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I touched a little on this in the last article I wrote, but felt it deserved more. Mick Cronin is the right man for the job for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Yeah I was one of the ones that was pissed when Bob Huggins was fired and was frustrated with UC Basketball for the past few years. I'm an impatient fan like everyone else and wanted this team to be good. The thing is no coach on Earth could've had success the first few years taking over the team that Mick inherited.
The job he has done both this year and in the overall rebuilding process has been remarkable. This team isn't exactly loaded with talent like some of the past teams here, but they are playing as a team better than any team I can remember. I'm 29 years old so I don't remember the teams of the sixties, since I wasn't born. Anyway the way this team has come together is amazing. Right now they are playing about as good as anyone in the country, and there isn't a single team in college basketball that they couldn't beat on any given night. I was waiting for the team to fall apart coming down the stretch like most I've heard on the local talk shows, but it hasn't happened and that's a credit to Mick. He has this team playing so well that they have handily beaten Louisville, Marquette, and Georgetown twice coming down the stretch and are going back to the NCAA tournament where they belong.
It's time for this city to fully get back behind this team like it was when Huggins was the coach here. This is Mick's team now and he is the right man for the job. He is a hometown guy, a man who wanted this job, a person who has paid his dues as an assistant here and a head coach at a smaller school. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the right person to be head coach at the University of Cincinnati. He has taken this program that was in disarray and has them back to being a team that has a chance to make a deep run in March. It took five years and honestly that's about how long I expected it to take and to think otherwise really would be foolish. Players didn't want to come here right after a legendary coach had been fired and they didn't know where the program was headed.
Now I think we have the makings of another legendary coach on our hands. This team isn't exactly the most talented team, but it's playing like a top 25 team right now. I don't care if they are ranked or not, they are one of the best 25 TEAMS in NCAA Basketball. That's a credit to Mick he has gotten the most out of this team. I think it's safe to say the end of the rebuilding process is officially here. UC has a very good recruiting class coming in next year and a lot of the key players from this years team will be back. I look for this team to be even better next year and the recruiting classes are going to continue to get better and better. We are now going from rebuilding process to the winning process.
When Mick got here I remember in one of his first press confrences he said he was here with the goal of winning a National Championship. I was skeptical and thought with the condition this program was in he may be lucky to still be the coach here in six years. Well I am no longer skeptical. I'm thinking if he has this team playing this well, when he gets even more talent in here imagine how good they can be. Even with teams with average talent they have played pretty well in the Big East Tournament the past few years, advancing further than anyone thought last year. That tells me this man is a coach that knows how to win in tournament play and that has me excited thinking about what this team can do in the NCAA Tournament this year and in future years when we have even more talented players on this team. I love Bob Huggins as a coach, but there were a lot of years that loaded teams made second round exits in the NCAA Tournament. I honestly think Mick will be a better NCAA Tourney coach than Huggins was and believe he's the right man to lead this team to it's first NCAA Championship in almost 40 years.
So Cincinnati, it's time to get behind this coach and give him some props. It's time to get excited about UC Basketball once again if you haven't been for the last few years. The Bearcats are back and it's because of Mick Cronin, a hometown guy. It's only going to get better from here so get out those Danny Fortson jerseys and start wearing them proudly once again. Go down to DuBois Bookstore and get some new UC gear. Lets start filling up that arena and give this team a real home court advantage. Start hating Louisville with a passion once again. Get ready to buy some T Shirts that say Big East Champs, 2012!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
UC Is On A Roll!!!!
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Well the Bearcats just kicked Georgetown's ass again and are clearly one of the top 25 teams in the nation, I don't care if they're ranked or not. Georgetown was ranked 17th going in to this game and UC is a better team than they are. The Bearcats are better than a lot of teams that are going to get a higher seed than them in the NCAA Tournament.
The depth really showed in today's game as even though UC was ahead for most of the game they really blew it open in the last seven minutes. This is the same depth that I said could carry them to winning the Big East Tournament. They regularly play nine players double digit minutes. That gives them an advantage over most teams, especially in a tournament where you play every day, no days off. The only other team that plays that many players in this conference is Pittsburgh. Playing this many players has this team fresh over a long college basketball season as well. In today's game alone you could tell Georgetown's players were wore out coming down the stretch and Cincinnati's players were fresh.
