bearcat jeff
Hoops Moderator
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
- Messages
- 7,502
With summer league just a couple weeks away, I thought it'd be fun to talk some basketball. Most of us are optimistic about the coming season. The core of returning players, and a talented group of newcomers gives us all hope the Bearcats can sustain and build on what they accomplished last season.
The only question about the starting five is if Justin Jackson or someone else will start opposite Yancy Gates in the low post. Most believe you can pencil in Wright, Dixon, Kilpatrick and Gates. In that group you have experience and guys who have all produced at various times, but are yet to prove they can do it consistently and over time. Wright has been hindered by injury and Dixon was up his freshman season and down as a sophmore. He had a good '10-'11 but he was inconsistent. Kilpatrick too struggled with being consistent. This was especially true from the three point line. Lastly Yancy Gates was Yancy Gates till something came alive in him the last 10 games of the season.
Whether or not the promise for next season is fullfilled will lie heavily on these four guys shoulders. In the group you have three players entering their 4th season in the program and another entering their third. They've all fought the wars and they all understand the sacrifice it takes to win. Sacrifice is the one trait that can take you from being a good team to being a very good team. These guys, and the other returnees, get that.
Dion Dixon improved vastly last season. After showing so much promise his freshman season he took a back step as a sophmore. Because of this, and his drive to win, I think we will see a far more consistent player next season. Dion's biggest battle is with his confidence. He had six games of five or less points and two where he didn't score at all. In the last eleven games Dixon scored 15 pts. or more 5 times. He also had three games where he scored 2, 7, and 5 respectively. Learning mentally to stay focused on nights your shot is off is the key for him. He has a habit of letting his shot effect his whole game. If he can come into his senior season with a more consistent shot, and a willingness to attack when his shot isn't falling, his last season as a Bearcat could be very rewarding.
Cashmere Wright has shown us flashes of the player he can be. When he is right this team goes to a whole new level. Cash truly is the straw that stirs the drink. For the Bearcats to finish in the top 1/3 of the Big East Wright has to show up every night and make an impression on the game in some positive way. He has to realize this is his team and he needs to lead it. Wright has to do a better job of finishing around the basketball and eliminate stupid turnovers that lead to easy baskets. He also needs to assert himself more by getting into the lane and staying under control once he does. I think early in the season we will see Davis and Guyn spell Cash for long stretches during blowouts to help save the strength and stamina of his knee for the end of the season. For this team to maximize it's potential next season Cashmere Wright has to show up to play every single night
There is no player I look more forward to watching next season than Sean Kilpatrick. With his work ethic and willingness and desire to get better, we could see his game go to a whole new level. Sean never scored in double figures more than 4 games in a row in '10-'11. He also had 8 games of 3 or less points. When he is on he can be explosiove as evidenced by his 26 points against Wright State and three game stretch in BEast play where he scored 19, 15 , and 18 in consecutive games against Depaul, SJU and Louisville. Look for Sean to come in much more consistent from the field and to improve his decision making and on his 37% three point accurracy. He is putting major time in and is driven to be the best player he can be. Sean is a player that can take over a game. That's an element every good team has to have. That one guy who can score from some where when you're bleeding. Sean Kilpatrick can be that guy in Cincinnati.
Is there a bigger enigma than Yancy Gates? I won't rehash what we all already know about last season. Yancy was Yancy and then (Boom!) a light seemed to come on and a heart caught fire. In my opinion Yancy is bent on proving he is one of the permiere big men in college basketball. If Yancy can reach down and pull out an All Big East type year, this team may compete for a Big East title. Yancy averaged 15 ppg and 6.8 rebounds over his last 10 games. He scored in double figures the last 9 of those and had 3 double doubles and just missed a fourth with a 12 point 9 reb. effort against Notre Dame. If that's the Yancy the Bearcats get from game 1 to the last one, the Bearcats could dance a few rounds next March. His time playing against elite players in the try outs for the USA team in the World University Games could be invaluable to him.
