Tag: Bearcats Recruiting

The Oregon Trail to Omaha: Bearcats Must Climb Past Creighton to Get Another Shot at Wolverines

June 2, 2019

As the NCAA Regionals are double elimination, the Bearcats cannot afford to lose another game in Corvallis, Oregon. On Friday night, Coach Googins’ squad shocked the college baseball ecosystem by defeating Oregon State, the defending national champions, on their home field. Even Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench took note.

Since capturing the AAC Championship in Clearwater, Florida, Googins has continually questioned UC’s players: “Why not us?” Driving the point home, he even invited Kevin Youkilis (former Boston Red Sox first baseman and UC standout 1997-2001) to address the team. That message was working until last night.

Last night, Clifton’s overachievers dropped a tough game against Michigan. The path forward, now, is difficult but not impossible.

To make it out of Corvallis, the University of Cincinnati must first defeat Creighton today at 3 PM EST (12 PM PCT), and then exact revenge against Michigan tonight at 9 PM EST (6 PM PCT). If the Bearcats get two wins today, they’ll have to beat Michigan again tomorrow night at 10 PM EST (7 PM PCT). Again, tough but not impossible.

As an aside, UC’s left fielder, 6’5″ Sophomore Joey Wiemer, has drawn some national attention for his colorful play this postseason. His diving catch against Oregon State and his backhanded grab against Michigan both made ESPN’s Top Ten Plays.

Be sure to tune in to the game against Creighton at 3 PM. Here’s a link to the ESPN3 feed. Talk soon, friends.

By Brian Fox

For more real-time updates, follow along on Twitter: @BearcatsRadio.

The Transfer Portal Giveth and Taketh Away: Bearcats Add Another Big Man

June 2, 2019

The transfer portal is an interesting place. Though a new phenomenon, I expect most players will ultimately depart the portal with their sights trained on a shiny, new university destination. UC has seen its fair share of portal activity following Cronin’s departure for UCLA, including Rashawn Fredericks (F), Nysier Brooks (C), Eliel Nsoseme (C), and Logan Johnson (PG). While Johnson and Nsoseme remain in the portal, Fredericks and Brooks have announced new destinations (UAB and Miami, respectively).

Meet Jay Sorolla

This morning, another recruit announced his committment to play for Coach John Brannen’s somewhat-new-look-Bearcats. Jaume “Jay” Sorolla, who spent his previous three seasons at Valpo, announced his intent to transfer to the University of Cincinnati. Sorolla played center for Valpo (6’11″/240 lbs.), and will have a great opportunity for minutes with Brooks (and Nsoseme, potentially) out of the picture.

Sorolla is from Tortosa, Spain and already graduated with his degree in international business. As a graduate transfer, then, he’s eligible to play immediately. During his previous three seasons, Sorolla shared duties at center for Valpo and averaged around 5 points and 5 rebounds each game. Sorolla also had occasional breakout performances in which he scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. It looks like he has the frame (and demonstrated potential) to play a significant role in Brannen’s offensive and defensive sets.

At the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Sorolla missed Valpo’s first seven games with an ankle injury, but should be healthy for UC. Sorolla only considered two schools, choosing the University of Cincinnati over Nevada.

Brannen’s New Look Roster

It’s been a busy stretch for the Bearcats basketball program of late. In addition to Sorolla, UC recently received commitments from incoming freshman Jeremiah Davenport (SG), Mika Adams-Woods (PG), and senior transfer Chris McNeal (PG). Davenport led nearby Moeller High School to a state championship in 2018 before playing for Hargrave Military Academy last season. He chose UC over ECU and Virginia Tech.

Adams-Woods is a New York point guard who chose UC over Nebraska, Georgia Tech, and Nevada. He originally committed to play for Nebraska, but the Huskers’ coaching change caused him to seek greener pastures in Clifton. Sound familiar?

