BEARCATS EVEN BIG EAST RECORD, UPSET #25 HOYAS

January 29, 2009



As Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin said after the game, "Sometimes when it rains, it pours." Georgetown and coach John Thompson III can certainly identify with that statement. Last night, the Hoyas Add an Injury to their Latest Insult (Washington Times), a 65-57 loss at Cincinnati.

The Bearcats Prove They Belong (Cincinnati Enquirer), evening their conference record at 4-4, by finishing the game on an 11-2 run over the final 4:38 for the comeback victory.

Junior Deonta Vaughn scored 20 points with Mike Williams adding 12 and Dion Dixon 10 to lead UC in the win.

Late in the first half, DaJuan Summers, the Hoyas' leading scorer, went down with a sprained ankle. Summers would not return and the thin and inexperienced Hoya line-up was stretched even more. With Jesse Sapp's shooting woes continuing (0-3 from the field), Georgetown had little answers offensively when they needed them and lost for the fourth straight game and are now 3-5 in the Big East.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: GEORGETOWN @ CINCINNATI

January 28, 2009


The slumping Georgetown Hoyas look to rebound from a very difficult week when they travel to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big East conference match-up. The Hoyas dropped two games last week, at home to WVU, 75-58, and on the road to Seton Hall, 65-60, who had been winless in the conference prior to that game.

The Bearcats have won three of four, but Rutgers, St. John’s and DePaul are not Georgetown, even a slumping Georgetown team. The lone loss in that span was on the road to Providence.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Its Been Quite Cold Outside for Slumping Georgetown (Washington Post)
Bearcats Tough Road Begins (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Skid Puts Hoyas in Some Jeopardy (Washington Times)

There are some concerning signs with the Georgetown team of late. Their struggling offense is getting much of the attention, and rightfully so. Senior Jesse Sapp is mired in a horrendous shooting slump and against a weak interior team like SHU, the Hoyas launch 22 three’s while Greg Monroe only manages seven field goal attempts. Their offense, which is dependent on fluidity and efficiency has not been finding the shots that put the Hoyas in position to succeed. Their inexperience is showing through and was exploited last week in two losses.

Cincinnati is another team still trying to find themselves. Deonta Vaughn is a known commodity and former McDonald’s All-American Mike Williams is finding his footing in the Big East and becoming a consistent offensive force and the secondary scoring option greatly helps the NCAA basketball odds of winning for the Bearcats.

The Hoyas are a 5 ½-point favorite and definitely have more talent in their starting five, but UC is bringing along a few players that give them some depth and they have the size needed to battle in the Big East. Freshman Yancy Gates, JUCO transfer Stephen Toyloy and sophomore Anthony McClain join Williams in a frontcourt that could give the Hoyas some trouble. With Austin Freeman and Sapp struggling offensively for Georgetown, the Bearcats need to bring their defense, if they do, watch out for the Georgetown slide to continue.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 64
Georgetown 61

CINCINNATI RALLIES FOR BIG EAST ROAD WIN

Tempers and frustrations boiled over in the meeting between St. John's and Cincinnati at Carnesecca Arena last night.

When order was restored, it was the Redstorm in Foul Mood After Collapse (Newsday) and the Bearcats celebrating their third win in their last four conference games

With the score 43-35 in favor of SJU following a DJ Kennedy three-pointer 2:57 into the second half, referee karl Hess stopped the game and issued a double technical to Kennedy and UC forward Rashad Bishop for excessive jawing that had been building throughout the game. When both continued even after being seperated and issued T's, Curtis Shaw then hit the pair again with double technicals, ejecting both from the game.

The double ejection crippled the Redstorm as a deeper Cincinnati team took advantage UC Grinds out a Victory (Cincinnati Enquirer), outscoring SJU 36-17 over the final 17:03 of the game.

Deonta Vaughn scored 20 of his game-high 23 in the second half, including 10 in a row in a spurt that allowed UC to take control of the game after trailing 55-52 with 7:50 to go.

Bishop added 15 for the Bearcats despite missing the final 17 minutes.

