UC Basketball Video/Press Conferences

[Defense first]

Still not thrilled with Cronin's sub pattern this year...but when you are 27-4 its obvious a small issue. And the WSU box score of minutes shows you what Cronin will do in the NCAA tournament. But, making a list of things that could have been better about this year, playing Broome more on top. Substitution patterns my #2, and the short leash on Kyle at times bother me the most. That short leash on kyle pissed me off in the home game against WSU. We couldn't score. it was 5-4...all 4 points were Kyles. He comes out for a dumb play. How about the other 4 guys making dumb offensive plays!

I love Kyle, and yes he had all our 4 points, but he didn't box out for rebounds. If Kyle boxes out and rebounds, he will not get yanked as much.

 

[Gocats]

Clearly, Kyle was a huge defensive liability against WSU. He could not guard at all That was why he kept getting yanked out of the game.

 

[cincycpaw]

Clearly, Kyle was a huge defensive liability against WSU. He could not guard at all That was why he kept getting yanked out of the game.

Clearly the guys put in for him were an offensive liability. What's the difference really? Cronin is willing to live with guys that give up only 4 points but score 0 instead of giving up 4 and scoring 6. I don't like that math when everyone else couldnt score either.

 

[All we do is Guyn]

Clearly the guys put in for him were an offensive liability. What's the difference really? Cronin is willing to live with guys that give up only 4 points but score 0 instead of giving up 4 and scoring 6. I don't like that math when everyone else couldnt score either.

I get your point and would probably agree in certain instances but Kyle was bad on both ends of the floor. 4/15 FG, 1/6 3pt.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Clearly the guys put in for him were an offensive liability. What's the difference really? Cronin is willing to live with guys that give up only 4 points but score 0 instead of giving up 4 and scoring 6. I don't like that math when everyone else couldnt score either.

We scored 61 in the win and 74 in the loss. Wichita State is one of the best offenses in the country. Trying to outscore them is a recipe for disaster as is allowing them to score at will in the paint, which opens up every other facet of their scoring. Kyle was getting eaten alive by Morris. Taking him out was the best decision. Nsoseme and his zero points actually stopped their scoring. We have other players who can take shots. Kyle isn't the only option. Sure he's better than Brooks or Scott or Nsoseme, but the offense as a whole can operate without Kyle in the game.

 

[cincycpaw]

I get your point and would probably agree in certain instances but Kyle was bad on both ends of the floor. 4/15 FG, 1/6 3pt.

Wrong WSU game. The game in Cincy. Kyle played 17 minutes, shot 3-5.

He had our first 4 points.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

Accountability is huge over the course of a season. Micks rule and many other successful coaches is if you don't guard you don't play.

Also his handling of subs is instrumental in how the bench players have developed. Broome had a huge adjustment in learning to play within himself and blending his talents with the others. He was also our only bench offensive threat. He is playing his best basketball at the most important time. Same for Williams,Scott and Brooks. He built this team for he long haul and to the players credit they all did their jobs.

At 27-4 and outright league champs I'll defer to his wisdom.

 

[mdchick]

If you go to the Gobearcats YouTube channel they have a nice highlight video of the season, also a good video of Cronin talking about the season and the future

 

[waterhead]

If you go to the Gobearcats YouTube channel they have a nice highlight video of the season, also a good video of Cronin talking about the season and the future

Nice video recap of the season! One thing stuck out to me about the Cronin interview. "If you're standing still (not improving) you are getting passed up". We will see what changes Mick has in store for himself and how much of that is coach speak. He has to evolve if he wants to get better! He knows defense like the back of his hand. Can he ever or will he ever adjust offensive philosophy? I think this would be a perfect year to try it out...not a lot of heavy expectations. We can toy with 4 guards a lot this year if we want to. I think we should. I would like to see what that looks like. We have two all around scorers and two more who are a little more one dimensional.

I don't know what we have really in the new comers or with a guy like Diarra but I don't expect the frosh to be big contributors. Perhaps they can give us some depth or different looks at times. I am going to sit back and relax a little this year and not put a lot of expectations out there for achievements. This will be a year to watch certain kids grow into roles and see who is going to step up.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Nice video recap of the season! One thing stuck out to me about the Cronin interview. "If you're standing still (not improving) you are getting passed up". We will see what changes Mick has in store for himself and how much of that is coach speak. He has to evolve if he wants to get better! He knows defense like the back of his hand. Can he ever or will he ever adjust offensive philosophy? I think this would be a perfect year to try it out...not a lot of heavy expectations. We can toy with 4 guards a lot this year if we want to. I think we should. I would like to see what that looks like. We have two all around scorers and two more who are a little more one dimensional.

