Cincinnati Bearcats: March Madness Review

After a weekend of Madness, it wasn’t a fairy tale ending that us Cincinnati fans were expecting. The Bearcats took care of business against Kansas State beating them in the first round 75-61. But, the hard match-up against the top scoring offense in the nation, the UCLA Bruins, was too much for the Bearcats in the 2^nd round, losing to them 79-67.

It was so hard this morning going through my twitter feed, Facebook posts, and online articles seeing photos of the mourning Bearcats and realizing that their season has come to an end. Seniors Troy Caupain, Kevin Johnson, and Zack Tobler gave so much to the Cincinnati program and I will sincerely miss those players and not seeing them on the court next year. Caupain and Johnson’s leadership contributed a lot to Cincinnati’s 2016-2017 season. I can’t thank them enough for the work they’ve done. Before I talk about this special group of Bearcats this year, Coach Cronin, and this season, let’s recap the 2 post season games for the Bearcats.

The first round match-up against Kansas State was everything you could ask for Cincinnati. Senior guard Caupain was on fire, 23 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Our big guys Kyle Washington and Gary Clark contributed with a total of 31 points and 11 rebounds. The Cincinnati defense was stout as usual, forcing Kansas State to shoot 38% of their shots while Cincinnati scored 62%. Watching the game last night was a different story. Coming into the game, it was hyped up to be UCLA’s offense vs. Cincinnati’s defense. UCLA leading the nation in scoring and Cincinnati having a top 10 defense. In the first half, the Bearcats contained the Bruins for the most part. Kevin Johnson came out of his scoring slump, contributing 11 points in the first half. However, they did commit 7 turnovers and lead at halftime 33-30. In the 2^nd half, the Bruins figured a way around Cincinnati’s defense and got their offense rolling. The game plan for Cincinnati was for our bigs, Washington and Clark, to get to the basket and draw fouls. Washington was 2-10 on his shots and couldn’t find his rhythm. When they did get to the basket, there were obvious fouls on UCLA but the officiating was terrible in the 2^nd half. Freshman Jarron Cumberland led the team in scoring with 15 points, followed by Johnson and Jacob Evans with 13 a piece and Clark with 11. In summary, it was a tale of 2 halves. It was a great defensive effort in the first half but got outscored in the 2^nd.

Yes, I would’ve loved to see these group of guys made a much farther run in the Tournament but like Coach Cronin said, you can’t determine post season success with what this program has done. A final 30-6 record, 7 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, undefeated at Fifth Third Arena, and all 3 seniors showed true character, hard work and determination and are set to get their college degrees next month. You got Troy Caupain who broke the UC record in assists. To me, college degrees are way more valuable than a NCAA tournament championship. You see so many high school recruits going to college and only playing for 1 to 2 years and then dropping out to go into the NBA draft playing for a paycheck. A college degree is way more valuable than going to the NBA. It’s all about long-term success, which brings to my next point in Coach Mick Cronin.

Now, he may not have a Final 4 title under his belt, but I will live and stand for Coach Cronin as long as he’s in Cincinnati. I could probably guess that 80% of the Cincinnati population would stand with Cronin but you can’t deny the success he’s done at Cincinnati. A Bearcat graduate himself, Mick Cronin has built a tremendous program at Cincinnati. He is a no BS kind of guy. He may not bring 5 star recruits but he brings in kids that are quality in character and have a strong work ethic on and off the court. He coaches kids to be better men. It is also pretty much guaranteed that if someone commits to Mick Cronin, they will get playing time. This is why he has such a deep bench. All of his players work hard, on scholarship, so they will get playing time. When you have qualities such as character, determination, work ethic, and values, it makes winning so much easier. The most important thing is that all of his players have graduated from the University of Cincinnati. Post season success will come. Yes it has been 10 years but Cronin is doing this program the right way. His dream is to get quality guys that want to get a degree, not go to the NBA. That right there, is winning. He also has no problem calling out the NCAA and just stating the simple truth. He was so right when he said that the NCAA committee simply relies on ticket sales for the Tournament rather than correct seeding placement. We had a 29-5 record coming into the tournament and we end up being a 6 seed and getting shipped out the California. The NCAA are complete a**holes. I love Cronin and will always stand by him no matter what. He’s a legend in my book.

