Credit the seniors
It was tempting during the five-game losing streak in December to advocate pushing the returning seniors into the background and letting the freshmen get more experience for next season, thereby writing off the rest of this year. In fact, it was so tempting, I think that's precisely what I said on the radio one day, if not in print. But give Mick Cronin credit for understanding that the seniors’ one year of Big East experience was a valuable asset not to be dismissed. Now that experience is paying off.
It’s true that the Bearcats are better this season because they have more depth and talent, but also because they are better equipped mentally to deal with adversity late in games. And the seniors are showing leadership during practice, correcting the young players when they make a mistake.
“Before you can say anything, they’ve already said something to the freshmen,” Cronin said. “It’s been happening the last two or three weeks.”
Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has noticed the difference in maturity, too.
“They’re a good team," Dixon said. "They’re 4-2 (in the Big East) and they’re getting better. You can see the seniors doing a great job. Warren and Williamson are doing some very good things for them. Say what you want about them, most of those guys have been in the program two years. They played a lot of minutes last year and they’re reaping the benefits this year.”
12 Comments:
Fantastic job for UC yesterday, congrats to the kids for a fine effort!
Now...let's get rid of Nancy, and we'll really be in the cat-bird's seat!
i still maintain the biggest win was at Louisville - even though they lost to Seton Hall.
I didn't realize pitt was down to 8 players and 2 starters out. PD (can i use his initials?) said so.
keep supporting the cats -
yeah the seniors are better than we thought, however the real problem, ongoing, is that the seniors ARE better than THEY think! ie, they aren't realizing their true potential because they don't believe in themselves. they think that they are still JCs, that in a way they still don't belong even though they have paid their dues a couple of times over. for example take Gentry, if you watched him in summer league you were amazed at how much he improved year to year. the man can shoot the 3, he can slash, he can rebound. play shut down defense and he will give up his body. Yet he gets no respect! I don't understand it. take Williamson, he is this years Mcgohan, some one who is not living up to his true potential. Why not? the pop psych explanation is that mac was ok as long as Hicks was the main man and he could operate under the umbrella, ie he thought like a jc, a guy who was not good enough to play the lead. Note that Vaughn does not think this way because he is not a jc. take Warren. watching him in summer league he had all the skills of a take charge point, both distributing the ball and scoring. after he made the key 3s in a recent game, it was commented that that was a fluke, that he cannot score the ball, what a joke! he doesn't score because he believes that the role of the point is to get everyone else to score! what a concept! and he can and does play some smash mouth defense. Sikes did a very good job as an out of position post last year, but this year he is the biggest puzzle, you would think he would be a rebounding machine who can hit the 3, the oppositions worst nightmare! got to chalk this on up to the jc syndrome but i am not comfortable with that answer. however, the team is doing well in spite of themselves, but if they ever truly beleve in themselves, paybacks really will be swell!
It doesn't matter how many players Pitt was down to, they just beat Georgetown 5 days prior with these same players. Even with losing Cook and Fields, they have not skipped a beat. This is the biggest win of the year so far.
Question:
Why is the blog not checked more often and comments posted more quickly?
Answer:
Billy Boy and the Enquirer do NOT seem to want to please us, but simply want to appease us. That's why this blog is not checked more often, loosened up some and has less than half the posts of JK's old blog. Bill, why won’t you and the Enquirer please give us readers what we want?
2:45, get over it allready
12:42, A lot of guys look better playing in summer league as opposed to The Big East. Their defender is probably a little better in The Big East.
Anon 4:42
Are you Bill K or one of the other blog comment checkers...LOL
****Tell the truth now!****
All these whiners about comments not being posted are acting like first graders who had to go to bed early before their favorite show came on. Come on, grow up. A policy is a policy so grow some balls and suck it up.
BTW, big win by UC.
Anon 5:51
Spoken like a true loyal employee. Keep up the good work - the Enquirer needs more just like you!!
Not much from the "Mick can't coach" sect of late...Imagine that. Confidence is HUGE, and Mick has them believing. Potential recruits notice these wins as well. I can feel the excitement out here on the prairie! Good stuff!
have you ever watched a summer league game? I guarantee i can take an all star team from the summer league and win the BE. of course some of those guys are playing in another league right now and they may not be available. Others used to play there, and others are currently legit all americans. but you don't have to bother to attend a game, after all it might lend a little creditabilty to your comments.
12:42...Your rant was very "Queeg-esque"...Nice job jumping aimlessly from topic to topic, while making no sense whatsoever. I was waiting for you to mention the "Strawberry Business"...
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