Scouting Cincinnati

Coach Mick Cronin is hoping this Bearcats don't suffer the same fate as Villanova.

Yesterday was the last scouting report of the season for USF basketball. Many, including myself, wrote the Bulls off in the Big East tournament, but surprisingly, the Bulls somehow won the game over Villanova (Crater time!). The Bulls are still alive in the Big East tournament (10-22 overall) and will face the #6 seed Cincinnati tonight on ESPN at 7 PM. So, beyond all belief, here is the scouting report for Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is a powerful team in the Big East. The Bearcats enter the game with a 24-7 record (11-7 in conference play) and are ranked 25th in the country. The Bulls lost to Cincy on January 12th on the road, but hung around that game, falling 66 to 74.

Cincinnati averages 69 points a game (ranked 173rd in the country) while USF averages 62 points per contest (309th, but we broke out last night!). The Bearcats pull down 35.7 rebounds per game (134th) while USF averages 35.8 (132rd, advantage goes to USF). Cincinnati averages 14.4 assists per game (77th) while USF averages only 12.4 (208th, go Crater!). Finally, Cincy shoots .435 from the floor (180th) while USF shoots .418 (273rd).

So here are the players to watch tonight for Cincinnati (remember to catch the game on ESPN at 7 PM). [keep reading]

The Bearcats are led by forward Yancy Gates (6'9" 265-pounds). Gates averages 11.3 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. He is a big player that can dominate the paint. Watch for Gilchrist, Famous, and Anderson to match up with him and try to keep him off the glass. Guard Dion Dixon (6'3" 190-pounds) is a dangerous shooter. He averages 11.2 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game. Either Noriega or Poland will have to keep him contained. Guard Cashmere Wright (6' 175-pounds) is the primary ball handler for Cincy. He averages 9.3 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game, and 3.9 assists per game. Wright is a very fast player, so Crater will have to keep up with him and try to disrupt the Cincy offense. Forward Rashard Bishop (6'6" 220-pounds) averages 8.2 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game. Forward Ibrahima Thomas averages 5.8 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Both Bishop and Thomas give the Bearcats a solid front court. Anderson and company will have to battle them all night and dominate the glass to help the Bulls.

Other players to watch:

Guard - Sean Kilpatrick - 6'4" 215-pounds - 9.9 PPG 3.2 RPG

Guard - Larry Davis - 6'3" 185-pounds - 4.9 PPG

Forward - Darnell Wilks - 6'7" 205-pounds - 3.6 PPG 2.7 RPG

Outcome of the game: I was forced to eat my words last night as the Bulls stunned Villanova and myself. This game is going to be a very interesting one to watch. USF matches up well with the size and style of Cincinnati. The Bulls lost a close game to the Bearcats before and are feeling confident after the win over Nova. Will they win this one? It will be a very entertaining game and probably go down to the wire again. If the Bulls are able to keep the momentum going and avoid a letdown like they usually do, they may have a chance. But I think the magic runs out tonight, but I hope I am wrong on this one.

Final score prediction: Cincinnati 68 USF 65