NCAA Basketball FanHouse

NCAA Clears Cincinnati's Stephenson

Brett McMurphy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:58:00 EST

Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson has been cleared by the NCAA and is eligible to play immediately.

A 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward, Stephenson was named the 2009 Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year.

"I am happy to be able to put this behind me," Stephenson said in a statement. "Since I committed to the Bearcats back in the summer, all I have wanted to do was get here and start playing ball with my teammates. I want to thank everyone that has given me encouragement and support during this, especially my family, coaches and teammates. They have been with me every step."

The NCAA had been investigating Stephenson's amateur status. Stephenson will make his debut Thursday night when the Bearcats play an exhibition against Saginaw Valley State.

Stephenson is the all-time leading high school scorer in New York City, as well as New York state, history with 2,946 points. As a senior at Lincoln High, he averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

In 2008-09, Stephenson led Lincoln to an overall record of 22-11 and an unprecedented fourth consecutive Public School Athletic League (PSAL) Class AA championship. He scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 78-56 victory over John F. Kennedy High School in the league championship game. Stephenson, a three-time NYSSWA first-team selection, led the Railsplitters to state semifinals appearances his final three seasons, including Federation Tournament championships in 2007 and 2008.

NCAA Clears Cincinnati's Stephenson originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cincy Risks (Academic) Progress With Lance Stephenson

Chas Rich — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:24:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Big East, Recruiting

The rumors started swirling over the weekend that Lance Stephenson, the ultra-talented guard out of New York, was visiting and would commit to Cincinnati. Tuesday, the news broke and was confirmed elsewhere that Stephenson is indeed committing to the Bearcats. Whether official word will come before or after his July 15 court date regarding his misdemeanor sexual assault charge is undetermined.

While teams have been scared off from recruiting Stephenson for plenty of reasons (the sexual assault, meddling father, attitude questions, academics, NCAA eligibility relating to an online documentary on Stephenson), Cincy coach Mick Cronin seems willing to take a chance on Stephenson -- assuming the NCAA clears him to play.

There's actually a decent argument to be made for Cincy to take a chance on Stephenson. At this point he would be a bonus to the team, so if the NCAA does not clear him to play they really do not risk anything. You would have to think that Stephenson would be somewhat chastened by the way teams have chosen to run screaming from him in the last two months, that he will be more inclined to behave and be part of the team. Maybe even a little coach-able. Add in the fact that Cincy has a good amount of talent in place and even without Stephenson was considered a dark-horse contender in the Big East for the upcoming season, and his addition becomes very attractive.

Even if he keeps his nose clean, is a good teammate and actually listens to the coach there is one other problem. The one thing that makes this extremely risky -- perhaps even dumb -- for Cincy is the academics. Specifically, Stephenson's impact on the basketball team's Academic Progress Rate (APR).

Following years of poor graduation rates under Bob Huggins and then mass transfers and players being kicked off the team after Huggins was fired, plus a year with an interim coach that led to more problems, well, the basketball program found itself staring at a dismal 838 APR score and lots of scholarship penalties in 2005. The program has been able to avoid the penalties by arguing extenuating circumstances with the coaching turmoil. The NCAA has granted them waivers over the last few years.

They have managed to raise the multi-year significantly and so they have still avoided penalties. That said, the Bearcats still have an APR of 902 for men's basketball in the latest report (PDF). That is well below the minimum required score of 925 -- which roughly correlates to a 60 percent graduation rate.

Lance Stephenson puts all of that at risk. Stephenson is a lock to be a one-and-done player. He would have been in the NBA Draft out of high school, but for the NBA age requirement. He is going to college for a year because he has to, not because he wants to. The odds of him actually finishing his classes in his second semester at Cincy seem only slightly higher than the odds of Megan Fox showing up on my doorstep covered in nothing but whipped cream.

That would be a big step back for the basketball program, and likely the end of any waivers from the NCAA for their below average APR. Not only would scholarships be at risk, but starting in 2009 the penalties for a poor APR can also include postseason bans.

Cincy has not been to the NCAA Tournament since firing Huggins. They have taken a huge tumble in national recognition. They have had little success since joining the Big East. Understandably, there is a significant desire to get things turned around. The team is poised to be making a move this year, without Stephenson

Is one year of Lance Stephenson worth all that?

Cincy Risks (Academic) Progress With Lance Stephenson originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teams

Chas Rich — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Big East

The Big East Tournament gets underway Tuesday, and this year the Big East Tournament (BET) matches the construction of the conference -- oversized, a bit confusing and very clearly divided.