McNeal is a point guard who transfers into the program from Tennessee Tech (by way of New Mexico … by way of Western Kentucky). A college basketball journeyman of sorts, McNeal last played for the Lobos a couple of seasons ago as he sat out last season at Tech. In that season for New Mexico, he averaged 9.5 points a game and knocked down quite a few threes. He has one year of remaining eligibility, so this season functionally sets up as his senior campaign.

The Bearcats scholarshipped roster now looks like this … so far:

  • Jarron Cumberland (Senior) 6’5″ SG
  • Trevon Scott (Senior) 6’8″ F
  • Keith Williams (Junior) 6’5″ SG
  • Trevor Moore (Junior) 6’5″ SG
  • Laquill Hardnett (RS Freshman) 6’8″ F
  • Mamoudou Diarra (RS Sophomore) 6’9″ F
  • Prince Toyambi (RS Freshman) 6’7″ F
  • Jaume Sorolla (Grad Transfer Senior) 6’11” C
  • Mika Adams-Woods (Freshman) 6’3″ PG
  • Chris McNeal (Transfer Senior) 6’0″ PG
  • Jeremiah Davenport (Freshman) 6’4″ SG
  • Chris Vogt (Transfer Junior in 2020-21/sits 2019-20) 7’1″ C

With Nsoseme and Johnson remaining in the portal at this point, it’ll be interesting to see how all of this shakes out. The Bearcats are reportedly in the running to land highly regarded grad transfer SG Jaevin Cumberland. Jaevin is Jarron Cumberland’s cousin, stands 6’3″ tall, and averaged 17 points a game last season at Oakland. Jaevin also ranked 22nd in the nation in made 3-pointers, but is being recruited hard by a number of suitors (e.g., Purdue, Michigan, and Oregon). But if Jaevin chooses UC, the Bearcats backcourt will have some serious shooters…

Regardless, Coach Brannen has his hands full as UC’s 2019-20 roster features at least six players who haven’t played a minute at Fifth Third Arena. It should be fun to see how he deploys the weapons he continues to acquire.

By Brian Fox

For more real-time updates and dad jokes, follow along on Twitter: @BearcatsRadio.

ESPN Announces Start Times for UC’s “Big Three” Football Games — UCLA, Ohio State, and UCF

May 30, 2019

Many have high expectations for this fall, which will be Luke Fickell’s third as the head football coach of the University of Cincinnati. Last season, the Bearcats outpaced everyone’s projections as Fickell’s squad finished 11-2 and defeated Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl.

The 2019 season could be even more special, especially with QB Desmond Ridder, RB Michael Warren II, LB Bryan Wright, and a whole cast of dynamic players returning on both sides of the ball. What’s more, UC’s schedule is dynamic and features three games that should attract national attention.

ESPN announced the kickoff times for those three big games today:

  • Thursday night, August 29th – After poaching UC’s head basketball coach, UCLA travels to Clifton. That game will air at 7pm on ESPN.
  • Saturday afternoon, September 7th – UC travels to Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio to face the Ohio State Buckeyes. That game will air at Noon on ABC.
  • Friday night, October 4th – After last year’s post-ESPN–College–GameDay-drubbing, UC will have a shot at revenge as UCF must travel north this year. That game will air at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

So, mark your calendars and wear your C Paw to all three games occurring on Ohio soil.

It doesn’t seem fair that we have to wait until late August for football season to start, but I guess we will endure. Talk soon, friends.

By Brian Fox

For more real-time updates and dad jokes, follow along on Twitter – @BearcatsRadio.

Mike Bohn, Luke Fickell, and the Search Committee Has a Direction: The John Brannen Era Is Officially Underway!

April 14, 2019

Smoke is pouring from the tiny chimney perched atop Varsity Village, as the University of Cincinnati has chosen John Brannen to replace Mick Cronin as the men’s head basketball coach. The terms of the deal, reportedly, are six years for $1.5MM, with significant performance-based incentives.

