TicketsMarch 13, 2012
Cincinnati Meets Texas in Second Round of NCAA Championship in Nashville
Sixth-seeded Cincinnati (24-10) meets 11th-seeded Texas (20-13) in NCAA Championship second-round action Friday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The game tips at 12:15 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS. It is also available on 700 WLW-AM, Sirius channel 85 and XM channel 190.
The Bearcats are making their 26th NCAA Championship appearance overall and 16th in the past 21 years. UC is coming off a second-place finish at the BIG EAST Championship where it defeated nationally ranked Georgetown (72-70 2 OT) and Syracuse (71-68) before falling to Louisville (50-44). It marked UC's first appearance in the conference tournament title game.
UC has defeated a nation-leading seven ranked teams this season and is led by Second Team All-BIG EAST Conference selection Sean Kilpatrick, BIG EAST Championship all-tournament team members, Yancy Gates and Cashmere Wright and 1,000-point scorer Dion Dixon, who ties the school record for career games played (135) Friday against Texas.
BEARCATS AT A GLANCE
UC's History at the NCAA Tournament: 26th tournament appearance; UC is 41-24 all-time in the NCAA Championship en route to winning two national titles (1961 and 1962), making eight regional finals and six final fours. The 2011-12 campaign marks the 50th anniversary of UC's 1962 national title team and the 20th anniversary of the Bearcats' run to the 1992 Final Four.
Last NCAA Appearance: Cincinnati was seeded sixth and defeated Missouri 78-63 in the second round before falling to Connecticut 69-58 in the third round. Both games were played in Washington, D.C.
Coach: Mick Cronin is in his sixth season at Cincinnati (111-87); ninth season overall (180-111). Cronin is 1-3 in the NCAA Championship (0-2 at Murray State and 1-1 at Cincinnati).
Ranking: Cincinnati was not ranked in the Associated Press or the USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls for March 12.
Radio: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play alongside color analyst Chuck Machock. Brant Douglas engineers.
TV: CBS; Announcers include Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel and Lewis Johnson.
UC Twitter Page: @GoBEARCATS
STREAKS, STORYLINES & SIDEBARS
-The Bearcats' No. 6 seed in the East Region is their highest in the NCAA Championship since earning a No. 4 seed in the Atlanta Region in the 2004 tournament.
-Cincinnati is one of only five programs in the nation to play in three consecutive NCAA national title games (1961-63), joining Ohio State (1960-62), UCLA (1967-73), Duke (1990-92) and Kentucky (1996-98). The Bearcats won the crown in 1961 and 1962 and were second in 1963.
-UC head coach Mick Cronin has rebuilt the Cincinnati program during his six-year tenure, increasing the win total in each of his first five seasons (11 in 2006-07, 13 in 2007-08, 18 in 2008-09, 19 in 2009-10 and 26 in 2010-11).
-Cincinnati set the school record for BIG EAST Conference wins (12) and the best finish (tied for fourth) this season. UC was 12-6 in the league to tie Georgetown and USF.
-A win Friday against Texas would give Cincinnati back-to-back seasons with at least 25 wins for the first time since the 2004 and 2005 campaigns.
-Since starting the 2011-12 season at 5-3, the Bearcats have won 19 of their last 26 contests.