The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(03-17-2018 10:13 AM)CincyBro Wrote:  Right now the current % to win the NCAA tourney is listed as Villanova 20%, Duke 11% and UC as 10%. Those are the top three.

(03-17-2018 10:09 AM)mptnstr@44 Wrote:  

(03-17-2018 07:40 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Go 'Cats! Top remaining seed in the South...

Random thoughts that made for a restless night:
1. Was Cumberland's scoring record yesterday an aberration or has he turned the page to become the emergent scoring leader?
2. Is Nevada's six man rotation gassed after that comeback and OT against a physical Texas team?
3. Is Clark physically okay after getting banged up yesterday?
4. Without looking at the box score, I'm thinking Williams, Moore and Broome were scoreless yesterday. Could UC advance if that continues?

I agree with those who suggest this feels like '92 with the #1 team in the country eliminated from our region last night. As much as I'd like to think about that, as a fan I hope the coaches and players have their eyes only on the prize before them tomorrow: a trip to the Sweet Sixteen and a week for contemplating some new "what if" questions.

Was there in Nashville for the afternoon session. Drove down and back...

1) Evidently GSU trash talked Jarron and he took it personally and decided to "Show them". And he did. If Simonds is an NBA player then Jarron looked every inch the NBA player too. He was great and UC really needed him. On the Court he had the look of "I'm not letting my team lose today."

2) The Wolfpack only play 6 and were up and down the Court against Texas. They also had to fight hard to come back and then had to play OT. Unless their conditioning is stellar or they are Supermen I would expect hands on their hips at around 10 left in the second half tomorrow. Mick should play fast and sub literally gas the Wolfpack run Nevada out of the gym.

3) Nothing in the postgame indicated Gary isn't good to go tomorrow. Now whether Mick would show his cards if Gary wasn't???

4) This team doesn't need everyone to contribute just enough of them. In some ways not knowing who is going to score is frustrating as a fan but has to be even more frustrating for the opponent's coach...who do you plan to shut down on UC? Any of them CAN score especially if there is a mismatch.

Won't compare this year to 92 (don't want to jinx them)
However if UK were to go down today...dare I wish it?????
if that happens maybe we have some help and magic this year...
In 92 things just fell right for UC.

Honestly, Nevada and Tennessee have been better than UK all year. Only thing that matters is the Nevada game.

One of my goals this year was to set the school record for wins, Cats beat Nevada they will hold that record. I was actually more worried going into Georgia State game. It is almost a curse at this point to be a highly seeded team as the pressure to avoid the upset seems greatest in round one.

(03-17-2018 10:06 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  This is the NCAAT. Anyone can beat on a given day. Ask Zona. Ask Virginia. Survive and advance is all it's about now. No style points. Just find a way to win by 1 point. I like the way that Cumberland is playing. You ride the horse with the hot hand and he may supplant Evans for now as our big time scoring threat. What hasn't been mentioned is Gary continues to be a problem - he "quietly" had another double double and I like Kyle's energy and mean face to keep the team loose and energized. I saw no panic in the team yesterday. Jenifer is proving to all the naysayers his value on this team - taking care of the ball and playing good defense. Broome will get his points before it's all said and done. Jacob almost had a double, double yesterday too. I realize he is less than 100% but he can still give us quality minutes.

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is wasn't Georgia State one of the better shooting treyland teams in the NCAA this year? Do you dudes realize they shot 8 of 27 (29.6%) and we shot 9 of 30 (30.0%) from beyond the arc. We're pretty good defending against the trey because of our length and athletic ability to recover on the shooter so teams can't just jack up treys against us expecting to win. Our defense is special and it forces teams out of what makes them comfortable. Now, if we're going to play Nova, Dook, Michigan State, etc., then we're having a different conversation because those teams have elite level talent.

I also like the fact that over the last 5 games the Cats are 5-0 and the Voolf Pack is 3-2. You want to be peaking at the right time.

I stand corrected. Looking up the stats, Georgia State is ranked #32 in 3 point FG percentage (38.8) and Nevada is ranked #21 (39.8). However, the Cats are ranked #11 in 3 point FG defense.

(03-17-2018 10:19 AM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(03-17-2018 10:09 AM)mptnstr@44 Wrote:  

(03-17-2018 07:40 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Go 'Cats! Top remaining seed in the South...