The Big East at this point has seven teams that are definitely going to the NCAA tournament and one team that lies way out on the fringe of the bubble. This year, the BET is all about teams trying to improve or maintain their projected seeding for the Big Dance.For the first time, the BET includes all 16 teams. The Big East, though, did not want the top teams to have to play too many games in a row before the NCAA Tournament or risk damaging their seed with the possibility of a really bad loss. To protect the top teams, the top four get a double-bye and do not play until Thursday. The next four teams seeded from No. 5 to No. 8 get a first-day bye. That leaves teams No. 9 through 16 to face each other.

Those teams in the bottom half have no chance of going to the NCAA Tournament, and to win the BET they would have to win five games in five days. The odds are prohibitively stacked against that. So much so, that the opening day is not televised anywhere. There are free webcasts at the Big East site.

Matchups

Tuesday: DePaul (16) vs. Cinci (9); St. John's (13) vs. Georgetown (12); Rutgers (15) vs. Notre Dame (10); USF (14) vs. Seton Hall (11).
Wednesday: 16/9 Winner vs. Providence (8); 13/12 Winner vs. Marquette (5); 15/10 Winner vs. West Virginia (7); 14/11 Winner vs. Syracuse (6)

You can view the bracket and times here (PDF).

What Teams Want

Playing for No. 1 Seed: Pitt, UConn and Louisville
Trying to improve seed: Villanova, Syracuse, Marquette and West Virginia
Hoping to find a golden ticket: Providence
Next stop, NIT: Notre Dame, Georgetown, Cinci
Where is the CBI: Seton Hall, St. John's
Just stopping by to say hello: USF, Rutgers, DePaul

Storylines

The Bubble is an Illusion for Providence
Every conference is supposed to have a bubble team. The Big East really does not. Nonetheless, for purposes of keeping punditry with standard storylines, Providence will be proffered as a Big East bubble team.

The Friars' RPI is hovering around 70. With the exception of knocking off Pitt and Syracuse, they were the beneficiary of an unbalanced schedule that gave them six five games against the bottom four of the Big East. That gave them the edge in finishing above .500 in the conference. They did beat Cincinnati twice, which only made the Big East bubble more barren.

Will the Big East Get Three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament?
That will be the most discussed issue in the BET. Pitt seems like a virtual lock for a No. 1 seed even if it goes out and loses its first game. They have the No. 1 RPI, they are No. 2 in both polls. They have been a top-five team all season. UConn was considered another lock, but how do you deny the regular season Big East Champion in Louisville? It just does not seem possible that the NCAA selection committee would pick three No. 1 seeds from the same conference. UConn and Louisville do not meet unless both get to the championship game. If so, that could decide the issue.

How Far Will Marquette slide?
The injury to Dominic James has been devastating. Before that, the Golden Eagles were looking like a No. 2 or 3 seed and seemed like a guard-heavy team that could go far in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles played tough against UConn, Louisville and Pitt but still lost. That was not so bad, even encouraging. But then Marquette lost at home, on senior day to Syracuse. That was damaging. If Marquette does not win a couple games, they could see themselves as a No. 6 or 7 seed by Sunday night.

The Big East is a Beast: It is the biggest and was supposed to be the toughest conference. With four teams in the top 10 and six teams ranked in the Top 25, there is plenty of quality in the conference. The issue is that the bottom is so weak. DePaul went 0-18 in the Big East. Rutgers is a wreck. South Florida is very slowly improving. The sheer size is the issue. Teams at the bottom have a hard time getting out from under the pile.

Predictions

Day one: Cincinnati over DePaul; Georgetown over St. John's; Notre Dame over Rutgers; and USF surprises Seton Hall.
Day two: Providence over Cincinnati; Marquette over Georgetown; WVU over ND; and Syracuse beats USF.
Quarterfinals: Louisville over Providence; Villanova over Marquette; Pitt over WVU; and UConn over Syracuse.
Semifinals: Villanova upsets Louisville and UConn finally beats Pitt.
Championship: UConn

Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teams originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cincy Punches Its Ticket to the NIT

Chas Rich — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:18:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Big East

If you caught any halftime show on ESPN or any college basketball segment on SportsCenter this weekend, there was always something about the NCAA tournament bubble and the projected last four in and last four out. Cinci kept showing up on the wrong side of the projections.

But the Bearcats don't have to worry about that drama anymore. Losing to South Florida on the road all but guarantees they won't be appearing anywhere in tournament projections.