There are other questions about this team, but how the season goes will likely be determined by the consistency of these four players. If as a whole they can come in every night mentally ready to play and impact the game, the Bearcats will be fighting for a top 5 finish in the Big East.
The only question about the starting five is if Justin Jackson or someone else will start opposite Yancy Gates in the low post. Most believe you can pencil in Wright, Dixon, Kilpatrick and Gates. In that group you have experience and guys who have all produced at various times, but are yet to prove they can do it consistently and over time. Wright has been hindered by injury and Dixon was up his freshman season and down as a sophmore. He had a good '10-'11 but he was inconsistent. Kilpatrick too struggled with being consistent. This was especially true from the three point line. Lastly Yancy Gates was Yancy Gates till something came alive in him the last 10 games of the season.
Whether or not the promise for next season is fullfilled will lie heavily on these four guys shoulders. In the group you have three players entering their 4th season in the program and another entering their third. They've all fought the wars and they all understand the sacrifice it takes to win. Sacrifice is the one trait that can take you from being a good team to being a very good team. These guys, and the other returnees, get that.
Dion Dixon improved vastly last season. After showing so much promise his freshman season he took a back step as a sophmore. Because of this, and his drive to win, I think we will see a far more consistent player next season. Dion's biggest battle is with his confidence. He had six games of five or less points and two where he didn't score at all. In the last eleven games Dixon scored 15 pts. or more 5 times. He also had three games where he scored 2, 7, and 5 respectively. Learning mentally to stay focused on nights your shot is off is the key for him. He has a habit of letting his shot effect his whole game. If he can come into his senior season with a more consistent shot, and a willingness to attack when his shot isn't falling, his last season as a Bearcat could be very rewarding.
Cashmere Wright has shown us flashes of the player he can be. When he is right this team goes to a whole new level. Cash truly is the straw that stirs the drink. For the Bearcats to finish in the top 1/3 of the Big East Wright has to show up every night and make an impression on the game in some positive way. He has to realize this is his team and he needs to lead it. Wright has to do a better job of finishing around the basketball and eliminate stupid turnovers that lead to easy baskets. He also needs to assert himself more by getting into the lane and staying under control once he does. I think early in the season we will see Davis and Guyn spell Cash for long stretches during blowouts to help save the strength and stamina of his knee for the end of the season. For this team to maximize it's potential next season Cashmere Wright has to show up to play every single night
There is no player I look more forward to watching next season than Sean Kilpatrick. With his work ethic and willingness and desire to get better, we could see his game go to a whole new level. Sean never scored in double figures more than 4 games in a row in '10-'11. He also had 8 games of 3 or less points. When he is on he can be explosiove as evidenced by his 26 points against Wright State and three game stretch in BEast play where he scored 19, 15 , and 18 in consecutive games against Depaul, SJU and Louisville. Look for Sean to come in much more consistent from the field and to improve his decision making and on his 37% three point accurracy. He is putting major time in and is driven to be the best player he can be. Sean is a player that can take over a game. That's an element every good team has to have. That one guy who can score from some where when you're bleeding. Sean Kilpatrick can be that guy in Cincinnati.
Is there a bigger enigma than Yancy Gates? I won't rehash what we all already know about last season. Yancy was Yancy and then (Boom!) a light seemed to come on and a heart caught fire. In my opinion Yancy is bent on proving he is one of the permiere big men in college basketball. If Yancy can reach down and pull out an All Big East type year, this team may compete for a Big East title. Yancy averaged 15 ppg and 6.8 rebounds over his last 10 games. He scored in double figures the last 9 of those and had 3 double doubles and just missed a fourth with a 12 point 9 reb. effort against Notre Dame. If that's the Yancy the Bearcats get from game 1 to the last one, the Bearcats could dance a few rounds next March. His time playing against elite players in the try outs for the USA team in the World University Games could be invaluable to him.
There are other questions about this team, but how the season goes will likely be determined by the consistency of these four players. If as a whole they can come in every night mentally ready to play and impact the game, the Bearcats will be fighting for a top 5 finish in the Big East.