Random thoughts that made for a restless night:
1. Was Cumberland's scoring record yesterday an aberration or has he turned the page to become the emergent scoring leader?
2. Is Nevada's six man rotation gassed after that comeback and OT against a physical Texas team?
3. Is Clark physically okay after getting banged up yesterday?
4. Without looking at the box score, I'm thinking Williams, Moore and Broome were scoreless yesterday. Could UC advance if that continues?

I agree with those who suggest this feels like '92 with the #1 team in the country eliminated from our region last night. As much as I'd like to think about that, as a fan I hope the coaches and players have their eyes only on the prize before them tomorrow: a trip to the Sweet Sixteen and a week for contemplating some new "what if" questions.

Was there in Nashville for the afternoon session. Drove down and back...

1) Evidently GSU trash talked Jarron and he took it personally and decided to "Show them". And he did. If Simonds is an NBA player then Jarron looked every inch the NBA player too. He was great and UC really needed him. On the Court he had the look of "I'm not letting my team lose today."

2) The Wolfpack only play 6 and were up and down the Court against Texas. They also had to fight hard to come back and then had to play OT. Unless their conditioning is stellar or they are Supermen I would expect hands on their hips at around 10 left in the second half tomorrow. Mick should play fast and sub literally gas the Wolfpack run Nevada out of the gym.

3) Nothing in the postgame indicated Gary isn't good to go tomorrow. Now whether Mick would show his cards if Gary wasn't???

4) This team doesn't need everyone to contribute just enough of them. In some ways not knowing who is going to score is frustrating as a fan but has to be even more frustrating for the opponent's coach...who do you plan to shut down on UC? Any of them CAN score especially if there is a mismatch.

Won't compare this year to 92 (don't want to jinx them)
However if UK were to go down today...dare I wish it?????
if that happens maybe we have some help and magic this year...
In 92 things just fell right for UC.

Honestly, Nevada and Tennessee have been better than UK all year. Only thing that matters is the Nevada game.

One of my goals this year was to set the school record for wins, Cats beat Nevada they will hold that record. I was actually more worried going into Georgia State game. It is almost a curse at this point to be a highly seeded team as the pressure to avoid the upset seems greatest in round one.

I would prefer UK is knocked out before Atlanta more for a logistics reason so Philips Arena isn't filled with Cayuts fans...if UK makes it to "Catlanta"...
• tickets will be more expensive because UK fans have or will buy them up off of secondary markets
• if UK is playing UC it will be a hostile blue neck crowd essentially an away game for the 2 seed and a home game for UK.
UC fans will travel but we simply don't have the same size fanbase.

Team wise — Nevada and UT have been better all year than UK but UK has played well in the last two weeks. Maybe the two week stretch was a fluke or maybe the one and dones at UK have figured it out.

The shear talent on UK's team should scare anyone who has to play them because if they put together a complete game they can beat anyone...they can also look incredibly human and lose.

I think Georgia St.'s forte is the number of 3's they make per game, like 10 or something. % wasn't their strong point as we saw in second half yesterday.

(03-17-2018 10:28 AM)dsquare Wrote:  I think Georgia St.'s forte is the number of 3's they make per game, like 10 or something. % wasn't their strong point as we saw in second half yesterday.

In this case, they are ranked 45th for about 9 treys per game. Nevada is 29th for about 10 per game. I still think percentage is a key stat because jacking up treys uses up possessions, energy, and for a team like us that rebounds so well, can play into our strengths if they're not going in the bucket.

After UC's performance against Georgia State and Virginia's second have debacle last night, it's conceivable UC could finish the season first in kenpom adj defense. The gap isn't the grand canyon it was most the season.

(03-17-2018 11:16 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  After UC's performance against Georgia State and Virginia's second have debacle last night, it's conceivable UC could finish the season first in kenpom adj defense. The gap isn't the grand canyon it was most the season.

are you suggesting that, it's the best defense ever?

Nevada has to be game planning thinking wtf do we do? Focus on Clark? Forget about Evans? Then this Cumberland kid shows up and looks like the best player on the floor...

I worry about this kind of team they make it hard for Kyle to match up. We always seem to run into a hot shooter but as long as we can limit the turnovers and make a few shots we should be ok. Loving this season and team GoBearcats

(03-17-2018 11:23 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Nevada has to be game planning thinking wtf do we do? Focus on Clark? Forget about Evans? Then this Cumberland kid shows up and looks like the best player on the floor...

