UCF

[justinhub2003]

I like what we were doing toward the end of the game. It was a small ball break neck pace and we didn't pull up in half court...we just kept pushing and we got fouls, layups and kickouts (with some TO's too but). That is what this team needs because we don't look great in half court. Can't even get a damn ball in the post to save our life because our entry passers suck and we can't get position anyway. And we don't have super ball skill players who can make anything they want happen in the half court from the perimeter. We sure as hell are't shooting well.

We have two of the fastest guards in the league. Keith and Tari will throw em down. Davenport etc etc. Let this team run. This team can play man D. We have to switch to zone for the other bigs and slow the pace down for them. Neither are things the coach prefers to do.

I just wonder about this teams ball handling and IQ. Like they can play fast and its sure easier for them to score that way since the half court offense is not great.

but can they play fast without 20 TO's. This team just makes low IQ play after low IQ play. They barrel into a defender, they throw lazy passes that get picked 6'ed and they travel a lot.

 

[justinhub2003]

Om another note:


Are we letting the players go home for Xmas?


I feel like you have to BUT man, it sucks if they come back with covid and they have to derail the practices even more.

Would be nice if we stayed in and just had 2 practices a day and got better.

Still a chance to turn this around. an NIT bid isn't off the table

 

[TheRealMick]

We need give Mickey Mouse keys to offense. Let him start his run as next great UC point guard now

 

[TheRealMick]

Could dou opt back in?

 

[cincyguy13]

I just wonder about this teams ball handling and IQ. Like they can play fast and its sure easier for them to score that way since the half court offense is not great.

but can they play fast without 20 TO's. This team just makes low IQ play after low IQ play. They barrel into a defender, they throw lazy passes that get picked 6'ed and they travel a lot.

Agree, at some point you have to protect the players and stop doing the same things over and over that are not working. Stop pressing when in foul trouble, stop asking them to play man if they can’t. The only reason I could see brannen doing these things isto try to get the players use to that style in the future when we have guys that can do it. Maybe he is building that culture you talked about? I doubt it but I really don’t see any other reason to continue to do these things. Unless he’s just an idiot which I don’t think he is

 

[cincyguy13]

Could dou opt back in?

I’m sure he could but doubt he will

 

[waterhead]

Agree, at some point you have to protect the players and stop doing the same things over and over that are not working. Stop pressing when in foul trouble, stop asking them to play man if they can’t. The only reason I could see brannen doing these things isto try to get the players use to that style in the future when we have guys that can do it. Maybe he is building that culture you talked about? I doubt it but I really don’t see any other reason to continue to do these things. Unless he’s just an idiot which I don’t think he is

I think there is definitely something in that Brannen is letting them play in the flow and correct mistakes later. That was not Cronin's philosophy at all. Need to find a balance. 4 and 5 turnovers is not it. Take them out after 2 and let the assistants explain...then put them back in. If it happens again sit them longer.

Same with defensive mistakes and fouls.

 

[waterhead]

I just wonder about this teams ball handling and IQ. Like they can play fast and its sure easier for them to score that way since the half court offense is not great.

but can they play fast without 20 TO's. This team just makes low IQ play after low IQ play. They barrel into a defender, they throw lazy passes that get picked 6'ed and they travel a lot.

We don't have a superior ball handling play maker. But we have enough guys that can play in the motion and put the ball on the ground. I agree on the lazy passes those are killer pick 6's. I can deal with a travel or a charge at the rim because it doesn't turn into an ESPN highlight on the other end.

 

[waterhead]

Im not writing him off.

Just noting that he has a long long way to go before he is the reason we win games.

I hope he progresses in year 2. Its just I haven't seen a whole lot of player growth.

I do wonder why. Is it less skill work this offseason?

As for progression I do see some from Davenport and most recently Harvey who just had his best game ever. Keith is about where I thought he would be outside of too many fouls he would probably be averaging 18 a game...but mainly it's just higher usage. MAW is about the same as last year but I wasn't expecting much there.

Vogt has been bad so I will give you that.

Dejulius has been rock solid, Saunders better than I thought he would be.

