Big East Report Team Blog: Cincinnati

CINCINNATI TOPS XAVIER IN CROSSTOWN RIVALRY

2011-01-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

Bearcats snap three-game series slide to city rival, now 15-0 on season

While the sports news around the country is fixated on this weekend's NFL Playoff match-ups, fans in Cincinnati have a different topic of conversation. The 15-0 Cincinnati Bearcats.

Last night the Bearcats matched the 1998-1999 team with the second-best start in school history with a 66-46 drubbing of rival Xavier in the annual rivalry game before a crowd of more than 13,000 which included Cincinnati baseball legend Pete Rose at Fifth Third Arena. Local product Yancy Gates led the home team with 22 points and 14 rebounds in the win.

“More proud of the win," said Gates afterwards when asked about his performance. "If I had to choose (between points or rebounds), it would be the rebounds. Down the stretch that was the key of keeping them off the glass. At halftime, we were down 2 or 3 on the boards. We wanted to come out at half and change that.”

Cincinnati used full court pressure, which turned Xavier over 17 times, and a strong performance on the glass, outrebounding their opponent 36-29 for the game, as key factors of UC ending their three-game losing streak in the series to the Musketeers. However it was the play of Gates that had his coach most proud afterwards.

"Yancy decided it was time to win the Crosstown Shootout," said Mick Cronin. "The more we got him the ball; the more we got separation. Made them defend him more inside and got us to the free throw lane. He was definitely the difference.”

The Bearcats got off to a slow start and a Jamel McLean put-back basket gave Xavier a 10-4 lead with 13:38 left in the half and UC went scoreless for a 5:20 stretch that was broken by a Dion Dixon basket with 11:46 left in the half. This started a 22-5 run where Cincinnati took a lead they would never relinquish and when Gates scored with 2:35 left in the half, the lead was 11, 26-15. Gates scored 8 points in the run.

The Musketeers would chip away at the lead and another McLean basket would pull them within five points, 35-30 with 15:05 left in the second half. UC answered with 11 consecutive points to take their biggest advantage of the night, to that point, of 16 points, 46-30 with 12:38 left on a Larry Davis three-pointer. The score would never be closer than 13 points again as the Bearcats put away the game on the way to the 66-46 victory.

Dion Dixon added 16 points and 9 rebounds while Cashmere Wright scored 10, making all eight of his free throw attempts. As a team UC was 15 of 16 from the line on the night.

Tu Holloway, the Musketeers’ leading scorer at 21.3 points per game, managed only five on 2-of-13 shooting. As this game often does, it got physical and tempers flared a bit as Holloway was issued a technical for an elbow.

"They were a tough physical team," said Holloway. "They made it hard to get to the easy baskets. They were just a physical team."

Cronin credited his team's maturity this year in not getting caught up in the environment and keeping their cool, unlike some times in the past in the rivalry.

“Something happened at the other end that no one retaliated and we got the advantage," said Cronin. "I told our guys in pregame that everything we’ve talked about in maturity would be shown tonight.”

The Bearcats were also able to use their depth with the fullcourt pressure and players are sticking to their assignments defensively, another sign of the maturation of the team and program under Cronin.

"The thing about pressing is if you can throw them off their rhythm, Tu Halloway missing free throws because he is tired," pointed Cronin to a key element of his game plan. "The strength is our depth and we can run teams down and it shortens the shot clock. It stops them from possibly running a play that the coach calls. It’s a little easier to do it when you have a veteran team, and that is the luxury I have this year.”

Now the veteran club will face the toughest test of all in a difficult spot, heading to the Pavilion to face top-10 Villanova on Sunday in a building where the Wildcats have won 44 straight. Cronin hopes his big man is ready to bring his game once again.

"I have to point out to him that he has to do that again on Sunday and we have to get him the ball when he decides to dominate the paint on offense," said Cronin.

Sunday should be a good one. You can never let up in the BIG EAST as the next challenge is right around the corner. Even when your 15-0!

CINCINNATI REMAINS UNBEATEN...LOOKING FOR RESPECT!

2010-12-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

Cincinnati continued their hot start by blasting Georgia Southern Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena by the score of 99-54. The Bearcats improved to 9-0 on the season with the victory.

"Probably the best game we’ve played for forty minutes and as well as we played against Dayton," said coach Mick Cronin. "We defended until the buzzer against Dayton, but tonight we played offense and defense."

The Bearcats raced out of the gates once again, leading 8-2 at the start and never looking back, grabbing a 50-23 lead at the half and keeping the pedal to the medal all game. Six players scored in double figures and the team was credited with 26 assists on 35 made field goals against just nine turnovers, showing a new dedication to sharing the basketball this season.

“A lot of that has to do with the guys in the locker room taking ownership of why we lost close games last year," Cronin said following the game. "Because of what we went thru together, it has made them better. Now they are easier to coach because they understand the things they did wrong that cost us some games and the NCAA Tournament."

With Deonta Vaughn and Lance Stephenson in the backcourt last season expectations where high for UC last season. However they struggled in close games and the heralded duo never seemed to gel on the court. Things seem different this season, but the coach believes it has more to do with who they have and how they have matured than what they lost.

"It's not Lance and Deonta being gone; its guys taking ownership," Cronin said of the team chemistry. "Rome wasn’t built in a day. It isn’t an overnight process for every team.”

On Tuesday night, Rashad Bishop, Yancy Gates, Dion Dixon and Ibrahima Thomas all scored a team-high 12 points while Larry Davis (11 points) and Sean Kilpatrick (10) also came off the bench to reach double figures. Point guard Cashmere Wright set the tone with a stat-line of nine points and seven assists against just one turnover and remarked after the game about the balanced effort of the team this season.

“I think it makes it easier knowing that anyone on the floor can score, said Wrigth. "You aren’t referring to one person. Anyone that is open you can throw the ball to, and they will make the shot.”

UC shot 56% from the field and held a healthy advantage on the glass. Still, at 9-0, UC is not getting much attention for their hot start. Their win over Dayton opened some eyes, but the pollsters and fans have not seemed to buy into the impressive start yet. Last night a crowd of just 4,523 showed up to see the contest.

“We stay focused on winning games, getting better, and improving," Cronin said. "I choose to focus on the people that come to games, and we appreciate that. We keep trying to give them a good show.”

The preseason rankings and current Top 25 polls are also things that the players and coaches are using as motivation tools to keep working hard and improving, as chances to impress more skeptics are ahead.

“A lot of people aren’t giving us as much respect," said Yancy Gates. "It doesn’t bother us but we notice it. It helps us stay focused on what we are trying to do. We feel that if we keep playing with high intensity and with energy, we’ll get some of the respect that we deserve.”

"That’s the great thing about it is that we will get our chance," added Cronin. "The longer we stay unranked, it bothers them, and I can use that.”

This Saturday the Bearcats can add a 'name' school to their resume when Cincinnati travels to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City to meet the Oklahoma Sooners for a 9 pm tip time. It will be a good test ahead of the Big East schedule which begins later this month.

--game quotes courtesy of www.gobearcats.com

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

======================================================================

Don't forget the Big East fan on your holiday shopping list with tickets to the 2011 Big East Tournament Tickets this March in Madison Square Garden. See our 2011 Big East Tournament & Tickets page for more details.

=============================================================================

NO. 25 CINCINNATI FALLS AT UAB, 64-47

2009-12-17T07:55:00.001-08:00

Following the emotional and intense crosstown shootout loss Sunday night at rival Xaiver, seeing a letdown of sorts from Cincinnati Wednesday night when they faces UAB was expected. However, this effort was more than a letdown as the Bearcats Suffer a Setback at UAB (Cincinnati Enquirer) in a 64-47 loss.

The Bearcats can almost certainly kiss good-bye their top 25 ranking and head coach Mick Cronin does not want to hear any excuses because of their previous game.

“One team was humble and hungry to win,” said UC coach Mick Cronin following the game in the Enquirer. “The other team was overconfident and uninterested.”

UAB Had Something to Prove Against No. 25 UC (Birmingham News) as the Blazers raced out to a 34-19 halftime lead and outrebounded the Bearcats 29-14 in the opening 20 minutes.

“We played like we had no energy,” Cronin told the Enquirer. “Whether that comes from Sunday night, we’d better grow up because we play in a conference where you’ve got to play tough games every game.”

Cincinnati, now 6-3, closes out their pre-conference schedule with Lipscomb and Winthrop at home before hosting Connecticut on December 30th to open Big East play.

Before conference play begins, UC will need to find a way to get senior Deonta Vaughn playing better. After struggling in the loss at Xavier Sunday night, Vaughn was just 2-9 from the field against UAB and committed five turnovers. After averaging over 15 points a game in his first three years as a Bearcat, Vaughn is averaging just 10 points a game this year and seeing his shooting percentages drop to career lows as well. If UC is going to challenge in the Big East like many believe they can, Deonta Vaughn will need to be producing at, or near, his previous levels.

Dion Dixon led UC with 13 points in the loss at UAB as the entire Bearcat club struggled offensively. Cincinnati shot just 32% (19-61) from the field in the game and 3-22 from three-point range. Add in 17 turnovers and it was a recipe for disaster for the Bearcats.

CINCINNATI FALLS IN EMOTIONAL CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT CLASSIC

2009-12-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of exciting battles in the crosstown shootout between Cincinnati and Xavier over the years. In a rivalry that has seemed to have lost some luster in recent seasons, last night's game might have brought the emotions back as Tempers Flare Like Crosstown Shootouts of Old (Cincinnati Enquirer) before the Musketeers pull off the upset in double overtime, 83-79.

Pushing, shoving and two technical fouls made for a tense atmosphere after Xavier’s Jordan Crawford and UC’s Rashad Bishop got into a scrum with just over seven minutes left in the first half, and each drew a technical foul.

Seconds after the dust-up, Bishop had to be restrained from going after Crawford. A few minutes later, both teams nearly went at it at midcourt during a TV timeout.

After emotions simmered, a classic of a basketball game ensued as 12 ties, nine lead changes and two overtimes followed. Cincinnati rallied in regulation to force OT as Lance Stephenson again showed his enormous potential with a game tying drive to the basket in the final seconds. In overtime, Xavier Rallies to Send Crosstown Shootout into First Ever Double Overtime (Cincinnati Enquirer) before X outscored the Bearcats 9-5 in the second OT.

The big difference in the game was from the foul line. Xavier was 28 of 36 from the stripe while UC was a poor 10-22. Also, Immaturity Helps Doom the Bearcats (CNati.com) as Mick Cronin's team lost their cool and focus. Stephenson glared down the Xavier bench, repeatedly jawed with Musketeers players, found himself in the middle of an altercation and even spent time talking at Musketeers coach Chris Mack, at least according to XU coach in CNati.com.

"True toughness is dealing with the environment and winning the game," Cronin told CNati.com.

It is a lesson for the Bearcats, one that will serve them well, despite the loss, once the Big East battles begin later this month.

Stephenson finished with 22 points for UC. Yancy Gates came off the bench to score 18 in 40 minutes and Deonta Vaughn added 13. Vaughn, however, was just six of 19 from the floor and one of seven from three-point range. He finishes his Crosstown Shootout career with a 1-3 record against XU as the Musketeers have now won three in a row in the series.

RANKED BEARCATS PLEASE COACH IN WIN, FANS DISAPPOINT

2009-12-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

Cincinnati played like the nationally ranked team they are on Tuesday night as Mick cronin's team shot 57% fromt he floor, outrebounded Texas Southern 47-25 and placed seven players in double figures in a 94-57 rout at Fifth Third Arena.

The win uppded UC's record to 5-1 as they head into a nine-day break before returning to action against Miami (OH) on December 10th. On Tuesday, Depth Shined for #22 UC (CNATI.com) as Rashad Bishop (14) and Dion Dixon (13) led the seven players reaching double figures. Freshman phenon Lance Stephenson was not one of the seven in double figures, scoring just seven points himself, but he led the Bearcats with 11 rebounds and 7 assists in the contest.

Still, even with the easy win, a coach needs to find something to be unhappy about. However, Mick Cronin was not upset with his team, instead Cronin was Disappointed in the Fans (CNATI.com) as 6,825 showed up to see No. 22 Cincinnati.

Former UC star Nick Van Exel had a good view of the action and received a rousing ovation from the UC fans that did show. Van Exel is a first-year assistant coach with Texas Southern and last night watched as his alma mater UC Breezed Past Texas Southern (Cincinnati Enquirer) for the win.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2009-08-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

August 28, 2009

Commitment Alert: Justin Jackson, 6-foot-8, 210-lb power forward out of Montverde (FL) Academy

Earlier this week Cincinnati and Mick Cronin picked up their first commitment for the class of 2010 with the news that Justin Jackson, a Power Forward, Chooses the Bearcats (Cincinnati Enquirer)over Missouri.

Projected 2010-2011 Roster:

Seniors: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Anthony McClain (C), Darnell Wilks (F)
Juniors: Yancy Gates (BF), Dion Dixon (G), Ibrahima Thomas **(C)
Sophomores: Sean Kilpatrick (G), Cashmere Wright*** (PG), Jaquon Parker (G), Lance Stephenson (G)
Freshmen: Justin Jackson (PF)

**- a transfer from Oklahoma State, Ibrahima Thomas will sit out the spring (09) and fall (09) semesters and be eligible in December of 2009. He will have 2 1/2 tears of eligibility.

***- Wright tore an ACL in the fall of 2008 and is sitting out the 2008-2009 season as a medical redshirt. He will have four years of eligibility beginning in 2009-2010

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

With the 2009-2010 Cincinnati Basketball Roster showing seniors Deonta Vaughn and Stephen Toyloy, Mick Cronin and his staff have at least two scholarships at their disposal for the 2010 recruiting class. One of those two scholarships has been taken with the recent commitment from Montverde Academy PF Justin Jackson this week.

Jackson is an athletic power forward that likes to attack the rim off the bounce and will also do work on the glass. He is a very solid pick-up for UC and showed consistent effort on the AAU trail this summer with Team Stat/Reach 1 Teach 1 out of Florida.

With one scholarship open, the big target is Wheeler (GA) G/F Jelan Kendrick. While Kendrick's recruitment has been tight-lipped, UC has long been considered to be solidly in the mix for the versatile star that had a tremendous summer on the AAU and camp scene.

The commitment of Jackson might take UC out of the mix for additional frontcourt help, but the Bearcat staff has also been involved with Patterson School 7-foot center David Nyarsuk and 6-foot-10 Maine Central Institute center Waverly Austin who told NBE he expects to make an official visit to Cincinnati in the near future. Griffin McKenzie, a 6-foot-9 power forward out of Cincinnati (OH) - Moeller was another big man that mentioned interest in UC this summer.

In the class of 2011, UC got a visit recently from Jeremiah Davis a very highly-touted guard. UC remains very involved with Chane Behanan, who was previously a UC verbal commitment. The 6-foot-7 Behanan has re-opened his recruitment since moving from Cincinnati to Kentucky.

The scholarship situation for Mick Cronin and his Cincinnati Bearcats for the 2009-2010 season was a little unclear with a potential waiver for Mike Williams to apply for to receive a 6th year from the NCAA. The Bearcats looked to be at the 13-player limit with the incoming additions of Sean Kilpatrick and Jaquon Parker, who committed to UC earlier in the spring. However, the waiver request was withdrawn and with that opening Cincinnati makes a big splash in the college basketball world by adding a commitment from the mega-talented Lance Stephenson.

Stephenson, nicknamed 'Born Ready' on the NYC playgrounds, has been a basketball prodigy groomed to be a high NBA draft pick since his early teens. However, the NCAA/NBA rule forcing kids to attend at least one year of college basketball after high school has delayed the Stephenson gravy train. Previously, schools such as Kansas, Arizona, Maryland, St. John's, Memphis, Florida International and others seemed poised to add Stephenson to their programs, but one-by-one each moved in other directions as questions on Stephenson's amateur status and the pending legal case where he and a Lincoln HS teammate allegedly groped a female classmate this past year.

Stephenson's talent is unquestioned and adding the physically gifted and chiseled 6-foot-5 guard to the mix will make the Bearcats a very interesting club in 2009-2010. With senior Deonta Vaughn and sophomore Yancy Gates, suddenly UC has a very potent offensive trio. They also have a deeper pool of complimentary players to fill in around the trio and they could be a team to watch climb the Big East standings this season if the chemistry fits.

Stephenson is very used to having the ball in his hands often. The ability for him and Vaughn to gel together is a big key in their potential success. In the past, Stephenson has been easily frustrated when things are not going smoothly and his expresses his displeasure to teammates, coaches and officials. He will be seeing top defenders each and every game in college, so his personality will be tested and with that will come the test of the team's chemistry.

Now, with a commitment out of the way, fans will watch the NCAA's move as they will undoubtedly look deep into his eligibility, both from an academic side (which most likely should be in order) and from an amateur side. As a basketball prodigy, many have tried to get close to Stephenson and his family, so we will see how diligent the NCAA is in the wake of recent questions around OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose and others...

Parker, who committed earlier in June, had originally committed to Old Dominion earlier this spring. The 6-foot-4, multi-talented guard help lead the King's Fork Bulldogs to the to the Group AAA state championship and was named the Associated Press State Player of the Year. Parker averaged over 18 points and about 10 rebounds and three assists as a senior for his 31-1 squad.

It was believed that Parker would be headed to prep school for the 2009-2010 season. He had decided to re-open his recruitment after several high majors began to inquirer, including Marquette, UConn and Georgetown, this spring. However, after performing well enough on his SAT exam, Parker realized he could qualify for college by taking just two summer courses. Once those are completed, he will join the Bearcats for next season.

Parker is a physically powerful 6-foot-4 guard that will also mix it up in the lane. He has the ability to play all three backcourt positions, but most likely will play the 2/3 in college.

The Bearcats received a quality commitment last fall when Notre Dame Prep guard Sean Kilpatrick made a commitment following a visit to the school back in October.

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.

'Born Ready', Kilpatrick and Parker will not be the only new faces in the UC program on the court next season as mid-year Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas throws a little more size into the line-up.

Thomas had played in seven games for Okie State this past season, averaging 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes a contest. As a freshman Thomas averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds a game playing in 33 contests. He had a career high of 19 last year against Texas and scored 18 in a game earlier this season against Tulsa. Even though Thomas stands at 6-foot-11, he is not afraid to step outside and shoot from the three-point arc (made 11 last season). He is not a physical player, but there is definitely a lot to work with as he has room to grow his game more.

The native of Dakar, Senegal had prepped at Stoneridge Prep in California before signing with the Cowboys and coach Sean Sutton. After playing in seven games under new coach Travis Ford this year, Thomas decided to look for a new school and settled on Cincinnati quickly, despite interest from Rutgers and others.

Mick Cronin is adding talent and depth to the UC program with very good recruiting, putting the UC program back into position to challenge for an NCAA Tournament bid in 2009-2010 and beyond, something the program became very used to under one of Cronin's mentors, Bob Huggins.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2009-06-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2009

Commitment Alert: Lance Stephenson, 6-foot-5 G from Lincoln (NYC) High School

According to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, the Lance Stephenson recruiting saga is finally over as, according to a Source: Stephenson Picks Cincinnati and will play for Mick Cronin and the Bearcats next season. After seeing nearly every other college option back away from Stephenson, UC swooped in quickly in the last week and secured a commitment.

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Deonta Vaughn (PG), Steven Toyloy (C/BF)
Juniors: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Anthony McClain (C), Darnell Wilks (F)
Sophomores: Yancy Gates (BF), Dion Dixon (G), Ibrahima Thomas **(C)
Freshmen: Sean Kilpatrick (G), Cashmere Wright*** (PG), Jaquon Parker (G), Lance Stephenson (G)

**- a transfer from Oklahoma State, Ibrahima Thomas will sit out the spring (09) and fall (09) semesters and be eligible in December of 2009. He will have 2 1/2 tears of eligibility.

***- Cashmere tore an ACL in the fall of 2008 and is sitting out the 2008-2009 season as a medical redshirt. He will have four years of eligibility beginning in 2009-2010

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

The scholarship situation for Mick Cronin and his Cincinnati Bearcats was 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 look to be at the 13-player limit with the incoming additions of Sean Kilpatrick and Jaquon Parker, who committed to UC recently. However, it looks as if the waiver did not go through and with that opening, Cincinnati makes a big splash in the college basketball world by adding a commitment from the mega-talented Lance Stephenson.

Stephenson, nicknamed 'Born Ready' on the NYC playgrounds, has been a basketball prodigy groomed to be a high NBA draft pick since his early teens. However, the NCAA/NBA rule forcing kids to attend at least one year of college basketball after high school has delayed the Stephenson gravy train. Previously, schools such as Kansas, Arizona, Maryland, St. John's, Memphis, Florida International and others seemed poised to add Stephenson to their programs, but one-by-one each moved in other directions as questions on Stephenson's amateur status and the pending legal case where he and a Lincoln HS teammate allegedly groped a female classmate this past year.

