BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ CINCINNATI

March 6, 2008



A couple former Conference USA members hook up in the Queen City as the Cincinnati Bearcats will honor their seniors when they host the DePaul Blue Demons.

Here are some local media game stories and previews:

Five Seniors Laid UC Foundation (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Big East Tourney Hopes on the Line for DePaul (Sun Times)
DePaul Chases Modest Goal (Chicago Tribune)

There is still a lot on the line for DePaul in their last two games. However, playing on the road against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh for their Senior Day festivities is a tough task. Entering tonight's schedule, DePaul and Providence are tied for the final conference tournament spot with 5-11 records. Both are a 1/2 game ahead of 5-12 St. John's who lost last night at Notre Dame and hosts West Virginia this weekend. Providence is home against UConn tonight and travels to meet Villanova to close their regular season. If all holds as expected, all three should be 5-13 at the close of the schedule, which would mean DePaul, despite losing 12 of their last 14 (currently, they have lost 10 of 12), would play in Madison Square Garden next week as the 12th seed.

Here are the Big East Tournament scenarios for DePaul:

If the teams remain tied at the end of the season, DePaul wins the 12th seed. If DePaul and St. John's end in a tie, the Demons also have the advantage based on head-to-head play. If DePaul and Providence end in a tie, the Friars win the seed based on their victory against a higher-seeded team, Connecticut.

For Cincinnati, they are 8-8 in the Big East, but are in the midst of a three-game losing streak (could have been longer with USF missing a couple chances to win in a game at Fifth Third before the streak), including their disappointing loss to Providence in overtime at home over the weekend. The Bearcats are safely in the Big East Tournament, but with a 13-15 record, their chances of playing beyond the Big East Tournament do not look good.

DePaul is still a tough team to figure out. They have one of the league's top scorers in Draelin Burns, instant offense and production off the bench in Will Walker and a pair of the top freshman in the league with Mak Koshwal and Dar Tucker. They also have some experience with seniors Wes Green, Cliff Clinkscales and Karron Clarke contributing. However, they never seem to be able to put things together. Either their shooting lets them down, their defense, rebounding or turnovers. It seems no matter who they play, something breaks down and they are unable to get over the hump for a win.

Cincinnati has five seniors, although none of them have played more than two years at UC (all JUCO transfers), they have helped get Mick Cronin's program off the ground. They are led by sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn, one of the top scorers in the Big East, and senior John Williamson, an athletic and versatile forward. However, outside of that duo, the offensive consistency of the rest of the team is not there. Those defeciencies have been exploited lately as UC has struggled down the stretch.

Still, what UC can do is play physical and tough defense. They will put forth the effort and with five seniors on the roster, they will want to go out as winners and finish at least .500 in the Big East, a big accomplishment for a program expected to struggle to reach the Big East Tournament. I look at the personnell of these two teams and I would expect them to have similar seasons. DePaul looks like they will finish about as expected, while the Bearcats have over achieved and it is because they will scrap and claw on defense and on the boards. Jamaul Warren also steadies the ship offensively as the point guard, these are areas where DePaul has struggled and could be the reason why one makes the trip to NYC and the other does not.

Cincinnati is a 5.5-pt home favorite. The game should be close and tight, but the better defensive team should pull it out.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Cincinnati 65 DePaul 61

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

March 2, 2008



VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Dion Dixon, 6'3 (G) Crane Tech HS

The disappointment of an overtime loss to Providence on Sunday might be softened a little bit for Cincinati Bearcat fans by the news that Mick Cronin landed a verbal commitment as Dion Dixon Commits to Big East School (Illinois Prep Bulls-eye).



Projected 2008-2009 Roster:

Seniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Juniors: Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Sophomores: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Kenny Belton (F/C), Alvin Mitchell (G/F), Anthony McClain (C), Darnell Wilks (F)
Freshmen: Yancy Gates (BF), Cashmere Wright (PG), Dion Dixon (G)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)



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On the strength of a big senior season, Crane Tech guard Dion Dixon has emerged as the top unsigned prospect in Illinois. With a scoring average of 25 points per game for Crane, which is 14-8 on the season, Dixon can obviously score the basketball. Cincinnati definitely has a need for players who can put the ball in the basket and while on an official visit this weekend the match was made and Dixon decided the Bearcats would be his future home.

Dixon joins Cashmere Wright, originally a Clemson Tiger commit, and local standout Yancy Gates of Withrow HS in the 2008 UC class. Wright will join a roster where Deonta Vaughn would be a junior and the only other point guard in the program, meaning Wright could have a chance to see some early playing time his first two years and have the chance to run the show in his final two seasons. With Jamaul Warren and Alvin Gentry being seniors this season, Wright and Dixon should have plenty of chances to see a lot of playing time as freshman with Vaughn and sophomore (to-be) Larry Davis. Gates is a 6'8 powerful post player expected to contribute rigth away on the frontline.

Cincinnati already has one 2009 commitment (Danny McElroy) and one senior on the projected 2008-2009 roster (Mike Williams), a scholarship or two could be set aside for the 2009 class as well as they still have two scholarships open for 2008. Other players that we have come across that Cincinnati has been involved with this year inckude shooting guard Bud Mackey of Harmony Prep, Scotty Hopson of University Heights (KY), Georgia small forward Wesley Witherspoon, Chipola CC PF Gary Flowers, Vincennes University shooting guard Devon Dumas and Miami-Dade CC big man Steven Toyloy, among others. We will continue to follow UC recruiting to see if they add more to their 2008 class.



A great resource on UC recruiting can be found at Bearcat News. They have the possibility of another large class for 2008 and already have a commitment from Withrow HS standout Yancy Gates, who got the ball rolling earlier in the spring.