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College Basketball: 5-on-5 with Nathan Giese and Maxwell Ogden

By Maxwell Ogden

Feb 20, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels fans react in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels fans react in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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3. Who is the front-runner for Coach of the Year?

Steve Fischer
Feb 18, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs head coach Steve Fisher talks with a referee during the first half against the Utah State Aggies at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

Nathan Giese: There are a few options for Coach of the Year. Larry Brown has SMU back in the national picture for the first time in nearly 30 years, Gregg Marshall has Wichita State undefeated and Jim Crews has Saint Louis rolling.

But my pick for Coach of the Year has to go to Steve Fisher at San Diego State.

This was supposed to be the down year for the Aztecs. Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley are no longer around, forcing few people to have faith in the Aztecs this season. What’s Fisher been able to do? He’s taken a group of under appreciated players, including Xavier Thames, convinced them to buy into the system and have a 23-2 record and No. 6 ranking in the country to show for it.

The highlight so far has been taking the Aztecs into Phog Allen and beating Kansas on the road. Very few teams have done that over the past five years.

Next year was supposed to be the breakout season for San Diego State with four top ranked recruits and a 16-ranked overall recruiting class coming in next year. Fisher has jump started the process and has the Aztecs thinking Final Four instead of NIT like most assumed.

What Fisher has done this year is remarkable and should be rewarded.

Cincinnati Bearcats
Feb 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin talks to forward Jermaine Sanders (15) in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at FifthThird Arena. Cincinnati defeated UConn 63-58. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports /

Maxwell Ogden: It’s hard to go against the man responsible for the Fab Five, but I have to do it in this instance. The Coach of the Year in my book is the man responsible for the most surprisingly dominant season of any team in the country.

That man is Mick Cronin of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Cronin’s Bearcats have already surpassed their win total from a year ago, and they’ve passed the eye test on more than one occasion. Cincinnati has wins over the Connecticut Huskies, Louisville Cardinals, Memphis Tigers and SMU Mustangs.

In other words, Cincinnati leads the American Athletic Conference at 13-1 with wins over each of the Top 4 teams that trail them in the standings; four teams that will be involved in March Madness.

Cronin was once a star assistant at Louisville before leading the Murray State Racers to success during the mid-2000s as head coach. At Cincinnati, he’s elevating that success to new heights and has the Bearcats in line to win their first regular season conference title since taking the Conference USA crown under Bob Huggins in 2004.

There are a handful of deserving candidates, but Cronin’s work at Cincinnati is the most remarkable.