BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #8 CINCINNATI

October 30, 2008



This week's Thursday Night special features the South Florida Bulls travelling north to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in a key Big East conference match-up. The Bulls have seen their conference championship hopes take a big hit, losing two of their last three games to fall to 1-2 in the conference.

Cincinnati is coming off a 40-16 road loss at the hands of UConn, evening the Bearcats' Big East mark at 1-1. The latest football lines have UC as a road underdog with the Bulls being a 2 1/2 point favorite in this contest.

The biggest area of concern for Cincinnati is in the injury department where quarterbacks Dustin Grutza (ankle) and Tony Pike (hand) are likely out of action again, leaving freshmen Zach Collaros and Chazz Anderson under center. Not a favorable situation against a speed USF defense

While the injury list is long for South Florida as well, only Mike Ford's name is of major concern, but they have been dealing with his gimpy ankle since the season opener. The Bulls have a very good run defense and that is the area of the game that UC will have to rely on with the inexperience at QB. That match-up is the area to exploit for the Bulls and if they can, they should put themselves back into the conference race.

Prediction:

South Florida 27
Cincinnati 17

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #7 CINCINNATI

October 24, 2008


It is late October and Cincinnati is still undefeated in the Big East football conference, albeit 1-0. Saturday's high noon showdown in the Nutmeg state against Connecticut is the beginning of six conference games in six weeks for the 5-1 Bearcats, whose only loss has come against highly ranked Oklahoma on the road.

UC's top 15 rush defense will be highly tested by Connecticut star back Donald Brown, who has already ammassed 1,174 yards on the ground along with 12 touchdowns through the first 7 games of the season (168/game).

The Huskies got off to a 5-0 start and where generating some talk around the country. However, a 34-12 pasting on the road at the hands of North Carolina and a tough 12-10 loss to Rutgers have knocked UConn back a bit. Now they will have to deal with the distraction of head coach Randy Edsall being a top candidate to replace Greg Robinson at his alma mater at Syracuse. Reports have surfaced that a search firm that the Syracuse administration has reached out to has pegged Edsall as the #1 candidate.

UConn is 1-1 in the Big East, winning at Louisville and suffering the loss last week at RU. WVU, USF and Pitt remain onthe conference schedule for both teams, so winning this one will help one team get the inside track at challenging for one of the four Big East NCAA Bowl Game tie-ins. The College Football Odds list the road Bearcats as a 2 1/2 point favorite, with a stout run defense and UConn's quarterback merry-go-round, look for the road team to make their play in the conference this weekend.

Prediction:

Cincinnati 24
Connecticut 21

WHITE PLAINS' KILPATRICK HEADED TO BEARCAT COUNTRY

by Zach Smart



Sean Kilpatrick’s efficient arsenal of 20-footers, mano y mano moves, and good life from the perimeter is what helped him mount a considerable Division-I stock.


Notre Dame Prep’s Kilpatrick, a second team All-State selection who helped lead White Plains to a 15-7 season (culminating with a 93-65 playoff loss to Poughkeepsie), had been comfortably nestled on the recruiting radar the past few days.


Kilpatrick, the combination guard who averaged a sublime 25.6 points per game last season, had been hotly pursued by a number of Big East schools, Providence, St. John’s, and Cincinnati, to name a few.


He arrived at a decision yesterday, giving Cincinnati a verbal commitment.

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Kilpatrick, who played alongside the state’s most electrifying dunker in Rashad James (18.7 ppg) in the White Plains backcourt, has sold Big East hoop tycoons on his scoring prowess.

The 6-foot-4, 185-lb. Kilpatrick can score in clusters. The second-highest ranked player from Section I last season (second only to West Virginia’s Kevin Jones, outclassing Archbishop Stepinac’s Tony Taylor Mount Vernon’s Sherrod Wright and a buffet-line of highly-touted players), Kilpatrick’s aggressive scoring aptitude smashed the surface during multiple pivotal games last season.

When the Tigers eked out an 82-79 thriller over Canarsie (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Kilpatrick simply went off. The then-senior erupted for 44 points, connecting on 17 field goals and 10 free throws.

In a big-stage game against cross-town rival New Rochelle, Kilpatrick hung 38 points, including seven treys. Kilpatrick poured in 30 points in two games against perennial power Mount Vernon, another one of White Plains’ fiercest rivals.

The oceans opened for Kilpatrick during a five-game stretch in middle-late January, as he averaged 28.2 points against a handful of reputable Section I opponents, including Mookie Jones (Syracuse) and Peekskill.

According to the Daily News, Kilpatrick still needs to right the academic ship. His boards were never a problem on the court, he attacked the glass with a reckless abandon can sky very well for a guard.

Off the court, however, his boards kept him from big-time schools. Kilpatrick will up his grades at the prestigious prep program situated in the woodworks of Massachusetts.

