The Bearcats picked up win #22 with a 61-44 win over Providence to kick off the UC Big East tournament run. The win is going to definitely send Cincinnati dancing. It will send Providence to the NIT probably. The Bearcats won at least 1 game in each of the last 4 Big East tournaments. Providence lost their last 3 by 32, 19 and now 17. This game also keeps the trend of UC scoring 61 points in regulation guaranteeing them a win alive. It's flukey. 

UC raced out to a huge 13-2 lead and never looked back. Providence was able to cut the lead to single digits, but Cincinnati always answered with a mini-run to get back on track. The times it looked like PC was going to threaten, Sean Kilpatrick would hit a 3 or someone would get an offensive rebound and score. The Bearcats have struggled to put teams away, but they did it today with relative ease. Out of all the ways to start the Big East tournament, this was the best one! 

The Bearcats play #1 seed Georgetown at noon tomorrow. Same time, same channel. 

The defense today was outstanding. Holding anyone to 44 points is very impressive. PC had an offensive efficiency of 71.7. That is very low. PC started off bricking shots, they ended the game bricking shots. The Cats didn't forced a lot of turnovers, but the bad shots the Friars were forced into were practically the same. It was a smothering effort. Defense can travel. It looks like Cincinnati's has. At least for today. 

UC had been battling turnovers and they cut that a lot today. During the PC run, UC couldn't handle the PC press. Eventually the Bearcats figured it out. UC had 9 turnovers. 5 of those were steals. That's an improvement. 

Titus Rubles had a very quiet game with 2 points, 2 boards and 1 assist. His assist was an alley oop to Mbodj for an exclamation mark. It was nice. 

Sean Kilpatrick wasn't very efficient, 6-16, 2-6 from 3, but man did he make the big shots when it mattered most. It's not how many you make, it's when you make them. Every time PC showed fight, SK knocked them down. PC had a steal and possession when they could have cut the score to 9, SK went the other with with an and 1 to make the lead 14. Kilpatrick hit 3s to make the lead 8 and 9 in the second half. He steps up when someone has to step up. It isn't great that he's turned into a volume shooter, but at least he's making them. 

Cashmere Wright got into some first half foul trouble that cut his minutes some. He finished with 6 points on 2-6, 0-2 from 3, 2-2 at the line. More importantly, he had 5 assists against 1 turnover. Cash ran the offense very well when he was on the floor. We are going to need that leadership tomorrow. 

The play early in the second half where Cash went to the post to block out on a rebound, got in the box out position, then cowered away from Henton while trying to avoid his 3rd foul was hilarious. I wish there was a gif of it. 

Cheikh Mbodj's performance over the last 2 games is exactly what UC needs from him. He had 8 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks. He got in a bit of foul trouble, but damn was it worth it because he completely dominated and intimidated the Friar front line. He's blocked shots all season, no matter if he was playing well or not. The last 2 games he's cashed in on easy opportunities and made free throws. He's hit the glass as well. That's all UC needs. He doesn't have to be Danny Fortson. He doesn't have to be Jason Maxiell. He doesn't have to be Kenyon Martin. He just has to be Cheikh Mbodj. We've seen it work. Keep it going. 

JaQuon Parker got off to a hot start. He went 4-4 for 10 points as UC opened up the can of whoop ass on PC early. Parker finished with 15 points. He posted his second career double double with 10 rebounds.  Both have come this season. Both have come against Providence. He likes the Friars. 

Shaquille Thomas got a lot of run today and boy oh boy did he show that he needs more. He had 8 rebounds, 4 offensive. He had 5 points on 2-7 shooting. He was 1-2 from the line. He is still a little out of control on his drives and therefore has some trouble finishing. But Thomas has moves that no one else on the team has. Shaq brings something else to the table. When he's rebounding like he was today, he's going to play. 

Justin Jackson returned to the lineup. He had 5 rebounds and blocked a shot. Jackson also set an illegal screen. It was like he never left. Welcome back, JJ. 

Mick said after the game he likes Rubles and Thomas at the 4. That means Jackson is the backup center. How long have I been saying Rubles and Jackson should play together? Exhibition season? It seems like it. Even a couple weeks ago before the UConn game, I said that I would play Thomas and Rubles more, Jackson at the 5 and not play Big Dave at all. Mick pretty much said that today. Thanks for finding the blog, Mick. Wish you found it sooner. 

GeLawn Guyn had 4 fouls in like 10 minutes of play. Calm down, Ge'Lawn. 

Jermaine Sanders shot the ball a lot. He was 2-8, 1-3, 1-2 at the line. He scored 6. Sanders had 3 offensive rebounds. You would like to see him make more layups. He missed at least 3. 

Cincinnati's bench scored 13 points and had 16 rebounds. That'll do. 

Kadeem Batts went off for 25-9 in the first meeting. He had 14-8 in this one. He was 6-17 from the field. UC did a much better job on him in this game. 