Even though Kennedy Gets Thrown Out (Daily News), the Redstorm extended the lead to as many as 11, 51-40, with 13:16 left, but they managed just one field goal in the last 7:50 and were outscored 31-9 to close the game.

With Kennedy out of the game and Malik Boothe unavailable because of injury, SJU was without their two best ball-handlers and the Bearcats took advantage with a press. The extended defense wore out the thin Redstorm and forced their shakky ball-handling to be exposed as they committed 21 turnovers, to just 10 for the game by UC.

Paris Horne had 20 for the 'storm and Justin Burrell added 15. Sean Evans had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, but was just 4-13 from the foul line.

Notes:

-Cincinnati matched last year's win total (13-19) as they moved to 13-7 overall. They are now 3-4 in the Big East, winning three of their last four.

-The Redstorm held a 43-33 rebounding edge, but it was negated by the 21 turnovers to UC just turning it over 10 times in the game.

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

January 22, 2009

Capping of a busy Thursday night in the Big East is a 9 PM game in Jamaica, Queens as St. John’s will host Cincinnati in Carnesecca Arena.

Cincinnati is a disappointing 2-4 in conference action after being swept in their season home and home with Providence. The Friars defeated UC on Monday night 72-63 to complete the sweep. So far, PC’s only two conference wins have come against DePaul and Rutgers, teams yet to win in Big East play.

St. John’s got some people excited when they upset Notre Dame in Madison Square Garden on January 3rd, 71-65. However, the Big East schedule has bitten them back as they have lost three consecutive games to Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Villanova by an average of 18 points. Tonight begins a stretch of seven conference games for the Redstorm where they only see one ranked opponent, a rare run in the Big East. Can they take advantage of it?

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight’s game:

UC Must Take Pressure off Vaughn (Cincinnati Enquirer)
As Injuries Linger, SJU’s Kennedy Rises to Occasion (NY Daily News)

The time is now for Cincinnati to pull out of their funk. For a team many thought could emerge as a conference darkhorse, they have been a disappointment with a 2-4 conference record. Their defense, which was so poor early in league play, has improved, but they still ask for too much from Deonta Vaughn so as he goes, all too often, so do the Bearcats.

St. John’s continues to struggle with injuries that had already took down their best player (Anthony Mason Jr.) for the year back in November and now starting point guard, Malik Boothe, and emerging bench contributor, Rob Thomas, have been sidelined. Justin Burrell is back playing, but has not been the same since fracturing bones in his face and having to wear a protective mask.

While the UC defense has been suspect, the St. John’s offense has been more suspect. While the ‘Storm will defend, this is likely to be a close, low scoring game, and with Vaughn, Mike Williams and Yancy Gates, UC has more offensive potential and, although the Redstorm is the 1-point favorite, look for the Bearcats to get the much-needed win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 62
St. John’s 58

2009 UC COMMIT KILPATRICK SHINES

by Zach Smart

Throughout his high school career, Sean Kilpatrick has been recognized for being a prolific scorer. The Cincinnati-commit staked his claim as one of the top scorers in New York State during his four year stay at White Plains High School. His major upside has always been his ability to score in clusters, knife through defenses, hit from the outside, and barrel to the bucket.

He also has a penchant for dizzying opponents off the dribble with an arsenal of one-on-one moves.

For 26 minutes Saturday at the Big Apple Basketball Invitational, Kilpatrick's scoring wasn't the main aspect of his game that stood out. It was his harassing defense and pin-point passing that helped Notre Dame Prep cruise to a 100-69 mauling of Apex at the ARC arena of Baruch College.

Kilpatrick scored a game-high 21 points, doled out seven assists, and collected four steals in a game that saw Prep's suffocating defense lead to countless fast break opportunities. Apex never recovered from a shaky first half, and their porous defense allowed four prep players to finish in double-figures.

Kilpatrick was named game MVP, during the second contest of the sixth annual Big Apple Basketball Invitational.

He found the open man early and often, drawing double teams and kicking it out to teammates. He found teammates on his way to the basket. He rifled in passes from beyond the arc. All in all, he kept the defense off balance and shouldered the role of playmaker in one of the finest performances of his post-graduate career.

