NKU Thoughts

[nolte50uc]

For those of you that went, let me know if you agree...

Offense looked downright bad. The "bright" spot was Adam H. We was the ony one that seemed comfortable out there. McClain was timid and clumsy, although I think he has a world of potential when the strength guys get ahold of him. The rest of the team was average and had no rythm. Granted - it is only a practice game and the substitutions weren't made to win - they were made to try different combinations of players.

Defense was so-so. NKU shot the lights out. I haven't seen the stats but I bet they made close to 20 3s. That being said, most were not guarded. I also saw our guards get blown by on drives more than a few times also.

I'm still optimistic, but it was scary watching this game. I said before the game I wanted to see focus and effort. The effort was sort of there, and the focus, not so much. All-in-all this was a glorified practice. The real essence of the team will emerge once the regular season begins. I'm not worrying too much...yet.

[Cats4Ever]

I'm a little concerned the 3-pt defense has not improved from last year.

It was a big problem last year - one would think the returning seniors would play D a little better.

NKU is not good - I agree this sounds like a practice scrimmage - but in some ways, you would hope things would have run a little better than it did.

If you compare and contrast this to what coach BK has done in football, well.........................................

[#1cat]

The whole offese was try and feed the post, which I dont really understand with the current personel. If you cant score over NKU who MIGHT have had one guy at 6-6 then what do they expect to do in Big East games?
It seemed as though they recruited to be able to play an up tempo and perimeter based game but they didnt try that at all tonight.
It was ugly and as said by Nolte, Adam was the only bright spot.

[Irishbearcat]

I think part of that is the guys learning each other, and also determing what roles they have. The more experienced, senior laden teams are going to look alot more polished now than the Bearcats.

[bearcatmark]

Thoughts on the game...

1. Someone needs to teach these guys to get their hands up when guarding the three point line. Just like all of last season we let guys shoot when we were right there, but just did not get our hands in the air. It was depressing. These guys need to be drilled in that over and over again.

2. Adam and I are going to be on a first name basis all year so I do not have to spell or pronounce his name. Adam looked good in the post against a smaller less talented team. He showed good touch around the rim, and good moves...Clearly he would be an effective Div II center. I want to see him against DI athletes.

3. Speaking of athletes i was not very impressed with UC's athleticism. Hopefully they will show more, but I thought we lacked the athletic ability we have had in the past.

4. Sikes played much stronger on the glass than last year. That was one of the very few encouraging things today.

5. Vaughn hit his foul shots in the last minute... The other encouraging part of todays game.

6. Once again bearcat defenders got killed off of the dribble. We need to learn some defense on the ball. We don't get our hands up and we don't stop penatration... This was against DII talent, and athletes far worse than us.

Prediction: It is going to be another long long year.

[iamspen]

As worrisome as that game was, and as unpolished as th Cats looked, NKU is going to DESTROY everyone they play this year. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they go all the way in DII.

The difference between this year and last as far as th Bearcats are concerned is this: I see potential in this team, which is not something I aw last year. McClain and Adam H. are going to be a great tandem. Coaches need to drill McClain in his footwork, especially on the defensive side of the ball (don't be afraid to take the charge, McClain!). Shooting inside the arc was pretty good, outside the arc was terrible. Free throws are going to KILL us unless they're practiced for long periods of time. Ball handling and passing/teamwork is worlds better than it was last year, but needs to be improved immensely before Big East play begins. Zone defense sucked, shouldn't be our standard. Man coverage, especially the three-quarters press stuff, worked rather well.

Should be an interesting season.

[Bp4thebest]

The defensive pressure was bad! nku had too many open shot up until the score was 20-5 less then six min in.. with that said.. nku couldnt miss! they had a guy with 7 threes and made i think 10 as a team! our size was a big advantage and we didnt take that advantage much! anthony was up and down but looked pretty good.. i was happy with adams play.. vaughn and john are big east ready! bishop played well grabbed a few boards played defense well, as did gentry.. warren controlled the game well when in there.. sikes will be pretty good this year and i was disappointed that davis didnt play.. vaughn can carry the load but still.. when we get a big lead hopefully against bellmarine i hope he plays.. same for belton.. i know he is our lowest recruit but he is a very strong body! as for my favorite player of the day.. alvin mitchell will be a stud.. he will have the biggest freshman impact excluding wilkes b/c he didnt play but i have seen him play and he is athletic! but alvin is very strong and maybe our best with penatration besides vaughn.. his defense is very good too! the stats didnt show it but i watched him close and he is special! wait and see! There im done righting a book on this team now lol

[daaphearthrob]

In 1992 we lost our first exhibition game to Athletes in Action... that team went on to the Final Four.

