2016-2017 Season

[jacobkdoyle]

@kenpomeroy
Unbeaten teams remaining: 128. (9 fewer than yesterday.)

Let's stay on this list!

[L-T]

Originally Posted by UCBearcats

Go back and watch the Duke vs Kansas game from earlier this week if you have the ability and then watch any UC game.

Obviously the caliber of player is different but the offensive systems these teams run is light years beyond anything we've seen under Mick.

The system is irrelevant in this discussion. Cronin has pretty much never recruited a pure shooter, so we don't know if the system is the problem or not. Many teams have multiple or more shooters. We rarely have one. You might be able to argue for Cobb, but even he would go thru long funks.

[2bearcatdad]

Originally Posted by L-T

The system is irrelevant in this discussion. Cronin has pretty much never recruited a pure shooter, so we don't know if the system is the problem or not. Many teams have multiple or more shooters. We rarely have one. You might be able to argue for Cobb, but even he would go thru long funks.

Cobb was recruited to be that guy.

[ME80]

Originally Posted by L-T

The system is irrelevant in this discussion. Cronin has pretty much never recruited a pure shooter, so we don't know if the system is the problem or not. Many teams have multiple or more shooters. We rarely have one. You might be able to argue for Cobb, but even he would go thru long funks.

LT, I agree with you totally. I have always felt that Cronin was happier getting athletes that can play defense and out muscle the other team. I think luckily he is changing his views on recruiting and I think we are starting to see that. I think his ability to coach offense can be graded better over the next couple of years if he continues to bring in offensive minded recruits.

[waterhead]

Originally Posted by WAITE HOYT 2

I understand your post but I just want to win. If you ask me who should get how many minutes I would agree with your logic but much goes into managing a game. Foul trouble, effectiveness, health and I'm sure a few others. As the season unfolds I'm sure the staff will define roles but again that can change game to game based on events within the game.

To your point from what I have seen so far having Washington, Clark, TC and Evans available and on the floor looks like a good thing. Fitting in the rest is still a work in progress.

These were just general averages. We all understand each game has its own set of variables. I also understand it's early and we haven't played anyone. Just having a little fun because waiting 5 days for another game is 5 days too many...lol!

[waterhead]

Originally Posted by L-T

The system is irrelevant in this discussion. Cronin has pretty much never recruited a pure shooter, so we don't know if the system is the problem or not. Many teams have multiple or more shooters. We rarely have one. You might be able to argue for Cobb, but even he would go thru long funks.

Long funks? Yes. He probably shot near 50 percent the first half of the season and 30 percent the second half. If he could have shot 40 percent the second half it would have been one of the best shooting years we have seen from any UC player. Unfortunately the second half of the season is when games are a lot tougher and my guess is his height became a small problem.

[waterhead]

Originally Posted by waterhead

Long funks? Yes. He probably shot near 50 percent the first half of the season and 30 percent the second half. If he could have shot 40 percent the second half it would have been one of the best shooting years we have seen from any UC player. Unfortunately the second half of the season is when games are a lot tougher and my guess is his height became a small problem.

Watching Cumberland shoot is giving me a little hope. 6-5...quick shot...shoots from a standing position which is hard to tell when he's going to pull the trigger. Seems to have good range. He may not be the most accurate but those things will come in handy when we play against better defense.

Caupains shot takes a while so he has to be wide open...same with KJ. Jenifer is small so he has to be open. Cumberland can have a guy standing in front of him and launch one if he wants without getting blocked. Evans has the height and ability to create his shot...range is good. He's a jumper so he's hard to block too.

[jacobkdoyle]

Originally Posted by waterhead

Watching Cumberland shoot is giving me a little hope. 6-5...quick shot...shoots from a standing position which is hard to tell when he's going to pull the trigger. Seems to have good range. He may not be the most accurate but those things will come in handy when we play against better defense.

Caupains shot takes a while so he has to be wide open...same with KJ. Jenifer is small so he has to be open. Cumberland can have a guy standing in front of him and launch one if he wants without getting blocked. Evans has the height and ability to create his shot...range is good. He's a jumper so he's hard to block too.

That was one of the first things I noticed about Evans last year. I remember in the exhibition he was pulling up with guys right in his face and Chuck would say it was a bad shot on the broadcast, but it doesn't matter for Evans. He just gets his shot off anyway like no one is there. That's really rare for college kids, especially young ones. SK is pretty much the only other guy we've had like that recently.

[waterhead]

Originally Posted by waterhead

Watching Cumberland shoot is giving me a little hope. 6-5...quick shot...shoots from a standing position which is hard to tell when he's going to pull the trigger. Seems to have good range. He may not be the most accurate but those things will come in handy when we play against better defense.

Caupains shot takes a while so he has to be wide open...same with KJ. Jenifer is small so he has to be open. Cumberland can have a guy standing in front of him and launch one if he wants without getting blocked. Evans has the height and ability to create his shot...range is good. He's a jumper so he's hard to block too.

Guys who should shoot near the 3 point line. Jenifer, Caupain, and our bigs. Moore may have a little bit of range.

Other guys with range (say 5 feet out) are Cumberland, Evans, and KJ. Being 6-5 plus with range will give us some good late clock options.

We still need to work on creating more open looks.

[UCBearcats]

Originally Posted by L-T

The system is irrelevant in this discussion. Cronin has pretty much never recruited a pure shooter, so we don't know if the system is the problem or not. Many teams have multiple or more shooters. We rarely have one. You might be able to argue for Cobb, but even he would go thru long funks.

Disagree, the system (or lack of one) is the entire problem that has over arched this program under Cronin.

Kilpatrick was about as close to a pure shooter as you're going to get and we've had other players who were capable of shooting better if put in the right position to do so.

As someone mentioned earlier so many of our "good" looks come late in the shot clock when we're rushed into putting the ball towards the basket. Our inability or refusal to move on offense without the ball, to set screens, and to get open looks early in the offensive set is a huge contributor to our lack of of success shooting the ball.

We aren't going to recruit Steph Curry or JJ Redick to play at UC. But even those guys are made great in part because they played or play in systems that allow them to move without the ball. Both of those players are constantly moving without the ball and many times weaving through multiple screens before finally getting into a position where they can catch and shoot with space.

When was the last time your ever saw an offense under Mick Cronin move without the ball? When was the last time you saw the use of on or off ball screens to free up a player for a shot? When was the last time you saw a player cut to the rim and receive a pass that allowed them to make a layup or spot up for a mid range shot?

These things don't happen and all contribute to our inability to shoot at a higher percentage. Good players are made great by coaches. To Mick's credit he has made great defenders out of some players who otherwise might not have been but great offense is what separates teams like UC from teams that have a legitimate chance to compete for championships.

Look at the cinderella teams that make runs in the NCAAs. When was the last time you saw a team like that make a run deep into the tourney on the heels of their lock-down defense??? It doesn't happen, it happens because despite their lack of top tier talent they have coaching that allows them to be dynamic on offense. The team that scores the most points wins the game. We might be able to bully ball the weak teams no our schedule and grind out the rock fights, and we might be able to occasionally beat a good team because we can make them uncomfortable and grind them down. We will NEVER make a sustained run as a team unless we learn to play the other 50% of the game that our coach doesn't have the capacity or desire to teach.