hipsterdoofus
10-20-2010, 12:50 PM
COACH AND PROGRAM
You'll need to look pretty hard to find anything other than optimism from Mick Cronin and his Bearcat coaching staff. Even though UC staggered to an 11th-place finish last year in the bloated Big East, shot poorly from long range and didn't take particularly good care of the basketball, Cronin is upbeat.
"Baylor, Duke, California, Cincinnati and Purdue are the five teams in the country who have won more games consecutively in the last four years," he said.
It just so happens that those four years comprise Cronin's tenure at UC. He inherited a team that had been ripped apart by the dismissal of former coach Bob Huggins. He had to re-stock a roster -- twice -- and erase the negative feelings that arose in the wake of Huggins' departure. And he had to do it all while playing in the nation's most rugged basketball conference, with its jam-packed 16-team configuration and 18-game conference schedule. Forgive Cronin for giving himself a break when it comes to the last few seasons. He knows he had a tough job and feels confident he and his staff have done a pretty good job attacking it.
But Cronin isn't a Pollyanna. He also understands the need for results, and that's why he's touting the steady improvement. The trouble is, once you reach 19 wins, the progress becomes a little more difficult to achieve. The difference from 11 and 19 victories is much different than that from 19 to 24 or 25. Reaching that level requires the ability to beat some of the nation's better teams and to play with a consistency that means you don't lose to Seton Hall, St. John's and USF.
PLAYERS
Cincinnati should be able to handle the consistency part a little better this year, because it has a more veteran team, although it is as Cronin notes, "still young." The question is whether it is talented enough to make a run at the top half of the Big East, which once again promises to be rugged, though perhaps not quite as strong as the last couple of seasons. As you might expect, Cronin thinks the Bearcats can do that.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Last Season 19-16 (.543)
Conference Record 7-11 (t-11th)
Starters Lost/Returning 2/3
Coach Mick Cronin (Cincinnati '97)
Record At School 61-68 (4 years)
Career Record 130-91 (7 years)
RPI Last 5 years 43-169-122-87-68
"Our plan is to lay in the weeds. We'd prefer to be one of the teams people forget. But we had a lot of young guys playing well at the end of the year."
Perhaps the biggest key to UC's being able to take another step forward is how well it's able to win close games. Five of the Bearcats' last seven losses last year were by eight or fewer points. Three were by four or fewer. Nothing amplifies a team's youth more than the crucible of a contest that requires toughness and grit in the final minute. Cronin is looking for the kind of leadership necessary to prevail in those situations.
The Bearcats will have to surmount that obstacle without last year's two top scorers, Lance Stephenson (12.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Deonta Vaughn (11.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg). The loss of Vaughn will sting, because he was the team's most reliable ball handler, but it will be interesting to see the impact of Stephenson's departure for the NBA after just one season. Although Stephenson was the team's most reliable scorer during the final several games of 2009-10, he struggled from the perimeter [.219 3PT], which made him easier to defend.
So, UC moves on with an emerging core of young players and welcomes a couple newcomers who should make immediate contributions. The player Cronin would like to see step forward most is 6-9, 260-pound junior Yancy Gates (10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .522 FG). Gates had his moments last year, like when he had 23 and eight boards against DePaul and 16 and 14 against rugged Pittsburgh. This season, Yates must be more aggressive, particularly on the backboards, if the Bearcats are to improve.
"Yancy played a lot of minutes as a sophomore against great veteran guys in the Big East and a lot of [future] NBA performers," Cronin said. "But he has to take the next step and be the guy who imposes his will on games".
Flanking Gates at the other forward spot is 6-6 senior Rashad Bishop (8.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg), provided he takes care of his business during the offseason. Bishop was suspended from the team last March for the ever generic "violating team rules" and didn't play in the Big East Tournament or the NIT. Cronin said Bishop has to "meet some requirements" to get back on the team, and should he do that, he'll provide interior scoring and board work.
But, Cronin reminds UC fans that "we played well without him at the end of the year." That's a rather clear message to Bishop that he is by no means essential to the program's forward progress. Cronin wants him around but on the team's terms.
If Bishop isn't ready to go -- and even if he is -- 6-8 freshman Justin Jackson (Arlington Country Day/Jacksonville, Fla.) can step in. The highly regarded forward is a little light at 210 pounds, but he is athletic, plays with a high motor and is solid in the high post, something that should complement Gates' interior presence.
