This thread has me confused...so, Mick can't recruit, nor can he develop players? So, UC has been able to go from the basement of the Big East to three straight tourney appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen, with, both, weak recruiting classes and poor player development? Impressive.
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bearcat jeff
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Pretty much my thoughts. It's amazing isn't it?
WAITE HOYT 2
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JackBauer151
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This.
WAITE HOYT 2
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Exactly Jack!!!!
WAITE HOYT 2
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Seems some on here want a coach that can come in and recruit a bunch of one and doners. They apparently wanted that from the day the Coaching change was made or they weren't going to be happy with the change.
To a degree I can understand their frustration. Bob built a nice program that he was able to reload year after year. It didn't always mean deep runs in the Tourney but it usually was talented and fun to follow.
Under Mick it has been a steady rebuilding both of the program and the Coach himself. Fan base hasn't exactly embraced him but it is turning around. He was affordable,Local and mentored under two HOF coaches. Some argue the rebuilding process has been slow and ineffective. Some root for his failure.I enjoy his teams and hope for more csuccess as he continues to gain National exposure. I think he is the right man for the job. His teams are well behaved and graduate. They are gaining better recruits every year and hopefully that trend will continue. We are back to being a viable program again and I have no desire to start over. I hope Mick can take us back to the level of success under Bob. A program that competes year in and year out and contends for a title. I think he can and will.
To a degree I can understand their frustration. Bob built a nice program that he was able to reload year after year. It didn't always mean deep runs in the Tourney but it usually was talented and fun to follow.
Under Mick it has been a steady rebuilding both of the program and the Coach himself. Fan base hasn't exactly embraced him but it is turning around. He was affordable,Local and mentored under two HOF coaches. Some argue the rebuilding process has been slow and ineffective. Some root for his failure.I enjoy his teams and hope for more csuccess as he continues to gain National exposure. I think he is the right man for the job. His teams are well behaved and graduate. They are gaining better recruits every year and hopefully that trend will continue. We are back to being a viable program again and I have no desire to start over. I hope Mick can take us back to the level of success under Bob. A program that competes year in and year out and contends for a title. I think he can and will.
UCBearcats
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I'd really like a big man and based on the footage I've seen Jamaree Strickland doesn't get me too excited. Granted, that's only a little bit of footage and the kid could develop into something worthwhile but the lack of talented big men on this roster really bothers me. Even if you do get a decent recruit to commit for 2014-15 you're still looking at a couple of years of development before that person becomes a force.
Gotcha23
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Not on purpose. Mick has brought some great kids here...Lance, Gates, Jermaine, (Bishop imo). He also brings in guys that have no business being here. I would rather not name them because it's disrepectful.
Thank you for that! I think sometime we are very unfair in our comments about amateur athletes.
bearcat jeff
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The fact is there are precious few impact bigs and the perrenial elite will get them. Other than that you develop or hopefully catch lightening in a bottle from an underrecruited kid. I like Lawrence and Strickland. Think it is potentially the best 2 bigs we've brought in together in a good while. Jamaree being part of the UC conditioning program his summer will be huge for him.
I could also easily see a line up with 2 fours and no center on the floor if Strickland or a returnee doesn't step up.
Obviously, I have been critical of Mick. But never once have I ever rooted for him to fail. There was not a happier supporter of this program that when the announcement was made that he was our next coach. I thought it was an outstanding pick and it helped to ease the pain of the whole Huggs debacle.
My problem lies with what I've seen for 7 years. He hasn't recruited as good as I thought he would. He hasn't been a visible, high profile, promoter of the program. His personality is a little dry for me. He continually says he wants to run and press, yet he recruits slow guys and athletes that can't do it. His offenses are atrocious. And again, I don't see our players improving substantially over their 4 years. For me, there's just a piece of the puzzle that's missing and I can't get completely onboard with him.
On the other hand, much of what you say is also true. His players are well behaved. His graduation rates are outstanding. He absolutely brought us back from the lowest of lows. He's a Cincinnati guy...a potential coach for life for our program. He handled the Xavier fight exceptionally well and with a high level of class. In most cases, like you say, starting over could be a crap shoot and offers a high level of risk. So, there are also many reasons to support him as continuing to be our coach.
