(03-10-2015 12:03 PM)CincyBro Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:04 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

Next year will be UC's year, one senior gone and three excellent recruits. Tulsa is not big enough.

I agree that their lack of size hurts them, but Tulsa will still be a team to be reckoned with. I think they are almost certainly a tournament team next season.

SMU loses a lot of size, but with Moore, Kennedy, and another great recruiting class, I expect them to be in the hunt. I know Temple is losing Cummings and I think some other guys too. I wouldn't be surprised if they take a step back next year. Memphis and UConn will bounce back. Houston will be greatly improved.

I think 2015-16 will be a better year for the AAC. I could buy us having up to 5 bids.

(03-10-2015 12:10 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 12:03 PM)CincyBro Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:04 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

Next year will be UC's year, one senior gone and three excellent recruits. Tulsa is not big enough.

Yep..... the one senior UC has comes off the bench and often contributed very little.

The guys UC have coming back will be that much better next year. Gary Clark will take a huge leap from his Freshman to Sophomore years. Octavius Ellis should be much better once he goes through the offseason strength and conditioning program and works on his footwork. Troy Caupin is still the youngest guy on the team and with maturity will take another step.

Losing their head coach for the season cost UC at least three games this year-- maybe more. Larry Davis did one heck of a job, but his substtution patterns and in-game adjustments were shaky at best early on.

I feel confident in saying Mick's absence at least cost us the ECU game, and perhaps the VCU and Xavier games as well. I think we will be a lot better than 22-9 next year. I expect to be in the top 25 all season.

Great answers. How many teams should we expect to have in the NCAA Tourn each year? Can your basketball schools continue to be competitive in the AAC?

(03-10-2015 12:16 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 12:03 PM)CincyBro Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:04 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

Next year will be UC's year, one senior gone and three excellent recruits. Tulsa is not big enough.

I agree that their lack of size hurts them, but Tulsa will still be a team to be reckoned with. I think they are almost certainly a tournament team next season.

SMU loses a lot of size, but with Moore, Kennedy, and another great recruiting class, I expect them to be in the hunt. I know Temple is losing Cummings and I think some other guys too. I wouldn't be surprised if they take a step back next year. Memphis and UConn will bounce back. Houston will be greatly improved.

I think 2015-16 will be a better year for the AAC. I could buy us having up to 5 bids.

Agree pretty much. We will still be too small. We have no real post. That is problem.

(03-10-2015 06:33 PM)TulsaEye Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 12:16 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 12:03 PM)CincyBro Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:04 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

Next year will be UC's year, one senior gone and three excellent recruits. Tulsa is not big enough.

I agree that their lack of size hurts them, but Tulsa will still be a team to be reckoned with. I think they are almost certainly a tournament team next season.

SMU loses a lot of size, but with Moore, Kennedy, and another great recruiting class, I expect them to be in the hunt. I know Temple is losing Cummings and I think some other guys too. I wouldn't be surprised if they take a step back next year. Memphis and UConn will bounce back. Houston will be greatly improved.

I think 2015-16 will be a better year for the AAC. I could buy us having up to 5 bids.

Agree pretty much. We will still be too small. We have no real post. That is problem.

We're still recruiting over some of our sophomore class who don't contribute much. I think we'll see Haith get one final big man out of JUCO in the spring.

(03-10-2015 10:57 AM)TUBballJunkie Wrote:  The league had 4 bids last year, right? One of which is no longer in the league and will be playing in the tourney again this year.

And we really should have four in right now.

Everybody focuses on a couple of the down teams, but just a little perspective.

One difference between last year and this year is the fact that our "good" teams last year were all ranked at one time or another. There was one week when SMU, UConn, Cincy, Memphis, and Louisville were all ranked in the top 25 at the same time.

Is Cincy a Final 4 team next year? Hear a lot of hype about the team next year. What does your roster look like next year?

(03-10-2015 11:12 AM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:10 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:09 AM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Memphis will be back

What about Pastner?

He will be back but some staff changes will be made for the better

Hopefully "for the better" means the team improves beyond never making it past the first weekend in the tourney.

If Pastner has another year like this one, I don't think there's much question that he will be gone.

(03-10-2015 11:36 AM)stxrunner Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 10:57 AM)TUBballJunkie Wrote:  The league had 4 bids last year, right? One of which is no longer in the league and will be playing in the tourney again this year.

And we really should have four in right now.

Everybody focuses on a couple of the down teams, but just a little perspective.

True, but its not just about number of bids.

Last year, we had a 4 seed, a 5 seed, a 7 seed, and an 8 seed. And some of those were vastly underseeded.

This year, we are looking at a 6 seed, an 8 seed, a 10 seed, and maybe an 11 seed. Big difference. This conference was struggle bus city in the out of conference. It was absolutely a down year compared to last year. Personally, I think it was just some youth and losing a lot of contributors from last year (and Josh Pastner, of course.)*

I am not one of those ra-ra AAC conference eternal optimists, but I expect very good things from this basketball league going forward.








* just kidding ramen, just breathe.

Agreed and it made me chuckle.

(03-10-2015 07:36 PM)cotton1991 Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 10:57 AM)TUBballJunkie Wrote:  The league had 4 bids last year, right? One of which is no longer in the league and will be playing in the tourney again this year.

And we really should have four in right now.

Everybody focuses on a couple of the down teams, but just a little perspective.