Stephenson's talent is unquestioned and adding the physically gifted and chiseled 6-foot-5 guard to the mix will make the Bearcats a very interesting club in 2009-2010. With senior Deonta Vaughn and sophomore Yancy Gates, suddenly UC has a very potent offensive trio. They also have a deeper pool of complimentary players to fill in around the trio and they could be a team to watch climb the Big East standings this season if the chemistry fits.

Stephenson is very used to having the ball in his hands often. The ability for him and Vaughn to gel together is a big key in their potential success. In the past, Stephenson has been easily frustrated when things are not going smoothly and his expresses his displeasure to teammates, coaches and officials. He will be seeing top defenders each and every game in college, so his personality will be tested and with that will come the test of the team's chemistry.

Now, with a commitment out of the way, fans will watch the NCAA's move as they will undoubtedly look deep into his eligibility, both from an academic side (which most likely should be in order) and from an amateur side. As a basketball prodigy, many have tried to get close to Stephenson and his family, so we will see how diligent the NCAA is in the wake of recent questions around OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose and others...

Parker, who committed earlier in June, had originally committed to Old Dominion earlier this spring. The 6-foot-4, multi-talented guard help lead the King's Fork Bulldogs to the to the Group AAA state championship and was named the Associated Press State Player of the Year. Parker averaged over 18 points and about 10 rebounds and three assists as a senior for his 31-1 squad.

It was believed that Parker would be headed to prep school for the 2009-2010 season. He had decided to re-open his recruitment after several high majors began to inquirer, including Marquette, UConn and Georgetown, this spring. However, after performing well enough on his SAT exam, Parker realized he could qualify for college by taking just two summer courses. Once those are completed, he will join the Bearcats for next season.

Parker is a physically powerful 6-foot-4 guard that will also mix it up in the lane. He has the ability to play all three backcourt positions, but most likely will play the 2/3 in college.

The Bearcats received a quality commitment last fall when Notre Dame Prep guard Sean Kilpatrick made a commitment following a visit to the school back in October.

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.

'Born Ready', Kilpatrick and Parker will not be the only new faces in the UC program on the court next season as mid-year Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas throws a little more size into the line-up.

Thomas had played in seven games for Okie State this past season, averaging 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes a contest. As a freshman Thomas averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds a game playing in 33 contests. He had a career high of 19 last year against Texas and scored 18 in a game earlier this season against Tulsa. Even though Thomas stands at 6-foot-11, he is not afraid to step outside and shoot from the three-point arc (made 11 last season). He is not a physical player, but there is definitely a lot to work with as he has room to grow his game more.

The native of Dakar, Senegal had prepped at Stoneridge Prep in California before signing with the Cowboys and coach Sean Sutton. After playing in seven games under new coach Travis Ford this year, Thomas decided to look for a new school and settled on Cincinnati quickly, despite interest from Rutgers and others.

Mick Cronin is adding talent and depth to the UC program with very good recruiting. The Bearcats already have a commitment from the class of 2011 with local standout Chane Behanan hoping to follow in the footsteps of Yancy Gates. We will track the UC recruiting targets as they emerge this summer as well in the class of 2010.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2009-06-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2009

Commitment Alert: Jaquon Parker, 6-foot-4 G from Kings Fork (VA) High School

Once it was determined that John Riek was NOT coming to Cincinnati, Kenny Belton was determined to be medically unable to play again and Alvin Mitchell decided to transfer out of the program, the Bearcats had room to add to their roster. Mick Cronin and staff recently did just that as a King's Fork Basketball Player Signs With Cincinnati (Virginian Pilot) and Jaquon Parker will be a member of the 2009-2010 UC squad.

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Mike Williams* (PF), Deonta Vaughn (PG), Steven Toyloy (C/BF)
Juniors: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Anthony McClain (C), Darnell Wilks (F)
Sophomores: Yancy Gates (BF), Dion Dixon (G), Ibrahima Thomas **(C)
Freshmen: Sean Kilpatrick (G), Cashmere Wright*** (PG), Jaquon Parker (G)

*- There is a possibility Mike Williams can petition the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility because he missed the 2006-2007 season as a transfer student from Texas and the 2007-2008 season due to injury.

**- a transfer from Oklahoma State, Ibrahima Thomas will sit out the spring (09) and fall (09) semesters and be eligible in December of 2009. He will have 2 1/2 tears of eligibility.

***- Cashmere tore an ACL in the fall of 2008 and is sitting out the 2008-2009 season as a medical redshirt. He will have four years of eligibility beginning in 2009-2010

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

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 look to be at the 13-player limit with the incoming additions of Sean Kilpatrick and Jaquon Parker, who committed to UC recently.

Parker had originally committed to Old Dominion earlier this spring. The 6-foot-4, multi-talented guard help lead the King's Fork Bulldogs to the to the Group AAA state championship and was named the Associated Press State Player of the Year. Parker averaged over 18 points and about 10 rebounds and three assists as a senior for his 31-1 squad.

It was believed that parker would be headed to prep school for the 2009-2010 season. He had decided to re-open his recruitment after several high majors began to inquirer, including Marquette, UConn and Georgetown, this spring. However, after performing well enough on his SAT exam, Parker realized he could qualify for college by taking just two summer courses. Once those are completed, he will join the Bearcats for next season.

Parker is a physically powerful 6-foot-4 guard that will also mix it up in the lane. He has the ability to play all three backcourt positions, but most likely will play the 2/3 in college.

The Bearcats received a quality commitment last fall when Notre Dame Prep guard Sean Kilpatrick made a commitment following a visit to the school back in October.

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.

Kilpatrick and Parker will not be the only new faces in the UC program on the court next season as mid-year Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas throws a little more size into the line-up.

Thomas had played in seven games for Okie State this past season, averaging 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes a contest. As a freshman Thomas averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds a game playing in 33 contests. He had a career high of 19 last year against Texas and scored 18 in a game earlier this season against Tulsa. Even though Thomas stands at 6-foot-11, he is not afraid to step outside and shoot from the three-point arc (made 11 last season). He is not a physical player, but there is definitely a lot to work with as he has room to grow his game more.

The native of Dakar, Senegal had prepped at Stoneridge Prep in California before signing with the Cowboys and coach Sean Sutton. After playing in seven games under new coach Travis Ford this year, Thomas decided to look for a new school and settled on Cincinnati quickly, despite interest from Rutgers and others.

Mick Cronin is adding talent and depth to the UC program with very good recruiting. The Bearcats already have a commitment from the class of 2011 with local standout Chane Behanan hoping to follow in the footsteps of Yancy Gates. We will track the UC recruiting targets as they emerge this summer as well in the class of 2010.

Kilpatrick Prepped And Pepped After Post-Grad Year

2009-05-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

May 1, 2009

By Zach Smart

A devout, lifelong St. John's fan, Jimmy Lorenzo is still amazed at how the Johnnies struggle to keep local talent.

While he understands that Norm Roberts and his staff have done a commendable job hounding the city's elite players, he wants the team he remembers rocking Madison Square Garden back.

Lorenzo, the president of an entertainment company in Manhattan, will surely never forget the good 'ole days.

"(Hamptons legend) Jimmy Soul and I would drive from the Hamptons to see St.John's," recalls Lorenzo.

"I'll tell you, it was better than going to see a Knick game. And back then, the Knicks were actually good, bro! There were so many great players on those St.John's teams, watching what Louie C did there was like poetry-in-motion. They had the joint jumping, the city buzzing."

Lorenzo and Soul, the legendary D.J. who did his thing at the Boardy Barn (1976-1996), were just two of many high-end playboys to become fixtures in the crowd.

So, Lorenzo's frustration probably compounded when Cincinnati-bound Sean Kilpatrick, an aggressive scorer and post-graduate player at the prestigious Notre Dame Prep (Mass.), opted out of his commitment to the Red Storm last spring.

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

Kilpatrick, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound combo guard who loves to play off the ball, was sold on Mick Cronin's program after narrowing his choices down to Cincinnati and Providence.

He'll take his fundamentally sound game to a team littered with players who are beginning to flower this fall and hopefully improve the college basketball odds of winning for the UC program.

Kilpatrick averaged a robust 26 points during his senior year at White Plains.

At Notre Dame Prep, Kilpatrick has averaged 18.1 points while refining other aspects of his game and improving in the classroom. In high school, Kilpatrick was part of a vaunted backcourt that also featured David Boykin (Fairfield), Jamel Cromartie, and the high-flying Rashad James.

Under Spencer Mayfield's we-before-me, no-nonsense style, Kilpatrick helped put the Tigers on the map his senior year.

He cemented his reputation as a player who could score in clusters with a 44-point outburst, though he struggled in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional game (1-for-10, two points).

From recruiting guru Tom Konchalski to the aforementioned Roberts, Kilpatrick lifted eyebrows.

The only hurdle was his academic issues.

So Kilpatrick made the trek to Fitchburg,Mass. (The trip that top-shelf ballers like Michael Beasley and Paul Harris have all made) and made a seamless transition.

At the disciplined environment at Notre Dame Prep, Kilpatrick's academic issues were no more.

"At first, I wasn't really crazy about doing an extra year," said Kilpatrick, sporting a Yankees fitted hat before an entourage of family, friends, and an adviser.

"You know thinking about it now, doing a prep year, it's not a bad idea."

Since he's acclimatized himself to the prep scene, basketball has been the easy part for the kid from the basketball-crazed city in Westchester County (albeit they take a backseat to vaunted Mount Vernon).

"I'm a lot more focused on the books situation than I am the basketball situation," said Kilpatrick, who maintains a solid relationship with Mick Cronin and speaks to the Bearcat coach regularly.

"About once a week," said Kilpatrick.

"SK" added that he'll embrace his role as a scorer at Cincinnati.

A pure scorer he is, Kilpatrick became a presence in the passing lanes this year at Prep.

His increased ability to create plays should pay dividends for Bearcat Yancy Gates, whose shooting hovered around 50 percent his freshman year.

"Sean's made a concentrated effort to get everybody involved," explained Notre Dame Prep coach Ryan Hurd.

"That's why, I think more so than ever at this level, we have a group of kids who take pleasure in the other kids being successful. That starts obviously with Sean and the ability to get to the rim and draw people in. But with Sean, he's willing to give it up. You know, you'll see at this level a lot of kids are going to keep that (possession) and the result is they make a boneheaded play."

Hurd continued, "That's where I think we kind of step ahead of some teams. These guys really want to play together."

Fitting, because Kilpatrick really wants to play for Cronin.

"I know next year, coming into Cincinnati my role is going to be as a scorer. Coach (Cronin) tells me to focus on what I'm doing now and just keep it up. Classes are going well."

With 2009 graduation claiming high-scoring guard Deonta Vaughn, the Bearcats could likely use Kilpatrick's scoring immediately.

CINCINNATI COLLAPSE COMPLETE, LOSSES TO DEPAUL

2009-03-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

March 10, 2009

The first 16-seed to ever play in the Big East Tournament became the first one ever to win a game in the conference tournament as DePaul turns back Cincinnati, 67-57, in Madison Square Garden.

After an 0-18 Big East regular season, DePaul Finally Wins a Game (NY Times) against Big East competition at the expense of the Bearcats. Will Walker continued his hot scoring streak over the last 10 games by scoring 17, which shared team-high honors with Dar Tucker who made the necessary free-throws to keep the thought of a comeback out of the minds of the UC players. Mac Koshwal and Jeremiak Kelly both scored 12 points a piece.

The madness of March has officially begun as DePaul Upsets Cincinnati (Cincinnati Enquirer), handing the Bearcats their sixth loss in their last seven contests. The last three at the hands of South Florida, Seton Hall and now DePaul. Not exactly what Mick Cronin had in mind for his team when they could have pushed for a 2009 NCAA Tournament bid if not for their collapse of the last week.

Deonta Vaughn was the only Bearcat in double figures, finishing with 15 points.

BET GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL VS. CINCINNATI

2009-03-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

March 10, 2009

The biggest Big East Tournament ever tips off today at noon in Madison Square Garden with Cincinnati, the conference's 9th seed, battling DePaul.

The expansion of the conference tournament to include all 16 teams gives the Blue Demons a chance to compete in the Garden Party despite their 0-18 conference record. Jerry Wainwright and his crew have been bad in every aspect of the game this season. They completed their 0-18 conference on Saturday evening with a 48-40 loss at Georgetown. Guard Will Walker led the way for the Blue Demons with 20 points on 9-23 shooting. In 39 minutes, Walker also added 6 steals, but zero assists. Leading scorer Dar Tucker was 3-18 from the floor and added one assist. As a team, DePaul registered three assists and big man Mac Koshwal was 1-2 from the field in 32 minutes. He did have a game-high 12 rebounds, but with Walker and Tucker gunning away from the perimeter, Koshwal goes ignored in the paint.

One month ago Cincinnati was 17-8 overall and 7-5 in the Big East. With a few solid non-conference win, the Bearcats were appearing on the right side of several 2009 NCAA Tournament bubble projections. However, losses in five of their last six, including NCAA crushing defeats to South Florida and Seton Hall last week has left the Bearcats once again limping into the post-season. Last season, UC was 8-5 in the Big East before losing their last five conference contests and closed the season on a seven-game losing streak.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on today's game:

DePaul vs Cincinnati Match-up (Chicago Tribune)
Opportunity at Hand (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Will DePaul Cure UC? (Cincinnati Enquirer)
A Victory in the Big East Would Make DePaul's Season (Chicago Tribune)

These two former Conference USA rivals met in mid-January with Cincinnati escaping with a 59-55 win at Allstate Arena. DePaul lost 16 of their 18 Big East contests by 8 points or more, so the earlier match-up with UC was one of their better chances to win.

Dar Tucker led DePaul with over 18 points a game, but Will Walker has been hot of late, scoring 51 of the Blue Demons'103 total points in the last two games. Over the course of his last 10 games, Walker is averaging 18.8 a game while connecting on 37 three's in that span.

But, after Tucker and Walker, nobody else seems to get many scoring opportunities. Six-foot-10 Mac Koshwal is seldom used in the paint, despite averaging 12.6 points and 10 rebounds a game while shooting 53% from the field.

Cincinnati comes limping into New York City as they continue to look for their first win in the conference tournament since joining the Big East. Their lone win in their last six games came against West Virginia in the emotional return of Bob Huggins to Cincinnati. However, they were unable to gain any momentum from that win as they turned around to be blown out at Syracuse just a few days later and then lost to USF and SHU to close the regular season.

Junior Deonta Vaughn is the UC leading scorer at 15 points a game and doubles as their point guard. That double duty seems to be taking a great toll on him as his scoring has dipped to just 10.5 points a game in their six-game slump.

UC did get a little healthier for the SHU game as Mike Williams returned to the line-up and added 11 points while playing 39 minutes after missing two weeks of action with a knee injury.

college basketball betting odds have UC as an 8 1/2-point favorite in the opening game. I would be surprised if there is a lot of energy in the building as neither team is likely to draw much of a crowd, so look for DePaul to stick around and put up a good fight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 61
DePaul 56

CINCINNATI LOOKS TO EVEN BIG EAST RECORD IN FINALE

2009-03-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

March 7 , 2009

Cincinnati will host Seton Hall in the Big East regular season finale for both teams on Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats will look to finish the regular season at .500 (9-9) in the Big East and hold out hope that a few wins next week in the 2009 Big East Tournament will get them back into the NCAA Tournament discussion.

For Seton Hall, hopes of at least an NIT bid seem to be fading and a loss in this contest will certainly put those dreams to rest. The Pirates are 6-11 in the Big East, losers of five of their last six, and 15-14 overall.

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

Unusual Senior Day for UC (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Bearcats Plan Includes more Fans (Cincinnati Enquirer)

This game will bring a contrast of style as Seton Hall will look to push the pace and outscore their opponent while Cincinnati will work for good shots and create opportunities with their defense.

One area Seton Hall can exploit Cincinnati is with their fullcourt press. The Bearcats are a little short on ballhandlers as Deonta Vaughn is forced to double as the point guard and top scoring threat, leaving him surrounded by young backcourt mates that could get in a hurry as Seton Hall pushes the pace towards frantic levels.

On the other hand, SHU does not have much depth inside and Yancy Gates is a strong freshman in the paint that could have a very big game. Even with the absence of Mike Williams, UC has size and depth in the paint.

The Pirates will have Jeremy Hazell bombing away from the outside with Eugene Harvey breaking down the defense and Robert Mitchell scoring in a variety of ways. This is a game with the amount of offensive talent SHU has, they can compete and even win if they were to dedicate themselves on defense and finding one more player to help on the boards inside.

However, in the season finale, expect the home team to be able to play the game on their terms and this will lead to a win for UC.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 73
Seton Hall 67

POP GOES THE NCAA'S FOR CINCINNATI

2009-03-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2009

This one is going to hurt Mick Cronin and his Cincinnati squad as the Bubble Bursts for the Bearcats (Cincinnati Enquirer) in an inexcuseable 70-59 loss at South Florida Tuesday night.

USF rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to outscore UC 46-30 in the second half. This offensive explosion came from a Bulls squad that looked gassed in Sunday's home loss to West Virginia. In that game South Florida managed just 50 points in the full game, only four points more than their second half output in a game the Bearcats HAD to have.

Dominique Jones led the Bulls with 30 points as USF used a 17-2 run over seven minutes to turn a 50-46 deficit into a 63-52 lead with just 1:08 left in the game. Jones also added a team-high 8 rebounds and dished out 5 assists in a dominating performance. Augustus Gilchrist added 13 and point guard Chris Howard was credited with 10 assists without committing a single turnover in the game.

The loss was a devastating blow to the Bearcats who now could be faced with having to win the 2009 Big East Tournament next week in Madison Square Garden for any chance at making the NCAA Tournament. Their blowout loss at Syracuse on Sunday and the loss to USF puts them at 8-9 in the Big East with Seton Hall coming to Fifth Third Arena to close out the regular season this weekend.

UC was without starting forward Mike Williams again. They did manage to eat West Virginia with their 6'7 forward, who is out with a sprained knee. However, USF has plenty of their own injury issues (no Jesus Verdejo), and the Bearcats simply failed to get it done.

Yancy Gates had a team-high 14 points. Like the Syracuse loss, UC struggled shooting the ball, connecting on just 37% of their shots from the field and were 7-32 from beyond the three-point arc as they look to have shot away the chance at the NCAA Tournament.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ SOUTH FLORIDA

2009-03-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

BEARCATS LOSE GROUND ON NCAA BID

2009-03-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

March 2, 2009

Coming off the emotion and tense win over West Virginia and former coach Bob Huggins on Thursday night, Cincinnati looked to have little left in the tank on Sunday afternoon when they visited Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.

After the win against WVU gave the Bearcats their eighth win in their last 12 games, they were hoping to show some hunger in a push to make the Big Dance. However, UC Loses Appetite for Tourney (Cincinnati Enquirer) and pushed their backs against in a quest for a bid as SU Bears Down (Syracuse Post-Standard) expecting UC's best shot. Instead, the Bearcats misfired early and often as the Orange cruise to an 87-63 win.

It was not even that close. The Bearcats Were Knocked to the Canvas Early and Often (Post-Standard) as SU raced to a 19-4 lead in the opening minutes, stretched it to 40-17 at the half and 54-21 in the opening minutes of the second half.

Jonny Flynn led five Orange players in double figures with 17 and Paul Harris (16), Rick Jackson (13), Eric Devendorf (13) and Arinze Onuaku also reached double figures.

The Bearcats did themselves no favor with the embarrasing loss on Sunday. They were playing without starting power forward Mike Williams and their depth took another hit as an Alvin Mitchell Hard Foul on Paul Harris Leads to an Ejection (Post-Standard).

UC leading scorer Deonta Vaughn scored all 11 of his points in the final six minutes of the game when the outcome was already well decided. Freshman Dion Dixon led UC with 18 points.

Cincinnati is now 8-8 in the Big East and closed with a pair of winnable games this week, at South Florida and home against Seton Hall, ahead of the 2009 Big East Tournament next week. Right now, their two losses to Providence may be very hard to overcome on selection Sunday without putting some distance between themselves and PC while in NYC next week.

2009-02-27T08:14:00.001-08:00

February 27, 2009

Last night in Cincinnati there were a lot of Huggs and Misses (Charleston Gazette) as Bob Huggins' Night Not One to Remember (Charleston Gazette) as West Virginia falls to UC, 65-61.

It was an Emotional Return for Huggins (Times West Virginian) who wiped tears from his eyes during a pregame video highlight tribute film to his career as the UC head coach, one which saw him become the winningest coach of the program's history. In the game, however, it was the Bearcats Who Made their Own Highlights (Cincinnati Enquirer) as Mick Cronin beat his former mentor and UC icon for the second consecutive season. It was a win UC simply had to have to keep their NCAA Tournament chances alive and they delivered by riding the back of freshman big man Yancy Gates, picking up the slack for injured starter Mike Williams, whose sprained knee could improve enough to have him back for a game at Syracuse on Sunday. Gates finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds and the Mountaineers had no answer for him when he got the ball on the block. He was 9-11 from the field. Deonta Vaughn added 13 points for the winners as UC Takes Down Huggins and WVU (Cincinnati Enquirer), improving to 18-7 in the Big East and 18-10 overall.

