02/13/10 Cincinnati at Connecticut

[Downtown Brown]

Noon

 

[swg]

Big game for Cronin, if not for the Cats. I want to see the team come out motivated, hustling, and fighting for rebounds/loose balls.

 

[TheFranchise]

Is this Micks most important game in his UC coaching career? Obviously its a must win. Obviously the next 4 games are the ones we MUST win if we are to reach the NCAA Tourny. I don't see us winning any of the last 3 games, so we need these next 4 and 1 or 2 in the Big East Tourny. But if this game get ugly, then I can see us not winning another game the rest of the year. I just hope Stanley Robinson doesn't dunk on someones skull.

 

[swg]

I don't know if it's the most important game, but this end stretch sure could help or hurt his coaching tenure, in a big way.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Is this Micks most important game in his UC coaching career? Obviously its a must win. Obviously the next 4 games are the ones we MUST win if we are to reach the NCAA Tourny. I don't see us winning any of the last 3 games, so we need these next 4 and 1 or 2 in the Big East Tourny. But if this game get ugly, then I can see us not winning another game the rest of the year. I just hope Stanley Robinson doesn't dunk on someones skull.

More so than any other game, but we aren't dead in the water if we lose.

The team needs to come out strong and play with energy.

I want a shortened rotation!!!!! Only play 7 guys and we will win!

 

[bearcats23]

I think we at least need to go 3-1 over the next 4 games to stay alive, and then steal one of the last three. Winning the next 4 would be great, but I just don't see it happening. They are all winnable games, but they are all going to be tough games against 4 good teams. Unfortunately I could see us also going 1-3 in this stretch. Regardless, the next 4 games will either save our season or bury us for good. Here's my optimistic prediction...

@ UCONN - Loss
@ South Florida - Win
Marquette - Win
Depaul - Win

@ WVU - Loss
Villanova - Loss
@ Georgetown - Win

This would give put us at 18-12 and 9-9 and squarely on the bubble. One win in the Big East tourney puts us on the bad end of the bubble, two wins and I would feel decent about our chances.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

I think we at least need to go 3-1 over the next 4 games to stay alive, and then steal one of the last three. Winning the next 4 would be great, but I just don't see it happening. They are all winnable games, but they are all going to be tough games against 4 good teams. Unfortunately I could see us also going 1-3 in this stretch. Regardless, the next 4 games will either save our season or bury us for good. Here's my optimistic prediction...

@ UCONN - Loss
@ South Florida - Win
Marquette - Win
Depaul - Win

@ WVU - Loss
Villanova - Loss
@ Georgetown - Win

This would give put us at 18-12 and 9-9 and squarely on the bubble. One win in the Big East tourney puts us on the bad end of the bubble, two wins and I would feel decent about our chances.

Yep. That is WORST case scenario.

We need to get a minimum of 4 wins in the remaining 7. It's going to be tough, but Uconn would be a HUGE start in the right direction.

My momma always said, "better late than never!"

 

[TheLivingLegend]

This team has shown me nothing to make me believe that we can win this game on the road.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

This team has shown me nothing to make me believe that we can win this game on the road.

I disagree.

While we have shown the propensity to lose road games, I think we have the personnel to get road victories.

ND was our only road blowout in conference. We had Syracuse down with approximately 10 minutes remaining then caved.

We fought back time and again at Louisville, but couldn't get the key stops we needed.

This team has shown me an ability to play well.

Hopefully we can put it together for Uconn.

 

[swg]

What they don't have the ability to do is finish games well. I'm not sure why, but it happens all too often. Could be lack of confidence, coaching, stamina/conditioning, substitutions, tentativeness, you name it. I'm guessing more than one is the problem.

 

[TheFranchise]

I disagree.

While we have shown the propensity to lose road games, I think we have the personnel to get road victories.

ND was our only road blowout in conference. We had Syracuse down with approximately 10 minutes remaining then caved.

