Sad State of Bearcat Basketball

[leo from jersey]

The sad thing is that I have to watch the present day BB and FB games. I do remember the 50-90s in fb. I remember one homecoming game in 72 where there were maybe a few hundred fans. Ray Callahan was the coach. With an easy schedule we won two games. Usually the team record was a bit under .500. The better memories I have are from the 2000s on. It is hard to believe that the style of play has gone down so badly. In BB I remember watching OSCAR and the Cats winning it all. We all remember the Huggs era. I have a had time seeing what is happening on the floor today. I really enjoyed the Catlett years too.I am hoping that history repeats itself after Badger and Yates we got a winner. Even in the bad times we had players I really liked - David Duarte Jelly Jones , Roger McClendon among many, but the teams were not great. Folks thought the page had turned but then Huggs. Even back in the Badger-Yates era the teams were not as bad as the Brennen - Miller era. I saw UC bounce back from bad teams in BB and FB. The Coaches had to go though and I believe that this is the only way for today. It is hard to accept less then mediocre play when we have seen greatness. The teams today are mediocre in FB and wretched in BB.

[bearcatlifer]

Today it has little to do with coaching or desire and everything to do with NIL money. Especially in football. Look at Texas Tech,Indiana,Oregon. UC is probably relegated to bottom feeder status until collective college athletics figures out a rational framework. My concern is that the Big Boys ( $$$) will refuse to bend to the collective will ( see big market teams and MLB) and everyone else is screwed. Somehow MLB does not have the foresight or gumption to force a change.I don't think collegiate athletics can survive that. Let the high rollers form their own little league of 10 teams but all other programs refuse to schedule them. Let's see how long that lasts. ( I know...I'm hallucinating!)

[Rufus]

I want to get something off my chest here. This season has been disappointing so far, last season was disappointing as well. We've underachieved based on the talent on the roster.

I'm not always the most positive poster but I try and be a realist most of the time. The age of this board's members here skews to older side. A lot of us were here before this was even a message board website. I want to point out that a lot of you have been around as long or longer than I have and I'm in my mid 50s.

For those not in my demographic range, those of us who are remember the late 80s in UC sports. MBB had just gone 3-25 under MBB alumni Tony Yates the previous season and the football program wrapped up under HC Dave Currey somewhere around 1-9-1 that year. My memory is fuzzy these days but off the top of my head I think WBB made the NCAAs under Laurie Pirtle, which might have been her first season as coach and the lone bright spot.

This is not rock bottom for the department although is probably seems like it to those who are younger than me.

Everything is relative.

Lobot, I get what your saying. I'm in the demographic that represent the older side. I go all the way back to Taylor Baker as far as watching bball as a fan. Although I don't believe it is impossible to bring this sinking ship to relevancy again it is going to be extremely difficult in this age because of the NIL/ transfer portal. First off once your Lou was signed you had four years to play. A player could develope and very rarely did freshman play, let alone start. Players hardly transferred because they had to sit out an entire year. Today a complete overhaul of the roster is the norm. There is no developing of players or of upper class men teaching the culture of a program. As I said it's not impossible but it is going to be difficult. But it is my opinion that if UC gives another five years to a coach with the same results in this same structure that college sports find itself in now, it could be the end for many programs. I hope I'm wrong!