Walter

Cincinnati has three top-100 four-star prospects in the 2027 class, and there’s a legitimate chance all three could end up at UC. Getting Mercer committed early puts the Bearcats in a strong position with the rest of the group. Mercer and Tyson are especially close, which could help Cincinnati’s momentum continue.. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Tyson join the class soon, along with 6’4” SG Isaiah Mack-Russell out of Winton Woods. Mack-Russell has had a really good spring and continues to see his recruitment and national stock rise.

https://youtu.be/M40Cn2S8jIc?si=PAs4Hh6-y5CBGhWu

Will go a long way in keeping Lakota West star Josh Tyson home as well.

Big time get for Calhoun, keeping local Princeton star Kam Mercer home.

To be fair, there isn't a program in the state that wouldn't have made that same hire. I do agree, however, that Sully could have kept things rolling in Covington with the talent that was in the pipeline that Booher inherited.

Holmes has had multiple opportunities over the years to make the right hire, but for a variety of reasons, those opportunities have not produced the long-term leadership the program needed. The landscape in Covington has changed significantly over the past decade, and while that presents challenges, the right coach would have been able to retain more local talent rather than seeing players/families consistently leave for programs such as Scott, Newport, Lloyd, Holy Cross, Boone, and to some degree, Cooper/Highlands. I personally lost confidence in the administration’s decision-making process when neither Ross Hart nor Ricardo received follow-up communication after expressing interest in the position years ago. Both individuals possessed the qualities and community connection necessary to succeed in a role like this. In my opinion, Ricardo would have been an outstanding fit for the position, and the same can be said for Ross. To be successful at Holmes, a coach must understand not only the game of basketball, but also the community, the culture, and the unique challenges and expectations that come with leading this program. This is a position that requires far more than basketball knowledge alone. It requires trust, relationships, and a deep understanding of the kids and the environment they come from. I am interested in seeing the direction that they decide to go. With that said, I can almost guarantee Tim Sullivan and Ricardo Johnson will not return a call or express interest in the opening.

Big time get for Calhoun and his staff... Most of the "experts" thought he was heading to Louisville.

In other news, Jizzle James, Keyshuan Tillery, Tyler McKinley, and Jordi Rodriguez are all following Wes Miller to Charlotte. Good start for Wes with Jizzle and Tillery in the backcourt together. They should form one of the best guard duos in the American.

Calhoun got his guy at point guard.

TBD... I like what he has brought in so far but still think he needs to land a "dude" out of the portal at point guard. 6'3 point guard Tylen Perry from Tulsa would fill that need....he has been on campus for a visit already. - Second team All AAC - Averaged 15.0 ppg, 4.4 apg - Led the American in made free throws (203-- 11th in the country) - Finished the season with 20 points against Auburn in the NIT Championship GM Corey Evans is pretty plugged in with the overseas scene from his days with Rivals and OKC Thunder, so guessing they explore that route as well to round out the roster.

6'2 sophomore point guard Elijah Perryman is also expected to follow Calhoun from Utah State. Recently visited but yet to make his announcement. Getting Adlan Elamin to follow from Utah State was a big deal. NBA upside and potential at his size with the skill set and athletic ability he has. Really like the addition of Eric Mahaffey from Akron as well. Averaged 7.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and shot 39% from three during his freshman season on a team that made the NCAA Tournament. Local kid out of Moeller who has good positional size at 6'6.

Calhoun off to a good start so far. All players from last season's roster have entered the transfer portal.

I think UC fans will be happy with him as a backup option to Jizzle James, assuming we are getting the same version of him that West Va got, as well as the guy we saw against Gonzaga. Most fans are more excited about the addition of West Va transfer Sencire Harris. Much needed physical presence that brings toughness on the perimeter.

Not a knock on EJ or his game when I say this, but Tay Kinney is the only local product the current UC staff has ever had serious interest in...NKU is more likely than UC if things don't pan out at SC.

Yamil Rondon game winner vs Holy Cross

No clue what RRW is referring to, but knowing why Drayden Pavey left Cooper and the conversation an adult had with him prior to him leaving, it's not hard to guess what the "culture" comment is referencing. They want everyone to look and act a certain way and when you don't, you don't fit in to their "culture."

If we're going off tournament bids as the deciding factors, the ACC hasn't been a top 3 league since 2019. Big 12, SEC, and Big 10 have all passed them in terms of overall quality of the league.

Bearcats get a Thanksgiving day commitment from 5* Top 20 prospect Shon Abaev. Massive get for Wes... Second highest rated commit for UC in 247sports era

Bearcats led by as many as 27 in tonight's charity exhibition at 5th/3rd Arena. Cincinnati looked the part of a top 15 team. Length, athleticism, and talent top to bottom on this roster. Adding former 5* Texas transfer Dillon Mitchell to Jizzle, Skillings, Simas, and Aziz takes that group to a completely different level than I saw last season. OSU added some nice transfer pieces with Parrish, Stewart, and Bradshaw but will probably need some time to gel. Bradshaw DNP tonight (concussion).

2025 4* New Hampton School (NH) point guard Keyshuan Tillery committed to UC today. Chose UC over Wake Forest and Virginia. Other offers included Florida, Kansas, Louisville, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Villanova, among others. ESPN ranks Tillery #49 nationally. 247Sports: #53 New Hampton is the same prep school that Wes Miller attended.

Coming in late....but Austin Hill was better than Duran on the hardwood. Duran was the better two sport athlete. Also, Elijah Pittman is absolutely top 5 players in the 9th over the past 30 years. If not for some off the court issues, the Sacramento Kings were prepared to take him with their 1st round pick the year he came out of Marshall.