Worth remembering how far Cronin has come.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/...854291001/

I’ve never been more excited about a UC team.

Seriously. I see no weak players on this whole team. Just keep rotating them in and mowing them down...

(11-14-2017 07:41 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  My all accounts, we are very good

Two things come to mind when I think of being special and what may keep us from that:

1. Consistent free throw shooting, (will kill you in the ncaa tourney)

2. As of right now, I'm not sure we have that one player that can take over a game vs elite teams. This team is loaded with very good players but there is no Kenyon Martin, or Danny Fortson or Nick Van Exel. When you look at a lot of final four teams, and especially national title contenders its sees like they all have that one guy that when the going gets rough (and it will in the ncaa tourney at some point) they have the one guy that can carry them and I mean vs elite opponents.


Do we have 'that guy' that can emerge?
If not, do we need that guy or is a team of very good players enough?


Thoughts?

in re: FT Shooting

This scares me as well. The point has been made that the rotation will shorten up and the Cumberland and Evans will start taking more of the FTs at the end of the game. Someone else mentioned that the teams that made deep NCAA runs didn't have great FT shooting, but good FT shooting helps widen our margins for error. We are a much better offensive team but that doesn't mean we should get in the habit of leaving points on the floor.

in re: "That Guy"

it's Cumberland. i understand that Evans is physically more gifted but Cumberland is the killer on this team. in short, Evans has the NBA athleticism/build, Cumberland has the NBA mentality. That being said, i would rephrase the question. When the game is on the line, do we have "that guy" that wants the ball in his hands? Lo, Satterfield (who was more of an "irrational confidence guy" to quote Bill Simmons), Nicky, Lazelle, Kenyon, Danny...these are guys that wanted the ball in crunch time. None of Mick's previous teams, imo, had "that guy". They had guys that ended up with the ball because they were a better option then the other four guys on the floor but whenever Troy had the ball in a late game situation, i always felt it was more because others were less capable, not because he really wanted it.

if i need a crunch time bucket, i'm running a 1-4 set with Cumberland and telling everyone to get the he!! out of the way.

Kilpatrick was that guy and then some. Just didn't have the overall team around him. His senior year he was a force and the only reason UC was as good as it was.

(11-16-2017 08:37 AM)eroc Wrote:  When the game is on the line, do we have "that guy" that wants the ball in his hands? Lo, Satterfield (who was more of an "irrational confidence guy" to quote Bill Simmons), Nicky, Lazelle, Kenyon, Danny...these are guys that wanted the ball in crunch time. None of Mick's previous teams, imo, had "that guy". They had guys that ended up with the ball because they were a better option then the other four guys on the floor but whenever Troy had the ball in a late game situation, i always felt it was more because others were less capable, not because he really wanted it.

if i need a crunch time bucket, i'm running a 1-4 set with Cumberland and telling everyone to get the he!! out of the way.

Um SK says high. I see that SK killa mentality in Cumberland.

(11-14-2017 07:29 PM)BeerCat Wrote:  My biggest worry is still PG play. I haven't seen enough from Broome to feel great about him and JJ has always played well against lower tier competition and struggled against the better competition. Hopefully that is not the case this year and we have a ton of good depth at PG to go with all of the depth at the other positions.

Agree. JJ doesn't have the height to defend taller PGs. i haven't had too much of an issue with the way he has run point on offense. Cane will be a huge factor in this team's success. All caveats apply, but i love the way he attacks the basket. i don't want to make my positives about Cane an indictment of Troy but Troy simply didn't have that attacking mentality and doesn't appear as capable at getting to the rim as Cane. i echo your sentiments about small sample size but just seeing a Bearcat PG go at opponents is a huge.

(11-16-2017 08:43 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(11-16-2017 08:37 AM)eroc Wrote:  When the game is on the line, do we have "that guy" that wants the ball in his hands? Lo, Satterfield (who was more of an "irrational confidence guy" to quote Bill Simmons), Nicky, Lazelle, Kenyon, Danny...these are guys that wanted the ball in crunch time. None of Mick's previous teams, imo, had "that guy". They had guys that ended up with the ball because they were a better option then the other four guys on the floor but whenever Troy had the ball in a late game situation, i always felt it was more because others were less capable, not because he really wanted it.

if i need a crunch time bucket, i'm running a 1-4 set with Cumberland and telling everyone to get the he!! out of the way.

Um SK says high. I see that SK killa mentality in Cumberland.

(11-16-2017 08:42 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Kilpatrick was that guy and then some. Just didn't have the overall team around him. His senior year he was a force and the only reason UC was as good as it was.

Mea Culpa. i forgot about SK, who obviously belongs on the list. in a similar "irrational confidence guy" vein, i reckon you can also add Born Ready to that list.

(11-16-2017 08:42 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Kilpatrick was that guy and then some. Just didn't have the overall team around him. His senior year he was a force and the only reason UC was as good as it was.

Cashmere Wright and Dion Dixon both liked having the ball for the last shot, but neither was particularly adept at it. Cash Wright did hit the buzzer beater vs. Alabama one night, the replay of which I enjoy watching when I'm done watching a UC football loss.

(11-16-2017 04:26 PM)vabearcat Wrote:  

(11-16-2017 08:42 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Kilpatrick was that guy and then some. Just didn't have the overall team around him. His senior year he was a force and the only reason UC was as good as it was.

Cashmere Wright and Dion Dixon both liked having the ball for the last shot, but neither was particularly adept at it. Cash Wright did hit the buzzer beater vs. Alabama one night, the replay of which I enjoy watching when I'm done watching a UC football loss.

Cash also hot a HUGE runner vs Gtown in the 2011-2012 Big East tourney (the one we lost in the finals to University-6).