I don't know what we have really in the new comers or with a guy like Diarra but I don't expect the frosh to be big contributors. Perhaps they can give us some depth or different looks at times. I am going to sit back and relax a little this year and not put a lot of expectations out there for achievements. This will be a year to watch certain kids grow into roles and see who is going to step up.

100% coach speak.

We know our coach. We know how he operates.

He wasn't comfortable enough to turn a lineup of Broome, Evans, Cumberland, Clark, and Washington loose. No way he lets a lineup of more unproven, worse players loose. This season will be like the Caupain SO and JR year teams. My least favorite teams of the Cronin era. But that's who we will be. Think about our conference road games. Think about the lineups we will have out there. Think about what our coach turns to in big games. Rockfight USA.

I do agree this year would be the year to do it. But last year was the year to do it too.

I think we'll build this team from the grossest of all gross rockfights to a team that will be a worse version of what we were this year in a few years. It'd be nice if Cronin could build this thing the opposite way. Can you imagine if we lost a game like 90-87 or something? And over the course of the next couple years we had to make defensive adjustments to fit the "system" instead of always begging for more offense? Never going to happen. We'll be lucky to crack 60 in the majority of our 9 AAC road games.

I might actually choose not to watch some games next year. As crazy as that sounds. But if we play a gross, low-level game, and it's the worst version of the same thing we always get, I'll simply choose to do something else with my time. Not worth watching a 57-55 2OT game at Temple.

 

[waterhead]

100% coach speak.

We know our coach. We know how he operates.

He wasn't comfortable enough to turn a lineup of Broome, Evans, Cumberland, Clark, and Washington loose. No way he lets a lineup of more unproven, worse players loose. This season will be like the Caupain SO and JR year teams. My least favorite teams of the Cronin era. But that's who we will be. Think about our conference road games. Think about the lineups we will have out there. Think about what our coach turns to in big games. Rockfight USA.

I do agree this year would be the year to do it. But last year was the year to do it too.

I think we'll build this team from the grossest of all gross rockfights to a team that will be a worse version of what we were this year in a few years. It'd be nice if Cronin could build this thing the opposite way. Can you imagine if we lost a game like 90-87 or something? And over the course of the next couple years we had to make defensive adjustments to fit the "system" instead of always begging for more offense? Never going to happen. We'll be lucky to crack 60 in the majority of our 9 AAC road games.

I might actually choose not to watch some games next year. As crazy as that sounds. But if we play a gross, low-level game, and it's the worst version of the same thing we always get, I'll simply choose to do something else with my time. Not worth watching a 57-55 2OT game at Temple.

I can't disagree with your points. I can only hope for some change from the coach and my hope is diminishing. We can be a good team almost any year but being a great team is what I hope for. In Cronin's own comments that is going to take some level of change.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

I can't disagree with your points. I can only hope for some change from the coach and my hope is diminishing. We can be a good team almost any year but being a great team is what I hope for. In Cronin's own comments that is going to take some level of change.

All coaches say things in the offseason. Last year we were told how many different starting lineups we would have. The thing is, he might actually believe what he is saying right now. But in the biggest moments, we know how it goes. Against Wichita State in our own gym...they have 5 guys who can score. We counter by taking our scorers off the floor and go with 33 minutes of Brooks, Jenifer, and Nsoseme. The game at Houston...we go up 13-2 and are rolling. We slam on the brakes at the 11 minutes mark of the 1st half and play at a 50 point pace the last 31 minutes. The Florida game we score 62. The game at Wichita we score 62. The AAC Title game we score 56. Against Mississippi State, Broome gets like 3 minutes in the 1st half and we only score 65. The games at Temple and UCF. It was still there, even with the "best offense" under Cronin. This year those kind of outputs might be the high end against any Top 50 type team. Unless our system is different, and we shoot 3s and shoot earlier in the clock to speed games up, this season is going to be very predictable.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

