Anthony McClain commits to UC

[CrackerJack]

Nice. Chose UC over UConn (undoubtedly due to immediate PT at UC) and now Cronin has two big men for '07 in Adam H and McClain (6'10" and 6'11").

This to go along with Mike Williams, the former McD's AA transfer.. Of course the Yancy Gates commitment was the biggest find for Cronin and all of a sudden he's looking at a some top 25 type recruiting classes.

Nice to see the Bearcats getting their program back on track.

I realize there are only a few Bearcats fans on here it seems.

Great job by Cronin.

PS - saw rumor of OSU player possibly wanting to transfer after Yancy committed. Not sure who though - sounded like a recruit who hasn't signed his LOI yet.

[DoogMinAmo]

The recruit is Mullens, and I don't think it is going to happen, pure message board/ radio fodder.

Very nice class for Mick, if his coaching with talented players is half as good as his recruiting, the program may be in better shape than when Huggins was here.

[CrackerJack]

Originally Posted by DoogMinAmo

The recruit is Mullens, and I don't think it is going to happen, pure message board/ radio fodder.

Very nice class for Mick, if his coaching with talented players is half as good as his recruiting, the program may be in better shape than when Huggins was here.

Ah ok, didn't think a "rumor" had much weight at this point. UC has 5 scholarships for '08 I believe, and already has 2 top 100 recruits, and 3 others strongly considering UC for '08.

So you're right, this is the best class at UC since Mick's '99 recruits before he left Clifton.

Per scout.com for this upcoming class in '07:

UC has landed...

3 4-star recruits(McClain, Henry and Mitchell)

2 3-star recruits(Bishop and Davis)

1 2-star recruit(Belton)

Easily two top 20 classes in a row possibly.

I read where Henry and Mitchell's LOI's won't be announced quite yet, because their parents (mom's) were not with them yet.

[rotnoid]

Originally Posted by DoogMinAmo

The recruit is Mullens, and I don't think it is going to happen, pure message board/ radio fodder.

Very nice class for Mick, if his coaching with talented players is half as good as his recruiting, the program may be in better shape than when Huggins was here.

Yancy Gates' high school coach was on with Lance yesterday and said he's heard the same thing regarding Mullens. So, that's at least a semi-knowledgable source...

[LoganBuck]

Yep no chance at Mullens for UC. That was some of Yancy's camp throwing that grass into the wind. Mullens attends every OSU basketball and football game, and committed to OSU to honor his dying stepfather several years ago. Mullens is solid OSU. It is rumored that Gates and Mullens are close but according to several knowledgeable posters on other boards they haven't talked since November. Sounds like wishful speculation for UC fans.

I am so looking forward to McClain and Gates in two years. I don't anticipate McClain doing much next season but give him a full year in the strength and conditioning program, and some time to work on his offensive moves, he could become a monster.

[paintmered]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

Yep no chance at Mullens for UC. That was some of Yancy's camp throwing that grass into the wind. Mullens attends every OSU basketball and football game, and committed to OSU to honor his dying stepfather several years ago. Mullens is solid OSU. It is rumored that Gates and Mullens are close but according to several knowledgeable posters on other boards they haven't talked since November. Sounds like wishful speculation for UC fans.

The UC boards are just as skeptical about it as you are. I mean, Mullens committed to OSU as an 8th grader and has pretty much bled scarlet and gray since inception. It's hard to overlook that.

But in recruiting, nothing is ever final until these kids show up on the court (UC fans know that all too well). From what I hear, the Yancy Gates commit really set the ball rolling and has gotten other kids to consider UC.

[Matt700wlw]

Go Mick!

The doubters are nowhere to be found.....

[camisadelgolf]

I love what Mick's doing, but I'm still skeptical about his abilities as a coach on the court.

[Cyclone792]

This is great news. Cronin was supposed to be a great recruiter, and so far he's shown that he's able to live up to the billing. Like Doog said, if his coaching is anywhere near the level of his recruiting, then he should be able to turn the program around very quickly.

Next year should be a fun year with the trek back up. I'd like to see UC compete for an NCAA Tourney spot, but it's a bit too early to tell if that'll be possible. Two years from now we should be looking pretty good though.

[texasdave]

If Mick Cronin's last game as head coach of Murray State is any indication there shouldn't be much concern about his in-game coaching ability. 14th seeded Murray State took 3rd seeded North Carolina down to the wire in a close loss (69-65). This was without the services of one Murray State's better players for a good portion of the game, lost due to injury.

He is the son of a very successful high school coach. He played point guard until he got injured. He worked his way up the ladder at an early age. He coached under both Pitino and Huggins. His head coaching record at Murray State was excellent.

I feel he can coach a little.

[Redlegs23]

It's nice to feel some hope and optimism as a Bearcat fan. After finishing 11-19 last season, with only a couple of quality wins (Xavier, West Virginia, & NC State), it's amazing that Mick was able to pull off a class like he did. The '08 class is looking great already. So far they have Gates who's obviously a monster, and Wilkes who many think is a top 50 player. I think scout has him ranked in the 60's right now, not that rankings really mean all that much though.

As far as Mullens coming to UC, I really doubt it will happen since he has been such as OSU fan for so long. However, Jamar Butler was just as big of a UC fan when he was in jr. high and high school and even has the tatoo to prove it. (I think he got it covered up since he changed his mind). This just shows that high schoolers can change their minds, and it's possible that Mullens may want to play with Yancey and McElroy, who is also on his AAU team and committed to UC. I can hope, but I still doubt it will happen.

Congrats to Mick and his staff on a very nice job recruiting.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by Redlegs23

It's nice to feel some hope and optimism as a Bearcat fan. After finishing 11-19 last season, with only a couple of quality wins (Xavier, West Virginia, & NC State), it's amazing that Mick was able to pull off a class like he did.

Some people will say that's he's cheating (like they said with Thad Matta).