Game 29: UCF 2/23 ESPNU 9:00

[Lobot]

Surprise! UCF is half a game ahead us in the standings despite an uneven season and has a virtually indentical record to UC at 16-9 . This game will probably decide who gets the 6 and 7th seed in the conference tournament, so there is something riding on it. What isn't uneven about the Knights is that they play well in Orlando. They have home losses to Temple and Houston in conference and that's it. All of their other conference losses were on the road. We have our work cut out for us but this is a very even game on paper except for the home court advantage

I haven't gone back to watch the first 10 minutes of Temple yet so, I don't know why we had a bad start but if we do that on the road, it's safe to say we're probably going to get blown out.

UCF has a very guard heavy offense and they rebound as a team which probably spells problems for UC. They can match height wise us inside with Diong and Reynolds. If Diong gets offense going it's going to be a long night. He's mostly a defender/rebounder.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...tats/_/id/2116

[leo from jersey]

I liked Eric Hicks ,

[longtimefan]

I hate the star ranking system as 40 ppg high schoolers are called 5 stars and when they play college players with defensive skill they go down. I want basketball players with the desire to win at all costs and if they have that they will have the desire to improve.

You need warriors, like Gary Clark or Pete Mickeal or Cashmire Wright or Kenyon Martin, guys who refuse to lose. Those are the guys CWM is out there recruiting.

[leo from jersey]

Those that do them all are called 5 stars.

I hate the star ranking system as 40 ppg high schoolers are called 5 stars and when they play college players with defensive skill they go down. I want basketball players with the desire to win at all costs and if they have that they will have the desire to improve.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

Oh I don't want just the guys MC recruited, but I would like some who have basic fundamentals and that includes, dribbling, rebounding, scoring, defense, passing and court awareness. Give me a team of guys with most of those, but a couple with all of them . If they have those fundamentals, you know they are coachable.

Those that do them all are called 5 stars.

[leo from jersey]

It seems like the players that you all want are the kind that Cronin recruited year after year. Over the past 10 years, you all complained that he could not get any 5 stars. Now you complain about players that are not coachable, that don't rebound, can't pass, etc.

Oh I don't want just the guys MC recruited, but I would like some who have basic fundamentals and that includes, dribbling, rebounding, scoring, defense, passing and court awareness. Give me a team of guys with most of those, but a couple with all of them . If they have those fundamentals, you know they are coachable.

[bearcatbret]

It seems like the players that you all want are the kind that Cronin recruited year after year. Over the past 10 years, you all complained that he could not get any 5 stars. Now you complain about players that are not coachable, that don't rebound, can't pass, etc.

[RedDog]

All I know is after watching this years team get man handled and destroyed basically in every facet, I want big strong athletes that get better at offense but are fierce defenders and rebounders. I dislike osu and wont ever even remotely watch uk, Calipari will get caught cheating again eventually but seems like guys like wade and pearl and some others get slaps on wrist for forking out hundreds of thousand of dollars to recruits, I remember Rubens Patterson's got 14 game suspension for a ham sandwich and a phone call. My how times have changed. Cincinnati fans are happy with ferocious defense and being the biggest strongest guys on court, let's get back to that please. No more unathletic supposeable shooters who are too small and cant shoot when they arrive and do nothing else besides Hoist up 3pt shots. Long strong fast athletic freaks will get u to tournament, **** undersized burly bears of the past. I remember hicks and maxiell being 6ft 6 and scoring down low and dunking everything. We have 5 7 footers who cant rebound much less make a layup and the only dunking is happening at the other end of the basket uc shoots on. Let's get back to bad boy basketball and guys who have chips on their shoulder please.

Personally I think you are living in the past. The game has evolved and changed, like it or not. You can't recruit, let alone coach, the kind of player you refer to from 20 years ago. Kids today are AAU spoiled and want to play an open offensive style like Wes is trying to play, he just doesn't have the horses to execute it yet. I would be thrilled with a power rebounder (Rodman style) that prefers rebounds to points but they just aren't out there anymore. I would also prefer a point guard that values assists over points! Anyone committed to running a team should be able to average 8 or so a game. We are lucky to get 8 as a team and have shoot first point guards. Give me one banger, one true point guard, and 3 gazelles on the wings and I'm all in.

[Rufus]

most don't remember the early 60s so the OSU/UC is not that big. I am a Bearcat fan but I watch the buckeyes. I got a Grad degree at UK, but I don't care for them whatsoever. I think if the current staff could teach/require that low post play, we would have seen some evidence of it. We have seen nothing.

Right? That's what I'm saying

[longtimefan]

I’m not sure how the extra Covid year works. For example, we have two grad transfers on the roster, are these guys eligible for the extra year? Is everybody? Are schools obligated to honor scholarships for those who choose to return? It seems that if the NCAA is allowing these guys extra seasons, perhaps they should temporarily allow 15 man rosters again, but I know that’s not the case. It should be an interesting off-season, unfortunately longer than we’re used to.

