BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH FLORIDA @ CINCINNATI

February 20, 2008


The surprising Cincinnati Bearcats look for their 8th win in the Big East while the South Florida Bulls are still in search of their first ever Big East road victory when the two teams meet tonight in Cincinnati.

Here are the local media game previews and stories:

USF Center lacks Hype, Not Stats (Cincinnati Enquirer)
USF Hoops to Appear on ESPNU (Bradenton Herald)
Vaughn Hopes to Shake Slump (Enquirer)


The Cincinnati Bearcats are 7-5 in the Big East and are in the thick of the conference race coming off consecutive wins over Rutgers and St. John's. UC will welcome South Florida in to town tonight prior to road games with Georgetown and Pittsburgh next on their schedule.

Mick Cronin has gotten his team to buy into the mindset that defense wins basketball games. In their last outing, the Bearcats held St. John's to 43 points in a 60-43 win. The 43 points was not even their best defensive effort in a Big East game this season, UC limited West Virginia to 39 earlier this year.

Offensively the main man all season has been Deonta Vaughn. However, the sophomore guard has struggled a bit in the last two games but senior forward John Williamson has picked up the slack giving UC another scoring threat. Williamson has ecplipsed the 20-pt mark in each of the last two games.

The Bulls game within 0:00.2 of sweeping a two-game homestand with Syracuse and Connecticut. After whipping the Orange 89-78, the Bulls led for much of th egame against UConn on Saturday before falling in overtime on a last second off-balance runner by Craig Austrie.

Now, the Bulls will look to do something they have never done while in the Big East, win on the road. The Bearcats have made 5th and Third Arena a tough place to play once again, so it will not be easy for USF. The Bulls will look inside to their horse, Kentreall Gransberry for points and outside to freshman Dominique Jones. Those two often carry the offensive burden for USF, but their recent improved play has been the result from added contributions from wing Jesus Verdejo. Still, the Bulls lack depth at the forward spot and John Williamson is likely to take advantage of that weakness.

I do think the Bulls will show well in this game. The Bearcats are 7.5-pt favorites and they should win, although I see it being a little closer than anticipated.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Cincinnati 63 South Florida 60