His path to Clifton has been long and winding, including stops as far north as New York and south as Alabama. Here’s a quick look at Coach Brannen’s positions along the way:

    1999-2000: Assistant Coach, Charleston
    2001-2003: Assistant Coach, Eastern Kentucky
    2004-2006: Assistant Coach, St. Bonaventure
    2007-2009: Assistant Coach, VCU
    2010-2013: Assistant Coach, Alabama
    2014-2015: Associate Head Coach, Alabama
    2016-2019: Head Coach, Northern Kentucky

And now Head Coach of the University of Cincinnati (2019-?).

Brannen lives just across the Ohio River in Alexandria, Kentucky, having led NKU’s nascent D1 program to unforeseen successes. The Norse have made trips to the NCAA Tournament in two out of the last three seasons from the Horizon League. While impressive, it’ll be interesting to see whether his previous successes translate in an increasingly-competitive American Athletic Conference. Moreover, what kind of success will he have at recruiting top-tier talent with a C Paw on his quarter zip?

Mike Bohn’s decision to hire John Brannen marks the end of the Bob Huggins coaching tree era for the men’s basketball program. Because of that, I expect a significant shift in offensive/defensive/recruiting philosophies under the new coaching administration. Fox19’s Joe Danneman interviewed one of Brannen’s recent stars at NKU, Drew McDonald. McDonald had this to say of his former coach: “He’s going to play fast. He used the term ’94-feet both ways.'” Will a change in coaching guard pay off?

As with any coaching change, Brannen will have his hands full. He has to work to make sure existing scorers (like rising senior Jarron Cumberland and Junior Keith Williams) don’t depart. What’s more, Coach Brannen needs to lock down UC’s 2019 star recruit, SG Samari Curtis. Rashawn Fredericks has already announced his plans to enter the transfer portal; however, he was far from the most productive player last season. Will UC lose any more players? Will Cumberland return for his senior season?

One interesting wrinkle in the process is that none-other-than Head Football Coach Luke Fickell participated in the hiring process. Much like Fickell’s recruitment of UC’s Baseball Coach Scott Googins from Xavier, Fickell reportedly interviewed Coach Brannen prior to Mike Bohn making the hire. Clearly that speaks volumes about Bohn’s trust and respect for the head football coach.

A press conference for Coach Brannen’s introduction has been scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10 AM. With many candidates rumored to be involved, and many alumni (and former players) lobbying for their preference, the University of Cincinnati has settled on a direction forward. With smoke billowing, I am excited to meet the new coach and to see what he can do with the Bearcats.

By Brian Fox

For more real-time coverage of the Bearcats, food takes, and dad jokes, follow along on Twitter – @BearcatsRadio.

Mick Cronin Bolts to UCLA

April 9, 2019

If you don’t know, now you know…

Mick Cronin has departed Clifton (and his alma mater) for Westwood, CA, accepting the head coaching position at UCLA. The deal is reportedly for $24MM over the next six years, approximately $4MM a year for my mathematically-deficient readers. His current contract, which Cronin sought to renegotiate, was for $2.2MM a year and would’ve increased if UC’s and Cronin’s camp could’ve come to terms. They did not and the rest is recent history.

When you consider California’s taxing framework, Cronin’s after-tax, net take-home base compensation will only increase by $103K at UCLA. And that’s based on his current contract (not the renegotiated extension that never came to pass). Why weren’t the parties able to arrive at a number that worked for both the University and Coach Cronin? Well, I expect each camp has very fixed and divergent answers to that question.