"That's not just today you see that from Sean," said Notre Dame coach Ryan Hurd.

"Sean’s made a concentrated effort this year on getting everybody involved. That’s why, I think more so than ever at this level, we have a group of guys that take a little bit of pleasure in the other kids being successful. That starts with Sean, with the ability to get to the rim and draw people and willing to give the ball up.”

“Coach told us to come in and play defense,” said Kilpatrick following the game. “We play defense and they can’t stay in the game with us, because we have too much talent. That was the whole key of the game. If we play defense then it will turn into buckets.”

Has his augmented passing role helped prepare him for the next level?

“I have to go into Cincinnati and do my job as a scorer. I guess everything else will take care of itself. Coach (Mick) Cronin just told me to basically focus on this year, with Prep. I think it’s really preparing me for Cincinnati, but right now I’m just focusing on what I can do to help this team win.”

For more on Zach Smart's coverage of the Big Apple Basketball Invitational, please visit the NBE Basketball Report.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: FRIARS LOOK TO SWEEP BEARCATS

January 19, 2009


While the the match-up between Cincinnati and Providence might not have Big East title implications like the other Monday night match-up in the league (see Pitt-SU), this is a game that could define the race of one team emerging from the bottom-half of the league to poke it's head into the upper half.

After a 3-0 conference start, which included an 87-79 win at Cincinnati, the Friars have dropped two straight, at Georgetown and a home loss Saturday night against Marquette. The Bearcats, on the other hand, have won two straight after starting 0-3 in the conference, getting a win over Rutgers and a road win against DePaul in the last week.

Here are the pregame stories and previews found on the web:

Bearcats Eager for Another Shot (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Gates Solid off Bench (Enquirer)
PC vs Cincinnati Scouting Report (Providence Journal)
PC Looking to Move On (Providence Journal)
PC Still Reeling from Incident Involving Jeff Xavier's Brother (Providence Journal).


The key to Cincinnati's recent two-game winning streak has been achieved on the defensive end. After allowing an average of 84 points a game, including 87 to PC on the Bearcats' home court, in their three conference losses, UC has yielded just 57 a game in their two wins. However, nobody will confuse the offenses at DePaul or Rutgers with UConn, Notre Dame, SU or even PC. So, their defensive improvement will be tested tonight.

The Friars looked for a first statement win on Saturday when they hosted Marquette and looked to be on their way by leading much of the game. However, a late run by the Golden Eagles flipped the game around and PC found themselves on the short-end of a 91-82 decision in a contest between the two first-year Big East coaches in the league.

However, PC might be without one of their biggest weapons tonight as Jeff Xavier was injured by an inadvertant elbow to the eye by Marquette's Joseph Fulce. There was no foul called on the play and it set off a wild scene as a fans came out onto the court in an attempt to confront a referee before being removed by security. The fan was later identified as Jonathan Xavier, the older brother of PC's senior guard. Jeff Xavier did not return to the game after the elbow and is unlikely to play tonight and the incident from Saturday could still be on his mind as well. Jonathan Xavier was arrested and will have to appear back in court in the near future.

So, PC must now move on and face the Bearcats. UC was surprised by the Friars on their home floor as PC hit 12 of 24 three's and shot 54% overall. Xavier was three of five from the arc and scored 12. Deonta Vaughn and Mike Williams each scored 20 in the game for UC and Williams' emergence as a consistent scoring option to supplement Vaughn is a large reason to look for Cincinnati to continue to improve in the season. There defense is still a concern as it has not come together like it did last season yet, so PC should be able to get enough offense to get past Mick Crinin's club tonight. The Friars are listed as 6 1/2-point favorites.


NBE Blogger Prediction:

Providence 76
Cincinnati 68

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: FORMER C-USA RIVALS MEET IN CHICAGO

January 17, 2009


The stumbling, bumbling DePaul Blue Demons take on former Conference USA rival Cincinnati at Allstate Arena on Saturday afternoon. DePaul returns to action after having a week off to absorb the embarrassing 80-58 loss to South Florida from last week. Jerry Wainwright’s seat is hot enough to thaw the city of Chicago currently besieged by bitter cold weather.

