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This year sucked. Brannen and UC mismanaged everything from the schedule to roster. I am hope we can out covid behind us because the mental aspect has been brutal on everyone.

From a basketball standpoint it couldn’t come at worst time for the program but UC deserves blame for being unprepared to deal with some of issues this year.

I am more concerned about the culture of the program than the actual talent that is leaving. The roster needs an upgrade and I expect this staff to grab a bunch of good players. My concern will once again can the staff make things fit. Will they schedule to build confidence or just play difficult games for the sake of playing them without a real plan to build the team and define roles?

Will there be on court leadership the meshes with off court leadership. I put a lot blame on this year on the lack of leadership on court and on the sidelines. Who steps up next and leads by example and uses their voice to be a positive influence?

This week has not changed my view on this staff because you could basically guess what was going by watching them this year. I wanted them gone because something felt off. I don’t believe they will be fired so it’s time to hope they kill it this spring. I am ready to move on so it’s up to Brannen to go out there and fight for his job over the next 12 months.

(03-17-2021 05:24 PM)skyblade Wrote:  2020: we probably needed to win 2 conference tournament games to be an at large bid.

2021: got blown out in a conference championship game.

These don't have quite the same ring to them as made the NCAA tournament.

Also, half the team transferred out because they can't stand the coach and the players say Brannen lied to them in recruiting. How many times do you think potential recruits are going to hear that from teams competing with us in recruiting?

Go figure you would show up around here now...you should be at the track Dan.

(03-16-2021 10:43 AM)UCbball21 Wrote:  There is something seriously wrong going on in that locker room. Cumberland and Brannon had a feud last year but the team was so talented it didn’t matter too much because we still put together a successful season albeit not as good as it should have been. Everything seems to be going wrong this season. At some point we can’t just blame COVID, Brannen doesn’t understand how to manage egos in a high-major D1 program.

didn't Jarron Cumberland explain at the end of the season that there was nothing wrong between Him and CJB? Another speculated rumor that was quenched.

(03-17-2021 02:03 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  So, after the Houston debacle I stepped away from the keyboard for a few days. That's how I deal with the last game of either the hoops or football season when it ends in a loss. It's hard when it finally comes to a halt in that fashion and I can be an emotional guy anyway so laying low and turning the focus on to other things in life is good medicine for me. However, reading what has transpired over the past several days has made this even more difficult to absorb. I'm over angry and disappointment but not sadness. Sadness for our once proud program that carried the Bearcats brand long before football took over the reigns. It's just unreal, maybe even surreal, to see how far down in the trench our hoops program now finds itself. Like many on here, I was hoping the young core of players - who valiantly bonded together and fought like hell to rack up some wins of late - was something the program could continue to build upon, add a few pieces, and keep moving the needle to get better next year. That isn't happening. Not anytime soon.

To be honest, there have been red flags that go back to last season with regard to the relationship between players and CJB. It's finally come to a head and there can be no denying a problem exists. To have key guys STILL want to leave the program after putting together a "mini-run" of solid basketball over the last third of the season is eye opening. I don't know that I've ever experienced something like this on this scale - COVID impacts or not - and it certainly is not happening on this scale at other programs.

I know this much...if we're upset and wanting answers as alumni and fans then the AD administration surely is investigating the program right now. No more pointing fingers and innuendo and tweets - that time is over. Now, there needs to be "Beyond Scared Straight" talk with everyone associated with our program to get to where the rubber meets the road.

Unless this is just an outlier of epic proportions, IMO I don't believe our program can run under CJB. This may not rise to something like the Gregg Marshall situation but how can you recruit any quality [or quantity] when word is out going back to last year from JC that our coach is not worth staying/playing for. Fair or unfair that is a difficult label to remove once it's out there. I understand his contract situation is prohibitive but what is the cost moving forward of keeping a lame duck coach at the helm. We saw how that worked out a few years back. So sad that this is where we find ourselves! If it wasn't for football I would take an extended hiatus from UC sports. This just hurts like a punch to the gut...

doesn't it seem odd that there were no reports about verbal abuse or even lack of communication from the coach? I think most of it is the Transfer Portal makes it too easy to just jump off the bus and go somewhere else. Right now, I can't think of a top 10 team wanting players that commit a lot of turnovers.

(03-17-2021 08:37 PM)bearcat54 Wrote:  

(03-16-2021 10:43 AM)UCbball21 Wrote:  There is something seriously wrong going on in that locker room. Cumberland and Brannon had a feud last year but the team was so talented it didn’t matter too much because we still put together a successful season albeit not as good as it should have been. Everything seems to be going wrong this season. At some point we can’t just blame COVID, Brannen doesn’t understand how to manage egos in a high-major D1 program.

didn't Jarron Cumberland explain at the end of the season that there was nothing wrong between Him and CJB? Another speculated rumor that was quenched.

I thought only Brannen dispelled that rumor.

Cumberland's social media posts from this past season indicated that there was still bad blood on his end.

I guess it COULD BE just the fact that the portal makes it easier to “jump on the bus.” I guess COVID COULD HAVE made guys opt out of the season early for “mental health” issues. But the whole freshman class plus Harvey plus Rap plus Mamadou leaving just looks really bad. Rap and Dou- see ya and good luck. But the other guys COULD have been the foundation for some really good teams. Something ain’t right up in Clifton...

