BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ WEST VIRGINIA

January 30, 2008

For the first time since being forced to resign his position as head basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati, Bob Huggins will be coaching against the Bearcats. Huggins, who led UC for 16 years, will host Mick Cronin's squad tonight at the Coliseum in Morgantown.

What makes this game even more interesting is the Cronin was an assistant under Huggins at Cincinnati. So, you have the teacher vs the pupil and the whole UC vs. Bob Huggins storylines...not to mention and interesting Big East Conference game to boot!

Here are the local media previews on tonight's game:

UC to Praise, Top Huggins (Cincinnati Enquirer)
WVU Men on Rebound Against UC (Times West Virginian)
It'll Be Mentor vs Protege Tonight (Charleston Gazette)
No Night for Nostalgia (Charleston Gazette)
Huggins: We Just Need to Win (WV Metro News)
Not Just Another Game for UC (Enquirer)
Huggins Was Mentor to Cronin (Enquirer)

West Virginia is a 14-pt home favorite tonight when they host the Bearcats of Cincinnati. The Mountaineers love playing at home and they seem to shoot th eball much better in the comfort of their own building. The Bearcats will work hard to make the game a low-scoring, defensive battle. They have really been buying into that philosphy for coach Mick Cronin and they are strong and athletic and could pose some problems for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia will be keyed up for the game. The players know how badly coach Bob Huggins wants this game. He may say he just wants to win, but you know he wants to win by a lot. Cincinnati has been in a similar position when they went to Louisville and came up with a stirring road win in Freedom Hall on New Year's Day. Mick Cronin was also an assistant for Rick Pitino at Louisville, so he has already beaten one of his mentors this season.

The key offensively for Cincinnati is Deonta Vaughn. He is th eonly player capable of carry the team on offense. Look for Bob Huggins to design some quirky defensive schemes to take Vaughn out of the mix, forcing someone else to step-up and beat them. Over the weekend, Seton Hall limited Vaughn's opportunities and the rest of the Bearcats had trouble scoring. John Williamson, UC's 2nd leading scorer, was limited due to an injury and foul trouble making things even tougher.

West Virginia will rely on Alex Ruoff from the perimeter and Joe Alexander slashing to the basket and Darris Nichols managing the game. West Virginia likes to be effecient on offense while Cincinnati's goal is to muck up the game so nobody is very effecient on offense.

It is a classic game of different styles, I do think the majority of th egame is played in a style that favors Cincinnati, much like St. John's was able to do at WVU, but in th eend, the home crowd and a few more outside shots tilt things in favor of the Mountaineers.

NBE Blogger Prediction: West Virginia 66 Cincinnati 59

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ CINCINNATI

January 23, 2008


Connecticut will look to gain some momentum following their 89-73 victory over Marquette on Sunday. They will look to do so on the road at a place where Syracuse, Villanov and Pittsburgh all failed previously, at Cincinnati.

Here are the local media previews of the game:

UConn Takes Notice (Hartford Courant)
Seniors Put 'D' First (Cincinnati Enquirer)
UConn Faces Tough Test in Cincy (Connecticut Post)
UConn Faces Critical Road test Against Improved Bearcats (Rep-Am)


Cincinnati is definitely the surprise team of the Big East. The Bearcats have won at Louisville and also own home victories against Syracuse, Villanova and Pittsburgh. Their four league wins have been marked by excellent defense and improved work on the glass. The Bearcats have solid athleticism at every position and the veterans are meshing well with the younger talent. Mick Cronin has gotten his team to believe in the philosophy that defense wins basketball games.

Point guard Jamual Warren has been steady with the basketball and shooting guard Deonta Vaughn gives the Bearcats the offensive punch they need to pull out wins. Warren's play has solidified the point guard position freeing up Vaughn to be the scorer on the club. This is a VERY important dynamic on a team that will look to slow the pace and keep the score from getting much past 60. Inside, Adam Hrycaniuk and Anthony McClain compliment each other well in the post and John Williamson is one of the seniors who have bought in fully to the defensive and rebounding philosophy that Mick Cronin has gotten his team to accept. The wings are led by Marvin Gentry off th ebench with the threat of instant offense and starting wing Rashad Bishop, a freshman with the knack for the big play.