Rap has been bad so far.

I think where you hope to see improvement are the guys with the better skill sets that are adapting to the speed of the game. The frosh you have to wait and see as the year goes. Eason, Saunders, and Gabe. Otherwise Harvey is the guy I would like to see the improvement keep going...the upside was there from the start. MAW was limited in skills....not a lot of upside. Keith was already using his skills for several years. Vogt had one skill.

Working on skills in practice was scrapped for the most part so I guess it could have stumped our shooting a bit...but not as much as we are seeing. I think we are off to cold shooting mixed in with poor selection a lot of the time. I watched Mikey pass up a clear open 3 and he understood immediately he should have taken it. On the next 3 at the same spot he waited too long and let the defender get in his head. Had he been ready and shot both in rhythm he likely makes one of them IMO. Just little things for frosh. I think we have put up way too many 3 bombs and off the dribble 3's.

Coach has a lot to work on...and a lot of these things are directly on him. But I do expect to see him coach the players and help them understand what to do and when after watching film. Just wish it happened faster or could happen in game more.

 

[JoeRunner89]

Remember the 02 Cincinnati Marquette game, where towards the end of the first half UC went on a run predicated off defense and rebounding.. and DickyV was loving it hitting us with the "Oh!,Oh!, look at this defense!, look at this defense.. listen to this crowd..." boi oh boi does this team make you miss those days. Theres nothing that's about to fix this team. To quote Dennis green, "they were who we thought they were". Anybody with rational knew the yr would be like this. The softest UC team I've ever witnessed.. wouldn't of had to worry about anybody listening to Nick Vanexel. This is what ugh, bad decisions get you bad results

 

[Bearcats92]

Remember the 02 Cincinnati Marquette game, where towards the end of the first half UC went on a run predicated off defense and rebounding.. and DickyV was loving it hitting us with the "Oh!,Oh!, look at this defense!, look at this defense.. listen to this crowd..." boi oh boi does this team make you miss those days. Theres nothing that's about to fix this team. To quote Dennis green, "they were who we thought they were". Anybody with rational knew the yr would be like this. The softest UC team I've ever witnessed.. wouldn't of had to worry about anybody listening to Nick Vanexel. This is what ugh, bad decisions get you bad results

What makes you think we would have better results with Nick Van Excel? The guy has never coached d1 ball but we would be better with him just because he was a great player? Give Brannen 4 years then reevaluate. Yes I have concerns with the direction of the program but I’m not going to blow it up after a year and a half.

 

[JoeRunner89]

Yea, he was an assistant coach at the highest level of Basketball and he was a coach in the development league.. besides that yea he was an excellent player former PG court general, he competed against likes of Micheal Jordan, Scottie pippen. Played along the likes of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'neal and has been indorsed by future hall of fame coach Bob Huggins and previous successful coach Mick Cronin. So yea, hes pretty qualified too me

 

[eagle]

Yea, he was an assistant coach at the highest level of Basketball and he was a coach in the development league.. besides that yea he was an excellent player former PG court general, he competed against likes of Micheal Jordan, Scottie pippen. Played along the likes of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'neal and has been indorsed by future hall of fame coach Bob Huggins and previous successful coach Mick Cronin. So yea, hes pretty qualified too me

Then why is he not a head coach at another program?

 

[JoeRunner89]

Then why is he not a head coach at another program?

Not really sure, most blk men aren't head coaches for any other program, basketball and football probably something to be looked into.. you tell me though

 

[eagle]

Not really sure, most blk men aren't head coaches for any other program, basketball and football probably something to be looked into.. you tell me though

Racism? That’s why he hasn’t had a head coaching job? Wow you’re right that’s totally it. How’d I not put that together.

 

[JoeRunner89]

Racism? That’s why he hasn’t had a head coaching job? Wow you’re right that’s totally it. How’d I not put that together.[/QUOTE
Lol probably bc your white, or your not paying attention but yes, if it still exists lol... racial bias could very well be a reason.. but ugh, maybe he just wasn't qualified enough for an interview ultimately we dont knw right?... thing is what's important are his intangibles and how qualified he is. Me personally I feel he should of at least been interviewed. Especially knowing the potential of what we were to receive from the current guy we have here.. but let's just give him 2more yrs to set the program back

 

[justinhub2003]

There are some rumors that Rap maybe leaving the team.

