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(02-02-2019 01:01 PM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 12:09 PM)chatcat Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 11:58 AM)ZCat Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 10:26 AM)JFlight21 Wrote:  In addition to Kemba, Mick was going to pull in a Trey Burke before a late Michigan offer....

I have heard of all these, including Kareem.
Hashem Thabeet was another recent one.

Let’s make things happen now! We have the arena, we have an identity, we have a coach who gets the tournament every year. We just need a couple top 50-75 players / yr.

Lew Alcindor, from Power Memorial in NYC was down to UC and UCLA...……..what if.

UCLA was paying large amounts of cash to players in those days. Might have been the difference maker.

Yeah, who was the car dealer that was giving the big bucks to UCLA players? On the UC side, I think Jeff Wyler was still in college.

eric bledsoe

one almost forgets mick landed all those guys. the ultimate stinger was jason henry. oh what might have been!

(02-02-2019 02:04 PM)cpawfan Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 07:13 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 04:19 PM)levydl Wrote:  Cronin's approach is clearheaded and realistic. Is it too cynical, though? If you compare recruiting rankings to results, he gets more out of less than just about any coach in the country. Can he get Cumberlands without losing out on the underrecruited guys he's built this program with?

He stayed on Jarron because he knew he was in position to get him. Same with Gary and Jake when P5 programs started to push. What he doesn't do is hang around once he knows it is heading in a different direction. I can really only think of one highly ranked guy he backed off on who he probably would have had a great shot at if he stayed involved...

Can anyone fill in who Chad is hinting at?

Luther Muhammad...

(02-02-2019 02:55 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 02:04 PM)cpawfan Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 07:13 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 04:19 PM)levydl Wrote:  Cronin's approach is clearheaded and realistic. Is it too cynical, though? If you compare recruiting rankings to results, he gets more out of less than just about any coach in the country. Can he get Cumberlands without losing out on the underrecruited guys he's built this program with?

He stayed on Jarron because he knew he was in position to get him. Same with Gary and Jake when P5 programs started to push. What he doesn't do is hang around once he knows it is heading in a different direction. I can really only think of one highly ranked guy he backed off on who he probably would have had a great shot at if he stayed involved...

Can anyone fill in who Chad is hinting at?

Luther Muhammad...

no way! i'd have to go all the way back to jarron cumberland to be that stoked about a recruit. i thought he was destined for notre dame

(02-01-2019 07:13 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 04:19 PM)levydl Wrote:  Cronin's approach is clearheaded and realistic. Is it too cynical, though? If you compare recruiting rankings to results, he gets more out of less than just about any coach in the country. Can he get Cumberlands without losing out on the underrecruited guys he's built this program with?

He stayed on Jarron because he knew he was in position to get him. Same with Gary and Jake when P5 programs started to push. What he doesn't do is hang around once he knows it is heading in a different direction. I can really only think of one highly ranked guy he backed off on who he probably would have had a great shot at if he stayed involved...

It begs the question, a bit: the guys he backed off he couldn't get.

Cronin was known as a great recruiter as an assistant, he's a really good coach, he seems to care about his players off the court, the team's had success, the arena is dope, the school is nice. Seems like we should be reeling in more top 50-75 guys. I don't have any real insight, but I do wonder if it's because Cronin is too quick to believe that he doesn't have a shot with them.

I like Mick, but definitely have my criticisms. As far as recruiting, I really wish he would be more willing to upgrade positions instead of waiting for guys to graduate. I get it, that part of his pitch is loyalty, but he has to be willing to put a little more pressure on returning players. Not comparing us to UK, as it is on a whole other scale, but Calipari has never had any issue straight up bringing in the best players he can and letting the talent sort itself out. I wouldn't mind a lesser version of that model.

(02-02-2019 03:17 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 07:13 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 04:19 PM)levydl Wrote:  Cronin's approach is clearheaded and realistic. Is it too cynical, though? If you compare recruiting rankings to results, he gets more out of less than just about any coach in the country. Can he get Cumberlands without losing out on the underrecruited guys he's built this program with?