This team has a ton of momentum heading into Championship Week and the NCAA Tournament. It has won five of it's last six games and four of those games were against ranked teams, and another against Marquette who is a likely tournament team and it was Senior Night at Marquette in a game they needed. So five of those games were against quality teams and the other was against a Providence team that is tough to beat at home. This was the time of year many had UC pegged to fall apart and not make the Tournament again. They did just the opposite, dominating the competition and are guaranteed to be in. None of these wins against ranked teams came down to the wire either. They handily beat Louisville, Marquette, and Georgetown twice. They did blow a 16 point lead at Providence, but then crushed them in overtime. This team is on a roll, and is playing about as well as anyone in the country right now! There's not a single team in college basketball that UC couldn't beat on a given night, not one! That could make for a very interesting March.
With all of this happening, it's time to give Mick Cronin some credit. Things were looking down and I was about ready to write them off after the loss to West Virginia. They stepped up to the challenge and have been playing excellent lately, give the credit to Mick as well as the players. The job he has done taking this team from nothing to where it is right now over five years is a remarkable job. Yeah we would have liked to see it happen quicker, but this program was in disarray when he got the job and it was going to take time. Well he has it turned around now and he deserves a ton of credit. I have no doubt that Mick is the man for the job now and it's time for this city to embrace him. He is a hometown guy, paid his dues as an assistant, went to a smaller school, and now is the right man for this job. It's time to start filling the stands at fifth third arena again. Ladies and Gentleman, Cincinnati basketball is back! It's officially the end of the rebuilding process and now the start of being one of the top programs in the country once again!
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Well the Bearcats just kicked Georgetown's ass again and are clearly one of the top 25 teams in the nation, I don't care if they're ranked or not. Georgetown was ranked 17th going in to this game and UC is a better team than they are. The Bearcats are better than a lot of teams that are going to get a higher seed than them in the NCAA Tournament.
The depth really showed in today's game as even though UC was ahead for most of the game they really blew it open in the last seven minutes. This is the same depth that I said could carry them to winning the Big East Tournament. They regularly play nine players double digit minutes. That gives them an advantage over most teams, especially in a tournament where you play every day, no days off. The only other team that plays that many players in this conference is Pittsburgh. Playing this many players has this team fresh over a long college basketball season as well. In today's game alone you could tell Georgetown's players were wore out coming down the stretch and Cincinnati's players were fresh.
This team has a ton of momentum heading into Championship Week and the NCAA Tournament. It has won five of it's last six games and four of those games were against ranked teams, and another against Marquette who is a likely tournament team and it was Senior Night at Marquette in a game they needed. So five of those games were against quality teams and the other was against a Providence team that is tough to beat at home. This was the time of year many had UC pegged to fall apart and not make the Tournament again. They did just the opposite, dominating the competition and are guaranteed to be in. None of these wins against ranked teams came down to the wire either. They handily beat Louisville, Marquette, and Georgetown twice. They did blow a 16 point lead at Providence, but then crushed them in overtime. This team is on a roll, and is playing about as well as anyone in the country right now! There's not a single team in college basketball that UC couldn't beat on a given night, not one! That could make for a very interesting March.
With all of this happening, it's time to give Mick Cronin some credit. Things were looking down and I was about ready to write them off after the loss to West Virginia. They stepped up to the challenge and have been playing excellent lately, give the credit to Mick as well as the players. The job he has done taking this team from nothing to where it is right now over five years is a remarkable job. Yeah we would have liked to see it happen quicker, but this program was in disarray when he got the job and it was going to take time. Well he has it turned around now and he deserves a ton of credit. I have no doubt that Mick is the man for the job now and it's time for this city to embrace him. He is a hometown guy, paid his dues as an assistant, went to a smaller school, and now is the right man for this job. It's time to start filling the stands at fifth third arena again. Ladies and Gentleman, Cincinnati basketball is back! It's officially the end of the rebuilding process and now the start of being one of the top programs in the country once again!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Selection Sunday
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Selection Sunday is nine days away and for the first time in five years we know that the Cincinnati Bearcats will be listed on that tournament bracket next to a seed. If feels really good as we were spoiled as UC fans due to the fact they were a mainstay in the Tourney. How high of a seed they get will be up to them as they have a chance to sweep Georgetown tomorrow and earn a bye in the Big East tournament. With St. Johns losing to Seton Hall yesterday they have a chance to finish as high as fifth in the conference. A conference with sixteen teams that is absolutely loaded and a fifth place finish would be a great accomplishment. The media is talking about teams that could finish behind UC getting seeds as high as a 3rd seed. You would have to think if they finish fifth they have to get atleast a 5th seed and maybe even a 4th seed.