"There's no doubt Justin's going to play and help us," Cronin said. "How much and how quickly he adjusts are the questions. We have to get some weight on him, got to build his body up and get him to the point where he can do it in the Big East. Everybody's going to love his heart. It's the muscle that's a question.
"He's an exciting player for the fans. He's a typical high-energy Bearcat guy. He will do what it takes to win. He's also an excellent shooter."
Senior Ibrahima Thomas (5.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is back to start in the middle. The 6-11, 230-pounder is not much of an offensive threat, but he can rebound at the defensive end and take up some space inside. Expect him to lose some minutes to 6-10 freshman Kelvin Gaines (Arlington Country Day/Ocala, Fla.), who will bring immediate help at the defensive end.
"He's a big guy who knows he's a big guy," Cronin said of Gaines. "He's going to be a shot blocker, and a finisher and a rebounder. He hasn't had the most experienced high school background, because he was home-schooled for a while and has to make adjustments.
"But he'll be a big-time shot blocker from day one."
Expect 6-7 senior Darnell Wilks (3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg) to rebound willingly at the forward spot, and 7-0 senior Anthony McClain (0.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg) will see spot duty in the middle.
The Bearcat backcourt took a big hit with the losses of Stephenson and Vaughn, but Cronin does not sound overwrought when discussing his guard situation. He points to the solid play of sophomores Jaquon Parker (4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and Cashmere Wright (5.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg) as reasons for optimism. The 6-3 Parker is a combo guard who has the potential to be UC's top three-point threat, while the 6-0 Wright can handle the point.
Together, they could make for a strong guard combo for the next couple years. Cronin is particularly high on Wright.
"When he sat out [2008-09] with a knee injury, he didn't practice, and that set him back," Cronin said. "Also, he's a small-town guy who played at a very, very small private school [Urban Christian Academy] in Georgia. He has a great upside and ability. And his maturity level is improving."
Bearcat fans are no doubt eager to see what 6-4 red-shirt freshman Sean Kilpatrick (Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep/White Plains, N.Y.) can do on the wing. Cronin sat him down last year because he didn't want to waste a season by playing Kilpatrick sparingly behind Stephenson.
Now ready to go, Kilpatrick will bring scoring and strength to the guard line. He scored 28.4 points as a senior, played in the Jordan Classic and was three times all-state.
A pair of reserves from last year will also figure in the rotation, although each may lose a little time thanks to Kilpatrick's arrival. Dion Dixon (4.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg) is a 6-3 junior who must take a step forward after struggling with his shot last year. "His freshman year, we were saying,
Larry Davis (3.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg) is a 6-3 senior who must also improve his accuracy, after making just 28.9 percent of his tries last year.
The rest of the guard group includes 5-10 senior Eddie Tyree (0.7 ppg, 0.0 rpg), 6-3 sophomore Alex Eppensteiner (0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg) and 6-2 Anthony McBride (Withrow HS/Cincinnati, Ohio), a sophomore walk-on who is Gates' brother.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B-
BENCH/DEPTH: B-
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B+
Cronin is right when he said the Bearcats have made steady improvement under his reign. When he took over, the program was in shambles, and he had to re-populate it with a disparate collection of transfers and newcomers. This may be the first year he has been able to have a normal transition, and it should benefit him. If UC continues its growth, it could well challenge for an NCAA berth.
The backcourt must step forward for that to happen. No one is expecting Kilpatrick to score 20 a night, but he must provide some firepower from the wing, while Parker and Wright continue to mature into a solid backcourt tandem.
Up front, it's time for Gates to emerge as a full-fledged Big East interior force. He has the body and the talent; it's up to him to believe he can do it every night for 40 minutes. Jackson will be fun to watch, and the big guys will provide rebounding and defense, but it's really up to Gates. If he has a big year, Cincinnati will surprise some people.
That's what Cronin is counting on. UC isn't ready yet to be an out-front program. It's better suited for the underdog role -- to a point. After winning 19 games last year, the Bearcats can't hide much longer. It's time for them to make a strong statement, and though real Big East contention could well be a year away, this team appears to be on the right track with a good young nucleus and a coach capable of moving it forward.
