Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball

Hello there, Bearcat fans.  Frustrated much?

Cincinnati jumped out to a 15-6 lead on No. 4 Syracuse today, trailed by two at halftime, and then allowed the Orange to close out the ballgame on a 28-5 run (final score 71-54). 

Looks like quite the microcosm of the season as a whole, doesn't it? 

After a stellar performance at the Maui Invitational, UC (14-9, 5-6 Big East) has been mediocre at best.  Head coach Mick Cronin expressed NCAA Tournament bid aspirations early in the season, even commenting that freshman guard Lance Stephenson is the best player UC has had since Oscar Robertson (3-time National POY 1958-60).

So what happened to this team?  Let's see if we can analyze. 

Seven of Cincinnati's nine losses were either close at the end, went into OT, or were a situation where the Bearcats led big early. Let's play some Jeopardy here.

Answer:  Toughness, basketball IQ, the ability to make free throws and take care of the ball, confidence, and most importantly HEART. 

Question:  What does a good team possess in order to prevail in close ballgames?

So, to sum up, the Bearcats do not possess a single trait associated with the formula good teams use to win a high percentage of close games. 

Well isn't that just super?!

Currently, UC is 14-9 overall with seven Big East games left—and check out the remaining slate: @ UConn, @ So Fla, vs Marq, vs Depaul, @ West Va, vs Nova, @ GTown. 

Find me more than one win in there.  You can't?  Yeah, I can't either buddy. 

So if UC finishes 1-6 and then loses in the first round of the Big East tournament, Mick Cronin finishes with a 15-16 record and no postseason.  Not exactly a stellar job by the little guy. 

Speaking of Cronin, did I mention he is 8-33 on the road at UC?  Oh, and he's also 0-10 in March. 

I'd say that all of these factors make Cronin's seat hotter than a nude Marisa Miller/Jenn Aniston grope session.

If you need some motivation for punching a hole through your dry wall, here is the box score.  Nice game by senior Deonta Vaughn, huh?

Well whaddayaknow, the usually brick-chucking Louisville Cardinals chose a game against Cincinnati to drain every big shot needed to thwart repeated second-half comeback attempts. 

Anybody seen Louisville play any other game this season? If so, then you spent the next day or so getting puke stains out of your clothes, couch cushions and carpet. Against Kentucky, it took almost the entire first half for this boring collection of stiffs to even crack double effin' digits. 

But, as the life of a Cincinnati Bearcat basketball fan continues to be gut-wrenching and ballpain-inducing, Rick Pitino's no-name squad made every single shot they needed to make down the stretch to hold off Cashmere Wright and the crew, taking the final match between the rivals at Freedom Hall by eight points. 

The game started off well for Cincinnati (13-7, 4-4 Big East), as my first check of the score showed a 19-11 lead for Mick Cronin's boys (I enjoyed an ultra-hazy weekend filled with a trippy Pink Floyd Experience show on Friday night, so I got a late start Sunday morning). 

On my way to work, I soon found out from my boy Swaney that Louisville had closed the gap to 26-22, and that freshman Lance Stephenson had banged home 12 quick points on 5-for-5 shooting (that would be all "Born Ready" would get). 

When I arrived at the office, and finally got my computer logged in, I saw the one-point Cardinal halftime lead. Cincy had blown a double-digit first half lead (and most likely their load too early), just as it had two weeks earlier at Seton Hall (lost 83-76). 

Then I was able to log on to www.channelsurfing.net and pick up the live feed for the second half. 

After UC's Jaquon Parker Andre-Miller'ed (he looks just like him) in a tough, contested 3-pointer, making it a two-point deficit with about 14 minutes left, eighth-year senior Jerry Smith walked right down the lane for an uncontested layup and then Reginald (who goes by the name "Reginald" anymore?  What is he, a white Englishman on Family Guy competing in drive-by arguments?) Delk drained a three from the corner. 45-38 Louisville, just like that.  

(Lots of yelling and loud cussing from me at this point. Luckily I'm the only person in the entire office building on Sundays.)

UC summoned a rally after trailing 50-40, capped with threes by senior Deonta Vaughn and redshirt-frosh Cashmere Wright, cutting the lead to 54-52 at the 6:40 mark. Then, on cue, Delk promptly rattles in a three while falling into his own bench on the sideline, anvil-footed Samardo Samuels hits a jumper in the lane, and then Crybaby-of-the-Century Edgar Sosa fakes getting fouled on a drive/makes both free throws. Back to a nine point lead for Louisville in the blink of a f*****' eye. 

