Questions and Answers

Bearcats Blog apologizes for the lack of Memorable Bearcats and Games posts this week. We'll get back to that next week. Today, we'll do questions and answers, starring myself.

What Big East coach picked St John's to win the Big East?

Rick Pitino did. He said he would have picked UC to win, but didn't want to put that pressure on Mick. I don't know what's happened to Rick Pitino the past year. Well, we all know what's happened to Rick Pitino in the past year, but I meant more basketball wise. Louisville never seemed to get the right mix going last season, after the disappointing loss to Michigan State in the Elite 8. The Cards have a couple of big recruiting classes coming in the next few seasons, so we'll see if Pitino still has the magic.

What Bearcats Blog first team Big East player was booted from his team?

That would be Jamine Peterson of Providence. It hasn't been said what made Keno Davis boot him off the team, but the leading scorer and rebounder won't be back. I don't know if it's going to be such a terrible thing for the Friars. Peterson earned the nickname of Greedy from the Friar faithful. Maybe that's just a cool nickname, but it also means he was a black hole once he touched the ball. Peterson didn't care as much about defense as Friar fans would have liked, but who really played defense on Providence last season? I think the answer was no one. I like watching Providence play because their brand of basketball is exciting. I would rip my hair out if I were a Providence fan though. Especially after the disaster against South Florida. Looking back on it, both the South Florida games were disasters for Providence. The first meeting saw the Friars blow a 12 point lead with 2 minutes left and a 5 point lead with 11 seconds left. They would lose in OT. In the second meeting, they gave up a 7 point lead with 5 minutes left, took a late lead, but gave up a lay up to Dominque Jones, who was fouled by Curry, who got hit with a technical. Providence probably doesn't want to see them on the schedule twice next season.

I heard from Brian Bennett that Phil Steele's list of All America teams came out. Were any Big East players on it?

Yes. On the second team were Pitt Panther stars Dion Lewis, Jonathan Baldwin and Greg Romeus, and Mountaineer Robert Sands. The fourth team featured WVU back Noel Devine and UConn LB Lawrence Wilson.

What about Steele's Big East team?

What about it? Get off Phil Steele already. No one cares.

Is there talk of the Big East getting rid of the double bye in the Big East Tournament?

Yes there is. I'm a big fan of getting rid of the double bye. It was stupid from the get go. For one, it punished every team who had to play on Tuesday. It also punished the teams who received the double bye, not counting Louisville, who won the whole thing. The first year, Pitt and UConn lost. Last season, everyone lost but West Virginia, and they almost lost their first game. They are speculating about a pure 16 team bracket, with 4 games on Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday, and the quarter finals starting on Thursday. That seems about fair. I think the top 4 play on Tuesday. That seems to be the most fair way to do things. I mean, if you play well enough to earn a top 4 seed in the ridiculous Big East, than I think you deserve a day off in the tournament. And if you lose, you deserve the shame an extra day.

Let's get back to Brian Bennett. Would he like to see Cincinnati in a non-conference rivalry game every year?

Glad you asked. The answer is yes. He, like every Bearcat fan and none of the spineless Buckeye fans, would love to see Cincinnati and Ohio State play every season. Ohio State would much rather play Akron and Toledo and other MAC schools before playing the other major conference team from Ohio. That's because Ohio State is scared of losing Ohio. The teams play again in 2014. I'm predicting a Cincinnati victory on this date.

Is there a New Jersey blog Big East ranking for next season? I have a need to see one. It's my crack.

Great question, and yes there is. It's right here. Thank you New Jersey Hoops Haven for putting out such a list today. I'll run down the top 5 for you if you are too lazy to click. Villanova, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virgnia, Georgetown. That's rather vanilla. They pick Cincinnati 12. Shockingly, they have DePaul in last place.

Speaking of Big East talk, is it true that you are participating in something for the East Coast Bias in the next couple of weeks? 

Yes. I'll tell you when things get posted over there and you can check them out. It's a roundtable deal, with things from Orange 44, Voodoo 5, Eye of a Panther, The Nova Blog, Pitt Blather, and lots of other email address I don't recognize. Pretty much every blog listed is involved. It should be awesome.

NBE Basketball says in their latest Big East roundup that UC might be better with this roster. Thoughts?

I agree. The person who wrote that said that it was clear that the players hated each other last season, and it would be addition by subtraction. Believe me, there are a ton of people who think that UC was better off losing one player in particular this season. I think it should help UC. I've written about it this issue myself. What, with rumors that Bishop and Lance hated each other, Bishop hating Mick (getting kicked off the team didn't help that not be true), and Vaughn and Lance playing horribly along side each other all season. I think UC has a nucleus of players that genuinely like each other. At least they follow each other on twitter.

After that seemingly awkward answer, how does Brian Bennett rank the Big East running backs?

I should link Brian at least once, so there that is. He, like everyone else with eyes, ranks Pittsburgh first, and West Virginia second. He has UC 4th, behind UConn. That seems about fair. He looks for big things from Isaiah Pead, and so do I. I'm really pumped about my boy Darrin Williams getting touches this year. I think he's going to be a home run threat on kick returns, and getting handoffs and screens.

Can we get one last reminder about UC baseball?

This weekend, UC plays host to Georgetown. The Bearcats need to win to guarantee they make the Big East tournament. Georgetown kinda sucks, 5 Big East wins, but spoilers are everywhere. Show up and root the Bearcats onward and upward.

