1) Midnight Madness. (Actually at midnight on the actual start date. I low the rules have changed and such, but we need to get hype back in this program.

2) Playing MAC/A10 teams. There are way more interesting games we can have on the OOC schedule than what we are getting. There's no reason we can't get a 2 for 1 for teams like OU, Miami, Toledo, etc. We need to get Dayton, Charlotte, and St. Louis back on the schedule

3) Playing old CUSA/BE teams. Marquette, DePaul, Louisville (harder to get them), Seton Hall

4) Playing at Riverfront. I know it's not the nicest venue, but its another excuse to get casual fans interested. Maybe a match up against a semi local team like Dayton or one of our marquee games against a P5 team. We should also mix in a game at BBT to further market into KY.

5) Throwback unis. The uniforms that we are wearing next month should be made permanent. The Nick Van Exel Era unis are still the best we have had in the Huggs/Cronin era.

6) Recruiting local players. Other than Gates, has Cronin had any legitimate 275 loop player on any roster? Wilmingron/Cumberland is close, but still.

7) Hiring players Dads/AAU coaches. Maybe this isnt something we used to do, but Cronin needs to start using these tactics. We have been sorely lacking top 50 talent throughout Cronins tenure.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  1) Midnight Madness. (Actually at midnight on the actual start date. I low the rules have changed and such, but we need to get hype back in this program.

I loved Midnight Madness, i'm not sure it could draw these days.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  2) Playing MAC/A10 teams. There are way more interesting games we can have on the OOC schedule than what we are getting. There's no reason we can't get a 2 for 1 for teams like OU, Miami, Toledo, etc. We need to get Dayton, Charlotte, and St. Louis back on the schedule

I would love to see a couple games against MAC or A10 teams (we recently had BGSU), but giving up home games to do it is a tall order. I'd love to see better buy games though I will say the staff has done better with this in recent years than early on.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  3) Playing old CUSA/BE teams. Marquette, DePaul, Louisville (harder to get them), Seton Hall

I'd love to play Marquette / Louisville again (hell even Depaul would be fine). I'm good with a home and home with Seton Hall or any other solid program.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  4) Playing at Riverfront. I know it's not the nicest venue, but its another excuse to get casual fans interested. Maybe a match up against a semi local team like Dayton or one of our marquee games against a P5 team. We should also mix in a game at BBT to further market into KY.

No thanks, unless you get UK, UNC, Indiana, OSU Duke, UCLA or another top 10 caliber program.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  5) Throwback unis. The uniforms that we are wearing next month should be made permanent. The Nick Van Exel Era unis are still the best we have had in the Huggs/Cronin era.

The Kenyon Martin era Bearcats say no way to this.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  6) Recruiting local players. Other than Gates, has Cronin had any legitimate 275 loop player on any roster? Wilmingron/Cumberland is close, but still.

Mick should not go out of his way to get a local guy here. If he fits and would make the team better recruit him. Mick has found talent to play here. That's what matters.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  7) Hiring players Dads/AAU coaches. Maybe this isnt something we used to do, but Cronin needs to start using these tactics. We have been sorely lacking top 50 talent throughout Cronins tenure.

Ha... no thanks unless he can truly coach at this level and there is a spot for him

Louisville refuses to play us in football and basketball. I think our other mates in the Big East are not interested either.

I absolutely agree we should schedule UD, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, etc.

(01-24-2017 12:55 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Louisville refuses to play us in football and basketball. I think our other mates in the Big East are not interested either.

I absolutely agree we should schedule UD, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, etc.

I doubt you see a series with Dayton as long as Archie is there. Mick and Archie's older brother aren't exactly friends.

agree with u 0%
unis? who cares,,play naked and more attendance follows
Midnight? alumni (paying the freight in season tickets,,)are asleep
Riverfront,,aka US Bank? what dump ,,it will make casual fans hate basketball,,fine for tractor pulls
Hire dads? why not Moms?
I don't care is kids are from Bosnia,,just win and they will come..

(01-24-2017 12:55 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Louisville refuses to play us in football and basketball. I think our other mates in the Big East are not interested either.

I absolutely agree we should schedule UD, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, etc.