South Florida 70, Cincy 59: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

In all likelihood, the Cincinnati Bearcats were NIT bound after getting completely blown out at Syracuse Sunday. The Bearcats needed a big road win to help their cause, and not only did they lose, they never showed. The loss to the Bulls tonight revealed a team that had nothing left in the tank.

In Cincinnati's defense, the Bearcats were playing their third game in six days, the last two of which were on the road. It clearly caught up to them. Cincinnati led at the half by five, but had nothing left after the break, allowing the Bulls to run roughshod over Mick Cronin's team. South Florida nearly doubled what it scored in the first half with 46 in the second 20 minutes.

Cincinnati going to the NIT is not a failure for this season. This team was hit with injuries early in the year and that killed their depth on the perimeter. The loss of point guard Cashmere Wright was the biggest blow. It forced Deonta Vaughn to play ridiculous minutes for another year and have to be the point guard. Cincy made a great surge late in the season. The Bearcats can still finish the season at .500 in the Big East with a win over Seton Hall Saturday, and should be a lock for the NIT if they do.

Cincy Punches Its Ticket to the NIT originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Huggins Still King of Queen City

Chas Rich — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:36:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, West Virginia, Big East

Cincinnati fans still have great affection for their Huggy Bear. The man who brought the Bearcats back to national prominence is still greatly loved in the Queen City. When West Virginia hired Bob Huggins in 2007, the Big East just happened to produce a schedule that only had Cincinnati visit West Virginia in the 2007-08 season, with no return trip. So tonight was his first trip to the Fifth Third Arena as the coach of the Mountaineers.

And Cincinnati responded in a way that made the coach a little misty.

Cincinnati 65, West Virginia 61: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

The Bearcats provided a pregame tribute that put a little dew in the former coach's eye. Some fans wore mustard yellow jackets in homage to Huggins sartorial selection.

Then there was the actual game.

Freshman forward Yancy Gates had a big game to lead the Bearcats to victory, finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The Bearcat defense absolutely shut down the Mountaineers, especially their two leading scorers Alex Ruoff and Da'Sean Butler. The two shot a brutal 7-for-26 from the floor and the whole West Virginia team shot only 33 percent..

Not everything went right for Cincy. The Bearcats were whistled for three technical fouls and couldn't hit free throws. The Bearcats were a unbelievably bad 9-for-21 at the charity stripe. Cincy, in fact, actually shot better from the field (47.2 percent) than at the free throw line (42.9 percent).

This was a big win for the Bearcats as it moves them closer to the NCAA tournament. Cincinnati has a very good chance of finishing 10-8 in the conference and with a win in the Big East tournament, would definitely be in the mix for one of the final at-large bids.

Bob Huggins Still King of Queen City originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cincinnati's Mick Cronin Takes Issue With ESPN's Bracketologist

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:44:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Xavier, A-10, Big East, Coaches, Media Watch

University of Cincinnati's head basketball coach Mick Cronin doesn't like ESPN.com's newest NCAA Tournament projections. ESPN's resident bracketologist Joe Lunardi has just seven Big East teams in the dance -- none of which are Cincinnati.

Cronin didn't find it amusing. "I would tell Joe Lunardi he needs to buy the ESPN Full Court package. Are you telling me that Syracuse wouldn't win the A-10? Does somebody want to give me that answer? I'd like to have that argument with somebody.

"You're going to tell me that Syracuse, with their McDonalds's All-Americans and their talent, would not win the A-10? They're eighth in our conference. For us to not get at least eight is only a by-product of us beating up on each other and being penalized for having too good of a conference."

Those are the normal gripes from people who think the Big East deserves eight, nine or 10 spots in the tournament. It doesn't fly with me or, apparently, Lunardi.

Lunardi defended his position by telling him that he, not Cronin, knows the inner workings of how the selection committee crafts its bracket.

Now I don't know Cronin, and he appears to be doing a terrific job of keeping his Bearcats more than competitive in the hellacious Big East. But I would politely suggest that he keep his eye on the ball and leave broader judgments about the tournament selection process to the NCAA men's basketball committee, since apparently my views aren't to his liking.

Lunardi goes on to dismiss Cronin's complaints. The fact that anyone is eighth in the Big East is meaningless since the committee looks at individual teams and not conferences. He has had nine teams placed in his projections for most of the season, but Notre Dame and Georgetown have fallen off due to their amazing funks.

As for that comment about an eighth place Big East team would cruise through the Atlantic-10, Lunari points out that the lowest seeded Big East team has had a better seeding in the NCAA's than the A-10 champion just once in the past eight years. After all, likely Atlantic-10 champ Xavier did beat Cincinnati earlier this year. They also beat likely Conference USA champion Memphis and ACC bubble team Virginia Tech.

