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I'm impressed there wasn't a fall off in demand considering a new coach, no OSU game, no Crosstown Shootout, and no buzz of a brand new arena. Well done 'cats!

We now have a waitlist for basketball season tickets.. curious how many schools can say that. I'm going to assume there's still a limited number of single game tickets that UC has set aside.

(09-25-2019 01:58 PM)dubcat14 Wrote:  I'm impressed there wasn't a fall off in demand considering a new coach, no OSU game, no Crosstown Shootout, and no buzz of a brand new arena. Well done 'cats!

I was thinking the lack of a fall off was because WE HAVE a new coach. That will generate a lot of interest, and in particular, when fans know a new system on offense will be featured. For sure, the new digs has been well received from last season so that helps when you have a modern facility too tout.

(09-25-2019 02:04 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(09-25-2019 01:58 PM)dubcat14 Wrote:  I'm impressed there wasn't a fall off in demand considering a new coach, no OSU game, no Crosstown Shootout, and no buzz of a brand new arena. Well done 'cats!

I was thinking the lack of a fall off was because WE HAVE a new coach. That will generate a lot of interest, and in particular, when fans know a new system on offense will be featured. For sure, the new digs has been well received from last season so that helps when you have a modern facility too tout.

5/3rd is definitely a destination hang out now.

(09-25-2019 01:58 PM)dubcat14 Wrote:  

I'm impressed there wasn't a fall off in demand considering a new coach, no OSU game, no Crosstown Shootout, and no buzz of a brand new arena. Well done 'cats!

We now have a waitlist for basketball season tickets.. curious how many schools can say that. I'm going to assume there's still a limited number of single game tickets that UC has set aside.

Bolded, I agree. This is a feel good story but how is Athletics defining "season tickets"? Could I still buy individual games in the top six rows for instance? To me, the goal should be to sell out the arena before the season; I believe that did happen in the 90's. From this tweet, we really don't know how many season ticket seats have been sold. My hope would be "all 12,000 excluding what's reserved for students". I don't get the sense that's what is being claimed.

That also means our season attendance will exceed brand x across town because 5th/3rd is larger than Cintas. Let's hope that continues to be the case going forward--another sign of the dominance of the UC brand in this city.

So again, this is good news. We just don't know how good.

(09-25-2019 01:58 PM)dubcat14 Wrote:  I'm impressed there wasn't a fall off in demand considering a new coach, no OSU game, no Crosstown Shootout, and no buzz of a brand new arena. Well done 'cats!

We now have a waitlist for basketball season tickets.. curious how many schools can say that. I'm going to assume there's still a limited number of single game tickets that UC has set aside.

I think a lot of folks are excited for a new brand of basketball. Unless Brannen completely flops, I think demand for tickets will remain high.

(09-25-2019 05:03 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(09-25-2019 01:58 PM)dubcat14 Wrote:  I'm impressed there wasn't a fall off in demand considering a new coach, no OSU game, no Crosstown Shootout, and no buzz of a brand new arena. Well done 'cats!

We now have a waitlist for basketball season tickets.. curious how many schools can say that. I'm going to assume there's still a limited number of single game tickets that UC has set aside.

I think a lot of folks are excited for a new brand of basketball. Unless Brannen completely flops, I think demand for tickets will remain high.

Count me as one of those people. I am more excited about this basketball season than I have been for a LONG time. Sounds like I am not alone.

I am not sure UC will be better but i think UC will better equipped at winning the games that actually matter to the fan base, Xavier, Ohio State, and NCAA tournament games. I think this what excites fans.

Great news! Let’s pack in Nip for UCF and show the men’s and women’s b-ball some love at Midnight Madness!

Why do you think that, JD? Could be 100% correct but I have not seen anything yet to make me have a strong belief beyond a mere hope. I heard talk of UC football being a wide open offense when CLF was hired.... lol...I watched NKU in person 3 times last year and didn’t come away thinking that staff was innovating the game on either end. Perhaps those systems will click with a higher level of athlete.

I don’t pay much attention to what the coaches or media say in the preseason until the ball goes up in the air. We will see what things look like come late December or so. People would be wise to temper 1st year expectations IMO.

