With Cincinnati basketball at least in serious question one has to wonder if the Bearcats are going to be able to compete at a high level. When the Big east came up with the 8-8 concept it was done uner the assumption that no matter what happended to football, one way or the other, the league would be on solid footing by becoming the nations premier basketball league.
Most of the rational for bringing in Cincinnati was based on that premise. The problem is that the Big east almost has 'too much' basketball talent and someone has to lose. It won't be Louisville, the Cards seem set at least as long as Pitino is there, ditto UCONN, Syracuse, Marquette, Pitt and Villanova. G-Town, Notre Dame and DePaul are making noise as well. If they cannot win 20 games in basketball the Bearcats could be headed for the scrap heap. With a football program that lacks the assets and will to compete, a fall off in basketball would be a total disaster for Cincinnati. Basketball success is vital for their very survival. Joining Temple in the MAC would be a fate that needs to be avoided if possible, it may not be possible.

I had no idea you participated in the Big East expansion meetings. You seem to know a lot about it. I guess I owe you an apology. :rolleyes:

We may as well just give up.

What nonsensical statement is "with a football program that lacks the assets and the will to compete". That is asinine. Even without a "will to compete" we owned Houston in CUSA in both football and basketball.

Our football stadium has just been updated once again with new field turf, new end zone seating with visitor's locker room and UC halftime locker room, new scoreboard with a massive replay board. The new Lindner Center is shaping up beautifully, containing a new, gigantic, state of the art weight room for the FB team that will be one of the best and biggest in the NCAA. Our $80 million Varsity Village project is over 2/3 completed now. Gee, I wonder how we did this without any assets? Our playing field alone is probably worth more than your entire stadium.

If basketball success is so vital, how has Houston not fallen off the face of the NCAA over the last several years?

As I said before, your "concern" is appreciated :rolleyes: , but I suggest you worry about Houston. Even with our basketball troubles, we are still in much better shape than your school is.

UC will be just fine in all sports, thank you.

Houston is not in the same situation as Cincinnati, you are comparing apples and oranges. secondly, I was writing about Cincinnati problems, not Houston's. becomming the Baylor or Vanderbilt of the big east is not a pleasant prospect. It cannot be avoided as long as the problems are not seen in the first place....but then, every league has to have a Baylor or Vandy.

TopCoog Wrote:Houston is not in the same situation as Cincinnati, you are comparing apples and oranges.

I'll agree with you on that. UC is much better off.

Seriously, just because many UC fans are mad and upset about Huggins and writing hate posts about our president, the situation is not all doom and gloom.

UC basketball will still be a fine team this year. Sure, there are some unknowns heading into the future, but if we falter this year or next, it's not something we can't overcome.

UC football is young, but just had one of it's best recruiting years ever. I think we will be a lot better than people think we will this year and the future is even brighter.

TopCoog Wrote:With Cincinnati basketball at least in serious question one has to wonder if the Bearcats are going to be able to compete at a high level. When the Big east came up with the 8-8 concept it was done uner the assumption that no matter what happended to football, one way or the other, the league would be on solid footing by becoming the nations premier basketball league.
Most of the rational for bringing in Cincinnati was based on that premise. The problem is that the Big east almost has 'too much' basketball talent and someone has to lose. It won't be Louisville, the Cards seem set at least as long as Pitino is there, ditto UCONN, Syracuse, Marquette, Pitt and Villanova. G-Town, Notre Dame and DePaul are making noise as well. If they cannot win 20 games in basketball the Bearcats could be headed for the scrap heap. With a football program that lacks the assets and will to compete, a fall off in basketball would be a total disaster for Cincinnati. Basketball success is vital for their very survival. Joining Temple in the MAC would be a fate that needs to be avoided if possible, it may not be possible.

:laugh:

Wow, Cincy on the scrap heap. Well I guess we should all send stern letters to MT demanding they immediately be removed, on your recommendation. Thanks for the input!

And your concern for the welfare and good health of the Big East Conference is touching. Hope the hapless Cougars don't get torched TOO bad by the Ducks. Maybe they'll be nice, and won't call time outs after they are already blowing you out of your own stadium.

