TicketsHello Bearcats fans, and Happy Thanksgiving! Although the Bearcats might not feel like they have a lot to be thankful for today after letting one slip away last night in Alaska, I've made a list of five things fans can be thankful for this year:
1. An amazing new head coach. Jamelle Elliott has already begun to show why things can be different at UC by injecting a lot of energy and excitement into this program. She has the players playing hard, and the fans excited! Things are only going to get better.
2. An awesome set of assistant coaches. Mark Ehlen, LaRita Wilcher and Todd Moore are helping Elliott create a new era here at Cincinnati. They've done a great job of connecting the fans to the program, and of really getting the players to buy into a new system by showing that they care about them.
3. Playing in the Big East conference. I know at times this might seem like a curse, but in reality, it's a huge advantage in terms of recruitment. We've already seen it on the men's side and with the football team: playing in one of the most competitive conferences in the country attracts some of the best talent in the country. With Elliott's reputation as a fantastic recruiter, it will be very exciting to see the caliber of players she brings in over the next few years and into the future.
4. A team filled with hard-working, competitive players. It's great to know that if you come out to Fifth Third Arena to watch these Bearcats play, they're going to give you everything they've got. They want to play hard for themselves and their coaches, and there's no doubt they want to be competitive in the Big East this year, not simply building for the future. Although they may not always come up on the winning side, they won't give up for 40 minutes.
5. Daress McClung's performance so far. Cincinnati desperately needed a freshman to step up in the frontcourt to add some depth to the team, and McClung has done that admirably so far. She's shown she can do it all! She shoots very well from any range, tenaciously goes after the ball in rebounds, steals and blocks, usually picks up some assists, and provides a lot of valuable minutes off the bench. Elliott challenged one of the freshmen to emerge from the pack at the beginning of the season, and McClung has done that so far.
I hope you're all feeling really thankful now! Here are some thoughts from last night's game, which the Bearcats dropped to Alaska Anchorage 49-48:
Turnover problems continue: Cincinnati just can't seem to consistently hold onto the basketball so far this season. In their loss last night to Alaska Anchorage, the Bearcats turned the ball over 19 times. That stat jumps way out especially considering that UC only lost the game by one. The Seawolves turned those 19 turnovers into 15 points the other way. With better ball control, the Bearcats would have come out of Alaska with a 4-1 record and a victory over a superior team.
Through five games, ball control is quickly developing into a trend that will perhaps decide the outcome of a lot of Cincinnati basketball games this season. As head coach Jamelle Elliott says, every turnover is a wasted trip down the court where UC doesn't get a look at the basket. And if good teams are going to use this against Cincinnati, the great competition in the Big East will, as well. It's a good thing there are a lot of games yet to be played in the non-conference schedule so the Bearcats can try to get this issue worked out.
That being said, Cincinnati did a lot of encouraging things in this game, number one of which was their overall defensive performance. Alaska Anchorage has averaged a whopping 97 points per game so far this season, and UC held them to half of that, an impressive accomplishment. The Bearcats also showed some aggression on the boards, winning the rebound battle 39-33. Check out the box score for a complete breakdown of all the stats.
Looking ahead: UC returns to Fifth Third Arena to take on the Dartmouth Big Green on Sunday at 2 p.m. Dartmouth has a 1-3 record so far this season, averaging 48.8 points per game. This should be a good game for Cincinnati to get back on track before two tough tests next week: at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, and at Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout.