Cincinnati Basketball: Cane Broome gives Bearcats more firepower

Cane Broome gives Mick Cronin and Cincinnati basketball immediate offense in 2017.

Sacred Heart doesn’t receive any national attention because of their standing in the Northeast Conference, but the nation cannot underestimate 6’0″ point guard Cane Broome.

The East Hartford, CT native averaged 14.5 points per game during his freshman season before making a monster jump in year two. Broome averaged 23.1 points per game, won the NEC Player of the Year and finished as the 8th best scorer in the land (first in his conference).

Broome opted to transfer at the season’s end and after visiting both Cincinnati and Creighton, the talented scorer chose the Bearcats.

“The success they have,” Broome told Busting Brackets when he was asked about why he chose UC. “And Troy (Caupain) is a very good point guard. I think he’s one of the best in college basketball. Learning from him was a big factor and even though we play two different styles, it’s good to see how he runs the team and interacts with the guys.

“I just felt more at home at (Cincinnati), with the guys and the coaches. And I like how they were just honest with me about everything.

Broome, who received all mid-major offers coming out of high school, has vastly improved over the course of his two seasons with the Pioneers. He can score the ball from all-three levels, shot an efficient 45 percent from the field last season and will provide Mick Cronin with immediate prowess on the offensive end.

He still needs to cut down on his turnovers (averaged more turnovers than assists last year), but having to sit out a season (before maintaining two years of eligibility), will greatly help Broome diversify his game.

“I don’t think it’s a weakness but my jump shot and my overall defense,” Broome said when asked what he needs to work on during his off year. “I think I have to work on that on top of learning the system.”

The Bearcats may be known for their defense, but the program has gradually improved on the other end of the court. Cincinnati had one of Cronin’s best offensive teams this past year, as they featured savvy point guard in Caupain, sharp shooter Farad Cobb and stud freshman Jacob Evans.

Broome knows he’s not a finished product but he believes he can adapt because of Cincinnati’s “culture” and their consistency on a year-to-year basis.

Remember this, Cincinnati was one of eight teams in the 2016 NCAA Tournament that reached the Big Dance in six consecutive seasons. That’s not easy to do and a team cannot make six straight tournaments by solely relying on one end of the court.

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“I like to get up and down,” Broome said. “But they like to work hard. I feel like if your a role player you can adapt to a lot of different systems. A lot of people think their system is more of a defensive (oriented) system but they just want their players to play hard.”

With Caupain graduating following the 2016 season and Farad Cobb and Octavius Ellis headed out the door in May, Cronin may transition into a more up-tempo approach in 2017-18 due to his personnel. Broome, Evans, Justin Jenifer and Jarron Cumberland will take over the backcourt, while Gary Clark, Kyle Washington and Nysier Brooks will man the front court.

“It will look really good,” Broome said when asked about a backcourt featuring him and Evans. “I saw him work out and he works really hard. I think he’s going to be a pro. He’s young, he has a big frame, he can shoot and he likes to run like me.

“And then there’s Gary (Clark) and Kyle (Washington). They like to run too so I think it will be crazy that year.”

He may be moving onto a stronger conference, he may have the opportunity to play on the biggest stage in college basketball and he will be running the show at a quality program, but he also will never forget his journey that all started with interest from schools in the NEC and MAAC.

“What I learned from the (Sacred Heart) program is patience,” Broome said. “You have to be patient and you have to have confidence. Similar to guys like Troy and Jacob, they play with a lot of confidence. You have to have that confidence playing college basketball.”

And of course, he will never forget the person that helped mold him into the player and man he is today.

“My dad has been there through everything, good basketball, bad basketball,” Broome said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today, as far as basketball and college, without him.”

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So while Cronin is gaining plenty of offense and fire power, he also landed a confident player who is willing to work hard. Most importantly, Broome has a chip on his shoulder, doesn’t take anything for granted and is excited to step in and play at a level where his game will be on full-display for the nation to watch.