I think that is what makes it tough for the other coach to gameplan...
double, front or collapse on Gary Conf POW...
still have Kyle in the post to defend and he is open...
stop JEIII, Jarron (aka Teddy) can step up...
Brome can create his own shot and get hot...
even Jennifer can hit an open trey...

if they all had a hot hand...scary offense.
but on any night it is impossible to guess how and who to focus on for defense.

(03-17-2018 10:06 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  This is the NCAAT. Anyone can beat on a given day. Ask Zona. Ask Virginia. Survive and advance is all it's about now. No style points. Just find a way to win by 1 point. I like the way that Cumberland is playing. You ride the horse with the hot hand and he may supplant Evans for now as our big time scoring threat. What hasn't been mentioned is Gary continues to be a problem - he "quietly" had another double double and I like Kyle's energy and mean face to keep the team loose and energized. I saw no panic in the team yesterday. Jenifer is proving to all the naysayers his value on this team - taking care of the ball and playing good defense. Broome will get his points before it's all said and done. Jacob almost had a double, double yesterday too. I realize he is less than 100% but he can still give us quality minutes.

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is wasn't Georgia State one of the better shooting treyland teams in the NCAA this year? Do you dudes realize they shot 8 of 27 (29.6%) and we shot 9 of 30 (30.0%) from beyond the arc. We're pretty good defending against the trey because of our length and athletic ability to recover on the shooter so teams can't just jack up treys against us expecting to win. Our defense is special and it forces teams out of what makes them comfortable. Now, if we're going to play Nova, Dook, Michigan State, etc., then we're having a different conversation because those teams have elite level talent.

I also like the fact that over the last 5 games the Cats are 5-0 and the Voolf Pack is 3-2. You want to be peaking at the right time.

^^^
This.

I would also only add that UC's recent run of "Big Games" (Wichita State X2 and Houston in the middle to run out the season, and then Memphis and Houston in the AAC tournament) means that our guys should be quite used to the atmosphere now swirling around this game.

Just another day at the office, as far as the Cats are concerned.

SMU when healthy relied on the 3. And that team before becoming a M.A.S.H. Unit was better than Nevada. We ran their asses off the line in a that first game and pounded them.

KenPom numbers:

Zinzinnatuh 4 (50 AdjO/2 AdjD)

Nuhvahduh 24 (8 AdjO/107 AdjD)

About the closest KenPom numbers of a team we've played is Wichita State: 20 (5 AdjO/110 AdjD).

gonna be a helluva game. these are the teams you root for in the regular season and then you're matched up with them you're all, dammit. like that time we played the fighting mcdermotts. i like your prognosis '92. i hope it works out that way, allah willing

nevada fans are nervous. i couldn't find much activity on wolfpack message boards but i get the impression that they'd rather have played georgia st. but you can't be worried in the second round. any opponent oughta make you nervous. that's a revelation

No way we lose to a team without a PG in March!!! If Texas didn't have babies they beat them by 25... Toss into Gary every possession to get into foul trouble early. This a game Brooks(yuck) and Scott should play over Moore or Williams. We get Caroline into foul trouble GAME OVER...

(03-17-2018 12:10 PM)Lush Wrote:  nevada fans are nervous. i couldn't find much activity on wolfpack message boards but i get the impression that they'd rather have played georgia st. but you can't be worried in the second round. any opponent oughta make you nervous. that's a revelation

jordan caroline- C, SR, UNRANKED 247
cody martin- F, SR, 4* 73 rank 247
caleb martin- F, JR, 4* 61 rank 247
kendall stephens- SG, GD, 4* 62 rank 247
josh hall- PG, SO, 3* 174 rank 247
hallice cook- PG, SO, 3* 237 rank 247

let clark and evans shut down martin bros and everything else checkmate. You can't beat ELITE defenses with dumpster juice PGs.

(03-17-2018 01:06 PM)Bearcat01 Wrote:  No way we lose to a team without a PG in March!!! If Texas didn't have babies they beat them by 25... Toss into Gary every possession to get into foul trouble early. This a game Brooks(yuck) and Scott should play over Moore or Williams. We get Caroline into foul trouble GAME OVER...

Don't get caught up in positions. Modern basketball has moved away from having that one PG that controls the ball a huge amount of the time. Nevada doesn't run a traditional PG centered offense. They have multiple wings that can break you down and create for others. Everyone on the floor for them is a plus offensive player. Both the Martins are big time offensive threats both scoring and getting others involved.