Bryce Cotton was 5-15, 0-7 from 3. Vincent Council was 1-7. Josh Fortune was 1-6, 1-5 from 3. That's pretty good defense. 

These uniforms. Ugh. They are for the players and recruits, but adidas is ruining basketball. Stop being out there just to be out there. Make uniforms that actually look good. 

No need to be nervous about making the dance any longer. We can sit back and watch the Cats beat Georgetown. 

Photos via ESPN. Box score via SI

 

Cincinnati (22-10)	31	30	61
Providence (17-14)	23	21	44

 

no comments

Today at noon, the Cincinnati Bearcats begin their quest back to the Big East championship game by taking on the Providence Friars. 

#9 Cincinnati Bearcats 

Record: 21-10, 9-9

RPI: 49

Ken Pom: 39

Ken Pom Offense: 117

Ken Pom Defense: 12

Minutes

• Sean Kilpatrick 36.3
• JaQuon Parker 32.5
• Cashmere Wright 31.3

Points

• Sean Kilpatrick 16.2
• Cashmere Wright 11.8
• JaQuon Parker 10.7

FT %

• Cashmere Wright 84%
• Sean Kilpatrick 77.8%
• Cheikh Mbodj 70.2%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Sean Kilpatrick 45 (29.4%)
• Cashmere Wright 31 (27.4%)
• JaQuon Parker 18 (35.3%)

Rebounding

• Titus Rubles 6.1
• JaQuon Parker 4.9
• Sean Kilpatrick 4.8

Assists

• Cashmere Wright 47
• Titus Rubles 35
• Sean Kilpatrick 28

Steals

• Cashmere Wright 21
• Titus Rubles 16
• Sean Kilpatrick 16

Blocks

• Cheikh Mbodj 47
• Justin Jackson 19
• David Nyarsuk 11

#8 Providence Friars

Record: 17-13, 9-9

RPI: 84

Ken Pom: 56

Ken Pom Offense: 72

Ken Pom Defense: 58

Minutes

• Bryce Cotton 38
• Vincent Council 33.8
• LaDontae Henton 32.9

Points

• Bryce Cotton 18.9
• Kadeem Batts 14.6
• Vincent Council / LaDontae Henton 10.9

FT %

• LaDontae Henton 87.7%
• Bryce Cotton 79.1%
• Kris Dunn 64.3%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Bryce Cotton 55 (36.9%)
• Josh Fortune 15 (30.6%)
• Vincent Council 11 (30.6)
• LaDontae Henton 11 (23.9%)

Rebounding

• LaDontae Henton 8.5
• Kadeem Batts 7
• Kris Dunn 4.7

Assists

• Vincent Council 125
• Bryce Cotton 41
• Kris Dunn 37

Steals

• Vincent Council 27
• Kris Dunn 19
• Bryce Cotton 15

Blocks

• Kadeem Batts 14
• Vincent Council 8
• Kris Dunn / LaDontae Henton 7

Paw Points

Cincinnati is a 2.5 point favorite. 

Providence won the only regular season meeting 54-50. 

Cincinnati has won at least 1 Big East tournament game the last 3 seasons. 

JaQuon Parker posted a double double in the first meeting against the Friars. 

Kadeem Batts had 25 points and 9 rebounds to lead Providence. 

Providence hasn't lost to a team that wasn't Syracuse or Connecticut since January 26. 

Cincinnati hasn't beat a top 11 seed in the Big East tournament since February 12 when they defeated Villanova. 

They did beat Connecticut, who would have been the 8 seed, but Connecticut isn't in the tournament. 

Cincinnati turned the ball over 14 times in the first meeting. The Bearcats have had a lot of trouble handling the rock lately. Not turning the ball over tomorrow would be a cool thing. 

Cashmere Wright over the last 2 games is 6-12 from 3. 

Sean Kilpatrick is 3-16 from 3 in that span. 

The Bearcats were 11-20 at the foul line in that first game. Parker was 3-9. It would help if this didn't happen again. 

I don't the status of Justin Jackson, but him playing is very important. UC couldn't guard Batts with him in the lineup. Jackson fouled out of that game. Batts had 17 field goal attempts and 12 free throw attempts. Pretty important to not let that happen. 

Random bench guys are so important in games like this. Lee Goldsbrough put 6 points and 4 offensive boards on UC in the first meeting. Shaq Thomas had 6 points in that game. UC only had 8 bench points total. Getting production from Thomas, Sanders and Guyn is key. Not just for this game, but for all week.

This is a huge week for the program. You don't get exposure like this anywhere else. This is the last Big East tournament Cincinnati will take part. How about our boys go out with some Ws? 

Cincinnati 65 Providence 55

no comments

This is cross posted from Run the Floor. Be sure to check it out. 

The Big East tournament starts tonight with a couple of battles of league minnows, but the day 1 games should not take away from what should be a loaded tournament. A lot of people are mourning the final Big East tournament as we know it, so I won't do that here. The Big East tournament has provided fantastic basketball over the years and this one should be no different. The quarterfinals on Thursday should feature some dynamite matchups. The weekend games are normally played at a very high level. The Big East tournament has been one of the standout conference tournaments since it's inception. It's going out the same way. 

