Coaching changes and effects on UC recruiting

[jeffto]

Now we have a threat to our Texas pipeline.

[GoBearcats31]

Why? We've been getting Texas guys for years, so a former coach in the state of texas wont affect us anymore by going to UK then if he went to Arkansas or anywhere else (outside of maybe Big East). If Huggins was at A&M and came to UK then that would affect us just like him coming from KSU to Wvu will

[CroninCrazy]

Also, we now have Tony Stubblefield who has Texas ties.

[jeffto]

I was being facetious. I just don't share the opinion that he's going to affect us any more than any other WVU coach. What's his selling point? "I used to be at UC, so come to WVU." I don't get it.

He was going after a lot of our recruits while at KSU. He might get some, he might not. I think Mick's probably as good as or better at recruiting as him.

[Cats21]

I agree, Mick has had some time to work Hope it will start to pay off. Maybe all the changes with all the coaching moves UC can sell Mick will never leave. He already has that Dream job!

[Catmandu]

I was being facetious. I just don't share the opinion that he's going to affect us any more than any other WVU coach. What's his selling point? "I used to be at UC, so come to WVU." I don't get it.

He was going after a lot of our recruits while at KSU. He might get some, he might not. I think Mick's probably as good as or better at recruiting as him.

I don't see any evidence that Mick is better than Huggins at recruiting. I think it hurts our recruiting because Beleien(sp?) recruited a different type of player(Offensive) than Mick, NOW, Mick has to compete with a Perennial top 25, NCAA Appearing, 2 time National COY, in a state Right next to him, without the advantage of saying "We're in the Big East"

I don't know how you would think it wouldn't affect recruiting.

Not to mention he could always say..."Yeah.. go ahead go to UC, they have Zimpher, they really care about basketball there......"

Anytime you have a good(great) coach join your conference in a state next to you, there can be recruiting issues. He knows the UC Program and how it works, he knows more about UC than any other recruiting coach, and now he's in our backyard, in our league. It certainly will have some affect on recruiting.

I like Mick alot, but Mick is not at the level of Huggins, Do you really think the kids care about a DUI? No, they will not be affected by "perceived" issues perpetuated by the press, they'll look at the list of Kenyon Martin, Jason Maxiell, Eric Hick, Corie Blount, Ruben Patterson, Demarr Johnson, etc etc then they look at the list of people Mick put in the NBA....0.... and it will have an affect.

[catswin]

Mick will be just fine. Even better once Gates commits.

Bob will be just fine too. May take longer than at KSU but he will win. He needs to lose some weight though - I hope he will not fall back into his bad habits. Good hearted guy who is his own worst enemy.

[catswin]

Kelvin Sampson in Indiana... Billy Gillespie and Rick Pitino in Kentucky, Jamie Dixon in Pennsylvania, John Belien and Tom Izzo in Michigan... those are some major coaches in states next to us. I rank Huggins at WVU at or near the bottom of this pack in terms of coaching ability but near the top of threats due to his experience in Ohio. Of course, he still has a hillbilly campus to recruit to, and urban kids will be scared off by recruiting tales of the Klan, etc...

[bearcatfan93]

Mick will have us back in the tourney in 2 years no doubt...he is one of the best recruiters in the nation and i believe one of the best young coaches in teh nation

[Bryan]

Mick will have us back in the tourney in 2 years no doubt...he is one of the best recruiters in the nation and i believe one of the best young coaches in teh nation

I would like to believe that "he is one of the best recruiters in the nation", but do you have any facts to back that up.

He did a great job given the situation, but he needs to do a grate job without any qualifications before he is one of the best... imo

I look forward to him developing into a great coach and recruiter, and being here for years... but hyperbole doesn't help.

