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So, just looking at Cincinnati basketball coaches' inaugural regular season records going back to Ed Jucker's tenure...

23-3 [.885] Jucker
21-5 [.808] Baker
20-10 [.667] Brannen
17-9 [.654] Catlett
19-11 [.633] Kennedy
18-12 [.600] Huggins
13-13 [.500] Badger
11-19 [.367] Cronin
3-24 [.111] Yates

Brannen ended up doing pretty well relative to other Cincinnati coaches. Only the regular season so we'll have to wait until next year to see how he does in the AAC and NCAA tourneys. Hopefully, this is the start of another great Cincinnati coaching run. Obviously, Jucker set the bar high with winning the 1960-61 natty in his first season at the helm. He did inherit a team that got to the FF the previous year under George Smith.

From the 2019/20 Men's Basketball Media Guide, the coaches from the list above achieved the following during their first year...

Ed Jucker - Beat Xavier, Missouri Valley Conference Championship, NCAA National Championship

Tay Baker - Beat Xavier, Missouri Valley Conference Championship, NCAA Tournament Birth [0-2]

Gale Catlett - Beat Xavier

Ed Badger - Beat Xavier

Bob Huggins - NIT Birth [1-1]

Andy Kennedy - NIT Birth [2-1]

Mick Cronin - Beat Xavier

John Brannen - American Athletic Conference Championship

It's not entirely fair to Brannen since:
1) Xavier is a more high-profile program now than in some years past...
and...
2) We didn't get to see what the post-season held for this team; certainly a NIT or NCAA bid was coming.

Ranked teams beaten during the regular season...

23-3 [.885] Jucker @#2 Bradley/#3 Bradley/@#6 Iowa
21-5 [.808] Baker @#8 UCLA/#7 Bradley
20-10 [.667] Brannen #21 Tennessee/#21 Houston
17-9 [.654] Catlett #8 Penn
19-11 [.633] Kennedy #16 West Virginia
18-12 [.600] Huggins #20 Minnesota/@#8 Louisville
13-13 [.500] Badger
11-19 [.367] Cronin
3-24 [.111] Yates

I think it's just as important to examine what each guy was walking in to when they took over.

Badger inherited an NCAA mess from Catlett. Huggins had four basketball and one football player in his first starting lineup. Mick had one player starting out. One.

Brannen walked in to a pretty good situation as compared to some others. Not a criticism, but it's true.

I remember being in awe of Huggins when UC made it to the NIT that first year

(03-22-2020 09:03 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  I think it's just as important to examine what each guy was walking in to when they took over.

Badger inherited an NCAA mess from Catlett. Huggins had four basketball and one football player in his first starting lineup. Mick had one player starting out. One.

Brannen walked in to a pretty good situation as compared to some others. Not a criticism, but it's true.

Brannen's roster is closer to the AK and Huggins took over than the one Mick did. Poor early season game management, Jarron's injury, and a very difficult schedule kept this team away from 22 to 25 regular season wins that could have happened if everything went right. During conference play this team actually won a ton very close games to earn a conference championship. Since I always place a lot value on regular season championship I will say this year ended up a success thanks to a Trevon Scott put back on senior night.

Honestly can't anticipate there actually being a normal basketball season next year either. Until I see the first American sporting event in front of a crowd I am going to guess everything is in a long pause that might take up to 18 months. Hopeful we get some UC sports this fall and winter but I wouldn't put money on it either way.

(03-22-2020 09:03 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  I think it's just as important to examine what each guy was walking in to when they took over.

Badger inherited an NCAA mess from Catlett. Huggins had four basketball and one football player in his first starting lineup. Mick had one player starting out. One.

Brannen walked in to a pretty good situation as compared to some others. Not a criticism, but it's true.

True - the program was in good shape but Brannen only had 4 returning players. He had challenges to overcome too and was able to by piecemealing a recruiting class together and coaching the team up. His playing style is different than Cronin's so he had to do most of his instruction in season (with his top player and top recruit coming off injuries). To finish 20-10, win a share of the conference title and get the top seed in the conference tournament was pretty impressive (I'm not comparing to others). Unfortunately he's probably going to have to do similar coaching work next year since he's losing his top 2 and 3 of his top 6 players to graduation.