Here is the 2013 Big East tournament bracket. 

 

---

Before we delve into the teams, let's take a look at the conference leaders. Stats are conference games only. Connecticut players are excluded since UConn is not taking part in the tournament. 

Points

• Bryce Cotton 18.9
• Otto Porter 18.1
• Brandon Young 17.2

FT %

• LaDontae Henton 87.7%
• Myles Mack 86.8%
• Davante Gardner 86.3%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Bryce Cotton 55 (35.7%)
• Sean Kilpatrick 45 (29.4%)
• Ryan Arcidiacono 40 (36%)

Rebounding

• Gorgui Dieng 10.8
• Jack Cooley 10
• Mouphtaou Yarou 9.7

Assists

• Vincent Council 7.3
• Jerian Grant 5.9
• Peyton Siva 5.9

Assist/Turnover Ratio

• Vincent Council 2.7
• Kyle Smith 2.3
• Peyton Siva 2.2

Steals

• Michael Carter-Williams 48
• Fuquan Edwin 43
• Otto Porter / Peyton Siva 33

Blocks

• Chris Obekpa 60
• Gorgui Dieng 51
• Cheikh Mbodj 47

Here are the team stats for pace, offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. 

Possessions

1. DePaul 72
2. St John's 68
3. Providence 67
4. Villanova 67
5. Louisville 66
6. Marquette 64
7. Seton Hall 64
8. Notre Dame 63
9. Syracuse 63
10. Cincinnati 62
11. Georgetown 62
12. Pittsburgh 62
13. Rutgers 62
14. South Florida 60

Points Per Possession - Offense

1. Marquette 1.07
2. Louisville 1.06
3. Pittsburgh 1.06
4. Notre Dame 1.05
5. Syracuse 1.04
6. Georgetown 1.03
7. Providence 1.01
8. Villanova 0.99
9. DePaul 0.98
10. Cincinnati 0.97
11. Rutgers 0.96
12. Seton Hall 0.93
13. St John's 0.92
14. South Florida 0.90

Offensive Efficiency

1. Marquette 107.1
2. Pittsburgh 106.4
3. Louisville 105.6
4. Notre Dame 105.4
5. Syracuse 104.4
6. Georgetown 102.7
7. Providence 100.9
8. Villanova 99.3
9. DePaul 97.5
10. Cincinnati 96.7
11. Rutgers 95.6
12. Seton Hall 93.2
13. St John's 92
14. South Florida 90.4

Points Per Possession - Defensive

1. Louisville 0.90
2. Georgetown 0.94
3. Pittsburgh 0.95
4. Villanova 0.95
5. Cincinnati 0.98
6. St John's 0.98
7. Marquette 0.99
8. Syracuse 0.99
9. Providence 1.03
10. Notre Dame 1.05
11. Rutgers 1.06
12. Seton Hall 1.07
13. South Florida 1.07
14. DePaul 1.14

Opponent Offensive Efficiency

1. Louisville 89.7
2. Georgetown 94.5
3. Pittsburgh 94.7
4. Villanova 95.1
5. St John's 97.6
6. Cincinnati 97.7
7. Syracuse 99
8. Marquette 99.4
9. Providence 102.6
10. Notre Dame 104.9
11. Rutgers 106
12. South Florida 106.7
13. Seton Hall 107.3
14. DePaul 114.4

DePaul is bad defensively is what the numbers are saying. 

With the league leaders out of the way, let's take a closer look at each of the 14 teams. We'll go 1-14 because that is easier. After that, I'll feebly attempt to predict the tournament. 

#1 Georgetown Hoyas

Record: 24-5, 14-4

RPI: 10

Ken Pom: 13

Ken Pom Offense: 68

Ken Pom Defense: 3

Minutes

• Markel Starks 36.2
• Otto Porter 35.8
• Nate Lubick 30.5

Points

• Otto Porter 18.1
• Markel Starks 13.3
• D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 11.1

FT %

• Otto Porter 80.7
• Jabril Trawick 75
• D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 73.1

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Markel Starks 39 (40.6%)
• Otto Porter 30 (44.1%)
• D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 27 (36%)

Rebounding

• Otto Porter 7.3
• Nate Lubick 5.6
• D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 3.8

Assists

• Markel Starks 57
• Nate Lubick 48
• Otto Porter 44

Steals

• Otto Porter 33
• Markel Starks 23
• D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 19

Blocks

• Mikael Hopkins 21
• Nate Lubick 14
• Otto Porter 13

Why they could win the tournament: They have the best player. Porter's name was in every stat line. They play a style that can translate for 3 days. 

Why they could lose: 3 of their 4 conference losses were on the road. 