I'm not saying this team is Final Four bound or even Tourney bound. But they aren't as bad as they showed last night. That was an over dressed practice as far as I'm concerned. I have confidence in Mick.

I'm just excited that it's basketball season again!

[GoCats1994]

If the Bearcats would have won by 50 last night - it wouldn't mean anything more than barely winning last night. They are still 0-0 for this season. We have no idea what Mick was trying to accomplish with match-up's, player rotations, set plays, schemes, or specific challenges to specific players.

Cedric McGowan and Ron Allen did not make that much of a difference in last year's NKU match up. This is still the same group of guys that blew NKU out of the gym last year. I would assume that the mutual feeling among those in this forum is that this year's team has more talent than last year's team.

Perhaps last night's game will be good for this team. Maybe an attention getter for the newer players.

[ralph1950]

The boys looked awful last night, they cannot guard the 3 point shot. Right now it looks like a long losing season ahead. I would not buy tickets to the Big East Tourney if you expect to see the Bearcats there.

[BasketBySteveLogan]

Hey all you negative thinkers (I wont name names).. it's an exhibition game with a bunch of guys who have never played a game together against a crazy small line-up they will never see again!! Relax. How bout focusing on the fact that they fought hard and came back from an early 15 point deficit against a hot shooting team?? How bout Deonta 7 assists.. big free throws. Don't write them off already!!! Just remember: Mick beat NC St, Xavier, and West Va last year with an AWFUL team! The schedule is brutal this year, so nobody expects a post-season appearance.. just let these guys learn this year.. and enjoy the journey.

With Mick's coaching ability and recruiting prowess, we're only one year away from being a top 40 team (NCAA bubble +) again and possibly better!

Let's just have fun watching Alvin and Anthony and the others develop.. root for them.. don't expect a national championship caliber team.. and just enjoy the rebuilding!

[nolte50uc]

I totally agree that this was just a dressed practice, but there were things that you just don't do...ever. Like not putting your hand up when someone shoots a 3 (after making three in a row) or getting low on 'D' and not getting blown by. Scrimmage or not, that's just bad basketball. I could care less about the score or who won, but play solid and smart.

Most things that were bad are correctable and I believe Mick will get things working better in time for BEast play. We're certainly better than the score showed last night, but we're certainly not going to the Final Four playing as sluggish as last night.

I have to add though, some of the Frosh are going to be real weapons in the future - hopefully this year.

[swilsonsp4]

It's too early to make predictions based on one exhibition game, especially when so many new parts are being added to the machinery. This was the first leg of a shake-out cruise and several problems were uncovered, most of which are correctable.

The FT shooting was poor, other than Vaughn's last six (9 for 21 before that). Hrycaniuk is going to have to be a better FT shooter than he showed last night or he's going to get clobbered whenever he goes up.

NKU buried a lot of threes, but the defense in the second half beyond the arc improved dramatically in the second half. Yes, the Norse continued to hit shots from outside, but their offense was pushed farther out and Mark Hawkins was incredible from 25 feet. His shots in the first half were five feet closer.

UC's guards can't afford to relax near the end of a defensive stand. Too many times the Norse guards penetrated late for a kickout.

NKU's offensive spacing was much better than UC's. That was largely because they're an open post team. We're going to see a lot of high-low post play this year, with Hrycaniuk or McClain feeding from the high post and Williamson working beneath. Still, the Cats can't clog the lane and expect to get good shots.

On the positive side, Bishop is very smooth. He's going to be a load to handle when he learns the system. Nice penetration moves. Plus, he's left handed, which can cause defensive problems.

McClain looks light-years better than he did in the scrimmage ten days earlier, when he was totally lost. He's a freshman and he's an athletic 7-footer. Biggie will be fine.

Give this team several games, at least until December, before trying to predict the eventual outcome. Mick's still working the ship's boilers.

[Thegreatone]

That was a very good post swilson

[BasketBySteveLogan]

Now to the most important part of last night: DUNKS. Any dunks in the game? Who? Any high flying goin' on in warm-ups?? We NEED to know. Last year with no good dunkers was SO boring!