Cincinatti can certainly use the guard’s explosive scoring as a future replacment of go-to-guy Deonta Vaughn. The offensive ratchet led the Bearcats with 17 points per game. The three-point assailant cooked Syracuse and UConn to the recipe of 29 and 34 points, respectively. Having an offensive scoring talent such as Kilpatrick to apprentice under Vaughn for a season and then waiting in the wings to make his mark will help Mick Cronin's squad increase their college basketball odds of winning.

Kilpatrick nearly gave St. John’s an oral commitment last year. He was impressed with the school’s proximity and the lured by the opportunity to make an immediate impact. It looks like another one of the city-area prospects will be heading south for the winter.

One pothole in Kilpatrick’s game is his habit of playing erratically. His performance in the Jordan Brand All-American Classic at MSG (two points on 1-for-10 shooting) is indicative of this.

Kilpatrick is a combination guard and worked on operating offense this summer. He spent long, grueling hours in the gym with Gerard Jones (the older brother of the aforementioned Kevin Jones), refining elements of his game and adapting to the role of a point guard. Gerard Jones describes Kilpatrick as a “true” off guard, according to a recent story on Zagsblog.

http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/01/kilpatrick-offe.html


Kilpatrick played for the Westchester Hawks on the AAU circuit.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

October 12, 2008

COMMITMENT ALERT: Sean Kilpatrick, 6-foot-5 G from Notre Dame Prep

There was no doubt that Sean Kilpatrick wanted to play in the Big East and the Notre Dame Prep guard will get his wish and Mick Cronin and Cincinnati will be the beneficiaries as UC Gets Commitment from the 6'5 Wing Player (Cincinnati Enquirer) shortly after his official visit of this weekend.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster:

Seniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Juniors: Deonta Vaughn (PG), Steven Toyloy (C/BF)
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), John Riek (C)
2009 Commitment: Sean Kilpatrick (G)




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The scholarship situation for Mick Cronin and his Cincinnati Bearcats is a little unclear with a potential waiver for Mike Williams to apply for to receive a 6th year from the NCAA. Williams can apply for a 6th season after the 2008-2009 year, if granted, the Bearcats can potentially return all 13 players for 2009-2010. Of course, that number of 13 is assuming John Riek (see below) ends up enrolling at UC.

Even with the uncertainty of scholarships, the Bearcats received a quality verbal commitment this weekend when Notre Dame Prep guard Sean Kilpatrick made a commitment following a visit over the weekend.

Kilpatrick was a hot commodity last spring among Big East schools as he attempted to become eligible after his senior season at White Plains (NY) High School where he was an offensive machine, lighting up the scoreboard on many occasions and often in front of college coaches. Kilpatrick made a brief verbal commitment to St. John's at one point in the recruiting process and also has had Providence high on his list of interested schools, but after a visit to UC this past weekend, he felt it was time to end the recruiting process. Next up is a commitment to his academics to make certain there are no more hold-ups in getting his college career going. Kilpatrick was an AAU teammate of SU freshman Mookie Jones and WVU frosh Kevin Jones with the Westchester Hawks.

John Riek took the college basketball recruiting scene by storm in July of 2007 with a breakout performance at the Lebron James Skills Academy. Immediately following that performance the NBA Draft talk began to surface and a literal tug-of-war for his services began between those at Our Savior New American in Long Island and people trying to get him to the Winchendon School in New England. Eventually, Riek ended up at the Winchendon School where he played sparingly late in the season due to injuries. The injuries also hampered him greatly at the Orlando Pre-Draft camp as Riek still pursued his goal of being drafted this past June in the NBA Draft, but he ended up pulling out prior to the draft.

Several things still cloud Riek's future with the Bearcats and when (or if) it will begin. First is the matter of the SAT (or ACT) test to become eligible for the Bearcats. At this point, Riek is expected to take the test September 13th. Those close to Riek believe the NCAA Clearinghouse will allow his transcripts, but he will still need a qualifying test score (remember, the Big East does not allow members to accept partial qualifiers) to enter UC on a scholarship. Coach Byrnes at Winchendon acknowledged that Riek's English had a ways to go for him to foresee Riek being able to tackle the SAT's successfully. As of October 10th, Riek Will Miss the First Semester (ZagsBlog.net) at UC because a qualifying standardized test score had not been posted in time to allow him to enroll for the first semester. Riek still hopes to enroll in December.