#2 Louisville Cardinals

Record: 26-5, 14-4

RPI: 3

Ken Pom: 3

Ken Pom Offense: 17

Ken Pom Defense: 1

Minutes

• Gorgui Dieng 34
• Peyton Siva 32.3
• Russ Smith 31.2

Points

• Russ Smith 16.6
• Gorgui Dieng 11.2
• Chane Behanan 9.5

FT %

• Peyton Siva 93% (28 attempts)
• Russ Smith 85.4%
• Wayne Blackshear 81.8%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Luke Hancock 32 (43.2%)
• Russ Smith 20 (30%)
• Wayne Blackshear 15 (28.8%)

Rebounding

• Gorgui Dieng 10.8
• Chane Behanan 6.5
• Russ Smith 3.9

Assists

• Peyton Siva 106
• Russ Smith 56
• Gorgui Dieng 33

Steals

• Peyton Siva 33
• Chane Behanan 28
• Russ Smith 27

Blocks

• Gorgui Dieng 51
• Chane Behanan 11
• Montrezl Harrell 11

Why they could win: Louisville probably has the best team in the league. They can play any style and thrive because they are suffocating on defense. 

Why they could lose: Louisville has some trouble scoring at times, especially if the guards aren't shooting well. Peyton Siva is a very important player who has a propensity for foul trouble. Louisville doesn't have a backup point guard to keep things going when he leaves the game. 

#3 Marquette Golden Eagles 

Record: 23-7, 14-4

RPI: 11

Ken Pom: 25

Ken Pom Offense: 16

Ken Pom Defense: 49

Minutes

• Vander Blue 33.4
• Junior Cadougan 29.2
• Trent Lockett 28.2

Points

• Vander Blue 15
• Davante Gardner 10.9
• Jamil Wilson 9.3

FT %

• Davante Gardner 86.3%
• Todd Mayo 76.3%
• Vander Blue 74.3%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Vander Blue 20 (26%)
• Jamil Wilson 16 (29.1%)
• Todd Mayo 16 (32%)

Rebounding

• Jamil Wilson 5
• Davante Gardner 4.7
• Trent Lockett 4.7

Assists

• Junior Cadougan 72
• Trent Lockett 38
• Vander Blue 35

Steals

• Junior Cadougan 24
• Vander Blue 15
• Trent Lockett 13

Blocks

• Chris Otule 20
• Jamil Wilson 14
• Davante Gardner 12

Why they could win: Marquette has been surprising teams all season. They play a tough style of basketball and can score on just about everyone. 

Why they could lose: Marquette never seems to play that well in New York. They are not a great defensive team and not a great 3 point shooting team. Those things could end up catching up to them if they fall behind. 

#4 Pittsburgh Panthers

Record: 24-7, 12-6

RPI: 40

Ken Pom: 6

Ken Pom Offense: 10

Ken Pom Defense: 11

Minutes

• Tray Woodall 28.6
• Lamar Patterson 27.6
• James Robinson 24.6

Points

• Tray Woodall 11.8
• Lamar Patterson 10.4
• Talib Zanna 7.3

FT %

• Tray Woodall 80.4%
• James Robinson 76%
• JJ Moore / Dante Taylor 75%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Tray Woodall 29 (35.8%)
• Lamar Patterson 20 (32.8%)
• JJ Moore 18 (40%)

Rebounding

• Steven Adams 6.1
• Talib Zanna 5.9
• Lamar Patterson 4.7

Assists

• Tray Woodall 87
• James Robinson 51
• Lamar Patterson 42

Steals

• Tray Woodall 27
• Lamar Patterson 23
• James Robinson 14

Blocks

• Steven Adams 37
• Talib Zanna 10
• Dante Taylor 8

Why they could win: Pitt has a very solid team. They are great defensively and they are very efficient of the offensive end. They own wins over Georgetown and Syracuse, their potential opponents in their first 2 games. 

Why they could lose: Pitt has a very tough draw. Beating Syracuse, Georgetown and potentially Louisville would be a very tough task for anyone in the country. 

#5 Syracuse Orange

Record: 23-8, 11-7

RPI: 17

Ken Pom: 12

Ken Pom Offense: 25

Ken Pom Defense: 10

Minutes

• CJ Fair 38.2
• Michael Carter-Williams 37.7
• Brandon Triche 35.4

Points

• CJ Fair 15.8
• Brandon Triche 13.9
• James Southerland 13.4

FT %

• Brandon Triche 80.3%
• CJ Fair 78.7%
• Michael Carter-Williams 77.5%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• James Southerland 29 (32.6%)
• Brandon Triche 23 (25.8%)
• Michael Carter-Williams 18 (29.5%)

Rebounding

• CJ Fair 7.3
• James Southerland 5.7
• Rakeem Christmas 4.6

Assists

• Michael Carter-Williams 103
• Brandon Triche 69
• CJ Fair  / James Southerland 16

Steals

• Michael Carter-Williams 48
• Brandon Triche 21
• James Southerland 20

Blocks

• Rakeem Christmas 33
• CJ Fair 25
• Baye Keita 17

Why they could win: Syracuse might have the most talented team in the tournament. If any team could strap it on for 4 days and pull through, it's them. 