I think Cincinnati's early success will be put to the greatest test yet by the Connecticut Huskies. UConn got a MUCH needed win over the weekend, beating Marquette in a contest that was never close, 89-73. Coming off a heart-breaking loss at Georgetown and a bad home loss to Providence, UConn could not afford a three-game losing streak in the conference with the potential to get ugly. They played inspired on defense and dominated the boards as expected.

While UC beat Syracuse and Pitt, quality teams no doubt, neither had the deep collection of athletes of the Huskies. UConn can run, run, and run some more behind AJ Price, Jerome Dyson, Doug Wiggins and Craig Austrie in the backcourt. They have the defensive presence in Hasheem Thabeet to take away much in the paint, something the three previous victims against UC lacked and with forwards like Stanley Robinson and Jeff Adrien, they are strong, athletic and big, trumping any advantages UC had against other teams.

Cincinnati will try to keep the score down, but this might be a tall order. UConn will test the commitment to a slower pace and their athletes could exert thier talents in this contest. The home crowd will be fired up and the Bearcats will be confident, but even with their previous success, they are still a 2.5-pt underdog. Look for UConn to end Cincinnati's home winning streak in conferenc play.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Connecticut 74 Cincinnati 67

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ NOTRE DAME

January 15, 2008


The Cincinnati Bearcats wake up this morning tied for 1st place in the Big East conference standings with a 3-1 record in conference play. Already with wins over Louisville, Syracuse and Villanova, Mick Cronin and his squad will look to add Notre Dame to the list of victims.

Mike Brey and his club return home after being pasted by Marquette in the Bradley Center on Saturday, 92-66. Saturday was the first road game of the season for the Irish, who have been dominant at home. They will look to get back on track tonight and move into a tie atop the conference standings.

Here are the local media previews on tonight's game:

Long Road Just Beginning (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Despite Start, Cronin Guarded (Enquirer)
From Stout to Big Drought (Chicago Tribune)
Match-up: Cincinnati @ Notre Dame (Chicago Tribune)


Notre Dame started Big East play with home wins over West Virginia and Connecticut, stretching their Joyce Center win streak to 30 games. The win over UConn was the team's 10th straight victory. They had a chance to seize control of the conference when they headed to Milwaukee to face Marquette, but the Golden Eagles showed the Irish how tough life is on the road in the conference, handing them a 92-66 loss.

Cincinnati is one of the few conference teams with an 'unexpected' road win. The Bearcats opened the Big East conference schedule with a win at Louisville. The Bearcats have shown that win was not a fluke by protecting their home court with wins over Syracuse and Villanova last night and have earned a surprising 3-1 record in conference play.

The Bearcats will certainly have their hands full in the lane with Notre Dame sophomore big man Luke Harangody. The 6'8, 250 lb power forward is averaging over 24 PPG and 13 rebounds in his three Big East contests. Harangody is an ox in the paint and uses nearly flawless fundamental post moves to score against players of all sizes in the paint.

Harangody is aided by a very capable inside/out game with Kyle McAlarney, a junior sharp-shooter, and a senior power forward Rob Kurz who takes some rebounding and post scoring pressure off.

Cincinnati's start has been ignited by the hot-shooting of Deonta Vaughn. The stocky sophomore is averaging almost 23 PPG in the first four conference contests and was voted the Big East Player of the Week in our latest Big East Bloggers Power Poll after averaging 27 PPG in wins over Syracuse and Villanova.

The Bearcats like t keep the score in the lower 60's and point guard Jamual Warren controls the tempo and allows Vaughn to play off the ball in a role to score points. Mick Cronin uses several freshmen in the mix, including Rashad Bishop and Anthony McClain, but the Bearcats also got a big lift from Alvin Mithcell in their win over Villanova, adding another weapon to th emix.