How about getting Minnesota back here for the grand re-opening of Fifth Third Arena in the fall of '18? The marketing tie-ins with the Steve Sanders shot and UC victory over that ranked team would be fun. Minnesota is building a pretty good program and Mick can call in some chips with Rick Pitino since his son is the Gophers' coach.

I don't think any of the usual suspects (UK, IU, OSU, UL) will want any part of opening our arena. So how about a mid-level B10 team with that connection to our program and arena history?

I'd like to see them dim the house lights more during the game like a lot of arenas. It has a nice impact when only the court is lit high.

Meet and Greets w/ former Bearcats like they are doing for the 92 team.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  1) Midnight Madness. (Actually at midnight on the actual start date. I low the rules have changed and such, but we need to get hype back in this program.

2) Playing MAC/A10 teams. There are way more interesting games we can have on the OOC schedule than what we are getting. There's no reason we can't get a 2 for 1 for teams like OU, Miami, Toledo, etc. We need to get Dayton, Charlotte, and St. Louis back on the schedule

3) Playing old CUSA/BE teams. Marquette, DePaul, Louisville (harder to get them), Seton Hall

4) Playing at Riverfront. I know it's not the nicest venue, but its another excuse to get casual fans interested. Maybe a match up against a semi local team like Dayton or one of our marquee games against a P5 team. We should also mix in a game at BBT to further market into KY.

5) Throwback unis. The uniforms that we are wearing next month should be made permanent. The Nick Van Exel Era unis are still the best we have had in the Huggs/Cronin era.

6) Recruiting local players. Other than Gates, has Cronin had any legitimate 275 loop player on any roster? Wilmingron/Cumberland is close, but still.

7) Hiring players Dads/AAU coaches. Maybe this isnt something we used to do, but Cronin needs to start using these tactics. We have been sorely lacking top 50 talent throughout Cronins tenure.

Midnight Madness- It was hokey then and it would be hokey now. The only people that seem to enjoy it are the students. Glorified HS pep rally.

Playing MAC/A10/Conf USA/BE teams- Yes! Also, I don't see why they don't make more of an effort to play lower tier/bottom feeder B10, SEC, B12 etc teams? They may not help the schedule or RPI, but they are "name" brand schools. It gets the casual fan (who could care less about RPI) excited because they recognize the name. Maybe they do make that effort and it's just harder to get it done than I think.

Playing at Riverfront- I've always enjoyed catching a game there. Probably because I usually have better seats/view than I do at the Shoe. But since the Shoe is being renovated, probably no need for a game down there anymore (after next year).

Throwback Uni's -I don't care what they wear (except for those horrid orange uni's they wore when they made their run in the BE championship). I'm just glad they went back to a respectable shorts length.

Recruiting local players- There may be something to be said for this. There seemed like there was an extra buzz around this program when they were able to snag the top (or one of the top ) players in the city. (Gregor, Brannen, Flint, Gates). But it's a different landscape than football. It's not as important.

Hiring Dad's- I've always hated that process. Seemed always shady to me. But if that's what it takes to get a Top 50 recruit, then maybe that is what needs to happen. I think Cronin, is one big time recruit away from putting him over the top. He needs that stud player to overcome his coaching deficiencies. It's no coincidence that the best season Cronin has had to date, he had Sean Kilpatrick.

(01-24-2017 12:32 PM)jarr Wrote:  6) Recruiting local players. Other than Gates, has Cronin had any legitimate 275 loop player on any roster? Wilmingron/Cumberland is close, but still.

Gates, Kevin Johnson, and Cumberland all within the past 5 years.

(01-24-2017 01:12 PM)dsquare Wrote:  I'd like to see them dim the house lights more during the game like a lot of arenas. It has a nice impact when only the court is lit high.

They are redoing the lighting with the renovations. I think you'll see this.

(01-24-2017 12:57 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 12:55 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Louisville refuses to play us in football and basketball. I think our other mates in the Big East are not interested either.

I absolutely agree we should schedule UD, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, etc.

I doubt you see a series with Dayton as long as Archie is there. Mick and Archie's older brother aren't exactly friends.