Breaking Down the Brackets: South

Even though the Cincinnati Bearcats are in the NIT, does not mean that you won't get an awesome NCAA Tournament preview. We're kicking things off with games in the South. Before you jump in, sign up for the Bearcats Blog Tournament Challenge. It's on ESPN.com. Search for Bearcats Blog, or click here. Stats by Ken Pomeroy.

South


1 Duke Blue Devils   29-5

How they got here: Won ACC Tournament

Best Players: Jon Scheyer 18.5-5 assists Kyle Singler 17.6-6.9

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 1/4

16 Arkansas Pine Bluff/Winthrop    17-15/19-13 

How they got here: Won SWAC Tournament/Won Big South Tournament 

Best Players: Ark PB: Terrence Calvin 10.5-5.2-4 assists Savalance Townsend 10.2-3.5 Win: Reggie Middleton 10.2-3.3 Matt Morgan 9.6-4.6

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: APB: 307/111 Win: 309/65 

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Ken has Winthrop winning by 2, and I'll agree. Duke would probably be an 18 point or so favorite. I think that is easily going to be the case. 

8 California Golden Bears 23-10

How they got here: At large (Pac 10 Champions)

Best Players: Jerome Randle 18.7-4.5 assists Patrick Christopher 16-5.4

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 3/81

9 Louisville Cardinals 20-12

How they got here: At large (Big East 6th place)

Best Players: Samardo Samuels 15.3-7 Edgar Sosa 13.3-4.5 assists

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 20/77 

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): California by 3. I think Louisville wins a tight one. Don't buy Cal

4 Purdue Boilermakers 27-5

How they got here: At large (Big 10 3 way Champions)

Best Players: E'Twan Moore 16.6-3.7 JaJuan Johnson 15.2-7.1

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 49/6

13 Siena Saints 27-6

How they got here: MAAC Tournament Champions

Best Players: Alex Franklin 16.3-8 Edwin Ubiles 15.2-3.7 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 66/59

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Purdue by 6. Tons of people are calling for the upset, but I'm going to be cautious and pick Purdue. 

5 Texas A&M Aggies 23-9

How they got here: At large (Big 12 2nd place 3 way tie)

Best Players: Donald Sloan 18.2-3.7 Derrick Roland 10.5-3.2 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 39/23

12 Utah State Aggies 27-7

How they got here: At large (WAC Regular Season Champions)

Best Players: Tai Wesley 13.6-6.6-3.4 assists-1.3 blocks Jared Quayle 12.6-6.3-4.2 assists

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 14/54

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Utah State by 1. Ken's numbers have this as a toss up. I'm going to agree and roll with Utah State, despite the face they played no one good.

2 Villanova Wildcats 24-7

How they got here: At large (Big East 4th place)

Best Players: Scottie Reynolds 18.5-3.3 assists Corey Fisher 13.7-4 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 8/62

15 Robert Morris Colonials  23-11

How they got here: Northeast Conference Tournament Champions

Best Players: Karon Abraham 13.4-2.2 Rob Robinson 9.9-5.5

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 200/154

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Villanova by 19. Have to agree.

7 Richmond Spiders 26-8

How they got here: At large (Atlantic 10 3rd place)

Best Players: Kevin Anderson 17.8-3.5-2.6 assists David Gonzalvez 14.5-4.2-2.3

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 67/36

10 St Mary's Gaels 26-5

How they got here: WCC Tournament Champions 

Best Players: Omar Samhan 20.9-11-3 blocks Mickey McConnell 13.7-5.2 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 19/82

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): St Mary's by 1. Another toss up. I really like Richmond, so I'm going with them.

3 Baylor Bears 25-7

How they got here: At large (Big 12 2nd place 3 way tie)

Best Players: LaceDarius Dunn 19.4-4.8 Tweety Carter 15.8-6.1 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 5/52

14 Sam Houston St Bearkats 25-7

How they got here: (Southland Tournament Champions) 

Best Players: Gilberto Clavell 16.9-6.3 Corey Allmond 15.9-2.4

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 56/178

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Baylor by 13. I think Baylor would win, but I think SHS can give them a run for their money. 

6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 23-11

How they got here: At large (Big East 7th place)

Best Players: Luke Harangody 22.4-9.2 Tim Abromaitis 16.3-4.8

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 4/140

11 Old Dominion Monarchs 26-8

How they got here: Colonial Tournament Champions

Best Players: Gerald Lee 14.6-4.9 Frank Hassell 8.9-6.6

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 72/16

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Old Dominion by 1. A third toss up. I have to go with the Monarchs. I don't know about Slow-tre Dame just yet, and ODU can d up. I'm going upset. 

Villanova 77 Cincinnati 73

(Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

The Cincinnati Bearcats showed heart Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough to overcome Villanova and loss #13. Cincinnati is now 16-13, 7-10. Villanova pretty much wrapped up the second spot in the Big East tournament I believe, as they are now 24-5, 13-4. The game was pretty weird to watch, because the first half was relatively normal, and the second was plagued by horrible officiating. Not just on UC, but on both ends. Both teams were at 6 fouls before the first media timeout. The second half took 77 minutes. That kind of disjointed effort by the whistle blowers matched the disjointed effort on the court. Before we dive too deep into the game action, I want to say thanks to the fans that showed up and gave a great ovation to the seniors, especially Deonta Vaughn, and got loud when we needed it. There was a 'Thank You Vaughn' chant near the end, and I, and Mick, and Deonta appreciate it. Maybe we'll see Deonta in one last home game in whatever post season tournament UC is playing in a couple weeks. 