West Virginia fell to 8-7 in the Big East and into a tie in the standings with UC and Syracuse in Big East competition as the Mountaineers Waste an Opportunity Against the Bearcats (Daily Mail) to seperate themselves a little from the pack. They also lose an tie-breaker with both the Orange and Bearcats since they have lost to each of them.

The UC defense held the Mountaineers to just 34% shooting from the field in the game. Alex Ruoff led the Mountaineers with 18 points, but he was just 3-15 from the field and 2-11 from beyond the arc.

The Bearcats hit the road for games with Syracuse on Sunday and South Florida before wrapping up the Big East regular season at home against Seton Hall. Winning two of three should but them in a pretty good situation heading to the 2009 Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden the second week of March.

BEARCATS WELCOME BACK COACH HUGGINS, LOOK TO SEND HIM HOME WITH A LOSS

2009-02-26T08:50:00.001-08:00

February 26, 2009

Although much of the attention in tonight's game between West Virginia and Cincinnati will focus on the return to UC by former coach Bob Huggins, this is a pivotal game for both schools. West Virginia is 19-8 overall on the season and 8-6 in Big East play, having won their last three games, beating Villanov, Notre Dame and Rutgers in succession. While everything looks good for WVU in terms of the NCAA Tournament, they can not afford to slump at the wrong time as the stretch run continues.

Cincinnati is is more dire need of wins. At 7-7 in the Big East and 17-10 overall, the Bearcats are fully on the bubble, most likely on the wrong side of it at the moment. They have a chance tonight, along with a game at Syracuse on Sunday, to pick up a quality win against a fellow NCAA Tournament-worthy opponent. They finish up against South Florida and Seton Hall, two games they will be expected to win, so finding a win in a game that will pad their resume is a must.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's match-up:

Huggs Returns to Cincinnati, Tribute Planned (kypost.com)
Ruoff Grew Up a Cincy Fan (Times West Virginian)
Bearcats Must Avoid Distractions (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Huggs Will Be 'Fine' for Cincy Game (Daily Mail)
Old Stomping Grounds (Charleston Gazette)
Homecoming 'Uncomfortable' for Huggins (Register-Herald)
Emotional Night in Store for Huggins (Charleston Gazette)
Cincinnati Game Means a lot to Huggins (Charleston Gazette)
Mountaineer Players Want to Win Next One for Huggins (Daily Mail)
Huggs Got their Best (Cincinnati Enquirer)

For 16 seasons, Bob Huggins roamed the sidelines as head coach of the University of Cincinnati. The last 14 of those seasons finished with a trip to the NCAA Tournament, including a run to the 1992 Final Four as 'Huggs' built a very loyal fan following. Since being pushed out as coach by UC president Nancy Zimpher, the fan support at UC has noticeably dwindled as the program, now headed by former Huggins' assistant Mick Cronin, has yet to make a NCAA Tournament appearance since he was exiled from the program.

Tonight, Huggins returns to Fifth Third Arena and will be brining in his new team, West Virginia, his alma mater, along with him in an attempt to come up with a win and make a return to the NCAA Tournament even more tougher for the Bearcats. Both teams have plenty to play for and motivation to get a key win tonight.

West Virginia's ability to defend and rebound the basketball make them a very worthy candidate to pick up key road wins in the Big East. Senior Alex Ruoff and junior Da'Sean Butler provide the scoring punch needed and make WVU a very dangerous team on both ends of the floor. However, the emerging threat of freshman Devin Ebanks could mean the Mountaineers still have their best basketball ahead of them this season.

The Bearcats have been getting deeper, stronger and more athletic, especially in the frontcourt, under Mick Cronin. In the process, they do resemble a team that Huggins might have coached in the past. While the talent level might not be up to the par as a whole of a Huggins coached UC team, the program is definitely moving in a positive direction, even if the crowd still yearns for the days of their former leader on the bench.

Cronin was a former UC assistant under Huggins and also served under Rick Pitino at Louisville. Last season, the Bearcats shocked both teams coached by Cronin's former mentors on the road. This year they have already lost to Louisville and in the emotional setting that tonight promises to be, they will look to avoid a sweep at the hands of their coach's former mentors.

Both teams will work hard defensively and on the boards, but it will likely be offense that is the key. West Virginia, a 4 1/2-point favorite, seems to have a couple more players with higher offensive potential. While UC will likely look to ride Deonta Vaughn's scoring tough, the WVU perimeter defense could be fairly successful in limiting his amount of free looks. If that is the case, UC will struggle in scoring.

I expect a very tight game, emotions and energy could be at a fever pitch, but in the end, Bob Huggins walks out as a winner in his return home.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 67
Cincinnati 64

CINCINNATI HOSTS LOUISVILLE, LOOKS FOR MARQUEE WIN

2009-02-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

February 21, 2009

Another game with big NCAA Tournament implications is taking place in Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon when the Bearcats will welcome in Rick Pitino and Louisville. Mick Cronin will face his former mentor in a game UC will look to steal to but their NCAA Tournament chances in much better light.

After starting conference play 0-3, UC has won seven of their last 10 to move to 7-6 in the Big East and 17-9 overall. The Bearcats own a pair of wins over Georgetown and a win over Notre Dame, but two losses to Providence put them in a precarious situation. They have an advantage over PC with out of conference wins against a decent UAB and Mississippi State, but a road win over UNLV might be their strongest argument to date for inclusion in the tournament. That being said, there next three games with UL, West Virginia and Syracuse will likely decide their fate. They must win won and not slip up in their last two (at USF, vs SHU) in order to head to the Big East Tournament with a chance at a bid to the Dance.

While Louisville is safely in the NCAA Tournament at this point in the season, Rick Pitino knows this game is very important to both teams.

“Obviously we’re fighting for a Big East championship and they’re fighting for a shot in the NCAA Tournament,” Pitino said in this week’s coaches conference call.

Also, fresh in the minds of many Louisville players is the 58-57 loss the Cards suffered in the first game of the conference schedule last season, a loss they have certainly been reminded of this season.

It is a tough match-up for UC as the Cards will apply pressure all game long and could wear out UC star Deonta Vaughn. If Vaughn is unable to carry the load offensively, as well as the added ball-handling duties as the team’s point guard, it will be a long day for the Bearcats, even on their home floor.

The Louisville frontline also has a solid advantage with Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels, all strong NBA prospects. Look for that talent to overwhelm UC with the press and quick-strike scoring abaility.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 69
Cincinnati 62

Cards Prepping for Improved Cincinnati (SI.com)
Cards are Less Fashionable After Loss to Notre Dame (Courier-Journal)
Cronin: Losing is a Great Motivator (Courier-Journal)
A Nastier Gates Would be Pretty Nice for UC (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Playing in Reverse, Cards Move Forward (Courier-Journal)
Cards Wearing the No Frills Look Well (Courier-Journal)
Cincinnati’s Rebound Bears Cronin’s Stamp (Courier-Journal)

CINCINNATI STILL SEARCHING FOR SIGNATURE WIN, FALLS AT PITT

2009-02-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

February 15, 2009

The Pittsburgh Panthers took care of business on Saturday afternoon, beating the Cincinnati Bearcats 85-69 at the Peterson Events Center. In doing so, Pitt matched a school record by shooting 67.4% from the field and guarantees that their meeting with UConn on Big Monday will be a battle of top 5 teams.

Pitt had five players in double figures, led by Sam Young's 18 points. DeJuan Blair added 17, Jermaine Dixon 14, Gilbert Brown 12 and Levance Fields added 11 points while orchestrating another flawless floor game, handing out 13 assists without turning the ball over. As a team, Pitt was credited with 21 assist on their 31 made field goals and had just six team turnovers.

While the Pitt defense allowed UC to shoot 52% themselves, Pitt did an excellent job on the two Bearcat stars, Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates. Vaughn was hounded by the JUCO transfer Dixon and sophomore guard Brad Wanamaker the entire game and finished with just nine points in 37 minutes. Gates was just 2-8 from the field, scoring 4 points in 28 minutes.

Pitt's 6'7 Blair, the nation's leading offensive rebounder, was quiet on the boards today as Cincinnati did a good job limiting second chance opportunities, of course, when a team missed just 15 shots the ENTIRE game, there aren't many rebounds available, so next time, Mick Cronin would probably prefer his players to make Pitt miss AND prevent the offensive rebounds.

UC had won seven of their last nine, but they have been desperately searching to a signature win that will impress the NCAA Tournament committee. Two wins over Georgetown and a win over Notre Dame do not have the same weight now as it did earlier this season. Home games with Louisville and West Virginia are up next and then a road trip to Syracuse, so they have a couple more opportunities to impress the selection committee.

Mike Williams scored 17 to lead UC and Larry Davis added 13.

RIVER CITY SHOOTOUT: HOOPS STYLE!

2009-02-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

February 14, 2009

On the football field, they call this one the River City Rivalry as Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, linked by the Ohio River, battle for possession of the River City Rivalry Trophy. Apparently ESPN believes this is a rivalry on the hardwood as well as the Panthers and Bearcats will meet in the Steel City at 4 PM for an ESPN televised clash during the Rivalry Week celebration.

Can you feel the excitement? While Pitt-WVU or UC-Xavier this is not, it is still a pivotal Big East conference game.

The Panthers are 9-2 in Big East play and 22-2 on the season and playing for NCAA Tournament seeding here on out. Pitt is coming off a 70-59 win over rival West Virginia on Monday night to kick off Rivalry Week and now will look to cap off the week against Cincinnati, ahead of the ‘Big Monday’ match-up against No. 1 Connecticut.

Before Pitt can begin thinking about UConn, they better have their full attention centered on Cincinnati as Mick Cronin’s club has won seven of their last nine games and are now 7-5 in the Big East and have their own thoughts of the NCAA Tournament.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game:

Newcomers Giving Panthers Boost in 3’s (Post-Gazette)
Young Fueled by Brother’s Plight (Times Leader)
Guru’s Bracket Excludes UC (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Defense Still Part of Pitt’s Repertoire (Beaver County Times)
Pitt Focused on Cincinnati (Tribune Review)
Pitt Not Surprised by Cincinnati’s Success (Tribune Review)
Pitt Needs More Consistent Young on the Court (Post Gazette)

This is not a particularly good match-up for Cincinnati. While the Bearcats are deeper and bigger in the frontcourt than previous editions in the Big East, they really do not have any one area they stand out in over Pitt in their match-ups. While Deonta Vaughn torched the Panthers last season in the Pitt wins, he will see a variety of defenders coming at him and it happens to be their strongest defenders (Jermaine Dixon and Bran Wanamaker) that will be getting the call most often. The duo has more size and are likely to match up athletically with Vaughn, making it tough to believe Vaughn is going to be able to beat Pitt by himself.

The other way UC can try and beat Pitt is by getting DeJuan Blair in foul trouble. While it worked on Monday for WVU, getting Blair in foul trouble, Pitt seemed more comfortable playing without the big ‘fella’ than they did in the past and won by double digits over a good WVU team with Blair playing just 16 minutes.

Pittsburgh really is beginning to look like a team that potentially has any answer for any type of team. While they will still be susceptible to foul trouble on Blair, they can still get by with senior forwards Tyrell Biggs and Sam Young logging the minutes in the frontcourt. If Blair is not in foul trouble, nobody has really been able to challenge Pitt this season. In their two losses (at Louisville and at Villanova) and their closest wins (by 8 at Florida State, by 6 at Rutgers and by 11 vs. WVU), Blair averaged just 18 minutes and seven points and 8 rebounds, well below his season averages (15 points, 12.6 rebounds and 26 minutes). In the other 19 contests, nobody has come within 12 points of beating the Panthers. Sure, tougher tests may lie ahead to challenge that theory, like Monday night, but in this one, it is likely to follow the same pattern.

Still, expect a spirited effort from UC and Pitt possibly looking ahead just a bit. But, as Levance Fields gets control of the game and Blair and Young start to do their thing, Pitt will pull away.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Pittsburgh 74
Cincinnati 61

UC NEEDS TO SUPPORT CURRENT COACH & PLAYERS

2009-02-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

February 11, 2009

by Ray Mernagh

It's not Mick Cronin's fault that Nancy Zimpher fired Bob Huggins as the basketball coach at Cincinnati back in August of 2005. None of the current players had anything to do with it either. In fact, both Cronin and his players are too busy trying, finally, to make good on their first real chance at an NCAA Tournament berth since Cronin took over the program. Cronin accepted the job in March of 2006 after leading Murray State to two NCAA Tournaments in his three years there -- compiling a 69-24 record while in charge of the perennial Ohio Valley Conference power. Why some in Cincinnati are still upset with the Huggins firing is somewhat understandable, given the love for Huggins there (think Pete Rose-like adulation). But to use that bitterness as a reason not to support native son Cronin and the Bearcats program is petty.

With yesterday's news that Zimpher will be leaving the Queen City to take over the reigns of the SUNY system, the largest state university system in the country that has 64 campuses across New York, it seems like now is the perfect time for closure. Cincinnati plans to honor Huggins, a mentor of Cronin's who gave the young coach his start in the D-1 game, when West Virginia visits Cincinnati later this month. Honoring Huggins is fine. He's a legendary figure in Cincinnati lore, having turned the ravaged program he inherited from Tony Yates in 1989 into a huge winner. He deserves to be recognized for what he accomplished, especially if honoring Hugs will allow the Bearcat Nation to move on and finally embrace native son Cronin and the job he's doing.

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

The only situation even comparable to the one Cronin stepped into at Cincinnati is the one currently happening at Indiana. Tom Crean, after cleaning house and watching Jordan Crawford transfer to Xavier, had no returning scholarship players. When Cronin began his first season at Cincinnati, he had one scholarship player returning -- on a team expected to compete in the Big East. Not an easy gig. Yet some fans of Cincinnati basketball still consider Cronin a traitor. You see, Cronin left Huggins' staff to be Rick Pitino's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville in 2001. Yes, Louisville was a huge rival of Cincinnati in Conference USA, but holding the move against Cronin, especially now, is nuts. Because when you look at it with the 20/20 vision that hindsight provides, Cronin not only made the right decision for his career at the time, but ultimately, the right decision for the future health of the Cincinnati basketball program.

Cronin was a recruiting beast as an assistant under Huggins. He was the lead recruiter on five Bearcats who went on to be NBA draft picks: Steve Logan, two-time Conference USA Player of the Year (Golden State); DerMarr Johnson, Parade Magazine National Prep Player of the Year and C-USA Freshman of the Year (Atlanta); Pete Mickeal, a junior college national player of the year selection (Dallas); Kenny Satterfield, a McDonald's All-American (Dallas); and Jason Maxiell (Detroit). Cronin helped deliver recruiting classes ranked in the top-five nationally in two of his last three seasons and another that was ranked in the top-ten. His work helped UC compile a 108-26 record, capture five regular season titles in Conference USA, plus two conference tournament titles.

So Cronin's move, while upsetting to Huggins and UC fans at the time, wasn't traitorous. He'd repaid any debt to Huggins for making him an assistant coach in the first place by doing such a monster job on the recruiting trail. Cronin showed keen insight and intelligence for making the move when he did. Rumors were swirling at the time that Huggins wasn't long for Cincinnati, plus Cronin felt he'd never have a shot to be a head coach -- especially in his hometown -- if he didn't go somewhere else and have success first. When Pitino called, as hard as it was for Cronin to leave, the choice to get in that car and head to the 'Ville was a no-brainer. Being on Pitino's staff was, and is, a gateway to a head job in D-1 basketball. That's exactly what Pitino used to sell Cronin on the move. It turned out exactly the way Pitino pitched it.

Cronin delivered for Pitino -- and in turn -- Pitino delivered for Cronin. Cronin was hired by Murray State in 2003 and had the aforementioned success. When his dream job came open following his third season at Murray State, Cronin's success made him a viable candidate, and more importantly, he was ready for the job.

Now in his third year, Cronin has implemented the toughness he learned under Huggins into the program, while steadily acquiring the kind of talent needed to compete in the Belly of the Beast. The Bearcats stand at 16-8 and 6-5 in the Big East going into their game with St John's this evening. They look to be on track for 20 or 21 wins and certainly are in the discussion for a bid to the NCAA's.

None of that would be possible if Cronin had stayed eight years ago.

Huggins is gone, coaching a conference rival in what he calls his dream job. Zimpher is on the way out the door.

Cronin is back home where he belongs. UC fans should be thankful for that.
------------------------------------------------------

Ray Mernagh is the Basketball Editor for the Pittsburgh Sports Report and writes for Basketball Times as well as his own blog, Hoop Wise. Ray's first book, 1 Chance 2 Dance: A Season Inside Mid-Major Hoops in Mid-America, focuses on 18 months of MAC basketball.
--------------------------------------------------------

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

2009-02-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

February 11, 2009

With a daunting four-game stretch right around the corner, the surging Cincinnati Bearcats can not afford a mis-step tonigh when they host St. John's in Fifth Third Arena at 7:30 PM. UC has won four of their last five and six of their last eight, including a sweep of Georgetown and a win over Notre Dame at US Bank Arena last week to pull them abover .500 in conference play at 6-5.

St. John's continues to scuffle along in the Big East under Norm Roberts. While injuries have hit a young Redstorm squad quite hard, SJU is 3-8 in the Big East and the amount of 'winable' conference games are dwindling with the schedule ahead. SJU is coming off a solid defensive effort against Louisville, before the Cards pulled away at the end for a 60-47 decision.

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

A Solid Building Block (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Looking ahead, after tonight's contest, Mick Cronin's squad will travel to Pittsburgh this weekend to start a stretch that also includes games with Louisville and West Virginia, at home, and then a trip to Syracuse. They can ill-afford to drop a game tonight as they have clawed their way back into the NCAA Tournament mix and have positioned themselves that finding a way to win three of these next five puts them in a real position to finish 11-7 in the Big East. While that is definitely getting ahead of ourselves, it shows how important this game is.

UC is led by guard Deonta Vaughn who iasked to carry the bulk of the scoring load as well as the ball-handling chores of the club. He has been getting offensive support in the frontcourt from Mike Williams and Yancy Gates, who was the top freshman in the Big East last week. Sophomore guard Larry Davis has also stepped up his scoring, which is a big key to UC's chances of success as it takes some pressure off of Vaughn.

These two teams met back on January 22nd and UC rallied from a double-digit deficit to post a 71-60 win. The game got really chippy as DJ Kennedy and Rashad Bishop were both ejected after earning a pair of double technicals for continued jawing after a brief altercation. SJU was already without point guard Malik Boothe and forward Rob Thomas because of injuries and the loss of Kennedy was too much for them to take down the stretch as UC ran past them in the last 10 minutes for the win.

Boothe is back and Thomas is also healthier, so if Kennedy can contain his emotions and if Paris Horne can rebound from his horrendous shooting effort against Louisville, SJU matches up pretty well with UC.

The Bearcats are a 9 1/2-point favorite in tonight's game, but look for both teams to defend very well, keeping this a relatively low-scoring affair. I liked how SJU competed in the first game until their lack of depth caught up to them, I think they will compete again tonight with the motivation from the previous game on their minds. However, Vaughn is the best player on the court and provides enough offense for UC to get the important win heading into their tough stretch.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 64
St. John's 59

CINCINNATI EDGES HOYAS IN OT ON THE ROAD

2009-02-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

February 7, 2009

The way Georgetown started off conference play, with a win at UConn, nobody foreshadowed the fall that has occurred the past few weeks. Saturday might have been rock bottom as Cincinnati finished off a sweep with a 64-62 overtime win at Georgetown.

The Ice Cold Hoyas Continue to Skip (Washington Post), now losing six of their last seven and find themselves at 4-7 in the Big East.

UC Beats Georgetown in OT (Cincinnati Enquirer), despite not making a field goal in the extra session. The Bearcats scored all five of their OT points from the line. Georgetown missed all eight of thier field goal attempts in OT, including Austin Freeman's attempted three-pointer to win at the buzzer.

Deonta Vaughn had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists to lead UC while Mike Williams, Larry Davis and Yancy Gates each scored 11. Cincinnati is 6-5 in the Big East and have won six of their last eight games.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI TRAVELS TO GEARGETOWN

2009-02-07T04:25:00.001-08:00

February 7, 2009

Georgetown finally tasted victory again on Tuesday night with a 57-47 home victory over Rutgers. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Hoyas who saw their record plummet to 3-6 in the Big East before picking up the much-needed win.

One of those five losses came on the road at the hands of Cincinnati, 65-57, just 10 days ago. Now, the Hoyas will look to even things up by beating the Bearcats at the Verizon Center. UC is coming off an impressive 93-83 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday night, evening their Big East record at 5-5, one game better than the Hoyas.

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

Back on Track: Georgetown’s Sapp Eager to Lead (Washington Post)

In their earlier meeting, Cincinnati got a game-high 20 points from junior Deonta Vaughn, out-rebounded the Hoyas 36-31 and held them to 40% shooting in a 65-57 victory. Georgetown’s leading scorer DaJuan Summers played just 13 minutes in the game and did not return to the floor after spraining an ankle late in the 1st half with the Hoyas leading. He is healthy now and scored 22 points in their game at Marquette just a few days later.