Mick is smart not agreeing to play Dayton at UD arena. That's setting yourself up for a major hit in ranking and recruiting if you lose that game.

Midnight Madness is a fad that ended a long time ago. It's a waste of a perfectly good practice. The only schools that do it now are the one's too lame to have a football team( for example, XU).

We aren't investing $80-some million in an on-campus arena renovation to move games downtown and play games in a dump to appeal to the unicorn-like "casual" fans.

Hiring "dads" and coaches is unethical in my book if it's just to entice a recruit for a few seasons.

Going to throwback uniforms full time would screw up branding.

Agree with those who so no to Midnight Madness. To piggyback off of what Jackie said, the schools that do have Midnight Madness have weak football programs. Basically the Midnight Madness aids football recruiting. They do this at UK, Illinois, Kansas and UConn.

Also agree that we are not playing games at US Bank/Riverfront after investing $85M into a renovated arena.

I'm okay with playing a game downtown if that's what it takes to lure UK, OSU, or IU to town for a one-off. Otherwise it's a non-starter.

While we are on the subject of scheduling, I would love to have another series with Butler.

(01-24-2017 12:55 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Louisville refuses to play us in football and basketball. I think our other mates in the Big East are not interested either.

I absolutely agree we should schedule UD, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, etc.

This year, either regionally or solid OOC, Butler, RI, BGSU, Marshall

2015-16
GW, Butler, Nebraska, ISU

2014-15
Nebraska, SDSU, Ole Miss, VCU, NC State

2013-14
NC State, Nebraska, Pitt

2012-13
ISU, Oregon, Alabama, Marshall, New Mexico State
*Big East

And Xavier every year again now.

(01-24-2017 01:12 PM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 12:55 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Louisville refuses to play us in football and basketball. I think our other mates in the Big East are not interested either.

I absolutely agree we should schedule UD, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, etc.

How about getting Minnesota back here for the grand re-opening of Fifth Third Arena in the fall of '18? The marketing tie-ins with the Steve Sanders shot and UC victory over that ranked team would be fun. Minnesota is building a pretty good program and Mick can call in some chips with Rick Pitino since his son is the Gophers' coach.

I don't think any of the usual suspects (UK, IU, OSU, UL) will want any part of opening our arena. So how about a mid-level B10 team with that connection to our program and arena history?

I think playing Minnesota, especially for the upgraded areana, makes perfect sense. I also would like to see us play Purdue but my guess is they are telling us the same thing that OSU and Indiana have been telling UC for years. I think Illinois, Iowa, Maryland and Wisconsin would be great adds to the schedule as well.

I feel like the house lights are pretty dim. Watching the game last week you couldn't see the upper levels, so I think it's plenty dark.

The scheduling is the way it is for a reason. UC is trying to maximize the amount of home games it has. They have a formula and it's pretty easy to see what it is.

Also, US Bank is a dump. I'm glad we're not going to play there next year too.

(01-24-2017 02:29 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 01:12 PM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 12:55 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Louisville refuses to play us in football and basketball. I think our other mates in the Big East are not interested either.

I absolutely agree we should schedule UD, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, etc.

How about getting Minnesota back here for the grand re-opening of Fifth Third Arena in the fall of '18? The marketing tie-ins with the Steve Sanders shot and UC victory over that ranked team would be fun. Minnesota is building a pretty good program and Mick can call in some chips with Rick Pitino since his son is the Gophers' coach.

I don't think any of the usual suspects (UK, IU, OSU, UL) will want any part of opening our arena. So how about a mid-level B10 team with that connection to our program and arena history?

I think playing Minnesota, especially for the upgraded areana, makes perfect sense. I also would like to see us play Purdue but my guess is they are telling us the same thing that OSU and Indiana have been telling UC for years. I think Illinois, Iowa, Maryland and Wisconsin would be great adds to the schedule as well.

It is hard to schedule BIG teams. They have the ACC Challenge and many usually have good OOC schedules. Teams further away from us don't see UC as a recruiting competitor, thus Nebraska and ISU from the Big 12.

Big 12, SEC, and A10 look to be good fits for home and homes. Mick said he would not schedule Butler anymore. He was mad at how the game was officiated.