Doc: All UC needs now is running start
Paul Daugherty, pdaugherty@enquirer.com 8:44 p.m. EST January 26, 2016
Paul Daugherty says he knows Bearcats point guard Troy Caupain can play fast, evidenced by his 25 points and four assists in UC’s 76-72 win over Memphis on Jan. 21.
(Photo: The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar)
The college basketball regular season is a sprint now, not a marathon. Time for the UC Bearcats to put on their high-heeled sneakers and turn a 10-second 100 meters. Mick Cronin has the players to drive in the fast lane. Will he allow them to?
He says yes. Which is interesting.
Cronin is a defensive guy, to the extent that his favorite statistic is deflections. Deflections indicate an active, aggressive defense. The Bearcats are always stout defensively. They lose big games because they can’t score. Some of that is because they haven’t run. Their half-court offense can be easily defended, especially when the Bearcats have no alpha scorer, a la Sean Kilpatrick. Anyone who has watched UC the past decade has seen a lot of walk-it-up, work-it-around and beat-the-shot-clock. Last Thursday could have been a revelation. The Bearcats beat Memphis at the Tigers’ own warp-speed game. Then they pounded Tulane Sunday, doing the same thing. Will it last? Cronin says that’s not the right question. The coach says he has been trying since the summer to get his team’s “cardio-vascular toughness” to where it can play zoom-tempo and still manage brass-knuckles defense.
“Everybody is a better offensive team when they play fast,” he said. But more possessions means more defensive stops. “How do you maintain defensive efficiency?” Cronin wondered. “Are you athletic enough, are you in good shape enough, are you deep enough to be just as effective playing defense 20 more times a game?” Beats me, coach. “We’re trying to get there,” said Cronin. “Trying to develop our toughness, trying to develop our conditioning. That’s been the challenge for this year.”
The teams that win in March play defense and score. UC has had half that equation. It would make sense to add the other half. That’s rarely been the philosophy. Deflections and toughness have ruled the thinking.
Running has obvious advantages for UC. It makes far better use of Shaq Thomas’ talents. The senior is lost in the halfcourt. It makes life easier for Octavius Ellis and Gary Clark, who aren’t always banging against opponents who’ve already established position near the basket.
It helps “hide” wing bomber Farad Cobb, Cronin said. Defenses can’t find him in transition.
And really, running is fun. Running is what most players want to do. “It gets our transition guys going,” said point guard Troy Caupain. “It tires out the defense. We’re making transition buckets, lob-dunks, threes. All momentum boosters.”
A question remains whether Cronin will allow his players, specifically his point guard, the freedom to fly. Cronin said of course he will. “That’s what I want (Caupain) to do,” he said. The Bearcats play at UConn Thursday. It’s a big game for each, a chance to flex for the selection committee. The Huskies play the way they were taught in the Big East: Big defense, big rebounding, broad shoulders. The two teams played three times last year. UC’s only win was when the Bearcats stopped playing street fight long enough to score 70. In fact, when the Bearcats score 60-plus, they’ve won 56 of their last 60 games.
Time to rev it up, Mick. Make the defense react to the speed of your offense. Attack on both ends of the court. In the past, maybe UC didn’t have the talent to play this way. Defense and rebounding are want-to traits. The Bearcats never lacked those. Heart helped them stay in lots of games. Now, UC has the players to complement the toughness. UC starts three seniors (Cobb, Ellis and Thomas). All can play the running game. Caupain has shown, when he can let his ability flow, he’s pretty good. When he’s mired in half-court sets, not so much. Anyone who watched him versus Memphis – 25 points, four assists – knows he’s OK playing fast. He might even have the necessary cardio-vascular toughness.
It’s a talented group. I suggested in November this was Cronin’s best team in his decade in Clifton. It hasn’t been, so far. But the potential is there. The Bearcats haven’t played well at the end of big games, partly because of that deficit in the alpha-scorer department. When you need a basket, who takes the shot? Upping the speed might give them better odds of getting an open look at the hoop, when the game is on the line. “Get it out and go,” Caupain said. “I still think we’re going to work up-tempo. But that’s not my call.” It’s the head coach’s decision. We’ll see how he plays it.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../79377536/