The oddsmakers really like Notre Dame, making them a 12-pt favorite. The Irish score a lot of points on their home floor, but this is the first defensive-minded team that will be paying them a visit. However, coming off the lopsied loss, look for the Irish to be after it themselves on the defensive side and the comforts of home should cure any of their shooting woes that hit on Saturday.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Notre Dame 77 Cincinnati 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ CINCINNATI

January 12, 2008


The surprising Cincinnati Bearcats will look to knock off another upper-echelon conference foe when the Villanova Wildcats come to the Queen City. The Bearcats have already matched last season's conference win total (2) with wins over Louisville and Syracuse in their first three conference outings.

Villanova, a young team, got a hard lesson of life on the road when they opened up with a loss at DePaul. The Wildcats bounced back with a spirited defensive effort on their home court, forcing 22 turnovers, in a thrilling 64-63 win over Pittsburgh.

Here are the local media previews of the game:

Seniors Want Payback Tonight (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Williamson Puts Team First (Enquirer)
Injuries Hamper Nova's Reynolds (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The healthy of Scottie Reynolds will be a major key to this evening's game. The young Wildcats will need their leading scorer and accomplished Big East guard to set the tone on the road. As Villanova showed against Pittsburgh, they can survive an off night and still win, they are deep enough with talented players, but that was at home and this is on the road.

Obviously, this Cincinnati team is miles better than last year's team and even the team that started the season off in Novemeber, when Mick Cronin stepped back and said they just 'were not a good basketball team.' The return of point guard Jamual Warren has settled down the offense, allowing Deonta Vaughn to only worry about putting points on the board on the offensive side. John Williamson settling into a role that betters the team and with freshmen Rashad Bishop and Anthony McClain becoming contributors, the Bearcats have depth inside and out and more defined roles.

Still, this team kind of goes as their star Vaughn goes. He will face a tough match-up tonight against a group of Villanova guards that really like to get after it on the defensive end, and they should have learned from the Pittsburgh game, that is where they win games.

Freshmen Corey Fisher and Malcolm Grant have taken turns being the leading scorers in their two Big East games and forwards Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark know their roles.

This looks to be a tight game, but the Villanova guards will put the pressure on Vaughn, keeping him in check so the Wildcats can steal one on the road.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 68 Cincinnati 67

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ CINCINNATI

January 9, 2008



After Tuesday night's action, only three Big East teams remain undefeated in the first week and a half of action (Syracuse, Georgetown and Notre Dame, all 2-0). Syracuse will take their 2-0 league record on the road for their first conference game away from the Carrier Dome when they battle the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Here are the local media previews of the contest:

Cronin Wants Full Arena Against SU (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Orange Ready for Another Road Test (Syracuse Post-Standard)
SU Takes Win Streak on Road to Cincinnati (Democrat & Chronicle)


When looking over the schedule for the week in the Big East, you can't help but look ahead to Sunday's match-up of Syracuse at West Virginia. As a college basketball fan, I can certainly do that. However, Jim Boeheim will have to keep his young squad focused on the task at hand, playing a conference road game on an improving Cincinnati Bearcats' home floor.

Syracuse has been able to ease their way into Big East action, facing St. John's and South Florida, two teams predicted to finish near the bottom of the conference. Now, in their first road conference tilt, they get to ease gently into action with Cincinnati, a program also predicted to finish near the bottom of the league and has had a less than enthusiastic fan following the last few seasons.

After losing Andy Rautins over the summer and Eric Devendorf in December to season-ending knee injuries, I do not think Jim Boehiem could have scripted the opening of conference play any better, schedule-wise, for his young team. With three freshmen and two sophomores in the starting line-up and a freshman and JUCO transfer picking up the majority of remaining minutes off the bench, the Orange have been able to slowly adjust to the differences in intensity and effort that comes along with conference play.

