No Frosh on this roster is going to fill the shoes of a 4 year PG in year 1. And that has nothing to do with physical skills.

I agree with you about Cash's experience but by the end of the year he was a shell of himself and did not have the explosiveness to get by people. They needed his offense. I believe one of the advantages UC will have in the AAC since every game will not be a meat-grinder is that there will be more chances for young players to develop. UC did not have overwhelming talent and had to play its best players too many minutes to compete.

http://instagram.com/p/cO2syGg575/#

Tumbling? These guys say no frieking way!

(07-27-2013 09:39 AM)Intimidate Dominate Celebrate Wrote:  http://instagram.com/p/cO2syGg575/#

Tumbling? These guys say no frieking way!

Nice, very nice.

http://instagram.com/p/bFI0iZJzX2/

Johnson looks ripped already. Now, enough with the stalking of 18 year old dudes...

(07-25-2013 06:45 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Sadly, I don't disagree with some of that. If this roster was in the old BE, we'd be in bad shape.

I hate it when Rath gets all pessimistic, but I cannot argue on this one.

We have a lot of good pieces, but it is a trouble sign when all your best players (except SK and Thomas) have never played a minute. The thought of JJ starting at center speaks volumes (the 4 maybe, but the 5???). My hope is that these guys learn quickly, and come on, in the second half of the season.

I expect improvement from SK, but in the WUG, his game looked like same ol'...

I can't believe how everyone forgets that Rubles had a pretty solid year. He was the best rebounder on the team, a good passer, and a solid scorer when he wasn't chucking threes. I expect the league to be less of a grind it out league and more of a finesse league which should help our offense. The days of guys getting mugged without fouls being called should be over.

(07-27-2013 10:30 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  I can't believe how everyone forgets that Rubles had a pretty solid year. He was the best rebounder on the team, a good passer, and a solid scorer when he wasn't chucking threes. I expect the league to be less of a grind it out league and more of a finesse league which should help our offense. The days of guys getting mugged without fouls being called should be over.

I would loved to have envisioned a rotation of Rubles/JJ (with Rubles starting) at the 4. This would be nice, but won't happen because Strickland won't be ready:

PG Troy, Guyn
SG/3G SK, Davis III, Mormon, KJ, Sanders
SF Lawrence, Thomas
PF Rubles, JJ
C Strickland, Dave Ny
(or Lawrence at PF and Thomas at SF to start)

But, because of the poor job we have done with procuring centers, JJ looks to be the man at the 5, and we'll end up with something like this:

PG Troy (lotta learning to do)
SG SK (hope to see an outstanding Sr. season)
SF Thomas (no outside shot, but otherwise has game)
PF Lawrence (not enough beef yet, but trying)
C JJ (other than being SEVERELY undersized, I don't mind much; but the size thing cannot be ignored)

(07-27-2013 10:43 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  

(07-27-2013 10:30 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  I can't believe how everyone forgets that Rubles had a pretty solid year. He was the best rebounder on the team, a good passer, and a solid scorer when he wasn't chucking threes. I expect the league to be less of a grind it out league and more of a finesse league which should help our offense. The days of guys getting mugged without fouls being called should be over.

I would loved to have envisioned a rotation of Rubles/JJ (with Rubles starting) at the 4. This would be nice, but won't happen because Strickland won't be ready:

PG Troy, Guyn
SG/3G SK, Davis III, Mormon, KJ, Sanders
SF Lawrence, Thomas
PF Rubles, JJ
C Strickland, Dave Ny
(or Lawrence at PF and Thomas at SF to start)

But, because of the poor job we have done with procuring centers, JJ looks to be the man at the 5, and we'll end up with something like this:

PG Troy (lotta learning to do)
SG SK (hope to see an outstanding Sr. season)
SF Thomas (no outside shot, but otherwise has game)
PF Lawrence (not enough beef yet, but trying)
C JJ (other than being SEVERELY undersized, I don't mind much; but the size thing cannot be ignored)

Rubles is going to start next season and probably finish number two in minutes behind SK. Jackson is the starting center too. Mick is going to play those three seniors.