If they can get that bye one win in the Big East tournament would get them to the Quarterfinals. If they can get another they could possibly set themselves up to win the Big East tournament. I know it sounds crazy, but here is my reasoning. The Big East tournament is set up where you play every day consecutively, no off days. The Bearcats have regularly played nine players double digit minutes with not much dropoff when players come off the bench. In a tournament like this if they can get by their first game the following rounds fatigue will set in with teams that don't play as many players and that's every team in the conference besides Pitt, who with a win tomorrow for the Bearcats, they wouldn't see until the finals. So like I said, if they can get by that first game they are going to have an advantage over the other teams they play as they will have the fresher legs.
Back to selection Sunday, if the Bearcats actually win the Big East tournament or atleast make the Finals, you would have to think the committee would have to give them atleast a 4th seed. A team that finishes 5th or 6th in the Big East regular season and makes the Finals or wins the tournament you couldn't justify not giving them at least a 4th seed. Not to mention if they win tomorrow and make a deep run in the Big East tourney they are going to have a lot of confidence going into the NCAA tourney and teams are going to go in to the game knowing that UC is a very good team and they are the underdog.
I can't wait until next Sunday to see where they are going to be seeded, where they are going to play, and who is in their section of the bracket. It feels really good to be able to say that as it's been a tough five years. I think this team is close to have arrived back to national prominence and the rough phase has come to an end as far as rebuilding.
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Selection Sunday is nine days away and for the first time in five years we know that the Cincinnati Bearcats will be listed on that tournament bracket next to a seed. If feels really good as we were spoiled as UC fans due to the fact they were a mainstay in the Tourney. How high of a seed they get will be up to them as they have a chance to sweep Georgetown tomorrow and earn a bye in the Big East tournament. With St. Johns losing to Seton Hall yesterday they have a chance to finish as high as fifth in the conference. A conference with sixteen teams that is absolutely loaded and a fifth place finish would be a great accomplishment. The media is talking about teams that could finish behind UC getting seeds as high as a 3rd seed. You would have to think if they finish fifth they have to get atleast a 5th seed and maybe even a 4th seed.
If they can get that bye one win in the Big East tournament would get them to the Quarterfinals. If they can get another they could possibly set themselves up to win the Big East tournament. I know it sounds crazy, but here is my reasoning. The Big East tournament is set up where you play every day consecutively, no off days. The Bearcats have regularly played nine players double digit minutes with not much dropoff when players come off the bench. In a tournament like this if they can get by their first game the following rounds fatigue will set in with teams that don't play as many players and that's every team in the conference besides Pitt, who with a win tomorrow for the Bearcats, they wouldn't see until the finals. So like I said, if they can get by that first game they are going to have an advantage over the other teams they play as they will have the fresher legs.
Back to selection Sunday, if the Bearcats actually win the Big East tournament or atleast make the Finals, you would have to think the committee would have to give them atleast a 4th seed. A team that finishes 5th or 6th in the Big East regular season and makes the Finals or wins the tournament you couldn't justify not giving them at least a 4th seed. Not to mention if they win tomorrow and make a deep run in the Big East tourney they are going to have a lot of confidence going into the NCAA tourney and teams are going to go in to the game knowing that UC is a very good team and they are the underdog.
I can't wait until next Sunday to see where they are going to be seeded, where they are going to play, and who is in their section of the bracket. It feels really good to be able to say that as it's been a tough five years. I think this team is close to have arrived back to national prominence and the rough phase has come to an end as far as rebuilding.