Deonta Vaughn started Senior Night the best way that he knew how, starting the scoring action off with a 3 to a nice ovation. Antonio Pena responded with 4 straight points on a basket and free throws. Lance Stephenson put UC back in the lead on a tip off his own shot, but Corey Stokes got hot. After Mouphtaou Yarou made one free throw, and Steve Toyloy scored on a pump fake, Stokes nailed a pair of 3s to give Villanova the advantage. Pena scored on a putback, and 6:25 in, it was 13-7. Mick Cronin changed the line up around some, and we had a Biggie McClain sighting. I don't know why either. Reggie Reddding iced a step back j to push the Nova run to 10-0, before Deonta scored on a spin move runner off the glass. Vaughn followed with a 3 of his own, and forced a steal that Rashad Bishop couldn't convert from in close. But, Nova would miss and Cashmere Wright would 'cash' in on a jumper on the women's 3 point line to bring the crowd to it's feet and Jay Wright to call a timeout. The 7 point run made it 15-14. Out of the timeout, Stokes hit another 3. On the way up the floor, Cronin was hit with a technical. He objected to a couple of non called push offs and I think a non call travel before the 3. Stokes made 1 of 2 at the line for a 5 point lead. Yancy Gates got involved by getting to the line, and made 2. The teams were settling for jumpers, and there were stretches where there was no scoring. At the 10 minute mark up 3, the Wildcats went on another run. Yarou hit a jumpshot, Pena tipped a telegraphed pass by Vaughn intended for Gates to Scottie Reynolds, who would hit the big man for a lay up, and Corey Fisher would ice a 3. That would be the last Nova field goal for a while, and UC would take advantage. A put back by Ibrahima Thomas, and a step up jumper by Bishop cut the lead to 26-20 at the 6:52 timeout. Pena would make 1 of 2 free throws, before Bishop hit a runner off a rebound. Reynolds would turn the ball over, leading to a Larry Davis to Gates lay up and a foul, which Gates converted to make it 27-25. The teams clanked jumpers, exchanged offensive fouls, and turned the ball over for the next few minutes until Dominic Cheek was fouled by Thomas and made one. After a wild 3 attempt by Vaughn, Taylor King threw a pass right to Ibby, who fed Vaughn racing up the court. The senior would score with a foul. He drilled the free throw and tied the score. Corey Fisher hit a 3 for Nova's first field goal in 7:38. The half ended when Deonta Vaughn got a friendly bounce from the rim (foreshadowing alert) to send us in the locker room tied at 31. 

Villanova shot 10-24, 5-11 from three, and 6-10 at the stripe. They gathered 16 rebounds, 6 offensive. The Wildcats scoring was done by Stokes 10-3, Pena 9-6, Fisher 6, Yarou 3, and Redding 2. Scottie Reynolds had 2 assists. For Cincinnati, they shot 12-31, 3-13 from deep, and 4-4 at the stripe. The Bearcats pulled home 14 rebounds, 6 offensive. They were powered by Deonta Vaughn's 14, but also Gates had 5, Bishop 4, Stephenson 2-4, Thomas 2-3, Toyloy 2, and Wright 2. UC had 5 assists on 12 shots, continuing the trend of solid first half passing.