(More yelling, some desk-pounding, and a semi-fervent cell phone throw from me.)

UC made one final charge late, cutting the deficit down to four points after Cashmere Wright, who looked much more confident than he has all season, smoothly stuck a trey with 2:42 to go.

On Louisville's next possession, the Bearcats nearly forced a steal with a deflection, but Cardinal big man Terrence Jennings saved the ball right to Edgar "Tear Factory" Sosa, who of-coursedly and nauseatingly drained a back-breaking three.

Game over. 

Tough loss, but honestly, UC played really, really well in this ballgame, save for two categories. Turnovers, which have been a problem on the road lately (18 turnovers per game in the last three, all losses), killed UC. 15 turnovers, and you lose by eight. Meanwhile the normally-inept offense was clicking like a Bushman in The Gods Must Be Crazy, including 10-20 from behind the arc. You keep six or eight of those wasted possessions and more than likely, you win the game. 

Also, free throw shooting dooms UC again. This time it was lack of attempts. UC goes 4-4, Louisville goes 15-19. That's a devastating obstacle to overcome in a heated rivalry game when both teams desperately need a win. Message to Bearcat players: If you don't attack and try to bust through full-court pressure or a 2-3 zone, guess what...the other team ain't backin' off.

Next up, vs. Providence Jan 30. The Friars swept UC last season, but Weyenmi Efejuku and that annoying big goofy lefty Hanke guy both graduated. Payback time for Biggie McClain and the Bearcats. 

If you need some motivation for an upcoming lift session, here's the box score.

The University of Cincinnati Men’s Basketball team traveled to Madison Square Garden on January 13, 2010 to compete against a conference rival St. Johns. 

One of the Bearcats top recruits of 2009, Lance Stephenson, is the state of New York’s all-time leading high school scorer with 2,946 points passing Sebastian Telfair, who was the 13^th overall pick in 2004 NBA draft and now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.   

During his senior year he averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York, to earn Class AA New York State Sports Writers Association (NYSSWA) player of the year honors and a three-time NYSSWA first-team selection throughout high school. 

Lance grew up in a tough neighborhood surrounded by violence and poverty, yet he has still managed to stay on track and set himself up to have an incredible future with the Bearcats.

The 6’5” 210 lbs. forward from Brooklyn was the  No. 12 ranked ESPNU 100 basketball recruit of 2009 and rated No. 4 ranked of shooting guards.  He received a scout’s grade of 97/100 meaning:

94-97: High-major prospect
Player has the potential to significantly contribute as a freshman for most national programs. He could be a three- or four-year starter and have an opportunity for all-league honors.

Towards the end of his senior year he told the media his top three picks were Kansas, Maryland, and St. Johns.  He couldn’t go to Kansas because there wasn’t a scholarship available.  Stephenson had to cancel a recruiting event at Kansas because of his court appearance for charges of sexual abuse in the third degree, forcible touching, menacing, and harassment after groping the girl’s breast and buttocks of a  17 year old female student at his school.  Stephenson, his basketball teammate Darwin Ellis, and an unnamed minor were arrested.

Every time Lance Stephenson touched the ball he was booed by St. Johns fans because he decided to go to Cincinnati rather than a local college like St. Johns.  “I don’t worry about the crowd.  I just play the game,” Stephenson said.  “You can’t worry about the crowd, what they say or do.”  Stephenson finished with seven points, three assists, five rebounds, six turnovers, one steal, and one block. 

He finished below his season average in scoring, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and three point percentage.  He finished with six out of the 21 Cincinnati turnovers which are more than two times his season average and Bearcats season high. 

Cincinnati came into the game shooting 28.1 percent from behind the arc and finished 0/12 against St. Johns, the first time since March 2002 that Cincinnati failed to make a three-point shot but the Bearcats defeated Memphis in overtime that game. 

St. Johns Dwight Hardy, who went to John F. Kennedy High School in Brooklyn, New York graduating in 2006, went 4-4 from the free throw line in the last 8.5 seconds so secure St. Johns first Big East win this season.  Hardy was a senior when Stephenson was a freshman.  Hardy helped his team to win New York City Championship his junior year before Stephenson helped his team win four straight New York City Championships. 