Georgetown’s biggest problems, aside from the loss to Marquette, have been on the offensive side of the ball in their recent slump. They have scored 60 or less four times in the last six games and in their three consecutive losses to WVU, Seton Hall and Cincy, they were a dismal 10 of 55 from three-point range. The UC and SHU were close games and they shot themselves out of it from beyond the arc, going 8-39 in the two losses.

Losing their point guard and leading scorer from last year’s team has stripped much of the consistency of the Hoya offense. John Thompson III runs an intricate system based on the Princeton offense and this year’s team has had trouble finding the efficient harmony that the offense promotes against Big East competition. They also miss last year’s size and toughness that Roy Hibbert, Patrick Ewing Jr and Vernon Macklin could provide as they are routinely out-rebounded and out-toughed in the paint.

Cincinnati is a pretty sizeable challenge with a frontline of Mike Williams (6’7, 235), Yancy Gates (6’9, 255), Steven Toyloy (6’8, 255) and Anthony McClain (6’11, 245) rotating up front. Vaughn provides much of the scoring, and is coming off a season-high 34-point performance in the win over Notre Dame. The offense goes through Vaughn, who doubles as the team’s point guard, and he will be the area of concentration for the Hoya defense.

This is unlikely to be a very pretty game. Both teams need the win for their NCAA Tournament hopes and expect the defensive effort and intensity to pick up considerably down the stretch in conference action. If Georgetown can find anyone to knock down some shots, and they have players like Jesse Sapp, Summers, Chris Wright and Austin Freeman who are capable of doing so, they should be able to win this game.

Cincinnati will defend and hit the boards, which will give them a chance to win, but in the end, look for the home team to escape with a win, keeping their season alive.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 67
Cincinnati 60

BEARCATS CLAW IRISH IN BIG EAST ACTION

2009-02-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

February 5, 2009

So with their season most likely on the line last night against Cincinnati, how does Notre Dame respond to the challenge? By giving up 93 points for the second consecutive game as the Bearcats Deep-Six ND (South Bend Tribune), dropping them to 3-7 in the Big East.

The Bearcats Shock Irish, Extend Losing Streak to Six (Journal Gazette) as junior Deonta Vaughn scored 34 points while just making five (all three's) shots from the floor. Vaughn was 19-22 from the line and as a team UC was 31-41.

Larry Davis added 21 points and Yancy Gates had 15 points and 8 rebounds as UC Takes Down Irish (Cincinnati Enquirer) at US Bank Arena in Downtown Cincinnati and even their conference mark at 5-5.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI LOOKS TO EXTEND IRISH SLIDE

2009-02-04T07:42:00.001-08:00

February 4, 2009

Notre Dame looks to snap their five-game losing streak when they hit the road once again to take on Cincinnati. Over the weekend, ND played just down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh and saw an early 10-point lead behind some hot three-point shooting evaporate as the Panthers ran them out of town, 93-80. The Irish now sit at 3-6 in the Big East and in serious jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament if they do not turn thing around VERY quickly.

Cincinnati had won four of five, including a home game with Georgetown, and were looking to begin to push their way onto the NCAA bubble when they traveled to meet Villanova on Sunday. The result was not pretty as the 'Nova defense was turned up in the second half and the Bearcats went down, 71-50, and fell to 4-5 in the Big East.

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

Irish Come Skidding into Town (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Harangody Needs Some Help on Offense (Gary Post Tribune)
Irish in Dire Need of a Victory (Journal Gazette)
Notre Dame Knows it is Now or Never (Chicago Tribune)
Time Running Out on Irish Season (South Bend Tribune)

We all know that Notre Dame has lost five games in a row and, out in cyberspace, panic has set in among the Irish faithful and fueled by those looking to stir the pot. However, closer in spection of those losses reveals that four of them have come at the hands of teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the country and the other was to #20 Syracuse on the road (when they were ranked in the top 10). So, what we have probably learned is that the Irish are NOT a top-10 team. Now, we shoudl be able to really see what they have. Their recent 5 game slide is probably a slide that 90% of the Division 1-A teams in America would also be on with those five games.

That is not to say there are not some alarming traits with this club. Obviously, their defense is as spotty as it comes. In their three road losses during the slide, they have given up an average of 91 points a game! Their rebounding outside of Luke Harangody has been non-existent. Luke Zeller, the starting power forward who stands at 6'11, had what amounted to a season's-best game against Pitt on Saturday, draining six threes and scoring 18 points in 21 minutes. However, Zeller did not grab a single rebound or block a single shot. Pitt's 6'3 guard Jermaine Dixon had 5 rebounds and was able to register a blocked shot. Also, Kyle McAlarney is just nine of 38 from the field in the last three games, including seven of 23 from 3-pt range. Since nobody has stepped up on the perimeter consistently, teams have gone all out to shut down McAlarney. While Luke Harangody is still getting his points, averaging 26.6 in the five losses, he has taken 116 shots, over 23 a game, to do so. Not very efficient.

When Cincinnati began with three straight losses to start conference play, it was their defense that was letting them down. Two of those losses came at home as they were being blitzed from beyond the arc. Notre Dame will have to hope that porous defense returns tonight.

The Bearcats have made improvements defensively, but they still have not really been tested in that regard. Their best win was over a slumping Georgetown team and this game will be played at the US Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati, not their normal on campus home at Fifth Third Arena in the Shoemaker Center.

Deonta Vaughn is still the one to make UC go, they have been getting more help from the supporting cast, including Yancy Gates and Mike Williams, but it has not been as consistent as they had hoped to this point.

The early NCAA basketball betting odds have the Irish as a 3 1/2-point road favorite. At first, that was a little bit of a surprise. Looking closely at the game, seeing it is at US Bank and the schedule the Irish have faced, we think they do come out and put things together for a nice win tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Notre Dame 75
Cincinnati 68

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCY MEETS 'NOVA IN PHILLY

2009-02-01T07:03:00.001-08:00

February 1, 2009

Villanova will look to follow-up Wednesday night’s emotional victory over No. 3 Pittsburgh in the Spectrum finale as they welcome surging Cincinnati to the Pavilion on Sunday afternoon. The Bearcats are also coming off a big win as the knocked off Georgetown on their home floor Wednesday.

One Wednesday night, Villanova pulled the energy from the 17,000+ fans gathered for the final college basketball game at the Spectrum and some timely foul trouble on DeJuan Blair to gain control and then their defense did the rest as the Wildcats knocked off Pitt. It was the first significant in for Jay Wright’s squad this season.

The same can be said for Cincinnati, although Georgetown has been in a freefall of late. Still, the Bearcats came through with a win that still holds some weight on their resume and have won four of their last five after starting conference play 0-3.

The Bearcats are led by junior guard Deonta Vaughn, who is averaging a team-high 15.6 points a game. The emergence of Texas transfer Mike Williams, who also missed last season to an injury, has also keyed their recent run. Williams is averaging 10.2 points a game on the season, but that number is up to 14.8 in the last seven contests. The 6-foot-7 Williams also teams with 6-foot-9 frosh Yancy Gates (10 points/game), 6-foot-8 JUCO transfer Stephen Toyloy and 6-foot-11 sophomore Anthony McClain to give Mick Cronin’s team a much deeper frontcourt than his previous UC clubs.

Villanova is led by 6-foot-8 senior Dante Cunningham, who is enjoying a breakout season. The big forward averages team highs in scoring (16.5), rebounding (7.1), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.7). Junior Scottie Reynolds also adds his normal scoring punch, averaging 14.5 points a game and a team-high 4.2 assists a game. Reynolds also shows he can still carry the club, evidenced by his 40-point outburst in an OT win over Seton Hall earlier.

The oddsmakers have Villanova as an 11 ½-point favorite. The number seems slightly generous with the Wildcats prone to a letdown as they are in the midst of a very tough stretch of games and this being a follow-up to the Pitt win. UC is prone to some offensive slumps and the Villanova defense is strong, especially on the perimeter, where they will make it tough on Vaughn, but the UC size could keep this one pretty close throughout.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 69
Cincinnati 60

BEARCATS EVEN BIG EAST RECORD, UPSET #25 HOYAS

2009-01-29T08:04:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-14T07:43:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-10T07:24:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-07T09:31:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-04T07:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

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

BIG EAST ROSTER UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2008-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

INCOMING TRANSFER ALERT: Ibrahima Thomas, 6-foot-11 C from Oklahoma State

Not long after receiving his release from Oklahoma State, 6'11 big man Ibrahima Thomas has found a new home after a recent visit to Cincinnati. The Ex-Oklahoma State Big Man Chooses the Big East School (FoxSports.com), according to a source close to Thomas.

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Mike Williams* (PF), Deonta Vaughn (PG), Steven Toyloy (C/BF)
Juniors: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Kenny Belton (F/C), Alvin Mitchell (G/F), Anthony McClain (C), Darnell Wilks (F)
Sophomores: Yancy Gates (BF), Dion Dixon (G), John Riek** (C), Ibrahima Thomas ***(C)
Freshmen: Sean Kilpatrick (G), Cashmere Wright**** (PG)

*- There is a possibility Mike Williams can petition the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility because he missed the 2006-2007 season as a transfer student from Texas and the 2007-2008 season due to injury.

**- John Riek remains a verbal commitment to UC, but as of 12/29/2008 he is still awaiting clearance from the NCAA to be eligible for a scholarship to enroll at Cincinnati

***- a transfer from Oklahoma State, Ibrahima Thomas will sit out the spring (09) and fall (09) semesters and be eligible in December of 2009. He will have 2 1/2 tears of eligibility.

****- Cashmere tore an ACL in the fall of 2008 and is sitting out the 2008-2009 season as a medical redshirt. He will have four years of eligibility beginning in 2009-2010

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

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.

However, the latest addition in mid-year Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas throws a little more uncertainty into the picture. First of all, UC had 12 scholarship players on their current roster with the 13th and final spot seemingly being held for Riek, who is still waiting for NCAA clearance of his academic record to be eligible to receive a college scholarship. Now, Riek seems to be out of the Bearcat mix for 2008-2009 as Thomas would receive the 13th and final scholarship.

Thomas had played in seven games for Okie State this season, averaging 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes a contest. As a freshman Thomas averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds a game playing in 33 contests. He had a career high of 19 last year against Texas and scored 18 in a game earlier this season against Tulsa. Even though Thomas stands at 6-foot-11, he is not afraid to step outside and shoot from the three-point arc (made 11 last season). He is not a physical player, but there is definitely a lot to work with as he has room to grow his game more.

The native of Dakar, Senegal had prepped at Stoneridge Prep in California before signing with the Cowboys and coach Sean Sutton. After playing in seven games under new coach Travis Ford this year, Thomas decided to look for a new school and settled on Cincinnati quickly, despite interest from Rutgers and others.

Even with the uncertainty of scholarships, the Bearcats received a quality commitment this fall when Notre Dame Prep guard Sean Kilpatrick made a commitment following a visit to the school back in October.

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 was the matter of the SAT (or ACT) test to become eligible for the Bearcats, which Riek reportedly received a qualifying score. Those close to Riek believed the NCAA Clearinghouse will allow his transcripts, but that has yet to happen for Riek 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 hoped to enroll in December, but the addition of Thomas seems to indicate that it was not going to happen. Now, a scholarship would have to open between now and the 2009-2010 season for Riek to join UC if Williams gets his medical waiver.

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.

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.

ISLAND REWARD FOR CINCINATTI

2008-12-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

December 5, 2008

Life is good for members, and fans, of the Cincinnati football program. Not only will they get to spend New Years in Florida playing in the Orange bowl as the Big East's BCS representative for winning the conference title, but they get to spend an early December weekend in Hawaii closing their regular season against the Rainbows.

Hawaii has left the island and has played powerhouses such as Florida, Oregon State and Boise State (all losses) already this year, so this is the first time they will welcome a nationally ranked foe to the 50th state this season.

The Bearcats (6-1, 10-2) look to cap their tremendous regular season with a reward for their players, but the work is not done. Do not expect UC head coach Brian Kelly, who will be in much demand these coming weeks, to allow any letdown. The Bearcats defense will be put to the test, but they have been able to pass them throughout the season.

The NCAA Football Odds list UC as a 7 1/2 point favorite in a game of teams with differentiating styles. The Bearcats will be playing for conference pride, but this game has all the makings of one too close for comfort.

Prediction:

Cincinnati 34
Hawaii 31

SEAN KILPATRICK: 'PREP' ARING FOR NEXT LEVEL

2008-11-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

by Zach Smart

White Plains is where throwback jerseys are in and Abercrombie and Fitch is out. It’s where the hard-scrabble Ferris Ave. courts play host to one of the toughest summer street leagues (outside of NYC) summer after summer after summer.

Bible-truth, White Plains has established one of the top rivalries in New York with cross-town perennial power Mount Vernon. The school breeds Division-I talent like Angelina Jolie breeds kids.

At the forefront the past two years has been Sean Kilpatrick, Spencer Mayfield’s primary scoring engine who helped the team garner some national visibility during the 2006-2007 campaign. They played a schedule that was about as serious as death and divorce that season, nearly upsetting California powerhouse Mater Dei at Pace University in Pleasantville, N.Y.

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

The following year, Kilpatrick teamed up with Rashad James—the self-proclaimed “best dunker in New York State.”

The duo helped a team which had its talented 2007 roster thoroughly cleansed, rip off a 15-7 record the following year, when Kilpatrick emerged as one of the state’s most lethal scorers.

Kilpatrick, whose ability to score in clusters lifted him out of the abyss and no longer made him a second-class citizen to some of the big guns of NYC, got plenty of Big East looks.

Amongst the suitors sold on the kid with an efficient arsenal of 20-footers, mano y mano moves, and good life from the perimeter were St. John’s, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Cincinnati.

He would end up choosing Cincinnati, where he committed to on October 12 and recently penned his letter of intent.

Kilpatrick, streaky at times, spent much of this season righting the academic ship (academic issues kept him from making the jump from WPHS to a Division-I hardwood home) and getting acclimated to a new environment in the woodworks of Fitchburg, Mass.

“I’m proud to say I’m part of the Notre Dame family,” said Kilpatrick, whose team split a pair of contests Friday and Saturday at the National Prep Schowcase at Bryant College last week.

“Honestly, they treat me like family over here. Going to prep school, getting prepared for college and whatever else is out there, it’s not a bad idea.”

Kilpatrick hung 26 points and corralled seven rebounds in a nailbiting, 93-92 overtime loss to Brewster Academy at the NHTI Prep Showcase.

He was off his game during Day One of the National Prep Showcase Invitational, scoring just 10 points on 5-for-18 shooting (0-9 from three-point territory), as Notre Dame was thoroughly walloped, 81-56, by a De’Andre Kane (Pitt, Uconn) and Hunter McClintock (Air Force, Kentucky, BC, Indiana, Oklahoma)-fueled Patterson backcourt tandem.

Kilpatrick and Notre Dame re-wrote the script the following day, blitzing Massanutten Military Academy to the tune of 77-52. Killpatrick worked opponents off the dribble with ease, barreling to the basket for 15 points.

After a night when it seemed they couldn’t shoot a ball into the Mississippi River if they were standing on a rowboat, the trio of Kilpatrick, Mohammed Lee (St. John’s, Pittsburgh, and Louisville have all expressed interest in the New York-bred baller) and Kenny Stewart (Rider, Elon) shot the rock at a scintillating 19-for-26 clip.

Kilpatrick has been a scorer his whole life. Playing alongside a talent-bleeding supporting cast at Prep, however, has allowed him to improve other facets of his game—rebounding, dishing, and defense.

“I’m basically going into there (Cincinnati) with the mentality that I have to score,” said Kilpatrick, who exploded for a career-high 44 points in a signature 82-79 victory over Brooklyn’s Canarsie HS last season.

Deonta Vaughn, who came into his own late last season, is one of the most prolific scorers in Bearcat history. He’ll be a senior at the same time that Kilpatrick, perhaps the highest-profile scorer the school has recruited since Vaughn, is entering.

Pressure?

“Not at all,” said Kilpatrick. “I’m going to do whatever it is my coach (Mick Cronin) asks of me. I know my scoring is really the main threat, but I would like to help out in any way that I can, in any way they need me to contribute.”

Sacrificing me for we and putting individual accolades aside for the betterment of the team, an attitude that will help any player better the college basketball odds of their team.

Now that’s something coach Mayfield has preached at White Plains for quite some time now.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW GAME #10: CINCINNATI

2008-11-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

November 14, 2008

Froday night football returns in the Big East as Cincinnati looks to stay in the mix for the Big East conference title when they travel to meet Louisville.

Last week the Bearcats held on for a wild win in West Virginia, 26-23 after blowing a 20-7 lead in the closing moments. Cincinnati prevailed, handing the Mountaineers their first conference loss, and put themselves in position to control their own desitny. However, they will have to do it on the road as the travel to meet Louisville tonight and have a showdown next week in Pittsburgh, the team that beat Louisville 41-7 last week in Pittsburgh.

Tony Pike looks to have takent over the QB position for the Bearcats giving them stability behind center. With a tough defense and a grind it out attack, the Bearcats are well suited and disciplined to win on the road.

The bottom fell out for the Cardinals last weekend and if they do not get off to a good start tonight against the Bearcats, the season could get away from them. Louisville is 5-4 overall, but just 1-3 in the conference and is coming off consecutive losses to Syracuse and Pitt. A return to home under the lights could light a fire under them, but their season is on the brink. We like the Bearcats, who are listed as 4 1/2 point road favorites in the latest NCAA Football Odds, to push them over that brink and collect another win.

Prediction:

Cincinnati 23
Louisville 13

BIG EAST TOP TWO-GUARDS 2008-2009: CINCINNATI

2008-11-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

November 11, 2008

When trying to build a program, the most important factor in increasing your NCAA Basketball Odds of winning is finding a dominant guard to control the game. At Cincinnati, Mick Cronin and the Bearcats have learned to rely on Deonta Vaughn to carry the burden offensively, at times it may seem like they rely on him too much, but Vaughn has proven to be up to the challenge.

As a sophomore, the 6-foot-1, 195 pound Vaughn averaged over 17 points a game. Helped by Jamual Warren's presence as the full-time point guard, Vaughn was able to move off the ball and do what he does best, score points.

Vaughn is vesatile enough to flip-flop between guard positions, but his ability to score points and the relatively lack of ability of the rest of the Bearcats to do so has pushed him to a scoring guard roll. Vaughn still averaged a team-best 4.2 turnovers, as well as a team-high 3.2 turnovers a contest as the ball ends up in his hands often for him to score or create for the team. Sometimes, it does lead to him forcing the issue offensively and causing turnovers.

Last year Vaughn hit a solid 44% of his 408 shots attempted (that volume of shots will get anyone termed a 'shooting' guard) and 40% if his 244 attempts from beyond the arc. In the 18-game Big East schedule, Vaughn eclipsed 20 points on seven occassions with a high coming against UConn with 34. Vaughn also pored in 30 in an impressive outburst against Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament.

This year the Bearcats looks to add help to Vaughn's cause with an improved frontcourt that will be both bigger and deeper this year. However, the question that has developed at point guard because of Cashmere Wright's knee injury might add more duties to Vaughn's plate. Will this impact his scoring opportunities? We shall see...

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #9 CINCINNATI

2008-11-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

November 7, 2008

Don't look now, but West Virginia has taken their normal position atop the Big East standings with a 3-0 conference record as we head down the home stretch. After a rough start to the Bill Stewart era, the Mountaineers have won five in a row, but what is more important, they have begin to rev up their offense of late, scoring a 34-17 win over Auburn back on October 23rd and following that up with a 35-13 win at UConn last week.

The key? Pat White returning to health and being in sync with coach Stewart's offense. White threw for 175 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn and he ran for 109 and scored twice on the ground against UConn. With White back as a dual threat, it opens the lanes for Noel Devine, and he shredded Auburn for over 200 yards in that win that seemed to re-energize WVU.

Quietly, Cincinnati remains in the Big East title race and their 24-10 win over South Florida last week re-inforced that notion. With four quarterbacks shuffling in and out of the line-up because of injuries, it looks like Tony Pike has grabbed ahold of the position and his efficient outing against USF (20-28-282-2-1) is a great building block. Facing the Mountaineers in Morgantown on a Saturday night will be a whole new set of challenges, though, for the senior QB that was not even listed in the three-deep depth chart not long ago.

The latest Latest NCAA College Football Odds list the Mountaineers as 7-point favorites. With a team that seems to be coming together, especially offensively, at home in a tough place to play, I think they take care of that number and make another statement that the Big East title needs to be taken from WVU first.

Prediction:

West Virginia 33
Cincinnati 19

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #8 CINCINNATI

2008-10-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

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.

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

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

2008-10-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

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)

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

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

2008-10-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-03T13:10:00.001-07:00

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.

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

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

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #4 CINCINNATI

2008-09-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

September 26, 2008

The Cincinnati Bearcats continue to tune-up for the Big East portion of their schedule when they travel to in-state foe Akron for a Saturday afternoon match-up. The Zips already own one win over the Big East as they won at Syracuse, 42-28, earlier in September.

The Bearcats enter the match-up 2-1 with easy home wins over Eastern Kentucky and Miami (OH). Their lone loss was a 52-26 blasting at nationally ranked Oklahoma.

