(01-14-2024 09:25 AM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote: This team seems destined for 7 to 8 league wins and an NIT bid. I am drawing a lot of similarities between this group and Micks’s teams in year 3 and 4. You can see the foundation for an NCAA tournament bid but the staff and players don’t look ready for the moment yet. This looks like a growing up season where the experienced gained pays off next season.
This is a huge week.. must at least go 1-1 but 2-0 sets them up to make the tournament.
It's such an odd league right now. Watching that TCU Houston game (admittedly I don't watch the last 5 minutes because of the UC game), TCU has a bit of a patchwork lineup. Their PGs are chuck first guys who don't pass well. Not great handles either on that squad, either.
Houston was clanking wide open looks they normally knock down and failed to rotate on D...didn't look like them. Every night's energy in the B12 is like a crosstown shootout game.
B12 reminds me of the B10 a few years back when everyone beat each other to a pulp and kept everyone's NET inflated to get a couple perhaps undeserving teams into the tournament. I still haven't seen a team that I am blown away by. 11 teams that are good to really good some nights that are pretty much interchangeable depending on the day and the venue.
(01-14-2024 09:25 AM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote: This team seems destined for 7 to 8 league wins and an NIT bid. I am drawing a lot of similarities between this group and Micks’s teams in year 3 and 4. You can see the foundation for an NCAA tournament bid but the staff and players don’t look ready for the moment yet. This looks like a growing up season where the experienced gained pays off next season.
This is a huge week.. must at least go 1-1 but 2-0 sets them up to make the tournament.
It's such an odd league right now. Watching that TCU Houston game (admittedly I don't watch the last 5 minutes because of the UC game), TCU has a bit of a patchwork lineup. Their PGs are chuck first guys who don't pass well. Not great handles either on that squad.
Houston was clanking wide open looks they normally knock down and failed to rotate on D...didn't look like them. Every night's energy in the B12 is like a crosstown shootout game.
B12 reminds me of the B10 a few years back when everyone beat each other to a pulp and kept everyone's NET inflated to get a couple perhaps undeserving teams into the tournament. I still haven't seen a team that I am blown away by. 11 teams that are good to really good some nights that are pretty much interchangeable depending on the day and the venue.
I get what you're saying. It's the best conference in college basketball but I'm not sure any of the teams are national title good. It's like 11 deep with tourney caliber teams most of which could make the sweet 16. No cheap wins. But I don't even see Kansas as a title contender. Things would really have to break right for even the top teams to win a title this year.
Gotta give credit to Baylor, they turned up the defense. UC played super tough tho, despite struggling for stretches. Got a bunch of kinda garbage points off of offensive rebounding bad shots. And Dan went crazy.
Feel like we really missed Aziz on those oops Baylor kept throwing. Reynolds had a solid first half, but he still gets pushed around on both O and D. Weird, because he also tries to dunk on everyone when he gets it underneath. Not sure what his deal is?
Simas was broke. Hard to overcome his not hitting a 3. Thomas played quite well, finally, but he just cannot seem to knock down 3s at all. Killed us.
I'm heartened by the play of late. Can't believe how good a defensive team we have become so quickly. Sucks that we lost these last 2, but we're still right there. Pumped for Tuesday.
(01-14-2024 09:25 AM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote: This team seems destined for 7 to 8 league wins and an NIT bid. I am drawing a lot of similarities between this group and Micks’s teams in year 3 and 4. You can see the foundation for an NCAA tournament bid but the staff and players don’t look ready for the moment yet. This looks like a growing up season where the experienced gained pays off next season.
This is a huge week.. must at least go 1-1 but 2-0 sets them up to make the tournament.
It's such an odd league right now. Watching that TCU Houston game (admittedly I don't watch the last 5 minutes because of the UC game), TCU has a bit of a patchwork lineup. Their PGs are chuck first guys who don't pass well. Not great handles either on that squad.
Houston was clanking wide open looks they normally knock down and failed to rotate on D...didn't look like them. Every night's energy in the B12 is like a crosstown shootout game.
B12 reminds me of the B10 a few years back when everyone beat each other to a pulp and kept everyone's NET inflated to get a couple perhaps undeserving teams into the tournament. I still haven't seen a team that I am blown away by. 11 teams that are good to really good some nights that are pretty much interchangeable depending on the day and the venue.
I get what you're saying. It's the best conference in college basketball but I'm not sure any of the teams are national title good. It's like 11 deep with tourney caliber teams most of which could make the sweet 16. No cheap wins. But I don't even see Kansas as a title contender. Things would really have to break right for even the top teams to win a title this year.
I think 11 of the 14 B12 teams are currently sitting at either 1-2 or 2-1.
