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

I know no one on this board wants to hear it, but I have one reason to be optimistic:

Mick Cronin.

Fire away!

(04-06-2018 10:37 AM)Former Lurker Wrote:  

(04-06-2018 09:36 AM)DownOnRohs Wrote:  Why can't we get into ANY ******* early season tournaments and with other good teams?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!/ awsdklfjasldifj

Easy question to answer. The matchups are driven by TV, and the market does not find UC basketball to be an appealing entertainment product. Smallish fanbase and TV market compared to "flagship" state schools, low-profile coach with limited March success, lack of future NBA players, boring, ugly brand of basketball.

One can argue with all of this, but what matters is not the reality, but the perception among the decision makers.

Ur fanbase argument is BS.

(04-06-2018 08:47 PM)Bearcat01 Wrote:  switching to UA has hurt us with recruiting more than anything in past 2 decades. UA needs to get with program asap in next 2-3yrs or they want be around for long. best players in country playing with nike or adidas, I know UA want Mick to come recruit at their tournaments before going to rival shoe companies

That may be changing in the near future courtesy of the FBI.

(04-07-2018 10:23 AM)dsquare Wrote:  

(04-06-2018 08:47 PM)Bearcat01 Wrote:  switching to UA has hurt us with recruiting more than anything in past 2 decades. UA needs to get with program asap in next 2-3yrs or they want be around for long. best players in country playing with nike or adidas, I know UA want Mick to come recruit at their tournaments before going to rival shoe companies

That may be changing in the near future courtesy of the FBI.

Kids don't wear UA at all. I've never seen a kid wearing them on streets. UA screwed us big time.

(04-07-2018 09:45 AM)Ring of Black Wrote:  I know no one on this board wants to hear it, but I have one reason to be optimistic:

Mick Cronin.

Fire away!

(04-07-2018 09:45 AM)Ring of Black Wrote:  I know no one on this board wants to hear it, but I have one reason to be optimistic:

Mick Cronin.

Fire away!

I did not want to post on this thread but Beej opened the door. Mick wins. Not every game but the majority of 'em and he's trending in the right direction. He's coached for 12 seasons at Cincinnati producing 268 wins and 140 losses (.657). Over the last 6 seasons (includes his last year in the Big East) Mick is 155-52 (.749) and over the last 3 he is 83-22 (.790). During the last 6 seasons he has:

6 NCAAT Appearances
2 Conference Regular Season Championships
1 Conference Tournament Championship
Team Ranked in the Regular Season AP Poll Top 20 - 5 of 6 Seasons (High of #5)
Team Ranked in the Final AP Poll Top 20 - 3 of 6 Seasons (High of #6)
1 Conference Coach of the Year Award (2014)
1 Sporting News National Coach of the Year Award (2018)

He also ranks #2 in the nation in career wins among coaches under the age of 50. I don't know any Bearcats basketball fan that was not disappointed with the NCAAT results this year among previous years. That said, the Cats get to hang two championship banners from this season that no one can take away. I didn't even mention the awards/recognition that various players have received during his tenure as well. Mick just wins and does so in the right way. Remember what Cadaverville did to our once proud football program. Remember some of the issues with players, graduation rates and drinking episodes during the Huggins era. There are no embarrassments or questions of heart and integrity with Mick. That in of itself is something to remain upbeat about.

(04-07-2018 09:45 AM)Ring of Black Wrote:  I know no one on this board wants to hear it, but I have one reason to be optimistic:

Mick Cronin.

Fire away!

One word: Cupcakes.

i'm sport. it can't get any worse

(04-07-2018 09:45 AM)Ring of Black Wrote:  I know no one on this board wants to hear it, but I have one reason to be optimistic:

Mick Cronin.

Fire away!

He runs a clean, non-controversial program that slaughters mediocre competition and doesn't disrupt the hopes of other teams picked in the field of 64.

He's a very nice man who coaches very nice kids.

Isn't that nice!

Are we still in the AAC? Not much optimism.
ECU, USF, Tulane, UCF, Temple, SMU and bad Memphis and UConn.

(04-08-2018 08:04 AM)Ragpicker Wrote:  Are we still in the AAC? Not much optimism.
ECU, USF, Tulane, UCF, Temple, SMU and bad Memphis and UConn.

At one point during this season you asserted that the AAC's ceiling was a 6 seed. And yet, we earned a 2 seed, Wichita St. a 4 seed, and Houston a six seed.

There are reasons to be pessimistic. But right now, the conference isn't one of them.

I am awakened at night from the sounds of the loud thud of Brooks and Scotts and Moores shots. It's terrifying. I have been a UC fan my entire life, but next year is going to be ROUGH. The AAC was WAY down this year, we won't always be that lucky.

(04-08-2018 11:47 AM)UCinNKY Wrote:  I am awakened at night from the sounds of the loud thud of Brooks and Scotts and Moores shots. It's terrifying. I have been a UC fan my entire life, but next year is going to be ROUGH. The AAC was WAY down this year, we won't always be that lucky.

"Never more! Never more!"

...or are you thinking more "The Tell-tale Heart"?