It’s disappointing to see this season come to an end but there’s always looking forward to next season, which will be equally as exciting as this year! Next year, seniors Gary Clark and Kyle Washington will be the generals leading their army for the 2017-2018 season. I have a strong feeling that Clark will have a break out year in 2018. If you think he was a problem this year, he will be chaos on the court. I think this loss last night will light a fire under this kid. He will be meaner, aggressive and chaotic on the court next year and I can’t wait. We will also get to see the redshirt junior Cane Broome make his Bearcat debut. Cronin compared Broom to former Bearcats star, Nick Van Exel. Broome is quick and will cause a lot of problems for the opposing guards. I’m excited to see what this kid do on the court. Then you also have sophomore stud, Jarron Cumberland coming back. He was so crucial this year and I won’t be surprised if he makes his way to the starting line-up in 2018. Jacob Evans will be so integral for next season too, he just needs to be more aggressive and get the ball in basket. Justin Jennifer, Nysier Brooks, Tre Scott are all coming back as well. Incoming freshman Keith Williams and Trevor Moore, both shooting guards and center Eliel Nsoseme will be added to the mix as well. Being a Cincinnati fan and alumnus is something I will be always proud of. I bleed red and black. I have no doubt in my mind, with the way Cronin is running things, we will get that post-season success that this city has been dreaming of. We will be there. Til next season. GO BEARCATS!

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Cincinnati Bearcats: The Stage is Set

It’s a match of the Cats. The 6^th seeded Cincinnati Bearcats will play against the 11^th seeded Kansas State Wildcats on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Like I’ve said in my previous posts, the team have been waiting for March to come and it’s time to lay everything out on the court. Coach Cronin and his team left Tuesday night and should be in California now to get adjusted to the time change and get some practice time in before the big game.

Now let’s look at our opponent

The Kansas State Wildcats are led by 5^th year head coach Bruce Weber and hails in the Big 12 conference. Coming into the tournament they have a 21-13 record with their 21^st win against Wake Forrest last night. Even though they had a lot of losses they had great wins against 7^th ranked West Virginia and beat the 2^nd ranked Baylor Bears, twice. They could’ve had a shot in the Big 12 Conference Tournament finals but they lost to West Virginia in the semi’s by 1 point. Senior forward Wesley Iwundu is the go to guy on the Kansas State roster. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Last night against Wake Forrest, Iwundu scored 24 points. 4 of their starting 5 scored in double digits last night combining a total of 78 points. The rest of the team scored 17. Don’t sleep on this team, they’re really good. The Wildcats really distribute the ball well and defend hard too. It won’t be easy for the Bearcats Friday night.

I hope by now that the Cincinnati squad got rid of the SMU loss out of their heads. Now it starts a new season. To win the match up against Kansas State will be 2 things. Defending and the bench. Cincinnati is known for their hard, tough defense. I believe that if this team forces Kansas State to turn over the ball, block shots, and draw fouls, Cincinnati’s offense will come to them. In the past couple of games, they forced way too many shots, which made them miss, to get back into the game. Defending is key to any game, defense wins championships. Kansas State makes 46% of their shots and 36% of their 3 pointers. I’m expecting a suffocating Bearcat defense on Friday. They have a 4 players who average in double figures. In a sense, the Wildcats are much like the Bearcats but we have the advantage of a better bench. Bench players Jarron Cumberland, Tre Scott, Justin Jennifer, and Nysier Brooks all have to step up. If we get into a case if Kyle Washington commits early fouls, Cronin will have no choice to put in Brooks and Quadri Moore (God forbid). Even Cronin has stated that the bench will be key for Cincinnati’s success in the Tournament. It gives those players minutes and our starting 5 fresh and alive. Cumberland is a star and it definitely is showing. He pushes the tempo a lot and goes to the basket every time. We need his energy and everyone else’s to carry us through tough games.

A lot of people in the public has this game as an upset by the Wildcats, which I hope is not the case. I’d love to win this round and get a chance against UCLA (If they are to win their game). I really hope Cronin is stressing the importance of defending and rebounding for this game. We have to rely on that strong, defensive effort to get our offense rolling. I feel that their game in early March is not as what it was during their undefeated tenure in February. I just can only hope that it’s better on Friday. Senior leaders Troy Caupain and Kevin Johnson knows what’s at stake. I know they don’t want their season to finish, just yet. They have much more to prove and show the world what they’re capable of. This is their time, their moment. Can’t wait for the game on Friday. It’ll be a tough one for sure. GO BEARCATS! (FYI, the last time the Bearcats were a 6^th seed in the NCAA tournament, they went to the Sweet 16, just saying)

Cincinnati Bearcats: AAC Tournament Review & NCAA Tournament Preview

To say it bluntly, the SMU Mustangs rolled over the Cincinnati Bearcats Sunday afternoon to win the American Athletic Conference tournament in a final score 71-56.