With 10 seconds left Cincinnati guard Bishop who was inbounding the ball, threw a baseball pass attempting to go to senior guard Deonta Vaughn but was stolen by Hardy.  After Hardy made both free throws tying the game at 50, Stephenson was inbounding the ball, again attempting to pass the ball to Vaughn, and it was stolen by Hardy who was again fouled. 

“I just made a bad decision,” said Stephenson “I thought my man was open, but he (Hardy) got around him and made the steal.”  Hardy made both of his free throws to take the lead 52-50 with seven seconds left in the game.  Vaughn received the ball and his three-point buzzer beater bounced off the rim giving St. Johns their first Big East win of the season.  Hardy finished matching his career high of 19 points, scoring 17 in the second half. 

“It’s a tough loss because wins are so, so hard to come by in Big East basketball,” Cronin said. “You’ve got a game where you’re in control with 10 seconds left. All you’ve got do is get the ball inbounds to Deonta Vaughn and let him go make two free throws and the game is over. We gave the game away.”

The Bearcats lost both home town area games of Stephenson, first against Seton Hall and then St. Johns.  Both teams had players that Stephenson played against in high school and they got their chance to defeat the New York all-time leading high school scorer and succeeded. 

Heading into Saturday evening's match-up with Notre Dame, the University of Cincinnati Men’s basketball team was a group struggling to find a rhythm, and struggling to close out opponents.

The Bearcats were coming off of a mind-boggling collapse late in the game at St. Johns and had drawn heavy criticism for giving away a game in which they turned the ball over twice in the final 10 seconds.  In the game against the Irish however, Cincinnati seemingly borrowed a little Irish luck and won the game 60-58 using tough rebounding and a strong defense that held Notre Dame well below its season average of 80 points per game.

Thus has been the story for Cincinnati this season.

The Bearcats opened the season finishing second at the Maui Invitational, losing to Gonzaga in the championship game after a highly questionable non-call ended the game with Cincinnati trailing by two at the end of overtime.

They then put up 94 points in a route of Texas Southern before struggling with a Miami (OH) squad that was far out classed in terms of talent. With a 6-1 record under their belts, the team headed just down the street to take on Xavier in the Cross town Shootout.

The rivalry lived up to its heated history as tempers flared and benches cleared on one occasion. The game went to double overtime and Cincinnati fell by four after again failing to hold a lead of the same margin late in the first overtime.

What Cincinnati could have used as a learning opportunity, turned into a continuing nightmare. The Bearcats followed up the heartbreaking loss to its rival Xavier by getting thumped by a decent, at best, UAB team by 17 points on the road. While UAB is 13-2, it is still the same UAB team that has lost to Kent State and Virginia.

Therein lays another problem, road games. The Bearcats have lost only one game at home, against Pittsburgh. While going 1-4 away from Fifth Third Arena (not counting games played in Maui) with the lone win coming against lowly Rutgers by seven.

If Cincy can’t find a way to play better on the road, they will have more performances like the one against UAB in store for their fans.

The Cats apparently had  ridden themselves of whatever had been ailing them, and went on to win their next four games, including a tilt against a then 10th ranked Connecticut team thanks to two clutch free throws from freshmen Lance Stephenson.

Following a loss to a surprisingly good Pittsburgh Panthers team, and a win over Cal State Bakersfield, the Bearcats went to New York to take on Seton Hall. Cincinnati turned in one of its worst performances of the year and then did so again in the return trip against St. Johns.

With back to back uninspiring losses in league play, Cincinnati had begun to kiss its NCAA Tournament chances goodbye. With Luke Harongody and the Irish coming into Fifth Third Arena, a third straight loss looked imminent.  Then something happened. That 60-58 win happened. Oscar Robertson reportedly getting testy with the Cincinnati coaching staff happened. 

Something appeared to have ignited the Bearcats defense and the offense gained some structure with that game winning play call. Fans that showered the football team and new coaching staff with cheers at halftime were suddenly back on the Bearcat basketball bandwagon. Morning radio shows were no longer being flooded with calls demanding that Coach Cronin be fired.

Despite the positives, all is not rosy in Cincinnati. This is still the same team that got thumped by UAB, and lost a game in 10 seconds at St. Johns. Lance Stephenson is still playing well below the expectations everyone had placed on him to start the season, senior Deonta Vaughn has been invisible at times, and while the team has had flashes of brilliance, it has yet to do so as a whole. 

