BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ SOUTH FLORIDA

March 3, 2009



Here it is for Cincinnati. The Bearcats are 8-8 in the Big East and 18-11 overall. They have a pair of 'winnable' games to close out the Big East regular season before heading to NYC next week for the 2009 Big East Tournament with a road game against South Florida and a home date with Seton Hall on Saturday. Is 10-8 and 20-11 good enough? Well, probably not. However, UC could benefit by playing the #9-#16 game in the Big East Tournament and then get a shot at fellow bubble mate Providence in an 8-9 contest.

The Bearcats could have helped themselves a great deal on Saturday, but they failed to even complete against Syracuse in the Dome. Coming off an important win over West Virginia on Thursday, UC was run out of the Dome from the start against Syracuse as Mick Cronin's squad did not come ready to play. The Bearcats are Running out of Excuses (Cincinnati Enquirer) because their next loss could very well be fatal to their slim NCAA Tournament chances, especially if that loss comes anytime prior to next Wednesday in NYC.

Tonight UC takes on a USF team that might barely have enough gas in the tank to suit up tonight in the Sun Dome. The Beleaguered Bulls Limp into the Big East Tournament (Tampa Tribune) and the final week of the regular season as a team ready to shut things down. Injuries and preseason acadmic casualties and a mass exodus of players from last year has left this team taped at the sides to stay together. The end is near and, while USF has shown grit in competing, there is simply not enough bullets left in the gun to snag a win down the stretch.

With all to play for, Cincinnati looks to be the team that will be ready to go and as a 3 1/2-point road favorite according to the college basketball lines today, they should be able to keep their name in the NCAA Tournament mix.


NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 68
South Florida 59