Obviously, it’s still fresh, so here are my early thoughts on Cronin’s departure:

  1. Kudos to Coach Cronin for taking the program to 9 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He was a stable guardian of the program for 13 years. He invested in the personal lives and futures of his players. He ran a clean program, which has steered clear of FBI investigations. So, I’m grateful for his many contributions and wish him only success at UCLA.
  2. Many are sounding the alarm that all is lost without Cronin; some quite the opposite. The Mick Mafia is declaring universal defeat and casting aspersions on the University. The Anti-Mick-Ers are declaring victory over March tournaments to come. Neither can be correct; such speculation is premature. Mike Bohn, now, must make one of the most important decisions he’s faced as an athletic director and only time will tell whether we upgraded.
  3. Fundamentally, I believe Mick Cronin’s disgruntled view of UC’s administration, particularly the department of athletics, leaked out in many public comment opportunities. And I think that takes a toll on a fanbase, and program (including recruiting), over time. If you’re not personally optimistic about your school, it’s illogical to expect players, recruits, and donors to be convinced. In other words, if you’re not in love with the University and program you’re building, others won’t fall in love with it, either. Hopefully Coach Cronin has found an employer in UCLA he believes in, and hopefully his successor at UC can sell a new vision forward.
  4. Likewise, Cronin’s tendency to foment outrage over the NCAA’s supposed collusion against UC in March, or provide safe harbor to theories that conference is overly determinative in recruiting, was unhelpful. I think those tendencies can be self-defeating for a program and players. Not to get all woo woo, but some leaders are thermometers, simply reflecting the temperature around them; some are thermostats and determine the climate.
  5. Finally, the sunshine and warmth have finally arrived in the Queen City! Go outside. Inhale the air. Get off Twitter and my website. Watch the UC baseball team take on Xavier this evening in Clifton.

Much love to all of you in BearcatNation. The University and Mike Bohn will find the right candidate. To everything there is a season…

By Brian Fox

For more real-time coverage of the Bearcats, food takes, and dad jokes, follow along on Twitter – @BearcatsRadio.

Dylan O’Quinn – Small Town Guy, Big Time Lineman

April 5, 2019

Number 50 Dylan O’Quinn played quarterback and tight end in high school. A talented athlete from rural Millbury, Ohio, where I actually grew up, O’Quinn is used to country roads, pickup trucks, and cornfields. He played baseball and basketball, as well, at Lake High School. He chose UC over offers from Western Michigan, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, and Indiana State. O’Quinn was the only member of his 2018 high school graduating class to earn a division 1 college scholarship.

O’Quinn was recruited by Doug Phillips and immediately fell in love with the big city straight down I-75. He landed in Clifton at 6’ 4” and 307 lbs. A mountain of a man, Dylan will anchor the offensive line this year as a freshman.

In his spare time, he loves to spend time with his friends, play basketball and whiffle ball, and grill out. He is majoring in communications with a minor in sports administration. After college, Dylan is interested in getting involved with high school coaching and athletic directing.

A big fan of Skyline, Dylan’s go-to order is a four-way with onions and three cheese coneys. He makes up the other half of J&D Food Review. Be sure to check them out on Twitter @JDsizzleyum as they will soon be releasing their Skyline vs. Gold Star challenge.

By Andy Smith

For more real-time UC sports updates, be sure to follow Andy on Twitter: @BSR_Andy; or, if you’re into pictures, feel free to add Bearcats Sports Radio on Instagram. As always, thanks for reading along.

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Tight Ends: Food Critic and La Salle Product Josh Whyle

March 29, 2019

Standing at 6’ 7” and 233 lbs., redshirt freshman tight end Josh Whyle is built to play football. During practice today he literally ran over two defensive backs after catching a short pass. His mother wanted a UC football jersey before Josh came to campus. She got a #81 jersey, and he’s been stuck with the number ever since.

Having fractured his collarbone last year during practice, Whyle was hampered and had to sit out most of the season, playing four games. His favorite memories last year include the opening kickoff of the UCF game in the Bounce House and winning the Military Bowl against Virginia Tech.

Josh was a top-10 tight end in his recruiting class. He could have played at Auburn, Georgia, Louisville, Tennessee, or Wisconsin. He chose to stay local. A product of La Salle High School, Josh had a stellar high school career. Located just 10 minutes away from Clifton, linebacker Jarell White also attended La Salle.

