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.

Bearcats get a great win over Mizzou

What a great game!  I was worried about how Cincinnati would fare against Missouri's fast paced offense and full-court pressure, but they proved up to the task.  The Bearcats came out with great intensity and played awesome defense to hold the #9 scoring team in the nation 18 points below their average on under 40 percent shooting.  UC only turned the ball over 11 times against a press that forces an average of 18 a game.  Mick Conin had this team ready to play and it showed.  As the Bearcats gained control and then took the lead in the 1st half, some of the players looked possessed.  Missouri was not prepared for the Bearcats tenacious defense or their physical play and the Bearcats outmuscled them inside offensively and on the glass.  A great all around win.

Now UC faces UConn.  The advantages of this matchup is that Cincinnati knows their opponent well and has extra incentive to avenge a regular-season loss.  This disadvantage is that their opponent knows them.  I had hoped that UC would avoid facing a Big East team early on, because most teams aren't used to the physical style of play characteristic of the Big East.  UConn is hot right now and full of confidence.  Hopefully the mental and physical drain of playing 5 games in 5 days will start to catch up to them.  If UC comes out with the same intensity they showed last night, they can win.

Thoughts on UC as a 6 seed

When the brackets were announced on Sunday, I was happy and slightly surprised that UC got a 6 seed.  I think they deserve a 6, but thought the committee would give them a 7.  What I am not happy with is their matchup. 

Missouri is no 11 seed.  Their RPI isn't far behind the Bearcats and they went 0.500 in a major conference.  They are more like an 8 or 9 in my opinion.  The other 6 seeds are St. Johns, Georgetown, & Xavier, and they are matched up against Gonzaga, the USC/VCU play-in winner, & Marquette, repectively.  One could argue that Xavier's draw is as tought as UC's, but I think Cincinnati's is just a little tougher, while Georgetown got the easiest of the bunch.

If the Bearcats can get past the Tigers, UConn potentially awaits.  UConn beat UC this season at Fifth Third Arena and are red-hot and full of confidence coming off their Big East Tournament Championship.  Hopefully they will be out of gas as well.

It's a tough draw to be sure, but one that UC can win if they come out with intensity and play smart basketball.  In their first trip back to the dance since 2005, it sure would be nice to play two (or more).

Where will the Bearcats land

It's a foregone conclusion that the Bearcats will be included in this years NCAA tournament when the field is announced at 6 pm Sunday night.  The only question is where UC will be seeded.  They have a better record than many of the teams ahead of them in the polls.  If the selection committee gives UC the same lack of respect as the pollsters, they could get a poorer seed than they deserve.  If they take their strong finish to the season into account, they could get a better seed.

So what do the "bracketologists" say?  ESPN's Joe Lunardi projects the field with UC as a #7, playing Tennessee in the first round.  After the Bearcats loss to Notre Dame, Lunardi had UC as a #6.  Not sure what happened over night to change that.  Jordan Schwartz at Foxsports has UC as #6 playing Utah State--a matchup I like.  Jerry Palm at CBS Sports is the biggest surprise, with the Bearcats as a #5 playing Michigan.

Personally I think UC will be a 7, with an outside shot of a 6 or 8.  I am really hoping for a 6 or better.  The 7 & 8 seeded teams have tough first round matchups and then usually have to face a #1 or #2 seed.  If the Cincinnati can get a 5 or 6 I think they have an excellent chance of advancing to the Sweet 16.  We'll know in less than an hour.

Happy Thanksgiving!

News and Notes:

• I started my Thanksgiving day by running in the 100th annual Thanksgiving Day 10k Race.  It's a Cincinnati tradition and remarkable to have a 100th annual anything.
• The Bearcats basketball team lost to Gonzaga 61-59 in an OT heartbreaker.  While the loss is disappointing, the team had a good showing with two wins over ranked opponents.
• Tony Pike returns as the starter tomorrow when the Bearcats take on Illinois at sold out Nippert Stadium at noon.  The team needs a decisive win for the nationally televised audience watching on ABC.  I'll be there and can hardly wait!
• I don't know much about Illinois except that they have been inconsistent and have a poor pass defense.  UC's high powered attack should be able to take advantage, and hopefully the defense can return to early season form.
• UC once again needs Texas, Alabama, or Florida to lose this weekend to have a shot at the national championship game.  That doesn't look likely as all are favored by double-digits, although Texas A&M is giving Texas a game right now.  UC should be able to pass TCU in the BCS standings based on their strength of schedule if they win out.
• Next weeks game at Pitt is at noon.  That makes it tough to road-trip up there the day of the game, but there are cheap hotels in the suburbs with vacancies Friday night and tickets are still available for $30.  This could be the biggest game in UC history.
• Speaking of Pitt tickets, I got mine in the mail yesterday.  I thought they might be decent since it was the block allocated to UC but actually they suck.  I will be in row GG of section 505 in the corner of the stadium.  Oh well, at least I'll be there.

Bearcats Basketball wins again

For the second consecutive night the Cincinnati basketball team beat a top 25 ranked team in the Maui Invitation.  When's the last time that happened?  This time it was a 69-57 win over #22 Maryland in which the Bearcats once again outhustled the competition.

Yancy Gates led UC with 17 points and recorded a double-double for the second night in a row.  Deonta Vaughn had 16.

UC plays in the championship game tomorrow against the winner of the Gonzaga-Wisconsin game.  It's a great start for UC!!  I expect the Bearcats to start getting votes in the polls, and maybe even appear in the top 25 if they win tomorrow.

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.