Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball

While the spotlight of American collegiate athletics rests on Miami for the BCS National Championship Game, one of the two schools involved in college football's biggest game of the season will participate in a Big East basketball showdown on Monday.

No. 17 Notre Dame (13-1, 1-0) at No. 21 Cincinnati (13-2, 1-1); Monday, 7 p.m. ET; ESPN2 

The final season of Big East basketball as we have all come to know it began last week, and on Monday, the conference produces a game between two of its best programs. 

The Fighting Irish will make their first true road trip of the season on Monday when they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena. 

The Irish have played three neutral-site games against St. Joseph's and BYU in Brooklyn, they also faced Purdue in Indianapolis this season, but they have not made a venture into enemy territory this season, which is something that could be a factor when Selection Sunday rolls around. 

The lack of road games will not hurt the experienced Irish team, who have made plenty of dangerous Big East trips in the past. 

Mike Brey's team is led by senior forward Jack Cooley, who averages a double-double 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. 

The other senior leader for the Irish is guard Scott Martin, who is in his sixth year of collegiate play.

Martin is joined in the backcourt by a pair of juniors, Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant, as well as one sophomore, Pat Connaughton.

All four of those players provide Brey with plenty of depth to help his team during the Big East season. 

As for the frontcourt, Michigan State transfer Garrick Sherman has emerged as a viable backup to Cooley, if the senior were to get in foul trouble or need a rest. 

The Bearcats are coming off of a shock 53-52 loss at home to St. John's on Saturday, and they will look to recover with a win over the Irish. 

Cincinnati also has plenty of depth when it comes to their roster, with senior guard Cashmere Wright and junior guard Sean Kilpatrick being the key players for Mick Cronin's Bearcats. 

While the guard play will be important for the Bearcats on Monday night, their defense in the frontcourt will decide who wins the game. 

The man that will be in charge of guarding Cooley will be senior center Cheikh Mbodj, who is averaging 2.3 blocks per game in 19.5 minutes this season.

If Mbodj can hold Cooley under 15 points, the Bearcats should have no trouble winning the clash between two of the six ranked Big East teams. 

Regardless of the result on Monday night, the game will give both teams a gauge of how they will do against fellow contenders for the conference title.

Both teams will want this win to help build momentum as they both face a fairly easy January schedule before taking on a bevy of ranked teams in the final month of conference play. 

Prediction: Cincinnati 71, Notre Dame 66

Monday's game will be very close with Cincinnati's extra motivation to upset the Irish after losing on Saturday and home court advantage helping them over the top. 

Who do you think will come out on top on Monday? 

Comment below or leave me a comment on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

If you follow Cincinnati Bearcat basketball, then you saw this coming.  So did head coach Mick Cronin.

Cronin remarked after UC's ugly 60-45 win against crosstown rival Xavier that his team "hasn't paid the price yet for poor offensive execution and efficiency."

After Sean Kilpatrick's shot was blocked at the end of regulation tonight, the Bearcats had officially paid that price in a 55-54 home loss to the New Mexico Lobos.  

Cincinnati (12-1, No. 8) shot a nauseating 31 percent from the field tonight, and even more alarming, the Bearcats managed only four free-throw attempts.  And this game was played in their home gym.

Although UC won their first 12 games this season, the pattern in the previous three victories was excruciatingly ugly offensive first halfs in which the 'Cats failed to crack 30 points.  Tonight, UC led 26-22 at the half.

What's the problem?  

For starters, teams have decided to completely eliminate the paint, cutting off driving lanes by using off-ball defenders to slide over and stop the penetration that had been so effective for UC earlier in the season.  Teams are also switching screens and crowding Cincinnati's two best shooters, Kilpatrick and Cashmere Wright.  

UC had been able to overcome these adjustments by forcing turnovers, getting fast break points and being animals on the offensive glass.  Tonight against Steve Alford's Lobos (13-1, 3-0 away), Cincy was able to knock down 11 three-pointers, but shot a migraine-inducing 9-for-38 from inside the arc while getting to the line just four times.  UC managed only eight fast-break points.  

When all is said and done, 31 percent from the field and only three made free throws will not win you many games.  

As it has all season, UC's defense kept them in the game.  The Lobos shot 39 percent from the field and turned the ball over 14 times.  The problem is, you can play phenomenal defense for 40 minutes, but if you can't put the ball in the basket it will all be for naught.