Honestly, despite a 1-2 record, I feel better about this team and the state of the program over the last three games than I have since Mick Cronin left. In year three, the most I can ask from this team is that they're simply competitive with top 25 teams in the best conference in America and by god they're not only hanging with these teams, they were a few plays away from being 3-0. Plus, it's not that they're shooting lights out every night, they're playing a style of ball (tenacious defense and aggressive rebounding) that Wes has been preaching since he got here and the profile of his UNC-Greensboro teams.
So these last three games aren't outliers (i.e. random in the sense that this team's performance will regress to the norm over the coming weeks), they're real evidence that something's finally clicked and we're turning a corner in the Wes Miller era.
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2024 02:40 PM by cinbinsportsfan.)
(01-14-2024 10:31 AM)namrag Wrote: Weird.
It surprises me how shocked some are on here that UC isn’t a top 10-15 team.
I seem to remember coming in to the season a lot of posters on here being hopeful that this team could be top 25-30.
The last 3 games seem to indicate that they are probably in that 25-30 range - beat #12 by double digits on the road, lost to #25 by a bucket in the last seconds at home, lost to #14 in the last 30 seconds on the road.
Without CJ we are just not a very good 3-pt shooting team. With a healthy CJ there is every reason to think UC wins the last two games.
You think what he gives on offense offsets what he gives up on defense? Have him and Simas in the same lineup and what does our d look like?
I hear you.
Probably not a good pair to play them together.
And don’t forget Dan.
He isn’t the strongest defender either!
(01-14-2024 02:38 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote: Honestly, despite a 1-2 record, I feel better about this team and the state of the program over the last three games than I have since Mick Cronin left. In year three, the most I can ask from this team is that they're simply competitive with top 25 teams in the best conference in America and by god they're not only hanging with these teams, they were a few plays away from being 3-0. Plus, it's not that they're shooting lights out every night, they're playing a style of ball (tenacious defense and aggressive rebounding) that Wes has been preaching since he got here and the profile of his UNC-Greensboro teams.
So these last three games aren't outliers (i.e. random in the sense that this team's performance will regress to the norm over the coming weeks), they're real evidence that something's finally clicked and we're turning a corner in the Wes Miller era.
Bolded, hey I'm right there with you. Now the critical gateway will be protecting the home court in these next two games to start 3-2 in the toughest conference in the land.
While I also agree with those suggesting none of these teams appear national championship good as of mid-January, I do feel that forged in the white hot fires of Big 12 competition, one may emerge and it just might be Houston, despite their mid-season sabbatical the past two games. I can't recall if many "experts" were picking UCONN at this time last season, but they emerged and peaked at just the right time.
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2024 04:09 PM by OKIcat.)
(01-14-2024 02:38 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote: Honestly, despite a 1-2 record, I feel better about this team and the state of the program over the last three games than I have since Mick Cronin left. In year three, the most I can ask from this team is that they're simply competitive with top 25 teams in the best conference in America and by god they're not only hanging with these teams, they were a few plays away from being 3-0. Plus, it's not that they're shooting lights out every night, they're playing a style of ball (tenacious defense and aggressive rebounding) that Wes has been preaching since he got here and the profile of his UNC-Greensboro teams.
So these last three games aren't outliers (i.e. random in the sense that this team's performance will regress to the norm over the coming weeks), they're real evidence that something's finally clicked and we're turning a corner in the Wes Miller era.
My wife and I watched the second half. We both agreed the team looks so much better than the last few years. Just having a little trouble surviving this batch of six straight ranked opponents. But we were both fairly pleased watching.
The eye test and metrics both have this as a borderline top 25 team, but we need more Q1 wins to make the tournament. This is the most talented team since 17-18, and maybe since Huggins left, so it will be extremely disappointing if they don’t get it done.
(01-13-2024 10:41 PM)bearcatmark Wrote: Some folks here are insufferable these days. Wes is doing a hell of a job with this team.
They are playing some damn good basketball. Some fans can't handle a close road loss to a top 15 team and one of the best programs in the country right now.
Look at where we were Brannen's last year. Look at who this team is competing with now. It's night and day how far Wes had brought this program in a short time.
I have to agree. I’m hoping we break 500 in B12, which would be amazing. Texas beat us then went on to lose to WVA. Every night is a street fight, sometimes folks land punches that normally wouldn’t win the fight. Bitching after ever loss isn’t enjoying how far we’ve come. Team is enjoyable to watch.
(01-15-2024 11:20 AM)Former Lurker Wrote: The eye test and metrics both have this as a borderline top 25 team, but we need more Q1 wins to make the tournament. This is the most talented team since 17-18, and maybe since Huggins left, so it will be extremely disappointing if they don’t get it done.
Agreed.
Unfortunately this team has to play a much much tougher schedule than any Huggs UC team had to play , and after 2013 Cronin no longer had to face as tough of a schedule either (giving credit to BEast 2005-13).
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#29 Cincinnati vs. #14 Baylor Game Thread