TopCoog Wrote:If they cannot win 20 games in basketball the Bearcats could be headed for the scrap heap.

Since your team has a lot of experience there, perhaps you could tell us what it's like. :laugh: :laugh:

TopCoog Wrote:With a football program that lacks the assets and will to compete...

Cincinnati without the assets and will to compete had the following results the last 5 years in CUSA:

2000 2nd
2001 2nd
2002 1st
2003 9th
2004 2nd

What does this say about CUSA..?! Three (3) 2nd place finishes and one (1) conference championship in the last 5 years in conference. The results speak for themselves.

This year in the BE I am not expecting UC to do well since they have a young team and will meet better competition week-to-week than they ever did in CUSA. However I do think we can be competitive and go bowling again the following year and for many years afterwards.

Crewdogz Wrote:Cincinnati without the assets and will to compete had the following results the last 5 years in CUSA:

2000 2nd
2001 2nd
2002 1st
2003 9th
2004 2nd

UH FB results during the same time frame:

2000 7th
2001 10th
2002 8th
2003 6th
2004 6th

Give Cincy a chance and I think they will:

A) Attract a big time basketball coach if the assistant is no good.

B) I like their new FB coach and I think he will do fine.

The only concern I got with Cincy is fan support for football. If they win some big games, I think fans will come out too. They need to schedule more regional games at Paul Brown with OSU or other B10 schools. I think BE schools like PITT and WVU should bring some new excitment to the place.

What a post from of all places HOUSTON? UC will be fine
we have four double figure scorers back and an almost sick schedule that will require only about 17 to 18 wins to Dance this year. UC may be hurt during the following season if someone like Skip does not bring a few recruits with him etc. due to the lateness of a new coach being named in late March etc. However when you are a Top Ten All-Time Program it is easier to bounce back.
The UC facilities and campus are now 1st class. The Big East will be the premiere basketball conference ever assembled....Wow if I'm a coach somewhere else I sure would never want to caoch at a place like that! UC football is set to kickoff in quite an impressive setting
Thurs night. I toured the parts of the stadium last night ...All I can is WOW It ceases to amaze me how you can continue to improve this historic site but again the changes are exciting. The new video board/scoreboard are terrific. The student rec center in the end zone totally encommpasses the stadium now into a bowl effect. The view of the new Main St. are unreal from the upper deck areas. The new field is awesome outlined in black is very bold! I cannot wait for the reviews to come in Friday!. Huggs will be sorely missed
by all of us but UC can still be successful.

well Bearcat....you are a good PR man...no doubt. That said, how much did you pay for the rose colored glasses?

TopCoog Wrote:well Bearcat....you are a good PR man...no doubt. That said, how much did you pay for the rose colored glasses?

The same price you paid for the blinders on your head that won't allow you to see that UC is in better shape than your school. :D

Why do you guys even give Top Coog the satisfaction??

guys, I'm not the only one saying these things, don't kill the messenger

TopCoog Wrote:guys, I'm not the only one saying these things, don't kill the messenger

or, is it that you troll another league's message board, post absurd statements, and then sit back and grin while you try and see how much trouble you can stir?

hey, whatever floats your boat.

wvucrazed Wrote:

TopCoog Wrote:guys, I'm not the only one saying these things, don't kill the messenger

or, is it that you troll another league's message board, post absurd statements, and then sit back and grin while you try and see how much trouble you can stir?

hey, whatever floats your boat.

my advice is to just kill the messenger.

especially this messenger.

wvucrazed Wrote:

TopCoog Wrote:guys, I'm not the only one saying these things, don't kill the messenger

or, is it that you troll another league's message board, post absurd statements, and then sit back and grin while you try and see how much trouble you can stir?

hey, whatever floats your boat.

I really think TopCoog is mentally retarded. I am not kidding. Read his posts. He is definitely mentally slow at the very least.

SNA, I am in shock! Don't you know the politically correct term is either mentally challenged or Houston fan?

I wouldn't kick a dog when he's down TopCoog, especially a wild, rabid dog. . .

Bearcat T Wrote:What a post from of all places HOUSTON?

Houston has changed a lot with the hiring of Dave Maggard. New coaches Briles and Penders would hang a hundred on UC (in both sports) consistantly these days.