Lunardi also points out that Syracuse has continued to be in his projections, despite Cronin's complaint that they weren't.

As for Cronin's Bearcats, Lunardi points out that they are 0-6 against teams that are currently in his bracket. Those two wins over Georgetown don't look as good if the Hoyas are an N.I.T. team.

I side with Lunardi here. I don't think the Big East should get a ton of teams in the tournament just because that conference is so top heavy. Continuing to lose to good teams doesn't mean you are one, too. If they are one of the 34 best at-large teams, they will get in.

Cincinnati's Mick Cronin Takes Issue With ESPN's Bracketologist originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notre Dame's Bandwagon Is Now Empty

Chas Rich — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Big East

It was thinning out over the last couple weeks as Notre Dame's losses piled up. It could be rationalized as the losses were all to teams in the Top 25. Things would improve after they got out of that grueling stretch. Not quite. The losing streak reached six in a row with a 93-83 loss to Cincinnati.

Once more, the Irish failed to play any defense of any significance. Cincy came into the game averaging just over 63 points per game in Big East play. The Bearcats had no problem scoring tonight. They did it from the outside, they did it driving to the basket. They just scored with ease. The backcourt of Deonta Vaughn and Larry Davis combined for 55 points.
Stop me if you have heard this before. Cincinnati's defensive plan was play Luke Harangody straight-up. Let him get his double-double. Completely blanket Kyle McAlarney to prevent open looks from outside, and dare anyone else from Notre Dame to step up and score.

Sound familiar? That's because, that has been the approach taken by every team in the Big East. It has worked. Harangody had a good game, but McAlarney was stopped cold. He shot 2-for-12, and picked up a technical foul when he shoved Vaughn in frustration over not getting free on offense.

Notre Dame has fallen to 3-7 in the Big East and it seems a long time since they beat Texas in Maui. The Irish are just about done. They would have to go 6-2 to finish at .500 in the Big East. They still have games at UCLA, UConn, West Virginia and Providence and host Louisville and Villanova . It does not look good.

Cincy, on the other hand, has survived its own four-game losing streak in the conference and is looking a lot better. They are playing tough defense, and have found enough offense. They are not in the top half of the conference, but they are better than nearly everyone in the bottom half.

Notre Dame's Bandwagon Is Now Empty originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Radio Host Wonders About Bearcats' Illegitimate Children

Michael David Smith — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Media Watch

The strange piece of video above comes from Media Matters for America, and it shows Bill Cunningham, a radio host in Cincinnati, asking about the number of illegitimate children fathered by the University of Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team.

Cunningham asked his producer, "How many illegitimate children does the UC men's basketball team have, do you think?"

Cunningham's producer then said, "I don't know. I just worry about whether they win or lose or their record."

But Cunningham wasn't interested in talking about the way the team plays on the court, continuing with, "I heard it's more than a half dozen. So there's some hangin' and bangin."

To that, the producer replied, "You have more information than I do."

Cunningham continued: "There's some hangin' and bangin' going on at the Shoemaker Center after the game. You know what I'm saying? You get the gist of my words? They're poppin' those things out like cherry pits out of one's mouth."

Uh, yeah. I get the gist of your words.

More at Fan Nation, The Big Lead and Deadspin.

Radio Host Wonders About Bearcats' Illegitimate Children originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xavier-Cincinnati 'Crosstown Shootout' Has Lost a Lot of Sparkle

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Xavier, A-10, Big East, Fans

When I first moved to the Cincinnati area (which, by the way, was exactly one decade ago today), I would be told that the Xavier-Cincinnati basketball rivalry was up there with Duke-UNC. I just moved from Charlotte and shot that down immediately.

It is a neat little rivalry that has fallen on some hard times. The event that once gripped the city has turned into a oh-that's-coming up game. It is coming up this Saturday.

So, wha' happened?

Obviously the fall of the Cincinnati Bearcats has contributed to this. The game used to feature a ranked Bearcats team versus the mid-major Muskies who are known to come up and bite you every once in a while. The Bearcats were a polarizing team that you either loved or hated; Xavier doesn't own that level of love or hate -- even from Cats fans. To outsiders, it was a matchup of the thuggish Bearcats and the small Jesuit school.
There was also actual hatred between the two programs. Bob Huggins and Pete Gillen famously didn't get along. Skip Prosser did a lot to get the two sides friendly again and Huggins dismissal has pretty much taken away the villain of the series. There really is no bad blood anymore.

