The Basketball Barwin

Saturday afternoon Connor Barwin, the basketball player, will be recognized at Fifth Third Arena.  It's senior day and Mick Cronin wants to recognize his former player as a member of the basketball program.  Barwin was a member of the team the Coach Cronin inherited when he took the program over three years ago.   The other seniors are Brandon Miller and Mike Williams.

Is it too late?

After the highest of highs, it's been the lowest of lows.  Beat West Virginia, then loose to South Florida.  With a win Saturday against Seton Hall the Bearcats will lock up the 9th seed in the Big East Conference.  That will get them a first round game against DePaul next Tuesday at noon.  Win that one and they move on to play the #8 seed.  Right now West Virginia and Providence are tied with 10-7 records.  Thursday night Providence plays at Villanova then Saturday West Virginia hosts Louisville.  West Virginia own the tie breaker with a head to head win against the Friars.  That would give UC a possible third shot at Providence Wednesday at noon.   After that more than likely UCONN.  What would winning two in the tournament do?  Time will tell.

Opening Day Comes Early

With all of the snow and ice in the south and along the east coast, a canceled baseball games is some what minor.  That's what keeps happening to the UC baseball team.   A weekend full of games in North Carolina were just canceled and Tuesdays game at Ohio University was canceled as well.  Another change, in the ever changing schedule, has the Bearcats hosting the Miami Redhawks Wednesday at Marge Schott Stadium, first pitch at 4:00.  Temperatures in the high 40's and field turf should make this game playable.    Friday the Bearcats will host Bradley in a four game set that includes a double header on Saturday.

November 28: Illinois@ " The Nip"

The 2009 football season will be the beginnings of a two game agreement between the UC and Illinois.  The Bearcats will make the return to to Champagne in 2013 in early September.  Details:  Click here.

Bad Practice, Bad Game

Going into the game Sunday the Bearcats were over an 8 point underdog, so few expected a win.

What about a 24 point loss?  As the team approaches the end of it's season every game has the potential to make or break " the resume".  How will the game at Syracuse effect their ability to make the field of 64?  With an expected loss does it matter that the end result was worse than expected?  Only time will tell.  Beating South Florida is the next task at hand and a loss there could be worse than the one in Syracuse.   Coach Cronin said after the game that they delayed the charter flight out of Cincinnati Saturday because the teams practice was so bad.  Without a game the next day Cronin said he would have thrown them out and started fresh the next day.  The team is heading straight to Tampa for their game Tuesday so Bearcat Sports Page will have no interviews before the South Florida game.

The Log Jam

Here is what the Big East looks like in the middle of the pack:

Providence        9-7

UC                      8-7

Syracuse            8-7

West Virginia   8-7

Notre Dame     7-9

Georgetown    6-10

UCONN, Pitt, Louisville, Marquette, and Villanova are separated with 2,3 and 5 losses.

So with just three games left UC could still go 10-8 with a shot of 11-7.

Looking at Syracuse

Sunday is a big game for the Bearcats, a quality win on the road would do nothing but bolster their NCAA resume.  The players know it won't be easy, Alvin Mitchell says they will have to use a sneak attack.

Coach Mick Cronin knows that this game will be completely different than the one they played Thursday.   It will be a game of keep up, not keep away.

In the past two year UC has played well against Syracuse.  Two years ago a "talent deficient" Bearcats team almost upset The Orange in the Carrier Dome, last year they managed a split. UC  won on the home floor and came close an upset again in Syracuse.

One problem UC has going into the game is that the Carrier Dome is a difficult place to play, for many reasons.   When full it's very loud, and for shooting the background is different from what visiting teams are used to.

Syracuse tries to force teams into taking quick three pointers,  Deonta Vaughn hopes that UC can take advantage of that.

UC @ Syracuse  Sunday 2:00 Tip Time    Local TV:  Fox Sports  #43 Time Warner Cable  Radio: WEBN 102.7 FM    Reds game on WLW