Topic: Cincinnati Bearcats shifting again to varsity basketball college?
Message: School soccer is damaged, and I don’t see the way it will ever come again. A college just like the Bearcats goes to turn into irrelevant, I’m afraid. I solely hope it doesn’t occur to varsity basketball.
Reply: Is UC trending towards being a basketball college once more?
It positive seems to be that manner.
It’s one thing I’ve been enthusiastic about ever because the Bearcats basketball crew competed properly throughout its first season within the Massive 12 and was a shock NCAA Match bubble crew. What’s occurred since has solely fueled this perception.
Coach Wes Miller was in a position to retain all 4 of his prime returning guards, together with Dan Skillings Jr., and Jizzle James. Miller has introduced in some big-time gamers – a prime 25 switch class (247 Sports activities) and prime 30 highschool recruiting class (Rivals). No surprise UC has sold-out season tickets for the primary time since 2019-20, the college introduced this week.
Bearcats basketball pleasure is constructing at a time when UC soccer is rebuilding underneath a second-year coach. Meantime, the soccer crew is looking for its footing in a brand new world of school soccer that doesn’t favor sustained, high-level success for applications just like the Bearcats.
As I’ve beforehand written, soccer coach Scott Satterfield wants time to construct his program. However that’s an extremely troublesome job when the switch portal results in 30-40 new gamers every season and UC doesn’t have limitless NIL cash like a number of the SEC and Massive Ten faculties do.
I’ve additionally written that followers shouldn’t count on NCAA Match appearances every season − or at the very least going 9 straight seasons just like the Bearcats did from 2011-2019.
However UC basketball is in a greater place to construct sustained success. For one, the Massive 12 is the perfect convention in school basketball. (In soccer, the SEC and Massive Ten are the perfect.) Couple that with UC’s storied basketball custom and a coach often known as one of many nation’s greatest recruiters and and it takes fewer assets to show issues round.
Intimidate. Dominate. Have a good time. Once more. Perhaps?
Let’s mood this a bit bit. Miller, coming into his fourth season at UC, has but to take the Bearcats to the NCAA Match. All indicators level towards the Bearcats being an NCAA Match-type crew this upcoming season.
Nobody is saying UC can’t be often known as a soccer and basketball college, although it’s uncommon for a faculty to maintain success in each. I’m merely suggesting issues appear to be shifting again to UC being often known as a basketball college.
And I do know numerous long-time Bearcats followers can be simply wonderful with that.
This text initially appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bearcats basketball soccer recognition
