from twitter:

Quote:Whit Babcock ‏@WhitBabcock

Just talked w @CoachCroninUC. Exciting nuetral site MBB scheduling announcement later today. Workin' on home games too! #bearcats

i heard rumblings of this last night on the riverboat cruise; should be exciting

(yeah, that's a tease)

Neutral site games are often made for TV match-ups. If that's the case there is no clearer sign the Bearcats are both back and relevant (to the networks)

My guess would be a former BE school like Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Marquette, etc.

(06-05-2013 09:45 AM)123az Wrote:  My guess would be a former BE school like Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Marquette, etc.

Wouldn't mind another regional opponent too or a former Big East school.

Pitt at MSG hopefully...

(06-05-2013 10:27 AM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  Pitt at MSG hopefully...

Looks like it is Pitt at MSG...and Memphis against UF.

Great matchups for the AAC at the Jimmy V Classic!

Great job Whit and Co!

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...-v-classic

Basketball should thrive in American. Being a top school in this conference will help land UC some high profile non-conference games to offset the drop in competition during conference play. I have always favored this balanced approach because it allows for interesting games early and a chance to pick up a lot wins heading in the tournament.

This season's schedule is already loaded when considered that Louisville, Memphis, UConn, and Temple are on the schedule twice. Add in New Mexico, SDSU, Pitt, NC State, and Xavier to the conference schedule and you have a whole lot of chances to pick up quality wins.

When Louisville leaves the conference schedule does weaken but that also gives the Bearcats a chance to play Louisville in a non-conference game. Heck we already have a home and home with Michigan in the near future.

Football scheduling is a different beast but basketball seems to be in good shape.

Interesting.

I hate comparing to Xavier or the A-10 or MAC. But being in a slightly inferior conference may open up better OOC matchups for UC.

Could get interesting.

Bearcats to play in Jimmy V Classic
06/05/13 at 2:07pm by Bill Koch

UC will play former Big East rival Pittsburgh in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

ESPN, which will televise the game, made the announcement Wednesday.

UC will play Pitt at 7 p.m. followed by Florida-Memphis at 9 p.m.

The meeting will be the first for the two schools as non-conference foes since UC joined the Big East in 2005. Pitt will compete in 2013-14 in the Atlantic Coast Conference while UC will play in the newly formed American Athletic Conference.

This will be UC’s second appearance in the Jimmy V Classic, which was founded to honor the memory of former North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, who died from cancer in 1993, and to raise money for cancer research. The Bearcats beat Oregon, 77-52, at the Meadowlands on Dec. 17, 2002, in their only other appearance.

The Bearcats have won two of their last three games against Pitt but the Panthers hold an 8-3 edge in Big East competition. They split their two games last season, with UC winning 70-61 at Pitt and the Panthers beating the Bearcats 62-52 at Fifth Third Arena. Overall, the series is tied at 9-9.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/uc/2013/06/0...v-classic/

(06-05-2013 12:30 PM)BearChatter v2.0 Wrote:  Interesting.

I hate comparing to Xavier or the A-10 or MAC. But being in a slightly inferior conference may open up better OOC matchups for UC.

Could get interesting.

I think it could really be interesting for attendance purposes. In the Big East, Cincinnati loaded up on cupcakes in the non-conference schedule to build wins heading into the gauntlet of conference play. Attendance responded accordingly, soft in the first half of the season, heavy in the second half. With a more balanced schedule (a few tough home games in both the beginning and end) I wonder if OVERALL attendance will get a boost, drop off, or remain the same.

Thoughts?

This is a big game and a win would look really nice on Selection Sunday, however, I would have rather played someone else just because were so used to playing Pitt and I would of liked us to play agianst some new blood. But to be in this event is a great thing for UC basketball. I wonder what homw game Whit is working on?

(06-05-2013 05:17 PM)BearcatShane09 Wrote:  This is a big game and a win would look really nice on Selection Sunday, however, I would have rather played someone else just because were so used to playing Pitt and I would of liked us to play agianst some new blood. But to be in this event is a great thing for UC basketball. I wonder what homw game Whit is working on?

I wonder if that home game you speak of is one to potentially replace San Diego State. Andy Katz mentioned a month or so ago that SDSU was looking to get out of the game with Cincinnati and today Jon Rothstein listed UC's non-conference schedule and didn't include San Diego State. Did that game ultimately get dropped or something?

(06-05-2013 05:30 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  

(06-05-2013 05:17 PM)BearcatShane09 Wrote:  This is a big game and a win would look really nice on Selection Sunday, however, I would have rather played someone else just because were so used to playing Pitt and I would of liked us to play agianst some new blood. But to be in this event is a great thing for UC basketball. I wonder what homw game Whit is working on?

I wonder if that home game you speak of is one to potentially replace San Diego State. Andy Katz mentioned a month or so ago that SDSU was looking to get out of the game with Cincinnati and today Jon Rothstein listed UC's non-conference schedule and didn't include San Diego State. Did that game ultimately get dropped or something?

I believe they said that if UC could find a new game they would delay the series to 2015.

(06-05-2013 05:17 PM)BearcatShane09 Wrote:  This is a big game and a win would look really nice on Selection Sunday, however, I would have rather played someone else just because were so used to playing Pitt and I would of liked us to play agianst some new blood. But to be in this event is a great thing for UC basketball. I wonder what homw game Whit is working on?

Agree with the whole post.

I would love to see some home and home matchups with any of the B12 teams. Continuing to build bridges to those schools might serve UC well in the next round of realignment. Our first two years in the Big East, visiting fans from our conference foes were blown away by the UC campus and Varsity Village. UC must continue to generate some buzz with B12 folks so more and more they see Cincinnati as a viable competitor and natural bridge to WVU.

I wish we hadn't, or wouldn't, kiss up to SDSU's request to move that game. Our football team played out there in 2007, and they never returned it. If up to me, they would need to make good on their football obligation or cough up some cold hard cash for our troubles.

(06-05-2013 07:50 PM)Flying Bearcat Wrote:  

(06-05-2013 05:30 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  

(06-05-2013 05:17 PM)BearcatShane09 Wrote:  This is a big game and a win would look really nice on Selection Sunday, however, I would have rather played someone else just because were so used to playing Pitt and I would of liked us to play agianst some new blood. But to be in this event is a great thing for UC basketball. I wonder what homw game Whit is working on?

I wonder if that home game you speak of is one to potentially replace San Diego State. Andy Katz mentioned a month or so ago that SDSU was looking to get out of the game with Cincinnati and today Jon Rothstein listed UC's non-conference schedule and didn't include San Diego State. Did that game ultimately get dropped or something?

I believe they said that if UC could find a new game they would delay the series to 2015.

Got it, that makes sense thanks! It sounds like the SDSU game is in limbo right now then.