UC again faces UCF, 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall
Tom Groeschen , tgroeschen@enquirer.com 2:29 p.m. ET Feb. 25, 2017


ORLANDO – The University of Cincinnati basketball team has spoken for weeks about getting ready for March. First comes the Bearcats’ final February game, against formidable Central Florida here Sunday at 3 p.m. (CBS Sports Network).

The No. 15-ranked Bearcats (25-3, 14-1 AAC) carry a three-game winning streak into CFE Arena, where they will attempt to beat UCF (18-10, 9-7 AAC) for the second time in two tries this season. UC beat the Knights 60-50 on Feb. 8 at Fifth Third Arena.

UC comes off of an 87-74 home win over Memphis on Thursday. The Bearcats lost nearly all of a 24-point lead but won decisively in the final minutes.

“You got the W, but we’re playing for something bigger than that now,” UC junior forward Gary Clark said. “We’re playing for March. You can’t play like that in the second half or you’ll lose. Coach is telling us that you’ve got to play consistently the whole game.”

UC coach Mick Cronin is wary of UCF, which is having a solid season under first-year coach Johnny Dawkins. Cronin said the Bearcats cannot afford any defensive lapses against UCF and its 7-foot-6 sophomore center, Tacko Fall.

“If we play defense like that (Memphis game) Sunday, we’re gonna lose to Central Florida,” Cronin said. “I can promise you that, on the road.”

UC had its hands full in the first UCF meeting, when the Bearcats led only 34-28 at halftime. In a matchup of stout defenses, UCF outshot the Bearcats 39.6 percent to 35.4 percent. UC also was outrebounded 36-34.

UCF leads the nation in field goal percentage defense, at 36.3 percent. UC is No. 6 at 38.1 percent. Clearly, another low-scoring game looms.

“UCF has won three in a row and is 12-3 at home, and playing for a postseason tournament,” Cronin said. “They are first in the nation in field goal defense. We understand how hard we are going to have to play to win Sunday.”

SCOUTING UCF: The imposing Fall averages 11.9 points per game and is No. 2 in the AAC in rebounding, at 9.7 per game. Fall ranks No. 2 nationally in field goal percentage (73.6) and No. 21 in blocked shots per game (2.46).

Fall is an extraordinary weapon, but UCF has two higher scorers in 6-2 sophomore guard B.J. Taylor (16.7 ppg) and 6-5 senior guard Matt Williams (15.4 ppg). Williams ranks No. 6 nationally in 3-pointers made per game (3.57).

In the first UC-UCF game, Fall had 14 points (7-for-7 shooting), 11 rebounds and two blocks. Fall also had six turnovers, with UC pestering him relentlessly under the glass.

On offense Fall essentially waits underneath for teammates to lob him the ball, which he usually tries to dunk. On defense, Fall stations himself down low and makes opponents think twice about driving the lane.

Taylor also had 14 points in the first UC-UCF game. Williams was held to eight points on 3-for-12 shooting, including 2-for-8 from three-point range.

“This team has wins over SEC and Atlantic 10 teams,” Cronin said, referring to UCF victories over Mississippi State and Massachusetts. “They battled Villanova to a tough 10-point game.”

UCF lost 67-57 to reigning NCAA champion Villanova in November in the Charleston Classic (S.C.). Villanova was ranked No. 3 at the time and is No. 2 now.

UC GLANCE: UC was led in the first UCF meeting by 6-foot-9 junior forward Kyle Washington, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jacob Evans had 11 points.

UC lately has shown some of its best offensive balance of the season. Against Memphis on Thursday, Washington had 16 points, Evans had 15, Clark scored 13 and senior point guard Troy Cauapin scored 12.

The Bearcats are 7-2 in true road games this season, with losses at then-No. 16 Butler (75-65 on Dec. 10) and then-No. 25 SMU (60-51 on Feb. 12).

Overall, the Bearcats are 6-1 in February this season.

CRONIN DEFENDS AAC: Most bracketologists forecast UC as a No. 4- or 5-seeded NCAA Tournament team. The AAC has only UC and SMU in the Top 50 of the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index. The league is rated No. 7 nationally in Conference RPI by Jerry Palm of CBS Sports.

“I’m tired of hearing negative comments about our league,” Cronin said. “We have three tough games to finish up, and it will not be easy.”

After Sunday, UC finishes the regular season against Houston (19-8, 10-5 AAC) at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m., and then at UConn (14-13, 9-6 AAC) on March 5 at noon.

MATCHUP

No. 15 Cincinnati vs Central Florida

Tipoff: 3 p.m. Sunday at CFE Arena (10,000), Orlando

TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network/WLW-AM (700)

Records: UC 25-3 (14-1 AAC), UCF 18-10 (9-7 AAC)

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../98405158/

For Bearcats, style points matter less
Tom Groeschen , tgroeschen@enquirer.com Published 2:10 p.m. ET Feb. 24, 2017 | Updated 2:11 p.m. ET Feb. 24, 2017


When the University of Cincinnati produces a scarily dominant 51-32 first half as in Thursday night’s win over Memphis, it is hard to imagine anyone being able to beat the Bearcats.

When UC falters somewhat, as it did in the second half of the 87-74 victory, it reminds everyone that a deep NCAA Tournament run is not necessarily a given. For one, the Bearcats must tighten their interior defense if they want to make postseason noise.

The sum total was still another win for the No. 15-ranked Bearcats (25-3, 14-1 American Athletic Conference), who next visit formidable Central Florida (18-10, 9-7 AAC) on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Here are five takeaways from Thursday’s game:

Style points matter less than ever in February

By now, every basketball team has bumps, bruises and some level of fatigue. College is hard enough for the average student, especially those with another fulltime job. Basketball, in this case.