UC has struggled in the NCAA’s for a multitude of reasons going back about 20 years but what have we averaged the past 5 years... 28 wins a season? 27? Do people feel strongly that this roster will win 27 or 28 games this year? Hope so. Hoping we don’t go from complaining about winning a lot of 55-50 games to cheering both teams scoring in the 80’s and losing more of them. Gotta win a bunch of those regular season games in this conference or you possibly get to host a tournament game instead. Teams like Seton Hall and Providence unsuccessfully tried the wide open offense M2M defensive philosophy in the old BE days. It rarely traveled well and didn’t work when the other team had a better roster or could lock down on D and on the glass. D travels in the AAC which is why coaches and fans have hated UC forever. Houston is using the old UC blueprint for a reason. Time will tell.

(09-25-2019 07:57 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Why do you think that, JD? Could be 100% correct but I have not seen anything yet to make me have a strong belief beyond a mere hope. I heard talk of UC football being a wide open offense when CLF was hired.... lol...I watched NKU in person 3 times last year and didn’t come away thinking that staff was innovating the game on either end. Perhaps those systems will click with a higher level of athlete.

I don’t pay much attention to what the coaches or media say in the preseason until the ball goes up in the air. We will see what things look like come late December or so. People would be wise to temper 1st year expectations IMO.

UC has struggled in the NCAA’s for a multitude of reasons going back about 20 years but what have we averaged the past 5 years... 28 wins a season? 27? Do people feel strongly that this roster will win 27 or 28 games this year? Hope so. Hoping we don’t go from complaining about winning a lot of 55-50 games to cheering both teams scoring in the 80’s and losing more of them. Gotta win a bunch of those regular season games in this conference or you possibly get to host a tournament game instead. Teams like Seton Hall and Providence unsuccessfully tried the wide open offense M2M defensive philosophy in the old BE days. It rarely traveled well and didn’t work when the other team had a better roster or could lock down on D and on the glass. D travels in the AAC which is why coaches and fans have hated UC forever. Houston is using the old UC blueprint for a reason. Time will tell.

I think a lot of fans would prefer to win 24-25 games a year and have success in the tournament than to win 28 games a year and continue getting bounced in the first round. We will see if that happens, but with a new staff, new system, and new players I definitely see where the optimism is coming from.

Mick continued to play down NCAA results and the game against Xavier and the few times we played Ohio State. His record in those games is really the only blemish in the past 10 years. Some coaches are big game winners and some are big game losers. Mick was a big game loser that won just about everything else.

The new staff might not win as much but I feel like they know the importance of the most important games.

(09-25-2019 02:04 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(09-25-2019 01:58 PM)dubcat14 Wrote:  I'm impressed there wasn't a fall off in demand considering a new coach, no OSU game, no Crosstown Shootout, and no buzz of a brand new arena. Well done 'cats!

I was thinking the lack of a fall off was because WE HAVE a new coach. That will generate a lot of interest, and in particular, when fans know a new system on offense will be featured. For sure, the new digs has been well received from last season so that helps when you have a modern facility too tout.

I second that!

(09-26-2019 05:53 AM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  Mick continued to play down NCAA results and the game against Xavier and the few times we played Ohio State. His record in those games is really the only blemish in the past 10 years. Some coaches are big game winners and some are big game losers. Mick was a big game loser that won just about everything else.

The new staff might not win as much but I feel like they know the importance of the most important games.

Bolded, I agree, although we'll certainly have a better read on this seven months from now when we have a season performance to inform our opinions. Chris Mack's teams would have some head scratching losses in the regular season, but they were able to outscore opponents and advance in March Madness.

Wasn't UC favored against Iowa last March? Many of us felt certain when the bracket was first posted on CBS, that the Bearcats were headed for another first round loss against a team that could really score from outside. So I'm resigned to the fact that Brannen's teams may lose a few more in the regular season, especially in his first two years building his roster. But I also believe (hope) we'll see some exhilarating victories in big games. Apparently others feel the same way given the season ticket sales.