I was listening to a guy who was either on the Suns coaching staff or was in the front office (I don't remember who it was) during the 7 seconds or less years. And he said to speed games up they'd just run a simple play 5, 6, 7 times in a row. A guy would dribble up the right or left side, take a pull up 3, or pass it to the top of the key. That guy would either catch and shoot or pass right away to the other wing. And that guy would catch and shoot no matter what if it went that far. 3 options to shoot. If not, swing it. If not, swing it. Over and over and all the sudden you have an up and down game. You don't just have to accept a team packing it in. That's what Michigan State's problem was with Syracuse. They looked at the 3 as a bad thing. As if it was a "settling" shot. So they just kept trying to work it in. But nothing ever forced the defense to stretch out. Bc they knew Michigan State didn't want that kind of a game. Villanova would've just said f it and shot 45 3s. That's the difference.

 

[sedziobs]

We were middle of the pack last year in offensive possession length, and that's with a very high offensive rebound rate factored in. Obviously the offense can improve, but I disagree that taking early shots will make us a better team.

 

[Jon Rycek]

100% coach speak.

We know our coach. We know how he operates.

He wasn't comfortable enough to turn a lineup of Broome, Evans, Cumberland, Clark, and Washington loose. No way he lets a lineup of more unproven, worse players loose. This season will be like the Caupain SO and JR year teams. My least favorite teams of the Cronin era. But that's who we will be. Think about our conference road games. Think about the lineups we will have out there. Think about what our coach turns to in big games. Rockfight USA.

I do agree this year would be the year to do it. But last year was the year to do it too.

I think we'll build this team from the grossest of all gross rockfights to a team that will be a worse version of what we were this year in a few years. It'd be nice if Cronin could build this thing the opposite way. Can you imagine if we lost a game like 90-87 or something? And over the course of the next couple years we had to make defensive adjustments to fit the "system" instead of always begging for more offense? Never going to happen. We'll be lucky to crack 60 in the majority of our 9 AAC road games.

I might actually choose not to watch some games next year. As crazy as that sounds. But if we play a gross, low-level game, and it's the worst version of the same thing we always get, I'll simply choose to do something else with my time. Not worth watching a 57-55 2OT game at Temple.

Sounds more than crazy. I couldn't ever imagine not wanting to watch my team play. Even after Huggs left I watched and went to every game I could through Micks first years, and that was not fun. But my fanhood never wavered. Now we expect to just not be as good as last year and you won't be able to stand to watch them, I just don't even see how that's a point of view

 

[Jon Rycek]

All coaches say things in the offseason. Last year we were told how many different starting lineups we would have. The thing is, he might actually believe what he is saying right now. But in the biggest moments, we know how it goes. Against Wichita State in our own gym...they have 5 guys who can score. We counter by taking our scorers off the floor and go with 33 minutes of Brooks, Jenifer, and Nsoseme. The game at Houston...we go up 13-2 and are rolling. We slam on the brakes at the 11 minutes mark of the 1st half and play at a 50 point pace the last 31 minutes. The Florida game we score 62. The game at Wichita we score 62. The AAC Title game we score 56. Against Mississippi State, Broome gets like 3 minutes in the 1st half and we only score 65. The games at Temple and UCF. It was still there, even with the "best offense" under Cronin. This year those kind of outputs might be the high end against any Top 50 type team. Unless our system is different, and we shoot 3s and shoot earlier in the clock to speed games up, this season is going to be very predictable.

How many of those games did we win?

 

[jacobkdoyle]

We were middle of the pack last year in offensive possession length, and that's with a very high offensive rebound rate factored in. Obviously the offense can improve, but I disagree that taking early shots will make us a better team.

I'm surprised to hear this.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

How many of those games did we win?

Flip a coin.

 

[sedziobs]

I'm surprised to hear this.

I'm a stats guy. There's no correlation between tempo and efficiency. Villanova's offensive possession length was 17.9 seconds, exactly the same as ours. I think there is an illusion that playing fast is better because it is easier to score in transition. But in 5v5 situations, faster is not more efficient. Creating more transition opportunities means sacrifices in other areas, mainly defending the lane and defensive rebounding.

 

[mdchick]

The horse has been dead for 2 years and we are still beating it we get it Cronin hasn’t produced in March, it’s like I’m reading the same stuff everyday and it’s a turnoff for me to come to this site