Mike DeCourcy wrote something interesting in his column after the game. He said teams don't need to change line ups to start the second half and play the starters again. UC went on their run with Thomas, Davis, Gates, Vaughn and Stephenson, but started the half back with Toyloy. Toyloy couldn't hang with the Nova front line in the first half and didn't play much after the 15-7 lead, and half 2 started the same way. Yarou was wide open underneath for a lay up from Redding, who forced a steal from Gates, and found Reynolds for 3. It was the first basket by the senior. Fisher drove to the basket, got fouled, made both for a 7 point lead. Vaughn scored the first UC point of the half on a free throw, but it was on the miss that shit got real. On the rebound, Antonio Pena got reached in on, so he threw an elbow back at Yancy Gates. Gates got in his face before Larry Davis pulled them apart. Both got technicals, and Pena a personal. Pena scored the next point on a free throw, and on the next Nova possession, Yarou was fouled. As he walked to the line, he got a little shove by Gates, who was taken out of the game. Yarou made 1, but after a UC miss, Reynolds knocked down a 3. 43-32 would be the under 16 timeout score. UC settled for 3s nearly this whole time. Both teams went zone, but Nova's zone was sagging in on Gates letting the UC wing players fire up bricks as they are wont to do. Steve Toyloy of all people fired up a 15 footer that was nowhere near close. At the 14 minute mark, UC got their first basket of the half as Vaughn hit a cutting Bishop. Bishop followed with a 3 after Stephenson grabbed a rebound, raced up the court and dropped the ball off to him. On UC's next possession, Toyloy had the ball on the block, he turned, his defender flopped, allowing Toyloy to pass to Lance for 2 and a 7-0 UC run. Nova would run the lead right back though. Maalik Wayns broke the UC zone by finding Yarou. Deonta Vaughn dribbled the ball up court, and while dribbling off the right shoulder, simply lost the ball. Wayns picked it up, and foul Taylor King, who dunked with a foul on Vaughn. King missed the free throw, but Nova had a 45-37 advantage at the under 12. Yancy Gates would draw a foul before the timeout, and after he made both free throws. Stokes (over a double team) and Gates exchanged buckets, and after a Bishop put back, Nova would extend the 4 point lead. Scottie Reynolds fueled an 8-0 run with 3 free throws after Bishop hit his arm while he was shooting a 3, he fed Yarou for 2, and dropped another 3 for a 57-45 lead at 8:23 and a Cronin timeout. UC continued to brick 3s, with Larry Davis being one of the worst offenders. Larry was 0-5, and none of them looked close. He's lost a lot of confidence in his j this year. If the first doesn't fall, none of them do. Out the break, Rashad Bishop took the ball to the rim, GASP, for a traditional 3 point play. But Yarou found Stokes for a dunk, Stephenson bricked a pair of free throws, Redding hit a 3, and Stokes hit a pair from the charity stripe. With under 7 minutes to go, Nova lead 64-48. With their backs, and season, against the wall, UC fought back hard. Stephenson converted a traditional 3 point play. Reynolds made a pair of free throws for Nova here, 66-51. Jaquon Parker, who hadn't played since the USF game 2 weeks ago, scored 5 in a row on a spin move for a lay up, and an open 3. Rashad Bishop got a piece of a Taylor King 3 attempt, on the other end Vaughn nailed one. With 4:26 on the clock, Nova lead by 7. Nova would travel, and Stephenson took advantage by drawing a foul. He missed both, but Yancy Gates pulled down a huge rebound and scored. Lance stole the ball from Redding, made both, cutting the deficit to 3. Reynolds missed an open 3 for Nova. On the UC possession, Stephenson missed a chance to tie, but Bishop flew down the lane for a put back to make it 66-65. A 17-2 run with the season on the line. Redding was fouled, and made both. Parker missed a 3 to tie, but Redding got a 3 to bounce off the rim, off the backboard and down after it looked like Reynolds traveled with 1:31 left. It was Nova's first basket in 5:30 and a huge one. Gates cut the lead to 4 on free throws, and UC got a steal when Stokes slipped on the inbound and the ball was passed right to Stephenson. He passed to Vaughn open on the right wing, but it was shades of Marquette as Deonta missed. There was a jumpball on the rebound, and UC had the arrow. But, Bishop missed a 3, and Vaughn had a foot out of bounds while trying to tie up the long rebound. With 40.3 to go, Reynolds hit 2 free throws. Vaughn missed a runner, but Redding only made 1 ft for Nova. Stephenson got fouled, but missed both. Taylor King made both for an 8 point lead. UC's last second rally saw Stephenson score a traditional 3 point play, Nova travel, and Bishop hit a 3. But with 3.2 left, Reynolds hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to 4, and the final score.

Villanova finished 21-44 47.7%, 10-21 47.6% from deep, and 25-35 at the stripe. They pulled home 28 rebounds, 6 offensive. Reynolds had 17, all in the second half, and 5 assists, Stokes 14-4, Redding 11, Pena 10-7, Yarou 10-2, Fisher 10, King 4-5, Cheek 1. Wayns had 3 assists, crucial in spreading the lead. Cincinnati was 26-66 39.4%, 7-30 23.3%, 14-21 66% at the line. They gathered 31 rebounds, 14 offensive. Rashad Bishop had 19, 15 in half two, Vaughn 18-3 assists, Gates 13-5, Stephenson 12-7, Parker 5, Thomas 2-3, Wright 2-3, and Toyloy 2. 

All congratulations to Villanova. They played hard, and executed when they had to. Reynolds was great in the second half, and Redding was key. Rashad Bishop really brought it in the second half for UC when we needed it. Vaughn had a great first half. Stephenson played overall solid. The things that hurt tonight were the same things that hurt all season. Big opponent run, check. Offensive ineptitude, check. Jacking up 3s, check. Missing big free throws, check. Getting torched on d at the wrong times, check. In many ways, this has been a lost season. Cincinnati has had chance, after chance, after chance to close out games and they haven't. The effort seems to vacillate between 'we really want to play hard' and 'we could be playing right now.' It's so frustrating to watch some of these things day in and day out. It was a hell of a comeback, but it ended the same way they all do. Missed open 3, check. Defensive breakdown, check. Missed chances, check. Missed tournament, check?

Know Your Opponent: Villanova Wildcats edition

Tonight at 7 on ESPN2 , the Cincinnati Bearcats host the mighty Villanova Wildcats in the final regular season home game. I beg you one last time to come early for the Senior Day activities, and to give a great showing of support to Deonta Vaughn. And also to Steve Toyloy. I thanked both in this post, and feel free to thank them there as well. It should be quite special. In the midst of all the thanking, there is a very important game to be played. The Bearcats are currently on the outside looking in for the Big Dance, while Nova has been struggling as of late, losing 3 of 4. Granted they were to UConn, Pitt and Syracuse, but Nova seems ripe for a beating. Then again, Mick Cronin has never, eeeeevvvvveeeerrrrr, as Chris Jericho used to say, won a game in March at Cincinnati. It's going to take quite the effort from the men in white to get over the hump. The Bearcats haven't beaten a team ahead of them in the standings this season, and last I checked, Nova is up in second. In times like this, all we can do is cheer for victory, and cheer for #5. That's exactly what our friends at the great Villanova site I Bleed Blue and White will be doing, except probably not. In lieu of a Bearcats logo, I'm going to use a picture of Deonta Vaughn. He deserves it. Let's hit the numbers.