Whyle also has an older brother at UC. His entire family can watch Josh play his college games, and he can still make it home for dinner with the parents whenever he wants. In his words, “UC is in his backyard” and “the coaches truly care about his development.” The Bearcats are certainly happy to have him – one of the stars of his recruiting class.

He has yet to declare a major, though he’s toying with the idea of communications or criminal justice. Whyle has a 3.5 GPA. Nothing but A’s and B’s in the class room for this guy. Josh is very close with the tight end position group on and off the field.

In his spare time, Josh enjoys co-hosting J&D Food Review. Be sure to follow @JDsizzleyum on Twitter. Guy Fieri watch out. Whyle is of course a Skyline guy. His go-to order is a large three way, a chilito with spaghetti, and a cheese coney. He is also a fan of fishing, playing cornhole, skiing, and snowboarding.

The tight end group this year is absolutely stacked. Behind starter Josiah Deguara, we should see plenty of #81 Josh Whyle on special teams and offense. Also, don’t be surprised if you see a proud mom wearing the same number on Nippert’s bleachers.

By Andy Smith

For more real-time UC sports updates, be sure to follow Andy on Twitter: @BSR_Andy; or, if you’re into pictures, feel free to add Bearcats Sports Radio on Instagram. As always, thanks for reading along.

On Gratitude

December 11, 2018

Gratitude is a muscle; the more you flex it, the easier it becomes to be grateful. Negativity and pessimism are no different. The more negative you are, well you get it…

It’s interesting how often people choose pessimism, especially when the benefits of gratitude are so numerous. A steady diet of gratitude:

  • Improves physical health;
  • Improves psychological health;
  • Enhances empathy and reduces aggression;
  • Helps you sleep more deeply and for longer periods of time; and
  • Improves self esteem and increases mental strength.

Don’t believe me? Read this and the linked studies. Now that I’ve hard-sold gratitude, allow me a few more paragraphs of your attention to apply it to our beloved Bearcats.

Coming into this football season, it was unclear whether Coach Luke Fickell had made any progress with the team since taking over. The 2016 Bearcats stumbled through Tommy Tuberville’s last season and finished 4-8. Likewise, the 2017 Bearcats, Fickell’s first season, showed little promise. Though the team finished 4-8, a few of those wins were a play away from being losses (for what could’ve been a catastrophic 1-11 season). Privately, I worried the team regressed his first year.

Everything Fickell said was fine. It sounded like the things a new leader might say, even if it bordered on stereotypical coach-speak (i.e., Toughness, #JUICE, Let It Fly, and Together Everyone Achieves More). Fickell went the extra step of having one of his mottos – T.E.A.M. – stitched across the back of each of his UC vests. But mottos weren’t winning football games in 2017.

In 2018, the mottos were an overtime-road-loss-against-Temple away from winning eleven games. Fickell’s mottos brainwashed the players into outperforming expectations, including mine. In early August at Camp Higher Ground, I would’ve been thrilled with six or more wins. Thrilled. Now, in December I am hammered drunk off a ten win regular season, and I’m considering having “T.E.A.M.” stitched across the back of all my suit coats.

On New Year’s Eve, the 10-2 Bearcats will try to polish off an outstanding 2018 campaign by beating Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl. The game is played in Annapolis, Maryland, which is a mere five hour drive from Tech’s Blacksburg, Virginia campus. While it sets up as a home game for the Hokies, I like UC’s chances to prevail in that game and to carry forward this season’s success into the offseason.

When I traveled to Los Angeles for the season opener against UCLA, I harbored low expectations. To now venture into bowl season in pursuit of an eleventh win, I’m feeling almost greedy. And overwhelmingly grateful.

