2009-10 Final Four

[BasketBySteveLogan]

Our squad Deonta and Mike Williams's senior year will be STACKED

All of our current freshmen will be juniors and be very tested, experienced, and cohesive... I mean imagine Biggie in 2 years!

Add to that Yancy and Cash, who will have an entire season under their belt and by the time the Dance rolls around 2 FULL BIG EAST CAMPAIGNS...

And of course, Deonta... if he's THIS good now.. how good will he be in two years? And you know that the key to get far in the tourney is great guardplay... and well we should have THAT shouldnt we? Plus Bishop, Mitchell, and Wilks on the wing, and a deep experienced front court

I mean I know I know.. lets not get ahead of ourselves bla bla bla... but it's exciting to look ahead to that team..... If Vegas allowed bets for that season's final four, I'd lay a grand on us today.

[Deaf_Bearcat]

Maybe you did not drink enough coffee?

[dp3113]

team should be stacked if everyone is still around. let's be honest though, as UC fans, we should know that the way things work out, this entire team that you project out will not be together in its entirety in two years. History tells us that, we should learn from that. (Hopefully I am wrong).

[NorrisHopper30]

Ironically, I told all my X friends that '09-'10 is the year for the Cats(this was before the season), and they better watch out. All they did was laugh, but i'll be patiently waiting.

[Shroom]

Gates, Williams and McClain inside will be monsters hopefully. They will take up so much space just being in there. And if Wilks, Mitchell and Wright get anywhere near their potential, along with Vaughn and the depth of having Bishop, Davis and Aldrige for a year or two - it's fun to think about all of the potential there.

They should be able to play with anybody, every night.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Our squad Deonta and Mike Williams's senior year will be STACKED

All of our current freshmen will be juniors and be very tested, experienced, and cohesive... I mean imagine Biggie in 2 years!

Add to that Yancy and Cash, who will have an entire season under their belt and by the time the Dance rolls around 2 FULL BIG EAST CAMPAIGNS...

And of course, Deonta... if he's THIS good now.. how good will he be in two years? And you know that the key to get far in the tourney is great guardplay... and well we should have THAT shouldnt we? Plus Bishop, Mitchell, and Wilks on the wing, and a deep experienced front court

I mean I know I know.. lets not get ahead of ourselves bla bla bla... but it's exciting to look ahead to that team..... If Vegas allowed bets for that season's final four, I'd lay a grand on us today.

UC has been to 1 FF in 45 years (1964 through 2008) if we don't make it this year.

Mick Cronin has never won even 1 NCAA game, much less 4 in a row.

HOWEVER, change the first one to ~30 years and both were true in 1992 also.

[Bearcat_DF]

I doubt we get Mike Williams for the 09-10 season.

Still, I've had that year pegged too.
The team should be very experienced with a lot of talent.

The only weakness will be the front line - we need another C and there doesn't appear to be one on the horizon.

Maybe we pick up a JC in the spring?

Also, another point guard would be a good pick up.

I'm unclear about Nick Alridge's eligibility - will be eligible for 10-11? Or will 09-10 be his senior season?

Go Cats!
df

[jeffto]

I'm unclear about Nick Alridge's eligibility - will be eligible for 10-11? Or will 09-10 be his senior season?

Go Cats!
df

He'll be eligible around Dec-Jan 2008/09. If Nick plays the rest of next season, he will have 1 more complete season - 2009/10. He can have 2 full seasons if he sits out next season.

[cincycat1]

07-08 season - big east tourney
08-09 season - NCAA tourney
09-10 season - i like the way your prediction looks. Hopefully they can make it happen and hopefully DF is wrong about Mike Williams as he will be a huge factor in our success.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

I doubt we get Mike Williams for the 09-10 season.

Still, I've had that year pegged too.
The team should be very experienced with a lot of talent.

The only weakness will be the front line - we need another C and there doesn't appear to be one on the horizon.

Maybe we pick up a JC in the spring?

Also, another point guard would be a good pick up.

I'm unclear about Nick Alridge's eligibility - will be eligible for 10-11? Or will 09-10 be his senior season?