The Bengals...Argh!
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It's tough going from writing about the Reds to writing about the Bengals. This organization is a mess. The franchise player, Carson Palmer, no longer wants to play for them. In fact, he has told some friends that he will not play for them again. He is threatening to retire rather than play for this team and frankly I don't blame him.
Now they are in a position where they need a QB along with other positions. The best thing to do is to blow the whole thing up and rebuild, in my opinion. Frankly Palmer hasn't been playing that well and I don't see them making or winning the Super Bowl with him as the signal caller. What I'd like to see them do is bring in a veteran QB on a two year contract and draft the future QB either this year or next year. Preferrably next year as they need to build this team first then get the future QB. They need help about everywhere and I'm a believer in taking the best player available in the draft and not to draft for need. When you draft someone they are going to be here for several years and team needs change every year.
If Patrick Peterson is still on the board when the Bengals are on the clock I hope they take him. CB is hardly the biggest need, in fact it's probably their strongest position group. But Jonathon Joseph's contract is up and he can't stay healthy. Peterson is big for a CB, which will help him against bigger WR's, but he is just as fast if not faster than most running a 4.34 forty yard dash. He also brings value as a punt returner and to me is the best player on the board. I also wouldn't mind if they take someone on one of the lines. At number 4 there isn't an offensive lineman worthy of the pick, but there are plenty of defensive lineman that are worth that pick. If they can get a mid to late first round pick for Carson they could get a quality offensive lineman, maybe Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin. All the top NFL teams at drafting, draft for best player not need and that's because needs change but the best players in drafts don't.
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It's tough going from writing about the Reds to writing about the Bengals. This organization is a mess. The franchise player, Carson Palmer, no longer wants to play for them. In fact, he has told some friends that he will not play for them again. He is threatening to retire rather than play for this team and frankly I don't blame him.
Now they are in a position where they need a QB along with other positions. The best thing to do is to blow the whole thing up and rebuild, in my opinion. Frankly Palmer hasn't been playing that well and I don't see them making or winning the Super Bowl with him as the signal caller. What I'd like to see them do is bring in a veteran QB on a two year contract and draft the future QB either this year or next year. Preferrably next year as they need to build this team first then get the future QB. They need help about everywhere and I'm a believer in taking the best player available in the draft and not to draft for need. When you draft someone they are going to be here for several years and team needs change every year.
If Patrick Peterson is still on the board when the Bengals are on the clock I hope they take him. CB is hardly the biggest need, in fact it's probably their strongest position group. But Jonathon Joseph's contract is up and he can't stay healthy. Peterson is big for a CB, which will help him against bigger WR's, but he is just as fast if not faster than most running a 4.34 forty yard dash. He also brings value as a punt returner and to me is the best player on the board. I also wouldn't mind if they take someone on one of the lines. At number 4 there isn't an offensive lineman worthy of the pick, but there are plenty of defensive lineman that are worth that pick. If they can get a mid to late first round pick for Carson they could get a quality offensive lineman, maybe Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin. All the top NFL teams at drafting, draft for best player not need and that's because needs change but the best players in drafts don't.
The Reds Are Loaded
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This is the most exciting Spring Training for the Reds that I can remember. I was born in 1982 and I do remember the 1990 World Championship team, but I don't remember most of the season other than they went wire to wire. I have been a big baseball fan since I first went to a game at six years old, so I do remember the Reds being good and making playoff runs, just not the hype of the season and I certainly wasn't a nerd with a blog back then.
This year there are many things to be excited about. The team is coming off of a division championship with a bunch of young players that should only progress and be even better this year. There are many position battles and the battles aren't just mediocre players that the Reds are trying to plug into a major league lineup because they don't have any better options. Instead they have multiple good options and some of those options aren't going to win starting spots or even make the big league club in some cases.