One of the disciplines I’ve tried to incorporate into my daily rituals is to jot down a few things I’m grateful for just before I go to sleep. I keep a disheveled stack of notepads on my bedside table which basically form something of a gratitude journal. Alongside references to warm thoughts of family, friends, clients, and career you’ll find notations about a Bearcats team that made fall Saturdays fun and a coach who inspires. Thanks for reading.

By Brian Fox

For more, follow B. Fox on Twitter @BearcatsRadio.

Coming Home

October 10, 2018

A “home” is more than a house, yard, or structure; it’s a feeling. And your experience of “coming home” is indelibly shaped by the other people who share that common address.

If you had a good childhood, arriving home was probably an experience. The smell of food simmering on the stove. The sound of a yappy dog. The mess of your bedroom. Depending on the number of siblings, your arrival home was either calm or chaotic.

If you had a bad childhood, arriving home was an altogether different experience. Maybe your arrival was marked by the sounds of argument, stomach knots from anxiety and tension, or worse yet – the haunting sounds of silence and isolation. If that was your experience with “home,” I offer my sincerest apologies and wishes for a more functional future.

As you know, Saturday’s matchup against Tulane was this season’s Homecoming game. UC alums from across the nation traveled back to their Clifton roots, recalling what “coming home” meant at 18 years of age. The not-so-hypnotic lava lamp on a card table. Animal House poster above the decaying fireplace. Stale beer and dirty dishes marinating in the kitchen. No doubt folks reminisced about old dorms, old bars, and old friends.

You see, home looks different in Clifton than it did 30, 20, 10, or even one year ago. And the mood on UC’s 199 year old campus feels different than last season. Way different.

To appreciate how different, I offer up a dysfunctional recollection. On October 1, 2016, the Bearcats faced USF under Nippert’s lights as the fan base was tiring of the revolving door of quarterbacks. Ross Trail, a 2015 quarterback recruit who chose UC over Louisville, Memphis, and Ohio State, threw three interceptions that night. After the young QB tossed his third, he was showered in boos, mercilessly. Some defended themselves and said they were merely booing the coaches. Regardless, so much for “home” field advantage…

Candidly I think the fan base is still recovering from 2016 Nippert lows, exercising a measure of restraint even still. Again, home is less about facts and more about feels. Sometimes even after a house has been made over, woes outpace wins…memories overpower merriment. This is especially so in a history-rich city like Cincinnati. “I hope Coach Fickell can get them turned around, but that last coach….”

Well, the turnaround appears self-evidently underway. Compared to the on-field dysfunction of 2016, Fickell’s team of coaches seems squared away. Compared to last year’s 4-8 team, this 2018 team is a revelation. UC is 6-0 headed into the bye week this week, and a cadre of young players lead the way.

RS Freshman QB Desmond Ridder has already thrown for over 1,000 yards (82 of 125 for 1,062 yards), 10 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. Ridder has also rushed for 315 yards, adding 4 more touchdowns with his legs.

Speaking of running the ball, Sophomore RB Michael Warren II has 124 carries for 664 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s the first running back since Isaiah Pead to rush for over a 100 yards in three consecutive games.

More than wins and statistics, though, football is fun again. The positivity and support for the Bearcats on Saturday, inside Nippert Stadium and out, is returning. The momentum (and joy) I observed in 2009 hasn’t returned just yet, but the energy is finally building around a UC team once again ranked in the Top 25 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Poll.

For those of you who made it back to Nippert Stadium for Homecoming on Saturday, I hope it felt like you were “coming home.” I hope you relived past stories and connected with old friends. But way more than that, I hope you caught a glimpse of what might be returning to the University of Cincinnati – a football program inching its way back to national prominence, a football program that desperately needs your positive energy going forward.

So go ahead and mark your calendars for the Navy game (November 3rd), #23 ranked USF (November 10th), and the home finale against ECU (November 23rd). Come home; let’s make Nippert the best place for our guys to play and the worst place for opponents.

By Brian Fox