You could say that this is all Cincinnati's fault. Huggins' absence has been a huge reason why the rivalry seems lacking. The fact that the Bearcats now play in the Big East and fans get to see some of the top teams in the country come visiting takes away from the magnitude of the game and forces it to be played earlier in the season. This year, Bearcat fans are football crazy as their team will be in the Orange Bowl next month.

Xavier is now the top-10 team who is coming off an appearance in the Elite Eight. The Musketeers are the best basketball team in town with the better arena and dominating a second-tier conference. Still, it is very rare to hear any Xavier talk in a town filled with the sorry Reds, sorry Bengals and a Orange Bowl bound Bearcats.

It should be a pretty good game. Xavier is the better squad but Cincinnati is getting better. The game will be play at Cincinnati's Fifth/Third Arena and should be filled with rabid Bearcats fans.

That is, the ones who aren't saving their money for a holiday trip to Miami.

Xavier-Cincinnati 'Crosstown Shootout' Has Lost a Lot of Sparkle originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Chicago Bull, Bearcat, Corie Blount Busted With 29 Pounds Of Weed

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Big East, Police Blotter

Former Cincinnati Bearcat and Chicago Bull Corie Blount was arrested for having 29 pounds of marijuana in his Cincinnati-area home.

Police intercepted a package containing 11 pounds of the hippie lettuce that Blount picked up from a shipment out of state. The police watched the entire transaction and then followed Blount home where they arrested him. Upon a search of his home, they found one seven-pound and another 11-pound package of weed.

The cops also seized over $29,000 in cash, three guns, a Mercedes Benz, Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Suburban. Blount has been charged with felony drug possession and is free on a $10,900 bond.

Blount was a star at the University of Cincinnati in the early 1990s and was on that 1992 Final Four team. He would go on to play 10 years in the NBA with the Bulls, Lakers, Cavaliers, Suns, Warriors, Sixers and Raptors. He was a teammate of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant ... yet didn't play on an NBA Championship team.

Former Chicago Bull, Bearcat, Corie Blount Busted With 29 Pounds Of Weed originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cincinnati's Cashmere Wright Done For the Year After Tearing ACL

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Big East, Injuries

Bad news for the University of Cincinnati hoops team. Freshman point guard Cashmere Wright will miss the 2008-2009 season with a torn ACL.

Wright will undergo surgery later this week to repair his ACL and will miss the season as he goes through rehabilitation over the next 6-8 months.

"We feel terrible for Cashmere as he was looking forward to the season as all young players do," said head coach Mick Cronin. "Obviously he was a big part of our plans this year so we are going to have to make some changes.

I want our fans to know that although we have had some setbacks, we are on the right track and our kids are working very hard. Our best days are ahead of us and we can't wait to get started this year."

Wright had originally committed to Clemson after his junior season but changed his mind and chose Cincinnati. The Savannah, GA product chose the Bearcats because he felt it was the best situation for him to start immediately.

I don't know why he believed that since incumbent Deonta Vaughn isn't a slouch. Vaughn led the Bearcats in scoring and assists last year and was an All-Big East selection.

Cincinnati's Cashmere Wright Done For the Year After Tearing ACL originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How I Spent My Summer Vacation: The Big East Conference (Part 1)

Chas Rich — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:36:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, DePaul, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Big East

With the fall beginning and college basketball just around the corner, it's time to look back at what our favorite teams did during their summer vacations. Some did some good things; some had a bad time. So let's look back at who did what in our How I Spent My Summer Vacation series.

Today's look is the Big East Conference. Since the conference is a 16-team beast, this will be in two parts. Part 1 looks at the group of teams that missed the NCAA Tournament last season. Part 2 will look at the teams that made the NCAA Tournament.

The Big East sent half its teams to the NCAA Tournament. That was the good news. The bad news was that not a one made it to the Final Four, and even worse only two made it out of the opening weekend.

This year the Big East looks to be even better, with four teams being discussed as legitimate Final Four teams, and a lot of strong teams behind them. Some of these teams will make the NCAA Tournament, or at least be perched precariously on the bubble in March.

South Florida
It's been relatively quiet in Tampa. Stan Heath will be in his second year, and has to contend with the loss of center Kantrell Gransberry and a reliable double-double every night. The attrition that naturally occurs when a new coach takes over means an incoming class of six freshmen and two junior college players. Most intriguing among the new faces will be Gus Gilchrist, who may or may not be available. Gilchrist committed to VT but got his release after the tragic shooting because he decided to be closer to his family. He chose Maryland, but didn't realize that the ACC required him to sit out the first half of the season. He ended up never seeing a minute of playing time and transferred to USF, and is now seeking a hardship waiver.

