Recruiting Issues.

[TheLivingLegend]

Anyone with concerns? Yes, I understand we have filled our two scholorships.. But there are 2 players currently on the team that I would have little problems dumping if someone else pops up. Im not exactly thrilled with what we got.

 

[swg]

The Bishop issue may give MC some intended wiggle room needed to go out and find one or more shooters. I brought this up earlier, and it's a tough subject to talk about. However, given the fact that MC has probably one more year to 'get it right', I think it's fair to talk about this from his perspective. Knowing, of course, that in normal times, this wouldn't even be brought up.

The bottom line is that there are too few guys on the UC team that consistently produce. With the limits on scholarships, it puts a huge burden on the coach to get it right the first time. Or...you could simply do what Calipari did with his 6 and tell them to hit the bricks. Nice.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

The Bishop issue may give MC some intended wiggle room needed to go out and find one or more shooters. I brought this up earlier, and it's a tough subject to talk about. However, given the fact that MC has probably one more year to 'get it right', I think it's fair to talk about this from his perspective. Knowing, of course, that in normal times, this wouldn't even be brought up.

The bottom line is that there are too few guys on the UC team that consistently produce. With the limits on scholarships, it puts a huge burden on the coach to get it right the first time. Or...you could simply do what Calipari did with his 6 and tell them to hit the bricks. Nice.

next thing ya know we have 2 Final Four Banners removed.....

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Anyone with concerns? Yes, I understand we have filled our two scholorships.. But there are 2 players currently on the team that I would have little problems dumping if someone else pops up. Im not exactly thrilled with what we got.

I agree with what you're saying, but some view it as unethical to dump a player that has been in the program for 3 years just because he didn't pan out.

 

[the_one_32]

If he was going to "dump" a player or two from the class that included biggie and bishop he would have done it last year to give them 2 years at another school. IMO I think Bishop's time at UC may be over because Mick seems to have a no tolernace type policy with players but he's not going to just dump a player to open a scholarship.

 

[ready2go]

Let's put it this way. If Mick does not open up any other schollys, I truly believe he needs to change the style of basketball being played.

Atleast 50% of this teams points should be off transition next year. With the athletes and guards on this team there is no reason why that can't be done. I'v also been hearing that these two big guys next year are high motor guys. Lets run a little and open up the full court press. Tired of watching our half court offense and that match up zone or whatever it is. Especially if we do not get the shooters we need for next year.

 

[ralph1950]

I believe in Mick, he will figure out what to do.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Let's put it this way. If Mick does not open up any other schollys, I truly believe he needs to change the style of basketball being played.

Atleast 50% of this teams points should be off transition next year. With the athletes and guards on this team there is no reason why that can't be done. I'v also been hearing that these two big guys next year are high motor guys. Lets run a little and open up the full court press. Tired of watching our half court offense and that match up zone or whatever it is. Especially if we do not get the shooters we need for next year.

I tend to agree with you.

I think that was the plan this year, but we do not play defense when we start to run up and down. It is hard to have a nice combination of both.

I think an "up and down" style would suit our team next year to cover up deficiencies we will have in terms of skill. I think our 2-2-1 press is effective and makes teams uncomfortable. At the least it takes down the shot clock.

 

[lumberjack]

I believe in Mick, he will figure out what to do.

god knows why?

 

[ralph1950]

god knows why?

For one he will be UC's coach for the next 20 plus years, either believe in Mick or find a new team.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Let's put it this way. If Mick does not open up any other schollys, I truly believe he needs to change the style of basketball being played.

Atleast 50% of this teams points should be off transition next year. With the athletes and guards on this team there is no reason why that can't be done. I'v also been hearing that these two big guys next year are high motor guys. Lets run a little and open up the full court press. Tired of watching our half court offense and that match up zone or whatever it is. Especially if we do not get the shooters we need for next year.