Go Cats!
df

Correct. Unlikely on 6th year for Williams.

Bearcats are good THIS year, even better NEXT year. 2 years is 2 far away.

Aldridge will be a junior next year.

[Bp4thebest]

Imagine if this team could start the year over right now what their record would be..they maybe ranked right now..thats what we got in store for us next year..experienced..imagine the team you have seen the last 6 or 7 games plus experience and even more talent.. we will be a team no one wants to face next year and the following year we will expect to make a tourney run..whether or not it will happen..the expectations will be there..

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Imagine if this team could start the year over right now what their record would be..they maybe ranked right now..thats what we got in store for us next year..experienced..imagine the team you have seen the last 6 or 7 games plus experience and even more talent.. we will be a team no one wants to face next year and the following year we will expect to make a tourney run..whether or not it will happen..the expectations will be there..

Since 1963, UC has made tourney runs (2+ NCAA W) in 1992, 1993, 1996, and 2001. That's 4 times in 45 years. Mick Cronin has never W even 1 NCAA game, much less 2+ (yet).

UC is good NOW, better NEXT YEAR, and we'll see what happens from there.

[Bearcat Revival]

Good Lord...we KNOW Mick hasn't won an NCAA game yet. Thanks for clearing THAT up...again. Get over it. Neither had Huggins before the Final Four year. Neither had Steve Fischer before Michigan won it all. Murray State has nothing to do with UC.

[Thegreatone]

Correct. Unlikely on 6th year for Williams.

Bearcats are good THIS year, even better NEXT year. 2 years is 2 far away.

Aldridge will be a junior next year.

Why are people convinced he will not get a 6th year? Whenever I hear UC coaches talk about it they seem like he will be here without a doubt. Mike himself has talked about having 2 more years. I always here people here talking about him only having 1 year but everyone with credability suggests otherwise.

[GoCats1994]

Mick is focused on building a program. A well-built program will allow you to be competitive in any given year.

However...the realiity of college basketball is that any given team is only one year away from being lights out. If a team has two legitimate players, it can win more than it loses.

As much as I like the optimism, I would be willing to bet that there are fans of at least 40 NCAA teams that believe their team can make the Final Four two years from now.

[Bearcat Revival]

True, but I don't think those other 40 teams have been to the depths this program was last year and the year before and risen as rapidly. Mick is young, driven, and well-prepared thanks to working for Huggs and Pitino for all those years.

[Catmandu]

True, but I don't think those other 40 teams have been to the depths this program was last year and the year before and risen as rapidly. Mick is young, driven, and well-prepared thanks to working for Huggs and Pitino for all those years.


Mick does have amazing "pedigree"

What's also kind of funny is how the papers are all talking about how important Defense is and how much Cronin focuses on it etc. (as if UC fans didn't kow this ;) ) In the beginning everyone was talking about how much better Mick's offense was.

I'm glad to see him focucing on the D, it DOES make it more like Bearcat BBAll of old, and makes complete sense.

[ME80]

Mick does have amazing "pedigree"

What's also kind of funny is how the papers are all talking about how important Defense is and how much Cronin focuses on it etc. (as if UC fans didn't kow this ;) ) In the beginning everyone was talking about how much better Mick's offense was.

I'm glad to see him focucing on the D, it DOES make it more like Bearcat BBAll of old, and makes complete sense.

Also I find it interesting that many thought that Cronin's offense would mimic Pitino's and depend on shooting the the 3 (a big knock on Pitino's offense). He seems to be trying to use what he has learned from both coaches.

[Bearcat Revival]

He seems to be trying to use what he has learned from both coaches.

Exactly! That's why I think he's going to be outstanding. He's taking the best from Huggs and Pitino and making it his own. I think in a few years when Mick has HIS program up and running the way he wants, UC will be a hard-nosed defensive team that presses the whole game, and runs like crazy. He's smart enough to realize this team isn't yet quick or good enough to press and run up and down the court with the big boys yet.