Why they could lose: Syracuse has not played up to it's talent level. They've lost to Pittsburgh and Georgetown in convincing fashion each time. The Cuse has lost 4 of 5. They don't look great. 

#6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Record: 23-8, 11-7

RPI: 44

Ken Pom: 32

Ken Pom Offense: 13

Ken Pom Defense: 94

Minutes

• Eric Atkins 39.9
• Jerian Grant 38.2
• Pat Connaughton 32.6

Points

• Jerian Grant 14.2
• Jack Cooley 12.4
• Eric Atkins 12.4

FT %

• Jerian Grant 77.8%
• Pat Connaughton 73.3%
• Jack Cooley 71.4%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Eric Atkins 31 (45%)
• Jerian Grant 30 (34.1%)
• Pat Connaughton 22 (31.4%)

Rebounding

• Jack Cooley 10
• Pat Connaughton 4.8
• Tom Knight 4.1

Assists

• Jerian Grant 107
• Eric Atkins 90
• Pat Connaughton 35

Steals

• Eric Atkins 24
• Jerian Grant 19
• Jack Cooley 11

Blocks

• Tom Knight 22
• Jack Cooley 18
• Pat Connaughton / Zach Auguste 5

Why they could win: Notre Dame plays a slower style and they can execute wonderfully on offense. Their style can frustrate anyone. They have guys who can make shots. 

Why they could lose: The Irish aren't very deep so they tend to run into tired legs. They also are bad at defense and normally that's a bad thing against very good teams. 

#7 Villanova Wildcats

Record: 19-12, 10-8

RPI: 52

Ken Pom: 49

Ken Pom Offense: 85

Ken Pom Defense: 29

Minutes

• Ryan Arcidiacono 34.9
• Mouphtaou Yarou 31.5
• Darrun Hillard 31.4

Points

• JayVaughn Pinkston 13.4
• Darrun Hillard 12.8
• Ryan Arcidiacono 12.6

FT %

• Ryan Arcidiacono 83%
• Mouphtaou Yarou 79%
• Darrun Hillard 78.5%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Ryan Arcidiacono 40 (36%)
• James Bell 29 (35.4%)
• Darrun Hillard 24 (32%)

Rebounds

• Mouphtaou Yarou 9.7
• JayVaughn Pinkston 4.7
• James Bell / Daniel Ochefu 4.2

Assists

• Ryan Arcidiacono 63
• Darrun Hillard 33
• JayVaughn Pinkston 29

Steals

• Darrun Hillard 21
• James Bell 25
• JayVaughn Pinkston 19

Blocks

• Daniel Ochefu 14
• Mouphtaou Yarou 13
• JayVaughn Pinkston 12

Why they could win: Villanova has already knocked off some of the league's big boys. They beat Syracuse and Louisville in back to back games. The Wildcats also beat Georgetown during the Hoya hot streak. They shoot a lot of 3s and those can be game changers. 

Why they could lose: Villanova did all of that at home. They do not play their home games at Madison Square Garden. 

#8 Providence Friars

Record: 17-13, 9-9

RPI: 84

Ken Pom: 56

Ken Pom Offense: 72

Ken Pom Defense: 58

Minutes

• Bryce Cotton 38
• Vincent Council 33.8
• LaDontae Henton 32.9

Points

• Bryce Cotton 18.9
• Kadeem Batts 14.6
• Vincent Council / LaDontae Henton 10.9

FT %

• LaDontae Henton 87.7%
• Bryce Cotton 79.1%
• Kris Dunn 64.3%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Bryce Cotton 55 (36.9%)
• Josh Fortune 15 (30.6%)
• Vincent Council 11 (30.6)
• LaDontae Henton 11 (23.9%)

Rebounding

• LaDontae Henton 8.5
• Kadeem Batts 7
• Kris Dunn 4.7

Assists

• Vincent Council 125
• Bryce Cotton 41
• Kris Dunn 37

Steals

• Vincent Council 27
• Kris Dunn 19
• Bryce Cotton 15

Blocks

• Kadeem Batts 14
• Vincent Council 8
• Kris Dunn / LaDontae Henton 7

Why they could win: The Friars have been a terror on the league ever since the calendar flipped to February. They are 7-2 in that span with wins over Villanova, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and St John's. Plus, 2 of their last 3 losses were to Connecticut in overtime. They don't have to play Connecticut. 

Why they could lose: Providence is 6 deep. The tv time outs are a little longer for the tournaments, but with that short a bench and the intensity of the games they will be playing against the high level of competition doesn't seem to fare well for PC. 

