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Keith William's- former NYC player of the year, and averaged about 25 per game in a competitive HS league. Shot 15% from 3 last year, and yesterday was 1 for 4 with 2 points

Trevor Moore- From Micks mouth, the best pure shooter he has ever recruited. Shot 31% from 3 last year and was 1 for 5 with 2 points.

Rashawn Fredericks- JUCO first team all american, highly productive numbers for a good JUCO team. Looked completely lost and was 0 for 2 with 1 point.

Combined 5 points and 2 for 11. I am not sure what happens to these guys when they get here, but these guys do not look comfortable at all being a scoring threat. The same could apply to Cane Broome as well, 1 for 10 shooting vs OSU.

This is not going to cut it.

We gotta work with what we have.

While Williams' production has been a disappointment thus far, he will a have a great chance to get his offensive groove back over the next few games and hopefully develops a bit more confidence with his outside shot as he gets more uncontested looks.

The same goes for Moore who has a bit of a higher floor but lower ceiling than Williams on any given night.

The jury is still out on Fredericks. I still have hope that he can become a solid small-ball 4 for us if Mick ever comes to his senses and puts that line-up on the floor.

Best case scenario is that one of the those three makes enough strides to separate their play from the others and can warrant 20+ minutes by the time we enter conference play.

I think the talent is there, but all are taking a big step up. That was a pretty big stage and much more pressure than a usual opening game. New arena, national TV against a what is supposed to be a very good defensive team again in O$U. I still think they will be fine and will find their groove. We are talking about 2 sophomores who have both showed flashes of potential (And some struggles) and a Juco newcomer, one that plenty of analysts outside the program have talked about being a good fit. Its not like they played 15 minutes a game last year. They had some games like that and some games they rarely saw the court. It takes time.

You don't replace 3 huge pieces of the offense and expect 6-8 guys to step right into new roles and increased playing time without some blips.

Mick doesn't know how to use a wing, so it doesnt matter.

Isn't the wing position the guy who is sent to BW3 for takeout?

while we are talking about positions....

Why does Cronin keep replacing Tre Scott with Tre Scott?

IE, long athletic, lean player who can jump out of the gym, play a little defense and has ZERO ZERO offense????

Darnell Wilks, Titus Rubles, Jermaine Lawrence, Shaq Thomas, Tre Scott....they are all the same person reincarnated every four years.

These guys are a total liability when we have the ball and basically waste a spot on the floor when its time to score. Heck even Justin Jackson was kind of in the group until his last year.

Just long guys who are athletic, can play some D and just totally waste space on offense.

I don't understand it.

(11-09-2018 09:19 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  while we are talking about positions....

Why does Cronin keep replacing Tre Scott with Tre Scott?

IE, long athletic, lean player who can jump out of the gym, play a little defense and has ZERO ZERO offense????

Darnell Wilks, Titus Rubles, Jermaine Lawrence, Shaq Thomas, Tre Scott....they are all the same person reincarnated every four years.

These guys are a total liability when we have the ball and basically waste a spot on the floor when its time to score. Heck even Justin Jackson was kind of in the group until his last year.

Just long guys who are athletic, can play some D and just totally waste space on offense.

I don't understand it.

Its nice to have an energy guy that will defend, block shots, get rebounds, etc. That can hurt a bit on offense, but they are also guys you have to account for because they slice in and get offensive rebounds and if you lost them they can make you pay with a dunk.

I do think Scott has more offense to him and just think he struggled in the opener. His offense is way ahead of JJ in his junior year. He has been pretty good hitting that 10-12 foot jump shot and can take the ball off the dribble. Hopefully as he gets comfortable with his minutes, he will get it going (Else we could be in trouble as we really need him to take that next step). I'd argue he might be the most important player to take the next step.

Mick has sold the fan base on the belief that UC must recruit "projects". While that may sometimes be the case, I've never believed that argument to hold water and I look no further than Norwood for proof. And this goes back way before X was in the new Big East, so let's not suggest it's a "conference problem".

His projects are most often gifted athletes, many of whom arrive with serious offensive deficiencies or poor shooting mechanics. It's the coach's job to create offensive schemes to put those players in a position to be successful. They need offensive schemes that leverage their strengths and hide their deficiencies. I actually feel sorry for our players at times, flailing around out there, shot clock expiring and clueless as to who will take that off balance shot with a defender draped over them.

(11-09-2018 09:42 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Mick has sold the fan base on the belief that UC must recruit "projects". While that may sometimes be the case, I've never believed that argument to hold water and I look no further than Norwood for proof. And this goes back way before X was in the new Big East, so let's not suggest it's a "conference problem".