Had UC not fired Badger, Danny Manning was coming.

That Danny Manning from the group "Danny and The Miracle" NCAA Champs.

Brannen did not run his best player off like Mickey did with Downey.

(03-22-2020 01:16 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Had UC not fired Badger, Danny Manning was coming.

That Danny Manning from the group "Danny and The Miracle" NCAA Champs.

Brannen did not run his best player off like Mickey did with Downey.

Danny and the kid from Cleveland, Dennis Hopson, that had a good career at Ohio State.

(03-21-2020 07:26 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  From the 2019/20 Men's Basketball Media Guide, the coaches from the list above achieved the following during their first year...

Ed Jucker - Beat Xavier, Missouri Valley Conference Championship, NCAA National Championship

Tay Baker - Beat Xavier, Missouri Valley Conference Championship, NCAA Tournament Birth [0-2]

Gale Catlett - Beat Xavier

Ed Badger - Beat Xavier

Bob Huggins - NIT Birth [1-1]

Andy Kennedy - NIT Birth [2-1]

Mick Cronin - Beat Xavier

John Brannen - American Athletic Conference Championship

For the first three on the list in the Armory Fieldhouse era the Xavier game(sometimes 2 a year) were always at home.

(03-22-2020 01:29 PM)chatcat Wrote:  

(03-22-2020 01:16 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Had UC not fired Badger, Danny Manning was coming.

That Danny Manning from the group "Danny and The Miracle" NCAA Champs.

Brannen did not run his best player off like Mickey did with Downey.

Danny and the kid from Cleveland, Dennis Hopson, that had a good career at Ohio State.

Would have been a game changer!

(03-22-2020 01:29 PM)chatcat Wrote:  

(03-22-2020 01:16 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Had UC not fired Badger, Danny Manning was coming.

That Danny Manning from the group "Danny and The Miracle" NCAA Champs.

Brannen did not run his best player off like Mickey did with Downey.

Danny and the kid from Cleveland, Dennis Hopson, that had a good career at Ohio State.

and a year or so later, NCAA prevented Lasalle Thompson to stay home and play for UC. That really haunted Badger after that.

(03-22-2020 04:10 PM)cincybb51 Wrote:  

(03-21-2020 07:26 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  From the 2019/20 Men's Basketball Media Guide, the coaches from the list above achieved the following during their first year...

Ed Jucker - Beat Xavier, Missouri Valley Conference Championship, NCAA National Championship

Tay Baker - Beat Xavier, Missouri Valley Conference Championship, NCAA Tournament Birth [0-2]

Gale Catlett - Beat Xavier

Ed Badger - Beat Xavier

Bob Huggins - NIT Birth [1-1]

Andy Kennedy - NIT Birth [2-1]

Mick Cronin - Beat Xavier

John Brannen - American Athletic Conference Championship

For the first three on the list in the Armory Fieldhouse era the Xavier game(sometimes 2 a year) were always at home.

Not at the Gardens then?

(03-22-2020 06:05 PM)cmhcat Wrote:  

(03-22-2020 04:10 PM)cincybb51 Wrote:  For the first three on the list in the Armory Fieldhouse era the Xavier game(sometimes 2 a year) were always at home.

Not at the Gardens then?

According to the Media Guide, the site shifted solely to the Gardens during the late George Smith era. Ed Jucker and Tay Baker played all of the Xavier games at the Gardens. It shifted to Riverfront Coliseum during Gale Catlett's 1975/76 season.

Media Guide - Starting at Page 95

(03-22-2020 01:29 PM)chatcat Wrote:  

(03-22-2020 01:16 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Had UC not fired Badger, Danny Manning was coming.

That Danny Manning from the group "Danny and The Miracle" NCAA Champs.

Brannen did not run his best player off like Mickey did with Downey.

Danny and the kid from Cleveland, Dennis Hopson, that had a good career at Ohio State.

I went to high school with Dennis in Toledo. Ohio States all time leading scorer when he left to go pro. Won a ring with the Bulls although he didn't see a lot of action. Wish he woulda followed me to UC. Guy could flat out score.