(04-08-2018 11:47 AM)UCinNKY Wrote:  I am awakened at night from the sounds of the loud thud of Brooks and Scotts and Moores shots. It's terrifying. I have been a UC fan my entire life, but next year is going to be ROUGH. The AAC was WAY down this year, we won't always be that lucky.

Our hope is the AAC will be even worse at the top next year.

WSU lost everything
UC lost our bigs and perhaps Evans
UH lost the man bun
UCF could be #1 if we lose Evans. They have BJ and Taco Bell
Expect the rest to be better from last year but that is not a high bar.

The American didn't have a down year. In 2016, the highest seeded American team was a 9 (though there were 4 AAC teams in the tournament). 2017, we had two 6 seeds. This year 3 teams with the lowest seed being a 6 seed.

Next year, the American should have more teams competing for the #1 spot, though I'd expect the top team to be a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. WSU will probably crash and burn, but UC, SMU, UCF, Memphis and UConn should all have the potential make the NCAA tournament (not to mention Tulsa and Tulane will improve). I expect UC or UCF to be the pre-season favorite.

(04-08-2018 12:46 PM)skyblade Wrote:  The American didn't have a down year. In 2016, the highest seeded American team was a 9 (though there were 4 AAC teams in the tournament). 2017, we had two 6 seeds. This year 3 teams with the lowest seed being a 6 seed.

Next year, the American should have more teams competing for the #1 spot, though I'd expect the top team to be a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. WSU will probably crash and burn, but UC, SMU, UCF, Memphis and UConn should all have the potential make the NCAA tournament (not to mention Tulsa and Tulane will improve). I expect UC or UCF to be the pre-season favorite.

Unless Mick fails to bring in anyone this spring the Cats are going to be a top 3 pick in the league. I don't trust UCF because they haven't even made the leap to NCAA bubble team yet. Houston should still be a tournament team, UConn should have a nice turnaround similar to what Ohio State had this past season.

(04-08-2018 03:05 PM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(04-08-2018 12:46 PM)skyblade Wrote:  The American didn't have a down year. In 2016, the highest seeded American team was a 9 (though there were 4 AAC teams in the tournament). 2017, we had two 6 seeds. This year 3 teams with the lowest seed being a 6 seed.

Next year, the American should have more teams competing for the #1 spot, though I'd expect the top team to be a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. WSU will probably crash and burn, but UC, SMU, UCF, Memphis and UConn should all have the potential make the NCAA tournament (not to mention Tulsa and Tulane will improve). I expect UC or UCF to be the pre-season favorite.

Unless Mick fails to bring in anyone this spring the Cats are going to be a top 3 pick in the league. I don't trust UCF because they haven't even made the leap to NCAA bubble team yet. Houston should still be a tournament team, UConn should have a nice turnaround similar to what Ohio State had this past season.

I'd say with what we have we will be top 3 in the conference pre-season (and possibly #1). Based on what he has done in the recent past, Cronin will get the benefit of the doubt from the other coaches in the conference who vote in the poll. Bring in a readuy-now wing to replace Evans and we are the pre-season favorite. Pretty much every team loses two or three players per year, that is college basketball. Cronin has a history of having his players ready to step up and fill the shoes of the departing players and next year shouldn't be any different.

UCF has all the pieces and will be the pre-season favorite if UC isn't, but they don't have a history of winning. Memphis and UConn each have minimal losses and could turn it around like Ohio State, but didn't do enough last year to be pre-season conference favorite. Houston and SMU are perrennial top teams and should be up there this year as well, but they have similar losses to UC. Tulsa, Tulane, ECU and Temple should also be improved, but I doubt any of them will make the jump to being in the top 3. WSU and USF are the only teams likely to take a major tumble (though USF can't go much farther down).

Team White(jordan classic) would beat us by 25.

(04-08-2018 11:07 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(04-08-2018 08:04 AM)Ragpicker Wrote:  Are we still in the AAC? Not much optimism.
ECU, USF, Tulane, UCF, Temple, SMU and bad Memphis and UConn.

At one point during this season you asserted that the AAC's ceiling was a 6 seed. And yet, we earned a 2 seed, Wichita St. a 4 seed, and Houston a six seed.

There are reasons to be pessimistic. But right now, the conference isn't one of them.

And none made it past the 2nd round. Lol
C'mon - you know the chant. I'll spot you the 'O'

(04-08-2018 09:52 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(04-08-2018 11:07 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(04-08-2018 08:04 AM)Ragpicker Wrote:  Are we still in the AAC? Not much optimism.
ECU, USF, Tulane, UCF, Temple, SMU and bad Memphis and UConn.

At one point during this season you asserted that the AAC's ceiling was a 6 seed. And yet, we earned a 2 seed, Wichita St. a 4 seed, and Houston a six seed.

There are reasons to be pessimistic. But right now, the conference isn't one of them.

And none made it past the 2nd round. Lol
C'mon - you know the chant. I'll spot you the 'O'

So we're supposed to be pessimistic because our conference was too highly seeded? If anything we should be encouraged by that. God forbid we're rewarded with a favorable path in March.