They are loaded at Pitcher. Volquez, Cueto, and Arroyo are locks to make the starting lineup. After those three there is a battle between Travis Wood, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake, and Sam Lecure for the final two spots. I doubt Lecure is going to win one of those spots and I'm pretty confident that Wood is going to get one of the two spots as he's a lefty on a rotation that is going to be righty dominated. Not only that I think he's the best of those four Pitchers. That leaves Bailey and Leake for the final spot. I think Bailey is going to win the spot, but honestly he hasn't lived up to the hype and I personally like Leake better. Leake could be the long reliever, but I think he's better off going down to Louisville where he can pitch every five days. Every year pitchers get hurt so having Leake go down is a good problem to have because he more than likely will be up in Cincinnati, probably sooner rather than later. People have been calling for the Reds to package a Pitcher or two and trade them for a Left Fielder, preferrably one that can be a lead off hitter. I don't want them to do that, with how often Pitchers get injured you can never have too much depth at the position.
Speaking of Left Field, Dusty Baker said that Gomes will be the regular guy out there. That worries me because if you take away the early part of the year where Gomes was hot, his number would've been terrible. His defensive play is atrocious. I'm hoping that Yonder Alonso can learn to play Left Field in a hurry. Adding his bat to the lineup would be a big boost as he has the potential to put up numbers at the plate similiar to Votto and his defensive play can't be much worse than Johnny Gomes. If Alsonso can learn the position you're looking at a batting order of:
Stubbs, CF
Phillips, 2B
Votto, 1B
Alonso, LF
Rolen, 3B
Bruce, RF
Hernandez/Hannigan, C
Janish, SS
Pitcher Spot
That's a hell of a lineup to go with the good deep Pitching that the Reds have. It'd be a recipe for a repeat in the Central division and hopefully a deeper playoff run than last year, maybe a trip to the World Series if they can get by the Phillies in the NLCS.
What we have left is the bullpen. It's looking to be strong with the back end having Masset, Chapman, and Cordero. If Cordero is on top of his game you are looking at a team that can be playing six inning games. Have the lead after six and those three will likely shut down the opposition. Be tied or within a couple of runs and you are looking at a team that can either take the lead if the other team is unable to score and the game is tied. Or have a good shot at come from behind victories if the Reds can score in the late innings, which they did several times last season. All this without mentioning that they have Dontrelle Willis in the fold. If he can get back to anywhere close to his prime now you're talking about having two stud leftys and two stud rightys in the bullpen. In close late inning games you're able to pitch to the match ups. You also have Mike Lincoln who is no slouch. This bullpen is going to be absolutely loaded this year and if you're looking to make a trade that could be an area they have someone to spare. If you're not going to find a spot for Yonder Alonso, they could package him with a bullpen guy and make a big time trade getting a quality Left Fielder in here.
Either way the season is just a few weeks away and honestly I think if the Reds stay relatively healthy they are the favorites to repeat in the Central and probably the 2nd best team in the National League on paper. Yeah the Brewers picked up a couple guys, but the Brewers and every other team in the division doesn't have anywhere near the depth that the Reds do. That is important, probably the most important thing to have. The Brewers maybe have the edge with the top 3 of their rotation, but if they do it's not by much. Greinke had one good season two years ago and that's it, there's no guarantee he's going to be the ace they are expecting. Marcum is decent but overrated and isn't as good as any of the Reds top 3. Gallardo is a stud and if he stays healthy he can be a problem. Yeah their lineup is good, not as deep as the Reds though, and remember this Reds team led the National League in runs scored last year. Bottom line, I'm predicting a repeat and at minimum a trip to the National League Championship Series.
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This is the most exciting Spring Training for the Reds that I can remember. I was born in 1982 and I do remember the 1990 World Championship team, but I don't remember most of the season other than they went wire to wire. I have been a big baseball fan since I first went to a game at six years old, so I do remember the Reds being good and making playoff runs, just not the hype of the season and I certainly wasn't a nerd with a blog back then.
This year there are many things to be excited about. The team is coming off of a division championship with a bunch of young players that should only progress and be even better this year. There are many position battles and the battles aren't just mediocre players that the Reds are trying to plug into a major league lineup because they don't have any better options. Instead they have multiple good options and some of those options aren't going to win starting spots or even make the big league club in some cases.