[leo from jersey]

Leo, I watch quite a bit of college bball and Im sure your right that there's some teams that play sound ball. And that is why I don't watch pro ball (one of the reasons) lol! But Im a true UC bearcat fan and so I also don't watch / root for OSU solely for the grudge they continue to hold for losing to us twice for the championship. Talk about sour grapes and superiority complex issues. As a side note, I also don't watch UK bball. I have my own personal feelings about Calipari and why a school would hire him the be their coach that's better that I just keep to myself. But I would enjoy seeing that type of bball at UC again especially as we are headed into the big 12 but it don't look like the current staff isn't conducive to that.

most don't remember the early 60s so the OSU/UC is not that big. I am a Bearcat fan but I watch the buckeyes. I got a Grad degree at UK, but I don't care for them whatsoever. I think if the current staff could teach/require that low post play, we would have seen some evidence of it. We have seen nothing.

[Fox19bearcatbounce]

Leo, I watch quite a bit of college bball and Im sure your right that there's some teams that play sound ball. And that is why I don't watch pro ball (one of the reasons) lol! But Im a true UC bearcat fan and so I also don't watch / root for OSU solely for the grudge they continue to hold for losing to us twice for the championship. Talk about sour grapes and superiority complex issues. As a side note, I also don't watch UK bball. I have my own personal feelings about Calipari and why a school would hire him the be their coach that's better that I just keep to myself. But I would enjoy seeing that type of bball at UC again especially as we are headed into the big 12 but it don't look like the current staff isn't conducive to that.

All I know is after watching this years team get man handled and destroyed basically in every facet, I want big strong athletes that get better at offense but are fierce defenders and rebounders. I dislike osu and wont ever even remotely watch uk, Calipari will get caught cheating again eventually but seems like guys like wade and pearl and some others get slaps on wrist for forking out hundreds of thousand of dollars to recruits, I remember Rubens Patterson's got 14 game suspension for a ham sandwich and a phone call. My how times have changed. Cincinnati fans are happy with ferocious defense and being the biggest strongest guys on court, let's get back to that please. No more unathletic supposeable shooters who are too small and cant shoot when they arrive and do nothing else besides Hoist up 3pt shots. Long strong fast athletic freaks will get u to tournament, **** undersized burly bears of the past. I remember hicks and maxiell being 6ft 6 and scoring down low and dunking everything. We have 5 7 footers who cant rebound much less make a layup and the only dunking is happening at the other end of the basket uc shoots on. Let's get back to bad boy basketball and guys who have chips on their shoulder please.

[Rufus]

Leo, I watch quite a bit of college bball and Im sure your right that there's some teams that play sound ball. And that is why I don't watch pro ball (one of the reasons) lol! But Im a true UC bearcat fan and so I also don't watch / root for OSU solely for the grudge they continue to hold for losing to us twice for the championship. Talk about sour grapes and superiority complex issues. As a side note, I also don't watch UK bball. I have my own personal feelings about Calipari and why a school would hire him the be their coach that's better that I just keep to myself. But I would enjoy seeing that type of bball at UC again especially as we are headed into the big 12 but it don't look like the current staff isn't conducive to that.

[leo from jersey]

I'm thinking VL and JH with another year in the monster factory could be developed. But the question in my mind is is there anyone on the staff that can develope them. From the lack of progress that we've seen especially in the front court this season I just question the possibility. I agree that MM is portal bound But I'm hoping that McGinnis was redshirted and back next year. OU shows potential at times but then in spurts leaves one just scratching his head just like the other two. Perhaps with the right tutoring he could slow himself down a bit and be a force under the rim. I swear In the 50+ years of watching college ball I've never seen a team that was so dead set on not playing fundamental bball. But bball in general is transforming into a game of snipers today. Steph Curry and has three point shooting prowess probably has a lot to do with that. So with all that said, CWM, when hired said that his teams were going tough, get after it grind it out type of players and this year has been nothing but a bill of goods. Is the players or the coaches I can' t answer that but I' m afraid that the era of a dominating post up center or the typical power forward may be just about played out.

of course I also watch OSU and they have a very good post up game, but the games are being won by a frosh who is becoming perhaps the best in the big. He doesn't really shoot 3s but mid range and quick a power move to the basket. He is really good. The 3 post up players and others in the big are throwback. It is still alive. It is also very much enjoyable to watch them work their man instead of off balanced threes.

[Rufus]

I'm thinking VL and JH with another year in the monster factory could be developed. But the question in my mind is is there anyone on the staff that can develope them. From the lack of progress that we've seen especially in the front court this season I just question the possibility. I agree that MM is portal bound But I'm hoping that McGinnis was redshirted and back next year. OU shows potential at times but then in spurts leaves one just scratching his head just like the other two. Perhaps with the right tutoring he could slow himself down a bit and be a force under the rim. I swear In the 50+ years of watching college ball I've never seen a team that was so dead set on not playing fundamental bball. But bball in general is transforming into a game of snipers today. Steph Curry and has three point shooting prowess probably has a lot to do with that. So with all that said, CWM, when hired said that his teams were going tough, get after it grind it out type of players and this year has been nothing but a bill of goods. Is the players or the coaches I can' t answer that but I' m afraid that the era of a dominating post up center or the typical power forward may be just about played out.