We all know pre-season polls are lame but it does say something about the perception of the cats.
This team is going to be really good. I feel it is our best team in 10 years since the 2002 #1 team.
I will bet anyone who wants to that this team is in the top 10 at some point this year. There is no one in the country that can match Yancy. It is the perfect storm.
This may be high expectations but this team is Elite 8 good if not more. All the peices are in place.
If they stay healthy they can be very good. Low post health is epecially important. I still say they'll finish 4th.
Here's the story:
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Cincinnati's men's basketball team was picked fifth in the Big East preseason coaches' poll, ascending to its highest preseason ranking since joining the conference in 2005-06.
The Bearcats, led by preseason All-Big East second team selection Yancy Gates, had not finished higher than seventh under coach Mick Cronin.
Last season the team was picked 12th in the preseason prognostication before finishing 26-9 overall, tying for sixth in the Big East with an 11-7 mark, and clinching the program's first NCAA Tournament bid since 2005.
Coaches, select players and media gathered today at the New York Athletic Club, where defending national champion Connecticut and Syracuse were revealed as the co-favorites to win the regular-season title, followed by third-place Louisville and fourth-place Pittsburgh.
After UC, Marquette was picked to finish sixth. The rest of the order included West Virginia, Villanova, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall, USF, Providence and DePaul.
Pittsburgh guard Ashton Gibbs was named the conference's preseason
player of the year, while UConn freshman Andre Drummond was tabbed as
the preseason rookie of the year.
Other preseason awards
Big East Preseason First Team: Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh; Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut; Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette; Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame; Kris Joseph, Syracuse; Kevin Jones, West Virginia.
Big East Preseason Second Team: Yancy Gates, Cincinnati; Alex Oriahki, Connecticut; Peyton Siva, Louisville; Scoop Jardine, Syracuse; Maalik Wayns, Villanova.
Big East Preseason Honorable Mention: Andre Drummond, Connecticut; Shabazz Napier, Connecticut; Cleveland Melvin, DePaul; Jae Crowder, Marquette; Augustus Gilchrist, USF.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/...ig-East?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p