“This time of year, you’re just trying to continue to win and get to the next game,” UC coach Mick Cronin said.

UC burst out the door wearing its throwback uniforms from the 1991-92 era, when the Bearcats last reached the Final Four. UC took leads of 6-0 and 14-4, then 46-22.

Later, Bearcats fans squirmed in their seats as Memphis rushed back to within 75-69, with five-plus minutes remaining. Yet, UC players kept their poise. An 8-0 run pushed the Bearcats lead out to 83-69, and suddenly the game truly was over. Great teams rise above such adversity, and UC did that.

Then again, there were some style points. Gary Clark’s one-hand slam dunk, off an alley-oop from Troy Caupain, was No. 1 on the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10.

The mighty O rolls on

UC’s 87 points marked the 13th time the Bearcats have topped 80 points this season. This is the most potent offense in Cronin’s 11-year UC tenure at 76.2 points per game, which also leads the AAC.

Last year, the Bearcats had the previous best offense under Cronin at 73.3 points per game. That team scored 80-plus points eight times. The year before (2014-15), UC reached 80 points only twice.

UC does not have that Sean Kilpatrick go-to guy, but rather five capable offensive starters and a dangerous shooter (freshman guard Jarron Cumberland) off the bench.

Thursday was a typically balanced show, with junior forward Kyle Washington scoring 16 points, sophomore guard Jacob Evans scoring 15, junior forward Clark getting 13 and senior point guard Caupain adding 12. Cumberland was next with nine points.

UC has five players above or near 10 points per game: Washington at 13.9, Evans at 13.5, Clark at 10.3, Caupain at 10.1 and senior guard Kevin Johnson at 8.8. Next is Cumberland at 7.3.

Defensive slippage must be corrected

Defense is the trademark of Cronin teams, but it was invisible at times in the second half. Memphis point guard Jeremiah Martin (23 points, 11 rebounds) cut through the UC defense time and again, making it look like the Bearcats were standing still.

Martin often dished to 6-foot-9, 236-pound sophomore forward Dedric Lawson, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Lawson helped Memphis to a 42-32 edge on points in the paint, including 26-14 after halftime.

“We don’t give up layups, it’s just not what we do,” Cronin said. “But give them credit. When a kid plays as well as Jeremiah Martin, as a coach, obviously I’m happy we won.”

The Bearcats are No. 6 nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.1) and No. 8 in scoring defense (61.4 points per game. UC also ranks No. 15 nationally in the Kenpom.com advanced stats for AdjD (adjusted defensive efficiency) at 93.3, which represents points allowed per 100 possessions.

All good, but the 74 points marked only the sixth time UC has allowed 70-plus this season. Going forward, one key is keeping the 6-9 Washington out of foul trouble. UC is not a foul-prone team, but big man Washington has the most fouls (68) on the team and has fouled out twice. When UC has to play small, it obviously hurts the interior defense.

No question, the fun is back

UC has reeled off seven consecutive seasons of 22-plus wins, and this will be the Bearcats’ seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament team. There have been thrills aplenty in recent years, most notably the All-America season of Kilpatrick in 2013-14.

Yet, there is an excitement around this UC team not seen in recent memory. The Bearcats are putting up the aforementioned big offensive numbers, including the inside, soft-touch shooting wizardry of Washington and the high-flying dunks and 3-points bombs from Evans.

Clark’s big dunk Thursday reminded everyone that he also can hit the highlight reels. Add the impeccable floor leadership of Caupain, the defensive prowess and occasional 3-pointer from Kevin Johnson and the omnipresent offensive threat of Cumberland, and this is a great team to watch. Justin Jenifer, Tre Scott, Nysier Brooks and Quadri Moore also have had their moments off the bench.

The crowds are back into it, with UC averaging a Cronin-era high of 9,671 fans per home game. Cronin also gained his 300th career coaching victory last week at Fifth Third Arena. An added bonus has been the season-long honoring of past UC stars. Melvin “The Helicopter” Levett and Nick Van Exel were the latest, welcomed with standing ovations during breaks in Thursday’s game.

Here comes that 7-6 guy again

Now looming large for UC, literally, is 7-foot-6 Central Florida sophomore center Tacko Fall and a much improved Knights team. UCF (18-10, 9-7 AAC). UCF was only 12-18 last season but stands a respectable fifth in the 11-team AAC now, behind first-year coach Johnny Dawkins.

UC beat UCF 60-50 on Feb. 8 at Fifth Third Arena, but it was far from easy. Big man Fall was a problem, going 7-for-7 from the field with 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. UC also worked Fall hard defensively, continuously slapping at the ball and forcing Fall to commit six turnovers.

The Bearcats obviously will be favored to win, but don’t expect anything resembling a blowout. UCF rides a three-game winning streak and is 12-3 at home. The Knights also come off of two straight road wins, 61-58 at East Carolina and 71-69 at Temple.

Fall gains much attention for his size, but UCF is far from a one-man act. Fall is the third leading scorer on the team at 11.9 points per game, behind sophomore guard B.J. Taylor (16.7 ppg) and senior guard Matt Williams (15.4).

UCF ranks No. 6 nationally in scoring defense at 61.1 per game, with UC No. 8 at 61.4 per game. There is nothing to suggest this won’t be another grinder. UC has no worries about making the NCAA Tournament, but this will be a stern test on the road to a potential AAC regular season title.

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UP NEXT

No. 15 Cincinnati vs Central Florida

Tipoff: 3 p.m. Sunday at CFE Arena (10,000), Orlando

TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network/WLW-AM (700)

Records: UC 25-3 (14-1 AAC), UCF 18-10 (9-7 AAC)

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../98358184/

Time to crack Tacko's shell. Just win baby!