Secondly, and an area likely to see the NCAA look very closely at, is the state of his amateur status. Riek burst onto the scene in Akron last summer (a performance he has yet to duplicate since) and he seems to have been pulled in every direction since, with it always being the intention of finding the shortest route to the NBA. A Hoops on Hoops blog piece by Dick 'Hoops' Weiss in early July took a look at the Riek situation, calling it a 'cautionary' tale about a young 7-footer who "went to IMG in Florida to work out, signed with an agent and became a major disappointment at the Orlando pre-draft camp." So, you can see where the question in that story comes, as Weiss indicates Riek 'signed' with an agent. It is possible 'Hoops' was just assuming that the move to IMG and the declaration for the draft was a process lined up by an agent, but in any event, expect the NCAA to look closely into this.

Even if Riek does not materialize, the rest of the 2008 class is promising for the Bearcats. Steven Toyloy was a player of definite need for the Bearcats and Mick Cronin to land in the spring period. With 10 freshman and sophomores expected on the roster next season, UC definitely could have used a veteran big man to add some muscle to the line-up next year. Toyloy averaged about 12 points and 12 rebounds a game as a JUCO sophomore for Miami-Dade CC. As a freshman, the 6'8, 265 lb Toyloy led the nation in rebounding with over 13/game. Toyloy is a big, physical presence that should be comfortable in the physical Big East, allowing Anthony McClain some help in the pivot.

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, 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 in early March the match was made and Dixon decided the Bearcats would be his future home.

Toyloy, Riek and Dixon join 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. Even before the situation with Riek is cleared up, that is a full 13-player roster for the 2008-2009 season. To add Riek in September (or even December), the Bearcats would have to open up a roster spot. Riek becoming a 2009 recruit is also a possibility, would he opt for another shot at the professional ranks at that time??

Mick Cronin is adding talent and depth to the UC program with very good recruiting. These factors are certain to increase the college basketball odds of seeing the Bearcats challenge for a spot in March Madness in the near future under coach Cronin.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #6 CINCINNATI

October 9, 2008


The Cincinnati Bearcats open their Big East schedule this weekend when they host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the current college football lines have made the Bearcats 7 1/2 point favorites in this contest.

Cincinnati enters the contest with a 4-1 record with a solid air attack led by QB's Dustin Grutza and Tony Pike, whoever is healthier, and a good rush defense.

Rutgers has been a major dissapointment and is off to a 1-4 start, with their lone winning coming against Morgan State. The Scarlet Knights have struggled mightily scoring points and that is likely to continue on the road this weekend.

While I still think there is some hope for RU, I think this wil lbe a tough game, fairly low scoring, and close. Rutgers has continually shot themselves in the foot this season and come up short, if they can limit the turnovers, they will have a shot to win this game late, but until they prove they can, expect them to fall short once again.


Prediction:

Cincinnati 23
Rutgers 20

2008-2009 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 11) CINCINNATI

October 5, 2008

Quietly and under the radar, the Cincinnati Bearcats go about their business preparing for the 2008-2009 season. All-Big East performer Deonta Vaughn returns to lead Mick Cronin into the all-important third year of a coaching tenure and the Bearcats could be a team ready to surprise in the Big East.

Last season, UC was starting to make some noise as they reached 8-5 in the Big East, but the bottom fell out from there as they lost their last seven games of the season to fall back to 13-19 overall and 8-10 in the Big East. This year another infusion of new talent and hopeful progress of their sophomores to team with Vaughn could make the Bearcats a team on the prowl this season.

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Comings:

The big catch for Mick Cronin on the recruiting trail this past year was local product Yancy Gates, a 6-foot-9 power forward that should step in immediately and help the Bearcat frontcourt that has been under fire in the Big East the last two seasons. Gates joins freshman guards Dion Dixon of Chicago and Cashmere Wright out of Georgia in the class. Wright could also make an immediate impact at the point guard position.

Also on the roster is 7-foot-2 John Riek. The story on Riek is pretty well documented, but at this point, injuries and academics have yet to clear him for competition. The Bearcats hope to have his knee issues rehabbed and a green light on his academics where they will have him available in the second semester.

A couple other newcomers to the UC frontcourt include JUCO transfer Stephen Toyloy and Mike Williams, a transfer from Texas who missed last season because of a leg injury after sitting out the previous year as a transfer.


Goings:

When Mick Cronin first was hired as the head coach at UC he had to make quick work on the recruiting trail and he hit the JUCO circuit very hard. With his first class heavy on the JUCO’s, he is seeing a lot of production from last year leave the program, 52% of his scoring to be exact. UC graduates include four of their top five scorers including John Williamson, who also lead the team in rebounding, Adam Hrycaniuk, who was second in rebounding, starting point guard Jamual Warren and instant offense Marvin Gentry. Marcus Sikes was the fifth member of the class to graduate.


Net Impact:

Potentially the class of newcomers will have a much bigger impact on the UC program, with or without John Riek, as the departed. Look for Gates, Toyloy and Williams to more than make-up for Williamson and Hrycaniuk next season and in the future. A freshman point guard is a dicey situation, but the offensive potential of Wright excites those near the Bearcat program, harnessing that ability to be a true point guard could be a challenge early on when replacing Warren. Dixon should also add an offensive weapon much similar to what Gentry provided. This new UC line-up will be much deeper and have a much higher potential than last year’s squad.


