Re: Time Warner is not the problem

[dfairchild]

I think Mick is in a more difficult position than Huggins was ever in
regarding recruiting: 1) he needs to recruit a higher-caliber player (being
competive in BE is much more difficult than C-USA); 2) college BB recruiting
is more competitive and scrutnized than ever (when Huggins raided the JUCO
ranks in the early 90's most programs were ignoring them; not anymore); 3)
Cronin will have to compete against the best programs/coaches/recruiters for
players (nationally, in conference, and locally).

I hope everyone is right about Mick and his recruiting skills.

Heres' what I know.  He was an exceptionally good recruiter as an assistant.
Recruiting players to the top programs in C-USA for two top level
coaches -first Huggins and then Pitino.

He had success as a recruiter at Murray State.  He brought in enough talent
to win the conf tournament and get a birth to the NCAA.

He did an incredible job getting enough bodies to field a team for UC this
coming season.  I'm still waiting to make a judgment on the talent level.
My guess, given the timing of the recruiting, the talent level will not be
as high as some have suggested.

Given his track record, I can see the optimism for Mick being able to be
successful going forward.

And, given the fact that he has never directly recruited against top-tier
programs (UConn, Syracuse, etc.) and given some of the current disadvantages
he is facing (down time for UC, lack of long relationships with top-level
recruits, small budget), I can see why some are more reserved with their
expectations.

One other factor that I think needs to be added, is that Cronin will have
some learning curve in managing a program like UC's.  Besides the recruiting
and Xs and Ox, player management, there is the huge administrative task of
running the program.

I think this factor and the other ones point to a longer window, than
shorter window for our return to prominence.

Go Cats!
DF




-----Original Message-----
From: address@hidden
[mailto:address@hidden Behalf Of Tom Carter
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 11:00 PM
To: UC Basketball Forum
Subject: Re: [UC Basketball] Time Warner is not the problem


I'm sorry to have to challenge your statement that we only have our 13,000
plus multi-purpose facility,  having spent several hours touring "The
Richard Lindner Center" I can tell you this facility is a world class
facility and that 4 floors below the "green space" between the baseball
field and Nippert is a full court basketball court facility that Mick loves
and the kids will use regularly. This athletic facility is second to none,
in or out of the big east!

  Bob was given a chance and we are better for it and we should stand by
this team and coach Cronin and things might just work out!  Not without some
hiccups to be sure, but with the thought that it's a new era and this team,
head coach and the university should get our support! It has mine!

  Tom Carter, a bearcat fan since 1960!

Dan Marshall <address@hidden> wrote:
  The point is this, you have to remember now we compete with all the other
Big East teams for recruiting, before we only really competed with the CUSA
teams for the Non All Americans... We barely won in that, now we compete
with the big guys,

I don't know how someone can think that a first year coach with a Small
arena, and limited nat tv coverage can compete with Syracuse, UCONN,
Louisville, et al.

It doesn't make sense to say that we have an advantage... Before we had the
advantage of being at the top of our league, the mid to bottom of the league
will not get better recruits than the top of the CUSA... All the good ones
will choose a Big East team that offers more.

Also what "New 'physincilities' (I assume you mean facilities) Do we have
for Basketball? It's the same 13,000+ Multi purpose arena.

What's tiresome is blind optimism, I'm interested in a solution as well, but
blind, ignore the facts optimism will not get us to a solution

-----Original Message-----
From: address@hidden
[mailto:address@hidden On Behalf Of address@hidden
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 12:20 PM
To: address@hidden
Subject: Re: [UC Basketball] Time Warner is not the problem


In a message dated 9/28/2006 4:39:37 PM Eastern Standard Time,
address@hidden writes:

It's going to be a lot more difficult to "rebuild" in the Big east than it
was in CUSA


Disagree totally, new physicilities everywhere, one of the top 3
basketball conferences in the country, good, young, well respected
basketball coach that has proven for years he can recruit with anyone. I
think he did well this year with a couple weeks to work with. In the next
couple years he will bring in big time recruits.
I hated what happened to Coach Huggins and thought for sure he would
get an opportunity to coach in the Big East but, much of the off court
problems (his and his players) were his responsibility. His removal for
image problems is not a surprise to many in the know. The die-hard "we won't
be sh--t without Huggins" and it's all Zimpher's fault is very tiresome.

Logan





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