(03-17-2021 04:41 PM)Bcatbog Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 04:24 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 04:23 PM)skyblade Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 03:58 PM)Dont tase me bro Wrote:  Marshall restocked the Wichita State team after their mass exodus last year before he got fired. They had enough to get to the tournament this year, so it's at least possible.

Marshall was a likely hall of fame coach (though I guess he probably isn't now). If Brannen was a proven winner with a final four and multiple NCAA tournaments at UC under his belt, I don't think we'd have nearly as much concern.

But Brannen is in his second year, finished barely above 0.500, no NCAA tournaments at UC and every potential recruit is going to hear about how half Brannen's recruits transferred out, saying he lies in recruiting and hate him. Brannen will be lucky to get quality mid-major guys.

I mean this is because one of the two tournament was canceled but ok.

“I mean this is because one of the two tournament was canceled but ok.”

2020 we won the conference. 2021 we played in the championship tournament game. Those are facts. If all is hell, how did that happen? How did that happen?

Lisa Brannen in the house, ladies and gentlemen...

(03-17-2021 06:14 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 06:10 PM)skyblade Wrote:  [
. At UC he has not had a team that would have earned an at large bid at the time the season ended .

They were toward the end of the bracket but it was nearly unanimous last year they were in the tournament on bracket matrix.

Last year he inherited a GREAT team. Cumberland and Tre were the potential core of a top-10 team. Williams was a perfect tertiary player for a top-10 team. Jenifer is a picture-perfect leader of top-30 teams. Jaevin was an awesome 6th man who landed in UC's lap due to his relationship with his cousin.

Then MAW vastly overperformed for a freshman, and Vogt actually contributed.

Face it, we underperformed last year.

I really don’t care to spend time debating how he’s done....He’s proven to be a clown show. He needs to go.

You can only vote two ways... by your butts in (or not in) seats or your credit card$ being run. Show how you feel one way or the other by letting the AD office know one way or the other.

(03-17-2021 09:01 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 06:14 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 06:10 PM)skyblade Wrote:  [
. At UC he has not had a team that would have earned an at large bid at the time the season ended .

They were toward the end of the bracket but it was nearly unanimous last year they were in the tournament on bracket matrix.

Last year he inherited a GREAT team. Cumberland and Tre were the potential core of a top-10 team. Williams was a perfect tertiary player for a top-10 team. Jenifer is a picture-perfect leader of top-30 teams. Jaevin was an awesome 6th man who landed in UC's lap due to his relationship with his cousin.

Then MAW vastly overperformed for a freshman, and Vogt actually contributed.

Face it, we underperformed last year.

Jenifer was not on last year's team

(03-17-2021 06:39 PM)Dont tase me bro Wrote:  

(03-17-2021 06:10 PM)skyblade Wrote:  It's one thing to recruit after mass defections if you are a HOF coach like Marshall or Huggins. It's another when you a nobody, with no notable accomplishments at UC and whose departing players are saying that you lie during recruiting and they don't like you.

HOF or not, Marshall had some pretty ugly allegations swirling around and he was still getting quality players to come to Wichita State. WSUs departing players were openly lobbying guys not to go to WSU from what I remember.

Brannen at least has Davenport to point recruits to. He seems to be all in. With all of the movement of players going on in college basketball, I don't see the fact that UC lost a bunch of players as an insurmountable problem. I hate to see the quality of players that left though so its not going to be easy.

I agree that we may turn out all right. Davenport, MAW, and DDJ would be starters on almost any top-25 team in 2021. They should be even better in 2022.

This is not like the team Cronin inherited. He inherited 1 decent starter (Cedric McGowen) and 1 bench player (Ronald Allen).

BUT (and this is a big BUT), Brannen has a big perception problem right now. It's pssible that it may just be a product of twitter, but it has become real. He needs to fix it soon or he doesn't stand a prayer at competing next year.

I have no idea where the right place to ask this is, so I'm going to do it here:

Why do people here refer to the coaches by initials CLF and CJB. Should we refer to Keith Williams and GKW because his position is guard?

Easier to type. Nothing more

Wouldn't just "JB" be easier" or "LF"? JB is literally easier to type than CJB

(03-17-2021 09:23 PM)fnz Wrote:  I have no idea where the right place to ask this is, so I'm going to do it here:

Why do people here refer to the coaches by initials CLF and CJB. Should we refer to Keith Williams and GKW because his position is guard?

I think the 'C' became commonplace when everyone realized a lot of conversations on here sounded like we were just excited about fellatio being performed on a football sideline every Saturday in the Fall from 2010-2012.

(03-17-2021 08:54 PM)Bearcatbdub Wrote:  I guess it COULD BE just the fact that the portal makes it easier to “jump on the bus.” I guess COVID COULD HAVE made guys opt out of the season early for “mental health” issues. But the whole freshman class plus Harvey plus Rap plus Mamadou leaving just looks really bad. Rap and Dou- see ya and good luck. But the other guys COULD have been the foundation for some really good teams. Something ain’t right up in Clifton...

Apply Occam’s Razor.