With only twelve games remaining, this team is being forced to gel in order to take advantage of their collective talents. Stated more simply, in the words of Coach Cronin, "What we have to do, in the last 10 seconds, is not blow the game.

Now, as Cincinnati lies on the brink of being on the outside looking in come March, the team needs only to not blow games.

The Bearcats have a tough remaining schedule, including games at Louisville, West Virginia, and Georgetown, as well as home games against Syracuse, Marquette, Villanova, and Providence, the road ahead is not going to be kind to a Bearcats team that struggles to play smart on a regular basis.

However, if this team can play with confidence and toughness, the talent exists to make its return to the NCAA Tournament, a place where Cincinnati basketball belongs. For a program that has had to overcome coaching changes, an empty roster, injuries, and NCAA eligibility issues, all the Bearcats want is the chance to go dancing.

Cincinnati's brutal three-game Big East losing streak is over thanks to 6'9" monster Yancy Gates.  The sophomore from Cincinnati banked the game-winning bucket in the final seconds as UC wrestled away a much-needed 60-58 win from Notre Dame.

Gates recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 boards, but his most important contribution was his intimidating defense against the nation's third leading scorer, Luke Harangody.  Harangody, with his suave GQ hair-do and his WNBA two-handed flip-shot jumper, was held to just 14 points (10 below his season average) on an atrocious-looking 5-20 from the field. 

The game didn't start out too hot for Cincinnati (12-6, 3-3 Big East) as the Fighting Irish jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead.  But after coming off of an embarrassing loss at St. John's Wednesday night, the Bearcats were not about to go quietly.  Freshman point guard Jaquon Parker sparked a 12-2 UC run with a creamed three and a bank-swish 15-footer from the left wing, and the battle was underway.

Towards the end of the first half, with Notre Dame (14-4, 3-2 Big East) leading 28-25, Harangody pulled Cincy junior Darnell Wilks down from behind on a missed shot.  The foul, of course, was called on Wilks.  Harangody even got away with a pseudo-nutcheck kick as the two players landed.  A minute later, a little yay runner in the lane by Harangody gave ND a 32-25 lead as the half ended. 

Trust me, remotes and various other living room items were thrown by many annoyed, pissed off Bearcat fans at this point.

Early in the second half, however, the Bearcats used a 9-0 run to take a 37-35 lead.  Deonta Vaughn hit a three and a two, and Rashad Bishop scored twice during the spurt.

The rest of the game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams hitting big shots.  After Notre Dame guard Ben Hansbrough knocked in a 10-foot jumper with :25 left, the game was knotted at 58.  It was time for oft-doubted UC head coach Mick Cronin to diagram a winning play.

Vaughn dribbled out some of the clock, then made his move into the lane.  The Irish defenders collapsed, so DV flipped a pass over the top to gigantic Yancy Gates, who left a close shot short.  Gates stuck with it, though.  He laid in his missed shot off the glass to give the Bearcats the desperately needed win.

Victory shots of Jack Daniels and Jagermeister were downed all over Bearcat Nation.  And, for UC football fans, a little smidgen of revenge was achieved for Notre Dame luring head coach Brian Kelly away from the Bearcats.

Cincinnati was able to win, despite shooting a North Dakota winter cold 32% from the field, thanks to dominating defense and a plus-20 advantage on the glass. 

(Wouldn't it be fun to watch a Bearcat game in which UC could make some f*****' shots already?  Man, watching Cincinnati's offense is like watching a Roseanne Barr strip tease.)

UC now sits in ninth place in the Big East standings with 12 to play.  Next up: USF, Jan. 20, 4:00 PST ESPN2

UC 60, ND 58 box score

What was that?  What the **** was that?

The Cincinnati Bearcats, in the midst of a two-game Big East losing streak, put forth an embarrassing, horrendous, pitiful, Bengals-like non-effort in Madison Square Garden last night.  Previously 0-3 in conference play, St. John's accepted the gift and beat UC 52-50 inside the Mecca of Basketball.

Cincinnati (11-6, 2-3 Big East) turned the ball over 21 times.  Twenty-one turnovers.  I don't care if you're playing Roseanne Barr State, if you commit 21 turnovers on the road, you ain't winning the game. 

The worst part about the lackluster, possession-trashing effort was that the Red Storm managed only seven steals.  That means that nearly every turnover was unforced and horrifically puke-inducing. 