Big East Breakdown

The Big East season is in full swing. Everyone has played 8 games, except Louisville, West Virginia and UConn who played 7, and Georgetown who played 9. I figure we look at who everyone beat, who beat them, who they have for the next 5 conference games, their chances on winning the regular season, conference tournament and making the NCAA. It'll be easier than it sounds.

1. Villanova Wildcats 8-0. 19-1
Key Players: Scottie Reynolds 18.7 pts 3.3 assts. Corey Fisher 13.3 pts 4.3 asst. Antonio Pena 10.8 pts 7.6 rbs
Who They Beat: Marquette (2), Louisville, DePaul, Georgetown, Rutgers, St John's, Notre Dame
Who Beat Them: No one
Who's Next: Seton Hall, @Georgetown, @West Virginia, Providence, UConn
Regular Season Champ %: 74. They travel to Pitt and Syracuse as well as the games above. They have tough sledding ahead.
B.E Tournament Champ%: 78.
NCAA %: 100. Only an injury or a severe fade keeps the Wildcats out

2. Syracuse Orange 7-1. 20-1
Key Players: Wesley Johnson 17.1 pts 9 rbs. Andy Rautins 10.6 pts 5.2 assts Kris Joseph 10.2 pts 5.1 rbs

Who They Beat: Seton Hall, South Florida, Rutgers, West Virginia, Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown

Who Beat Them: Pittsburgh

Who's Next: @DePaul, Providence, @Cincinnati, UConn, Louisville

Regular Season Champ %: 84. I really like this Orange team. They play together great, and they lock down defensively. I think Wes Johnson is the best player in the Big East. 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 83. I think right now they are the favorites to do what Louisville did last year. However, I don't think it will happen

NCAA %: 100. Same reason as above

3. Pittsburgh Panthers 6-2. 16-4

Key Players: Ashton Gibbs 17.1 pts 2.9 rbs. Brad Wanamaker 12.8 pts 6.6 rbs 4.3 assts Gilbert Brown 9.7 pts 3.6 rbs

Who They Beat: DePaul, Syracuse, Cincinnati, UConn, Louisville, St John's

Who Beat Them: Georgetown, Seton Hall

Who's Next: @South Florida, @WVU, Seton Hall, WVU, @Marquette

Regular Season Champ %: 72. Pitt might have played their best basketball of the season, but there is a chance they could get 8 more wins in conference. They have proved that were better than everyone thought coming into the season.

B.E Tournament Champ%: 62. I don't think this is the type of team that could make a run in MSG

NCAA %: 96. They have some good wins, and they should make it

4. West Virginia Mountaineers 5-2. 16-3

Key Players: Da'Sean Butler 15.9 pts 6.4 rbs 3.5 assts. Kevin Jones 14.1 pts 7.8 rbs. Devin Ebanks 11.5 pts 8 rbs

Who They Beat: Seton Hall, Marquette, Rutgers, South Florida, DePaul

Who Beat Them: Notre Dame, Syracuse

Who's Next: Louisville, Pittsburgh, @St Johns, Villanova, @Pittsburgh

Regular Season Champ %: 66. The schedule toughens up on Hugg's boys. The lack of a point guard has hurt them in all their losses, and I think it's going to hurt their chances of winning the regular season.

B.E Tournament Champ%: 70. This is the type of team that could be a nightmare in the BET

NCAA %: 95. They have a nice resume, and shouldn't drop that many BE games to make it an issue. How long they last in the tournament is another story.

5. Georgetown Hoyas 6-3. 15-4

Key Players: Andy Freeman 16 pts 3.9 rbs. Greg Monroe 14.8 pts 10.1 rbs. Chris Wright 14.6 pts 4.2 assts

Who They Beat: St John's, DePaul, UConn, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Rutgers 

Who Beat Them: Marquette, Villanova, Syracuse

Who's Next: South Florida, Villanova, @Providence, @Rutgers, Syracuse

Regular Season Champ %: 69. There's a chance they could run the table. They play @Louisville, and @WVU though. There's also a chance they could not score, and they could lose to anyone. 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 60. I don't like this squad to pull off a run like that.

NCAA %: 93. They beat Temple and Butler non conference, and they'll finish above .500 in the BE, which should be enough. 

6. Louisville Cardinals 4-3. 13-7

Key Players: Samardo Samuels 15.9 pts 7.6 rbs. Edgar Sosa 13.9 pts 3.8 assts. Preston Knowles 8.8 pts 3.8 rbs

Who They Beat: South Florida, Providence, St John's, Cincinnati

Who Beat Them: Villanova, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall

Who's Next: @WVU, UConn, Rutgers, @St John's, @Syracuse

Regular Season Champ %: 9. The odds fall off the charts after Georgetown. The middle of the conference is good, do not get me wrong. But they can't afford to slip up the rest of the way to catch Nova and Syracuse. 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 20. Louisville jumped out to big leads on Nova and Pitt, and with their pressure they could pull off the 4 day sweep. However, they lost to Nova and Pitt, so they could lose day 1. 

NCAA %: 64. Louisville doesn't really have much in the resume, but I think they are a little better than the rest of the Big East, and will find a way to make it in the Big Dance.

