doss2
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Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
I go with Sandy Pomerantz. Played on last Big O team and was supposed to be the replacement for Big O. A 1958 First Team Parade All America, the five players included Jerry Lucas and Bill McGill. Averaged 3.9 PPG his first year at UC.
After 2 games in 1960-61 averaging 7.5 points he transferred to lowly Washington University in St. Louis. The UC team shortly took off and won the NCAA back to back and played in a third one.
Sandy was a star on the small stage WUSTL and became a lawyer.
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06-10-2021 05:21 AM |
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nachoman91
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
On paper over the last 30 years it's these guys.
Jermain Lawrence - 5-star, #24 nationally. He not only sucked at UC but he sucked after he transferred down to some low-major school.
Roy Bright - 4-star, #40 nationally. The "not-so-bright" player that brought a gun to school and was kicked off the team.
Eugene Land - 4-star, #51 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Anthony McClain - 4-star, #67 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Vincent Banks - 4-star Top 100 guy who was the second coming of Jesus Christ based on his summer league reviews and other anecdotes I kept hearing from those who saw him play.
For me personally the biggest bust was ..... Robert Whaley
That 2004 team was loaded with talent. They had 7 top 100 players and was the only UC team in history to have two 40+% three point shooters (Field Williams and Tony Bobbit). All they needed was a big man to round out that team and Whaley was a 6'10" center who was formerly the #34 overall recruit that went juco and was the juco player of the year. Whaley ended up sucking and spent the entire season whining and threatening to quit.
(This post was last modified: 06-10-2021 07:59 AM by nachoman91.)
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06-10-2021 07:53 AM |
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bearcatmark
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
Jermain Lawrence was the one I was going to go with. Hard to get more busty than that.
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06-10-2021 07:56 AM |
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Bear Catlett
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
I don't know if you have to have big billing coming in to qualify as a "bust"...
But if we'd have only had point guards while Danny Fortson was here we could have done something. Charles Williams was OK at best but then something happened to him and we had to play Michael Horton... who was awful.
Fortson may as well have thrown the ball into himself and brought it up the court.
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06-10-2021 08:00 AM |
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bearcatmark
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 08:00 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote: I don't know if you have to have big billing coming in to qualify as a "bust"...
But if we'd have only had point guards while Danny Fortson was here we could have done something. Charles Williams was OK at best but then something happened to him and we had to play Michael Horton... who was awful.
Fortson may as well have thrown the ball into himself and brought it up the court.
Michael Horton never played with Danny Fortson. In the elite eight year we had Keith Legree who was a solid PG which is probably why we made the run we made. Charles Williams came in the next year when we were preseason number 1. Ultimately Huggins was forced to rely on Flint as an out of position PG.
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06-10-2021 08:05 AM |
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OKIcat
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 07:56 AM)bearcatmark Wrote: Jermain Lawrence was the one I was going to go with. Hard to get more busty than that.
Yes. Watching him--even in limited playing time, it amazed me that he could have earned the accolades he did in high school. Was it a case of all the recruiting experts being completely wrong?...an injury?...lack of desire? I guess we'll never know.
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06-10-2021 08:05 AM |
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bww
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
I always thought that Horton would have been a great Defensive back on the football team. Was horrible with the ball, but sure could play defense.
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06-10-2021 08:06 AM |
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Helicopter
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
Jermaine Lawrence and Bob Whaley for sure.
Eric Hicks was the almost bust that then turned into an all-timer and probably one of my top two favorite bearcats.
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06-10-2021 08:14 AM |
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UCBearcatlawjd2
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
John Brannen, seriously the biggest bust in modern program history.
Sadly Tony Yates was a bust too as a coach.
I will add Rap and Chris McNeal as well to player list.
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06-10-2021 08:17 AM |
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bearcatmark
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 08:17 AM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote: John Brannen, seriously the biggest bust in modern program history.
Sadly Tony Yates was a bust too as a coach.
I will add Rap and Chris McNeal as well to player list.
Hard for me to think of 1 year rentals as busts in the same way I think of highly regarded recruits like Lawrence or Bright.
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06-10-2021 08:19 AM |
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Captain Bearcat
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 07:53 AM)nachoman91 Wrote: On paper over the last 30 years it's these guys.
Jermain Lawrence - 5-star, #24 nationally. He not only sucked at UC but he sucked after he transferred down to some low-major school.
Roy Bright - 4-star, #40 nationally. The "not-so-bright" player that brought a gun to school and was kicked off the team.
Eugene Land - 4-star, #51 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Anthony McClain - 4-star, #67 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Vincent Banks - 4-star Top 100 guy who was the second coming of Jesus Christ based on his summer league reviews and other anecdotes I kept hearing from those who saw him play.
For me personally the biggest bust was ..... Robert Whaley
That 2004 team was loaded with talent. They had 7 top 100 players and was the only UC team in history to have two 40+% three point shooters (Field Williams and Tony Bobbit). All they needed was a big man to round out that team and Whaley was a 6'10" center who was formerly the #34 overall recruit that went juco and was the juco player of the year. Whaley ended up sucking and spent the entire season whining and threatening to quit.
I don't think it's fair to label Eugene Land as a bust. He blew out his knee so bad that he missed two full seasons. Few players come back from injuries that bad.
To be honest, I completely forgot that Land went to UC though. I remember him playing for Roger Bacon in high school. Dude could ball.
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06-10-2021 08:28 AM |
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Cat-Man
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
Shaq Thomas could probably fall under the "bust" label. He was a 4* Top 100 recruit but he never averaged more than 6 pts a game.