The good news for the Orange coming with the 2-0 start is that Dante Greene and Jonny Flynn do not play like freshmen. There is no question on roles with the two of them, Flynn runs the show and Greene runs the floor and scores. Arinze Onuaku has been establishing himself as an inside force in the conference and Paul Harris is finding his niche as a human wrecking ball on the wing. The Orange still could use some work shoring up the offense, but man for man, this team is as talented as any in the conference. Youth and depth are the areas that will hold them back at times.

The Bearcats started conference play with a bang, going to Louisville and knocking off the Cardinals 58-57 at Freedom Hall. The Bearcats had been showing improvement and played a tough schedule during the pre-conference portion of their season and they were ready to play physical and tough when the conference opened. St. John's brought UC back to earth a bit, handing the Bearcats a 70-58 loss on the road.

Last season, UC almost pulled off quite an upset as Marcus Sikes had a career night shooting three's against the Orange zone at the Dome. Eric Devendorf saved the Orange down the stretch. The Bearcats will have to find that shooting touch again to challenge SU tonight. The Bearcats made Louisville pay when they were left open behind the arc, but this is a team that can really struggle scoring on the perimeter, outside of sophomore Deonta Vaughn, nobody has shown much life consistently on the offensive side of the ball. The size of Onuaku will make life tough for Adam Hrycaniuk and the length of Greene in the zone will make it tough on John Williamson on the baseline. Syracuse matches up very well and as a 3-pt favorite, they should be able to hold UC at bay.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Syracuse 77 Cincinnati 71

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ ST. JOHN'S

January 5, 2008


Talk about a team whose fortunes have turned around in a big way! Cincinnati looked like they were headed to another abysmal Big East campaign under Mick Cronin, mired in a 5-game losing streak and sitting at 4-7 on the season. They had shown some improvement against a very tough schedule, but even a win over Miami (OH) did not erase the opinion that the Bearcats were likely headed to a finish amongst the bottom two of the conference.

Then, under the radar of many New Year's day plans, the Bearcats go to Louisville and knock off one of the two preseason conference favorites, 58-57.

Now, Cincinnati heads to St. John's looking for a second straight road win and with four of their next five at home, maybe the tide can turn for UC.

The game will not be easy, despite the feel good win over Louisville, they will be facing a mad Redstorn squad who have lost six of their last eight games. Like UC, SJU is full of freshmen, but getting home could be the elixir for what ails SJU as five of their last eight have been away from home and two others were at Madison Square Garden in the Aeropostale Holiday Festival.

While on a trip to Hawaii, SJU did get the serviced of Anthony Mason Jr back, who had missed most of the OOC schedule with an injured ankle and Rob Thomas became eligible and provides the potential for more depth and scoring bunch in the front court.

SJU does have some experience with Mason, a junior, and senior Eugene Lawrence running the point. Sophomore Larry Wright was expected to have a breakout season, but he has struggled thus far and has seen his playign time cut considerably recently. After that, the team relies on freshmen, including Justin Burrell and DJ Kennedy who have been playing very well early in their careers.

SJU has some tough defenders with good athleticism and solid frames. They need to be more skilled with the ball offensively and Wright's struggles and Mason's injury has limited their scoring ability.

There was nothing pretty about Cincinnati's win over Louisville if you were not a Bearcat fan. Cincinnati turned the ball over 16 times, attempted just six free throws, they were outrebounded, but they did play defense. Louisville shot just 36% from the field and made just 3-23 from beyond the 3-pt arc. They got just enough offense and hit an uncharacteristic 57% (8-14) of their 3-pt shots. They got solid play from their veterans (Jamual Warren, John Williamson and Deonta Vaughn) and a pair of freshmen, Anthony McClain and Rashad Bishop, provided big contributions on both ends of the floor.

Although the contest is on ESPN Classic Saturday night, a classic is probably not what we will get. With both teams not being the best at shooting the ball, but strong defensively, a new dorm could be built in Queens with the bricks we will see. On their home floor, I do think St. John's finds enough offense to pull out a very close and tough win.

NBE Blogger Prediction: St. John's 63 Cincinnati 58