7. Cincinnati Bearcats 4-4. 13-7

Key Players: We know who they are, we can skip this part

Who They Beat: UConn, Rutgers, Notre Dame, South Florida

Who Beat Them: Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, St John's, Louisville

Who's Next: Providence, @Notre Dame, Syracuse, @UConn, @South Florida

Regular Season Champ %: 5. 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 11. I don't think there is much chance UC could run the gauntlet of the BET. I think that they need to win some games in it though. They need the first round bye. 

NCAA %: 60. The wins over Maryland and Vandy look good, so do wins over fellow bubblers ND and UConn. The Bearcats have to get some wins now.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-4. 15-6

Key Players: Luke Harangody 24.5 pts 9.9 rbs. Tim Abromaitis 16.7 pts 4.5 rbs. Ben Hansbrough 11.5 pts 5 assts

Who They Beat: Providence, South Florida, West Virginia, DePaul

Who Beat Them: UConn, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Villanova

Who's Next: @Rutgers, Cincinnati, South Florida, @Seton Hall, St John's

Regular Season Champ %: 5. It could be higher, but they play no defense

B.E Tournament Champ%: 15. It's not out of the realm of possibility this team shoots lights out for 4 days. 

NCAA %: 61. ND doesn't have much in their resume, but they can get over 20 wins and that might be enough. The next 5 games are crucial. If they lose any, their chances go down a lot. 

7. Providence Friars 4-4. 12-8

Key Players: Jamine Peterson 17.9 pts 10.3 rbs. Sharaud Curry 15 pts 3.8 assts. Marshon Brooks 15 pts 4.6 rbs

Who They Beat: St John's, Rutgers, DePaul, UConn

Who Beat Them: Notre Dame, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida

Who's Next: @Cincinnati, @Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, @Villanova

Regular Season Champ %: 5. They also don't play much defense, and have a brutal stretch as you can see.

B.E Tournament Champ%: 10

NCAA %: 20. I just don't see it for the Friars. They lost to Iona, which is their only bad loss, and also lost to every other good team they've played. 

10. Connecticut Huskies 3-4. 13-7

Key Players: Jerome Dyson 19.1 pts 4.9 assts 4.7 rbs. Stanley Robinson 16.8 pts 7.4 rbs. Kemba Walker 13.4 pts 6.2 assts 4.1 rbs

Who They Beat: Notre Dame, Seton Hall, St John's 

Who Beat Them: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Providence 

Who's Next: @Louisville, DePaul, @Syracuse, Cincinnati, @Villanova

Regular Season Champ %: 8. Just because of the talent level. I doubt they win any of the road games though. Maybe Louisville, since they match up well with them it seems. But without Calhoun, who knows? 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 10. Talent level respect, even though they would have to win 5 games in 5 days at this point. 

NCAA %: 60. I don't know what to make of UConn. They are wildly inconsistent. The win over Texas could help, but that out be an outlier. The beat down against Providence was surprising. 

11. South Florida Bulls 3-5. 13-7

Key Players: Dominique Jones 21.4 pts 6 rbs 4.3 assts. Jarrid Famous 11.7 pts 8.1 rbs. Chris Howard 9.7 pts 3.9 rbs

Who They Beat: Rutgers, Providence, Seton Hall

Who Beat Them: Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, West Virginia, Cincinnati

Who's Next: Pittsburgh, @Georgetown, @Notre Dame, @Marquette, Cincinnati

Regular Season Champ %: 3. What a ridiculous schedule

B.E Tournament Champ%: 6. No way a team runs all 5 games, but Dom. Jones gives them a fighters chance every night.

NCAA %: 11. Stranger things have happened. They have won 2 in a row, and get Augustus Gilchrist back soon

11. Seton Hall Pirates 3-5. 12-7

Key Players: Jeremy Hazell 22.5 pts 3.6 rbs. Herb Pope 12.3 pts 11.4 rbs. Jeff Robinson 9.7 pts 5.5 rbs

Who They Beat: Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh

Who Beat Them: West Virginia, Syracuse, UConn, Georgetown, South Florida

Who's Next: @Villanova, @Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, DePaul, @St John's

Regular Season Champ %: 4. 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 6. Maybe Hazell shoots out of his mind for a week. 

NCAA %: 35. The Pirates looked like they were making a move, and then lost to South Florida. They don't have the most brutal schedule, but they play 6 road games and I don't trust them.

11. Marquette Golden Eagles 3-5. 12-8

Key Players: Lazar Hayward 18.1 pts 7.7 rbs. Jimmy Butler 14.8 pts 6.6 rbs. Darius Johnson-Odom 12.4 pts 2.4 assts

Who They Beat: Georgetown, Providence, Rutgers

Who Beat Them: West Virginia, Villanova (2), DePaul, Syarcuse

Who's Next: @UConn, DePaul, @Providence, South Florida, Pittsburgh

Regular Season Champ %: 5. Their schedule eases up some, and I think the Eagles can make a run to the middle of the pack. 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 6. They have a nice team, but a propensity for losing close games. I don't think there's enough there to go on that big a run.

NCAA %: 29. They have 2 good wins against Xavier and Georgetown, but not much else. Their  close game losses are really hurting their portfolio. 