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06-10-2021 08:41 AM |
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Tomcat
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 07:53 AM)nachoman91 Wrote: On paper over the last 30 years it's these guys.
Jermain Lawrence - 5-star, #24 nationally. He not only sucked at UC but he sucked after he transferred down to some low-major school.
Roy Bright - 4-star, #40 nationally. The "not-so-bright" player that brought a gun to school and was kicked off the team.
Eugene Land - 4-star, #51 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Anthony McClain - 4-star, #67 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Vincent Banks - 4-star Top 100 guy who was the second coming of Jesus Christ based on his summer league reviews and other anecdotes I kept hearing from those who saw him play.
For me personally the biggest bust was ..... Robert Whaley
That 2004 team was loaded with talent. They had 7 top 100 players and was the only UC team in history to have two 40+% three point shooters (Field Williams and Tony Bobbit). All they needed was a big man to round out that team and Whaley was a 6'10" center who was formerly the #34 overall recruit that went juco and was the juco player of the year. Whaley ended up sucking and spent the entire season whining and threatening to quit.
My profile pic has Whaley signing my Son's shirt at a summer league game at Oak Hills. My Son in that picture is now 25 and a UC grad. Damn I'm getting old!
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06-10-2021 09:19 AM |
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rogeroh
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
These all go back to Huggin's first years or a little before---Jeff Robinson 6'9 Indiana Broad Ripple- Vic Carstarphen Camden NJ- Marty Dow 7'0 weighed about 175 lbs and Shane Komives who i think averaged about 40 pts a game in high school.
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06-10-2021 09:19 AM |
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BearcatMan
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
It is Jermaine Lawrence for sure...at least the other names even marginally contributed. Lawrence was like the 7th highest rated recruit Cincinnati has ever pulled and did literally nothing then left.
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06-10-2021 09:44 AM |
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BrooklynRocket
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
Chad Moore was a top 75 HS recruit that never averaged more than 3.7 ppg in Clifton.
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06-10-2021 10:32 AM |
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Bearcatbdub
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 08:28 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote: (06-10-2021 07:53 AM)nachoman91 Wrote: On paper over the last 30 years it's these guys.
Jermain Lawrence - 5-star, #24 nationally. He not only sucked at UC but he sucked after he transferred down to some low-major school.
Roy Bright - 4-star, #40 nationally. The "not-so-bright" player that brought a gun to school and was kicked off the team.
Eugene Land - 4-star, #51 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Anthony McClain - 4-star, #67 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Vincent Banks - 4-star Top 100 guy who was the second coming of Jesus Christ based on his summer league reviews and other anecdotes I kept hearing from those who saw him play.
For me personally the biggest bust was ..... Robert Whaley
That 2004 team was loaded with talent. They had 7 top 100 players and was the only UC team in history to have two 40+% three point shooters (Field Williams and Tony Bobbit). All they needed was a big man to round out that team and Whaley was a 6'10" center who was formerly the #34 overall recruit that went juco and was the juco player of the year. Whaley ended up sucking and spent the entire season whining and threatening to quit.
I don't think it's fair to label Eugene Land as a bust. He blew out his knee so bad that he missed two full seasons. Few players come back from injuries that bad.
To be honest, I completely forgot that Land went to UC though. I remember him playing for Roger Bacon in high school. Dude could ball.
Speaking of bust, didn’t Land get busted for shoplifting at the Kenwood mall?
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06-10-2021 11:19 AM |
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Bearcatbdub
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 09:19 AM)Tomcat Wrote: (06-10-2021 07:53 AM)nachoman91 Wrote: On paper over the last 30 years it's these guys.
Jermain Lawrence - 5-star, #24 nationally. He not only sucked at UC but he sucked after he transferred down to some low-major school.
Roy Bright - 4-star, #40 nationally. The "not-so-bright" player that brought a gun to school and was kicked off the team.
Eugene Land - 4-star, #51 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Anthony McClain - 4-star, #67 nationally. Just never really amounted to anything close to his ranking.
Vincent Banks - 4-star Top 100 guy who was the second coming of Jesus Christ based on his summer league reviews and other anecdotes I kept hearing from those who saw him play.
For me personally the biggest bust was ..... Robert Whaley
That 2004 team was loaded with talent. They had 7 top 100 players and was the only UC team in history to have two 40+% three point shooters (Field Williams and Tony Bobbit). All they needed was a big man to round out that team and Whaley was a 6'10" center who was formerly the #34 overall recruit that went juco and was the juco player of the year. Whaley ended up sucking and spent the entire season whining and threatening to quit.
My profile pic has Whaley signing my Son's shirt at a summer league game at Oak Hills. My Son in that picture is now 25 and a UC grad. Damn I'm getting old!
Always thought the guy in your picture was Rod Flowers, not Robert Whaley.
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06-10-2021 11:21 AM |
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bearcatmark
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
(06-10-2021 10:32 AM)BrooklynRocket Wrote: Chad Moore was a top 75 HS recruit that never averaged more than 3.7 ppg in Clifton.
One of my favorite Bearcats that stuff just didn't work out for. His back issues just completely derailed his career. He fought so hard to give us whatever he could, particularly in his senior year. I'll never forget his effort against South Carolina in the NIT quarterfinals. He played nearly the entire game because White/Muhammad were out. He was getting his back worked on every damn break. Just a gutty effort.
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06-10-2021 11:24 AM |
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JFlight21
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RE: Bearcat Basketball - Biggest Busts
Darnell Wilks was a top 50ish guy that never amounted to more than a bench piece.
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06-10-2021 11:30 AM |
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