I've been trying my best to stay positive this season, chalking up narrow losses to inexperience and circumstance.  But you know what?  After the game last night, it is apparent to me that this Bearcat team, as a whole, has no balls.

"What's the matter, McFly?  You got no scrote?"

This team plays scared down the stretch.  Scared, and well, to put it bluntly, stupid.  There is no other explanation needed. 

Last night, UC miraculously held a 50-47 advantage with 30 seconds to go, with the ball.  Head coach Mick Cronin inexplicably calls two timeouts on the same possession.  No explicability available for that decision. 

Then on a broken inbounds play, UC has a shot blocked.  A fast break ensues for St. John's with a foul on UC.  The Red Storm player hits one-of-two, making it 50-48 with UC on top with 14 seconds left.  Then, on the inbound, UC, for some unknown reason, throws a home run pass into double coverage, which gets intercepted by St. John's.  Foul on UC on the resulting break.

St. John's makes both, 50-50.  Eight seconds to go, UC throws away the inbounds pass!  St. John's hits two free throws.  Un-f*****'-believable. 

Then, Deonta Vaughn gets a clean look at a game-winning three, and he bricks the mule s*** out of it.  UC ends the game 0-12 from three-point range (none were even close) with 21 turnovers.  Beautiful.

UC wants to get back to the NCAA Tournament this season.  I'll leave you with one question.  Do the Bearcats look like a tournament team?

If you're out of syrup of ipecac, here's the box score

Next up: vs. Notre Dame, Saturday 1:00 PST ESPNU

Senior guard Deonta Vaughn led Cincinnati (10-3, 2-0 BIG EAST) to its first true road victory of the season over Rutgers, 65-58 in Piscataway, New Jersey on Saturday.  Vaughn has now dropped 17 points in both Big East games, which is more than he had scored in any non-conference game.

If you weren't able to watch the game, here is a brief play-by-play:

UC jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead, capped off by a Dion Dixon right-handed dunk off two feet, courtesy of a no-look feed from Lance Stephenson, forcing Rutgers to use a quick timeout.

Rutgers went to a 2-3 zone to slow the UC attack and it worked for awhile, until Dixon snuck a bounce pass to Darnell Wilks on the baseline, who proceeded to take a big drop-step and rise up off two feet and pump through a big two-hander. 

However, that was the only basket for Cincinnati during a Rutgers 10-2 answer run to tie the game at 12.

The rest of the first half was back and forth, and UC held a five point lead late until the Scarlet Knights cashed four straight three-pointers (three by leading scorer Mike Rosario) to take a 30-25 lead into the locker room.

The second half was all about offensive rebounding and suffocating defense from the Bearcats.  Dixon and New Jersey native Rashad Bishop bottled up Rosario, holding the sophomore guard scoreless for the final twenty minutes. 

UC won the rebounding battle by twelve and the bench points by 19 as the Bearcats eventually pulled away late for the 65-58 W.

A welcome sight for Bearcat fans was the assertive effort from 6-9 260-pound sophomore Yancy Gates.  Struggling of late, Gates hit the glass and took the ball strong to the tin, finishing with 10 points and eight boards, while not committing a turnover in 25 minutes of work.

The third Bearcat dunk came late in the second half.  Stephenson found Bishop in the lane, who sent a touch pass to Wilks on the baseline.  Wilks took a power dribble and then rose up off two feet and rammed home a ferocious two-hander, slapping the glass with his right hand on the follow-through.  (It was an instant DVR-rewind from my boy Andy "Danny" Swaney.)

Cincinnati looked like an upper echelon Big East squad in this game, failing to be fazed facing deficits and Rutgers' streak-shooting runs.  Up next will be a showdown at home against Pittsburgh (12-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) on ESPN's first Big Monday of the season. 

The Panthers handed No. 5 Syracuse its first loss of the season on Saturday, beating the Orange 82-72 in the Carrier Dome. 

Enjoy the journey.  Go 'Cats.

box score

Just in case the Big East conference didn’t know Lance Stephenson is the real deal, it knows now. The soon-to-be NBA lottery pick lit up the 10th ranked UConn Huskies for 21 points while draining all seven of his free throws, including two in ice cold fashion to clinch the victory with :00.7 left on the clock.

