bearcat jeff
Hoops Moderator
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
- Messages
- 7,502
UC enters the Big East Tournament playing it's best basketball of the year. It appears that the team as a whole now understands it's ticket to winning is to play forty minutes of smothering defense.
Despite being ignored and written off, this team has shown remarkable character in overcoming a mid-season slump and personnel issues. Instead of falling apart, the team has pulled together and adopted an "us against the world" mentallity. In sports a chip on your shoulder can be a good thing. Athletes and coaches are often at their best when they feel there is something to prove. This team definitely feels that way. At 24-7, and with 11 Big East wins, they are never mentioned. Mick Cronin summed it up when he said "We're invisible". The Bearcats are intent on changing this and proving people wrong. In short they are a team on a mission.
With that said, they will be playing in what could be the most competitive tournament in history. There are teams seeded lower in the league tournament than they will be in the national tournament. There are 10, possibly 11 teams that will be Dancing come Selection Sunday that will be participating in the gauntlet this coming week to be named Big East Tournament Champion. If 11 teams make it to the NCAA Tournament, that's an amazing 68.7% of your league playing for a national championship. There is no doubt the Bearcats will be prepared for the week ahead and the even bigger spotlight that will shine next week.
Yancy Gates is now playing his best basketball of the season. He has been a difference maker on both ends of the court. When he plays hard, his mere presence in the post makes teams pay attention to him. This opens up the outside for the Bearcat perimeter players. The question is can the Bearcats hit enough outside shots in March to advance? Defense will keep you in games, but at some point UC will have to score with consistency.
Dion Dixon and Sean Kilpatrick are showing signs that they are coming out of shooting slumps. Dixon has put together several decent games in a row and SK looked good shooting the ball in the second half against Georgetown. Cashmere Wright seems to have found a comfort level at the point and Rashad Bishop comtinues to impact the game in a variety of ways that sometimes goes unnoticed. The perimeter guys don't have to play spectacular, but they do have to play smart and and know when to attack the basket versus launching three point shots.
The UC bench has been a factor all season, but will be even more important in the coming weeks. Guys like Justin Jackson, Darnell Wilks and Larry Davis have to contribute energy on defense and something on the offensive end. Teams will cut down on their rotations and play more of a halfcourt game. Intensity off the bench will be a must.
Right now it appears the Bearcats are primed to make some noise. They are playing for seeding and more importantly respect. They know the only way to achieve both is to pull together and win. There can no longer be games like the one against UConn where everybody didn't come to play. This team needs the sum of it's parts to be at it's best.
All the intangibles are there but nothing will be easy. However, March is about momentum and it appears that UC is peaking at the right time to make some noise in the next couple of weeks. How far they go may ultimately depend on how well and consistently they shoot from outside, but the pieces are in place to silence the doubters and re-establish the name of the Cincinnati Bearcats on the national stage.
Despite being ignored and written off, this team has shown remarkable character in overcoming a mid-season slump and personnel issues. Instead of falling apart, the team has pulled together and adopted an "us against the world" mentallity. In sports a chip on your shoulder can be a good thing. Athletes and coaches are often at their best when they feel there is something to prove. This team definitely feels that way. At 24-7, and with 11 Big East wins, they are never mentioned. Mick Cronin summed it up when he said "We're invisible". The Bearcats are intent on changing this and proving people wrong. In short they are a team on a mission.
With that said, they will be playing in what could be the most competitive tournament in history. There are teams seeded lower in the league tournament than they will be in the national tournament. There are 10, possibly 11 teams that will be Dancing come Selection Sunday that will be participating in the gauntlet this coming week to be named Big East Tournament Champion. If 11 teams make it to the NCAA Tournament, that's an amazing 68.7% of your league playing for a national championship. There is no doubt the Bearcats will be prepared for the week ahead and the even bigger spotlight that will shine next week.
Yancy Gates is now playing his best basketball of the season. He has been a difference maker on both ends of the court. When he plays hard, his mere presence in the post makes teams pay attention to him. This opens up the outside for the Bearcat perimeter players. The question is can the Bearcats hit enough outside shots in March to advance? Defense will keep you in games, but at some point UC will have to score with consistency.
Dion Dixon and Sean Kilpatrick are showing signs that they are coming out of shooting slumps. Dixon has put together several decent games in a row and SK looked good shooting the ball in the second half against Georgetown. Cashmere Wright seems to have found a comfort level at the point and Rashad Bishop comtinues to impact the game in a variety of ways that sometimes goes unnoticed. The perimeter guys don't have to play spectacular, but they do have to play smart and and know when to attack the basket versus launching three point shots.
The UC bench has been a factor all season, but will be even more important in the coming weeks. Guys like Justin Jackson, Darnell Wilks and Larry Davis have to contribute energy on defense and something on the offensive end. Teams will cut down on their rotations and play more of a halfcourt game. Intensity off the bench will be a must.
Right now it appears the Bearcats are primed to make some noise. They are playing for seeding and more importantly respect. They know the only way to achieve both is to pull together and win. There can no longer be games like the one against UConn where everybody didn't come to play. This team needs the sum of it's parts to be at it's best.
All the intangibles are there but nothing will be easy. However, March is about momentum and it appears that UC is peaking at the right time to make some noise in the next couple of weeks. How far they go may ultimately depend on how well and consistently they shoot from outside, but the pieces are in place to silence the doubters and re-establish the name of the Cincinnati Bearcats on the national stage.
Actually I know what you mean, it just sounded funny.