Akron evened their record at 2-2 last week with a win over Army, 22-3. The Zips have fallen to Wisconsin on the road and a very good Ball State squad at home, along with their win in the Dome to get them to 2-2.

The latest College Football Odds list Cincinnati as a 10 1/2 point favorite over Akron. This seems to be a little too much of a spot for us to back Cincinnati. The Bearcats are a better team with more important games a head, but expect them to see a spirited Akron team that will have some confidence with their win over Syracuse, although that shouldn't count for much.

Prediction:

Cincinnati 33
Akron 24

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #3 CINCINNATI

2008-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2008

The Cincinnati Bearcats have had some time to regroup following their 56-26 road loss to Oklahoma back on September 6th. This Saturday evening they will welcome in-state rival Miami of Ohio out of the MAC to town for an out of conference match-up.

The Bearcats hung around against the Sooners for a little bit, trailing 28-20 after a 97-yard kickoff return TD from Marshawn Gilyard, but they could not stop the OU attack as the Sooners rolled to 592 yards of offense, including 395 in the air, and 24 straight points put the game away.

Miami (OH) got their first win of the season last weekend by defeating Charleston Southern 38-27. The win followed a 34-13 home loss to Vanderbilt to open the season and a 16-6 loss at Michigan. Now, they take to the road as a large undedog to face the Bearcats.

The Online Sportsbook is showing UC as an 11 and a half point favorite and the number looks pretty good if your planning to back the Bearcats. In our opinion, UC should be able to win by a couple touchdowns on their home field.

Prediction:

Cincinnati 27
Miami (OH) 14

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: WEEK #2 CINCINNATI

2008-09-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

September 5, 2008

Brian Kelly's Cincinnati Bearcats got off on the right foot this season by opening with a 40-7 romp over Eastern Kentucky. Dustin Grutza picked up where Ben Mauk left off, completing 21 of 28 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns as he directed the offense as it piled up 557 total yards. In week #2, the competition is tougher, much tougher.

The Bearcats will hit the road and meet the Oklahoma Sooners out in Norman (OK). The Sooners are coming off an 11-3 season where they earned a BCS bid and opened their 2008 season with a 57-2 drubbing of Chattanooga in a game that was 50-0 at halftime! OU outgained the Chattanooga 487-36 and allowed just ONE first down in the contest.

Sports Betting houses have installed Oklahoma as a 21-point favorite in this contest and they definitely look like the better team by quite a bit. It is really hard to guage how good either team is after the competition they faced in their opening week wins, but the home team figures to have a distinct advantage in this set-up.

This is a great test for Cincinnati to see where they stack up nationally. However, this game was seemingly scheduled more for financial gain rather than a learning tool, so I do expect the Sooners to lay it on pretty good in this one with an explosive offense and dominating defense.

Prediction:

Oklahoma 45
Cincinnati 20

BEN MAUK LOSES FINAL APPEAL FOR 6th SEASON

2008-08-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

August 8, 2008

Ben Mauk threw for over 3,100 yards and 31 touchdowns helping lead head coach Brian Kelly and his Cincinnati Bearcats to a surprising top 20 rankins in the final polls.

Mauk broke the arm and separated the shoulder in the season opener for Wake Forest in 2006, then transferred to Cincinnati, sitting out the rest of the season, unsure whether he would ever be able to play again. He turned in a spectacular 2007 season, even as the arm still gave him trouble,but he improved as the year progressed.

After the 2007 season, Mauk appealed to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility because of the injuries, but was turned down. He appealed a second time on a different basis, clainimg that he redshirted his freshman year at Wake Forest in part because of different injuries, although no injury claim was made when declaring the redhsirt season by Wake. The NCAA again turned him down.

Finally, Mauk took his appeal to the NCAA’s reinstatement committee, which decided Friday that there wasn’t enough medical documentation to support his claim that he missed his freshman year because of injury and the NCAA Denies Mauk's Final Eligibility Appeal (Yahoo! AP Story).

The ruling means that Cincinnati will head into the season with senior Dustin Grutza as the No. 1 quarterback. Mauk replaced Grutza as the starter last season.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2008-08-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

August 3, 2008

COMMITMENT ALERT: John Riek, 7-foot-2 C from IMG Academy

Mick Cronin and the Cincinnati Bearcats have added a third commitment for the spring signing period when Steven Toyloy committed to the Bearcats following a weekend visit to the Cincinnati campus. Today, when the spring signing period is set to begin, the Bearcats are expecting 2 Guards, Center to Sign With UC (Cincinnati Enquirer).

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), Varez Ward (G), John Riek (C)

Mick Cronin adds another big man to his Bearcat program as John Riek to Cincinnati was reported over the weekend by ZagsBlog.net. Riek, a 7-foot-2 center orginally from the Sudan, played this past season at the Winchendon School in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference after leaving Our Savior New American. Riek averaged about 9 points and 8 rebounds a game for Mike Byrnes squad. Riek has been at the IMG Academy since March where he was training for the NBA Draft, but injuries have slowed down his career path significantly. The hope is he can become eligible and join the UC program either this fall or in mid-semester over the winter.

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

Since the end of the 2007-2008 season, Mick Cronin and the Bearcat staff have been very busy by gaining commitments for the 2008 class from Riek, Steven Toyloy, Varez Ward and Dion Dixon (committed in February, signed in April). Riek took the college basketball recruiting scene by storm about a year ago 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 little 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 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.

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.

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.

Varez Ward is a strong defensive guard that could see time at either backcourt position in his career with the Bearcats. The Montogmery (AL) native played this past year at the Patterson (NC) school. The 6'2, 185 lbs guard is known as an athletic player willing to get after it on defense and atatck the basket offensively.

Toyloy, Ward 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??

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cincinnati a 200:1 shot for the Odds to Win the 2009 NCAA National Championship.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Riek and a pretty full roster of young players, the Bearcat recruiting for the Class of 2009 is pretty thin. Mike Williams is expected to petition the NCAA for a 6th season after missing last year with a torn Achilles, which would mean no seniors on the 2008-2009 squad. For now, we will keep a close eye on the John Riek situation to see when he looks to become part of the UC program. It will be an interesting case to follow on a few different issues with the NCAA, especially since the OJ Mayo case is so fresh in their minds.

CINCINNATI HOOPS TARGET: DAVID BROWN

2008-07-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2008

Anthony Jaskulski of the NBE Basketball Report profiled David Brown recently at the Lebron James Skills Academy in Akron. Here is the scoop on Brown, a target of the Bearcats staff on the 2009 recruiting trail.

David Brown

High School: Hononegah High School, Rockton, Illinois

Wing/forward, 6’3, Class of 2009

Top Interest: DePaul, Baylor, Cincinnati, UCONN, Wake Forest, Georgia

Strong Point: Great ball-handling skills and better shooter; can take over a game

Area of Improvement: Tends to speed things up, causing turnovers, missed shots

The skinny:

Brown has jumped onto mostly everybody’s radar late last year, after he took over and had a dominating year for his high school team. David can turn on the jets, and make strong drives to the rim, as well as spot up with a consistent jumper. He is a tough defender that can force turnovers, and can rebound with the bigs in the paint. Brown is not afraid to get aggressive and proved he can handle himself with almost any defender on him. Finding a better balance offensively and slowing down to create a play can turn him into a nearly unstoppable force.

He said it:

“I like the intensity of the Big East, and how they get up and down floor, and from top-to-bottom it’s always a challenge every game. I could definitely see myself playing in that conference in the future.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cincinnati a 200:1 shot for the Odds to Win the 2009 NCAA National Championship.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEN MAUK STATUS UPDATE

2008-06-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

June 23, 2008

The Cincinnati Enquirer updates readers on the Ben Mauk appeal process. Mauck is attempting to receive a 6th year in order to compete his four years of eligibility. The NCAA has turned down the request twice in 2 1/2 months and Mauk will have a final attempt this week.

Mauk's Bearcat Fate Due no later than this Tursday when Mauk and UC will present their case to a five-person Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee armed with a precedent they believe closely mirrors Mauk's situation.

Mauk's request for a medical hardship waiver was turned down by the NCAA on April 30 because Mauk lacked contemporaneous documentation from his former school, Wake Forest, to support his claim that an injury prevented him from competing during his freshman year in 2003.

Mauk then will get 10 minutes to plead his case.

A ruling is expected within several hours after the completion of the hearing.

If Mauk is granted the extra year of eligibility, it will make a huge difference in UC's prospects for this football season. Mauk passed for 3,121 yards and a school-record 31 touchdowns last year.

"It puts us in a position where, from an offensive standpoint, we return arguably the best quarterback in the (Big East)," UC head coach Brian Kelly told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "the most productive. And we return a veteran defense. It puts us in a position to win a championship. There's no question."

BEARCATS ADD 2010 LINEBACKER COMMITMENT

2008-06-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

June 24, 2008

In college basketball, many recruits from the class of 2010 are committing and nobody is really blinking an eye, especially with Kentucky's Billy Gillispie out recruiting the junior high playgrounds.

However, college football is much different, so when a player from the class of 2010 commits, it does draw a little extra attention.

The Cincinnti Enquirer reports on such a case with linebacker Preston Brown, a 6-foot-one, 225 pound rising junior. Northwest's Brown Commits to UC as it gives him the chance to play close to home in front of friends and family.

Brown is just over 20 months away from the time he can sign a letter of intent with the Bearcats.

Taran Buie: 2010 PG HEARS FROM CINCINNATI

2008-06-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

June 15th represented the first day college coaches could call prospects of the class of 2010. Since that day, the phone of Taran Buie has had Coaches Calling Early and Often (NBE Basketball Report) to express their interest.

Buie, a 6-foot guard out of Bishop Maginn High School in Albany (NY) and standout for the City Rocks AAU program, is a name that has not generated a lot of attention nationally in the media to date. However, judging by the coaches that have reached out to him the first chance they were allowed to, college coaches are VERY aware of his talents.

“This week I’ve talked to Boston College, Notre Dame, Clemson, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Penn State, Miami, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Florida, Xavier, West Virginia, Marquette, and Maryland,” Taran Buie relayed to the NBE Basketball Report, doing the best he could to recall all of the coaches that have placed calls to him this week.

“He is a great kid,” City Rocks Vice President Carmen Maciariello stated. “Respectful and hardworking. His personality is a big attribute. He makes a difference on the floor not only in the scoring column but in the hustle categories as well. Deflections, loose balls, charges, rotations etc.,” Maciariello, a former standout at Siena college, said in describing Taran’s impact on the floor.

Maciariello continued to note how well-rounded Buie is off the court, too. “He is a no-brainer for the high majors because he gets it done in the classroom as well!” It was a sentiment echoed by Bishop Maginn coach Rich Hurley as well, “Taran carries a B+ average in the classroom and his involved in many school activities aside from basketball.”

CINCINNATI 2008-2009 SNAPSHOT

2008-06-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

June 6, 2008

Head Coach: Mick Cronin
2006-2007 Record: 13-19 (8-10 in Big East)

Returning Players:
Deonta Vaughn, Junior (Guard)
Rahsad Bishop, Sophomore (Guard/Forward)
Larry Davis, Sophomore (Guard)
Alvin Mitchell, Sophomore (Forward)
Kenny Belton, Sophomore (Power Forward)
Darnell Wilks, Sophomore (Forward)

Eligible Transfers:
Mike Williams, Junior (Forward)
Steven Toyloy, Junior (Forward/Center)

Incoming Freshmen Recruits:
Cashmere Wright (Point Guard)
Dion Dixon (Shooting Guard)
Yancy Gates (Power Forward)

Graduated Players:
John Williamson
Adam Hrycaniuk
Marvin Gentry
Jamual Warren
Marcus Sikes

Transferred Out:
None

Open Issues:
Cincinnati currently has one scholarship opening heading into the 2008-2009 season. They have been involved with JUCO PG Roburt Sallie as well as Sean Kilpatrick, a potential late-qualifier from White Plains (NY). With no scholarship seniors on the projected roster for 2008-2009, it is probably a wise move to hold the scholarship unless something too good to pass up presents itself. Alvin Mitchell finished the 2007-2008 season on an indefinite suspension from the team, to this point, he should rejoin the team for next season.

Summary:
Mick Cronin continues his attempt to rebuild the Cincinnati program in short order and, prior to their seven-game losing streak to finish the 2007-2008 season, things seemed to be well ahead of schedule. The Bearcats proved to the rest of the conference they would be a tough out at home with wins over Villanova, Syracuse and Pittsburgh early in conference play. With five seniors in their 9-man rotation, the veterans used their experience from their first season under Cronin and bought into a tough, defensive-first mentality. Now, Cronin and his staff will have to mold a roster without a scholarship senior into a similarly minded squad.

One player that Cincinnati is guaranteed to rely on is junior Deonta Vaughn. The high-scoring guard kept Cincinnati in games virtually all by himself on many occasions. However, for UC to take another step forward this season, consistent point guard player and offense from the post is MUCH needed.

The point guard play is likely to be handled by freshman Cashmere Wright. Wright has more of a reputation as a scorer, but will need to think pass first as a freshman. This can be a tough adjustment at times for a freshman. It is important for UC to have Vaughn in a scoring role, so finding a consistent ball handler to think distribution is a must.

The interior offense will hopefully get a big lift from three newcomers: Mike Williams, Yancy Gates and Steven Toyloy. Williams is a transfer from Texas who has missed the last two seasons, the 2006-2007 season because of NCAA transfer rules and last season because of an Achilles tendon injury. Williams was a McDonald's All-American that had two rather pedestrian seasons with a loaded Texas squad prior to leaving for Cincinnati. Williams has the strength to play early on, recovering the skills and realizing the potential that made him such a coveted high school recruit will go a long way to helping UC be successful in the Big East.

Two new big men to the program include prized local recruit Yancy Gates and JUCO recruit Steven Toyloy. Gates, from Cincinnati's Withrow High School, has a nice high school pedigree and a body built to contribute early in the Big East. Toyloy is another big body that should compliment long and lean Anthony McClain in the post and give the Bearcats several options in the front court that they have not had the last two seasons under Cronin.

I really like the most recent class Mick Cronin has brought in. It might take them a little time to get settled in and they should mesh with the large sophomore class and work themselves out. The junior trio Vaughn, Williams and Toyloy will be looked upon for leadership, and if the group can stay together through some growing pains this year, they should be a very formidable squad later in the season and a team that could gel for a big season in 2009-2010. This team is probably one year away from being in the NCAA Tournament mix, the NIT is a very good goal and would be solid progress this year.

------------
For the best in sports betting!
------------

CINCINNATI COMMIT OPENS UP RECRUITMENT

2008-05-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Danny McElroy committed to Cincinnati just after his sophomore year of high school. However, not much has been heard from the La Salle junior of late. La Salle and coach Cronin have a tight relationship as Hep Cronin, father of Mick, is on the staff at the school and was a long time coaching legend in the Cincinnati area. The decision to part ways was mutual between the UC staff and McElroy is not Set on UC (Cincinnati Enquirer) any longer.

McElroy averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds as a junior and the 6'7 forward, along with La Salle head coach Dan Fleming and the Cronins believed opening up the process was best for all parties.

It would surprise us if McElroy ended up at a Big East-level school when it is said and done.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2008-04-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

April 16, 2008

COMMITMENT ALERT: Steven Toyloy, C/BF from Miami-Dade Community College

Mick Cronin and the Cincinnati Bearcats have added a third commitment for the spring signing period when Steven Toyloy committed to the Bearcats following a weekend visit to the Cincinnati campus. Today, when the spring signing period is set to begin, the Bearcats are expecting 2 Guards, Center to Sign With UC (Cincinnati Enquirer).

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), Varez Ward (G)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

Steven Toyloy wass 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.

Varez Ward is a strong defensive guard that could see time at either backcourt position in his career with the Bearcats. The Montogmery (AL) native played this past year at the Patterson (NC) school. The 6'2, 185 lbs guard is known as an athletic player willing to get after it on defense and atatck the basket offensively.

Toyloy, Ward 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.

Cincinnati already has one 2009 commitment (Danny McElroy) and one senior on the projected 2008-2009 roster in Mike Williams. However, Williams is likely to petition the NCAA for a 6th year of eligibility after missing all of last season with an injury. The UC roster is currently full at 13 for the 2008-2009 season and they might not have any seniors if Williams is allowed a 6th year from the NCAA. The class of 2009, at this point, does not have any scholarships open, but with a glut of players (10) as freshman and sophomores, things willlikely work themselves out as players assess their futures. Alvin Mitchell is currently on probation with the basketball program, so his future, although better now than a month or so ago, could still be in doubt. At this point, we expect him to return next season.

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.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ CINCINNATI

2008-03-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

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)

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

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.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ PITTSBURGH

2008-02-27T05:48:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2008

Pittsburgh has lost three straight games and looks to right the ship tonight when the Cincinnati Bearcats come to the Peterson Events Center. The Bearcats beat Pitt early this season in Cincinnati, 62-59, and hold a one-game lead on the Panthers in the standings.

Here are the local media previews and game stories for tonight's contest:

Bearcats Playing for Position (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Slumping Panthers Look to Rebound (Post-Gazette)
Defense, Rebounding Costing Pitt (Beaver County Times)
Prolonged Shooting Slump Perplexes Pitt (Tribune-Review)

Following losses at Marquette, at Notre Dame and to Louisville on Sunday the Panthers look to bounce back and avenge an early loss tonight when they host Cincinnati in Pittsburgh. Earlier this season, the Bearcats used a physical defense, aggressive rebounding and a timely 13-0 run to break a second half tie to hold on for a 62-59 win over Pittsburgh.

Against Louisville, Levance Fields started for the first time since breaking a bone in his foot on December 29th and played 37 turnover-free minutes. Fields also added 7 assists. It is clear that the junior point guard is not yet close to 100%, especially defensively or with his shot, but he is getting healthier and is the player that definitely makes the Panther offense go. In their loss to Louiville, it was not their offense, but their defense that struggled. Facing Cincinnati, who is struggling scoring points, could be a nice tonic for what ails the Panthers.

However, it will not be easy as the Bearcats will keep the pace down and have a dynamic scorer in Deonta Vaughn to lean on. The emergence of forward John Williamson as a reliable second option offensively has also been a big key in taking some pressure off of Vaughn. Defensively, UC will likely show a lot of zone looks trying to force Pitt to beat them from the outside and settle for perimeter jump shots. This is a good gamble against the Panthers who are very streaky from the outside.

Sam Young and DeJuan Blair each scored 20 points against Louisville with Fields delivering the ball to them in position to score. Young continues to score inside and out and he was the one Panther UC could not stop in the first meeting. Blair found himself in foul trouble earlier this year against Cincinnati and Pitt must have him on the floor as much as possible for them to be at their best.

The oddsmakers have made Pitt an 11.5-pt favorite. I do think Pitt wins, but in what I expect to be a low-scoring game, I think Cincinnati stays within that large spread.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Pittsburgh 69 Cincinnati 61

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH FLORIDA @ CINCINNATI

2008-02-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

February 20, 2008

The surprising Cincinnati Bearcats look for their 8th win in the Big East while the South Florida Bulls are still in search of their first ever Big East road victory when the two teams meet tonight in Cincinnati.

Here are the local media game previews and stories:

USF Center lacks Hype, Not Stats (Cincinnati Enquirer)
USF Hoops to Appear on ESPNU (Bradenton Herald)
Vaughn Hopes to Shake Slump (Enquirer)

The Cincinnati Bearcats are 7-5 in the Big East and are in the thick of the conference race coming off consecutive wins over Rutgers and St. John's. UC will welcome South Florida in to town tonight prior to road games with Georgetown and Pittsburgh next on their schedule.

Mick Cronin has gotten his team to buy into the mindset that defense wins basketball games. In their last outing, the Bearcats held St. John's to 43 points in a 60-43 win. The 43 points was not even their best defensive effort in a Big East game this season, UC limited West Virginia to 39 earlier this year.

Offensively the main man all season has been Deonta Vaughn. However, the sophomore guard has struggled a bit in the last two games but senior forward John Williamson has picked up the slack giving UC another scoring threat. Williamson has ecplipsed the 20-pt mark in each of the last two games.

The Bulls game within 0:00.2 of sweeping a two-game homestand with Syracuse and Connecticut. After whipping the Orange 89-78, the Bulls led for much of th egame against UConn on Saturday before falling in overtime on a last second off-balance runner by Craig Austrie.

Now, the Bulls will look to do something they have never done while in the Big East, win on the road. The Bearcats have made 5th and Third Arena a tough place to play once again, so it will not be easy for USF. The Bulls will look inside to their horse, Kentreall Gransberry for points and outside to freshman Dominique Jones. Those two often carry the offensive burden for USF, but their recent improved play has been the result from added contributions from wing Jesus Verdejo. Still, the Bulls lack depth at the forward spot and John Williamson is likely to take advantage of that weakness.