You'll need to look pretty hard to find anything other than optimism from Mick Cronin and his Bearcat coaching staff. Even though UC staggered to an 11th-place finish last year in the bloated Big East, shot poorly from long range and didn't take particularly good care of the basketball, Cronin is upbeat.
"Baylor, Duke, California, Cincinnati and Purdue are the five teams in the country who have won more games consecutively in the last four years," he said.
It just so happens that those four years comprise Cronin's tenure at UC. He inherited a team that had been ripped apart by the dismissal of former coach Bob Huggins. He had to re-stock a roster -- twice -- and erase the negative feelings that arose in the wake of Huggins' departure. And he had to do it all while playing in the nation's most rugged basketball conference, with its jam-packed 16-team configuration and 18-game conference schedule. Forgive Cronin for giving himself a break when it comes to the last few seasons. He knows he had a tough job and feels confident he and his staff have done a pretty good job attacking it.
But Cronin isn't a Pollyanna. He also understands the need for results, and that's why he's touting the steady improvement. The trouble is, once you reach 19 wins, the progress becomes a little more difficult to achieve. The difference from 11 and 19 victories is much different than that from 19 to 24 or 25. Reaching that level requires the ability to beat some of the nation's better teams and to play with a consistency that means you don't lose to Seton Hall, St. John's and USF.
PLAYERS
Cincinnati should be able to handle the consistency part a little better this year, because it has a more veteran team, although it is as Cronin notes, "still young." The question is whether it is talented enough to make a run at the top half of the Big East, which once again promises to be rugged, though perhaps not quite as strong as the last couple of seasons. As you might expect, Cronin thinks the Bearcats can do that.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Last Season 19-16 (.543)
Conference Record 7-11 (t-11th)
Starters Lost/Returning 2/3
Coach Mick Cronin (Cincinnati '97)
Record At School 61-68 (4 years)
Career Record 130-91 (7 years)
RPI Last 5 years 43-169-122-87-68
"Our plan is to lay in the weeds. We'd prefer to be one of the teams people forget. But we had a lot of young guys playing well at the end of the year."
Perhaps the biggest key to UC's being able to take another step forward is how well it's able to win close games. Five of the Bearcats' last seven losses last year were by eight or fewer points. Three were by four or fewer. Nothing amplifies a team's youth more than the crucible of a contest that requires toughness and grit in the final minute. Cronin is looking for the kind of leadership necessary to prevail in those situations.
The Bearcats will have to surmount that obstacle without last year's two top scorers, Lance Stephenson (12.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Deonta Vaughn (11.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg). The loss of Vaughn will sting, because he was the team's most reliable ball handler, but it will be interesting to see the impact of Stephenson's departure for the NBA after just one season. Although Stephenson was the team's most reliable scorer during the final several games of 2009-10, he struggled from the perimeter [.219 3PT], which made him easier to defend.
So, UC moves on with an emerging core of young players and welcomes a couple newcomers who should make immediate contributions. The player Cronin would like to see step forward most is 6-9, 260-pound junior Yancy Gates (10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .522 FG). Gates had his moments last year, like when he had 23 and eight boards against DePaul and 16 and 14 against rugged Pittsburgh. This season, Yates must be more aggressive, particularly on the backboards, if the Bearcats are to improve.
"Yancy played a lot of minutes as a sophomore against great veteran guys in the Big East and a lot of [future] NBA performers," Cronin said. "But he has to take the next step and be the guy who imposes his will on games".
Flanking Gates at the other forward spot is 6-6 senior Rashad Bishop (8.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg), provided he takes care of his business during the offseason. Bishop was suspended from the team last March for the ever generic "violating team rules" and didn't play in the Big East Tournament or the NIT. Cronin said Bishop has to "meet some requirements" to get back on the team, and should he do that, he'll provide interior scoring and board work.
But, Cronin reminds UC fans that "we played well without him at the end of the year." That's a rather clear message to Bishop that he is by no means essential to the program's forward progress. Cronin wants him around but on the team's terms.
If Bishop isn't ready to go -- and even if he is -- 6-8 freshman Justin Jackson (Arlington Country Day/Jacksonville, Fla.) can step in. The highly regarded forward is a little light at 210 pounds, but he is athletic, plays with a high motor and is solid in the high post, something that should complement Gates' interior presence.
