Bearcats struggled to put away Lipscomb 67-55. It's a win, but if that's a preview of things to come, ugh.
Bearcats struggled to put away Lipscomb 67-55. It's a win, but if that's a preview of things to come, ugh.
Brannen fired by UC
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/spo...en/7138404002/
Feels completely botched.
Chip R (04-12-2021)
It was completely botched when they let Cronin go.
It looks like it in hindsight, but I really think he had reached his ceiling at UC. It was good to see him make the run he did this year. I liked the thought of going for a guy whose style of play was more modern, but it obviously didn't work out at all with Brannen, and it sounds like the fallout will be very ugly.
BillDoran (04-09-2021)
What do you feel the ceiling for UC basketball is? They weren't getting Top-100, 5-star players. Cronin's ceiling at UC was UC's ceiling. I will put it another way: There was a lot greater chance of UC going down after Cronin, than going up. In other words, UC could have done a lot worse than Mick Cronin. And we saw that very clearly.
Did John Brannen actually put out a statement saying that he was proud of what accomplished at UC? Wow! He needs to start setting his sights a lot higher. 12-11 is something to be proud of? 2/3s of your players walking out of the program is something to be proud of? SMDH.
Who's gonna be the next coach?
I disagree that one appearance in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament in 13 years / nine tournaments is, or should be, UC's ceiling. No, they're not getting five star players, but Brannen brought in three four star players during his short tenure which matches the total number of four star guys Mick got in his entire tenure, I believe.
Mick is in a good situation in that UCLA pretty much recruits itself, especially after their recent Final Four run, but his recruiting was really slipping at UC toward the end. Leaving the next coach with Jarron, Keith, Tre and Brooks was a really strong foundation, but there was very little younger talent on the roster behind them with Curtis the only signed recruit. One way or another, a rebuild was happening after the 2019-2020 season. We are in agreement they can, and just did, do worse than Mick, but I think the 2017-2018 team that blew the 22 point lead to Nevada was Mick's best chance to make a run at UC, and we know how that ended.
"In our sundown perambulations of late, through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing 'base', a certain game of ball. Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms, the game of ball is glorious"
-Walt Whitman
Not sure he's the right fit at UC, but it's hard not to be impressed with what Dennis Gates has done at Cleveland State. You never know with a guy with that little experience, but man he's been dynamite thus far. This could be an opportune time to get a superstar coach on the rise.
Erik Martin may well be great, but I'd be reluctant to make an emotional hire. Being as closed tied to Huggs seems like you're digging up the past and inviting unnecessary expectations. In another light, he's part of the program's tradition.
I'm a Dayton fan and a believer in Archie. The bedside manner is terrible (he's not very charismatic), but I think he's a good coach and will win wherever he ends up.
I haven't read everything on the Brannen situation, and I imagine we've got more coming, but can somebody clue me in on why he got canned? I know there were leaks about exceeding practice limits and being unnecessarily harsh with players, but beyond that I haven't seen much. Of course, the players leaving is a problem as well, but as an outsider I'm just confused by the situation. It seems like it's gotten blown way out of proportion and any criticisms of Brannen don't seem to match the media storm that's brewed (much less deserve being fired).
First Huggins was the issue. Then Huggins goes to WV and enjoys perennial success.
Then Cronin was the issue. Then Cronin goes to WV and enjoys perennial success.
Now Brannen was the issue, after enjoying perennial success at NKU.
Me thinks I see a pattern here.
"Lemonade requires a significant amount of sugar. Otherwise, you've just made lemon juice."
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