The question now becomes, what adjustments will Cronin make?  It's becoming painfully obvious what the blueprint is for slowing Cincinnati's offense down.  Take away the drive, force a lot of jump shots, eliminate the run-outs and keep them off the free-throw line.  

It will only get tougher from here for UC as the Big East gauntlet looms, starting with a road game on New Year's Eve against Jamie Dixon's Pitt Panthers, who just so happen to be the most efficient offensive team in America. If you know Pitt, you know they ain't no slouch on the other end of the floor either.

Cronin will have to make the necessary adjustments if the Bearcats are to contend for the Big East title.  And, if you know Mick, he's probably already locked himself in his house, closed the blinds, brewed a pot of coffee and clicked on the game film.  Pitt and the rest of the Big East awaits.

As Cashmere Wright faded away from the baseline for a 12-foot jump shot over Alabama's seven-foot center Moussa Gueye, it was hard to imagine the Bearcats finally hitting a game-winner.

When the ball lofted through the air and fell perfectly through the net, the celebration was on.

After struggling for most of the second half, Cincinnati scored the final four points of the game in a 58-56 victory over previously unbeaten Alabama.

With the win, the Bearcats move to 7-0 on the season and should see a drastic climb in the rankings.

In all my years of watching Cincinnati basketball, it is hard to remember a buzzer-beater like this one. There is of course, the Melvin Levett dunk with one second remaining to knock off No. 1 Duke in the Great Alaska Shootout.

Other than that, good luck finding a moment like the one 10,155 fans at Fifth Third Arena witnessed on Saturday afternoon.

Over the years, the Bearcats have found themselves on the losing end of such shots. So to say most fans expected the shot to roll off the rim is not because they were not rooting for it to go in, but because they had never seen it happen.

When it fell in, the building erupted.

The team was once again led by the "Three Amigos." The trio continues to show why they're one of the best backcourts in the country.

Both Cashmere Wright and Sean Kilpatrick became members of the 1,000 point club. Wright finished the game with only eight points, but the game-winner was the difference.

Kilpatrick and JaQuon Parker each had 13 points. This was certainly not the best showing by the trio, but when it counted these guys came up big.

If they continue doing that all season long, the sky is the limit for this very talented squad.

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Cincinnati had the ball with six seconds to go in regulation, deadlocked with a resilient Alabama Crimson Tide team.  Head coach Mick Cronin drew up a simple play.  Get the rock to senior guard Cashmere Wright and let the man do what he has to do.

It worked.  

Cashmere took the inbound pass just behind half court, turned and began dribbling up the left side with the clock ticking down.  The Savannah, Ga., native sped past the arc, attempting to get a closer look.  Just then, Cash spotted 7-footer Moussa Gueye blocking his path to the hoop.  Cronin's floor general veered toward the baseline, and with under a second to go, jump stopped, went to the step-back jumper and released it over Gueye's outstretched arm.

The buzzer sounded with the ball in mid-flight...

Splash.  All net.  UC 58, Bama 56.  

Any way you slice it, this was a hard-fought game played at a high level on both ends of the floor between two teams that appeared to be mirror images.  Both squads entered the Big East/SEC Challenge battle with 6-0 records.  Both teams feature strong guard play, size up front, deep benches and intense, underrated head coaches.  

Cincinnati (No. 17 AP, No. 16 USA Today) jumped out to a 17-4 edge, due in large part to stifling defense and deafening crowd noise.  But led by sophomore Trevor Lacey, who would finish with game highs of 16 points and seven rebounds, the Tide went on a 12-2 run to get back in the game.  UC stretched the lead back out to nine, but a last-second three by junior guard Trevor Releford cut the margin to six at intermission.

Alabama (6-1, 0-0 SEC) took it to the Bearcats in the second half, utilizing the high ball screen to perfection on offense while bottling up Cincinnati's leading scorer, Sean Kilpatrick.

With the game tied at 52 with a minute and a half to play, the teams twice traded baskets, setting up Alabama's final possession with 40 seconds to play.  Releford drove down the left side of the lane with the shot clock running down and attempted a scoop shot along the baseline.  Unfortunately for Releford, UC's Justin "Worm" Jackson was waiting in the wings.  The junior from Cocoa Beach, Fla., swatted it away, setting up Cashmere Wright's fade away buzzer-beater.  

