Sad State of Bearcat Basketball

[Geaux Juan]

I remember when HC Miller was stating over and over that "We're gonna kick their a$$" when he got the job. I only count one kicked so far.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

today is football signing day - no posts

I agree. That is very peculiar. Fan apathy?

[loshow22]

It helps to really have a skin in the game. 1 local player. Both coaches are miles apart from the true grit of the rivalry. Constant roster turnover with guys chasing the bag versus growing up wanting to play for the name on the jersey. Someone in another thread made a great point in that the rivalry really only still exists in the fans. I used to get so bent out of shape if we lost to eggs, and would be on cloud 9 if we won. Now it's just a game anymore.

[BearKatz]

You guys bring up great points about the upcoming Crosstown Shootout!

I think back to the Huggs & Mick days, that sporting event was one of the hightlights of the year! Now it just doesn't feel the same anymore.

Last year when we won, was the first year and didn't FEEL like a Victory!

[leo from jersey]

Less than 2 days until THE CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT and no thread or discussion on this board. Speaks loudly about the apathy of the fanbase, yours truly included. Indeed, this is the reality of the "Sad State of Bearcat Basketball"

today is football signing day - no posts

[Black and Red Attack]

Two reeling programs, led by less than successful coaches. I have some friends who are X fans who feel the same way.

[D.A.H.]

Less than 2 days until THE CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT and no thread or discussion on this board. Speaks loudly about the apathy of the fanbase, yours truly included. Indeed, this is the reality of the "Sad State of Bearcat Basketball"

yep. wes has taken it out of us - no one cares at this point

[Black and Red Attack]

Less than 2 days until THE CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT and no thread or discussion on this board. Speaks loudly about the apathy of the fanbase, yours truly included. Indeed, this is the reality of the "Sad State of Bearcat Basketball"

[leeraymond372@gmail.com]

Something to be hopeful about? I noticed that at the tail-end of the EMU game, Kriisa and Thomas started hitting threes in tandem. It is as though they both got hot at the same time. Not sure why the other players did not continue to go to them, because they were hot. In the TSU game, Kriisa and Thomas were hot again. Kriisa hit 6 (six) threes and Thomas hit 5 threes.

If Thomas and Kriisa can continue to hit their threes in tandem, that would give the team a big boost. Also, Baba Miller needs some help with scoring. When you think about it, Kriisa and Thomas are graduate students. They have been around big-time college basketball for a while now. It is time for these guys to step-up and help the team to win these games.

What I have seen from Thomas and Kriisa, on the offensive side of the ball, over the last three halves gives me some hope that this team may have something. Wins and losses will depend on those two guys shooting the ball well.

[longtimefan]

Mick > Wes. The biggest red flag is the lack of player development under Wes. These guys do not improve at all.

Day Day is better. Josh Reed went from nothing to something while he was here. John Newman certainly improved here. These days it’s hard to develop anybody.

[Bearcat1996]

Mick > Wes. The biggest red flag is the lack of player development under Wes. These guys do not improve at all.

[Gypo O'Leary]

Josh Reed 23.8 minutes per game, 10.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, FG% 46
Skillings, 11.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, FG% 45.8

Part of this is due to the inability of the point guards last year to properly distribute the ball.

[leeraymond372@gmail.com]

I don't think either of those are true. I do think with the Advent of NIL, coaching has gotten harder. You almost have a new team every year and I think getting a bunch of new guys who make a million or so a year to gel is hard. Wes didn't sign up for this. NIL wasn't a thing when he took the job.

Even out west Cronin took a season to figure out the NIL thing at UCLA. A lot of older successful coaches just plain retired because of NIL. It kind of like your boss coming in after you've been in a position for a while and telling you "we're rewriting all your job responsibilities going forward. Good luck"

Everybody else is going through the same thing. The better coaches have figured it out and are winning games. Winning games is what it is all about. I do not see what Miller is doing differently to win games. He basically has been doing the same thing every year, defensively, since he has been at UC.

I am basically looking at Miller as a basketball coach and the basketball product on the floor that is a result of his coaching. Wins and losses. That is what it boils down to.

[Rufus]

Leo labeled it hero ball and that is exactly what high school coaches AAU and select team bball camps are putting out these days. They can all shoot the three lights out when no one is around to defend, they can can set up according to their preference and shoot from their preferred spot on the floor, but bball as everyone on this forum knows is a team endeavor and takes five guys all doing the fundamentals to get players open in order to shoot. I'm sorry for being so redundant but Miller recruits players who can shoot when the circumstances are perfect but when things are altered slightly ( someone guarding them ) then the high percentage trey no longer comes as easy. I said in a earlier post that watching this team ( and many college bball ) today is boring because there is a scarcity of strategy being used. The silliest thing in the world to me is a player flashing three digits on his hand because he just made a three. And many times it comes after he just made his first after shooting and missing several before.

[bearcatbret]

He was mentioned as a possible candidate last round too. I love him offensively. His teams have always given up a ton of threes on defense though, and that scares me. One thing Wes Miller does really well is defend the three point line. It would be tough to take a complete 180 in that area with the three becoming more important each year.

However, Alexander would possibly be bringing in different types of players to UC. Maybe he could get both basketball players and athletes.