Was due to a new arena but season tickets were sold out last year too with a fan base that was openly grumbling and a roster heading into the season that most of us reasonably thought was a mess after Gary, and Washington and Jacob Evans moved on. Hell, most would have gladly taken a 11 seed and an opener in Dayton before the season tipped off. Expectations may have changed a bit with the perhaps unexpected success of Cumberland Left and Cumberland Right as the offense and the performance against Houston in the conference tournament championship.

My point was only that even if the schedule is stronger 3+ more regular season losses each year regardless of who they are to and we are firmly a bubble team in the AAC. There is probably not a huge margin of error.

I do like seeing what the staff is trying to do. Not a knock at all but good or bad feels like he is building a team in the same mold of the Chris Mack-type X teams. If you are not loaded up and down the roster, you better have an identity and you better sell out and be really, really good on one side of the mid-court line.

(09-26-2019 07:53 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Was due to a new arena but season tickets were sold out last year too with a fan base that was openly grumbling and a roster heading into the season that most of us reasonably thought was a mess after Gary, and Washington and Jacob Evans moved on. Hell, most would have gladly taken a 11 seed and an opener in Dayton before the season tipped off. Expectations may have changed a bit with the perhaps unexpected success of Cumberland Left and Cumberland Right as the offense and the performance against Houston in the conference tournament championship.

My point was only that even if the schedule is stronger 3+ more regular season losses each year regardless of who they are to and we are firmly a bubble team in the AAC. There is probably not a huge margin of error.

I do like seeing what the staff is trying to do. Not a knock at all but good or bad feels like he is building a team in the same mold of the Chris Mack-type X teams. If you are not loaded up and down the roster, you better have an identity and you better sell out and be really, really good on one side of the mid-court line.

God I missed your humor on the boards.

I'm excited to see Brannen coach the team. With Cumberland, Williams, and Scott back, plus Jaevin Cumberland and the rest of the guys Brannen pulled, there is the opportunity for a very nice first year.

The theory that Brannen will lose some ummm unimportant games but win more "important" ones is silly. That is not a thing that a coach can reliably do. It is not an ability that some coaches have and others lack. The best coaches win both regular season games in January and NCAA tournament games. Those are not two different skill sets.

UC won plenty of big games for a lot of years....I am not sure where that comes from. NCAA performance was obviously lacking but that has been a thing for UC more often than not going back to about 1997.

(09-26-2019 10:01 AM)levydl Wrote:  I'm excited to see Brannen coach the team. With Cumberland, Williams, and Scott back, plus Jaevin Cumberland and the rest of the guys Brannen pulled, there is the opportunity for a very nice first year.

The theory that Brannen will lose some ummm unimportant games but win more "important" ones is silly. That is not a thing that a coach can reliably do. It is not an ability that some coaches have and others lack. The best coaches win both regular season games in January and NCAA tournament games. Those are not two different skill sets.

I disagree, great defensive teams don't have hot and cold games. They are consistent, and therefore less likely to have upset losses when facing inferior competition. Whereas, a great offensive team with just average defense can and will have cold shooting nights and get beat.

(09-26-2019 10:27 AM)RuckleSt Wrote:  

(09-26-2019 10:01 AM)levydl Wrote:  I'm excited to see Brannen coach the team. With Cumberland, Williams, and Scott back, plus Jaevin Cumberland and the rest of the guys Brannen pulled, there is the opportunity for a very nice first year.

The theory that Brannen will lose some ummm unimportant games but win more "important" ones is silly. That is not a thing that a coach can reliably do. It is not an ability that some coaches have and others lack. The best coaches win both regular season games in January and NCAA tournament games. Those are not two different skill sets.

I disagree, great defensive teams don't have hot and cold games. They are consistent, and therefore less likely to have upset losses when facing inferior competition. Whereas, a great offensive team with just average defense can and will have cold shooting nights and get beat.

And to play devil's advocate, the argument could be made that great defensive, grind-it-out type teams let inferior teams hang around with closer scores, leading to an increased chance of upsets. Not saying that is necessarily true, but I tend to agree with levydl on this one.

I think Memphis being relevant again really helps our program.