Bearcat vs UConn preview

It's going to be a long day.  I can hardly wait for tipoff, but as the last game of the day (9:40 pm)  it's going to be a long wait.  It's going to be a tough game, but I really like the Bearcats chances.  Cincinnati has not been getting a lot of attention, even after their big win over Missouri, and are once again the underdog.  That's fine with me.  Mick Cronin and the players will use it as additional motivation.  There's a great article about it on SI.com.

I'm curious to see how Cronin chooses to approach this game.  Will the Bearcats sit back in their half-court defense, or will they press?  Man-to-man or zone?  I can't wait to find out.  Here's some additional game previews to get you through the day from ESPN.  Try this one and this one.

The Bearcats are Hot

The Bearcats are on a roll.  Following last nights 87-61 rout of South Florida, Cincinnati has now won 3 in a row and 6 of their last 7.  UC dominated the Bulls defensively, and Yancy Gates had a stellar game.  Still there has been little mention of UC's recent streak.  On the major sports websites, I've seen a few feature articles on some of the top teams in the country, the up-and-coming teams, or the teams to watch out for.  None have mentioned the Bearcats.  But that's ok.  That's the way Mick Cronin likes.  Keep disrespecting us and we will keep winning to prove you wrong.  Fine with me.

Tonight UC faces an equally hot Notre Dame team that is currently one of the darlings of college basketball.  The writers seem to love Ben Hansbrough, coach Mike Breen, and the golden dome in general.  UC lost at Notre Dame in January, and the Cincinnati Enquirer's Bill Koch gives a nice recap of that game on his blog.  A win tonight would give UC a nice boost in prestige, respect, and possibly NCAA tournament seeding come Sunday.  More on that later.

Some non-football news, Bearcats basketball beats #24 Vanderbilt

With the excitement around the success of the football team, I haven't talked at all about the men's basketball team.  This year's team appears to be the most talented of the Mick Cronin era.  The past couple of seasons have led to some grumbling about whether Cronin is the man for the job, so with this level of talent anything less than a post-season appearance would be a disappointment that would fuel that fire.

After a lackluster opening win against Prarie View A&M and an easy win against an overmatched Toledo team, the Bearcats notched an impressive 67-58 victory over #24 Vanderbilt in the Maui Invitational.  The Bearcats didn't shoot well, but played a physical, high-intensity game and dominated Vanderbilt defensively and on the glass.  Video highlights are here.

This is a great win for UC, and could set the tone for a nice season.  Last year the team started with a good record, but was criticized for the cupcake schedule and didn't look ready for Big East play.  This season, they have a few more marquee matchups which should get them ready for conference play and help their resume come tournament selection time.  Another high-caliber matchup is tonight when the Bearcats take on #21 Maryland in the Maui Invitational semi-finals.  The game is on ESPN at 7pm eastern.