Cincinnati (9-3, 1-0 Big East) was able to hold off a late UConn run to improve to 3-0 vs ranked teams on the young season. The re-emergence of senior guard Deonta Vaughn was a big reason why, as the Indianapolis native netted three three-pointers on his way to a solid 17 point-five rebound-five assist effort. 

A key play in the game was a silky 15-foot jumper by Steve “Charles Oakley” Toyloy to begin the second half, igniting an 11-2 run for the Bearcats in front of over 10,000 fans at 5th Third Arena. 

As expected, Jerome Dyson (24 pts) and Stanley Robinson (22 pts) came up large for Connecticut (9-3, 0-1 Big East). But the Bearcats put the clamps on the rest of the Huskies, as Jim Calhoun suffered through a 37.5 percent shooting effort from his team. 

On the game’s final play in which Stephenson drew a foul from UConn’s Gavin Edwards with the game tied at 69, some controversy ensued. The foul call itself was construed as questionable by some involved. 

But, if you remember back two seasons ago, same teams same building, a horsesh*t foul call on UC’s Rashad Bishop enabled UConn’s A.J. Price to hit two late free throws-- the Huskies won 85-84. So, two years later, justice is served. 

In the game last night, both Bearcat dunks were huge.  First, junior guard Larry Davis rammed home a one-hander off one foot on a fast break, courtesy of a perfect outlet pass from Stephenson. Then, with under a minute to play, Dion Dixon found 6’11” Ibrahima Thomas who quickly threw down a two-hander to give UC a three point lead. 

You can go ahead and add Calhoun to the growing list of Hall of Fame coaches Mick Cronin has knocked off in his three-plus seasons at UC. Cronin has previously beaten Rick Pitino, Jim Boeheim, and Bob Huggins (will be in Hall eventually).

Cincinnati won’t have much time to savor its first ever conquest of Connecticut, with a tough road game at Rutgers awaiting Darnell Wilks and the ‘Cats on Saturday (5:00 PST, Big East Network). 

Enjoy the journey.  Go ‘Cats. 

boxscore          highlights

As Dion Dixon and the Cincinnati Bearcats prepare for their final tune-up (Dec 22. Vs Winthrop) before opening up Big East play at home Dec. 30 vs No. 11 UConn (4 PST, ESPN2), Mick Cronin and his staff are hoping and praying that UC can start knocking down some shots. 

The Bearcats have had an up and down non-conference experience. After knocking off two ranked teams and nearly winning the EA Sports Maui Invitational in November, UC then suffered a two-game losing streak in its first two true road games to Xavier and UAB. 

The above paragraph would probably read simply, “UC blazed through a challenging non-conference schedule with its only loss at UAB,” if the Bearcats had been able to get some shots to fall. 

The big problem has been free throw shooting in close games.

Against Gonzaga in overtime, UC missed five of its seven free throw attempts, including the front end of a one-and-one, as the Zags won by 2. In the Crosstown Shootout, the ‘Cats hit just 10 out of 22 from the stripe and again lost in OT*.

*Let’s point out for the record that Xavier rallied from a five-point deficit in the first overtime by benefiting from five free throws on three phantom (er, huge steaming bullsh*t) calls.

As it stands, Cincinnati sits at 7-3, with wins over Vanderbilt and Maryland and all three losses to likely NCAA Tournament teams. 

The defense and rebounding have been phenomenal so far, as UC is tied for eighth nationally in rebounds per game. The long, quick Bearcats have held almost every opponent under 40 percent from the field as well.

The problem, though, has been UC’s offense. Shot selection, lack of strength finishing around the rim, and just plain cold ass shooting has hindered Cincy’s chances of extending leads in close games. Right now, the Bearcats check in at 27.6 percent from 3-pt range, 43 percent from the field, and only 61.4 percent from the foul line.

At this rate, UC could become the first team to shatter a backboard without dunking the basketball.

According to head coach Mick Cronin, the players are: “not letting the offense work.  They grab it and shoot a 3 without a ball reversal, or grab it and try to drive through three people."

The UAB game, in particular, was a prime example of impatience and guys trying to be the hero. UC only accumulated nine assists as the well-rested Blazers dominated, 64-47.

The addition of future lottery pick Lance Stephenson has probably caused some inconsistency on the offensive end, as the rest of team has at times stood around and watched Lance try to roast his man (which he has done quite a bit, right, Matt Bouldin?).