I give all the credit to SMU. They are a really good team this year and I’m excited to see their run in the NCAA tournament. Even with the 7 man rotation, they’re unstoppable. Led by AAC player of the year Semi Ojeleye, they just had all the tools necessary to beat UC. The Bearcats, I think, were exhausted by the Saturday’s match up against UConn. Also, junior forward Kyle Washington had 2 early fouls in the game which made him go straight to the bench. The Bearcats would’ve had a chance if they could’ve pushed the tempo and drive to the hoop to score. But, I give credit to SMU’s defense. To play for 3 straight days is hard, but SMU are on a roll. They haven’t lost since January. Cincinnati, on the other hand, better brush that off really quick. It’s a new season now.

After the game, I watched, in disbelief, to see the Bearcats get a #6 seed in the big dance. You know why? Coach Cronin called out the NCAA committee saying that they draw on ticket sales for seeding placements. Just watch it for yourself

Mick Cronin said NCAA tournament seeding is all about money.
Here's his entire 2+ minute explanation. You'll want to watch this. #Bearcats pic.twitter.com/GJWCF7C1CS

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) March 1, 2017

And you know what. Cronin is absolutely true. You got the #2 Kentucky & #2 Louisville playing in Indiana, you got the power houses Duke and North Carolina playing in Carolina. Pretty much all the higher seeds get the luck of the draw to have fans come out and see them. The Cincinnati Bearcats have a respectable 29-5 record with quality wins over Xavier, at Iowa State (who has a #5 seed), and a win over SMU. The “best” part is our #6 seed draw has us playing in Sacramento, California. It is total bull s***. This is the 3^rd time in 4 years that the Bearcats have to play in the pacific coast in the NCAA tournament. There is just no respect for Coach Cronin and this team. Ever since Cronin called out the committee on their true motivations on the selection process, they decide to slap us in the face sending us out to California. Oh well. You can’t complain. These players know what’s at stake and its time for them to shock the world.

The Cincinnati Bearcats will play Friday night against the winner of the first round game, Wake Forrest vs. Kansas State. I believe we could beat either of these teams. If I had to pick, I would want to play Wake Forrest, just because Kansas State’s offensive power is great and they beat Baylor twice. Kansas could potentially upset the Bearcats and I don’t see Wake Forrest doing so. If a possible win, the Bearcats would have to play the winner of the #3 UCLA vs #14 Kent State. Uhhh…go Kent State? UCLA is a big power house. They rank #1 in the country in points per game. They are a high, fast paced team and can score in transition. However, they haven’t really dealt with a strong defense like Cincinnati’s. A lot of analysts have UCLA going to the Final 4. However, there are some that can see a possible upset by Cincinnati. The Pac-12 as a conference doesn’t do well going far in the Big Dance. So, we’ll just have to wait and see. I just hope the Bearcats get their minds sharped and focus for the Tournament. Every player, going all the way down to Tobler, has to contribute and make big plays. Together as a team and we can do this. Can’t wait for the madness to start! Go Bearcats!!!

 

Cincinnati Bearcats: Tournament Recap: March 11, 2017

The Cincinnati Bearcats have advanced to the Conference Championship game after a hard fought win against UConn tonight. There was a lot that happened in tonight’s game against UConn. But, before I get to that let’s start from the beginning.

Friday night, the Bearcats steam rolled against Tulsa 80-61. Senior leader Troy Caupain led his troops tallying up 15 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Forward Kyle Washington and sophomore stud Jacob Evans were the stars of the evening scoring 21 and 20 points respectively. Freshman Jarron Cumberland scored 9 points off the bench as well.

Now, let’s get to tonight’s game.

The Cincinnati Bearcats have beat UConn twice during the regular season. To beat them for a 3^rd time, in their backyard, is a different story. For UC, they’ve lost to UConn in every AAC tournament the past 3 years. They knew it was going to be a tough, physical game and it sure didn’t disappoint. Tonight’s game featured a combined total of 56 fouls committed. Which brings to my next point.

The American Athletic Conference is completely ridiculous. To have a “neutral” championship game within minutes for Connecticut is, hate to say it, unfair. The arena had at least 10,000 UConn fans while the SMU fans only have a few alumni and cheer team. It’s just not good for the conference.

The referees sucked tonight. If the UConn fans hated the refs because of stupid calls on Connecticut, they pretty much did the same for Cincinnati. UConn senior Amidah Brimah should’ve been thrown out of the game. 1, he pretty much knocked Gary Clark’s tooth out. 2, he intentionally punched Nysier Brooks in the face. Head Coach Mick Cronin made it clear as day that when Octavius Ellis got kicked out last year for a punch, he got kicked out. It should’ve happened for Brimah. But all day long, the refs called so many whistles on both sides of the ball and didn’t let the kids play. Like I said the refs suck. They reviewed so much film over and over. They really need to be fired.