[jeffto]

Why are people convinced he will not get a 6th year? Whenever I hear UC coaches talk about it they seem like he will be here without a doubt. Mike himself has talked about having 2 more years. I always here people here talking about him only having 1 year but everyone with credability suggests otherwise.That's good to hear. I thought it was hard to get those waivers. Do you know when he can apply? After next year, I assume.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Why are people convinced he will not get a 6th year? Whenever I hear UC coaches talk about it they seem like he will be here without a doubt. Mike himself has talked about having 2 more years. I always here people here talking about him only having 1 year but everyone with credability suggests otherwise.

No one is convinced of it but it's pretty rare. Transfers usually don't get the 6th year.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Good Lord...we KNOW Mick hasn't won an NCAA game yet. Thanks for clearing THAT up...again. Get over it. Neither had Huggins before the Final Four year. Neither had Steve Fischer before Michigan won it all. Murray State has nothing to do with UC.

I said that (Huggs' first NCAA W was in 1992) also.

Steve Fisher was an assistant coach who was promoted (for NCAA tourney) when Bo ran Frieder to Ariz St.

[Mick's Da Man]

All I know is the rate of progress I've seen this year only gives me hope as to how good this team will be come January next season, and how good they will definitely be, if everyone sticks around, for the '09-'10 season.

If everyone is still here, and seeing how all the freshmen, other than Wilks, are gaining valuable experience and improving each game................add in Yancy and Cashmere, with the hope we see the same progress from them we see from the frosh this year, and one can only get giddy about the future. Add in an experience Nick Aldridge and hopefully 2 more years of Mike Williams, and this team is stacked. We need more low post depth, but I have faith in Mick to find it.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

All I know is the rate of progress I've seen this year only gives me hope as to how good this team will be come January next season, and how good they will definitely be, if everyone sticks around, for the '09-'10 season.

If everyone is still here, and seeing how all the freshmen, other than Wilks, are gaining valuable experience and improving each game................add in Yancy and Cashmere, with the hope we see the same progress from them we see from the frosh this year, and one can only get giddy about the future. Add in an experience Nick Aldridge and hopefully 2 more years of Mike Williams, and this team is stacked. We need more low post depth, but I have faith in Mick to find it.

I think Aldridge will be a big factor. 18 ppg scorer off the bench for a spark. (He won't get 18 ppg at UC but he can score)

[Mick's Da Man]

I think Aldridge will be a big factor. 18 ppg scorer off the bench for a spark. (He won't get 18 ppg at UC but he can score)

It's obvious that UC needs some additional scoring to relieve Vaughn of the entire burden, and hopefully that happens next season.

But I also noticed that like 6 players had 5 to 7 points for UC last night.

I hope Mike Williams gets that extra year (not counting on it) because the experience factor would be huge for this program/team. It would also have Vaughn, Aldridge, and Mike Williams all in the same class, helping to even the classes out. Vaughn would be the first 4 year player to come and go under Mick Cronin.

If Belton can improve his FT shooting, I like what I see underneath. I see alot of potential that I wasn't expecting from him. And where I think this helps is next season, in the early part of the OOC schedule, Mick will have Mike Williams, Belton, and Aldridge with experience to play down low while Yancy is learning the ropes.

The OOC wins will be what makes or breaks our season next year, not the Big East. I see us competing very well next year.

[NorrisHopper30]

It's obvious that UC needs some additional scoring to relieve Vaughn of the entire burden, and hopefully that happens next season.

But I also noticed that like 6 players had 5 to 7 points for UC last night.

I hope Mike Williams gets that extra year (not counting on it) because the experience factor would be huge for this program/team. It would also have Vaughn, Aldridge, and Mike Williams all in the same class, helping to even the classes out. Vaughn would be the first 4 year player to come and go under Mick Cronin.

If Belton can improve his FT shooting, I like what I see underneath. I see alot of potential that I wasn't expecting from him. And where I think this helps is next season, in the early part of the OOC schedule, Mick will have Mike Williams, Belton, and Aldridge with experience to play down low while Yancy is learning the ropes.

The OOC wins will be what makes or breaks our season next year, not the Big East. I see us competing very well next year.

While we are on the topic, what does next year's OOC schedule look like?