The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(03-20-2018 01:33 AM)Not Duane Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 08:10 PM)crex043 Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 02:28 PM)Not Duane Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 02:08 PM)crex043 Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 01:47 PM)jarr Wrote:  Remember, most fans around the country dont even pay attention to college basketball until March. No talking head ever picks us to go far in the tournament because of the choking reputation. We don't get respect, fair or unfair.

Then why did several publications project UC to go to the Sweet 16 / Elite 8 this year and pick us as a contender for the National Championship?

Because they were incorrect?

Logical. Well it would seem that nationally UC is held in a higher esteem than our own fan base.

Also, Duane > Not Duane.

But the championship did NOT run through Cincinnati, Cincinnati. Your prognosticator was in egregious error.

And yet I still prefer Duane.

The program today is no different than yesterday or last month or last year or 4 years ago. We play in the seventh conf. out of the P7, avg. two or three teams a year to tourney and our coach recruits players in the 150 to 300 range, occasionally some a bit higher. We have a coach who insists on defense over offense, has now won a league and tourney title and is now known as FWC. I suspect things will not change much and this program will be the same next year and three years and five years when we will slowly dwindle out of an all time top 25 ranking. For some this is good enough, for others not so much, time to choose but choose wisely.

(03-19-2018 01:34 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 01:30 PM)UCinNKY Wrote:  In the sense of national perception? being 30 years old I grew up with the Bearcats being in the top 10, winning thrilling games and also dealing with heartbreaking defeats, but the general feeling was we were an elite level program amongst the big boys. Fast forward to 2018, with yet ANOTHER letdown when it matters most, it seems as though we've regressed to a 2nd tier program. K state, Texas Tech, Tennessee level. We don't get any high recruits, we don't sellout games anymore. The renovated Shoemaker will have been for nothing if we don't perform next year. I understand conference affiliation is hurting the prestige factor,but that didn't stop a team like Loyola Chicago making it to the sweet 16.

Maybe I need to lower my expectations until I see different.

We're a top 25 program that's one of like 8 schools to make the NCAA tournament the last 8 years. We should aspire to be a top 15 program that is getting protected seeds around half the time. We're not likely to be UNC, Duke, Kansas, but we can get to the next tier. This year despite the second round loss was a step in the right direction, but Mick needs to sustain it and get to that level more often.

Were we really a top 15 program? How did we do against top 25 competition? a far sight worse than the overall schedule. UC is the emperor of the kingdom of mediocrity--we are one of the best mediocre teams in the country. If that's all you want, then you should be happy.