I do think the Bulls will show well in this game. The Bearcats are 7.5-pt favorites and they should win, although I see it being a little closer than anticipated.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Cincinnati 63 South Florida 60

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

2008-02-13T06:16:00.001-08:00

February 13, 2008

The theme continues tonight with Cincinnati looking to avenge an early defeat on the road to St. John's. The Redstorm beat Mick Cronin's Bearcats 70-58 earlier this season in Queens and now UC will look to even the season series at home.

Here are the local media pregame previews and stories on tonight's match-up:

Cronin Finds Kindrid Spirit (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Don't look now, but Norm Roberts and St. John's blow into Cincinnati riding a three game winning streak. Two of those wins have come on the road (South Florida and Rutgers) and their last two, including a thrilling win over Providence on Saturday, have come with leading scorer Anthony Mason out with an ankle injury.

While Mason has been out, the Redstorm have seem the re-emergence of shooting guard Larry Wright. The sophomore scored 16 in the win over PC and is averaging over 14 in the three-game winning streak.

Prior to the three-game rally, St. John's only had one conference victory, and that came over the Bearcats early in January. Since that game, the Redstorm has been a team languishing near the bottom of the standing fighting for a bid to the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden while the Bearcats have stayed around the upper half of the standings. Sitting at 6-5 with home games against St. John's and South Florida in their next two games, the Bearcats can solidify their position with a win tonight.

The Redstorm have picked it up on the defensive end of the court and they have the ability to be a tough defensive team. Sometimes it takes time for a young group to learn to maintain that intensity on defense, but over the last three games they seem to be coming around.

Cincinnati is also winning games in a similar fashion. They are not going to score a lot of points on most nights and rely on Deonta Vaughn a great deal for their offense. John Williamson is a tough forward as well. This promises to be a low-scoring affair and could come down to the wire.

The Bearcats are 6.5-pt favorites and should be able to pull it out in the end, but a confident SJU squad is likely to give them a tough battle as St. John's looks to sweep the season series.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Cincinnati 64 St. John's 59

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ RUTGERS

2008-02-08T12:31:00.001-08:00

February 9, 2008

It is always interesting to see how a team gets themselves back off the mat. Well, that is the challenge for Rutgers after they were embarrased at home by a short-handed St. John's squad, scoring just 14 points in the first half, during a 52-45 loss on Wednesday night.

Cincinnati has been off a week since losing at home, 75-60, to Marquette. Coach Mick Cronin publicly criticized his team for their poor practices leading up to the game as they were getting too cocky and their play in practice carried over to the game. Now, they are rested and I am sure coach Cronin has reeled them in a bit following their loss last time out.

Rutgers remains a bit of a mystery. Sure, on paper, they definitely look to be a bottom-quarter team in the Big East. However, I have felt they should be competing better than they are. Following a 37-point loss at Louisville with their horrid display on their home floor against Rutgers has me questioning their dedication of several of their players. Their junior trip of Anthony Farmer, Jaron Griffin and JR Inman should, at least, be solid Big East contributers and mixing with promising youngsters Corey Chandler and Mike Coburn, be enough to steal some wins at home and compete much better on the road. Yes, they are not deep and more than not, that will cost them games in the Big East, but the lack of effort in several games has been startling and has to be driving Fred Hill crazy.

For the most part, Cincinnati has been the opposit this season. They have played hard and have played tough. Several players have put aside their dreams of being big time scorers and have bought into the defense and team-first mantra that coach Cronin is selling to them. They have a dynamic scorer, Deonta Vaughn, who is capable of putting up big scoring nights. The rest of the team might not be that talented offensively, and Cronin could shuttle in and out 11 players looking to eek as much offense out of the group as possible to win, but they all will work hard on defense and hit the boards.

The trouble for Cincinnati is finding someone else to score besides Vaughn. He will certainly be the target to stop for Rutgers and if they are wise, they would play a box and one on him and try to see if anyone else is capable of scoring.

The good news for UC, they do have someone capable of scoring while we are not sure if Rutgers does. I know several players have the potential to score and score in this conference, we just are not seeing it.

I really think Rutgers can buckle down and get a win here at the RAC. But, until they show that they want to get their hands dirty and step up and make shots, I am going to say Deonta Vaughn makes just enough to pull out a tough one.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Cincinnati 58 Rutgers 57

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ CINCINNATI

2008-02-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

February 2, 2008

Saturday's action with an extremely interesting game to dissect. Marquette hits the road to meet the Bearcats of Cincinnati in a Big East battle that was a heated C-USA rivalry previously. Marquette is coming off an uninspiring 62-54 win over South Florida. Marquette has not been shooting the ball well lately and they have virtually given up any hope of an inside game.

Cincinnati is coming off a stunning 62-39 win at West Virginia. The victory was definitely a surprise, but the complete offensive meltdown by the Mountaineers was historical in nature. Cincinnati limited WVU to 10-50 shooting from the field and 1-20 from the 3-pt arc.

Marquette has yet to win on the road in Big East play. They have lost at West Virginia, Louisville and Connecticut and none of the games have been really close. The loss at WVU was close throughout until a late run by WVU made it look worse than it was, but by the same token, the 16-pt loss to UConn was not nearly that close.

What has made Cincinnati so tough is that they have embraced the defensive-first mentality that Mick Cronin has gotten them to use to win games. This is not an extremely talented group offensively, but they are athletic and strong at most positions. They have some experience and a lot of youth, but they have found a style that works to win games and have used it well.

Their big threat offensively is Deonta Vaughn who can put up some relly big scoring numbers. He will be matched against the tough Marquette backcourt and this could slow him down. When Vaughn is struggling to score points, Cincinnati also struggles. The Bearcats have continued to win, however, because they have brought forth the effort defensively and on the boards more consistently than last season.

Rebounding is a big area of concern for Tom Crean when it comes to his club. In fact, it looks like he has just given up, for the most part, in trying to find a big man that will defend the post and rebound and is now using a line-up of his three stud guards and a couple wing forwards, Lazar Hayward and Dan Fitzgerald, in the frontcourt to fill most of the minutes. The backcourt is deep with Maurice Acker and David Cubillan behind Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews and they will look to hound Vaughn on the perimeter and make life difficult for Jamual Warren handling the ball. UC will try and make this group beat them from shooting outside and will likely to go zone to stop the dribble penetration of the MU guards. The Golden Eagles will have to prove to teams they can make the shots to defeat a zone.

I see this game being played right into the hands of Cincinnait. Low pace, low scoring with the Bearcats and Golden Eagles in a race to get to 60. Cincinnati won at Louisville playing this style and beat Pittsburgh at home in this manner.

Marquette is going to come motivated for a road win. Being 0-3 on the road in the Big East has many questioning the quality of the team. I think they will produce enough offense from their defense to pull the game out, but it will be the proverbial Big East 'rock fight', I am sure.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Marquette 61 Cincinnati 58

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ WEST VIRGINIA

2008-01-30T05:49:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-23T06:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-15T04:26:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-09T06:21:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

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

2007-2008 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 13) CINCINNATI

2007-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

September 29, 2007

CINCINNATI BEARCAT ESSENTIALS:

Official Website of the Cincinnati Bearcats

Official 2007-2008 Cincinnati Roster & Bios

Meet Coach Mick Cronin

Fifth Third Arena

2007-2008 Cincinnati Bearcats Schedule

OVERVIEW:

Mick Cronin enters his second season as head coach of his hometown Cincinnati Bearcats, the school he graduated from in 1997 and where he launched his coaching career under Bob Huggins as an assistant coach. For the second consecutive year it will take some time learning about his club as they will have eight new faces on the floor, but they still return a very high percentage of their scoring and rebounding from last year’s club.

Cronin is a high-energy coach on the sidelines that spent time learning his craft under both Huggins and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. Regarded as one of the nation’s top young recruiters, Cronin showed he could run a program successfully by compiling a 69-24 record during his three seasons as head coach at Murray State, directing the Racers to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances as one of the nation’s youngest coaches. Now Cronin must show he can rebuild a program in the ultra-competitive and mammoth Big East.

Read the rest of our 2007-2008 Cincinnati Preview...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

2006-2007 SEASON:

With six new faces hitting the floor for new coach Mick Cronin, including five junior college transfers, among their eight scholarship players, the Bearcats found it tough going last season. Finishing with an 11-19 record, that included home losses to Woffard and UAB as well as a neutral floor loss to Ohio at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, it was a tough initiation for Cronin as a high-major coach. Being completely destroyed (88-55) at the hands of Memphis on national TV and finding themselves down, again on national TV, 42-14 at the half against Ohio State, certainly illustrated the challenges that the Bearcats faced. They went into the season deprived of depth and size and those shortcomings were exposed often, even before conference play began.

There were some highlights last season, again, mostly coming prior to conference play, with wins over Temple, Xavier and North Carolina State in December. However, it was more of the same once conference play started as they lost at home to Rutgers, 54-42 and then followed that off with a 15-pt loss on the road at South Florida.

In their six conference games against NCAA opponents, UC lost all six, being outscored by an average of 72-58. With four of those six contests being on their home floor, it only illustrates how much distance was between them and the teams challenging near the top of the conference. Cincinnati became VERY close to going 0-16 as both wins (WVU, SHU) came in overtime. However, the Bearcats did not help themselves either by letting possible wins slip by at Syracuse and Providence. The PC loss was especially frustrating as the Bearcats blew an 8-pt lead with 1:41 remaining in the contest.

The Bearcats do have some impressive returning numbers as Deonta Vaughn averaged 14.8 PPG in conference play last season. The freshman guard evoked memories of past Bearcat star and fan favorite Steve Logan with his build and ability to score points. John Williamson was an athletic forward who contributed 12.5 PPG and nearly 7 rebounds in conference play and before his season was slowed by injury, Marvin Gentry showed the ability to score as well, putting up 32 in their win over West Virginia and 22 in a loss to Louisville.

However, the Bearcats will be best remembered as a group who could not shoot straight, hitting just 39% from the floor and 32% from beyond the arc in conference play. This is a problem that could continue into 2007-2008, although, there is more depth and scoring ability up and down the roster.

THE BACKCOURT:

As mentioned, sophomore Deonta Vaughn returns as one of the exciting young players in the Big East conference. As a freshman, Vaughn averaged 14.5 PPG which included a 33-pt outburst against Wofford and 25 points in their win over NC St and 24 in the win over Xavier, making him an early fan favorite. Vaughn had his struggled, too, going 8-34 in a four-game stretch in which he tried to shoot his way out of in a loss to USF, going 7-22 from the floor and 3-16 from the arc. From there on, Vaughn became a high volume shooter and spent a good portion of his time on the floor with the ball in his hands.

Providing support in the backcourt is a pair of returning JUCO transfers, now in their senior seasons. Much was expected from Jamual Warren, a tough and mature point guard that had bounced around the prep and JUCO ranks before landing in the Big East with UC. The Bearcats tried to fit Warren into the point guard role, but it was not which much success as Warren is not a true playmaker as a lead guard, he is more of a scorer. His assist to turnover ratio did improve during conference play, but for the Bearcats to gain some consistency, someone needs to assume the role of distributor first and scorer second. Marvin Gentry also returns as a senior and post-season surgery should return the 6’3 wing to full health. After a slow start last season, Gentry showed the ability to put up some points in the open floor and the Bearcats definitely need some offense. Cronin was recruiting Gentry to Murray State and continued to recruit him when he landed at UC.

Larry Davis is an incoming freshman that fits the mold of a Bearcat recruit with athleticism and the ability to play both ends of the floor. The Houston (TX) native will push for early playing time in the backcourt and should emerge throughout the season as a valuable part of their future.

On the wings UC adds a pair of exciting athletes in Rashad Bishop from Newark (NJ) and Alvin Mitchell from Ft. Lauderdale (FL). Both players are exciting athletes in the 6’5 range that excel at getting to the basket and scoring points. Once they learn to complement their exciting athletic ability with experience and the nuances of the team game, they both have the potential to thrive in Cronin’s system.

THE FRONTCOURT:

The area that caused Cincinnati to be the league’s punching bag last season was their thin frontcourt. Using John Williamson and Marcus Sikes as their ‘post’ players gave most opposing big men free reign inside against the Bearcats. The frontcourt gets immediate help with Texas-transfer Mike Williams and Polish JUCO Adam Hrycaniuk becoming eligible. Williams was a McDonalds All-American out of Wilcox Central HS in Camden (AL) before signing a LOI with Texas. The powerful 6’7, 240 lb forward is built for the Big East, but needs to play with that power mentality consistently. As a sophomore at Texas, Williams averaged 2.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes of playing time following a solid freshman campaign of 3.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 15.0 minutes of action. He will be asked to possibly carry the load at power forward for the Bearcats this season, moving John Williamson to his more natural position on the wing.

Hryanciuk was ruled ineligible by the NCAA last season for participation in leagues in Europe prior to enrolling at Cincinnati. At 6’10 and 230 lbs he adds the needed size in the post that UC desperately could have used last season. As a JUCO sophomore, Hryanciuk averaged 11.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks at Trinity Valley Community College. As a freshman he played at Barton Community College.

Along with Williamson, Marcus Sikes is the other returning player in the frontcourt. Sikes played one season at Georgia as a freshman and one season of JUCO ball at Jan Jacinto where he averaged 13.1 points per game as a sophomore and was the third-leading junior college rebounder in the state of California with his 11.3 average. Last season in the Big East, the 6’8 Sikes found a liking to playing around the 3-pt arc and he went 31-69 from the arc (45%). To illustrate how much time he spent at the arc, the 230 lb forward attempted just 34 free throws (19 made) and averaged only 4.4 rebounds a contest in conference play.

In an attempt to add Big East-level size and talent to the frontcourt, Cronin hit a recruiting coup with the addition of 6’11 Anthony McClain from National Christian Academy. McClain, a New Jersey native, has great upside and potential with his ability to get up and down the floor for a player his size. McClain is likely to see significant time as a freshman and that was a main consideration in his selection of the Bearcats in the recruiting process. He still needs to develop offensively and gain strength to battle underneath in the Big East, but he represents the hope of the UC future. Also coming on board this season are freshmen Kenny Belton and Darnell Wilks. Belton is a physical inside player that is ready, physically, for the Big East, but needs time to develop the skills to produce consistently. Wilks is ultra long and thin and arrives at UC a year ahead of schedule. A redshirt season is not out of the question and could help him add strength and weight to his frame.

2007-2008 PREDICTION:

It is pretty much the same story for the Bearcats as last season with up to eight newcomers trying to work their way into the mix. This is a MAJOR step-up in competition for many of them, however, they do have the benefit of five players returning that accounted for the vast majority of their production last season. Unfortunately, all that production managed was two conference wins, but their biggest weakness of front court depth is improved greatly through recruiting with the addition of McClain and the eligibility of Williams and Hrycaniuk. Their deeper frontcourt gives them the edge over the other teams ranked below them, but they will still need to find someone to consistently distribute the ball as well as finding some improved perimeter shooting, however, those issues can be said for other teams as well. Once the newcomers begin to adjust to the competition, look for UC to give some teams fits towards the end of the season, but there is still a long ways to go.

BIG EAST PREDICTION: 5-13

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2007-08-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

August 16, 2007

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Cashmere Wright, 6'0 PG from Savannah (GA) Urban Christian

Josh Katzowitz of the Cincinnati Post updates his blog with good news for Bearcat fans as Cashmere Wright Commits to the Bearcats. Along with Yancy Gates, Wright is the second UC commitment for 2008.

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)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)

Read More...Click 'Read Rest of Article' Below!!!

last February, Cashmere Wright pulled the trigger and made a verbal commitment to the Clemson Tigers. After playing the summer circuit, Wright re-thought that commitment and decided he had pulled the trigger too early and decomitted from the Tigers. With Cincinnati, Tennessee and Clemson involved until the end, Wright ultimately decided the best fit for him was at Cincinnati, where he would 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.

Wright, a 6'0, 170 lb PG, joins a 2008 Bearcats class with Withrow High School standout Yancy Gates. Former 2008 Bearcat commit Darnell Wilks has already enrolled in school and is now part of the 2007 class, an opening caused by Jason Henry failing to quailify. Bearcat coach Mick Cronin still has three scholarships available in the class of 2008 if he chooses to use them, but he still has a large incoming class of Alvin Mitchell, Larry Davis, Rashad Bishop, Kenny Belton, Anthony McClain and now Wilks that will likely have to sort out their strengths and weaknesses within the program. Already possessing 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.

Wright, like Deonta Vaughn, is a talented scorer in the lead guard position. he is quick to the rim with an impressive first step to help him finish with athleticism and has the confidence to knock down the open jumper when the opportunity presents itself. At his size, he will have to continue to develop the playmaking skills to transition to a full-time distributor, but with the presence of Vaughn, he will have time to make the transition. He loves to have the ball in his hands and has no fear heading into the lane and will make frequent trips to the foul line. The increased talent of the opposition in the future will force him to be better at picking his spots, but the offensive talent is there right now.

Some other names to keep track of on the recruiting trail as we move from the summer to the visit season for the Bearcats are 5th-yr prep player 6'7 Eric Frederick, originally from Texas, who will spend this season at Lenoir (Patterson School) NC. 6'4 Willie Warren from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA also lists the Bearcats, but he looks to be a lean for Oklahoma, but his lists seems to grow longer each time out. Speaking of long lists, 6'8 Renaldo Woolridge from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA has Cincinnati on his, along with half of the schools from BCS conferences. Philip McDonald, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard of the T-Mac All-Stars and Tyshawn Taylor, 6'4 guard from St. Anthony's also list the Bearcats. Unsure if Wright's commitment will lessen the interest from the Bearcats in another guard. As for big men, J’Mison Morgan, a 6-foot-10, 275-pounder from Dallas South Oak Cliff High, has listed cincinnati this summer. Canton (Ga.) Cherokee forward Chris Singleton and New London (CT) forward Allan Chaney have also been contacted by UC this summer.

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.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2007-07-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

July 12, 2007

COMMITMENT ALERT: Darnel Wilks, a 6-foot-8 forward from Pioneer Christian Academy in Nashville (TN)

The Cincinnati Post reports that a 2008 UC Recruit Will Play for Bearcats this Year as Wilks, who orally committed to UC last November, originally was scheduled to graduate in 2008 after moving to Pioneer Christian Academy in Nashville for his fourth year of high school. However, the plan has changed and Wilks got his academics in order and has enrolled at UC earlier this week.

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Seniors: John Williamson (F), Marvin Gentry (G), Jamaul Warren (G), Marcus Sikes (BF), Adam Hrycaniuk (PF/C)
Juniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Sophomores: Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Freshmen: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Kenny Belton (F/C), Jason Henry (F), Alvin Mitchell (G/F), Anthony McClain (C), Darnell Wilks (F)
Early 2008 Commitment: Yancy Gates (BF)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

The Cincinnati roster continues to change often. The latest news is that former 2008 Bearcat commitment Darnell Wilks has enrolled at UC and will be part of the 2007-2008 squad. Last season, Wilks averaged 17.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game at Pioneer Christian Academy. Wilks is a 6'8 small forward who is a plus-athlete at the high major level. He needs to add strength (weighs in about 195 lbs) and fine-tune his skill set, but the raw talent and athleticism to be an outstanding talent is there. In short, there is a lot to work with here.

A class of Alvin Mitchell, Jason Henry, Larry Davis, Rashad Bishop, Kenny Belton, Anthony McClain and now Wilks is a very good group that will matriculate into the Bearcat program next season and join eligible transfers Mike Williams and Adam Hrycaniuk to give the UC program a much needed lift in depth and talent. Mick Cronin has a big job ahead of him in the ultra-competitve Big East, but he is certain to be out there working hard to get things done. This season Cincinnati debuted under Cronin with six new players and he has added another 8 new players (including eligible transfers) to the mix for next season. In 12 months time, Cronin has COMPLETELY turned over the Cincinnati roster. That is some HARD work on the recruiting trail!

Again, it will take some time for this group to assimilate with each other, but there is a solid core of athletes to begin building the program back up. Now, we will wait to see how the Bearcats get themselves to the 13 player scholarship limit. About five weeks ago Mick Cronin said that if incoming freshman Jason Henry didn't qualify academically, the Bearcats had a plan B on which they could fall back. The 6-foot-7 Henry, long rumored to be in trouble academically, was a major recruiting coup for the Bearcats, but the chances of seeing him on the floor next season seem to be getting slim, although Mick Cronin insisted that adding Wilks to the 2007 class had nothing to do with Henry's qualifying status and they are still working to get him eligible. If he does, they will deal with the 14 players for 13 scholarships at that time.

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.

CINCINNATI 2007-2008 SNAPSHOT

2007-05-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

May 2, 2007

Head Coach: Mick Cronin
2006-2007 Record: 11-19 (2-14 in Big East)

Returning Players:
John Williamson, Senior (Forward)
Marvin Gentry, Senior (Guard)
Jamaul Warren, Senior (Guard)
Marcus Sikes, Senior (Forward)
Deonta Vaughn, Sophomore (Guard)

Eligible Transfers:
Mike Williams, Junior (Forward)
Adam Hrycaniuk, Senior (Center)

Incoming Recruits:
Larry Davis (Guard)
Rashad Bishop (Guard/Forward)
Kenny Belton (Forward/Center)
Jason Henry (Forward)
Anthony McClain (Center)
Alvin Mitchell (Small Forward)

Graduated Players:
Cedric McGowan
Ronald Allen

Transferred Out:
Tim Crowell

Open Issues:
Cincinnati currently has used their full allotment of scholarships (13) for the 2007-2008 season. There are no players testing the NBA waters and all the recruits are signed.