#9 Cincinnati Bearcats 

Record: 21-10, 9-9

RPI: 49

Ken Pom: 39

Ken Pom Offense: 117

Ken Pom Defense: 12

Minutes

• Sean Kilpatrick 36.3
• JaQuon Parker 32.5
• Cashmere Wright 31.3

Points

• Sean Kilpatrick 16.2
• Cashmere Wright 11.8
• JaQuon Parker 10.7

FT %

• Cashmere Wright 84%
• Sean Kilpatrick 77.8%
• Cheikh Mbodj 70.2%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Sean Kilpatrick 45 (29.4%)
• Cashmere Wright 31 (27.4%)
• JaQuon Parker 18 (35.3%)

Rebounding

• Titus Rubles 6.1
• JaQuon Parker 4.9
• Sean Kilpatrick 4.8

Assists

• Cashmere Wright 47
• Titus Rubles 35
• Sean Kilpatrick 28

Steals

• Cashmere Wright 21
• Titus Rubles 16
• Sean Kilpatrick 16

Blocks

• Cheikh Mbodj 47
• Justin Jackson 19
• David Nyarsuk 11

Why they could win: Cincinnati plays some great defense. They play a slower pace so they can keep games tight. With the amount of 3 pointers they attempt, maybe some fall late and they start pulling off some upsets. 

Why they could lose: Cincinnati is slated to face a bunch of teams that already beat them. The Bearcat offense is the weakest group out of the Big East teams with tournament hopes. They probably can't maintain high level for 4 days. 

#10 St John's Red Storm

Record: 16-14, 8-10

RPI: 81

Ken Pom: 98

Ken Pom Offense: 204

Ken Pom Defense: 38

Minutes

• Phil Greene 32.8
• JaKarr Sampson 31.6
• Sir'Dominic Pointer 29.1

Points

• Jakarr Sampson 15.1
• Phil Greene 9.4
• Sir'Dominic Pointer 7.8

FT %

• Sir'Dominic Pointer 72%
• Phil Greene 71.4%
• JaKarr Sampson 64.2%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Phil Greene 13 (18.8%)
• Marc-Antoine Bourgault 13 (27.7%)
• Sir'Dominic Pointer 6 (33.3%)

Rebounding

• Sir'Dominic Pointer 6.9
• Chris Obekpa 6.5
• JaKarr Sampson 6.3

Assists

• Sir'Dominic Pointer 51
• Phil Greene 37
• Jamal Branch 36

Steals

• Sir'Dominic Pointer 23
• JaKarr Sampson 21
• Jamal Branch 17

Blocks

• Chris Obekpa 60
• Sir'Dominic Pointer 16
• JaKarr Sampson 14

Why they could win: St John's is hosting the Big East tournament. A win over Villanova and they get the crowd on their side for a Thursday night game against Louisville. They beat the Cards, then play ND or Marquette, who they beat and took to the limit at home. Then they play the title game against Cincinnati, who they beat earlier in the year. Miracle run. 

Why they could lose: You'll notice some of the St John's stats seem lacking. That's because leading scorer D'Angelo Harrison is suspended from the team. Hard to win 4 games in 4 days without one of your best players. Even if he is very selfish. 

#11 Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Record: 14-15, 5-13

RPI: 109

Ken Pom: 112

Ken Pom Offense: 90

Ken Pom Defense: 154

Minutes

• Myles Mack 30.1
• Jerome Seagears 29.8
• Dane Miller 24..9

Points

• Myles Mack 12.5
• Jerome Seagears 7.8
• Wally Judge 6.1

FT %

• Myles Mack 86.8%
• Jerome Seagears 78.9%
• Dane Miller 61.5%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Myles Mack 33 (41.8%)
• Jerome Seagears 25 (41.7%)
• Mike Poole 6 (28.6%)

Rebounding

• Kadeem Jack 5.3
• Wally Judge 4.5
• Dane Miller 4.1

Assists

• Jerome Seagears 52
• Myles Mack 46
• Dane Miller 43

Steals

• Myles Mack 30
• Mike Poole 12
• Jerome Seagears 12

Blocks

• Kadeem Jack 13
• Dane Miller 11
• Wally Judge 10

Why they could win: Rutgers starts off with DePaul, whom they should beat. They could pull off back to back upsets over ND and Marquette. They played them both very tough in the regular season. Then they hope Louisville loses because the Cards held them to a season low 48 points. 

Why they could lose: Rutgers is also missing their leading scorer, Eli Carter. Unlike St John's, Carter went down to injury. The only team Rutgers has defeated since January 19 is Seton Hall. Unless Seton Hall makes a miracle run to the finals, Rutgers will not play Seton Hall. Plus, Rutgers was 1 of 2 teams to lose to DePaul. 

