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(04-02-2018 08:54 AM)skyblade Wrote:  

(04-02-2018 07:50 AM)jarr Wrote:  

(04-02-2018 07:30 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(04-01-2018 08:29 PM)skyblade Wrote:  

(04-01-2018 07:58 PM)jarr Wrote:  Good luck to Jacob, go get paid man.

From my own selfish fan perspective, I would feel alot better about this if their were any instant impact players coming in. I am not comfortable with Moore or William's filling Evan's shoes, I see alot of clanking sounds filling my head in the future. Mahan or Mitchell or Jones would be nice fill-ins, but by all accounts those ships have sailed.

The difference between us and Dukes and KYs of the world, is they all have ready to go replacements lined up. Our entire season next year probably hinges on if Evan's stays or goes. Those other programs have the luxury of multiple McDAA waiting in the wings.

We have replacements in the forms of 3* or 4* recruits who have been on the bench for a year (or more), UK and Duke have incoming freshman 5*'s. Look at UK, the 5* approach works out sometimes, but just as often it doesn't. The advantage of bench guys is they should adjust quicker (though obviously the ceiling is generally lower) and they stay for multiple years. Using one-and-dones as every year is high risk - high reward. We will miss Evans but I think top 25 team is still very realistic for next year (though I thought we were top 10 if Evans returned).

The big question is who will step up. Will it be small ball with Jenifer and Broome starting and Logan Johnson as the backup PG. Or will Williams, Moore, Hardnett or Diarra win the starting SF role. The early season development of players will be more interesting to watch with Evans gone.

Evans has been a great Bearcat and we all should wish him well. It's not his fault that there isn't a "ready now" or "ready soon" replacement waiting to fill his shoes and assume his scoring.

Your first bolded comment, regarding UK and Duke, I don't think anyone here reasonably expects UC to stockpile talent the way those schools do. Both are at the top of the food chain and pretty consistently make deep runs in the tournament. How often should we expect UC to make a deep run (say Elite Eight)? Once a decade when a rare combination of talent and experience come together? By the way, I think the folks at that little school in Norwood expect more. Looking at their past ten years worth of trips to the second weekend, I think it's fair to expect more in Clifton.

Regarding your second bolded comment, I agree "one and dones" may be high risk/high reward. Many here will gladly take a one and done in the mix if the coaching staff can blend that talent with experience to advance in March. I'm ready for some "high reward" results.

Looking at Michigan and Villanova, it's not a fluke that both teams can really shoot the ball from deep and are playing for the national championship. Evans and Cumberland were excellent recruits because they could clearly shoot the ball when they walked on campus. Conversely, turning athletic wings into shooters has had decidedly mixed results for UC and many programs.

The question I have, is the lack of "shooters" more a factor of them not seeing themselves as a good fit with our program, or our staff not seeing them as a good fit with our program, or equal? It's nice to see the Dontaie Allen kid in Pendelton County is starting to get looked at, but yet to receive an offer. He is considered a really good shooter and offensive minded player. I could see him going somewhere like WKU and averaging 20+.

We just had a team with a shooter at every position. Even without Evans, it's not like we have no one else to score. Williams, Hardnett, Diarra and Johnson were all big time scorers in HS and Moore was recruited for his 3 point shooting. We have 3 guys on the team who aren't 3-point shooters (Scott, Brooks, Nsoseme) and athletic centers who can shoot the 3 are very hard to come by. Sure it's nice to have guys who can shoot from every position, but it's not the only way to win. Kansas made the final four starting Udoka Azubuike who shoots about as well as Brooks. Loyola started Krutwig who had a nice inside game, but didn't attempt a 3 on the season.

Michigan needed a fluke to make it past a Houston team that isn't exactly packed with shooters. The NCAA tournament is so full of luck in games and matchups that it's really hard to judge what wins by looking at the two teams in the finals.

I'd say movement and passing are the keys to offensive success, if you have those then you will get open shots and open shots tend to go in.

None of the afore mentioned players on this team have ever been a double figure scorer against big time college opponents. Neither Clark, Evans or Cumberland avg. double figures their first year of starting. You are assuming way too much. Also, not much movement and passing in Micks offense.