UC's progress under Cronin

No one who follows the UC basketball program wanted to see it go through what it has the past few years, but it’s clear the Bearcats are on their way back. It has been interesting to follow UC's progress under Mick Cronin the past two years, to see how he has taken a program with only one player and rebuilt it to the point where it’s currently tied for sixth place in the Big East and will likely play in the Big East Tournament this year. With a strong finish, the Bearcats might be able to make it to the NIT.

Contrast that with St. John’s, whose program was also devastated three seasons ago. The Red Storm has failed to qualify for the conference tournament in three of the last four years, is struggling to make it this year, and according to a story in Sunday’s New York Times, some fans are calling for coach Norm Roberts, who’s in the fourth year of a five-year contract, to be fired. St. John's, which plays UC here Wednesday, started four freshmen against Providence because of an injury to Anthony Mason, Jr. It seems that in two years, UC has already made more progress in its revival than St. John’s has in four, even though the Bearcats did lose to the Red Storm back back on Jan. 5 in New York.