We fought back time and again at Louisville, but couldn't get the key stops we needed.

This team has shown me an ability to play well.

Hopefully we can put it together for Uconn.

What does the Syrcause game have anything to do with winning on the road? I agree with LivingLegend on this one, I have seen nothing out of us on the road which makes me think this game will even be close.

 

[TheFranchise]

I think we at least need to go 3-1 over the next 4 games to stay alive, and then steal one of the last three. Winning the next 4 would be great, but I just don't see it happening. They are all winnable games, but they are all going to be tough games against 4 good teams. Unfortunately I could see us also going 1-3 in this stretch. Regardless, the next 4 games will either save our season or bury us for good. Here's my optimistic prediction...

@ UCONN - Loss
@ South Florida - Win
Marquette - Win
Depaul - Win

@ WVU - Loss
Villanova - Loss
@ Georgetown - Win

This would give put us at 18-12 and 9-9 and squarely on the bubble. One win in the Big East tourney puts us on the bad end of the bubble, two wins and I would feel decent about our chances.

You truly think we could win at GTOWN? There is no way of that happening unless Gates mans up for once, but that will not happen.

 

[bearcats23]

You truly think we could win at GTOWN? There is no way of that happening unless Gates mans up for once, but that will not happen.

I didn't think we would win there last year but we did. So do I think it's possible? Sure. It probably isn't likely but that's my upset pick. We beat them twice last year, with one of those at Georgetown. They have lost games against Old Dominion and South Florida already this year. Providence played them tough in a game at Providence last night.

Georgetown has beaten some good teams this year, but they've also shown that they're beatable. I think that game is more winnable than the previous two games on our schedule against WVU and Nova.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

What they don't have the ability to do is finish games well. I'm not sure why, but it happens all too often. Could be lack of confidence, coaching, stamina/conditioning, substitutions, tentativeness, you name it. I'm guessing more than one is the problem.

I think the problem is too many substitutions.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

What does the Syrcause game have anything to do with winning on the road? I agree with LivingLegend on this one, I have seen nothing out of us on the road which makes me think this game will even be close.

I was merely citing an example that we can hang tough with just about any team in the country. Beating those teams is a different matter.

Fortunately, we don't share the same pessimism regarding our chances of winning a road game or "even" making it close.

Let's hope for both of our sakes that I'm right and you're wrong.

 

[TheFranchise]

I was merely citing an example that we can hang tough with just about any team in the country. Beating those teams is a different matter.

Fortunately, we don't share the same pessimism regarding our chances of winning a road game or "even" making it close.

Let's hope for both of our sakes that I'm right and you're wrong.

I agree with you on the last part, hopefully I am wrong, but I just haven't seen anything during road games that makes me feel good about those games, especially at WVU and at GTOWN. UCONN and USF are winnable games on the raod but we will see.

 

[ready2go]

The Franchise is pointing out reality and Bearcat Alum is along the lines of on any given game which is also a valid point.

Also agreed, hopefully The Franchise is wrong, but it's hard to disregard the lack of closing games with this team and road wins.

 

[TheFranchise]

The Franchise is pointing out reality and Bearcat Alum is along the lines of on any given game which is also a valid point.

Also agreed, hopefully The Franchise is wrong, but it's hard to disregard the lack of closing games with this team and road wins.

Good points, and not to mention I think Mick is 7-25 in games played in February and March. That is not very good, and it is February now, so I dont like our chances

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Once again, we don't catch a break: Calhoun returns to Uconn after 7 game leave

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4906209

 

[TheFranchise]

Once again, we don't catch a break: Calhoun returns to Uconn after 7 game leave

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4906209

Just being honest here, but I don't think it really matters who coaches for them, if we dont play great we won't win. Not to mention that UCONN actually had a zone offense last night against the 'Cuse with the assistant coach, something we didn't have even with a true head coach. If Dyson, Robinson and Walker each score 15-20, I don't see us winning.