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(04-14-2021 11:06 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Been putting up those 20 win seasons against some power house programs:

Wofford
Furman
Chattanooga
ETSU
VMI
Mercer
The Citadel
Western Carolina
Samford

Looks like a Cronin out of conference schedule.

(04-14-2021 11:12 PM)Dont tase me bro Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 11:06 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Been putting up those 20 win seasons against some power house programs:

Wofford
Furman
Chattanooga
ETSU
VMI
Mercer
The Citadel
Western Carolina
Samford

Looks like a Cronin out of conference schedule.

That is friggin hilarious! And true!

(04-14-2021 11:06 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Been putting up those 20 win seasons against some power house programs:

Wofford
Furman
Chattanooga
ETSU
VMI
Mercer
The Citadel
Western Carolina
Samford

Ink isn't even dry on the contract and you're already shitting on him. Lots of big names in coaching and media all over the country LOVE this hire. I think he's got as good of a chance to win big here as anyone that was in the mix.

(04-14-2021 09:35 PM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 09:28 PM)bearcatfan Wrote:  So I'm pretty sure I heard a couple of local media say "what coach in his right mind would want to come to Cincinnati?".

I guess they found out.

Adding an extra million to your yearly salary helps...

not to mention maybe another $5M in program funding...

Especially when you just lost out on the Dream Job you had been hoping to be accepting about now.

But I'm pretty happy it worked to our advantage with Wes - he was right up there among the best case scenarios given our situation. It'll be interesting to see how quickly he can get running with recruiting and perhaps more importantly working the portal including perhaps re-acquiring the guys from here. I'm also interested to see ends up on his staff. If he nails both of those, I see no reason we can't be very competitive next year.

Something to add about the conference Wes is coming from -- the Southern has been pretty good the past 5 years. Here is their conference RPI rankings of late:

2016-17: 16th
2017-18: 16th
2018-19: 12th
2019-20: 13th
2020-21: 9th

Source: Warren Nolan

(04-14-2021 11:12 PM)bearcat54 Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 07:28 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I'm happy with the choice. Well respected down here. I think he has tremendous upside with our program's brand and resources compared to UNCG. Let's get the train back on the tracks!

how long will it be before a lot of the participants in this forum will be turning on Miller? At least give him a sporting chance after inheriting a team with about 4 scholarship players. Hopefully he can attract some good Transfer portal players.

I read on more than one forum when they were talking about hiring Eric Martin, that we should be in the tournament in the second year. I don’t know what they were smoking. Even the third year would be a longshot. If it even took Huggins a few years to get to the tournament.

I know with the portal we can reload quick but it still takes time to build a Brand and program.

I have to admit I was all for the the Martin/Van Exel reunion. Let’s get the band back together. Old money pouring in again... Intimate, Dominate, Celebrate...

It seemed like the perfect time to mend all fences and rightfully hand the job to an unproven, yet fan favorite that we’d all support. Talks of a contract negotiation slowly dissipated and were left with an assistant coach and Mark’s BFF as the two options. Kudos to Mark! I think he was singing the praises of Wes Miller when Coopdaddy was originally posting here. Welcome back! The firing of Brannen wasn’t seamless, but this hiring process was masterful! Cast a wide net and hire the best candidate. The hire has been praised by college hoops checkmarks and UNC fans. I immediately thought great hire... he’ll leave for the first ACC job. Chad quickly reminded me that the same was said about Fickell and any B1G job. This is a top 15 program. Let’s all support Wes!

This is almost universally being hailed as a home run hire. Not just in the media. When guys like Roy Williams and Mick Cronin were not only consulted ahead of the hire but have gone out and publicly tipped their caps, that is the type of press that helps retain players and restock a roster.

Cunningham nailed this process.

Already rumblings players in the portal are coming back. Miller was on the phone with everyone on the team and in the portal before news of the hire even broke. Full court press. Team meeting today. Lord God Almighty we have some energy and a dynamic communicator back in the coach’s corner office.

Let’s lock up a great staff and burn up the lines. I’m pretty stoked about UC basketball right now. Feels good. It’s been a while.