14. St John's Red Storm 2-6. 12-8

Key Players: DJ Kennedy 15 pts 6.4 rbs 3.2 assts. Dwight Hardy 11.9 pts 2.3 rbs. Paris Horne 8.3 pts 2.3 rbs

Who They Beat: Cincinnati, DePaul

Who Beat Them: Georgetown, Providence, Louisville, UConn, Villanova, Pittsburgh

Who's Next: @Rutgers, WVU, Louisville, @Notre Dame, Seton Hall

Regular Season Champ %: 3. 

B.E Tournament Champ%: 3. They would have to go on a crazy run to get a bye. Maybe they could win a game though.

NCAA %: 15. 

15. DePaul Blue Demons 1-7. 8-12

Key Players: Will Walker 16.1 pts 3.2 rbs. Mack Koswahl 14 pts 10.5 rbs Mike Stoval 7.1 pts 2.7 rbs

Who They Beat: Marquette

Who Beat Them: Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, St John's, Notre Dame, West Virginia

Who's Next: Syracuse, @Marquette, @UConn, @Seton Hall, Rutgers

Regular Season Champ %: 2. At least they won a conference game

B.E Tournament Champ%: 2. They were 1/5 of the way there last year. 

NCAA %: 2. 

16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 0-8. 9-11

Key Players: Mike Rosario 15.3 pts 4.2 rbs. Jonathan Mitchell 10.1 pts 5.1 rbs. Hamady Ndiaye 9.1 pts 6.5 rbs. 

Who They Beat: No one

Who Beat Them: Cincinnati, West Virginia, Providence, Syracuse, South Florida, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette

Who's Next: Notre Dame, St John's, @Louisville, Georgetown, @DePaul

Regular Season Champ %: 1

B.E Tournament Champ%: 1. The 16 seed won a game last year

NCAA %: 1. Everyone has a chance, no matter how small.

Bearcats Blog Top 26

This is a Cincinnati Bearcats blog, maybe THE Cincinnati Bearcats blog (not really), but occasionally I think that we should take a look around the nation and see what's up with the what's up. That's street lingo for see what's happening around the nation. Everyone knows that the best way to do that is to make a list of the Top 26 teams of the country. Why 26? Because I hit 6 instead of 5. Sometimes life throws you curveballs like that. You have to roll with them, or they will roll you. Write that down kiddies, because that is advice for life. I bet you didn't see that coming in a Top 26 list post. This isn't going to be a list of the AP top 25, it's going to be better. How? Take a look. It's in a book. Reading rainbow. 