Seton Hall
Bobby Gonzalez is still the head coach after an offseason that had tons of rumors suggesting the combustible Gonzo would be fired. He and his athletic director have a distinct distaste for each other. Gonzalez will serve a one-game suspension when Big East play begins for some of his antics. He's been unable to build any depth on the team because he takes chances on academically shaky kids, and several have been unable to qualify. That's led to one player filing a lawsuit against the NCAA. Gonzalez has also brought in a couple transfers -- Keon Lawrence, late of Missouri, and Herb Pope, from New Mexico State. Both planned to seek hardship waivers for family reasons, but Lawrence has academic issues that would prevent him from playing until the winter semester. Pope's hardship waiver is also shaky since he is going to a school nearly 500 miles from his family.

Rutgers
There's optimism that Rutgers is headed in the right direction, as they're actually bringing in talented players under Mike Hill. They have their first McDonalds All-American recruit in Mike Rosario coming in this season. Rosario, along with Greg Echenique, is going to see plenty of action early -- if he's not starting right away.

St. John's
To the surprise of many, Norm Roberts remains the head coach at St. John's. Even more surprising, he was given a new five-year extension. Granted, another bad season and that contract will be irrelevant, but it provided some security. The extension provided excitement on the recruiting front as four-star recruit Omari Lawrence chose the Red Storm over UConn, Arizona, Memphis, Louisville among many others. They are also in contention to land another top player in Durand Scott.

DePaul
Every year it seems, DePaul has a couple of potential star players, but little else around them to provide any consistent help. This has resulted in an annual struggle in the conference, and diminishing crowds at the Allstate Arena. Coach Jerry Wainwright gets talent, is respected as a coach, and is a media favorite. He also knows he has to win this season or else.

Cincinnati
This is year Mick Cronin is supposed to move to above .500, both overall and in the Big East. The depth and talent issues appear to be resolved. Last year, they struggled early in the season, but became a better and more dangerous team in the grind of conference play. They have Deonta Vaughn at the point to lead and score. Freshman forward Yancy Gates should start almost immediately, plus they have Mike Williams healthy this season.

Providence
The main thing Providence wanted to do was find a coach, after finally giving up on the Tim Welsh project. It took a lot longer than expected. First Providence alum and George Mason coach Jim Larranaga turned them down to stay at Mason for less money. Then they failed to lure Travis Ford from UMass, though after Ford got a raise from UMass he got more money to jump to Oklahoma State anyway. The third time was a charm with a coach who received several national coach of the year honors. Keno Davis was lured from Drake. There is talent on this squad and they can score. The challenge will be to get the players to understand the concept of stopping the other team -- an unfamiliar idea most call "playing defense."

Syracuse
Coach Jim Boeheim spent the summer in China as an assistant coach for the 2008 US Olympic basketball team. No doubt trying to forget a second consecutive missed trip to the NCAA Tournament. This team, however, seems unlikely to miss a third time. The Orange had addition-by-subtraction with the departure of talented but ball-hogging, defense-free Donte Greene. They also get addition by the return of guards Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf. Rautins will help with depth and occasionally give point guard Jonny Flynn a breather. Devendorf will provide the energy and source of annoyance to opposing fans. As usual, Syracuse has an outstanding group of recruits led by forwards Mookie Jones and Wesley Johnson.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: The Big East Conference (Part 1) originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who's #98? First College Basketball Invitational Field Announced

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:45:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Washington Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Virginia Basktball

The College Basketball Invitational was created because, apparently, there was such an interest in non-NCAA tournament events that the N.I.T. couldn't contain it (obviously, I'm being sarcastic).

So, while the NCAA and NIT fields have been set, the CBI got to look through the rest of the clearance rack and pick off sixteen teams for their own little dance.

Tuesday: Richmond at Virginia, Houston at Nevada, Brown at Ohio, Rider at Old Dominion
Wednesday: Cincinnati at Bradley, Valparaiso at Washington, Miami-OH at Tulsa, Utah at UTEP

The winners of these games will face off next Monday. The semifinals will take place on Wednesday, March 26th. Then there will be a best-of-three championship series taking place the following week. Most of the games will be on Fox College Sports ... a network most people don't get. And even if they did, they're probably not watching this.

Look, I'm all for letting these kids extend their collegiate careers. Really, I am. But this is dumb. Credibility is shot when you invite a 13-18 Cincinnati team.