2008-2009 Backcourt Outlook:

Leading the UC backcourt is junior guard Deonta Vaughn, an explosive scorer that lead the Bearcats with 17 points and 4 assists a game. At times, Vaughn can become dominant offensively, showing it by scoring 36 against Coastal Carolina, 34 against UConn and 30 against Pittsburgh. All too often, however, it seemed like only Vaughn was a threat to score for UC and both teams on the floor knew it. Vaughn still managed to shoot 44% from the floor last season, not a bad percentage figuring how much of the burden fell on him to score and how much attention he drew from the opponents.

The key to Vaughn’s success is finding a point guard to play with him. If Vaughn is called on to be the scorer and run the show, the efficiency of the offense will likely suffer. Vaughn’s best skill for this team is to score and letting him worry about scoring will benefit this team. Freshman Cashmere Wright is the likely starter at point guard, but expect to see Vaughn spend some time running the offense, too.

Wright was a prolific scorer at Urban Christian Academy in Georgia and now will have to adjust and be then one to run the UC offense. Fellow frosh Dion Dixon, a combo guard, also could get some time playing point guard, but he is also more of a scoring guard in the mold of Vaughn.

At the wings, UC returns a trio of sophomores in Rashad Bishop, Larry Davis and Alvin Mitchell. All three had their moments in their freshmen seasons, now they will be asked to step-up and take hold of a role to etch their place into the program. Bishop started most of the season and averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds in 22 minutes a game. Davis showed some ability to score, averaging four points in 11 minutes of action. Mitchell has some intriguing potential as a high-level athlete, but struggled as a freshman playing within the system. He ended the season suspended and was on thin ice, but he showed the dedication to the team and his academics that coach Cronin was looking for. Mitchell struggled from the field, shooting just 26% from the floor as a freshman. If he earns his minutes this year, it could be he is showing signs of tapping his impressive potential that made him one of the highest scoring recruits out of Florida in his class.


2008-2009 Frontcourt Outlook:

The frontcourt is where this year's Cincinnati Bearcats should be the area where their College Basketball Odds most improved. Despite graduating their top two rebounders from last season in Williamson and Hrycaniuk, the excitement around the programs centers around the addition of Yancy Gates. The local Cincinnati product out of Withrow High School has the build of a Big East defensive end and has been impressive in early season workouts. Teaming with him in the frontcourt could be Mike Williams, the former McDonald's All-American who came to UC after two seasons playing at Texas. Williams will have to shake off two seasons of inactivity as a year of residency and an Achilles injury has kept him out of game action for two seasons.

In the middle the Bearcats have 7-foot sophomore Anthony McClain who looks to contribute more as a sophomore. McClain should benefit greatly from a full year in the strength program at UC and be much improved at mixing it up inside. JUCO transfer Steven Toyloy was one of the nation's leading rebounders for two sesaons at Miami-Dade CC and is another big body entering the mix. Rounding out the deep line-up in the frontcourt is sophomore Kenny Belton, yet another 6-foot-9, 250 pounder, and uber-athletic forward Darnell Wilks.

The wildcard is John RIek, the 7-foot-2 mystery that exploded on the scene a couple years ago at the Lebron James Skills Academy in Akron where he dominated the action on both ends of the floor. Once thought of as a sure-fire lottery pick and a highly sought after recruit, Riek has battled injuries, a strange custody battle between prep schools and advisers and made himself available for the NBA draft, but the sore knees left him looking like a shell of himself and he ended up withdrawing his name for the draft. There was speculation he had signed with an agent, but then out of the blue, he signed with Cincinnati. It is a risk worth taking for the Bearcats as they had an open scholarship and if Riek returns to pre-injury form and the NCAA clears his academics (and amateur status?) they get an intimidating 7-foot-2 big man ready to go in the Big East.


2008-2009 Team Outlook:

There is a lot to like about this Cincinnati team and they could be a spoiler in the conference come later in the Big East season. Their youth might have them being one year from a major break-out, but Mick Cronin is definitely lining up the pieces to get the Bearcats program back to prominence. He has added some intriguing talent the last couple seasons and with the deep frontcourt this season, the Bearcats will be a much more consistent team that could push for .500 in the conference. Ball-handling is still an area of concern and experience, but if they continue to buy into the defense-first mentality of their head coach, this could be the surprise team of the conference if a sophomore or two steps up their game to give another consistent scoring threat on the perimeter to pair with Deonta Vaughn.

Keep an eye on the Bearcats, they could be a team ready to bust out this year...



2008-2009 Big East Prediction: 8-10