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

(09-23-2022 12:41 PM)RuckleSt Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 11:40 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 09:54 AM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 09:24 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Expectations are higher but that is what we do every September.

Unless DDJ and Davenport went to see the Wizard in the offseason, they still are who they are.

Yup. 18-20 wins should be the expectation

I'll take the over. How much you want to throw down?

I wish I could be that optimistic but I still see a really flawed team.

PG - Phinisee - Slight upgrade from last year
SG - DDJ - Slight upgrade from last year due to not having to carry all the scoring load
SF - Nolley - Even to slight upgrade - Better scorer than Newman, but worse defender
PF - Davenport - Even - Good shooter, terrible post defense and rebounding
C - Lahkin - Even - If he stays healthy production at this position should be improved from last year, but that is a huge if.

Depth - Should be improved

Overall, it looks like a slightly improved roster. We will likely win more games with the schedule this year though.

The nonconference schedule is basically the same, if not more difficult, in terms of expected wins. We played Florida A&M, Monmouth (Loss), Ashland, Tennessee Tech, Bryant, Miami Oxford, and Evansville nonconference last year. Replace those seven with seven similar teams (and repeat Xavier), but then we have the three difficult Maui games to replace Georgia, Arkansas, and Illinois. It's the 7-11 conference record that killed us last year.

(09-23-2022 01:04 PM)geef Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 12:41 PM)RuckleSt Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 11:40 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 09:54 AM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 09:24 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Expectations are higher but that is what we do every September.

Unless DDJ and Davenport went to see the Wizard in the offseason, they still are who they are.

Yup. 18-20 wins should be the expectation

I'll take the over. How much you want to throw down?

I wish I could be that optimistic but I still see a really flawed team.

PG - Phinisee - Slight upgrade from last year
SG - DDJ - Slight upgrade from last year due to not having to carry all the scoring load
SF - Nolley - Even to slight upgrade - Better scorer than Newman, but worse defender
PF - Davenport - Even - Good shooter, terrible post defense and rebounding
C - Lahkin - Even - If he stays healthy production at this position should be improved from last year, but that is a huge if.

Depth - Should be improved

Overall, it looks like a slightly improved roster. We will likely win more games with the schedule this year though.

The nonconference schedule is basically the same, if not more difficult, in terms of expected wins. We played Florida A&M, Monmouth (Loss), Ashland, Tennessee Tech, Bryant, Miami Oxford, and Evansville nonconference last year. Replace those seven with seven similar teams (and repeat Xavier), but then we have the three difficult Maui games to replace Georgia, Arkansas, and Illinois. It's the 7-11 conference record that killed us last year.

I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

(09-23-2022 01:13 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:04 PM)geef Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 12:41 PM)RuckleSt Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 11:40 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 09:54 AM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Yup. 18-20 wins should be the expectation

I'll take the over. How much you want to throw down?

I wish I could be that optimistic but I still see a really flawed team.

PG - Phinisee - Slight upgrade from last year
SG - DDJ - Slight upgrade from last year due to not having to carry all the scoring load
SF - Nolley - Even to slight upgrade - Better scorer than Newman, but worse defender
PF - Davenport - Even - Good shooter, terrible post defense and rebounding
C - Lahkin - Even - If he stays healthy production at this position should be improved from last year, but that is a huge if.

Depth - Should be improved

Overall, it looks like a slightly improved roster. We will likely win more games with the schedule this year though.

The nonconference schedule is basically the same, if not more difficult, in terms of expected wins. We played Florida A&M, Monmouth (Loss), Ashland, Tennessee Tech, Bryant, Miami Oxford, and Evansville nonconference last year. Replace those seven with seven similar teams (and repeat Xavier), but then we have the three difficult Maui games to replace Georgia, Arkansas, and Illinois. It's the 7-11 conference record that killed us last year.

I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

I really hope you're right

(09-23-2022 01:13 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

I haven't paid much attention to their roster, but they've improved their coaching situation drastically, so that game may be tougher than you think.

(09-23-2022 01:31 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:13 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

I haven't paid much attention to their roster, but they've improved their coaching situation drastically, so that game may be tougher than you think.

Have they? His last three years at Arizona were just ok.

(09-23-2022 02:30 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:31 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:13 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

I haven't paid much attention to their roster, but they've improved their coaching situation drastically, so that game may be tougher than you think.

Have they? His last three years at Arizona were just ok.

Yes. The man went to the Elite Eight 4 times.

NONE of Steele's years at XU were ok and he beat UC 3 out of 4 times.

(09-23-2022 03:04 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 02:30 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:31 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:13 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

I haven't paid much attention to their roster, but they've improved their coaching situation drastically, so that game may be tougher than you think.

Have they? His last three years at Arizona were just ok.

Yes. The man went to the Elite Eight 4 times.

NONE of Steele's years at XU were ok and he beat UC 3 out of 4 times.

Yep, the man can coach for sure. Will he be tainted by his past corrupt recruiting practices that will limit his ability to get talent he needs in the future? That remains to be seen.

The University of Arizona is a special place for recruiting elite basketball players with its National Championship banner in the rafters and Tucson's beautiful desert mountains and sunny, warm winters. X has none of that to offer recruits so we'll see what he does for his encore in Norwood. One thing's for sure--the myth of the X basketball program's high integrity is shattered with his return.

(09-23-2022 03:04 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 02:30 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:31 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:13 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

I haven't paid much attention to their roster, but they've improved their coaching situation drastically, so that game may be tougher than you think.

Have they? His last three years at Arizona were just ok.

Yes. The man went to the Elite Eight 4 times.

NONE of Steele's years at XU were ok and he beat UC 3 out of 4 times.

And then got caught cheating. Assistant coach right hand man went to prison. And the results dropped off a cliff.

(09-23-2022 03:04 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 02:30 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:31 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  

(09-23-2022 01:13 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I believe UC beats X this year and flips the conference record to 11 plus wins.

I haven't paid much attention to their roster, but they've improved their coaching situation drastically, so that game may be tougher than you think.

Have they? His last three years at Arizona were just ok.

Yes. The man went to the Elite Eight 4 times.

NONE of Steele's years at XU were ok and he beat UC 3 out of 4 times.

He went against Brannen twice and had a home game against Wes very early in Wes' tenure. UC also basically missed a home court advantage during that run. I don't think Steele beating UC says much other than he caught UC at the right time and the only time he played UC in a true road game against a decent UC team, he lost.

Miller is definitely a better coach, but Arizona did fall off a cliff late in his time there. I'm sure he'll do fine there, but I don't think UC losing twice under Brannen or losing at Cintas early in year 1 for Wes is indicative of what might happen going forward.

Funny, I'm still waiting, 13 months now, for friends who are X fans to call congratulating me about Cincinnati joining the best basketball conference in America. Not like any of us here on Banter would flaunt that.

My boy Jay Shunnar just joined the staff of Cleveland State as an assistant coach.

Ann Arbor/U of Toledo legend.