For Cincinnati, now 7-0 and coming off two quality wins in the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas over Iowa State and Oregon, there appear to be four more tests remaining on the nonconference schedule—home vs. Arkansas-Little Rock on Dec. 6, at Marshall Dec. 15, neutral vs. Xavier Dec. 19 and then home vs. No. 25 New Mexico Dec. 27—before Mick Cronin's troops gear up for the bloodbaths awaiting in the Big East portion.

But make no mistake about it.  Regardless of whether Alabama was officially ranked (they had the most votes of the unranked teams in the AP coming in), this will turn out to be a great win on the resume for Cincinnati.  

Alabama features superb guards in Releford, Lacey and Rodney Cooper to go along with Devonte Pollard (6'8", 200 lbs, Porterville, MS), as talented a freshman as you'll find in the SEC.  In addition, the Tide has plenty of size and skill up front with Gueye, 7'1" Carl Engstrom and 6'8" freshman wide body Nick Jacobs.  

That team will be a chore for fellow SEC teams this season and has the look of a team capable of grabbing an NCAA Tournament seed somewhere in the 5-8 range.  

Mick Cronin is now in his seventh season as the head coach of the University of Cincinnati. The team has gotten better in each of those years.

It culminated last year with a 26-win season and a trip to the Sweet 16. After six games and an undefeated month of November, Cronin and his Bearcats have shown that this is the best team since his arrival back on campus as the head coach.

Unlike many other talented Bearcats teams of the past who did it with big men and a slower pace, this group does it with excellent guard play and an up-tempo offense that currently ranks seventh in the country at nearly 87 points a contest. They also lead the country in rebounds with over 49 a game. 

The Bearcats are currently sitting at No. 16 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll and have a chance to move up with a victory on Saturday against an undefeated Alabama team that is one spot away from being ranked this week.

They are coming off wins in Vegas over the likes of Iowa State and Oregon. Both teams were undefeated coming in and Cincinnati handled its business with extreme regularity.

If Cincinnati had a name like Duke or Kentucky on its jersey, the Bearcats would be ranked in the top 10 in the country.

The talent is that good and the team is led by a backcourt that is not only the best in the Big East, but possibly the best in the entire country.

Junior Sean Kilpatrick is a pure scorer who has developed his game over the past three seasons and is the best in the Big East when it comes to putting the ball in the basket.

While Kilpatrick leads the team at 21 points a game, perhaps the most important player on the roster is fifth-year senior point guard Cashmere Wright.

Wright is averaging 16.5 points a contest while leading the team in assists and steals. He's also shooting 47.5 percent from three-point range.

These two are joined by do-it all swing-man JaQuon Parker. The 6'3" senior has the ability to play four positions and is averaging 10.5 points a game. 

The group calls themselves the "Three Amigos," and with the combination of experience and talent they bring to the table, it could be a deep run into March for the Bearcats and head coach Mick Cronin.

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After four cupcake opponents to start the season, Cincinnati got its first real taste of competition on Friday night as the Bearcats took on Iowa State in the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas.

While it was not pretty, Cincinnati was victorious, coming out with a 78-70 victory.

The first four games of the season for the Bearcats were against schools the likes of Campbell and North Carolina A&T. This was a bit of a different story, as Iowa State came in 4-0. Cincinnati responded and showed why it is one of the Top 25 teams in the country.

After the first half was played to a 35-35 tie, the Bearcats came out hot in the second half, extending the lead to 16 points before seeing Iowa State climb back and cut the deficit to just three with under three minutes remaining.

The Bearcats responded by hitting some clutch free throws down the stretch, something they have been unable to do for most of the season.

Cincinnati was 23-of-25 from the charity stripe after coming into the game barely over 50 percent for the season.

That was the difference in the game, along with the play of junior guard Sean Kilpatrick, who continues to develop into one of the best players in all of college basketball.

He finished the game with a career-high 32 points on 7-of-14 from the field. He was also 2-of-6 from three-point range.

The difference for Kilpatrick was the fact that he was 16-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Bearcats needed nearly every one of them to hold on for the win.

The victory puts Cincinnati in the championship game of the Global Sports Classic. The Bearcats will take on the winner of Oregon vs. UNLV Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. ET.

The likely opponent is UNLV. The Rebels are ranked No. 18 in both major polls and would certainly be the biggest challenge the Bearcats have faced so far this season.

If Cincinnati plans on knocking off the Rebels, it will need to receive a better effort from the rest of the team, other than just Kilpatrick.

