Cincinnati Bearcats eager to live up to elite Big East seed
UC vows not to let its byes be bygones


The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor
Mick Cronin (seen talking to Bob Knight after the Bearcats' win against Marquette): "Easy baskets are going to determine who wins the (Georgetown) game."

Written by
Bill Koch

NEW YORK - Earning their first double-bye in the Big East tournament was a big step for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The key now is what they do with it.

While 12 of the 16 conference teams have been slugging it out to reach the quarterfinals, UC has the luxury of beginning its quest at 2 p.m. Thursday against No.13 Georgetown at Madison Square Garden (ESPN).

“It’s kind of different considering the other years when we were like eight seeds,” said senior guard Dion Dixon. “Now we’re a four seed so the expectations from the fans should be different.”

Georgetown, the No. 5 seed, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 64-52 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The Hoyas (23-7) lost to UC 68-64 back on Jan. 9 in Washington despite shooting 59 percent from the field.

The difference for the Bearcats (22-9) was that they forced Georgetown into 17 turnovers, which provided plenty of easy scoring opportunities. Getting that kind of advantage defensively will be crucial again Thursday.

“They’re a team that relies on offensive efficiency, and they always shoot a high percentage,” said UC coach Mick Cronin. “The one thing we did last time, we got 20 points off their turnovers with 13 steals. That’s going to be a huge key. Easy baskets are going to determine who wins the game. If one team is struggling to grind it out to get a good shot and the other team is getting easy baskets, that’s a tell-tale sign.”

Cronin did not watch the Georgetown-Pitt game at the Garden, preferring to watch it on TV at the team hotel so that he could concentrate better without being pestered while sitting in the crowd. But the rest of the UC coaching staff was there and so were the players.

UC has played one game in the Garden this year, a 76-54 win over St. John’s on Feb.8 that was one of its most impressive performances of the season. But the atmosphere figures to be quite a bit different today.

“We have to be a lot tougher,” said sophomore guard Sean Kilpatrick, from nearby White Plains, N.Y. “It’ll be crazy.”

Cronin likes the way his team has played defensively in its last nine games, with the exception of the Marquette game. He especially likes what he has seen from senior forward Yancy Gates, who has emerged as a rebounding force in the second half of his senior year.

Gates was passed over for any all-Big East recognition despite nearly averaging a double-double with 11.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, so he might be out to prove something today. But Cronin says Big East recognition is not a priority for his big man.

“He doesn’t care about all-Big East teams,” Cronin said. “The only team he’s worried about is our team. He’s valuable to our team…The thing I’m most proud of for him right now is that for four years I’ve tried to turn him into a rebounder and he’s embracing being a rebounder. If he continues to do that, it takes our team to another level, especially on the offensive glass.”

Gates scored only eight points and took only six shots in UC’s win over Georgetown back in January, but he pulled down seven rebounds and did a good job defensively on Hoyas’ all-conference center, Henry Sims, helping to force him into five turnovers. Sims scored 20 points with 13 rebounds Wednesday against Pitt.

UC enters this game with five wins in its last six games, including victories over then-No.17 Louisville and then-No.8 Marquette.

“We’re together right now as a team,” Dixon said. “Everybody’s just got one thing on their mind right now, and that’s winning. That’s the main thing. We finished up strong, so let’s keep it going.”

Quote:UC vs. No. 13 Georgetown

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, New York City

TV: ESPN

Radio: WLW-AM (700)

Records: UC (22-9, 12-6 Big East), Georgetown (23-7, 12-6)

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120...elite-seed