The Bearcats earned their first conference win as they rallied from a 16-point first half deficit to beat Rutgers on Wednesday. The Bearcats defense finally found a conference opponent they could slow down and got a victory in a game where they missed 18 consecutive shots at one point.

Devin Hill, DePaul Looking for First Conference Win (Chicago Tribune)
UC’s Williams Flashes Potential (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Cincinnati’s first conference win was hardly a thing of beauty as the Bearcats rallied from a large early hole, one they put themselves into against Rutgers on Wednesday. UC coach Mick Cronin holes it is the first building block for his club.

“It’s always nice to win a game when you miss 18 consecutive shots,” Cronin remarked in this week’s Big East coach’s conference call. “It was a character builder for our team.”

A key development that must continue to present itself is the added offense that Mike Williams has provided of late. Williams has averaged 18 points a game in the last three games, helping to support junior Deonta Vaughn, who has averaged 21 in the same timeframe, and give UC a needed second offensive weapon to prevent teams from putting all their attention on Vaughn.

DePaul is led by the sophomore duo of Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal. Tucker does his damage attacking the basket on slashing driving while Koshwal is a horse in the paint that will also get up and down the court.

The Blue Demons are not helped by inconsistent point guard play and the lack of consistency from the rest of the roster for Tucker and Koshwal and the Blue Demons are 1-point underdogs on their home court in this one.


NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 68
DePaul 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS AT CINCINNATI

January 14, 2009


Rutgers and Cincinnati meet tonight in a Big East conference match-up between two schools looking for their first wins of the 2008-2009 conference season. Rutgers is zero for four in Big East play, losing at home to Pittsburgh, Marquette and, in their last game, Syracuse. They were also bombed by UConn, 80-49, in their lone road game.

The Bearcats are 0-3 in Big East play, losing on their home floor to Providence and Connecticut. To open Big East play, they were mauled on their road against Marquette.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the web:

Time for Bearcats to get Ugly (Cincinnati.com)
UC, Rutgers Starved for Win (Cincinnati.com)
For Knights, Rebounding Will be the Key (Asbury Park Press)

The biggest culprit in UC's poor conference start has been their defense. The Bulls have surrendered an average of 84 points a game in the three conference games with opponents bombing away at a clip of 55% (35-64) from three-point range and the field overall (84-152).

Defense was the main ingredient for the Bearcats last season as they raced out to an 8-3 conference mark to begin conference play. However, a rotation that is on the inexperienced size, other than junior Deonta Vaughn, is not creating the defensive pressure that the previous team was able to do. Outside of Vaughn and the potential of freshman Yancy Gates, this is not a team that has the talent on offense to outscore Big East competition.

if your defense is ailing, Rutgers is usually a cure. However, other than their 49-point performance on the road against UConn, the Scarlet Knights are averaging just over 71 in their other conference games. Mike Rosario is leading the offensive improvment, but the key seems to be production from Corey Chandler, something that was not happening consistently in their pre-conference struggles early on.

Rutgers would be much better served if they would be able to get more production from the paint from Greg Echenique, Hamady N'Diaye and JR Inman. The trio has been effecient, but touches and opportunities have been limited as their backcourt has dominated the offensive chances.

Cincinnati can ill-afford to go 0-3 in this rare three-game conference homestand. A win could give the Bearcats some momentum as they hit the road for three games that are winnable with some improved play on the defensive side of the court. UC is an 8 1/2-point favorite on their home floor tonight and they should come up with a win.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Cincinnati 69
Rutgers 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: UCONN @ CINCINNATI

January 10, 2009


Last season, Connecticut and Cincinnati played a classic game at Fifth Third Arena on the UC campus with a potential game-winning shot rimming out on the Bearcats. After an 0-2 start in conference play, including this week’s disappointing loss to Providence at home, Mike Cronin’s team will look to right the ship defensively as they welcome in the powerful Huskies.