#12 Seton Hall Pirates

Record: 14-17, 3-15

RPI: 140

Ken Pom: 115

Ken Pom Offense: 144

Ken Pom Defense: 105

Minutes

• Fuquan Edwin 34.2
• Aaron Cosby 34.1
• Gene Teague 28.1

Points

• Fuquan Edwin 15.4
• Aaron Cosby 13.4
• Gene Teague 9.8

FT %

• Aaron Cosby 74%
• Fuquan Edwin 70.6%
• Gene Teague 51.6%
• I didn't count anyone under 21 free throws. SH has 4 players with over 21 FT attempts

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Aaron Cosby 39 (41.1%)
• Fuquan Edwin 32 (35.2%)
• Kyle Smyth 22 (32.4%)

Rebounds

• Gene Teague 6.6
• Fuquan Edwin 5.8
• Brandon Mobley 4.4

Assists

• Aaron Cosby 60
• Tom Maayan 38
• Kyle Smyth 35

Steals

• Fuquan Edwin 43
• Tom Maayan 17
• Kyle Smyth 12

Blocks

• Fuquan Edwin 12
• Gene Teague 6
• Haralds Karlis 5

Why they could win: The Pirates already defeated USF. They hung with Syracuse and Pitt already this season. Georgetown could lose to Cincinnati, a team Seton Hall played close in the second half. From there, hope DePaul or Nova make the finals because those are the only teams on that side of the bracket they defeated. 

Why they could lose: They only won 3 conference games. They are not going to win 5 in 5 days. 

#13 South Florida Bulls

Record: 12-18, 3-15

RPI: 137

Ken Pom: 141

Ken Pom Offense: 178

Ken Pom Defense: 120

Minutes

• Anthony Collins 36.6
• Victor Rudd 34.1
• Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 33.4

Points

• Victor Rudd 13.1
• Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 8.9
• Anthony Collins 7.9

FT %

• Anthony Collins 81.8%
• Victor Rudd 76.4%
• Zach LeDay 74%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 30 (29.1%)
• Victor Rudd 25 (29.1%)
• Jawanza Poland 18 (29%)

Rebounding

• Victor Rudd 6.5
• Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 4.7
• Martino Brock 3.5

Assists

• Anthony Collins 99
• Martino Brock 26
• Victor Rudd 14

Steals

• Martino Brock 25
• Anthony Collins 19
• Jawanza Poland 17

Blocks

• Toarlyn Fitzpatrick 15
• Victor Rudd 12
• Zach LeDay 9

Why they could win: The Bulls could lull everyone to sleep for 5 days with their boring style of play while Victor Rudd goes completely insane. 

Why they could lose: They are not going to do that. 

#14 DePaul Blue Demons

Record: 11-20, 2-16

RPI: 199

Ken Pom: 155

Ken Pom Offense: 102

Ken Pom Defense: 223

Minutes

• Brandon Young 33.1
• Cleveland Melvin 32.3
• Donnavan Kirk 28

Points

• Brandon Young 17.2
• Cleveland Melvin 15.8
• Jamee Crockett 9.3

FT %

• Brandon Young 75.5%
• Jamee Crockett 75.%
• Worrel Clahar 75%

3 Pointers Made (3 Pt %)

• Jamee Crockett 20 (29.9%)
• Brandon Young 16 (29.1%)
• Moses Morgan 15 (31.9%)

Rebounding

• Cleveland Melvin 6.2
• Donnavan Kirk 4.5
• Brandon Young 3.4

Assists

• Brandon Young 84
• Worrel Clahar 60
• Charles McKinney 27

Steals

• Brandon Young 28
• Charles McKinney 20
• Jamee Crockett 18

Blocks

• Donnavan Kirk 23
• Cleveland Melvin 15
• Jamee Crockett 7

Why they won't win: They are DePaul. 

Why they will lose: They are DePaul. 

Predictions

Tuesday

Seton Hall 63 South Florida 58

Rutgers 69 DePaul 64

Wednesday

Cincinnati 61 Providence 58

Syracuse 72 Seton Hall 59

Villanova 65 St John's 56

Notre Dame 68 Rutgers 60

Thursday

Georgetown 63 Cincinnati 55

Pittsburgh 69 Syracuse 67

Louisville 70 Villanova 61

Marquette 65 Notre Dame 58

Friday

Georgetown 71 Pittsburgh 67

Louisville 73 Marquette 62

Saturday 

Louisville 64 Georgetown 63

RPI numbers from RealTimeRPI. Stats from Stat Sheet. Ken Pom from Ken Pom. 

no comments

The seniors saved senior day. Cashmere Wright, JaQuon Parker and Cheikh Mbodj scored 37 of Cincinnati's 61 points on Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats needed big performances by each in a game they tried to give away. 5/3 Arena rallied around the team as they rallied back against USF. Cincinnati needed very much to win this game to avoid an embarrassing March defeat to one of the worst teams in the league. They did that. Senior day is a special day for everyone involved, and it ended up being a very special day for one of the seniors especially. 

Cheikh Mbodj has played better games statistically. He got off to a slow start with 2 points in the first half. He dominated the second half and overtime with 6 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Mbodj was 6-8 at the free throw line. He hit a number of big ones late. One of his 3 blocks came late in regulation, when he blocked an Anthony Collins layup attempt. With his parents in attendance for the first time in 6 years, Mbodj saved Cincinnati's ass. The Cats don't win this game without him. He's such a big part of the team. When he doesn't contribute, it shows. When he plays balls out like he did on Saturday, it pays off big time. Great game from Mbodj. 