"There's no doubt Justin's going to play and help us," Cronin said. "How much and how quickly he adjusts are the questions. We have to get some weight on him, got to build his body up and get him to the point where he can do it in the Big East. Everybody's going to love his heart. It's the muscle that's a question.
"He's an exciting player for the fans. He's a typical high-energy Bearcat guy. He will do what it takes to win. He's also an excellent shooter."
Senior Ibrahima Thomas (5.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is back to start in the middle. The 6-11, 230-pounder is not much of an offensive threat, but he can rebound at the defensive end and take up some space inside. Expect him to lose some minutes to 6-10 freshman Kelvin Gaines (Arlington Country Day/Ocala, Fla.), who will bring immediate help at the defensive end.
"He's a big guy who knows he's a big guy," Cronin said of Gaines. "He's going to be a shot blocker, and a finisher and a rebounder. He hasn't had the most experienced high school background, because he was home-schooled for a while and has to make adjustments.
"But he'll be a big-time shot blocker from day one."
Expect 6-7 senior Darnell Wilks (3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg) to rebound willingly at the forward spot, and 7-0 senior Anthony McClain (0.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg) will see spot duty in the middle.
The Bearcat backcourt took a big hit with the losses of Stephenson and Vaughn, but Cronin does not sound overwrought when discussing his guard situation. He points to the solid play of sophomores Jaquon Parker (4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and Cashmere Wright (5.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg) as reasons for optimism. The 6-3 Parker is a combo guard who has the potential to be UC's top three-point threat, while the 6-0 Wright can handle the point.
Together, they could make for a strong guard combo for the next couple years. Cronin is particularly high on Wright.
"When he sat out [2008-09] with a knee injury, he didn't practice, and that set him back," Cronin said. "Also, he's a small-town guy who played at a very, very small private school [Urban Christian Academy] in Georgia. He has a great upside and ability. And his maturity level is improving."
Bearcat fans are no doubt eager to see what 6-4 red-shirt freshman Sean Kilpatrick (Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep/White Plains, N.Y.) can do on the wing. Cronin sat him down last year because he didn't want to waste a season by playing Kilpatrick sparingly behind Stephenson.
Now ready to go, Kilpatrick will bring scoring and strength to the guard line. He scored 28.4 points as a senior, played in the Jordan Classic and was three times all-state.
A pair of reserves from last year will also figure in the rotation, although each may lose a little time thanks to Kilpatrick's arrival. Dion Dixon (4.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg) is a 6-3 junior who must take a step forward after struggling with his shot last year. "His freshman year, we were saying,
Larry Davis (3.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg) is a 6-3 senior who must also improve his accuracy, after making just 28.9 percent of his tries last year.
The rest of the guard group includes 5-10 senior Eddie Tyree (0.7 ppg, 0.0 rpg), 6-3 sophomore Alex Eppensteiner (0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg) and 6-2 Anthony McBride (Withrow HS/Cincinnati, Ohio), a sophomore walk-on who is Gates' brother.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B-
BENCH/DEPTH: B-
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B+
Cronin is right when he said the Bearcats have made steady improvement under his reign. When he took over, the program was in shambles, and he had to re-populate it with a disparate collection of transfers and newcomers. This may be the first year he has been able to have a normal transition, and it should benefit him. If UC continues its growth, it could well challenge for an NCAA berth.
The backcourt must step forward for that to happen. No one is expecting Kilpatrick to score 20 a night, but he must provide some firepower from the wing, while Parker and Wright continue to mature into a solid backcourt tandem.
Up front, it's time for Gates to emerge as a full-fledged Big East interior force. He has the body and the talent; it's up to him to believe he can do it every night for 40 minutes. Jackson will be fun to watch, and the big guys will provide rebounding and defense, but it's really up to Gates. If he has a big year, Cincinnati will surprise some people.
That's what Cronin is counting on. UC isn't ready yet to be an out-front program. It's better suited for the underdog role -- to a point. After winning 19 games last year, the Bearcats can't hide much longer. It's time for them to make a strong statement, and though real Big East contention could well be a year away, this team appears to be on the right track with a good young nucleus and a coach capable of moving it forward.