This match-up features two of the biggest teams in the conference. UConn used that imposing height to overcome some poor shooting to earn a road win at west Virginia this week. UC has allowed 85 points a game in two Big East contests, so what ails the Husky offense could be cured come late Saturday afternoon.

Here are some preview articles and game stories from around the web this morning:

Perimeter Opportunities for #5 UConn (Hartford Courant)
Travel Thoughts, Sights: UC vs. UC (Courant)
Huskies Need to Keep Playing Defense New Britain Herald)
Huskies Continue Big East Navigation at Cincinnati (Norwich Bulletin)
This One Promises to be Big (Journal Inquirer)
Dyson’s UConn Challenge: Slow Vaughn (Connecticut Post)
Calhoun on UC: Stay Steady (Cincinnati Enquirer)
UC Still Not Heading North in Big East (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Calhoun Knows of UC’s Woes (Enquirer)
Haralson, Okwandu Not Here in Cincinnati with UConn (New Haven Register)

Connecticut is an 8 ½-point road favorite according to NCAA Basketball betting lines this morning. The Huskies definitely have the firepower and the gameplan. Slowing Deonta Vaughn is the key against UC. Jerome Dyson has all the tools to be a dominant perimeter defender and will have the challenge of stopping Vaughn in this game.

While the Cincinnati frontline is improved and bigger than a year ago, Yancy Gates, Mike Williams, Anthony McClain, and company will have their hands full with Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson, who have all been through the Big East battles time and time again.

It will be a learning experience for the Bearcats and show them where they are and where they want to get to in the next couple years when playing UConn.

NBE Blogger Prediciton:

Connecticut 75
Cincinnati 69

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PROVIDENCE @ CINCINNATI

January 7, 2009



Providence will put their 2-0 Big East record on the line when they travel to Cincinnati for a conference match-up tonight. The Bearcats found Big East play not to their liking as they were blown out, 84-50, in their conference opener on Sunday afternoon.

Here are some preview articles and game stories found on the internet this morning about this match-up:

UC Must Rebound From Back-to-Back Shellackings (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Davis Finds Big East’s a Beast (DesMoinesRegister.com)
Capsule Preview: PC at Cincy (Providence Journal)
Friars Claim No Expectations Means no Pressure (Providence Journal)

Providence has done what they needed in opening conference play with wins over St. John’s (75-54) and DePaul (62-54) at home. Now the Friars hit the road to battle Cincinnati in a very interesting game as each team looks to gain footing in the middle of the conference. PC and UC meet twice in 12 days with the Friars playing Marquette and Georgetown in between while the Bearcats will look to gain some momentum as they have UConn up next, then DePaul and Rutgers before the PC rematch.

Prior to tonight’s game, Providence has played one true road game, an 81-76 loss at Boston College. Defense and rebounding are key components to winning on the road in a conference such as the Big East and those traits have never been very consistent with the Friars. Keno Davis is trying to change that, but he is dealing with the hand that is dealt. The Keno Davis offense is centered around a point guard who can distribute to open shooters spreading the floor. PC has Sharaud Curry back at point guard and rounding back into his past form each and every game. Wing snipers such as Jeff Xavier and Brian McKenzie offer excellent three-point shooting potential, although the long-range shooting of the Friars has been missing often away from home. Weyinmi Efejuku is an athletic guard that loves to attack the rim and is also capable of connecting from deep. Where the Friars success will ultimately be decided will be how hard the frontcourt comes to play against a deeper group of UC bigs.

The Bearcats opened up Big East play by being pasted by Marquette, 84-50, on the road as the Golden Eagles lit them up from the perimeter. In their game prior to that, UC lost 60-45 on the road to Memphis, so their offensive struggles are evident. In the loss to MU, Deonta Vaughn was held scoreless for the first time in his three-year UC career. The Bearcats will not win in this league without Vaughn driving their offensive production.

The Bearcats have improved their frontcourt depth with Yancy Gates, Steven Toyloy and Mike Williams being added to the rotation this season along with returning sophomore Anthony McClain. Still, finding a consistent supplement offensively to Vaughn is what UC needs the most and it continues to be lacking this season once again.

