Shootout Leaves Mixed Emotions

It does not take a die hard Cincinnati Bearcat fan or a die hard Xavier Musketeer fan to know a great basketball game. Whether these two teams are playing each other in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout or facing off against conference foes, one thing is certain, these two teams can “play ball.” But we’ve always known this. For years, 77 years to be exact, college basketball fans located in Cincinnati have been treated to great games between the UC and X. This year’s shootout did not disappoint. The first double overtime game in the series turned out to be one of my favorites, although I hate the fact that UC lost. Here are some of my thoughts on the “Sunday Night Showdown from the Crosstown Shootout:”

*The chemistry between our three best guards needs to get better…with the additions of freshman superstar Lance Stephenson and highly touted red shirt freshman Cashmere Wright, senior guard Deonta Vaughn should not need to have the ball in his hands all game. You saw what happens when he doesn’t, as he missed to important and easy lay-ups, and in the first half, was 0-2 from the field with two turnovers. There needs to be give and take between the three, as a balanced attack will force the opposing team to focus on not one, but all three.

*Easy and stupid fouls need to stop. Jaquon Parker’s foul on Xavier’s Terrell Holloway with 19 seconds left in the first half was what brought the Muskies back in the game. If Parker isn’t as aggressive on Holloway’s drive, and he still scores, X is still down one. UC was leading at the time and fouling Holloway, who was perfect all night from the line, let alone fouling when you’re team is leading, is stupid.

*Forwards Rashad Bishop, Yancy Gates, Ibrahima Thomas and Darnell Wilks along with Centers Anthony McClain and Steve Toyloy need to do a better job containing opposing big men. Xavier’s Jason Love had 19 rebounds and the games final five points to give the Musketeers the victory. I realize this was Ibrahima Thomas’ first game back, but in the seven minutes he played, he had two points, two rebounds, and two personal fouls. Again, we go back to the personal fouls. Senior guard Deonta Vaughn led the team with nine rebounds, and behind him were Gates and Stephenson each with six. As good as we have been rebounding this year, these numbers are horrible. Overall, each team had 43 rebounds, but it took nine boards from Vaughn to keep it that way

*Free throw shooting and overall shooting was pathetic. The Bearcats were 10-22 from the line while Xavier was 28-36. Only one player from the Muskies that shot free throws had missed more than one and that was Jason Love. The Bearcats had four players miss more than one free throw. If the Bearcats are to compete in the Big East Conference and make a run in March, Cashmere Wright will need to be better than 1-4 from the field, as does Stephenson (9-19) and Vaughn (6-19). The rest of the team fared the same as Dion Dixon (0-3), Larry Davis (2-8), Yancy Gates (8-16), and Ibrahima Thomas (1-6) all missed an allotment of shots.

Overall, this game was very winnable. Lance Stephenson and Deonta Vaughn took over late in regulation and both overtimes to try and send UC over X. Lance Stephenson showed why he could be a “one-and-done” at UC, with his reverse spin on the baseline followed by a reverse lay-up, sick crossover and ability to take over the game. On an emotional and maturity level, I’m not sure if he’s quite ready for the NBA. You saw that during the game when he taunted the Xavier bench and had words with Xavier Head Coach Chris Mack. He didn’t receive a Technical Foul, but the referee did give him a dirty look. With the way Cincinnati Head Coach Mick Cronin recruits, Cincinnati’s basketball program may only be a few years away from returning to glory. Glory we haven’t seen since Bob Huggins left.

Chance to Win Back Huggins' Fans; Ball's in Team's Court

For the first time since the 2005-2006 season, the University of Cincinnati Men's Basketball team is in the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll. The Bearcats, who are ranked 19th, have started this year off with a 5-1 record, including an appearance in the Maui Invitational in which the 'Cats beat Vanderbilt and Maryland before losing to Gonzaga in the finals. Head Coach Mick Cronin has been, and is the perfect replacement for UC coaching legend Bob Huggins. At one time, Cronin was an assistant for Huggins during his tenure at Cincinnati.

When former UC President Nancy "Nazi" Zimpher forced Huggins into retirement, many UC fans left and followed Huggins to Kansas State. Those that stayed wouldn't be staying long as Zimpher did not give the head coaching position to then interim head coach Andy Kennedy. This move caused a lot of commotion as Devan Downey, the emerging star freshman point guard left for the University of South Carolina. Cronin has done an excellent job in replacing Downey with back-to-back all BIG EAST guard Deonta Vaughn, along with the rest of the team.

The time is now for Mick Cronin to rally his troops and retake the glory that is college basketball in Cincinnati. I miss the days when the only thing a basketball fan in this town needed was Huggs. Those days are long gone but the chance is there for the taking. Mick and his boys can re-capture the heart of this city with the only kind of basketball we know, and that is a Crosstown Shootout victory, 20-plus wins, and deep play when March Madness arrives.

At one point, members of the UC football team were appearing in games, with the most notable being Houston Texans Defensive End Connor Barwin. My how far this team has come as there are no longer football players taking up roster space. Mick Cronin has been able to field a squad full of 12 scholarship players. UC Football Head Coach Brian Kelly finally got it right when he started recruiting players in and around the Cincinnati area due to the fact that high school football in Cincinnati is close to the best in the country. Cronin followed in Kelly’s path and it has paid off in stand out Yancy Gates.

With the emergence of Cashmere Wright and Lance Stephenson and the continued presence of Dion Dixon, Rashad Bishop, Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates, this team could propel themselves farther up the ladder of the Top 25. The debut of highly touted 6-11 Junior Forward Ibrahima Thomas this week could cause problems for the rest of the Big East Conference, as for the first time since Jason Maxiell, UC will have a large presence under the basket.

The only thing I’m rooting for right now more than anything, is to have the old swagger of UC basketball back. We won’t ever get Huggins back as a coach, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get behind Cronin and watch this team compete nationally for a championship every year from here on out. Mick Cronin may not be Bob Huggins, but he’s the next best thing.

Tonight, the Bearcats face off against the Miami Redhawks at the U.S. Bank Arena. A win tonight and a win Sunday against the Xavier Musketeers could throw UC in the Top 10. The only thing the players can do is play. As fans, we need to sell out home games and give this team the support it deserves.