Big time: UC braces for NCAA champ UConn
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 1:17 p.m. EST January 28, 2015


Bearcats guard Troy Caupain is defended by Connecticut guard Ryan Boatright on Jan. 10. (Photo: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports)

Big game, big crowd, NCAA champions coming to town. This is why Troy Caupain and his teammates signed up to play University of Cincinnati basketball.

The Bearcats (14-5, 5-2 American Athletic Conference) will play 2014 national champion UConn (11-7, 4-2 AAC) on Thursday night at 8 p.m. at Fifth Third Arena. UC is encouraging fans to wear all white for the annual White Out game, with attendance expected to push capacity (13,176) for the nationally televised ESPN2 affair.

"It's a fun game, it's loud, it's a lot of enthusiasm," UC sophomore point guard Caupain said. "These are the games that you want to play when you're in high school and you come to a big-time Division I college."

Hoopla aside, this game means a great deal to both teams.

For UC it is a chance to avenge a 62-56 defeat in the teams' first meeting this season, Jan. 10 in Hartford. For now, the Bearcats are projected to make the NCAA tournament field by prominent forecasters Joe Lunardi (ESPN) and Jerry Palm (CBS Sports).

For UConn it is a chance to boost its shaky NCAA tournament hopes. The Huskies have a two-game winning streak but are absent from the projected NCAA tournament fields of both Lunardi and Palm.

"We've got to win all of these games," UConn senior guard Ryan Boatright told the Hartford Courant after the Huskies' last game, a 66-53 win over USF on Sunday. "We've put ourselves in a position where we need to win 12 straight if we're going to be where we want to be in March."

UC GLANCE

- The Bearcats have a three-game winning streak, including a 56-46 decision at UCF on Sunday.

- Caupain leads UC in scoring (9.9 ppg), followed by junior forward Octavius Ellis (9.5) and freshman forward Gary Clark (7.8).

- Caupain (14) was the only UC double-figure scorer in the first UConn matchup. The Bearcats led 34-30 at halftime but shot only 31 percent in the second half.

- It was a physical matchup the first time, with UC blocking 10 shots (Ellis six) and UConn six. Both teams had 15 turnovers. Expect another rough one, with UC tops in the AAC and No. 5 nationally in scoring defense (54.5 ppg) and UConn No. 3 in the league in scoring defense 60.2.

"We're blessed to have the opportunity to play UConn twice, and this is our chance to redeem ourselves," Caupain said.

- UC associate head coach Larry Davis said the key is to contain UConn's fleet of quick guards, led by Boatright (16.5 ppg, Rodney Purvis (9.9 ppg) and Omar Calhoun (7.3 ppg). Those three combined for 41 points when UConn beat UC earlier this month.

"Their primary focus is the guards driving to the rim and getting open threes," UC associate head coach Larry Davis said. "We have to contain them."

- UC is 7-3 since Davis replaced head coach Mick Cronin, who remains sidelined for medical reasons.

- Davis on facing the UConn brand name: "I would like to think it wouldn't matter if they were national champions or not. Any time UConn comes to town or a team that beat us previously comes to town, I would like to think we would be real motivated."

UCONN GLANCE

- Boatright (16.5 ppg) leads the AAC in scoring. He was the only UConn returnee who averaged in double-figure scoring last season.

- UConn also features 7-foot sophomore center Amida Brimah (10.4) and freshman swingman Daniel Hamilton (10.1). Brimah helped hold UC's Clark to two points (tying his season low) in the teams' first meeting.

- UConn was voted by AAC coaches as the preseason league favorite. UC was voted fourth.

- UConn coach Kevin Ollie won the NCAA title last year in his third season as Huskies coach, and he is 63-25 overall. Ollie replaced the retired Jim Calhoun, who won three NCAA titles.

QUICK HITS

- UC is 11-1 at Fifth Third Arena this season and 29-2 since the start of last season.

- UConn leads the series 11-5 overall but UC has won the last two meetings in Cincinnati.

- The last seven meetings have been decided by seven points or less.

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Quote:UC vs. UConn

When: 8 p.m. Thursday

Where: Fifth Third Arena

TV/Radio: ESPN2, 700WLW

Records: UC 14-5 (5-2 AAC), UConn 11-7 (4-2 AAC)

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Quote:AAC standings

Team – League – Overall

Tulsa 8-0 15-5

SMU 7-1 16-4

CINCINNATI 5-2 14-5

UConn 4-2 11-7

Memphis 5-3 12-7

Temple 4-3 13-7

Tulane 4-5 13-8

UCF 2-6 9-10

East Carolina 1-5 8-11

USF 1-6 7-13

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../22424425/

Tickets are still available. Call me at 513-556-0543 if interested!