College basketball betting odds show UC is a 3 ½-point home favorite against the Friars. After a couple rough outings, we look for the UC defensive pressure to be picked up a notch and for their bigger frontcourt to control the paint against PC. Both teams are likely to be rather evenly matched, but the added motivation and attention to get back to defense and rebounding for Mick Cronin’s squad in this game should be the difference.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 66
Providence 61

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ MARQUETTE

January 4, 2009


Marquette looks to start 2-0 in the Big East for the first time since joining the conference as Cincinnati visits the Bradley Center for the 2 PM tip-off on Sunday. The Golden Eagles started off conference play with a win over Villanova on New Year's Day.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from around the web this morning:

Eagles Can Set Tone Early in Big East Slate (Journal-Sentinel)
Bearcats Hope They're Ready (Cincinnati Enquirer)


The Bearcats come into Milwaukee with a 10-3 record in their non-conference schedule. UC dropped their last game of 2008, 60-45, at Memphis. The Bearcats shot a woeful 26% from the field and junior Deonta Vaughn was their lone player to reach double figures. UC has also lost to Florida State (58-47) in Vegas and at home to crosstown rival Xavier, 76-66, thus far.

Like usual, Vaughn is the offensive catalyst for Mick Cronin's club, averaging a team-best 15.2 PPG as well as 4.6 assists predominately playing the point guard position because of the preseason knee injury suffered by freshman Cashmere Wright who was supposed to help take some of the ballhandling duties off of Vaughn's shoulders.

Freshman Yancy Gates anchors an improved and deeper frontline, averaging over 10 points and a team high 6.5 rebounds a game. Mike Williams and Steven Toyloy join returnee Anthony McClain in a unit that should give the smaller Marquette club some trouble.

The power of strong guard play and home court is definitely reflected in the early NCAA basketball odds in this game as Marquette is a 10 and a half point favorite over the Bearcats. MU is, of course, led by the dynamic guard trio of seniors Wesley Mathews, Jerel McNeal and Dominic James. The ability of Lazar Hayward to hold his own as the most productive frontcourt performer in Big East battles will go a long way in determining the success of the Golden Eagles this season.

Hayward, usually playing out of position as often the biggest Golden Eagle on the floor, averages 17 points and 9 rebounds a game. Mathews is off to a great start this year as the complete wing averages a team-high 19 points a game, getting over seven of them from the foul line each time out. McNeal continues to fill the stat sheet with 17.6 points a game as well as 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and nearly two assists a game. James runs the show and averages 11 points, over 5 assists and better than a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio.

The weakness of MU is depth, especially in an already thin backcourt where Dwight Burke is the starter, but plays just under 20 minutes a game and averages just 2.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. Marquette will need to find Hayward some help when the bigs of the Big East come calling.

Today will be a challenge...but, on their home floor, their guard play should set the tone for a win.

Prediction:

Marquette 71
Cincinnati 64

ORANGE BOWL PREVIEW

January 1, 2009


Happy New Year!


Cincinnati Bearcats fans get to ring in the New Year from Miami (FL) as the Big East BCS representative takes on Virginia Tech of the ACC in the Orange Bowl.

UC won the Big East conference with a 6-1 record and finished the season with an 11-2 record, falling only to national championship game participant Oklahoma and a conference loss at Connecticut.

Virginia Tech, a former member of the Big East, reached the Orange Bowl by avenging an earlier season loss to Boston College by beating the Eagles, another former Big East school, 30-12 in the ACC Championship game. The Hokies were 9-4 on the regular season.

Current college football odds show the Bearcats as 2 1/2 point favorites. The Big East already has wins over North Carolina (WVU) and NC State (Rutgers) in bowl action and look for a three-game sweep of their ACC counterparts this bowl season.

Look for UC to continue the strong Big East bowl season with a win today. The Cincinnati defense is strong and their offense is very underrated.

Prediction:

Cincinnati 23
VA Tech 17