They are loaded at Pitcher. Volquez, Cueto, and Arroyo are locks to make the starting lineup. After those three there is a battle between Travis Wood, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake, and Sam Lecure for the final two spots. I doubt Lecure is going to win one of those spots and I'm pretty confident that Wood is going to get one of the two spots as he's a lefty on a rotation that is going to be righty dominated. Not only that I think he's the best of those four Pitchers. That leaves Bailey and Leake for the final spot. I think Bailey is going to win the spot, but honestly he hasn't lived up to the hype and I personally like Leake better. Leake could be the long reliever, but I think he's better off going down to Louisville where he can pitch every five days. Every year pitchers get hurt so having Leake go down is a good problem to have because he more than likely will be up in Cincinnati, probably sooner rather than later. People have been calling for the Reds to package a Pitcher or two and trade them for a Left Fielder, preferrably one that can be a lead off hitter. I don't want them to do that, with how often Pitchers get injured you can never have too much depth at the position.
Speaking of Left Field, Dusty Baker said that Gomes will be the regular guy out there. That worries me because if you take away the early part of the year where Gomes was hot, his number would've been terrible. His defensive play is atrocious. I'm hoping that Yonder Alonso can learn to play Left Field in a hurry. Adding his bat to the lineup would be a big boost as he has the potential to put up numbers at the plate similiar to Votto and his defensive play can't be much worse than Johnny Gomes. If Alsonso can learn the position you're looking at a batting order of:
Stubbs, CF
Phillips, 2B
Votto, 1B
Alonso, LF
Rolen, 3B
Bruce, RF
Hernandez/Hannigan, C
Janish, SS
Pitcher Spot
That's a hell of a lineup to go with the good deep Pitching that the Reds have. It'd be a recipe for a repeat in the Central division and hopefully a deeper playoff run than last year, maybe a trip to the World Series if they can get by the Phillies in the NLCS.
What we have left is the bullpen. It's looking to be strong with the back end having Masset, Chapman, and Cordero. If Cordero is on top of his game you are looking at a team that can be playing six inning games. Have the lead after six and those three will likely shut down the opposition. Be tied or within a couple of runs and you are looking at a team that can either take the lead if the other team is unable to score and the game is tied. Or have a good shot at come from behind victories if the Reds can score in the late innings, which they did several times last season. All this without mentioning that they have Dontrelle Willis in the fold. If he can get back to anywhere close to his prime now you're talking about having two stud leftys and two stud rightys in the bullpen. In close late inning games you're able to pitch to the match ups. You also have Mike Lincoln who is no slouch. This bullpen is going to be absolutely loaded this year and if you're looking to make a trade that could be an area they have someone to spare. If you're not going to find a spot for Yonder Alonso, they could package him with a bullpen guy and make a big time trade getting a quality Left Fielder in here.
Either way the season is just a few weeks away and honestly I think if the Reds stay relatively healthy they are the favorites to repeat in the Central and probably the 2nd best team in the National League on paper. Yeah the Brewers picked up a couple guys, but the Brewers and every other team in the division doesn't have anywhere near the depth that the Reds do. That is important, probably the most important thing to have. The Brewers maybe have the edge with the top 3 of their rotation, but if they do it's not by much. Greinke had one good season two years ago and that's it, there's no guarantee he's going to be the ace they are expecting. Marcum is decent but overrated and isn't as good as any of the Reds top 3. Gallardo is a stud and if he stays healthy he can be a problem. Yeah their lineup is good, not as deep as the Reds though, and remember this Reds team led the National League in runs scored last year. Bottom line, I'm predicting a repeat and at minimum a trip to the National League Championship Series.
Work Permit
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Edinson Volquez had his work permit approved today so now he can pitch in front of paying crowds. He'll have to fly back to the Dominican Republic to get all the paperwork taken care of. He will leave on Sunday and return back to the Reds on Tuesday. Finally this is taken care of and now he can prepare to be the Reds opening day starter.
Honestly I think it's a bit rediculous that he has to fly all the way back to the Dominican Republic in today's age of technology, E-Mail, fax machines. Something can't just be sent to him through one of these sources of technology and instead he has to fly all the way back there.
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Edinson Volquez had his work permit approved today so now he can pitch in front of paying crowds. He'll have to fly back to the Dominican Republic to get all the paperwork taken care of. He will leave on Sunday and return back to the Reds on Tuesday. Finally this is taken care of and now he can prepare to be the Reds opening day starter.
