Cincinnati Basketball: Top 10 Players to Play for Head Coach Mick Cronin

Head Coach Mick Cronin has taken two different programs to new heights under his reign. Who were the 10 best players to help him do that?

In 2003, Mick Cronin was hired to be the head coach of Murray State. He started out great, with a 28-6 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. After another great season in 2006, Cronin was hired by the Cincinnati Bearcats, after the Bob Huggins era ended.

Things were a bit rocky at first, with the program failing to make the Big Dance in Cronin’s first four seasons. Everything took a turn for the better in 2011, with the Bearcats cashing their first NCAA Tournament ticket in several years.

It has turned out to be the first of eight straight trips, which is currently active as of 2018. Even after leaving the Big East and forming the new American Athletic Conference, Cincinnati stayed strong, and in fact – got better.

Two regular-season titles and back-to-back 30+ win campaigns as of late has elevated both Cronin and the program to an elite status. It’s impressive considering that the Bearcats rarely get an elite-level recruit or transfer, so development by the coaching staff is key to their success.

Cronin is No. 19 from my earlier top-25 active head coaches in college basketball. I’ve been ranking the top players for each coach, but this one was a bit tougher.

There aren’t the usual 20 ppg scorers for Cincinnati or even Murray State, so I had to rely on the accomplishments of the players, as well as the eye test from my point of view.

With that being said, here are the 10 best players from the Cronin era.