(04-14-2021 11:25 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 11:06 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Been putting up those 20 win seasons against some power house programs:

Wofford
Furman
Chattanooga
ETSU
VMI
Mercer
The Citadel
Western Carolina
Samford

Ink isn't even dry on the contract and you're already shitting on him. Lots of big names in coaching and media all over the country LOVE this hire. I think he's got as good of a chance to win big here as anyone that was in the mix.

Well, we can't always be as lucky as we were with Huggins to get the battle proven coach at... Akron.

(04-14-2021 11:46 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  Something to add about the conference Wes is coming from -- the Southern has been pretty good the past 5 years. Here is their conference RPI rankings of late:

2016-17: 16th
2017-18: 16th
2018-19: 12th
2019-20: 13th
2020-21: 9th

Source: Warren Nolan

This is a good point. The southern was in that next tier of conferences below the mountain west, wcc, Missouri Valley and Atlantic ten over the last several years. It's been a true mid major not low major conference.

We got the best coach available. That’s all we can ask.

[quote='Dannyboy' pid='17384082' dateline='1618486731']
We got the best coach available. That’s all we can ask.
[/quote

Great pick

(04-15-2021 05:44 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 11:46 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  Something to add about the conference Wes is coming from -- the Southern has been pretty good the past 5 years. Here is their conference RPI rankings of late:

2016-17: 16th
2017-18: 16th
2018-19: 12th
2019-20: 13th
2020-21: 9th

Source: Warren Nolan

This is a good point. The southern was in that next tier of conferences below the mountain west, wcc, Missouri Valley and Atlantic ten over the last several years. It's been a true mid major not low major conference.

He averaged 25 wins a year in a decent conference for 5 years. Tells me he is getting the right guys and that they are being developed. Not sure why he didn’t get a look from UC 2 years ago. Oh well. Better late than never.

(04-14-2021 07:33 PM)Former Lurker Wrote:  I am not opposed to the hire and will support. BUT, this was a hell of a ride just to replace one up-and-comer with another.

like most of us, would love to know why cunningham had a hard on for brannen

(04-14-2021 08:14 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  Give credit where credit is due. It seems John Cunningham put together a pretty extensive search in a little under a week and landed Miller. Impressive.

something tells me that cunningham has been working on a list for a little while longer than a week - even in good times, the old adage is that ADs keep a list in their desk - under the current situation, i'd bet that cunningham started looking some time ago

i'm NOT against the hire - i hope like hell that he can get this thing back on top. just not enamored with the administration right now

I concur with most in this thread--a terrific hire under a cloud of ugly circumstances of Brannen's departure and the constraints of time as days slipped by for acquiring talent and securing more enduring commitments from the returning players.

Let's hope he's so successful that major programs in the ACC will want him back. And, by the way, when that day arrives UC may even be in the ACC and well positioned to secure him for an even longer career here.

Finally, I have to wonder if discussion occurred around his plans for assistant coaches. He has every right to build his own staff. But if he has an able associate head coach and has any thought that a Nick Van Exel could add value (as was suggested when Erik Martin's name was being floated), re-connecting to one of our own would be well received. Regardless, even if he hired all former assistants from X (LOL) I don't think we'd care if UC wins big again.

(04-15-2021 06:46 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(04-15-2021 05:44 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 11:46 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  Something to add about the conference Wes is coming from -- the Southern has been pretty good the past 5 years. Here is their conference RPI rankings of late:

2016-17: 16th
2017-18: 16th
2018-19: 12th
2019-20: 13th
2020-21: 9th

Source: Warren Nolan

This is a good point. The southern was in that next tier of conferences below the mountain west, wcc, Missouri Valley and Atlantic ten over the last several years. It's been a true mid major not low major conference.

He averaged 25 wins a year in a decent conference for 5 years. Tells me he is getting the right guys and that they are being developed. Not sure why he didn’t get a look from UC 2 years ago. Oh well. Better late than never.

Have you seen what one of those Mayflower trucks costs per day???

why ten years at greensboro?

(04-15-2021 07:29 AM)Lush Wrote:  why ten years at greensboro?

The job was so unattractive they had to hire from within, which is how he got the job at 28. It took him about 5 years to build the program up. His name probably started to pop up for jobs around 3 years ago, but my guess is the dude was waiting for the UNC opening. I don't think its any coincidence he decided to move on almost immediately after being turned down by UNC. Greensboro is also his hometown, so he was probably enjoyed living there as well.