Who's #98? First College Basketball Invitational Field Announced originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cinci Never Made it to Connecticut

Charles Rich — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball

Not sure who those guys wearing the Bearcat unis were, but surely they weren't really a Big East team that UConn was facing. The real Bearcats must have still been stuck at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The worst team UConn faced this season -- Maine, RPI: 329 -- "only" lost by 45 points. Cinci matched that by falling 96-51.

This game was a laugher after the first few minutes. UConn had a 6-5 lead and then went on a 30-0 run over nearly 11 minutes. By halftime it was 47-15. Cinci shot below 27% and UConn was over 55% in this blowout.

Two weeks ago, the Bearcats were 8-5 and their coach was suggesting that Cinci was NCAA Tournament worthy. Well, a 5-game losing streak later and Cinci won't even be getting an NIT bid.

The only good thing for Cinci is that the season doesn't actually end with this thud. They still have at least one more game on Wednesday in the Big East Tournament.

Cinci Never Made it to Connecticut originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snowbound in Cinci Stops Season Finale

Charles Rich — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:12:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball

The Cincinnati Bearcats were supposed to play their final game of the season against UConn today at 4pm. The big winter storm that blew into all of Ohio yesterday and is still going on changed everything. The Bearcats were supposed to leave yesterday evening, but had their flights canceled. The winter storm has continued to pile up the snow and the Bearcats were unable to leave this morning, or even this afternoon.

That has forced a postponement until Sunday at 6pm. The game has little impact regarding the NCAA Tournament -- beyond seeding for UConn. With regards to the Big East Tournament, it has a lot of meaning for Cinci in the seeding. Right now, they are a 10 seed. They could fall to 11 or even rise to maybe an 8 seed.

Okay, still not much. Most important for Cinci, though, would be making the case that they should get into the NIT. Something that doesn't look likely without at least a .500 record in the Big East.

Snowbound in Cinci Stops Season Finale originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big East and SEC Start Scheduling for 2008

Charles Rich — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:34:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Basketball, Marquette Basketball, Louisville Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball, SEC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Vanderbilt Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

The Big East, SEC and ESPN have already decided on the 8 teams that will participate in the Big East-SEC Invitational for 2008.

December 16 at the Sommet Center in Nashville
South Florida-Vanderbilt
Marquette-Tennessee

December 18 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati
Mississippi St.-Cincinnati
Ole Miss-Louisville

Since this "Invitational" is effectively operated and controlled by ESPN, the exciting press actually made the ESPN network crawls as news this evening. This series is a half-hearted effort from both conferences to have their own conference challenge like the ACC-Big 10 and now the Pac-10-Big 12 have. Except, with very limited involvement.

The first year was not exactly a ringing success with half-empty arenas at the semi-neutral sites. This time they might actually sell-out with a good Marquette-Tennessee game and the teams playing in Cincinnati

They blew the chance to make at least one really interesting match-up among the teams -- and guaranteeing coverage. Ole Miss facing Cinci instead of Louisville would have been much more interesting. The Rebels are coached by Andy Kennedy who served as an assistant at Cinci and was the interim coach for the year after Bob Huggins was fired from Cinci. That would have been a meaningful game.

Big East and SEC Start Scheduling for 2008 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huggins Goes With Gold Pimp Suit

Charles Rich — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:33:00 EST

Filed under: West Virginia Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

In the days leading up to the game between WVU and Cinci, Bob Huggins maintained that he had just treating it like another game when asked about facing his old team.

When asked if there would be any emotions when he plays the school where he built so many great basketball memories for himself and the community, Huggins said, "No. It's a game we need to win."

That was standard coachspeak, but his wardrobe betrayed him. Any coach that comes out in a suit and shoes that are in the school colors screams "big game."

Huggins came out garbed in a gold 4-button suit with matching shoes. You can catch a bit of the suit in the opening seconds of the highlight reel. Considering Cinci destroyed the Mountaineers 62-39, the suit was probably the highlight for West Virginia fans.

Huggins Goes With Gold Pimp Suit originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big East Power Poll: 'The Road Sucks'

Charles Rich — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 07:02:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Pittsburgh Basketball, Connecticut Basketball, Marquette Basketball, Louisville Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball

That quote came from Dennis Hopper in Flashback. It is also the feeling of most BIg East teams to this point. I'm actually quite fond of the book.

You know, last week, I said the road would be key to distinguish the best teams from the middle teams and the bad teams. Naturally, (almost) everybody lost on the road to keep things totally senseless. After 44 conference games through Sunday, the road team is 10-34 (.227).

For so many of the teams it was about how good they looked at home and at least being close in a road game to make an impact in the power poll.