I think his recruiting in years 2, 3, & 4 were really good (4 4-stars and 2 5-stars), and that led to the success we've seen the last 3 years as those players became experienced upper classmen. However, recruiting in years 4, 5, & 6 has tailed way off (Jackson/Gaines in yr. 4, Rubles in yr. 6, a bunch of 3-stars in yr. 5), and that has started to show on the court this year, which was a substantial decline in performance (especially offensively)....not enough to bounce us out of the NCAA yet, but enough to be very visible to the eye and somewhat concerning. On paper, this year's recruiting looks a little more promising, especially since we got a 5-Star, but the jury is still out. If we take another step back this year, then he has to start coming under some serious scruitany. If he turns us back in the other direction, then he'll look a lot better to me. But, I'm glad that he has a 5th year on his contract.
#BearcatNation
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Not to mention these athletes read these forums more than you realize. I believe if you Google "Cincinnati Bearcats forum" this is the first one to pop up.
bearcat4life
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im sure it has been said in this thread, but we really really need to start recruiting centers that can score. mbodj was great, but he is a bench player, not a team's best big. I don't know how good Strickland is or will be, but it is clear that Cronin does not recruit good centers or he does not develop them. either way, for us to take the next step, we need to get a good center. I don't know who the heck is going to play center this year, but it is probably going to be a guy that shoots 50% or worse from the FT line and scored 5 ppg. we cant continue to have a gaping hole at the center position.
david aka the TYZ
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I'd be willing to bet Mick has been just as frustrated as any of us on his lack to land a solid big, other than Yancy, during his tenure. I realize he's brought in a bunch of projects, but does anyone here really think they were his first or second or third choice of players? There's a reason most of our bigs we've signed have signed late in the recruiting process and/or come from the juco ranks. His main targets for one reason or another haven't come here year after year. Doesn't mean he isn't going after them as hard as anyone else. He has had to reach for guys just to fill the position. Unfortunately none of them have panned out. I will say I hope in the future, when reaching for players he errs to the side of offense a little more rather than going after the shot-blockers that never seem to have shot a basketball in their life.
I like this recruiting class. I think everyone is solid and I think they are a higher caliber of player than what we've seen as a whole in the past. Credit that to winning and repeatedly making the tourney, nothing else. Mick isn't recruiting any better or worse, his name and the school's name just carries more weight.
I like this recruiting class. I think everyone is solid and I think they are a higher caliber of player than what we've seen as a whole in the past. Credit that to winning and repeatedly making the tourney, nothing else. Mick isn't recruiting any better or worse, his name and the school's name just carries more weight.
david aka the TYZ
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I think too part of the problem with the bigs under Mick is we've been weak at both the 4 and 5 offensively every year. I don't mind, I actually like, having a defensive guy that can come in and erase shots. Somebody like a Mbodj or a Jackson or a Donald Little (although he could hit a put-back). The problem is you need your other big to be servicable on the offensive end. We haven't had that luxury. Hopefully Lawrence and Strickland are the signs of brighter days ahead. Time will tell.
bearcat jeff
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Yancy Gates scored 1485 points in his career and averaged 11.3 ppg and 6.9 rebounds. We are a season removed from him leaving and he was here 4 years. Prior to that it was the dark years and John Williamson played his ass off at the 4 for 2 of those seasons so I don't think it's s bad as some make out.
Gotcha23
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I have no idea why because he wasn't a stud, but John Williamson was one of my favorite players of all time. Didn't have high talent but the kid worked. He is the image I get of the great BEARCATS(Hicks, Max, Fortson...). Just thought I'd throw some props out to my guy J WILL.
would love to see Rubles play with the tenacity/hunger that Williamson exhibited during his tenure...Rubles has loads more potential than Williamson(no knock on Williamson)...a combination of the two could lead Rubles to a post college career opportunity in basketball...
Robert
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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Luxp4bxdnz4[/ame]
John Williamson highlight mix. Limitations be damned, I would have killed to have someone like him on last year's roster.
John Williamson highlight mix. Limitations be damned, I would have killed to have someone like him on last year's roster.
