What I'd Like To See

[Bearcat Jeff]

I know a lot of folks are excited about Riek joining the team, but I would much rather see Mick go after a back up point guard. I would have rather seen him go after another pg rather than Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick is at his best when going to the basket, and I understand Mick is trying to build a "long" team for defensive purposes, but this team needs another point guard and it needs it now. I really don't want to hear the Teague argument because he may never be here and even if he does come he is years away. This team has got to find a couple players to play the point. My heartfelt belief is that if Cashmere were able to play that this team would be on another level. The frontline would be even better due to the penetration and dish he would provide. The outside shooting would be better because the same philosophy would create better perimeter shots. I'm a huge Mick supporter but truly believe he is totally missing the boat on this one. Perhaps he sees something in Dixon and Davis at practice that hasn't yet translated into the games. He is a D1 head coach for a reason and knows far more than I about talent. But I do understand that college bb is a game of guards. He is looking for better perimeter play. A couple good point guards would help create that.

[ralph1950]

I would like to see UC win the National Championship again.

[SLMadiCat]

I'm hoping that when you say "now" you mean next year? There is nothing they can do about this year so just get used to it. Everyone knows they need a point guard. Cash, as you said, was supposed to be it. It's very difficult to bring in two PG's in the same class that are high quality, and I can guarantee you that Mick went after PG's in 2009 and I bet he is still recruiting them. I think the best bet for next year is to hope there is a decent JUCO that can back up Cash....that is assuming there are scholarships available.

[Bearcat Jeff]

I'm hoping that when you say "now" you mean next year? There is nothing they can do about this year so just get used to it. Everyone knows they need a point guard. Cash, as you said, was supposed to be it. It's very difficult to bring in two PG's in the same class that are high quality, and I can guarantee you that Mick went after PG's in 2009 and I bet he is still recruiting them. I think the best bet for next year is to hope there is a decent JUCO that can back up Cash....that is assuming there are scholarships available.
Of course I mean next season. The now reference is to immediately try to find a solid back up for next season. I hadve heard thru the grapevine that Mick is looking at juco points as a back up to carry the team till Teague arrives. I just think it was a miscalculation on his part to not have one now. He wouldn't have had to be outstanding, just solid.

[Globe Trotting Cat Fan]

The grapevine is in fact accurate.

Just to put this in perspective for everyone, in hind sight would a nother PG for this year have been nice? Of course.

However, a 7'2 275lb man child with Riek's raw ability and talent level do not come along all that often. Mick just missed his chance with Thabeet and could not turn down the chance to get a player with a similar upside on the roster.

Also, as Mick and many coaches will always say, "You can't teach 7 feet."

Now, nobody could have foreseen Cash's injury. Plus, the idea was to have Deonta on the court allot with Cash to make sure he was learning the offense quickly enough and making sure that guys were in the right spots. As the season progressed, the hope is one of our other combo guards could have stepped in to fill some PG time when Cash and Deonta were out, and I still think that may happen from conversations I have had with the staff and some former players.

As Mick likes to say "We are always recruiting." And that is accurate. Getting back to the main crux of this post, for next year the staff is looking at a PG to come in simply learn and run the offense.

Also, as one last note, Mick and Co. WERE looking at other players to come in at point, such as Bobby Maze who ended up deciding on Tennessee. Sometimes you just don't get what you hope for, but something else comes down the pike and you pull the trigger on a 7'2 monster.

It will all work out in the end and this team is still going to be a threat every time they step on the floor.

Plus, don't forget, we have one L on the season so far. Not bad for a team without a "true" PG. :)

Go Cats!

[Billy Don]

I know a lot of folks are excited about Riek joining the team, but I would much rather see Mick go after a back up point guard. I would have rather seen him go after another pg rather than Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick is at his best when going to the basket, and I understand Mick is trying to build a "long" team for defensive purposes, but this team needs another point guard and it needs it now. I really don't want to hear the Teague argument because he may never be here and even if he does come he is years away. This team has got to find a couple players to play the point. My heartfelt belief is that if Cashmere were able to play that this team would be on another level. The frontline would be even better due to the penetration and dish he would provide. The outside shooting would be better because the same philosophy would create better perimeter shots. I'm a huge Mick supporter but truly believe he is totally missing the boat on this one. Perhaps he sees something in Dixon and Davis at practice that hasn't yet translated into the games. He is a D1 head coach for a reason and knows far more than I about talent. But I do understand that college bb is a game of guards. He is looking for better perimeter play. A couple good point guards would help create that.
Sure just one good point guard would help. Problem is picking up a Big East quality point guard, or any position player for that matter isn't like going to Walmart and picking one out. UC isn't exactly the dream team for many high school recruits right now. Mick has 2 strikes against him anytime he goes for a Big East starter type player. Usually it comes down to he has to take a player who has potential and hope for the best because that's what he can get. Mick has a rep as a good recruiter but so has a few dozen other coach's and a lot of them are right in the Big East. Add in most of those coach's have a winning program right now, means Mick is bucking the odds anytime he goes after a recruit someone else has a scholarship for and wants. Like I said. If it was like going to Walmart anyone could do it.

[Joe_Pong]

The grapevine is in fact accurate.



Now, nobody could have foreseen Cash's injury.


Doesn't matter. Even if cash were healthy we would still need another PG. We didn't have a backup plan for this season whatsoever. And it appears Mick is content to go into next season with the same situation.

Seems sort of risky and not very smart to be pinning all your hopes on a player who is recovering from a surgically repaired knee and has never played a game of college basketball.