Summary:
It has been quite a ride DOWN for the Cincinnati Bearcat program. In the last 24 months they moved from Conference USA, had three head coaches (Bob Huggins, Andy Kennedy and Mick Cronin) and went from an NCAA team, to an NIT team to a team that did not even make their conference tournament last season.

In his 12 months as head coach at UC, Mick Cronin has been working diligently in re-stocking the program. Another eight new players will suit up next season for the Bearcats and since the last game under Andy Kennedy in the 2006 NIT, the ENTIRE roster has turned over. In fact, Mick Cronin has secured 17 commitments in 12 months on the job (counting Tim Crowell and two commitments for 2008 and one in 2009)! That is quite a bit or work on the recruiting front.

After finishing their first season at 2-14 in the Big East under Cronin, the Bearcats will be looking for much improvement in the 2007-2008 season. It is going to be interesting to see how all these new players mesh together. The Bearcats seemed to find ways to lose games last year and were often severely overmatched in the Big East when it came to the size and physical nature of the conference. Through recruiting and transfers the Bearcats will be much more ready to battle in the Big East next year and they have also continued to upgrade the athleticism of their team which should allow them to play Cronin's preferred style for the full 40 minutes.

The Bearcats will definitely be improved next season and could push for .500 in the conference if everyone meshes well quickly. I am concerned that they still lack a true PG to run the show consistently and their young frontline will have to mature physically in a hurry, but Mick Cronin has his team headed in the right direction and a bid to the NIT next season is a very realistic goal after the mess they were in last season.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2007-04-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

April 19, 2007

COMMITMENT ALERT: Anthony McClain, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound center from National Christian Academy in Ft. Washington, Md.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Mick Cronin and UC Completes the '07 Recruiting Class in a big way with the signing of Atnhony McClain.

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Seniors: John Williamson (F), Marvin Gentry (G), Jamaul Warren (G), Tim Crowell (PG), Marcus Sikes (BF), Adam Hrycaniuk (PF/C)
Juniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Sophomores: Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Freshmen: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Kenny Belton (F/C), Jason Henry (F), Alvin Mitchell (G/F), Anthony McClain (C)
Early 2008 Commitment: Darnell Wilks (F), Yancy Gates (BF)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

About a month ago, Cincinnati used their last available scholarship to secure a commitment from Alvin Mitchell. Despite the presence of an open scholarship, that did not stop Mick Cronin from securing a BIG commitment from 6'11 C Anthony McClain yesterday. While on a visit to Cincinnati, the 2007 prospect out of National Christian Academy in Ft. Washington, Md. signed a letter of intent that ended a long, drawn out recruitment that at times had him pegged for Georgetown or Connecticut. He was expected to visit Connecticut this month as well, but he decided to pledge to the Bearcats and end the process.

McClain averaged 13 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots last season. His best assets at this point is his length and athleticism that will definitely make him an impact player on the defensive end of the court. His offense is evolving, but he does put in the work to improve. I would put him in a similar category as Rutgers sophomore-to-be Hamady N'Diaye, but McClain does have more experience as he travelled at times with the powerful DC Assault AAU program.

A class of Mitchell, Jason Henry, Larry Davis, Rashad Bishop, Kenny Belton and now McClain is a very good group that will matriculate into the Bearcat program next season and join eligible transfers Mike Williams and Adam Hrycaniuk to give the UC program a much needed lift in depth and talent. Mick Cronin has a big job ahead of him in the ultra-competitve Big East, but he is certain to be out there working hard to get things done. This season Cincinnati debuted under Cronin with six new players and he has added another 8 new players (including eligible transfers) to the mix for next season. In 12 months time, Cronin has COMPLETELY turned over the Cincinnati roster. That is some HARD work on the recruiting trail!

Again, it will take some time for this group to assimilate with each other, but there is a solid core of athletes to begin building the program back up. Now, we will wait to see how the Bearcats get themselves to the 13 player scholarship limit. No sense speculating at this point, but there could be the possibility of an incoming recruit failing to qualify and re-classifying to 2008 or a current player opting out, but with six seniors, that could be unlikely.

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 two commitments, including Withrow HS standout Yancy Gates, who got the ball rolling earlier this week and getting UC fans very happy.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2007-03-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

March 13, 2007

COMMITMENT ALERT: Alvin Mitchell (G/F) Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Cardinal Gibbons High School)

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Mick Cronin has landed his 5th recruit for the 2007 class as UC Lands High Scoring Guard when Alvin Mitchell chose the Bearcats.

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Seniors: John Williamson (F), Marvin Gentry (G), Jamaul Warren (G), Tim Crowell (PG), Marcus Sikes (BF), Adam Hrycaniuk (PF/C)
Juniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Sophomores: Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Freshmen: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Kenny Belton (F/C), Jason Henry (F), Alvin Mitchell (G/F)
Early 2008 Commitment: Darnell Wilks (F)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

With their last available scholarship at the moment, Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin went south and plucked 6'4 scoring guard Alvin Mitchell from Fort Lauderdale, Florida's Cardinal Gibbons HS to add some significant scoring bunch to the future Bearcats attack. Mitchell is a strong athlete that packs some bunch in his 6'4 frame. He gets his points in a variety of athletic ways and plays hard on both ends of the court. With his athletic ability, Mitchell can make an early impact in the Big East, but improving his perimeter skills will dictate how good he becomes in the future. Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Rutgers and St. John's were other programs involved with Mitchell in the process. He visited the Bearcats in January for their win over West Virginia and felt he had the opportunity to play early in one of the top conferences and that was the thing he was looking for.

A class of Mitchell, Jason Henry, Larry Davis, Rashad Bishop and Kenny Belton is a solid group that will matriculate into the Bearcat program next season and join eligible transfers Mike Williams and Adam Hrycaniuk to give the UC program a much needed lift in depth and talent. Mick Cronin has a big job ahead of him in the ultra-competitve Big East, but he is certain to be out there working hard to get things done. This season Cincinnati debuted under Cronin with six new players, all likely to return next season, when they will add seven new players to the mix. Again, it will take some time for this group to assimilate with each other, but there is a solid core of athletes to begin building the program back up. Although the roster is currently full, the Bearcats are still recruiting 7'0 Anthony McClain in case an opportunity presents itself to add another player for 2007.

A great resource on UC recruiting can be found at Bearcat News.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati @ West Virginia

2007-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

March 3, 2007

In order for West Virginia to keep any hope for a bid to the NCAA Tournament they must win on Saturday. It probably will not be as easy as one thinks seeing that the Mountaineers have already dropped one to Cincinnati, losing in OT on the road back in January. That was the lone Bearcat Big East win until Wednesday when they edged Seton Hall in overtime.

The Mountaineers have seen their 3-pters fall with less regularity of late, but they will need to begin to crank them back up on Saturday, hopefully led by senior Frank Young who is playing his last regular season game in the Coliseum. The 1-3-1 zone defense will likely give Cincinnati some trouble taking care of the ball, but in the 1st meeting the Bearcats shredded the defense with their athletic ability down the stretch when WVU could not stop Cincinnati at all.

However, getting back home should help the WVU shooting efforts. Look for Young to lead the way and others to start to find their range just in time to help WVU pull away late with their shooting.

NEB Blogger Prediction: West Virginia 73 Cincinnati 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Seton Hall @ Cincinnati

2007-02-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

February 28, 2007

On surface this game has little meaning as Cincinnati (1-13) hosts Seton Hall (4-10), howver for the Pirates, this game could mean their season. Seton Hall needs to win their last two conference games (Cincinnati and Louisville) and hope that Providence can beat St. John's for SHU to qualify for the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden next week. for a team that was in the NCAA Tournament last season, that is quite a drop, but they still have something to play for.

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

UC's McGowan Exiting Proudly (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Gentry Plays With Bum Ankle (Cincinnati Post)
Seton Hall vs Cincinnati Preview (Star-Ledger)
Seton Hall-Cincinnati Scouting Report (Courier News)

Seton Hall snapped an 8-game Big East losing streak when they beat South Florida over the weekend. The Pirates were off to a surprising start at 3-2 in the Big East, but once the meat of their schedule got started, the losses piled up. The Pirates are very guard-oriented and are not one of the best shooting teams. They rely on pressuring the ball and pushing the tempo with their perimeter players attacking the basket and hoping that Jamar Nutter is on from the perimeter. In the Big East, not having much of a threat inside is a tough way to live.

Cincinnati continues to limp home down the stretch. The storie program is mired in its longest losing streak in more than 80 years. With only two seniors to honor tonight, it is unlikely that the senior night festivities will really bump up the emotional level as the fans bid farewell to Cedric McGowan and Ronald Allen, both have been here for just two seasons.

Cincinnati is a slight (-2) home favorite tonight and the Pirates have yet to win away from home in conference play. It is the law of averages, look for the Bearcats to put an inspired effort, if just for one night, and use their athletic ability to match-up with the Pirates and scratch out a win. It will be a tight game and I like this Pirate group. Both coaches will have their players playing hard, but th ehome team has just a little more lift tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Cincinnati 67 Seton Hall 64

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Georgetown @ Cincinnati

2007-02-21T06:59:00.000-08:00

February 21, 2007

Last season in the Big East, the upset of the year was a season-ending win by South Florida over Georgetown, costing the Hoyas a bye in the Big East Conference Tournament. This year the Hoyas will look to avoid a similar fate when they travel to meet last-place Cincinnati and keep on track for a conference title showdown this Saturday with Pittsburgh.

For the Bearcats, it has been a long season. A lack of depth, experience and talent have made winning a near impossible chore for Mick Cronin's squad. Even when they look poised to pull out a victory, they find a different way to let it slip away.

Here are some pregame stories and previews around the internet on tonight's game:

UC Meets Hoyas Again (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Hibbert Looms Large for Hoyas (Cincinnati Post)
Streaking Hoyas Are Aware of Trap (Washington Post)

It would be perfectly natural for the Georgetown Hoyas to be peeking ahead just a little bit. Afterall, as winners of nine straight games, Georgetown has put themselves in position to play for the conference title this coming Saturday when Pittsburgh visits the Verizon Center for a nationally televised match-up. Pitt was also the last team to beat the Hoyas this year.

Standing in their way, however, is a trip to Cincinnati to meet the struggling Bearcats, losers of seven straight contests. At times, Cincinnati can look pretty good. They have an impressive collection of athletes, but lack depth, size and shooting touch. However, costing them a couple wins has also been a lack of basketball acumen late in games. They will have to be near perfect tonight to get a win, even if Georgetown is looking past them just a bit.

In their previous meeting, Georgetown cruised to an 82-67 win that was kept relatively respectable by the fact that Cincinnati shot 14-24 from 3-pt range. However, Georgetown has too much size inside with Jeff Green (17 pts) and Roy Hibbert (26 pts) combining for 43 points in the first meeting and their ability to bring Patrick Ewing and Vernon Mackling off the bench. No mater how lethargic Georgetown might be, they have such an inside advantage that rebounds and easy hoops inside will be there whenever they want it tonight.

Georgetown is an 11.5-pt road favorite and the only question will be on their focus. After nine straight wins, including an emotional victory at Villanova on Saturday, this game is in a tough spot with Pittsburgh on the horizon, so the Hoyas are due for a flat performance, but that should be good enough for the win.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Georgetown 71 Cincinnati 61

-

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Notre Dame @ Cincinnati

2007-02-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

February 17, 2007

Notre Dame travels to Cincinnati for a Sunday Big East game. The Bearcats keep finding ways to lose in Mick Cronin's first year at the helm of his alma mater and are struggling to the finish with a 1-10 Big East record. Notre Dame has been one of the more surprising teams of the conference this year with a 7-5 record in the Big East.

The Irish have struggled on the road in Big East play, going just 1-5 on the road in the Big East. However, Cincinnati does not look to have the depth or size inside to play with Notre Dame this year. The Irish shoudl be able to score in a variety of ways. The Bearcats also should find some offensive success and have yet to give up on their season, but a Notre Dame run in the second half should put this game away.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Notre Dame 74 Cincinnati 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati @ Villanova

2007-02-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

February 14, 2007

Villanova looks tp climb over .500 for the first time this season in Big East play as the welcome last-place Cincinnati to Philadelphia for a conference game. The Bearcats are struggling in Mick Cronin's first season as head coach of his alma mater at 1-9 in the conference and have found themselves almost inventing new ways to lose games down the stretch as well as getting blown out from time to time.

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

Past is Future for UC (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Father Feels Mick's Pain (Enquirer)
Nova's Sumpter Conquers Injuries (Cincinnati Post)
UC Tries to End 6-Game Skid (Enquirer)
Wildcats Offense Better than it Looks, Nardi Says (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Villanova is a 15.5-pt favorite in tonight's Big East conference match-up. The Wildcats will look to use their expererince with three senior starters in the line-up to move over .500 in the Big East. The Bearcats have a lot of athletic ability, but they were a team thrown together late in the process by Mick Cronin and it often shows in their play. There is some talent there, but adjusting to the High-Major world of college basketball has been a trying experience for Mick Cronin's squad.

Things are unlikely to get an easier tonight as Villanova looks to score inside and out and force Cincinnati into turnovers with their agressive trapping defense. The Bearcats will need to take care of the ball and shoot well, especially from beyond the arc, or this game could get ugly.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 76 Cincinnati 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati @ Rutgers

2007-02-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

February 10, 2007

The battle at the bottom of the Big East takes place on Saturday when Cincinnati travels to meet Rutgers. Earlier this season, Rutgers came out on top with a 12-point win at Cincinnati, one of their only two conference victories.

Cincinnati is coming of a disheartening loss at Providence where they completely collapsed in every imagineable way in blowing an 8-point lead in the last 1:41 to lose 71-70. Cincinnati has lost a 5-pt lead in the last 30 seconds to UAB and a 3-pt lead in the last 35 seconds to Syracuse to add to a frustrating season. Poor foul shooting and tale game decisions doom the Bearcats in each situation. There was no excuse on Tuesday night as they had fouls to give and three time outs remaining in the last two minutes and still fell apart.

Rutgers battled hard last weekend but came up short in overtime at Connecticut, even while playing without leading scorer and rebounder JR Inman. Neither team is very profecient at shooting the ball, so scoring will likely be at a premium. Cincinnati has the athletes, but Rutgers has a little bit more experience and a little bit more depth. At home, the Scarlet Knights need to win this game, but it should be a tight one, and the way Cincinnati finishes games, you have to like the chances of Rutgers.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Rutgers 66 Cincinnati 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati @ Providence

2007-02-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

February 6, 2007

Cincinnati hits the road following their home loss to St. John's on Sunday to take on the Providence Friars. PC is coming off a road loss at Marquette on Saturday. The Friars are a healthy (12-point) favorite on their home floor and will look to get back over the .500 mark in the conference.

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

Preview: UC @ PC (Providence Journal)
Big East's Bearcats are Down, But Dangerous (Providence Journal)
Gift Dunk Awakens Bearcat Forward (Cincinnati Post)
Davis is Cronin's Wise Counsel

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

Providence definitely needs to get a win tonight. After starting out conference play 2-0, the Friars have lost four of their last six and are in the middle of the muddled Big East pack. With just 8 scholarship players available, the Friars are a thin bunch, but they still have enough depth to match Cincinnati. Providence will have to play tough, but they should still hold the advantage inside and out against the Bearcats.

Cincinnati is still trying hard, but they just can't seem to get things together. They struggle shooting the basketball and do not have the size to consistently battle in the Big East. Things are tough for the Bearcats and expect it to continue to be so through the end of this season.

Both teams will play a lot of zone and extend their zones with full-court pressure. Providence has the edge in ballhandlers as Sharaud Curry and Dwain Williams can play together in the backcourt. Also, Geoff McDermott is a great weapon against the press in passing to Herbert Hill for the finish. The Bearcats can be streaky, but it usually is only enough to keep games interesting.

Not so sure if tonight's game will be interesting...

NBE Blogger Prediction: Providence 82 Cincinnati 68

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: St. John's @ Cincinnati

2007-02-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2007

The Big East gives us an appetizer to the Superbowl with St. John's travelling to Cincinnati to meet the Bearcats. After the excitement of a pair of upset wins at home over Syracuse and Notre Dame, St. John's came back to Earth with a loud thud in losses to Pittsburgh (72-46) and Georgetown (72-48). At 3-6, the Redstorm are still very much in a fight to qualify for the Big East Tournament, something they have been unable to participate in for the last three seasons.

The Bearcats have lost eight ot nine and sit at the bottom of the conference with a league record of 1-6. Only a stirring come-from-behind OT upset win over West Virginia has found them on the right side of the scoreboard in the last nine game. Even after losses to Pittsburgh and Georgetown, Mick Cronin thought his team was improving, but after a series of defensive lapses in their loss to Louisville on Wednesday, Cronin was left fuming about the play of his Bearcats.

If St. John's can keep Lamont Hamilton on the floor and out of foul trouble, they should be in good shape. However, in their four preview conference road games, they have lost on average by 20 points. The Bearcats should have an angry chip on their shoulders in a building that they do tend to play tough in. Cincinnati has athletes, as does St. John's, so it will be which team can make shots, whoch neither has been known to do consistently.

When in doubt, take the home team in a close one.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Cincinnati 64 St. John's 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Louisville @ Cincinnati

2007-01-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

January 31, 2007

One of the best rivalries in the history of Conference USA reunites tonight in the Big East as Louisville travels to meet Cincinnati. Louisville has turned things around lately, winning five of their last six contests, highlighted by their come from behind stunner over Syracuse on Saturday night. Cincinnati have found things tough going in the Big East, winning just once in conference play in Mick Cronin's first season as UC's coach.

Here are the links to the pregame stories and previews found on the internet this AM:

Cronin to Face Mentor Pitino (Cincinnati Post)
Shooting Isn't Everything (Louisville Courier-Journal)
UC, Louisville Friendly Rivals (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Cronin's Seen Pitino Before (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Cronin is Another Pitino Protege (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

Much of the focus of tonight's match-up between Louisville and Cincinnati has been on the coaches as the pupil (Mick Cronin) meets the teacher (Rick Pitino). New Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin served as a Pitino assistant at Louisville where he helped build the Cardinal final four team of a couple years ago.

However, maybe the focus should be on the Cardinals play of late. Louisville entered Big East play with a lot of questions and after a 16-pt loss at Notre Dame to open conference play, many were ready to write off Louisville once again. However, five wins in their last six games have brough Louisville back into consideration for the NCAA Tournament talk and into contention in the Big East. With road games at Pittsburgh, Marquette and Villanova and a home date with Georgetown, tougher games are ahead, making this game at Cincinnati very critical.

Cincinnati narrowly missed a road upset at Syracuse and followed that up with an exciting OT win over West Virginia. Things looked to be getting better, but Pittsburgh and Georgetown ended any momentum the Bearcats hoped to build. However, Mick Cronin was happy with the Bearcats improvements even in those losses. The Fifth Third Arena should be charged up for this rivalry,but do the Cincinnati players know this is a rivalry? Afterall, only Cedric McGowan, Ronald Allen and Conor Carwin have ever faced Louisville and they only played them last year. However, the oddsmakers have certainly placed a line on this game that sayys RIVALRY as Louisville is a 3.5-pt road favorite over the Big East's 16th placed team.

Louisville finally looks to be healthy with Brandon Jenkins, Juan Palacios and David Padgett playing minutes that were expected of them before the season started. They will still be without sophomore Andre McGee and who knows if freshman Derrick Caracter will ever suit up for the Cardinals again, but this looks to be the most cohesive Louisville has been all year. Their freshmen backcourt duo of Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith have been solid and sophomore wing Terrence Williams continues to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and turnovers and is 2nd on the team in blocks. He remains the key, because when he hits shots, they are a tough team to beat!

Both teams play a similar style, but Cincinnati doesn't quite have the depth to compete for the 40 minutes, but look for them to play zone and hope the atmosphere can rattle Louisville into some missed shots. Cincinnati will try and use their athleticism inside, but their inconsistent shooting from deep will have to be on to keep pace.

In this rivalry game, I am going with the better team, but I think the home team keeps it closer than many would expect.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 66 Cincinnati 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati @ Georgetown

2007-01-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2007

Last weekend the Cincinnati Bearcats finally broke through and got their first Big East win under Mick Cronin when they defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers in overtime. The win streak did not last long as they were shot out of their own building on Wednesday when Pittsburgh turned back the Bearcats 67-51.

Georgetown has won three consecutive games coming off their win over DePaul from Wednesday. The Hoyas continue to shine on the defensive side of the ball, holding five of their six Big East opponents 58 points or under and did the same to eight of their previous nine out of conference opponents.

