With A Good Start To The 2013 Class Where Do The Bearcats Go Now

With the commitments of Kevin Johnson and Troy Caupian the Bearcats class of 2013 is off to a rip roaring start. Neither guy jumps off the page as a guy that the Bearcats must have. But they are solid pieces to start a class and both guys have the potential to really blow up as their senior seasons progress.

Still recruiting never stops for a moment. The second you secure a commitment the immediate concern becomes the next man in line. For the Bearcats the rest of the process will be spent chasing bigs. With good reason, UC doesn't have many at all, and even fewer who are proven commodities. This is the eligibility chart for the Bearcats right now.

Notice how unbalanced the roster is by position. With the dismissal of Octavius Ellis for his role in the PLAY incident the Bearcats are hilariously thin up front. It shouldn't be a major problem for the Bearcats this year. Not with JaQuon Parker and his ability to guard and play much larger than a player of his size would normally be able to. The Bearcats can get by with the trio of Parker, Cash and Kila doing the heavy lifting this year. But projecting to the future looks bleak.

So finding a quality big in the class of 2013 is a must, preferably one who can come in and compete with Justin Jackson and Kelvin Gaines. Mick Cronin has a well deserved reputation for taking under the radar players and turning them into Big East killers (See Parker, JaQuon and Kilpatrick, Sean). But for the next crop of bigs Mick should aim higher.

And that seems to be exactly what is happening. UC is expected to get a visit from Dominic Woodson later this week. Woodson is a 6'9" 255 rock of a center out of Round Rock Texas. But he did live in Louisville for 14 years before moving to Texas.

It seems that Woodson has Yancy Gates skill set and physical ability. But the biggest problem for Yancy as a Bearcat resided between his ears. Its still too early to say whether the same is true of Woodson. But it is definitely something to keep in mind.

Another thing to keep in mind, Woodson is transferring again. Last year he attended Vermont Academy but is going to be spending his Senior year in another locale. His third high school in as many seasons. His destination will be Findlay Prep, Huntington Prep or Sunrise Christian Academy. If he lands at Huntington Prep watch out. Mick Cronin and crew have a good relationship with that program. Afterall that is where JD3 came from.

The other name to keep in your mind is Jermaine Lawrence the big man out of New York. There were reports earlier today that Lawrence had cut his list to Rutgers, Syracuse and Florida but his family emphatically refuted them saying that he is wide open right now.

What seems likely is that he will cut his list down before the end of the summer. Twitter is awash in rumors that his list will be cut in August. Regardless there is still time for Mick and Darren Savino to get in on the chase for Lawrence.

For now the focus on the Bearcats recruiting will be more big heavy. I am petrified about the loss of Cashmere Wright and what that means going forward for the Bearcats. But the Jones and Caupian commitments have pacified those concerns (for now). As such those anxieties will be up front where Cheikh Mobdj will depart this year meaning that 6'8" 210 pound JJ will be the man in the middle. Getting him some help in this class is a must.

Then again it is still early. Just 5 and half (or so) months until the first signing day. With the shakeup of the staff adding Antwon Jackson the Bearcats footprint is due to change in some ways. Jackson has ties throughout the Maryland/DC/Virginia area. Expect that area of the country to join New York as an area where the Bearcats expend a lot of resources.