[bearcatmark]

Mick will have us back in the tourney in 2 years no doubt...he is one of the best recruiters in the nation and i believe one of the best young coaches in teh nation




These kind of statements continue to baffle me. Very wishful thinking, and I hope you are right. But no one knows how great a recruiter Mick is as a head coach, just like no one knows how good a coach he will end up being. I think he has a great pedigree, and if you are taking a chance on an up and comer he would have been my #2 choice behind AK, and really it was probably just loyalty to AK that put him #1...Cronin has all the makings to be a great coach. But ultimately finding coaching gems is a crapshoot... So will see how great he is. I'm pulling for him, but will not make ridiculous statements like "he is one of the best recruiters in the nation" when he has been at UC two season and not had a top 30 recruiting class. Note that I am not blaming him for that...Very few could have recruited anything with the situation UC was in... Nothing he has done so far makes me feel one way or the other(though i was very happy with this years recruiting class)... however, lets see him get some great classes before we say he is one of the nations best recruiters

[CincySuperFan]

There have been some posts in regards to Mick's ability to recruit. When he left UC, our recruiting fell off big time. Mick goes to Louisville and recruits the best recruiting class in the country (they lost two players from that class to he NBA, Garcia was the third best player in that class). Lousiville hasn't had a strong class since Mick left. Huggs will struggle in WV for a couple of years. He inherits an offensive team that is not his style plus he has to convince kids that WV is not what its reputation says. Give Mick a break, he's going to do a great job.

[bearcatmark]

There have been some posts in regards to Mick's ability to recruit. When he left UC, our recruiting fell off big time. Mick goes to Louisville and recruits the best recruiting class in the country (they lost two players from that class to he NBA, Garcia was the third best player in that class). Lousiville hasn't had a strong class since Mick left. Huggs will struggle in WV for a couple of years. He inherits an offensive team that is not his style plus he has to convince kids that WV is not what its reputation says. Give Mick a break, he's going to do a great job.



I fail to see how I am not "giving Mick a break." Not making blanket statements like "Mick is one of the best recruiters in college basketball," hardly qualifies as ripping on him. I pull for Mick, think he can succeed, and hope he ultimately comes one of the best coaches in college basketball. My simple point is after one terrible season...THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW.

[jeffto]

There is no way to know, but there are clues. It seems to me that Mick has a lot of interest from a high quality bunch of recruits. This despite no TV, bad season, etc., etc.

I was looking at Rivals and Scout to see who Huggs was recruiting in 2008 and was surprised by how lean the lists were. For whatever they're worth he apparently was not on track for a good class.

[Josh Rexhausen]

For whatever they're worth he apparently was not on track for a good class.

Maybe that was another reason to leave.

[DMoney_70]

Just read that Billy Gillespie is going to visit Anthony McClain and try to bring him to Kentucky. It's very late in the game but I wonder if the door is open. McClain has been out there for a while and while we all hope and rumor about silent verbals and such, the truth is, Mick has never officially opened a scholarship for him and he's still uncommitted to anyone.

Should we worry about UK and their new coach?

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

There have been some posts in regards to Mick's ability to recruit. When he left UC, our recruiting fell off big time. Mick goes to Louisville and recruits the best recruiting class in the country (they lost two players from that class to he NBA, Garcia was the third best player in that class). Lousiville hasn't had a strong class since Mick left. Huggs will struggle in WV for a couple of years. He inherits an offensive team that is not his style plus he has to convince kids that WV is not what its reputation says. Give Mick a break, he's going to do a great job.

The Louisville class in 2002 was NOT the best class in the country. Nor was its 2003 class. Not even close on either one.

http://home.nc.rr.com/rsci/The_Winners/2002_Winners/2002_winners.html Louisville not in Top 15.

http://home.nc.rr.com/rsci/The_Winners/2003_Winners/2003_winners.html Not here either.

[jeffto]

Amazing how few of these became stars. Shows the value of preseason recruit ranking.

[cpawfan]

Honestly, I'm more worried about USC than I am any school in this region. Mayo's reasoning for seeking out USC is spot on and after the season they had without him, the recruiting pipeline for Trojan hoops will likely match Trojan football.

Proper identification of the right 4 year players to recruit along with the occasional recruiting home run is the way Mick needs to build the program.