Stephenson, however, has been as advertised. He is UC’s leading scorer at 13.0 PPG, and of late has begun to display an array of NBA-all-day type moves.  His ability to pass the ball has also been nothing short of incredible.  (Cronin told my dad at a meet-the-fans night that Lance is "the best player UC has had since Oscar Robertson.")

Another issue offensively has been the struggles of senior guard Deonta Vaughn. A preseason all-Big East selection, Vaughn has been arctic from long range—hitting only about 25% of his 3-pt attempts. It seems like DV has struggled with a bit of senioritis (trying to do too much) while seeking a balance between letting the game come to him and remaining in “attack mode.”

But, as Cronin will tell you, good teams need to be able to win when having an off-shooting night. The fact that UC’s depth and athleticism has allowed for rugged lockdown defense and superior rebounding bodes well moving forward. 

When the offense begins to click (and it will begin to click, in case some of you Cronin haters on the message boards are doubting), this team will be a nightmare to prepare for. 

Player Grades:

Deonta Vaughn: Too many turnovers, hypothermia from downtown. C+

Dion Dixon: Great energy, eats glass, good defense. Nasty dunk against UAB. B+

Darnell Wilks: Decent on press defense, loudly creaming some threes, but has made a few awful passes. B

Yancy Gates: Strong in Maui, inconsistent effort since; 6.6 RPG for a man his size is not gonna get it done. Reluctant to dunk in traffic. C

Steve Toyloy: Bull in a china shop down low, decent rebounder and defender. Makes funny annoyed faces when he gets called for fouls.  B-

Cashmere Wright: Has struggled with decision making and finishing. Came up big against Miami. C-

Lance Stephenson: An absolute beast. By far the team’s best player. Lost his cool against UAB. Can palm the ball like Otis Thorpe. A-

Jaquon Parker: Pleasant surprise. Strong defender and rebounder. Just a few bad decisions with the ball. B+

Larry Davis: Inconsistent on offense, but strong defense around the perimeter. "Get in that ass, Larry."  B

Rashad Bishop: Best all-around player on the team. Makes shots, boards, plays superb defense, and can really pass the ball. A

Biggie McClain and Ibrahima Thomas: Incomplete

Best dunks: Wilks' reverse at Xavier (didn't count because of a weak foul call on the drive), Dion's down the lane right hander at UAB, Yancy's bunch of loud two-handers in Maui, Lance's steal and one-hander vs Maryland, and Rashad's big left-hand dunk tip vs Vanderbilt.

Enjoy the rest of the journey. Go ‘Cats.

The UAB Blazers will host the No. 25 Cincinnati Bearcats on Wednesday at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, AL.

The last time these two teams met was on Dec. 6, 2008. The Bearcats won that one, 87-80.

The Blazers are heading into Wednesday’s match up riding a seven-game win streak, coming away with a 74-52 win over East Tennessee State on Friday night. Jamarr Sanders led the team with 17 points, followed by George Drake with 16, while Elijah Millsap scored 15 points and dragged down 11 rebounds. Kenneth Cooper scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds in the win. The Blazers won the rebounding battle 52-28 and outscored the Buccaneers 22-5 in second-chance points.

Cincinnati fell to their most hated rival, the Xavier Musketeers, in double overtime by a final score of 83-79, on Sunday night at the Cintas Center. There were some intense moments early on during the game, as both team’s benches cleared following a hard foul by one of the two teams on more than one occasion. Freshman Lance Stephenson led the way with 22 points and six rebounds for Cincinnati in the loss.

The Bearcats out shot the Musketeers by seven and out rebounded them by nine, but made just 10 of 22 free throw attempts, while Xavier knocked down 28 of their 36 attempts to win the game.

The Bearcats will look to bounce back from Sunday’s bitter loss and lick their wounds by ending the Blazers seven-game win streak. They will need to play very well and make good decisions with their shot selections, as well as winning the battle under the boards, both offensively and defensively.

I like Cincinnati in this despite the Blazers current 8-1 record. UAB has yet to face a ranked opponent this season, as this will be their first.

Bearcats by seven.

UAB Blazers Betting Trends:

• UAB is 5-0 SU in its last five games at home
• UAB is 4-1 ATS in its last five games when playing Cincinnati
• UAB is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Cincinnati

Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Trends:

• Cincinnati is 6-2 SU in its last eight games
• Cincinnati is 1-5 ATS in its last six games on the road
• Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last six games on the road
• The total has gone OVER in four of Cincinnati's last six games on the road