If that happens, Cincinnati will be off to a 6-0 start and winners of the Global Sports Classic.

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The Cincinnati Bearcats began their 2012-13 quest tonight with an 80-60 exhibition win over a game Grand Valley State team.

If you didn't see the game, I'll fill you in with my observations.

1) Cheikh Mbodj is a completely different player than you saw last season. He lost 25 pounds, and it showed in his quickness. The Senegal native was very active, blocking shots and grabbing offensive rebounds. He also drained his first four free throws.

2) David Nyarsuk is a very tall man. The 7 foot 1 transfer from Mountain State is pretty mobile for a guy his size. This is not another Anthony "Biggie" McClain, folks. He grabbed rebounds outside of his area, he cut down the lane and flew in for a dunk and he ran the floor well. He also swatted a few shots. Definitely has work to do, but he has the potential to be a difference maker.

3) The new four out, one in dribble-drive motion offense will take time to gel. Tonight it mostly looked like chaos out there. You could hear Bearcat coaches yelling at guys to cut or pass the ball most of the night. But there were some flashes of the potential of this new system. Sean Kilpatrick, Cashmere Wright and Jaquon Parker were all able to beat their man down the right side of the lane multiple times. There were also instances of a controlled drive leading to a kick out for an in-rhythm 3-point attempt.  

4) The high octane defensive pressure will also take time. Grand Valley State repeatedly shot and pass faked the aggressive Bearcats out of position, leading to driving lanes for shots or kick outs. The Lakers drained a bunch of wide open threes.  

5) This game was actually closer than the final 20-point margin. The Lakers missed a ton of free throws but were still able to hang around, cutting a 25-point second half lead down to 11 with about four minutes left. But Titus Rubles got a steal and threw down a vicious right-handed dunk off one foot and then knocked down a 15-footer from the left wing to stretch the lead back out.  

6) Titus Rubles and Shaquille Thomas are very raw, but they are the type of athletes out on the wing that most schools simply do not have on their roster. Rubles hit a few outside shots, although he is known for his quick first step. That quick first step was on display, but the second and third steps were a little out of control tonight—which is to be expected from a first year Division I player.  

Thomas is tall, long and athletic. He made a few steals and had a nice offensive rebound and put back in the lane. Offensively he looks tentative, which is no surprise as he adjusts to the speed of the college game.  

Both of these kids have top level size and athleticism, and once the game slows down, Mick Cronin has himself a couple of significant weapons.

7) Cashmere Wright still has one of the sweetest jump shots in college basketball. He's smooth as silk with that release-rotation-splash from a distance. Enjoy him this season—it's gonna be a huge void to fill when he's gone.

In the end, it's about what you would have expected from the first exhibition game. Mostly sloppy with some great plays and coaches yelling at the new guys. Cronin will have plenty of teachable moments when the team watches the film on Tuesday. The players will all be receptive, they'll practice hard the rest of this week and then tee it up again next Monday—same time, same place—against Bellarmine.

The Cincinnati Bearcats opened the 2012-13 campaign with an 80-60 exhibition victory over Division II Grand Valley State.

It was a game that had its fair share of ups and downs for Cincinnati, but the Bearcats flashed a lot of potential, backing up the claim that this is the most talented team Cincinnati has had in over a decade.

The speed, athleticism and high-octane offense was on full display as Cincinnati pressed full-court for parts of the game and forced 13 Lakers turnovers.

As expected, the three experienced guards dominated for Cincinnati. Junior Sean Kilpatrick led the way with 18 points. Seniors Jaquon Parker and Cashmere Wright poured in 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise for Cincinnati was the play of senior center Cheikh Mbodj. He had eight points and five blocks in 26 solid minutes.

Junior-college transfer Titus Rubles showed why he earned the start, scoring 11 points with eight rebounds and two assists.

With all the explosive offensive weapons Cincinnati has, the group still struggled in spurts, allowing Grand Valley State to hang in for most of the night.

The Bearcats were without the services of junior big man Justin Jackson who was held out with a minor thumb injury.

He is the perfect complement to the three-guard offense, and when he is back healthy, the offensive will be that much more explosive.

The Bearcats now have a week to prepare for their final exhibition game against Division II Bellarmine.

After that, it will be the start of the regular season on Nov. 11 at home against Tennessee-Martin. Expect a season that is fast paced and high scoring. A little different from Bearcats' teams of the past.             

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