In their win over DePaul, the Georgetown frontline led the way with Jeff Green scoring 19 pts and Roy Hibbert and Dajuan Summers coming up with key contributions. This is the strength of the Hoyas and they will look to go right at the weakness of the Bearcats. Cincinnati spent so much time worrying about the mis-match that Pitt's Aaron Gray enjoyed over the Bearcat frontline that they let the Pitt shooters free and paid for it. Look for a similar result with Jonathan Wallace finding room outside as Cincinnati tries to slow the Hoya frontcourt.

Cincinnati will look to pressure Georgetown and speed them up. The Hoyas are susceptible to full court pressure, but how long can Cincinnati keep it up with essentially a rotation of six basketball players and one football player? They might cause the Hoyas some discomfort with their ahtletic abaility, but over the course of 40 minutes, the Hoyas will grind them down and make them pay.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Georgetown 71 Cincinnati 54

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

2007-01-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

January 24, 2007

The Pittsburgh Panthers look to rebound from their first conference loss tonight when they travel down the Ohio River to meet the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnait, under first-year head coach Mick Cronin, picked up their first conference win of the season on Saturday when they rallied to beat West Virginia in overtime as Marvin Gentry shredded the WVU defense for a career-high 32 points. The Panthers made a big comeback of their own, but were unable to hold off Marquette in overtime as Dominic James made two free throws with 0:00.9 left in the clock to win ot for Marquette.

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

Pitt's Loaded With Weapons (Cincinnati Post)
UC Keeping Enemies Close (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Panthers Will See a Completely Revamped Cincinnati Line-up (Post-Gazette)
Panthers face New-look Cincy (Tribune Review)
Pitt vs UC: The Match-up (Tribune Review)

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

The Panthers are currently 9-pt road favorites tonight when they travel to Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena to meet the Bearcats. A week ago at this time we were beginning to consider the Bearcats down and out for the season under Mick Cronin as they were preparing to play Syracuse coming off four consecutive losses, which included a 15-pt loss at South Florida, a 54-42 home loss to Rutgers, a 33-pt loss at Memphis and a 13-pt loss to Ohio at US Bank Arena. Then, the Syracuse game looked like much of the same as the Orange raced out to a 30-9 lead in the 1st half. Something, however, changed in these Bearcats as they decided they were not going to roll over and die. UC stormed back and had a 3-pt lead with 35 seconds left, but four Eric Devendorf free throws provided Syracuse with a 77-76 win. On Saturday, the script was similar as West Virginia raced to a 27-10 lead out of the gates, but the Bearcats came all the way back and forced the game into overtime where they dominated WVU and pulled out a 96-83 victory for their first Big East win of the season.

Pittsburgh had raced out of the Big East gates winning their first five league contests to take control of the conference race. However, their cruise to a league championship hit some choppy waters on Sunday as the lethargic Panthers booted the ball around for much of their game against Marquette and trailed by as much as 11 in the 2nd half and by 9 with under four minutes to go on their home court. Pitt did not quite and tied the game in the final seconds to force overtime and twice had a 3-pt advantage in OT, but Marquette went 10-10 from the line in OT and James' winning free throws led Marquette to a 77-74 win.

In their last two games, Cincinnati has found some room beyond the arc against the zone defenses of Syracuse and West Virginia. Against SU the Bearcats were 13-32 from 3-pt range with Marcus Sikes lighting up the Dome with an 8-12 performance from the arc for all 24 of his points. Sikes lines up as the center in the undersized Bearcats line-up and therefore, Pitt's Aaron Gray will have to follow him out to the arc. This pulls away Pitt's best rebounder and should give the athletic forward duo of Cedric McGowan and John Williamson some room to work on the glass, a match-up the Bearcats will look to exploit. Against West Virginia it was Marvin Gentry leading the way as the Bearcats went 9-20 from the arc, including Gentry's 5 of 7 as part of his 32 points. Earlier in the season, Cincinnati was turning the ball over at alarming rates, however they turned the ball over just 13 times total in their last two games. The Bearcats are not the best shooting bunch around and they will not be seeing a zone tonight to allow them to get comfortable, but they are going to have to spread the floor to get Gray away from the hoop and use their size-disadvantage to their advantage by attacking the basket and hustling for rebounds.

On offense, Pitt will likely not lose sight of Aaron Gray like they did for a LONG stretch on Sunday. Look for Pitt to make a concentrated effort to get Gray the ball and run the offense through him at times to free their 3-pt shooters. Ronald Ramon leads the league in 3-pt shooting at nearly 48% and Antonio Graves is not far behind at 46% as Pitt only trails Notre Dame in the league in 3-pt shooting percentage as a team. Cincinnati will likely play some zone and press the Panthers to try to get them out of their preferred tempo and Levance Fields will be the key to Pitt's fortunes. Fields must keep Pitt on track, even with changing defenses and an attempt to make the game end to end by the Bearcats. He needs to make sure Pitt runs their offense and keeps the big man involved.

Avoiding a slow start is a must for Cincinnati. If Pitt gets out early and forces the Bearcats to press on their shots, you wont have a lot of luck catching pItt as they will shorten the game, tighten up the defense and hit the boards. The Pomeroy computer also has this as a 9-pt Pitt win, same as the spread, it does look to be a pretty accurate assessment of the game. I think Cincinnati will scrap with the Panthers, but Pitt pulls away with their depth and gets a big night from someone off the bench when they need it.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Pittsburgh 70 Cincinnati 59

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: West Virginia @ Cincinnati

2007-01-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2007

After suffering demoralizing losses to Ohio, Memphis, Rutgers and South Florida, it looked like the Cincinnati Bearcats were going to pull off the upset at Syracuse when everyone was counting them down and out for the season. Coming all the way back from a 19-point 1st half defecit, the Bearcats had a three point lead with under 35 seconds to go, but four free throws by Eric Devendorf and a missed front end of a one and one and a miss at the buzzer left Mick Cronin and the Cincinnati Bearcats still in search of their first Big East win.

West Virginia on the other hand returned home this past week and despite a dry spell from the 3-pt range, they had built up a big enough lead against South Florida to cruise to an 11-point win. The Mountaineers snapped their two-game losing streak, but they have yet to win away from Morgantown in the conference.

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

West Virginia is definitely in the NCAA Tournament mix and a big item missing from their resume is the appearance of quality road wins. While beating a down Cincinnati squad would still not register as a quality win on the road, it would serve as good experience for the young Mountaineers to gain some confidence away from their cozy confines of the Coliseum. When you talk about WVU, you have to talk about their 1-3-1 zone and their ability to make three-pointers. The 1-3-1 zone remains a constant, but the 3-pt shot has been on and off much of the season. In their home win over USF, they missed their last 12 shots from beyond the arc.

Cincinnati will no doubt have some issues with the 1-3-1 zone. The Bearcats are not the best ballhandling team in the conference, but they should be athletic enough to chase the WVU shooters on the perimeter. Their big man, Marcus Sikes, pulled a 'Pittsnogle' on Wednesday night, nearly leading the Bearcats to a win over Syracuse, hitting eight of 12 shots from 3-pt range to account for all 24 of his points in their 1-pt loss. They key will be how PG Jamual Warren and guard Deonta Vaughn handle the 1-3-1 zone and if they can attack the soft spots and make the right decisions. I think John Williamson is a player that can find some scoring space if the right decisions are made.

West Virginia will rely on Frank Young from the perimeter and a flawless game from Darris Nichols running the point. If Alex Ruoff can strike from the perimeter and Joe Alexander can cause problems for the smaller UC guards with his traps in the 1-3-1 zone, WVU will definitely win this game. However, the scrappy Bearcats might have a little shot in the arm with their tough loss at the Dome and will bring a big effort. Too much skill on the WVU side and that wins a close game.

NBE Blogger Prediction: West Virginia 64 Cincinnati 60

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati @ Syracuse

2007-01-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

January 17, 2007

Things are going badly for Cincinnati and now they have to endure a road trip to the Carrier Dome to play the surging Orange in a Big East conference game. Cincinnati is still in search of their first conference win under Mick Cronin and must face the man with the most Big East wins, Jom Boeheim.

Here are the pregame stories and rpeviews from the internet:

Orange's Harris Still Quite Green (Cincinnati Post)
UC Trying to Turn Up It's Offense (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Bearcats Starting from Scratch (Post-Standard)
Bearcats Test Syracuse (AP article)

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

You know your at rock-bottom when you are coming off a home loss to Rutgers and a 15-pt loss at South Florida. In the midst of their first four-game losing streak in 19 years, things do not look to get any brighter with Syracuse (tonight), West Virginia (Saturday) and Pittsburgh and Georgetown next week. The Bearcats are struggling to score in Big East games, averaging just 52 pts in their three conference games. Playing against the Syracuse 2-3 zone will pose another new challenge for the Bearcats.

At Syracuse, things are looking up. After a conference opening loss at the hands of Pittsburgh, the Orange have won three in a row, including impressive double-digit wins over Marquette and Villanova. Demetris Nichols looked like the player that was leading the Big East in scoring in the pre-conference season, pouring in 23 pts against the Wildcats and Terrence Roberts had his best game of the season with 17 pts and 14 rebounds.

Neither team has much depth, but Syracuse is clearly the better team and they have the size to make it very difficult for the Bearcats to score and the zone will force many long shots from a team that does not shoot it very well. Coming off their bottom, I expect Cincinnati to put forth a strong effort, but winning at the Dome at this point in their rebuilding stage could be the longest of longshots for the 16-pt underdogs.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Syracuse 75 Cincinnati 60

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2007-01-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

January 9, 2007

COMMITMENT ALERT: Jason Henry (F) Harmony Christian (OH).

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports in the article, Is a Losing Season in the Cards? that 6'7 Harmony F Jason Henry, a native of West Memphis, AR, has verbally committed to play for Cincinnati next season.

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Seniors: John Williamson (F), Marvin Gentry (G), Jamaul Warren (G), Tim Crowell (PG), Marcus Sikes (BF), Adam Hrycaniuk (PF/C)
Juniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Sophomores: Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Freshmen: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Kenny Belton (F/C), Jason Henry (F)
Early 2008 Commitment: Darnell Wilks (F)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

An athletic 6'6 forward, Jason Henry has been around the block, but the well-traveled basketball talent looks to have settled in on a new home and a college destination. Last we knew, Henry was at Light of the World School in Decatur, GA and now we read in the Enquirer that he is at Harmony Christian School in Cincinnati, OH. Since arriving in Ohio, it looks like Mick Cronin and the Cincinnati Bearcats turned up the recruiting heat and he liked what he saw and made the commitment. Louisville had also been seen on the recruiting trail tracking his pregress.

A class of Larry Davis, Rashad Bishop, Kenny Belton and Henry is a solid group that will matriculate into the Bearcat program next season and join eligible transfers Mike Williams and Adam Hrycaniuk to give the UC program a much needed lift in depth and talent. Mick Dronin has a big job ahead of him in the ultra-competitve Big East, but he is certain to be out there working hard to get things done.

A great resource on UC recruiting can be found at Bearcat News.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CINCINNATI

2006-11-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2006

COMMITMENT ALERT: Kenny Belton (F/C) Dudley HS in Greensboro, NC.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Another UC Recruit for '07 as Kenny Belton has announced he signed a letter of intent with the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Seniors: John Williamson (F), Marvin Gentry (G), Jamaul Warren (G), Tim Crowell (PG), Marcus Sikes (BF), Hernol Hall (C), Adam Hrycaniuk (PF/C)
Juniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Sophomores: Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Freshmen: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F), Kenny Belton (F/C)
Early 2008 Commitment: Darnell Wilks (F)
Early 2009 Commitment: Danny McElroy (F)

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

With the defection of Abdul Herrera and the futures of Hernol Hall and Adam Hrycaniuk still cloudy, Mick Cronin landed a player that fills a vital need for his Bearcats, a horse inside. Belton is 6'8 and 245 lbs and has the size and strength to battle in the paint at the Big East level. Coming from Dudley HS, the same high school as Eric Hicks, Belton averaged 14.7 PPG as a junior. He is a true low-block horse that is physically ready for college basketball right now. he still needs to develop offensive skills other than just rebound and stick backs, but he gives the Bearcats much needed size.

A class of Larry Davis, Rashad Bishop and Belton is a solid trio and Cronin will have at least one scholarship to hand out the spring with Herrera leaving the program. If Hall and/or Hrycaniuk are not cleared by the NCAA, additional scholarship(s) could be available.

A great resource on UC recruiting can be found at Bearcat News.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPFATE: CINCINNATI

2006-10-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2006

COMMITMENT ALERT: Rashad Bishop (G/F) St. Benedict's Prep (NJ)

C. Trent Rosecrans gives us the news of Another Commitment for Mick Cronin and the UC Bearcats as St. Benedict's Rashad Bishop has verbally committed to Cincinnati after visiting the school last weekend.

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Seniors: John Williamson (F), Marvin Gentry (G), Jamaul Warren (G), Tim Crowell (PG), Marcus Sikes (BF), Hernol Hall (C), Adam Hrycaniuk (PF/C)
Juniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Sophomores: Abdul Herrera (C), Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Freshmen: Larry Davis (SG), Rashad Bishop (G/F)

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Rashad Bishop opted to prep at St. Benedicts after a succussful run at John F Kennedy high school for the Paterson, NJ native to square away his academic situation and realize his goal of playing in the Big East. With offers from Rutgers and Seton Hall over the summer, Bishop proved he was Big East worthy. In the last month, another school became involved with the athletic swing man and after visiting the Cincinnati Bearcat program last week for their Midnight Madness kickoff, Bishop committed to the Bearcats. The lefty has shown an increased ability to score from the perimeter to go along with his always present athletic ability to score attacking the rim. He will have to continue to be motivated to work on his skills to excel in the Big East, where he will see more and more players his equal in athletic ability, so he will not be able to rely only on that aspect. He is a good pick-up for Cincinnati and should fit into Mick Cronin's aggressive style.

With Bishop and an earlier commitment from Larry Davis, we show the Bearcats with one open scholarships for the class of 2007. At this point in time we are unsure of what direction the Bearcats are looking in. We will try to track down some new names in the near futute. We have long expected them to go after a big man, but the likely targets seem to be dwindling. We ahve heard names like Herb Pope, Brandon Cooks, Martavious Adams and Brian Williams, but nothing concrete of late.

We will keep you posted!

A great resource on UC recruiting can be found at Bearcat News.

2006-2007 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 13) CINCINNATI

2006-09-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

September 30, 2006

This is a tough one! With the amount of talent that has left the conference since last season, several teams will have very different looks, maybe none more than the Cincinnati Bearcat program. Mick Cronin takes over as the new head coach and is the 3rd person to hold that helm in the last 13 months. He replaces Andy Kennedy who did a tremendous job in holding things together after the dismissal of Bob Huggins late last summer.

Not only do the Bearcats have to replace coach Kennedy, but they also have to find replacements for productive, and experienced players, in Eric Hicks, James White, Jihad Muhammad, Armien Kirland and Chadd Moore as well as all-league freshmen Devan Downey and fellow freshmen Dominic Tilford and DeAndre Coleman who began the season last year on the UC team. Those players accounted for nearly 87% of their scoring in conference play last season.

A common question in the last couple years has been "how good are the JUCO ranks these days?" Well, the performance of this year's Bearcats will give us a good indication. With the explosion of prep schools catering to the post-graduate player in helping them get eligible, the JUCO ranks seem to be less and less of a source of talent for high-major programs. Cincinnati looks to buck that trend with the addition of seven new JUCO recruits that will be asked to play major roles on this year's team. What to expect from JUCO players is always a wildcard, so having Mick Cronin blending these seven newcomers together is going to be quite the challenge in such a short period of time.

----------------------------

Read Rest of the Cincinnati preview...click "READ MORE" below!!

---------------------------

The backcourt is completely made up of newcomers. The player with the inside track at being handed the ball to run the point this season is Timmy Crowell, a JUCO transfer from Midland College. The Albequerque native averaged 11 PPG and led the WJCAC with 7.5 assists a game last year. He will likely be backed up by incoming freshmen Deonta Vaughn, a 6-foot guard who played a post-graduate year at Harmoney Christian in Cincinnati after growing up in Indianapolis.

On the wing, Jamual Warren comes in from Globe Tech in NYC. The JUCO transfer has long been on the Cincinnati radar from the days Bob Huggins coached the Bearcats. The Springfield, MA native averaged 22 PPG in being named the Region XV player of the year last season. Warren has already had a well-travelled career and will look to bring toughness and maturity to the UC backcourt. Marvin Gentry joins the Bearcats from McLennan Community College in Texas and was being recruited by Mick Cronin to Murray St before Cronin took the UC job. Gentry is a long and athletic 6'3 who has some defensive potential as well, which will be a needed commodity for the Bearcats this season.

6'6 and 225 lb John Williamson from Cincinnati St college looks to be their impact JUCO recruit at the small forward position this season. Williamson played for former Bearcat Andre Tate at Cincinnati State. Tate is now the Video Coordinator for the UC program. Last year, Williamson was a 1st team NJCAA Division II All-American while averaging 27 PPG and nearly 12 rebounds a game. He is strong and athletic around the rim and will be counted on in a big way this year to give their offense some punch.

The frontcourt got a big lift with the commitment of one of the nation's top JUCO big men in Hernol Hall, a 6'10 245 lb C from Lom Morris JC in Texas. The Costa Rican averaged 14 PPG and 10 rebounds last season. His size and defensive presence will be needed immediately by the Bearcats. He will be joined in the frontcourt by last year's holdover Cedric McGowan, a senior who came to UC last year from Kilgore College in Texas. McGowan was pressed into action immediately with the slim frontcourt depth of the Bearcats and had a productive season, averaging 7.4 PPG and 7.8 rebounds in conference play, teamming with Eric Hicks inside. McGowan only shot 38% from the floor and got to the line just 20 times in 16 conference games, beign just 6'6 and playing inside in the Big East does limit some of his effecitveness.

A pair of other JUCO recruits will also have an impact on the frontcourt this season. Marcus Sikes played last season at Mt. San Jacinto College in California after spending a season at Georgia in the SEC, averaging a couple points and rebounds a game as a freshmen. This is Sikes' 5th stop in the last five years as he also played a season at Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, VA after starting out his HS career at Petersburg High in Richmond, VA. A late addition to the roster was 6'10 Adam Hyrcaniuk, a Polish native who spent last season at Trinity Valley CC after playing his freshmen season at Barton CC. The 6'10 Hyrcaniuk contributed 11 PPG and 7 rebounds a game last year.

A couple players with the program last season also return: 6'10 senior Ronald Allen and 6'10 redshirt-freshmen Abdul Herrera. Allen transferred in last year from NAIA Xavier in New Orleans after being dis-places because of Hurricaine Katrina. Allen likes to shoot some 3-pters and is not quite strong enough to make an impact in the Big East. Herrera is an intriguing prospect who sat out last year after not being cleared academically by the NCAA Clearinghouse. He offers size and potential to be a solid player. Possibly the best player on the roster is ineligible this year as Mike Williams, a former McDonald's All-American has transferred to UC from Texas. Williams will is a 6'7 power forward who never found a comfort zone at Texas, but will look to start over at UC and get his career back on track while working out with the team this season.

Cincinnati definitely has some talent and a few players with some impressive JUCO credentials. Now comes the Million Dollar question, can Mick Cronin mold a JUCO all-star team into a cohesive until to compete in the Big East? Can these players commit to playing defense and team basketball in a halfcourt setting that the Big East grind often becomes? They could...but, it will be a tall order in a short-period of time. The Bearcats have a schedule that is conducive to the team improving, as they do not have Connecticut or Marquette on the schedule. Home and home's with Rutgers and West Virginia will likely define their season. Georgetown is the other home and home opponent.

When the Cincinnati administration decided to part ways with Bob Huggins, it was a decision many knew would set the program back. Keeping Andy Kennedy on an interim basis for an entire season also killed recruiting for an entire year. Mick Cronin is a good coach and an excellent recruiter who worked tirelessly to fill their roster. It is my opinion he went to heavy on JUCO players in an effort for a quick fix. He now has a junior class with 7 players, which leaves his classes severaly unbalanced, it is a gamble, we will see how quickly it pays off. The JUCO game and the Big East is a big difference, I think UC is going to learn that lesson quite a bit this year. Hall and Williamson could have big impacts and will put up some numbers, but the overall consistency of this team is a question mark.

Projected Big East record: 6-10

LATE 2006 ADDITIONAL FOR UC

2006-08-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

August 28, 2006

It has been speculated for quite some time, but now it looks like Adam Hrycaniuk, a native of Poland, will be suiting up for the Cincinnati Bearcats this season. The 6'10 JUCO transfer from Trinity Valley (Tex.) Community College averaged 12 PPG and 7 rebounds a contest last year. He becomes the 9th newcomer in the class for Mick Cronon as the Bearcats Add Big Man (Cincinnati Enquirer).

With the addition of Hrycaniuk, here is a new updated projected roster for UC:

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Seniors: John Williamson (F), Marvin Gentry (G), Jamaul Warren (G), Tim Crowell (PG), Marcus Sikes (BF), Hernol Hall (C), Adam Hrycaniuk (PF/C)
Juniors: Mike Williams (PF)
Sophomores: Abdul Herrera (C), Deonta Vaughn (PG)
Freshmen: Larry Davis (SG)