[nolte50uc]

Anyone can correct me, but I only remember Biggie throwing down a couple and Williams got one too. There was also Brandon Miller doing 360 windmills in warm-ups...but I was drinking a few.

[shaunsimpson]

I am worried about this team. Yes it was an exibition, but last years team won this game by 30+ (I don't remember how many).

I didn't see the game, but was hoping that this group would gel and pull together. It doesn't seem like they have. There are a lot of freshman who need to make an impact and it will take a few games to get them all on the system, but we can't wait long. Can't lose the games to really bad competition this year.

[ralph1950]

I am worried also, this team certainly is a long way from gelling, too many new faces in too many new places. 9-21 and 2-16 in The Big East is about all to expect.

[juckerrules]

I am worried also, this team certainly is a long way from gelling, too many new faces in too many new places. 9-21 and 2-16 in The Big East is about all to expect.

Ralph, c'mon....you have to expect the team to be better than last year...they lost McGowan, but that's about it....the rest of the team that was already here should be better with another year & with all of the recruits, I find it hard to believe that 2 or 3 of them won't have a reasonable impact on team performance..or do you think the loss of Ron Allen was crucial? :rolleyes:

[shaunsimpson]

9-21 and 2-16 is a bit much, but I don't think that we will be waiting on selection sunday this year. Big East tournament and NIT is a succesfull year in my opinion.

[CincyBeerCo]

A (one, singular, 1, uno) win in the BEast tourney and a trip to the NIT would, in my opinion, be a succes considering the program's situation. I truly beleive that this team DOES however, have a legititmate shot of creeping into the NCAA tourney (I would be quite excited, but not entirely shocked).

As far as the comparisson between last year's NKU game ( I was there) and last night's NKU game (had to give out candy so I have no visual evidence to present), you can't. Mick made the comment that last year he had his kids prepared as if they were getting ready for an NCAA tourney game (it was Mick's 1st as UC HC) and this year he did not prepare them one bit (on purpose to create more of a challenge for his kids).

We are, and WILL be, a better team than last year. More experience from our returning players, very little lost (no offense to Cedric) and lots of depth, talent and young legs added. Not to mention Mick has a year under his belt to acclimate to major (as opposed to mid-major Murray St.) college basketball. GO 'CATS!!! Kill Bellarmine (sp?) :D

[swilsonsp4]

It's way too early to come to any long-term conclusions. It was obvious that Mick hasn't gone over some critical aspects of team play in the early practices yet. The Cats were very vanilla both offensively and defensively last night, unlike last year's NKU exhibition, when they attacked defensively.

One aspect that was missing was defending in-bounds plays via man-to-man. In the first half, UC set up in a soft 2-3 zone for the first few in-bounds plays and the Norse passed the ball around to wide open teammates for uncontested treys. That stopped after a quick time out.

More and more will be loaded onto the players' plates in future practices. It's going to take time to put everything together. There will be some minor tweaking before the Bellarmine game and further teamwork lessons prior to the first game that counts.

Last year, when Mick turned to his bench, he saw an NAIA kid, a football player and two walk-ons, one of whom he never used. This year, he'll see talented, albeit inexperienced, basketball players.

Can the Cats win the BE? Not this year. Can they get to MSG? Probably, but, until they get everything installed and the frosh get some games under their belts, we won't know for sure. Give them time to develop before either glorifying or trashing them.

[BigDaddyCornHusker]

Can the Cats win the BE? Not this year. Can they get to MSG? Probably, but, until they get everything installed and the frosh get some games under their belts, we won't know for sure. Give them time to develop before either glorifying or trashing them.

Good points. It'll be another year of patience. With a stronger team, though, we should get a better feel as to what kind coach Mick is in the BE.

[SLMadiCat]

Many of people have said it already, but you can't judge this team off of one game. If Mick really wanted to blow NKU out, they would have. He would have prepared them for NKU and he would have coached a much different game. There is no way he would have kept Biggie on NKU's #21 if he was dead set on winning. If you were at the game you should recognize that Mick wanted Biggie and Adam to try and guard a smaller line up and work on their footwork. They also could have lobbed it inside on every single play but chose not too. In addition, UC could have played a smaller, more athletic line up and blown NKU out of the gym, or at least won by easy double digits. However, that was not the point of the game.