His projects are most often gifted athletes, many of whom arrive with serious offensive deficiencies or poor shooting mechanics. It's the coach's job to create offensive schemes to put those players in a position to be successful. They need offensive schemes that leverage their strengths and hide their deficiencies. I actually feel sorry for our players at times, flailing around out there, shot clock expiring and clueless as to who will take that off balance shot with a defender draped over them.

There are enough non-projects to go around. The University of Cincinnati should be getting their fair share.

(11-09-2018 09:29 AM)BigDawg Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:19 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  while we are talking about positions....

Why does Cronin keep replacing Tre Scott with Tre Scott?

IE, long athletic, lean player who can jump out of the gym, play a little defense and has ZERO ZERO offense????

Darnell Wilks, Titus Rubles, Jermaine Lawrence, Shaq Thomas, Tre Scott....they are all the same person reincarnated every four years.

These guys are a total liability when we have the ball and basically waste a spot on the floor when its time to score. Heck even Justin Jackson was kind of in the group until his last year.

Just long guys who are athletic, can play some D and just totally waste space on offense.

I don't understand it.

Its nice to have an energy guy that will defend, block shots, get rebounds, etc. That can hurt a bit on offense, but they are also guys you have to account for because they slice in and get offensive rebounds and if you lost them they can make you pay with a dunk.

I do think Scott has more offense to him and just think he struggled in the opener. His offense is way ahead of JJ in his junior year. He has been pretty good hitting that 10-12 foot jump shot and can take the ball off the dribble. Hopefully as he gets comfortable with his minutes, he will get it going (Else we could be in trouble as we really need him to take that next step). I'd argue he might be the most important player to take the next step.

Agree with your post, but seems like it would be ok to have a guy like that on a team where at least the other four players are weapons on offense. You have the luxury then. IE, a guy like that would be fine on a team like Xavier. But on a team where offense is sparse, scoring options are few, and multiple other positions are challenged offensively, I think it is a glaring weakness and liability. Energy and rebounding is nice but its just one more spot on our floor that can't stick the ball in the rim when the shot clock is winding down and we need a basket.

(11-09-2018 09:42 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Mick has sold the fan base on the belief that UC must recruit "projects". While that may sometimes be the case, I've never believed that argument to hold water and I look no further than Norwood for proof. And this goes back way before X was in the new Big East, so let's not suggest it's a "conference problem".

His projects are most often gifted athletes, many of whom arrive with serious offensive deficiencies or poor shooting mechanics. It's the coach's job to create offensive schemes to put those players in a position to be successful. They need offensive schemes that leverage their strengths and hide their deficiencies. I actually feel sorry for our players at times, flailing around out there, shot clock expiring and clueless as to who will take that off balance shot with a defender draped over them.

That's the biggest issue by far. The team is almost entirely made up of under the radar project types that very few higher level schools were interested in. I get having 2 or 3 of those guys spread out on your roster over say 4 classes. UC has around 10 of those guys. 3 of the 4 recruits in last years class fit that mold. 3 of the 4 guys in the '17 class fit that mold. Just far far too many of those guys on UC's roster. Recruiting is the issue. They aren't getting nearly enough talented players.

man can't recruit...and it isn't the conference.


XU was amazing prior to Big East.

THIS IS ON CRONIN.

(11-09-2018 09:19 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  while we are talking about positions....

Why does Cronin keep replacing Tre Scott with Tre Scott?

IE, long athletic, lean player who can jump out of the gym, play a little defense and has ZERO ZERO offense????

Darnell Wilks, Titus Rubles, Jermaine Lawrence, Shaq Thomas, Tre Scott....they are all the same person reincarnated every four years.

These guys are a total liability when we have the ball and basically waste a spot on the floor when its time to score. Heck even Justin Jackson was kind of in the group until his last year.

Just long guys who are athletic, can play some D and just totally waste space on offense.

I don't understand it.

idk why but people hate the jackson, scott comparison. Scott shouldnt be playing the 4. He needs to be the 5. Him and jackson are the same. Struggle to shoot, also struggle to make layups, but can switch on D, are athletic and high energy

(11-09-2018 10:02 AM)coachpipe Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:19 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  while we are talking about positions....

Why does Cronin keep replacing Tre Scott with Tre Scott?

IE, long athletic, lean player who can jump out of the gym, play a little defense and has ZERO ZERO offense????

Darnell Wilks, Titus Rubles, Jermaine Lawrence, Shaq Thomas, Tre Scott....they are all the same person reincarnated every four years.

These guys are a total liability when we have the ball and basically waste a spot on the floor when its time to score. Heck even Justin Jackson was kind of in the group until his last year.

Just long guys who are athletic, can play some D and just totally waste space on offense.

I don't understand it.

idk why but people hate the jackson, scott comparison. Scott shouldnt be playing the 4. He needs to be the 5. Him and jackson are the same. Struggle to shoot, also struggle to make layups, but can switch on D, are athletic and high energy

which would be fine if he were surrounded with a team of scoring threats who could create their own shots, run offense and put the ball in the hole. Unfortunately we have none of that so it ends up being just one more stiff on the floor when it comes to the offense of side of the game.