Cashmere Wright led Cincinnati in scoring with 15 points. He hit 4-11 from the field, 3-7 from 3 and was 4-6 at the free throw line. He's starting to round into form. Back to back solid shooting games. Back to back games in leading the team in scoring. Cash had a team high 2 steals. His staunch refusal to get assists these days is another issue. Cash playing better basketball is very important. No duh, Scott, no duh. 

It was pretty awesome of Mick Cronin to start Alex Eppensteiner. Eppensteiner only played 2 minutes. He had an assist on UC's first field goal. UC and South Florida were tied at the end of regulation, so it was a pretty important field goal. It would have been a little awesome if Alex came in and started throwing everything up. Mick probably would have not been happy. 

JaQuon Parker did everything we love about him. He scored 14 points. He had 8 rebounds. He had 6 offensive rebounds. He had 3 assists. Parker filled up the box score. He played 40 of the 45 minutes. He was key in the comeback. Everyone plays hard, but you can see Parker going all out. Some guys make it look smooth. Parker isn't one of those guys. He has to bust his ass to get position on misses to be able to put them back. And he does it every game. I really love watching him play. I'm disappointed we only have a few games left. 10 is a few. 

Titus Rubles played well. He scored a huge putback in overtime to give Cincinnati the lead for good. Rubles had 9 rebounds, 4 points and 2 steals. He doesn't have any control of the ball though. He had 3 more turnovers. He was not a good offensive player during the regular season. 

I talked about this after the last UConn game, when the steals are high the 3 pointers are high. 7 steals, 7 three pointers. This team has a formula and that is a part of it. 

Part of the formula is offensive rebounding. Cincinnati completely dominated the glass against the Bulls. UC had 18 second chance points. Every one of them was crucial. Especially because...

The Bearcats have turned into a sieve offensively. 15 more turnovers. Rubles and Kilpatrick combined for 6, but Cash and Mbodj had 2 a piece. UC shot the ball very well and shot themselves in the foot by taking possessions away. 

The defense was not very good. USF shot 40.8%, the same as UC. The Bulls hit 7-19 from 3. USF hit 50% in the first half. The Bearcat defense tightened in the second half, but the Bulls were able to make plays when they needed to. If Anthony Collins doesn't foul out, who knows where this game ends up. No matter the record, there is too much talent in this league to sleepwalk. Cincinnati almost paid dearly for that. 

Sean Kilpatrick came off the bench to score 13 points. He was 5-11 from the field, 2-7 from 3. He made 1 free throw, but it came at the right time. He scored a layup with under a minute to go in OT to ice the game completely. SK had 5 rebounds as well. His 3 point shooting has really fallen off. He finished the season at 31.5%. He was a 29.4% three point shooter in league play. That's not a great thing. 

Shaq Thomas played 2 minutes. He should have played more. He came in the game, immediately made an impact with a layup and some good press defense, and then he was out again. 

Ge'Lawn Guyn hit a big 3 pointer. He only attempted 2 shots in 10 minutes. I like gunner Guyn a little more, but making shots is making shots. 

Jermaine Sanders was 1-4, 0-2 from 3, with 2 points. He had 2 of the 10 UC assists. 

In the back up big men department, Kelvin Gaines played 11 minutes with a block, a steal, an assist and a turnover. Nyarsuk played 6 minutes with a turnover on an offensive foul. Gaines had 2 fouls of his own. Neither attempted a shot or pulled down a rebound. That's not good. 

Saturday's overtime win against South Florida was nothing to be excited about really. The Bearcats continue to look like a team that is on shaky ground for tournament play. Their last 5 wins were against the 12, 13 and 14 place teams in the Big East, UConn without their best player and a nice win over Villanova. Maybe I'm alone in thinking this, but if UC loses to Providence Wednesday afternoon, I think it's time to be worried. Stranger things have happened than a fading Cincinnati team getting left out of the field. 

UC had over 11,000 in the building. With an average attendance of over 9,200, UC set the highest home attendance of the Mick Cronin era. That is awesome. Thanks to everyone who went to the games this season. We are starting to get back to the atmosphere of the Huggins era. I love it. Fist bump. 

UC scored 61 points in each of their last 2 wins. The first PC game was 54-50. I am worried about the slow play already on Wednesday. Noon games are typically always sloppy. UC plays very slow and that one could be ugly. 

Speaking of pace, UC really let USF drag the pace into the mud. That's the only way the Bulls can compete with people. That's the only way Mick thinks UC can compete with people. It doesn't equal aesthetically pleasing basketball. 

But wins do. Bring on the Big East tournament. 

Photos via Cincinnati.com

no comments

The Big East put all their All-Big East teams today. Sean Kilpatrick, who was on the first team in the preseason, landed on the second team for the postseason. It's the second year in a row Kilpatrick has been named to the second team. Otto Porter of Georgetown, the soon to be conference player of the year, was the only unanimous first team choice. Here are the teams. 

 

no comments