(02-22-2017 01:50 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  And despite all of that off the court good stuff after one of the world's most daunting rebuild projects, the team is about to get a 7th straight bid to the NCAA and will likely be ranked in the top 10 heading into the tournament as long as they take care of business.

Yes, IMO things are healthier now for the program than ever before.

I'll say the same thing I said about football. There has never been a more attractive school. They're going to have top notch athletic facilities, the school has never been higher rated, the campus and surrounding areas are better than they've ever been. The only thing that isn't best ever right now is conference affiliation.

Witchita, Gonzaga, and pre-BE Butler have had outstanding programs outside the power 5, heck Marshall and Few are still there. This is the best time ever to recruit to UC.

(02-22-2017 02:11 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(02-22-2017 01:50 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  And despite all of that off the court good stuff after one of the world's most daunting rebuild projects, the team is about to get a 7th straight bid to the NCAA and will likely be ranked in the top 10 heading into the tournament as long as they take care of business.

Yes, IMO things are healthier now for the program than ever before.

I'll say the same thing I said about football. This has never been a more attractive school. They're going to have top notch athletic facilities, the school has never been higher rated, the campus and surrounding areas are better than they've ever been. The only thing that isn't best ever right now is conference affiliation.

Witchita, Gonzaga, and pre-BE Butler have had outstanding programs outside the power 5, heck Marshall and Few are still there. This is the best time ever to recruit to UC.

(02-22-2017 01:50 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(02-22-2017 01:01 PM)bearcat_df Wrote:  Three thoughts -

1) I do not think it is a matter of Huggins peaking early and Cronin not being able to yet. The key to Huggins early success was that he was willing to take JUCO players with a little baggage in an era when the elite teams wouldn't do that. Those early teams simply had better talent than the later Huggins teams and the Cronin teams. Once other teams started taking elite players and other changes in recruiting, Huggins and Cronin were not able to recruit the same level of talent as that 92 team. The one exception, in my opinion, was when we got Satterfield and Johnson. They each were planning to be one and done and someone rightfully convinced them that they would have a shot at the NC playing alongside Kenyon. I think Satterfield convinced DJ to join him . . .

2) McElroy is one of my all time favorite Bearcats. He was an incredible defender, especially at knowing where the ball was going and how to deny the ball to the opposing team's best perimeter player. At the end of his senior year, he had developed his 3 point shot and was hitting it will confident. If I remember correctly, at the end of regulation, the play they ran had him taking the last shot - a three pointer for the win at the foul line extended. Shot was on line, just didn't go down. And, I believe Stokes was position for the rebound and got mugged trying to get the ball up. It was a well designed and executed play.

3) Unfortunately, I don't agree that our program is as strong as it ever has been. Our current conference is inferior. C-USA at the end with Huggins, Pitino, Calapari and Crean all coaching in the league was a great basketball conference (not so good for FB). The Big East was definitely our best conference ever. The AAC is going to be our Achilles heel. Cronin will have trouble recruiting elite talent here. Would you rather be playing a marquee matchup late in Feb in the ACC or playing UCF? Mike DeCoursey likes to make a deal out saying that Gonzaga is not a mid major because of its budget, facilities, etc. I disagree with him - it is a midmajor because during conference time, it is playing a mid-major schedule. Unfortunately, the same can be said about us.

So - for the near time, I expect we will either be a team that is an underdog punching up; or a team that is over rated because we haven't been continually challenged during conference play. For the most part - I think these two descriptions fit the teams of Huggins later years and Cronin's tenure. Granted some of those team - the 2002 team in particular were remarkable to watch because of how well they played beyond their talent. One assistant coach remarked before the UCLA game - they have their McD All-Americans; we have our Burger King blue collar players. Will hard work and heart overcome talent? Occasionally, but not often.

Go Cats!
df

Sadly, conference is not something that UC can directly control. Luckily, UC basketball has shown over the past 2 and half decades that success on the court and in recruiting is not dictated by conference affiliation.

As I referenced earlier, we have mostly 4 year players now, many of which are redshirting to get a 5th year in the program. We do not have a revolving door of guys leaving the program for one reason or the other. The players have been graduating...not qualifying or not moving towards a degree is not an option. The most recent APR in 2015 was 969 and that has pretty much become the norm since 2008. Kids who do not walk off of campus with a degree are the outlier now. The NCAA no longer looks at UC as one of the problem children to keep an eye on and hammer whenever there is a determination to be made.

The perception off the court is that the staff and kids we have now are solid citizens. Kids will always be kids, but we are not collectively holding our breath for the police blotter news report all summer long. That used to be an offseason rite. Mick is specifically recruiting kids who fit his mold both on and off the court. And I have to tell you, I really like the kids this staff is bringing in right now.

We are putting close to $100 million into a new facility that is going to not only be a killer venue for fans and recruiting, but is going to be a financial windfall for the athletic department. That kicks off in 2 weeks and IMO is a bigger impact project for the school than the Nippert renovation was.

And despite all of that off the court good stuff after one of the world's most daunting rebuild projects, the team is about to get a 7th straight bid to the NCAA and will likely be ranked in the top 10 heading into the tournament as long as they take care of business.

Yes, IMO things are healthier now for the program than ever before.

anyone remember how many years a huggs coach team went without a pg hitting a three? i wonder if that's a better approach