He stayed on Jarron because he knew he was in position to get him. Same with Gary and Jake when P5 programs started to push. What he doesn't do is hang around once he knows it is heading in a different direction. I can really only think of one highly ranked guy he backed off on who he probably would have had a great shot at if he stayed involved...

It begs the question, a bit: the guys he backed off he couldn't get.

Cronin was known as a great recruiter as an assistant, he's a really good coach, he seems to care about his players off the court, the team's had success, the arena is dope, the school is nice. Seems like we should be reeling in more top 50-75 guys. I don't have any real insight, but I do wonder if it's because Cronin is too quick to believe that he doesn't have a shot with them.

Well, I just said I can only think of one guy he backed off of that I felt they could have had a real shot at if they stayed involved. Spending valuable time and resources on kids you can’t get has a direct impact on finding the best kids you can. That’s just the reality of the situation...

(02-02-2019 03:03 PM)Lush Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 02:55 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 02:04 PM)cpawfan Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 07:13 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 04:19 PM)levydl Wrote:  Cronin's approach is clearheaded and realistic. Is it too cynical, though? If you compare recruiting rankings to results, he gets more out of less than just about any coach in the country. Can he get Cumberlands without losing out on the underrecruited guys he's built this program with?

He stayed on Jarron because he knew he was in position to get him. Same with Gary and Jake when P5 programs started to push. What he doesn't do is hang around once he knows it is heading in a different direction. I can really only think of one highly ranked guy he backed off on who he probably would have had a great shot at if he stayed involved...

Can anyone fill in who Chad is hinting at?

Luther Muhammad...

no way! i'd have to go all the way back to jarron cumberland to be that stoked about a recruit. i thought he was destined for notre dame

The feeling around the recruiting world was that some “pressure” from those close to him would push him to St John’s, but later in the recruitment those influences were pushed out of the decision making process. By that point UC had already backed off and moved on. Would have been tough to beat out Ohio State in the end, but I thought they would have been in a great spot...

(02-02-2019 04:52 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 03:17 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 07:13 PM)GameTime_21 Wrote:  

(02-01-2019 04:19 PM)levydl Wrote:  Cronin's approach is clearheaded and realistic. Is it too cynical, though? If you compare recruiting rankings to results, he gets more out of less than just about any coach in the country. Can he get Cumberlands without losing out on the underrecruited guys he's built this program with?

He stayed on Jarron because he knew he was in position to get him. Same with Gary and Jake when P5 programs started to push. What he doesn't do is hang around once he knows it is heading in a different direction. I can really only think of one highly ranked guy he backed off on who he probably would have had a great shot at if he stayed involved...

It begs the question, a bit: the guys he backed off he couldn't get.

Cronin was known as a great recruiter as an assistant, he's a really good coach, he seems to care about his players off the court, the team's had success, the arena is dope, the school is nice. Seems like we should be reeling in more top 50-75 guys. I don't have any real insight, but I do wonder if it's because Cronin is too quick to believe that he doesn't have a shot with them.

Well, I just said I can only think of one guy he backed off of that I felt they could have had a real shot at if they stayed involved. Spending valuable time and resources on kids you can’t get has a direct impact on finding the best kids you can. That’s just the reality of the situation...

This x1000. Mick's been around basketball a long time as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. He does what he knows how to do best and is comfortable with doing. I'd say he has a pretty good track record for projecting guys that by year 3 and year 4 turn out to be pretty solid players. Recruiting is about building a relationship and trust with young men you're trying to convince why they should choose your program. That process takes time and resources that you can only spread around so far.

To further speculate on why it makes sense to "move on" and focus on what you can get, I think most kids understandably want to feel like he is "your guy" the earlier the better. If you're slow playing or putting a Gary Clark type (medium to high 3*?) on hold because you are trying to convince some 5* kid that he's better off at UC than Duke, then I doubt that builds a lot of loyalty with the Gary Clark type. But if you truthfully convince a Gary Clark type early on that he's your #1 F target in this entire class, I can see that going a long way towards convincing a kid, even an East Coast kid, to pick us over say a somewhat similar St.Johnny-come-lately program.

How did Huggs do it then? In the Great Midwest/CUSA?

(02-02-2019 08:17 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  How did Huggs do it then? In the Great Midwest/CUSA?

