As a UC fan, I say yes. I appreciate everything he has done while a Bearcat, but the early exits are all we’re going to get with him at the helm. The hard-nose, defensive approach works for the AAC but it’s not going to ever be successful in the tournament when it matters. And after all this time, it’s clear Mick isn’t changing his approach.

Zero chance he goes to Bama. Only possibility I see is UCLA. If not, UC fans will have to suffer through another 30 win season next year.

Zero chance he goes to Bama. Only possibility I see is UCLA. If not, UC fans will have to suffer through another 30 win season next year.

 

1 sweet 16 appearance is creating fatigue. He’s like Huggins without the flashy recruits.

Zero chance he goes to Bama. Only possibility I see is UCLA. If not, UC fans will have to suffer through another 30 win season next year.

 

And another early exit.

As you know, he's lost 11 games as many times since joining the AAC as he's won 30. It's not like 30 wins is a yearly occurance for the Bearcats.

 

Some seem to think his style just doesn't work for the tourney and some think the schedule doesn't prepare the Bearcats for the post-season. As our resident Bearcat expert, what do you think it will take for him to produce in the Tourney?

As a UC fan, I say yes. I appreciate everything he has done while a Bearcat, but the early exits are all we’re going to get with him at the helm. The hard-nose, defensive approach works for the AAC but it’s not going to ever be successful in the tournament when it matters. And after all this time, it’s clear Mick isn’t changing his approach.

 

It's almost like UC is so used to being a stepping stone job for bigger coaching jobs thay they'll let mediocrity slide for too long. When I say that I'm referring to other sports like football as well.

 

So with that said, who other than Brannen from NKU, would you like to see UC go after as their next coach?

Rumors out that Alabama is going to come after him for their HC job.

 

Is it time for Cronin to move on? Has he plateaued at Cincinnati?

 

Mick's only got out of the first weekend of the NCAA tourney one time and that was way back in 2012, has lost the first game in four of the last seven tourneys and only two conference titles during his tenure.

 

At some point UC fans are going to get tired of the early exits. It’s his calling card.

 

Which is baffling. You’d think they wouldn’t settle for just making the tournament, but that’s what it’s been with him there.

 

1 sweet 16 appearance is creating fatigue. He’s like Huggins without the flashy recruits.

 

I didn't realize that Huggins only made the sweet 16 once in his last 9 years at UC. So UC has only made it to the sweet 16 twice in the last 20 plus years.

And another early exit.

As you know, he's lost 11 games as many times since joining the AAC as he's won 30. It's not like 30 wins is a yearly occurance for the Bearcats.

 

Some seem to think his style just doesn't work for the tourney and some think the schedule doesn't prepare the Bearcats for the post-season. As our resident Bearcat expert, what do you think it will take for him to produce in the Tourney?

 

They've won 89 games in the past 3 years. Previous school record over a 3 year period was 85. There was a necessary shift in recruiting philosophy that takes some time to take hold in a 4 year developmental program like UC, but there has been a much heavier emphasis placed on recruiting skilled offensive talents that has starred in this recent stretch. Troy Caupain, Jacob Evans and Gary Clark are all in the NBA with only Caupain being on a 2 year deal and Kyle Washington was very much an offense first guy. Cumberland is in the same mold, and will make a run at being an All American as a senior. That's not for his defensive prowess.

 

The problem in each of the past 4 tournament Ls is the defense not holding up in the 2nd half against Top 15 offenses. Heck, Iowa shot 62% from the field and 65% from 3 in the 2nd half today while scoring 48 points. The lazy narrative is he runs a slow down system and they can't score enough in the tournament, but the reality has been if the defense is even remotely solid in each of those games, UC advances.

 

I think right now the biggest issue in the tournament is that the matchup zone. Teams that move the ball at an elite level can find the open man faster than the necessary rotations can be executed. Once a top 15 offense settles in, the ball finds a scorer in rhythm before the defense adjusts. I'd like to see more man to man worked in to give them another option in those situations.

 

The schedule stuff is silly. They played Ohio State, Ole Miss, Miss St, Xavier and UCLA in the OOC this year. They did everything possible to test themselves before AAC play, it just turned out some of those games weren't as strong as they should have been.

