Sikes commits to Cincinnati

[Versacetheace]

Marcus Sikes did indeed commit to Cincinnatti.

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=2&cid=524206&nid=2528348&fhn=1&refid=4742

Next? Any ideas?

[New Guy]

I got to admit this one hurts. I thought he could help right away. I still have faith that when looked at as a whole this spring and next falls incoming talent will be a Jim Les style recruting class with great talent and he will cash in on the 2nd half of the season run. I just wish some good news came around soon.

[Versacetheace]

The Frontcourt is getting scary if indeed it is true that Singh won't be ready. I haven't heard anything about Jassey. How much improvement is he going to need over the summer? Is it possible that he will be the rebounder/shot blocker we will need? At one point I was thinking Ray Brown was going to be the guy we needed to step up, now it looks like both members of last years Freshman class will be counted on heavily. I must say this I would rather see us bank scholarships than throw them away. However I hate to see a year wasted where we had some Tournament-Hardened players like Ruffin, Tuai, and Franklin that would have made the difference in some close games.

[Big Mike]

What will the staff do now.......all their effort in MS for nothing......I sure hope there is a back up plan in place.....the 5 spot is sure looking weak now with PO'B leaving.....we could use some help and I mean next year!

[Da Coach]

IMO, it just doesn't make sense for him to go to Cincinnati, and this must be a credit to the salesmanship of Mick Cronin.

They earlier signed a much higher rated juco power forward John Williamson, who plays the exact same kind of game as Sikes.

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=2245565

They also have a juco All American Cedric McGowan (former teammate of Will Franklin) who started 29 of 30 games as a power forward for Cincinnati last season (the only game he didn't start was senior day when he relinquished he starting position). He plays the same position as Sikes and Williamson, too.
And they have another returning power forward type, 6'9", 225 lb. Ronald Allen, a transfer from Xavier of New Orleans who was their top sub at the forward position last year.
So good luck Marcus. You are joining a rebuilding team (they lost their coach and their top 5 scorers), in the Big East, where Cincinnati finished 8-8 (8th place) last year, and will not be projected to be any higher this year. And yet, they appear to have 2 returning seniors and another highly rated recruit playing the same position in front of Sikes. I hope they find playing time for him.

[Da Coach]

What will the staff do now.......all their effort in MS for nothing......I sure hope there is a back up plan in place.....the 5 spot is sure looking weak now with PO'B leaving.....we could use some help and I mean next year!

I agree, Mike. What hurts most was that the coaches invested so much time and effort because they wanted Sikes badly. They might be able to sign another guard type, but I don't know if they will get another big man to help. And you don't want to recruit a kid just because we have extra scholarships to fill. So it looks like Jassey and Xavier Crawford will see some playing time.

[ER3]

The 4 and the 5 spots are looking scary...Andrews, maybe Singh...and then what??? Jassey isn't big enough to be effective down low...Crawford can't be counted on to do much...he'd probably be a red-shirt candidate in most years...

That is a sad, sad bunch of post players to go into a season with...especially if Singh may or may not be ready to go from day 1...

So, unfortunately, Les can't simply hold onto the scholarships until next year...he has to find someone...anyone...a warm body that can give him some minutes down low...otherwise you go into this year in a situation where you are one injury and two quick fouls away from Danny Adams and Ray Brown being your best remaining options at center...that will be fun.

[Big Mike]

Does it seem strange that MS would verbal at this time.....why not just sign? Here is todays signing:http://ucbearcats.cstv.com/sports/m-...042506aaa.html

http://ucbearcats.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/cinn-m-baskbl-spec-rel.html

There is no mention from Cinn.........yet........probably have to wait for a sig?

[bu fan 9]

The 2,3,4,and 5 spot look scary to me our guard play at the 2 and 3 was bad this year wait till next year.We had no 3 point shooters this year and I don't see any next year.There won't be as many open looks next year with all the big men leaving.

[ER3]

I agree that the quality at the 2 and 3 is questionable coming into this year, but at least there is some quantity there to put bodies on the floor...without a big or two for the last two scholarships and we may flat out run out of capable bodies to play the 4 and 5 spots.

You have to assume that Ruff and Franklin will play a lot together next year...then Tauai at the 3...we just somehow have to hope that Adams and someone between Brown or Crouch can come back next year and provide some outside shooting help...will it happen? Dunno. At least there are names you can throw around for those spots (Warren and Jassey would be in the mix in those spots as well...but I don't know how we can really expect much of anything from them)...
We don't even have 2 names to throw out there for the 4 and 5 spots that aren't immense, immense question marks at this point...and that is annointing Zach Andrews as a 'non question mark' right now...which has to be a little scary based on the inconsistency that he showed after the conference schedule started last year...
Hoping for the best...but I'm fearing a big thud near the bottom of the conference...

[Da Coach]

Here is a thread from one of the Cincinnati boards. Scroll down a little and see that even the Cincinnati fans talk about the logjam they will have at the forward position with Sikes and all the other returning forwards and recruits.

http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/bigeast/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=15947&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

[BradleyBrave]

Well this officially sucks.

[georgethedog]

Well this officially sucks.

Yes, and can you say "play-in" game? We might win 4 -5 conference games next year. Then the ball rolls down hill because recruiting will get tougher for a team at the bottom. POB leaving could really cause the dominos to fall in the wrong direction.

[BradleyBrave]

Well this officially sucks.

Yes, and can you say "play-in" game? We might win 4 -5 conference games next year. Then the ball rolls down hill because recruiting will get tougher for a team at the bottom. POB leaving could really cause the dominos to fall in the wrong direction.

I just don't understand why a guy would choose to go somewhere where playing time will be hard to come by, as opposed to going somewhere where they could be the star, and take a team just as far (if not farther) than the bigger school. Well, it's his mistake.

[ER3]

Well, Mick Cronin obviously did a masterful job at convincing Marcus that there would somehow be minutes for him...even though they now have 5 or 6 quality forwards signed for next year.

It just is another bit of evidence as to how tough it must be for Les to try to sell to these kids on BU basketball. We basically have a wide open starting position (with no one behind you to take that position...) available at a team in a quality hoops conference, on a team that just made the Sweet 16, and we still can't find a decent guy to take the offer.

Sikes would rather go to Cincy and try to beg for some minutes on a team that is now overstocked at forward...

Those facilities at BU must be even more of an embarrassment than we have been led to believe...