...or lack thereof .

This isn't exactly new. But because I am still busy as hell I haven't put anything up about it yet.

What I really don't understand about this is why Cronin hasn't been anticipating having this scholarship open. Lance Stephenson is an insanely talented kid. There is very little that he can't do on the court if he chooses to do it. As evidenced by his transformation from a sieve on defense in high school into something a little less permeable this year. I said before that Lance was the best on ball perimeter defender at the end of the year and I stand by that. But the bottom line is that Lance was always going to be a one and done guy. He stared in a documentary at 14 where he declared pretty clearly that his primary desire was to be an NBA player. Knowing that coming to the process how can you not recruit with the anticipation of that scholarship being open. That's pretty basic stuff in my mind. John Calapari recruited John Wall and Co. knowing full well that most of that class was going to the NBA after a year. So he went to work and put together another insanely deep class. If you are going to recruit the #11 player in the country, you have to recruit to replace him. Quickly. Mick seems to disagree with that. Looking at the team coming back you have a nucleus of Yancy Gates, Ibrahima Thomas, Cashmere Wright, Sean Kilpatrick, and Jaquan Paker. Is that a group that can improve demonstrably this coming year? Maybe. Would I bet on it? Probably not, not with this staff's track record for player development. This team needs another big time player to contend for the upper half of the Big East. Everyone who follows the team knows that, Mick Cronin knows that. But that player isn't anywhere to be found. I like Justin Jackson and Kelvin Gaines, but neither appears able to push UC to that next level and I don't see anyone on the horizon that can do that, not in this recruiting class. Then again I didn't see Lance in the Red and Black this time last year either. But Mick needs to pull something big out of the hat this summer. Again. Otherwise he might be coaching this season with his last leg.