I actually thought letting any player go home for Xmas was going to be a bad idea.

That locker room seems like a toxic waste land. Say what you will about Mick Cronin, but it’s hard to remember having teams so volatile that players who are contributors are leaving in the middle of the season for the 2nd year in a row.

For one I hope it’s not true considering we don’t have enough bodies as it is. But 2 I hope underclass man don’t get any ideas. And lastly, 2021 is going to be heavily dependent on transfers but our track record with transfers continues to get worse (assuming this is true )


As bad as rap is... I just hope it’s fake news

 

[waterhead]

There are some rumors that Rap maybe leaving the team.

I actually thought letting any player go home for Xmas was going to be a bad idea.

That locker room seems like a toxic waste land. Say what you will about Mick Cronin, but it’s hard to remember having teams so volatile that players who are contributors are leaving in the middle of the season for the 2nd year in a row.

For one I hope it’s not true considering we don’t have enough bodies as it is. But 2 I hope underclass man don’t get any ideas. And lastly, 2021 is going to be heavily dependent on transfers but our track record with transfers continues to get worse (assuming this is true )


As bad as rap is... I just hope it’s fake news

I’m not sure toxic wasteland is accurate? The core recruits are still there and possibly getting more excited about playing time. Rap was not looking good at either 4 or 5 but Dou leaving and Tari/Davenport both looking better at the 4 was somewhat unpredictable...to Brannen let alone Rap himself. It’s been obvious to anyone with a pulse.

For depth it sucks if true. For the program I’m not ready to say. Still in wait and see mode like I was with Cronin for over a decade. Don’t know the master plan...and we’ll have to see what adjustments he makes.

 

[justinhub2003]

I’m not sure toxic wasteland is accurate? The core recruits are still there and possibly getting more excited about playing time. Rap was not looking good at either 4 or 5 but Dou leaving and Tari/Davenport both looking better at the 4 was somewhat unpredictable...to Brannen let alone Rap himself. It’s been obvious to anyone with a pulse.

For depth it sucks if true. For the program I’m not ready to say. Still in wait and see mode like I was with Cronin for over a decade. Don’t know the master plan...and we’ll have to see what adjustments he makes.

I just say it’s a toxic locker room because in 2 seasons we’ve had 4 players leave mid season.

And what’s more concerning is brannen put on the full court press for Rap the moment he went on the transfer market. He was a guy that brannen targeted as someone who fit his style and he maybe leaving after 7 games.

I think it sets a weird precedent that grad transfers may not fit into this program very well.

 

[itsamemario]

I just say it’s a toxic locker room because in 2 seasons we’ve had 4 players leave mid season.

And what’s more concerning is brannen put on the full court press for Rap the moment he went on the transfer market. He was a guy that brannen targeted as someone who fit his style and he maybe leaving after 7 games.

I think it sets a weird precedent that grad transfers may not fit into this program very well.

im not sure toxic is the correct word. On 1 hand you had a coach who didnt recruit over or bring in competition for spots. By doing so, players wouldnt leave because they were promised playing time if they hung around. no real competition in practice plus a bad schedule didnt really test the team come tournament time. When i say no competition im speaking mostly in terms of players not worried about a freshmen/sophomore stealing playing time( for the most part there are always exceptions)

And now on the other hand you have a coach who has a completely different philosophy. We do not know if its good or bad, yet. But right now its not been good. I imagine we will see more players transfer out under brannen than Mick. But what i would hope to see ( and hopefully sooner rather than later) is having the guys he brings in really test eachother for playing time. If some guys leave, they leave. But I would like to see some competition between players. If someone leaves, thats fine. But I want to see players embrace the competition. Once you embrace that competition and dont back down from it, good things will happen. (PLEASE!)

Also. Rap is gone. Dou is back. You heard it here first