JDIII -- Injured a lot

(07-26-2013 08:09 AM)bearcatfan Wrote:  

(07-25-2013 09:05 PM)BeerCat Wrote:  Justin Jackson -- Probably the dumbest basketball player I have ever seen.

Not what you would call a glowing review.

I hate ripping players, but I cannot disagree with Beercat, or more importantly, the evidence presented over time.

(07-27-2013 10:13 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  

(07-25-2013 06:45 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Sadly, I don't disagree with some of that. If this roster was in the old BE, we'd be in bad shape.

I hate it when Rath gets all pessimistic, but I cannot argue on this one.

We have a lot of good pieces, but it is a trouble sign when all your best players (except SK and Thomas) have never played a minute. The thought of JJ starting at center speaks volumes (the 4 maybe, but the 5???). My hope is that these guys learn quickly, and come on, in the second half of the season.

I expect improvement from SK, but in the WUG, his game looked like same ol'...

It's not pessimism.

I know a little about the game. Not as much as some. Weather it's just my kids' select teams or my favorite pro team, I try to be objective on what I am seeing. Objectivity sometimes doesn't jibe with being a fan. Is what it is. That same objectivity had me championing a team early in the season a couple years back when fans on this board wanted Mick to be fired because the meme was that the team sucked. Uh, nope.

OK OK... REALISM. But, in this case, realism and pessimism happen to be the same thing.

If the team was better, then realism and optimism would be the same thing.

Gotcha.

I like this squad. The soup needs a year to simmer before it will be ready to serve though. Roster is in a bit of flux with good young talent coming in.

I am hearing murmurings of good things about the potential next recruiting class, too.

(07-27-2013 11:18 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I like this squad. The soup needs a year to simmer before it will be ready to serve though. Roster is in a bit of flux with good young talent coming in.

I think most reasonable people think this way. I mean, most of those in this thread that ARE optimistic, are so, basically because of the weaker schedule.

(07-27-2013 10:57 AM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  JDIII -- Injured a lot

Chad No reason for you to elaborate. Let's all just go with the "official" reason he wasn't playing last year ("injury"), if it gets JDIII an extra year

(07-27-2013 11:34 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  

(07-27-2013 10:57 AM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  JDIII -- Injured a lot

Chad No reason for you to elaborate. Let's all just go with the "official" reason he wasn't playing last year ("injury"), if it gets JDIII an extra year

Whew, been awhile since Chad dropped by with his, "I know something you don't know" posts.

When I look at this team, objectively, I see a bunch of guys that if Rick Pitino could have any players on the team he might take one guy. That's the kind of thing that worries me. We are trying to win with a bunch of players that would not see any time for the best teams in the country. This year's recruiting class is undoubtedly the most talented class Mick has gotten, hopefully he can continue that trend with the 2014 class and we can have a legitimate top 10 team at UC.

Next year we will have to rely on several guys with gaping holes in their games, Rubles, JJ and Nyarsuk. That will be tough regardless of competition and it will probably lead to some surprising losses.

They may be down next year. But we may be forgetting one thing: Defense. UC has been one of the best defensive teams in the country the past three years. If Mick can get the Freshman (which he has had no problem doing) to buy into his defensive philosophy then this team will be in every game. It won't be easy but if the keep up the defensive performance from last year they'll only need to score 60-65 points a game to win.

Obviously scoring has been a struggle for a while, so we shall see.

(07-27-2013 02:33 PM)BeerCat Wrote:  

(07-27-2013 11:34 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  

(07-27-2013 10:57 AM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  JDIII -- Injured a lot

Chad No reason for you to elaborate. Let's all just go with the "official" reason he wasn't playing last year ("injury"), if it gets JDIII an extra year

Whew, been awhile since Chad dropped by with his, "I know something you don't know" posts.

If only you knew what you were talking about, I wouldn't have to stop by at all I suppose...

this team is dancing....mark it down