Georgetown -- Lost their first conference game, but rebounded to decimate Notre Dame. Still look like the best most consistent team in the Big East.
Pitt -- Took out Georgetown by being more aggressive on the boards. Then found themselves outrebounded at Cinci.
Louisville -- Got scorched late by Seton Hall when it looked like they would cruise. Looked fantastic against Marquette earlier in the week. There just seems to be a major issue of their focus.
Villanova -- One of three teams to win a game on the road this week. The Wildcats look like they are finding themselves.
Cinci -- Actually knocked off two of the teams above them, but has lost to two teams below. Close home wins and blow out road losses.
Notre Dame -- The way they lose, obscures the big wins.
UConn -- Inexplicably bad performance at home versus Providence, followed by a dominating effort over Marquette.
Marquette -- Dominic James is hurting. Two straight blowout road losses to teams with big, athletic frontcourts. Maybe they need more than guards.
West Virginia -- One of many teams that just looks so much weaker away from their home court.
Syracuse -- A lack of consistent defense puts them as a team that will vary from 5th to 12th in any given week.
DePaul -- Had to storm back to save a home win versus Rutgers. Not exactly impressive.
Providence -- A road win! A road win! Made it look easy in the second half against UConn.
Seton Hall -- Huge win over Louisville. Overcame multiple double-digit deficits. Their streakiness in shooting, though, give pause.
St. John's -- They show flashes, but that lack of depth, experience and offense are just a little much to overcome.
USF -- One of two teams to actually have lost twice at home. They are better than last year, and much more competitive. Little showing on the record at this point.
Rutgers -- Still winless in conference -- regardless of where they play.

The full power poll by all Big East bloggers can be found here.

Big East Power Poll: 'The Road Sucks' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 07:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cinci Slowly Stops Pitt

Charles Rich — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:24:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball

Cinci lost to St. John's and Notre Dame in the Big East. They have beaten Louisville, Syracuse, Villanova and today, Pitt -- 62-59. Playing at home clearly helped as Cinci is now 3-0 at home in the Big East, versus 1-2 on the road. Yet another team that plays so much better at home versus the road.

As in the Louisville win, Cinci played great defense throughout. Despite not having the size inside, they collapsed and harassed Pitt's Sam Young and DeJuan Blair to contest shots and limit chances at offensive boards. On the perimeter, they closed quickly to prevent open looks. They didn't gamble on steals. They just maintained strong defense that forced Pitt to keep moving the ball, looking for a shot.

The defensive effort allowed them to completely dictate the pace of the game. This worked for Cinci on offense as Pitt's impatience allowed the Bearcats to penetrate and draw fouls on shots. Despite actually fouling more than Pitt, Cinci shot twice as many free throws.

The Bearcats aren't going to the NCAA Tournament this year, but the progress they have made just in this season has been impressive. No body in the Big East will be looking forward to trips to the Queen City.

Cinci Slowly Stops Pitt originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cinci Might Not Be That Bad

Charles Rich — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:51:00 EST

Filed under: Villanova Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball

The Bearcats have been bad. Last year, they went 2-14 in the Big East. This season, they have lost games to Bowling Green, Belmont and St. John's. So, the belief was that they were still several years away from being rebuilt. That is, assuming Mick Cronin proves to be the right hire as head coach. Right now, he's starting to look like it might work.

The Bearcats have gotten off to a 3-1 start in the Big East. Not by beating the lower tier teams. Instead they knocked off Louisville, Syracuse and now Villanova.

The Bearcats won a thriller, 69-66. Raymond Bishop, a freshman forward who had been 0-3, hit an open 3 with 22 seconds left. Deonta Vaughn passed to him as the defense collapsed on him. Villanova couldn't get the tie as Scottie Reynolds threw up a 3 in the midst of 3 defenders that clanged off the backboard and rim at the end of the game.

Cinci controlled the tempo to keep the game close. Villanova could not get out on transition for quick scores too often. Instead, they had to run half-court. The good news, was that guard Scottie Reynolds broke out of his recent shooting slump to go off for 32 points. The bad news, was that it was mostly from the outside.

The Cinci defense kept Villanova on the perimeter on offense. The Wildcats only had 9 assists on 26 field goals. Villanova's forwards often found themselves settling for short jumpers rather than attacking the rim.

The Bearcats were more balanced, though guard Deonta Vaughn had 25 points. The difference for Cinci, was that they were driving to the basket. The Villanova frontcourt struggled and committed a lot of fouls trying to stop them. This gave the Bearcats a lot more chances at the free throw line.

Cinci Might Not Be That Bad originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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