Honestly I think it's a bit rediculous that he has to fly all the way back to the Dominican Republic in today's age of technology, E-Mail, fax machines. Something can't just be sent to him through one of these sources of technology and instead he has to fly all the way back there.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
It's a Lock
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It's a lock Bearcats fans, your team is going to the Big Dance. There's no way the tournament committee can keep this team out of the NCAA Tournament. They now have quality wins against Xavier, Louisville, St. Johns, Georgetown, and Marquette with three of those wins coming on the road.
It's time to give Mick Cronin some credit for the job he has done with a team picked to finish 12th in the Big East this year. He has taken a team that had nothing when he got the job and in five years has this team on the cusp of being back where it used to be. They still aren't getting the respect they deserve in the media, but they have been beating up some of the best teams in the nation regularly lately. They finished above .500 on the road this year which is a major feat in the Big East.
This team could be getting hot at the right time. A win Sunday against Georgetown and they could finish as high as 6th in the conference. That will give them a 1st round bye in the Big East tournament and that could prove to be big. UC plays a lot of players and in a tournament where you play every day if they can get by their 1st round opponent they could make a deep run becuase they will have fresher legs out on the court than about anyone they play. Also if they can finish 6th they won't have to play Pitt or Notre Dame until the Semis, the two hottest and best teams in the Big East.
A win Sunday and a run in the Big East tournament could get the Bearcats a seed as high as 5th in the NCAA tournament. Honestly even if they get a 7th seed I wouldn't mind, especially if they can draw a number 2 seed BYU in the 2nd round without their best big man. They were pummeled by New Mexico and I'd have to think UC would be the better team there. But a 5th seed just sounds better, however then you have to battle that 5 vs. 12 curse.
Either way they are back in the tourney where they belong. I also think them playing in the brutal Big East and beating some of the top teams in the country has them well prepared to face anyone in the tournament and a sweet 16 trip is in the cards this year. That's right I'm predicting that this team will advance out of the first weekend and make atleast the sweet 16 and if they can get lucky and get some upsets in their section of the bracket maybe even an elite 8 trip. That'll get this program back on the national map and help with recruiting.
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It's a lock Bearcats fans, your team is going to the Big Dance. There's no way the tournament committee can keep this team out of the NCAA Tournament. They now have quality wins against Xavier, Louisville, St. Johns, Georgetown, and Marquette with three of those wins coming on the road.
It's time to give Mick Cronin some credit for the job he has done with a team picked to finish 12th in the Big East this year. He has taken a team that had nothing when he got the job and in five years has this team on the cusp of being back where it used to be. They still aren't getting the respect they deserve in the media, but they have been beating up some of the best teams in the nation regularly lately. They finished above .500 on the road this year which is a major feat in the Big East.
This team could be getting hot at the right time. A win Sunday against Georgetown and they could finish as high as 6th in the conference. That will give them a 1st round bye in the Big East tournament and that could prove to be big. UC plays a lot of players and in a tournament where you play every day if they can get by their 1st round opponent they could make a deep run becuase they will have fresher legs out on the court than about anyone they play. Also if they can finish 6th they won't have to play Pitt or Notre Dame until the Semis, the two hottest and best teams in the Big East.
A win Sunday and a run in the Big East tournament could get the Bearcats a seed as high as 5th in the NCAA tournament. Honestly even if they get a 7th seed I wouldn't mind, especially if they can draw a number 2 seed BYU in the 2nd round without their best big man. They were pummeled by New Mexico and I'd have to think UC would be the better team there. But a 5th seed just sounds better, however then you have to battle that 5 vs. 12 curse.
Either way they are back in the tourney where they belong. I also think them playing in the brutal Big East and beating some of the top teams in the country has them well prepared to face anyone in the tournament and a sweet 16 trip is in the cards this year. That's right I'm predicting that this team will advance out of the first weekend and make atleast the sweet 16 and if they can get lucky and get some upsets in their section of the bracket maybe even an elite 8 trip. That'll get this program back on the national map and help with recruiting.
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