[jeffto]

Doesn't matter. Even if cash were healthy we would still need another PG. We didn't have a backup plan for this season whatsoever. And it appears Mick is content to go into next season with the same situation.

Seems sort of risky and not very smart to be pinning all your hopes on a player who is recovering from a surgically repaired knee and has never played a game of college basketball.Looks like has thrown off most of the teachings of his first head coach (recruiting questionable characters, not pushing graduation, etc.) but has retained this one defect - lack of focus on point guards. He'll eventually discard this one last vestige of that first coach.

[Billy Don]

Looks like has thrown off most of the teachings of his first head coach (recruiting questionable characters, not pushing graduation, etc.) but has retained this one defect - lack of focus on point guards. He'll eventually discard this one last vestige of that first coach.
Actually half of what Mick says is like a recording of Huggins. Play hard, good defense and all the rest. Of course nothing wrong with wanting to copy a proven coach. Makes sense to me.

[JasonS]

I think it is pretty easy to see that Mick has taken the best things from two different winning coaches in Huggs and Rick. Mick's teams play defense in much the same way that Huggs' teams did which is a great thing. It also looks like he is trying to load up his roster with a lot of wing players that are athletic and can shoot the heck out of the ball. A staple of what Petino's teams have done over the years. While PG is important, I think Mick's thought process was to have Vaughn or Dixon take the minutes at the PG spot while Cash was out of the game. He could do this for two years and then bring in another highly rated PG to back Cash up when he is a junior and Vaughn graduates. Unfortunately, with Cash being out for the year, it throws this plan off completely. Assuming Cash stays 4 more years, it would be difficult to bring in another highly rated prospect at PG in 2009 or 2010 because there just won't be enough minutes to go around (let alone scholarships in 2009). All we need is for Cash to be able to play 30 minutes a night next year and all this becomes a moot point though. I think Mick knows what he is doing and will get the job done.

[jeffto]

Actually half of what Mick says is like a recording of Huggins. Play hard, good defense and all the rest. Of course nothing wrong with wanting to copy a proven coach. Makes sense to me.Thank God he isn't copying everything from that proven coach. So far the improvement in our reputation is striking.

[SLMadiCat]

Doesn't matter. Even if cash were healthy we would still need another PG. We didn't have a backup plan for this season whatsoever. And it appears Mick is content to go into next season with the same situation.

Seems sort of risky and not very smart to be pinning all your hopes on a player who is recovering from a surgically repaired knee and has never played a game of college basketball.

I seriously don't know if you believe half the stuff you type. Like many others that have said this before and that you have chosen to ignore, Mick had been recruiting other PG's. They lost out on some like Bobby Maze. And Mick is currently recruiting PG's for 2009. This has been stated before but you choose to ignore it for whatever reason.

And if Cash was healthy we wouldn't need another PG, Vaughn is more than serviceable as a backup and eventually I think he'll become a pretty solid PG.

[cincycpaw]

Thank God he isn't copying everything from that proven coach. So far the improvement in our reputation is striking.

And they're off..................

Leave it alone.

[misterfresh]

Obviously some of us arent actually watching this team.

Its not a point guard oriented offense. Period. The offense is based on screens and ball-movement. Its not necessary to have a guy dribbling it all over the half-court. All that is needed is to get the ball across the timeline...which has been an issue a few times, but more because of bad passing than bad dribbling.

Would having another adequate ball-handler help. Yes. Absolutely. But, where do these guys come from? Point guards, and especially good ones, arent plucked out of thin air.

In my opinion, its better to take the best prospect, rather than signing a point guard just because he's a point guard. Look at our front-court for the next 2-3 seasons...Its big, athletic, strong...it has the potential to be one of the best in the country.

Also remember that Larry Davis is just a soph...he has pleanty of time to grow into more of a combo guard than he is now. We have also seen that Bishop can handle it a little, too. Dixon seems to be skilled as well. Its not foolish to assume that we could have backup point guard by comittee. Well, thats hoping Cash can comeback next year at full strength and start for this team(which we wont know for a long time).

I like the direction of the roster. If Cash doesnt get hurt, we have two players capable of starting at the point. Thats twice as many as a lot of teams have.

[jeffto]

I think what is driving the comments about point guards is our team TO%. We rank 282nd.

Deonta at 3.7 TO/g is not that much higher than Jonny Flynn (3.2) or Stephen Curry (3.4) (with the gold standard - Ty Lawson @ 1.1). Vaughn has room for improvement, but the overall team turnovers make it appear we need a better point guard.

Youth = Turnovers. As they gain experience TO's will go down as will the cries for a "real" point guard.

[misterfresh]

I think what is driving the comments about point guards is our team TO%. We rank 282nd.

Deonta at 3.7 TO/g is not that much higher than Jonny Flynn (3.2) or Stephen Curry (3.4) (with the gold standard - Ty Lawson @ 1.1). Vaughn has room for improvement, but the overall team turnovers make it appear we need a better point guard.

Youth = Turnovers. As they gain experience TO's will go down as will the cries for a "real" point guard.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[SLMadiCat]

The problem is that so many turnovers are just unnecessary. Turnovers are always going to happen but you have to limit the careless turnovers (a simple pass that goes through your hands, inbounding the ball illegally, traveling 30 feet away from the basket, etc).

[jeffto]

The problem is that so many turnovers are just unnecessary.What's a necessary turnover? :D

You're right, but as they gain experience and PT they will go down.

[SLMadiCat]

I can live with turnovers when you are trying to be aggressive. Just like I can deal with fouls when being aggressive, but not stupid.