Even though Gary Clark got his tooth chipped, he didn’t let that stop him. He was a problem and scored 25 points, going 15-16 on the free throw line. Clark has been a problem for UConn all season long and I love it. As a team, Cincinnati were 38-46 on free throws, that’s how many fouls the refs called tonight.  Troy Caupain scored 18 points and Jacob Evans scored 21 points. And again, freshman Jarron Cumberland scored 11 points. The kid’s future is looking bright.

After the game, I was going through my twitter feed and it seems that the UConn fans just don’t give up. Apparently, some Cincy fans witnessed some UConn fans on courtside saying very vulgar things to the Cincy players, in particular Troy Caupain. And, there were security on site to separate the Cincy and UConn fans. That’s really sad. On a personal stand point, I am really sorry that UConn went through a tough season dealing with injuries but that doesn’t give them a right to say profain things to the Cincinnati Basketball team and fans. The refs pretty much ruined your night. If you want to fight someone, fight them. You lost, get over it. Stop being a bunch of cry babies.

Now that that’s over with, it’s time to focus for tomorrow. The Bearcats play for a conference championship for the first time since 2004 back in the Conference USA days. Man, if we could get this win, 2-1 against SMU, 30-4 record, I could literally smell a #4 or #3 seed in the big dance. I’m literally so happy for this team. Everyone is contributing and doing their part. Let’s just hope we get decent refs for tomorrow’s game. I’m particularly happy for Troy. He’s 2 assists away from being the all-time assist leader for UC. Sophomore Jacob Evans is on a hot streak with his three pointers and freshman Jarron Cumberland is clutching his shots as well. Washington, Johnson, Scott, Jenifer and all the others are working well together. Hope they’re getting a good nights rest. They’ll need it. It will be a bloodbath against SMU for the championship title tomorrow. Going to be fun to watch! Go Bearcats!

Cincinnati Bearcats: AAC Tournament Preview

Tonight, the 15^th ranked Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the quarter-finals in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, which also starts the post season play for the Bearcats.

The players have had March play on their minds for a while now and it’s finally here. They’re ready to take on teams in the big dance but they have to stay focused on the task at hand first with Tulsa. They have beat Tulsa twice during regular season play but beating a team for a third time won’t be easy. Even Coach Cronin agrees. It’s a different mindset considering that the winner of the conference tournament gets an automatic birth to the NCAA Tournament. Out of the 11 teams in the AAC, SMU and Cincinnati have pretty much have a lock with their record in the Tournament. The other struggling teams like UCF, Memphis, UConn, Houston and Tulsa would love nothing to more to upset teams and clinch that birth AND a conference tournament win.

Sports analysts have Cincinnati winning the AAC Tournament which is pretty interesting considering that all the individual awards and accolades mostly went to SMU. Cincinnati is a great team this year. I have a different feeling with this team compared to the others in the past. I think it’s primarily because the offensive power we have this year. We can always expect a strong defensive presence for the Bearcats but having that scoring is a HUGE plus.

I would love to think about the tournament finals on Sunday but you have to think about 1 game at a time. We need to beat Tulsa tonight. Hoping for a win for the Bearcats! Let’s go UC!

Cincinnati Bearcats vs UConn Huskies: Review & AAC Tournament Preview

Yesterday afternoon, the Cincinnati Bearcats traveled to Storrs, Connecticut to absolutely ruin the Huskies senior night and win on the road 67 to 47. This win ended the Bearcats regular season schedule with a final record of 27-4, 16-2 in the AAC, a 26 game home winning streak and 18-0 at home this season. You couldn’t ask for more as a Bearcats fan.

Two words. Gary. Clark. The problem himself was on a mission in yesterday’s game. Kyle Washington tweaked his leg a couple days prior leading up to the game and only had 7 points and 6 rebounds. So, it was up to Clark to carry the load. He did not disappoint. Clark had a double-double in the first half. Final stats for him were 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 steals. The man cannot be stopped. The other starters Jacob Evans, Troy Caupain and Kevin Johnson had a total of 23 points. The bench provided quality minutes as well scoring 20 of the Bearcats’ points, 15 of those came from freshman Jarron Cumberland. The future is looking bright.