One difference between last year and this year is the fact that our "good" teams last year were all ranked at one time or another. There was one week when SMU, UConn, Cincy, Memphis, and Louisville were all ranked in the top 25 at the same time.

Def a fair point.

(03-10-2015 10:44 AM)Pony94 Wrote:  Houston will be back. They got obliterated by transfers and defections.

It's not like much was done with them while they were here.

(03-10-2015 07:41 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Is Cincy a Final 4 team next year? Hear a lot of hype about the team next year. What does your roster look like next year?

Return all 5 starters and bring in a stud in Jacob Evans. Gary Clark and Octavius Ellis will probably be one of the top front courts in the country. Caupain should also be a stud. He's the youngest player on the team (just turned 19) and is already an impact guy. Further improvement from Kevin Johnson and Faarad Cobb and I think next year's squad will easily be the best Cronin has had.

(03-10-2015 08:06 PM)JFlight21 Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 07:41 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Is Cincy a Final 4 team next year? Hear a lot of hype about the team next year. What does your roster look like next year?

Return all 5 starters and bring in a stud in Jacob Evans. Gary Clark and Octavius Ellis will probably be one of the top front courts in the country. Caupain should also be a stud. He's the youngest player on the team (just turned 19) and is already an impact guy. Further improvement from Kevin Johnson and Faarad Cobb and I think next year's squad will easily be the best Cronin has had.

What is their ceiling?

(03-10-2015 08:04 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 10:44 AM)Pony94 Wrote:  Houston will be back. They got obliterated by transfers and defections.

It's not like much was done with them while they were here.

That's the point. Houston just replaced Dickey with Sampson. Look at Sampson's record.

Dickey had some good teams in the past.

(03-10-2015 08:09 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 08:06 PM)JFlight21 Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 07:41 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Is Cincy a Final 4 team next year? Hear a lot of hype about the team next year. What does your roster look like next year?

Return all 5 starters and bring in a stud in Jacob Evans. Gary Clark and Octavius Ellis will probably be one of the top front courts in the country. Caupain should also be a stud. He's the youngest player on the team (just turned 19) and is already an impact guy. Further improvement from Kevin Johnson and Faarad Cobb and I think next year's squad will easily be the best Cronin has had.

What is their ceiling?

Next year is a final four caliber team for UC. I've been preaching this for about 15 months now. A LOT of talent next year. Mick has always had the coaching ability and the culture, next year he will have the players as well.

I'll be disappointed with anything less than a sweet 16, and the potential is there for a top 3 line seed next year.

(03-10-2015 10:17 PM)stxrunner Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 08:09 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 08:06 PM)JFlight21 Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 07:41 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Is Cincy a Final 4 team next year? Hear a lot of hype about the team next year. What does your roster look like next year?

Return all 5 starters and bring in a stud in Jacob Evans. Gary Clark and Octavius Ellis will probably be one of the top front courts in the country. Caupain should also be a stud. He's the youngest player on the team (just turned 19) and is already an impact guy. Further improvement from Kevin Johnson and Faarad Cobb and I think next year's squad will easily be the best Cronin has had.

What is their ceiling?

Next year is a final four caliber team for UC. I've been preaching this for about 15 months now. A LOT of talent next year. Mick has always had the coaching ability and the culture, next year he will have the players as well.

I'll be disappointed with anything less than a sweet 16, and the potential is there for a top 3 line seed next year.

Interesting. I will look forward to this F4 caliber team. Good for UC

(03-10-2015 10:44 AM)Pony94 Wrote:  Houston will be back. They got obliterated by transfers and defections.

Be back to what level, medicority? UH has made 2-3 trips to the Dance in last 20 yrs?

TX

(03-10-2015 11:04 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

The primary 7-man rotation are all juniors. I believe 8 of the 13 on scholly are juniors, not a single senior. Coach Haith has his work cut-out for him as he recruits for 2016.

TX

(03-10-2015 07:41 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Is Cincy a Final 4 team next year? Hear a lot of hype about the team next year. What does your roster look like next year?

(03-10-2015 10:17 PM)stxrunner Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 08:09 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 08:06 PM)JFlight21 Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 07:41 PM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Is Cincy a Final 4 team next year? Hear a lot of hype about the team next year. What does your roster look like next year?

Return all 5 starters and bring in a stud in Jacob Evans. Gary Clark and Octavius Ellis will probably be one of the top front courts in the country. Caupain should also be a stud. He's the youngest player on the team (just turned 19) and is already an impact guy. Further improvement from Kevin Johnson and Faarad Cobb and I think next year's squad will easily be the best Cronin has had.

What is their ceiling?

Next year is a final four caliber team for UC. I've been preaching this for about 15 months now. A LOT of talent next year. Mick has always had the coaching ability and the culture, next year he will have the players as well.

I'll be disappointed with anything less than a sweet 16, and the potential is there for a top 3 line seed next year.

I like your confidence but UC still has a lot of room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball. They also need to find a reliable go to guy (or two) instead of wondering which player will score on any given day.

On the inside, Ellis is playing well but he needs to get stronger and make better decisions. I think Clark will be a very good player and if he gets some confidence he could be one of the go to guys I am hoping for.

I don't know who will be the point guard next year but UC needs a little more from that position with respect to running an offense and keeping it moving.

I think the talent will be there but UC's coaching staff needs to develop more of an offense that will keep moving. I don't want to see any more of the "pass the ball around until the last 5 seconds of the shot clock and throw up a shot" offense that we saw way too much this year.