1. Kentucky Wildcats 19-0. Up next: @South Carolina. I have Kentucky here because they are undefeated. I don't really think they are the best team, but as the Nature Boy says, to be the man, you have to beat the man. No one has beaten Kentucky. They have one of the best players, if not the best, in John Wall. Cousins and Bledsoe are also really good, and there's that Patterson fellow. The only problem is that Kentucky fans are the worst. I hope they go undefeated and lose to a 16 seed.
2. Syracuse Orange 20-1. Up next: @DePaul. Pittsburgh is one of those teams that matches up well with Syracuse, and I think it's clear that Pitt was playing their best ball of the season against the Orange. They aren't the most talented team, but they play great together. Wes Johnson is a stud, and barring injury or turning into Eric Devandorf, he's going to be the Big East Player of the Year.
3. Kansas Jayhawks 19-1. Up next: @Kansas State. Kansas has the most talent out of any team but maybe Kentucky. They have pros at every position with Sherron Collins, Xavier Henry (we should pronounce Xavier za-vee-eh because fuck Xavier), Cole Aldrich and Marcus Morris. They are Kansas, so a tournament flameout is a possibility. I think they are at least Elite 8 material. 
4. Texas Longhorns 17-2. Up next: Texas Tech. Yeah they lost twice last week, but they lost on the road to good teams. They don't have a point guard, can't shoot free throws and Rick Barnes looks stupid. Whatever. They are going to be a 1 seed. If they aren't, your money back. 
5. Duke Blue Devils 16-3. Up next: Florida State. When I clicked on the Duke team page on ESPN, Dick Vitale started yelling at me. Duke isn't great, but they are good, deal with it. They will probably, no they will definitely choke in the tournament to all of our delight, but Jon Scheyer is for reals. 
6. Villanova Wildcats 18-1. Up next: Notre Dame. I'm not sold on Villanova. I would have dropped them lower in fact, but have you taken a look at the teams ranked under them? Scottie Reynolds is really good, and probably the second best player in the Big East. Jay Wright is a good coach and I wouldn't mind hanging out at hotel bar drinking gin and tonics with him while talking about our short games on the golf course. But, they stink of overration from last year's tournament and quite frankly, they are going down early this year. 
7. Michigan State Spartains 17-3. Up next: @Michigan. Michigan State barely beat Minnesota and Iowa came back on them. So of course they are ranked over Texas in the stupid polls because Texas beat them and has a better record. Oh wait, the reason is because voters are ass hats. Michigan State is undefeated in the Big 11, but they haven't played Purdue. 
8. Purdue Boilermakers 16-3. Up next: Wisconsin. Purdue already lost to Wisconsin, but they are ranked over Wisconsin because they haven't lost to Wisconsin Green Bay. Purdue is going to mess up every bracket that I fill out this year because I will either be infatuated with them and have them go deep, or I will have hate in my heart and have them lose early. Is this a post on how teams are now, or how they are going to be? I'm not sure, it kinda changed didn't it? 
9. Gonzaga Bulldogs 16-3. Up next: Santa Clara. They haven't beaten anyone worth a damn since they lost to Duke, but they are winning and looking good. They are probably going to roll through the conference with 0 or 1 loss, and they are going to be dangerous as usual. 
10. Brigham Young Cougars 20-1. Up next: @New Mexico. Jimmer Fredette is a stud, and he highlights this overlooked team. BYU somehow lost to Utah State, but don't let that fool you. They are running over the solid Mountain West. They are also a team that I'm penciling into the Sweet 16 right now. 
11. Kansas State Wildcats 16-3. Up next: @Baylor. Jacob Pullen is Amish. Any player that inspires Frank Martin to wear a fake beard is cool in my book. Denis Clemente is also very good, but he spells Denis weird and all of his friends secretly don't like it. They are a flame out early team. Probably not a 3 who loses to a 14, but a 4 that loses to a 13 if it comes to that. 
12. West Virginia Mountaineers 15-3. Up next: @DePaul. Does anyone think that West Virginia is going anywhere this year without a point guard? I sure don't. Da'Sean Butler is great, but he can't do it all on his own, he's no superman. 
13. Temple Owls 17-3. Up next: @Charlotte. Boring ol' Temple is ranked this high not just because they beat Xavier, but because they are good. I think that they have the makings of a dangerous team in March. They will either play a 1 seed like Texas and terrorize them and win, or they will play a 1 seed like Kansas and get blown out again. There is no in between for the Owls. 
14. Wisconsin Badgers 16-4. Up next: @Purdue. Boring ol' Wisconsin follows boring ol' Temple in the boring teams section of the Top 26. Wisky is always solid, and always a boring team to watch. Even in close games, you think 'why couldn't Wisconsin be interesting a full 40 minutes?' Sorry Badger fans, you know this. 
15. Pittsburgh Panthers 15-4. Up next: St John's. Pitt seems to be falling off a little, but I think they have a better squad than the rest of the teams. In 3 weeks when Pitt is 18-9, remind me of how stupid this ranking was.
16. Tennessee Volunteers 15-3. Up next: Vanderbilt. Tennessee has some good talent, talent that is stupid enough to get arrested, but good talent. They are really tough to be in Knoxville, but they don't play every game there. I think the Georgia loss exposed them a lot.
17. Baylor Bears 15-3. Up next: Kansas State. This is going to look really stupid when Baylor loses to K State and Texas back to back. Having said that, I've really bought into the Bears. They nearly beat Kansas, and they destroyed UMass Saturday. Ekpe Udoh is a monster on defense, and he can pop a triple. I've kept my eye on them since they beat Xavier, and I like the looks of this team.
18. Ohio State 14-6. Up next: @IowaZack10Bucks. The Buckeyes are a completely different team with the 'Villain' Evan Turner. Turner is actually my choice for player of the year, and he carries the Bucks. The only problem is that all of Ohio State's players like watching him too instead of playing. And oh my god Wally Szczerbiak is on some random CBS College Sports show. I'll never forget the Utah game World.
19. Georgetown Hoyas 15-4. Up next: Duke. This is the time of year Georgetown gets exposed. They were pummeled by Syracuse. They will lose to the Dukies. Georgetown gets a reprieve with USF, followed by another loss against Villanova. They are UC with better talent. Their offense goes in the tank with the best of them.
20. Mississippi Rebels 15-4. Up next: @Auburn. The Rebs get Auburn and Arkansas before their showdown with Kentucky. That's essentially a bye. I haven't seen them play, and I put them here because of their record and because I like Andy Kennedy. I don't think AK should have gotten the UC job, so save your emails.
21. New Mexico Lobos 18-3. Up next: BYU. New Mexico is a very good team that is underrated because the Mountain West decided to be stupid and not continue their contract on ESPN. The Lobos have Darington Hobson, who not only has a kick ass name, but he can play. Hook up your satellite dish, or find a stream or something and watch their game against BYU Wednesday.
22. Northern Iowa Panthers 17-2. Up next: The Drake. Northern Iowa lost to DePaul before losing a non head scratcher against the dreaded Shockers of Wichita State. UNI will be a 10 or 11 seed I'll pick to win in the Dance and they will totally screw me over. 
23. Florida State Seminoles 15-4. Up next: @Duke. Florida State just beat Georgia Tech to sweep the season series, yet the pollsters ranked Georgia Tech, who also has a worse record. Florida State would have a better chance to beat Duke in Tallahassee, but they can give them a game in Cameron Indoor. I used to love watching Florida State when they had Bob Sura and Charlie Ward. 
24. Connecticut Huskies 13-6. Up next: @Providence. I nearly didn't rank UConn until I looked to see who they had coming up. I think they'll sweep Providence, Marquette and Louisville. Louisville just matches up poorly with UConn every year it seems, and I think the Huskies are turning the corner. They probably won't have another game like against Texas, but the fact they can have games like that intrigues me.
25. Vanderbilt Commodores 15-3. Up next: @Tennessee. I would have ranked Vandy higher, but I think they are going to lose their next 3 against Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi State. Their court is funky, but I have to admit that I like it. 
26. Butler Bulldogs 16-4. Up next: @Wis-Green Bay. Butler bit off a little more than they could chew early on. They are rounding into form now though. I certainly wouldn't want the gritty Bulldogs in the big dance.