 

Reality is they blew it last year and squandered what very well should have been at least an E8 and probably F4 run. This was a rebuilding season that saw the team far outperform expectations. They exited a game earlier than they should have, but that's the nature of the tournament. 3 senior starters next year, so expectations will be sky high once again. Mick needs to break through in March, but this was never supposed to be the season to do so the minute Evans declared and left a year early.

They've won 89 games in the past 3 years. Previous school record over a 3 year period was 85. There was a necessary shift in recruiting philosophy that takes some time to take hold in a 4 year developmental program like UC, but there has been a much heavier emphasis placed on recruiting skilled offensive talents that has starred in this recent stretch. Troy Caupain, Jacob Evans and Gary Clark are all in the NBA with only Caupain being on a 2 year deal and Kyle Washington was very much an offense first guy. Cumberland is in the same mold, and will make a run at being an All American as a senior. That's not for his defensive prowess.

 

The problem in each of the past 4 tournament Ls is the defense not holding up in the 2nd half against Top 15 offenses. Heck, Iowa shot 62% from the field and 65% from 3 in the 2nd half today while scoring 48 points. The lazy narrative is he runs a slow down system and they can't score enough in the tournament, but the reality has been if the defense is even remotely solid in each of those games, UC advances.

 

I think right now the biggest issue in the tournament is that the matchup zone. Teams that move the ball at an elite level can find the open man faster than the necessary rotations can be executed. Once a top 15 offense settles in, the ball finds a scorer in rhythm before the defense adjusts. I'd like to see more man to man worked in to give them another option in those situations.

 

The schedule stuff is silly. They played Ohio State, Ole Miss, Miss St, Xavier and UCLA in the OOC this year. They did everything possible to test themselves before AAC play, it just turned out some of those games weren't as strong as they should have been.

 

Reality is they blew it last year and squandered what very well should have been at least an E8 and probably F4 run. This was a rebuilding season that saw the team far outperform expectations. They exited a game earlier than they should have, but that's the nature of the tournament. 3 senior starters next year, so expectations will be sky high once again. Mick needs to break through in March, but this was never supposed to be the season to do so the minute Evans declared and left a year early.

 

Thank you for that break down, I appreciate it.

Thank you for that break down, I appreciate it.

 

The other thing is, this is only the 2nd time they didn't live up to their seed, with the other being the 5-12 loss to Harvard when Kilpatrick was a senior. Outside of that and the win over FSU when UC was a 6 and the Noles a 3, the results have gone as expected every time.

 

I get the frustration with not advancing in March, but life in #7 conference isn't an easy one. There is a huge gap in resources that is only getting wider and recruiting to a league that has only been in existence for 6 years makes it tough to land higher rated kids with any legit P5 options. It's not an easy spot to be in, and Cronin is the only one to win through it with any consistency to date.

The Bearcats have been to 9 straight NCAA Tourney's (only 1 of 6 teams currently) and have NOT made it out if the 1st weekend in 8 of those 9 seasons.

 

Picking the Bearcats to win an NCAA game is a leap of faith at this point.

The Bearcats have been to 9 straight NCAA Tourney's (only 1 of 6 teams currently) and have NOT made it out if the 1st weekend in 8 of those 9 seasons.

 

Picking the Bearcats to win an NCAA game is a leap of faith at this point.

 

They've won a game 5 of the 9 times. So there is that...

It's almost like UC is so used to being a stepping stone job for bigger coaching jobs thay they'll let mediocrity slide for too long. When I say that I'm referring to other sports like football as well.

 

So with that said, who other than Brannen from NKU, would you like to see UC go after as their next coach?

 

Besides Brian Kelly, I can’t think of two other coaches that Used UC AS a stepping stone to go to a bigger job.

Besides Brian Kelly, I can’t think of two other coaches that Used UC AS a stepping stone to go to a bigger job.

 

You don't think Tennessee was a bigger job?

You don't think Tennessee was a bigger job?

 

I guess. So Brian Kelly and Butch Jones Used Cincinnati as a steppingstone.

I guess. So Brian Kelly and Butch Jones Used Cincinnati as a steppingstone.

 

And Mark Dantonio. It’s life in big time football, and the big boys are going to come calling for Luke soon. In basketball, however, they’ve had 2 head coaches since 1989 and both have won a ton of games.