RE: Recruiting -- if anyone is wondering why we suck, we only have 2 top-150 players on the entire roster, one of which couldn't hit the ocean with his jumper right now. Last season we started 4 guys who were 4-star recruits, 2 of which are in the NBA. It's obvious we were going to take a step back, but with the new arena and coming off the two best seasons we've had since the Huggins years, I thought Cronin would be able to land a couple of top-100 recruits. Instead, he's back to loading up on projects.

(11-09-2018 10:05 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 10:02 AM)coachpipe Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:19 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  while we are talking about positions....

Why does Cronin keep replacing Tre Scott with Tre Scott?

IE, long athletic, lean player who can jump out of the gym, play a little defense and has ZERO ZERO offense????

Darnell Wilks, Titus Rubles, Jermaine Lawrence, Shaq Thomas, Tre Scott....they are all the same person reincarnated every four years.

These guys are a total liability when we have the ball and basically waste a spot on the floor when its time to score. Heck even Justin Jackson was kind of in the group until his last year.

Just long guys who are athletic, can play some D and just totally waste space on offense.

I don't understand it.

idk why but people hate the jackson, scott comparison. Scott shouldnt be playing the 4. He needs to be the 5. Him and jackson are the same. Struggle to shoot, also struggle to make layups, but can switch on D, are athletic and high energy

which would be fine if he were surrounded with a team of scoring threats who could create their own shots, run offense and put the ball in the hole. Unfortunately we have none of that so it ends up being just one more stiff on the floor when it comes to the offense of side of the game.

This is a great point that goes largely unmentioned. What Scott brings to the table becomes absolutely worthless when you see the players he's surrounded by. His skill set would be fine if he was surrounded by some offensively skilled players at the other spots. UC only has one guy on the entire roster with any offensive skill.

(11-09-2018 10:14 AM)Marcus Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 10:05 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 10:02 AM)coachpipe Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:19 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  while we are talking about positions....

Why does Cronin keep replacing Tre Scott with Tre Scott?

IE, long athletic, lean player who can jump out of the gym, play a little defense and has ZERO ZERO offense????

Darnell Wilks, Titus Rubles, Jermaine Lawrence, Shaq Thomas, Tre Scott....they are all the same person reincarnated every four years.

These guys are a total liability when we have the ball and basically waste a spot on the floor when its time to score. Heck even Justin Jackson was kind of in the group until his last year.

Just long guys who are athletic, can play some D and just totally waste space on offense.

I don't understand it.

idk why but people hate the jackson, scott comparison. Scott shouldnt be playing the 4. He needs to be the 5. Him and jackson are the same. Struggle to shoot, also struggle to make layups, but can switch on D, are athletic and high energy

which would be fine if he were surrounded with a team of scoring threats who could create their own shots, run offense and put the ball in the hole. Unfortunately we have none of that so it ends up being just one more stiff on the floor when it comes to the offense of side of the game.

This is a great point that goes largely unmentioned. What Scott brings to the table becomes absolutely worthless when you see the players he's surrounded by. His skill set would be fine if he was surrounded by some offensively skilled players at the other spots. UC only has one guy on the entire roster with any offensive skill.

And our coach decided to sit the one guy we have who can score the entire first half, allowing OSU to build an insurmountable lead. Thank god he preserved him though, because Jarron finished with 2 fouls... whew, that was a close one. Seriously, I'm ******* tired of Cronin's unwillingness to bend his hard-and-fast rules.

You guys realize Scott made more three's vs OSU then our entire bench combined? He also went 3-4 from the FT line.

Cronin keeps saying Scott is much better then we've seen and I believe him. Scott has shown the range from 15 footers and also can hit the occassional three (similar to Clark's junior year).

Give our players a some time to settle in to their roles and the offense before we proclaim them to be terrible offensively. I would not be surprised is Scott ends up being our third or even second best offensive player.

All these guys, including Scott and Brooks, are completely lost for confidence on the offensive end--and yes, that is Mick's fault. He get's his guys to play so freaking hard on defense but seems to have no idea how to instill the same mentality on the other end. Trevor Moore IS a good shooter. That's not in question. But he can't translate it to the game and it's not helping that every time he bricks a look Mick is threatening to yank him for not getting back on D.

Brooks is the most frustrating of the bunch. It's like he doesn't realize how tall he is. Did you see what happened when he got stuffed by the rim? He had a clear shot at a monster dunk and hesitated midway. Later on in the game Tre had the same thing happen, though this time he was too open to miss the layup.

These guys aren't great offensive talents but christ, they're certainly better than 25% shooting nights. Justin Jenifer and Cane Broome suffer from it as well.