He loaded up on JuCos & transfers for his first two recruiting classes. 3 of the top 4 scorers on the Final Four team were JuCos: Herb Jones, Van Exel, and Corie Blount. The 2nd leading scorer was Anthony Buford, who Huggins had recruited to Akron and then convinced to transfer to UC for his senior year. #5 was a transfer from TCU.

After the Final Four, recruiting got a lot easier.

It also helped that Ohio State was pretty bad in the 90s. Otherwise maybe Huggs would have whiffed out on some of the great Cleveland talent like Steve Logan, Ruben Patterson, and Melvin Levett.

I think Cronin would have a lot more recruiting success if he had a bit more wins in the tourney.

(02-03-2019 09:09 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 08:17 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  How did Huggs do it then? In the Great Midwest/CUSA?

He loaded up on JuCos & transfers for his first two recruiting classes. 3 of the top 4 scorers on the Final Four team were JuCos: Herb Jones, Van Exel, and Corie Blount. The 2nd leading scorer was Anthony Buford, who Huggins had recruited to Akron and then convinced to transfer to UC for his senior year. #5 was a transfer from TCU.

After the Final Four, recruiting got a lot easier.

It also helped that Ohio State was pretty bad in the 90s. Otherwise maybe Huggs would have whiffed out on some of the great Cleveland talent like Steve Logan, Ruben Patterson, and Melvin Levett.

I think Cronin would have a lot more recruiting success if he had a bit more wins in the tourney.

this x1000

Kids don't care that we win the AAC and 30 games along the way...they just don't. If we were going to S16, E8 with a FF in there for good measure, they would take notice. I think March flameouts are the single biggest reason he doesn't get that 50-100 kid.

(02-03-2019 09:15 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(02-03-2019 09:09 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 08:17 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  How did Huggs do it then? In the Great Midwest/CUSA?

He loaded up on JuCos & transfers for his first two recruiting classes. 3 of the top 4 scorers on the Final Four team were JuCos: Herb Jones, Van Exel, and Corie Blount. The 2nd leading scorer was Anthony Buford, who Huggins had recruited to Akron and then convinced to transfer to UC for his senior year. #5 was a transfer from TCU.

After the Final Four, recruiting got a lot easier.

It also helped that Ohio State was pretty bad in the 90s. Otherwise maybe Huggs would have whiffed out on some of the great Cleveland talent like Steve Logan, Ruben Patterson, and Melvin Levett.

I think Cronin would have a lot more recruiting success if he had a bit more wins in the tourney.

this x1000

Kids don't care that we win the AAC and 30 games along the way...they just don't. If we were going to S16, E8 with a FF in there for good measure, they would take notice. I think March flameouts are the single biggest reason he doesn't get that 50-100 kid.

This goes both ways. Not getting those 50-100 kids are probably the biggest reason for teh March flameouts.

Kudos to Scott Springer for the article. I've noticed quite the uptick in UC coverage in the Enquirer since he has started covering the beat.

(02-03-2019 09:28 AM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  

(02-03-2019 09:15 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(02-03-2019 09:09 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-02-2019 08:17 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  How did Huggs do it then? In the Great Midwest/CUSA?

He loaded up on JuCos & transfers for his first two recruiting classes. 3 of the top 4 scorers on the Final Four team were JuCos: Herb Jones, Van Exel, and Corie Blount. The 2nd leading scorer was Anthony Buford, who Huggins had recruited to Akron and then convinced to transfer to UC for his senior year. #5 was a transfer from TCU.

After the Final Four, recruiting got a lot easier.

It also helped that Ohio State was pretty bad in the 90s. Otherwise maybe Huggs would have whiffed out on some of the great Cleveland talent like Steve Logan, Ruben Patterson, and Melvin Levett.

I think Cronin would have a lot more recruiting success if he had a bit more wins in the tourney.

this x1000

Kids don't care that we win the AAC and 30 games along the way...they just don't. If we were going to S16, E8 with a FF in there for good measure, they would take notice. I think March flameouts are the single biggest reason he doesn't get that 50-100 kid.

This goes both ways. Not getting those 50-100 kids are probably the biggest reason for teh March flameouts.

fair point