The UConn Huskies, who were the pre-season #2 favorites in conference, faced so many injuries this season and ended up with a final 14-16 record in their regular season. I don’t like the Huskies at all but it sucks when a team has to suffer due to injuries. So, I do feel bad for the Huskies because I don’t wish that on anyone at all. It’s a tough break for Kevin Ollie’s team. They only made three 3-pointers yesterday, committed 11 turnovers and were out rebounded. At least they have the women’s team who are doing remarkably well as usual.

Now that regular season is just about to wrap up. We can now look forward to the post-season madness! First up, the AAC conference tournament. Here is what the official bracket looks like.

The Bearcats will get a bye for Thursday night and will play the winner of the Tulane and Tulsa game on Friday night. In the regular season, the Bearcats beat Tulsa and Tulane both times, so hopefully it wouldn’t be too much of a challenge for Cincinnati. If we happen to win that game we would have to either play UConn or Houston (sorry USF, I just don’t see you winning.) Preferably I’d like to stay away from UConn considering the tournament is taking place at Connecticut and with the home field advantage is a major help for them. And, I hate to remind that the last time we played UConn in the tournament game, Cincinnati had to suffer a 4 overtime loss which I would like to never go through again. One thing I do like is that we won’t have to square up against SMU and UCF, especially UCF. SMU can deal with the Knights and Tako Fall. In my opinion, if all goes well, it looks like a showdown between SMU and Cincinnati for the AAC Tournament crown. Both teams are great in the AAC and pretty much a lock for the NCAA Tournament. If we could win the tournament, that would mean a 30-4 record and 2-1 win-loss advantage over SMU. In my book, that could be a possible #4 seed in the Big Dance.

Senior guard and captain Tory Caupain talked about his goals for the conference tournament and that is to cut down the nets. The city of Cincinnati can see this happening. They’re a great team. It’s up to them if they want it. The main thing for them is to stay healthy and play together. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mick Cronin get a conference tournament championship and I would love to see him and the team get it. I’m just so excited and ready for the madness to start. It should be fun to watch! Lets go Cats!!

Cincinnati Bearcats Senior Night: Review

After an ugly loss against UCF on the road, the Cincinnati Bearcats shut down the Houston Cougars 67-45 in their final home game of the season, going undefeated at home 18-0, and riding a 26 game home winning streak. The coaches, alumni, and fans bid a farewell to the 3 outstanding seniors to Troy Caupain, Kevin Johnson and Zack Tobler. Today, the University of Cincinnati starts construction on renovating Fifth Third Arena which will premiere in the 2018-19 season. It was a bitter sweet moment for the fans, coaches and players since last night was the last time we will be in Fifth Third (Shoemaker).

Before I give my thoughts on the game, I have to reflect my time as a student and fan in Fifth Third Arena. I wasn’t able to witness the game last night in person because I had a friend from Florida in town and last night was the only chance I could see them. Waking up this morning I thought of all the great games I’ve witnessed and playing in the band at Fifth Third. I remember the Crosstown Shootout game against Xavier my freshman year, sold out UConn games and witnessing Sean Kilpatrick score his 2,000th point against arch rival Louisville in his senior year. A lot of great memories in that Arena. I will surely miss being there but this renovation means so much to the community. I’m sure that the games, crowd noise will be a lot better in the 2018-19 season.

Last night’s game was a perfect showing that the Bearcats could make a deep tournament run. The best part of the game was the first and last points scored by Zack Tobler. Tobler’s points were KEY for Cincinnati, just ask Mick Cronin. The best stat of the night was Houston was held to 45 points while they average 70 points a game. That is Cincinnati defense! Cronin was very vocal to his team to have a great defensive game. When the defense locks in, the offensive game will follow. Each member on this squad contributed. Caupain had 11 points and 5 assists, Clark had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Jarron Cumberland came off the bench with 10 points. It was a great game from start to finish, but their season is not done yet when the Bearcats travel to Connecticut to take on the Huskies on their Senior Night.

The win solidified the Bearcats #2 seed in the AAC Tournament. This is a huge blessing because in the upper portion of the bracket, it’s most likely the #1 SMU will have to contend with UCF, UConn (if it all works out). The Bearcats will probably either play against Tulane, Tulsa or Temple (teams that we’ve already beat in the regular season. I’m hoping we will get a rematch with SMU. If we could win that game, I could potentially see the Bearcats being a #4 seed in the NCAA tournament. The problem I’m seeing with the Bearcats is that they suffacate with the games they have on the road. It’s like they get too worried or their mind plays tricks on them. They’re all good players, it’s just a matter for them to play together as a team is when they’re successful. This is Cronin’s best teams ever and I hope they can translate it on the court. The post-season games are about to start and I sure hope the Bearcats are ready for the challenge. It’s do or die now. Go Bearcats!