren't Kentucky, we aren't doing platoons, so the whole the better PG needs to be with the backups is funny. We just need to rotate our back ups in better, 2 at a time, keep a majority of starters in. We have two guys who can play 40 in Evans and Cumberland, so there's no real need for major minutes from the bench. But I have no idea how it's going to be his year, I expect more of a committee situation for our bigs.

 

[waterhead]

I disagree that it's Cronins fault for our early exit. I really think his game plan (and yes the play of our players) is what built us that 22 point lead. He tried to slow it down, used a couple time outs. Ran one really good out of bounds play after the first one I believe. But guys we're missing shots, guys were not getting hands in the face of shooters til it was too late. We missed layups, and 1 ft put backs, and loose balls we could have grabbed, we didn't. Our players choked, and I love our players, but they felt them taking over and they tightened up and they shut down. I'm sure there were some adjustments or something Mick may have been able to do, but he can't play the game too and I just don't think it's fair to put it all on him. That being said, I completely agree about our starting 5. Our best 5 need to be out there together more than they're not. We aren't Kentucky, we aren't doing platoons, so the whole the better PG needs to be with the backups is funny. We just need to rotate our back ups in better, 2 at a time, keep a majority of starters in. We have two guys who can play 40 in Evans and Cumberland, so there's no real need for major minutes from the bench. But I have no idea how it's going to be his year, I expect more of a committee situation for our bigs.

At what point does it become NOT the players...but the coach? If the players aren't performing in crunch time who is to blame ultimately? Why do the players not perform? Why do we not have players who CAN perform?

 

[GarradJ21]

At what point does it become NOT the players...but the coach? If the players aren't performing in crunch time who is to blame ultimately? Why do the players not perform? Why do we not have players who CAN perform?

I think theres more players out there that cant perform than can perform. So it shouldn't be a shocker if a player doesn't make a winning play at the end. With that said, we have performed well at the end and we also have lost. That's basketball.

 

[cincyguy13]

I think theres more players out there that cant perform than can perform. So it shouldn't be a shocker if a player doesn't make a winning play at the end. With that said, we have performed well at the end and we also have lost. That's basketball.

At what point is the coach expected to advance in the tourement? Never? We are a “top 20-30” program. What year is the coach to blame?

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

At what point is the coach expected to advance in the tourement? Never? We are a “top 20-30” program. What year is the coach to blame?

The team is to blame. That includes the coaches and players. They had a historic meltdown and blew a 22 point lead. I would say strategy and player execution are both fair game. He has done a great job making and keeping us relevant. The issue is do we risk what we have in a effort to go further or stay the course and hope he takes it further. That is left up to the administration to decide. But as I mentioned they better make the right decision if they want to continue to have my support. I won't be trying to hear well we tried.

 

[Queens_NYC]

Every year we start a guy who shouldn't be starting.

Who will it be this next year?

Brooks?

Also every year (for 4 consecutive years), we've had a true freshman establish himself as "the man" who would become a cornerstone of our program for the next four years.

13-14: Caupain
14-15: Clark
15-16: Evans
16-17: Cumberland
17-18: ???

That player didn't emerge last season. A lot of us thought it would be Williams before the season started, then Moore once the month of November ended.

We're going to need these players ready to contribute at a top 25 level two seasons from now.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Hopefully Jenifer, Cumberland, Williams, and Scott don't take long 2s next year. Someone needs to tell them it's a bad shot.

 

[mdchick]

Hopefully Jenifer, Cumberland, Williams, and Scott don't take long 2s next year. Someone needs to tell them it's a bad shot.

Don’t mind Cumberland ever taking any shot, and for the rest as long as it’s in rhythm it’s way better than a turnover

 

[cincycpaw]

Brooks?

Also every year (for 4 consecutive years), we've had a true freshman establish himself as "the man" who would become a cornerstone of our program for the next four years.

13-14: Caupain
14-15: Clark
15-16: Evans
16-17: Cumberland
17-18: ???

That player didn't emerge last season. A lot of us thought it would be Williams before the season started, then Moore once the month of November ended.

We're going to need these players ready to contribute at a top 25 level two seasons from now.

Yeah I was thinking about having that 1 impact freshman player per class and how well it's built the program. For 17-18: Broome. That's why we were a solid team and shoulda made some noise in the tourney besides whimpering.

But - we lose Clark. And if Evans goes Pro we lose another impact player. So we need 2 to step up big while the others develop on progress. There are kids on this roster that I like, but I can't tell you who I think will have a standout sophomore year. I just don't see it. And I don't know the freshman very well but hope 1 can be an impact player. But it seems like our streak might come to an end, which would result in a down year....still make the tournament, but down (although equal to the others in regards to tournament success).