I don't think it's been his intentions ever to run this type of gameplan. He's recruited high energy guys to play uptempo. His unwillingness to bench Vaughn (which I'll admit is tough given all that Vaughn has done for Mick and this team) coupled with the complete inability to put the ball in the basket has caused this team to slow the tempo down. When you struggle to score points you need to hold an opponent under 60 to have any chance to win. You can't run up and down the court in the Big East and expect these good teams to not get 60 points on you. We are already starting to see him transition to a little more uptempo style and next year I think it will be full blown. Cash/Lance/Thomas/Kilpatrick/Wilks/Dixon will be so fun to watch in an up and down game. If Gates could learn to hustle and rebound on defense he would compliment it beautifully because he is athletic. Even Davis and Parker and Bishop if we see him will be better in this style.

 

[ready2go]

I don't think it's been his intentions ever to run this type of gameplan. He's recruited high energy guys to play uptempo. His unwillingness to bench Vaughn (which I'll admit is tough given all that Vaughn has done for Mick and this team) coupled with the complete inability to put the ball in the basket has caused this team to slow the tempo down. When you struggle to score points you need to hold an opponent under 60 to have any chance to win. You can't run up and down the court in the Big East and expect these good teams to not get 60 points on you. We are already starting to see him transition to a little more uptempo style and next year I think it will be full blown. Cash/Lance/Thomas/Kilpatrick/Wilks/Dixon will be so fun to watch in an up and down game. If Gates could learn to hustle and rebound on defense he would compliment it beautifully because he is athletic. Even Davis and Parker and Bishop if we see him will be better in this style.

The style of play I saw in Maui versus now has completely changed. I do agree that if you can't score points you have to slow the game down. At the same time, YOU HAVE TO SCORE POINTS. I just feel that this team needs to open up the transition game. I can't recall many break away-dunks or fast tempo offense from this team. Why not try esp. when you struggle against zone defenses.

As far as the defensive end. I would love to see Mick bring a full court press and see us get easy buckets off that. They can still slow the game down on the offensive end if the press doesn't work.

I'm thinking from a business stand point here, but I feel that the Shoe would be rocking with this style of play. Sell-outs, more national televized games. To me this team and this style of play is BORING! The student section is practically empty. Let me see Wilks do his best James White impression more often.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

The style of play I saw in Maui versus now has completely changed. I do agree that if you can't score points you have to slow the game down. At the same time, YOU HAVE TO SCORE POINTS. I just feel that this team needs to open up the transition game. I can't recall many break away-dunks or fast tempo offense from this team. Why not try esp. when you struggle against zone defenses.

As far as the defensive end. I would love to see Mick bring a full court press and see us get easy buckets off that. They can still slow the game down on the offensive end if the press doesn't work.

I'm thinking from a business stand point here, but I feel that the Shoe would be rocking with this style of play. Sell-outs, more national televized games. To me this team and this style of play is BORING! The student section is practically empty. Let me see Wilks do his best James White impression more often.

I completely agree. I think based on stretches of 8-10 minutes nearly every game where we go without a field goal midway though the season Mick made the decision to slow it down. I remember around that time him saying something to the effect of, "our best chance to win is if we hold our opponents under 60." From that point forward until the Big East tourney we never saw anything remotely close to uptempo or a full court press. I think he was faced with a tough decision and made one and moved forward. In hindset we would've been better served to get as much pracctice on next year's game style as we could get this year. That's the thing that irked me most about Mick this year was his reluctance to play Cash more early. The guy is a freshman and is going to make mistakes. He is the guy that fits Mick's style and going forward should be the leader of the offense and he needed to be on the floor working through his struggles. Mick was trying to win now and did what he thought was best for each particular game, which is the right approach, but Cash needed more time early on to develop confidence going into Big East play. Deonta struggled and Mick rewarded him by giving him back the starting point spot to try to shake him out of it, leaving Cash at he end of the bench.

 

[swg]

On Building for Next Year

“I’ll meet individually with everyone when they get back from Spring Break. The biggest thing is to be able to get enough talent to score the basketball at the highest level. You have to be able to play hard enough at all times with consistent effort. If you can’t, then we can’t count on you to do that, and we’ll find other people that will. Winning teams are consistent with their effort. They don’t have ego, and we worked on those late in the season. Everyone put their ego in their pocket, and played with each other.”

http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/032310aab.html

I think MC is alluding to what has been brought up here several times. His guys aren't getting it done. If that doesn't change, I don't see how Cronin doesn't take a hard look at who is going to be on the team.