TicketsCINCINNATI (9-1) at No. 18/17 MISSISSIPPI STATE (8-1)
SERIES INFO: Sixth meeting; Cincinnati leads 3-2 overall;
Cincinnati leads 1-0 at home;
Series is tied 2-2 at neutral sites.
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won 65-50 on Dec. 12, 2017 at BB&T Arena
in Highland Heights, Ky.
STREAK: Cincinnati - Won 1
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (277-141);
16th season overall (346-165)
Ben Howland is in his fourth season at Mississippi State (63-46); 23rd season overall (464-252)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (DEC. 10): Cincinnati (RV/RV); Mississippi State (18/17)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: SEC Network; Richard Cross provides play-by-play with color analyst Debbie Antonelli
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – A year ago, Mississippi State rolled into Northern Kentucky's BB&T Arena with an 8-0 record and high hopes. They left with a 65-50 spanking at the hands of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats and ended up in the National Invitation Tournament.
The rematch is scheduled for Saturday night at 8:30, this time at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, and again the Bulldogs - in their fourth year under former UCLA and Pitt coach Ben Howland - are off to a fast start. They're 8-1, with a No. 18 ranking in the Associated Press media poll, a five-game winning streak, and all the ingredients to make it to the NCAA Tournament this time.
"He's got veteran guys that have played together and have figured out how to win games," said UC coach Mick Cronin.
The Bearcats are on a roll of their own, with a 9-1 record, and a nine-game winning streak, coming off a 62-47 victory over crosstown rival Xavier last Saturday.
Of course, this isn't the same UC team that knocked off MSU last year. Jacob Evans, now with the Golden State Warriors, scored 24 points in that game. Gary Clark, now with the Houston Rockets, snared 13 rebounds.
Despite their fast start, some of the current Bearcats believe they're still playing in the shadows of Evans, Clark and Kyle Washington, and still have to prove themselves. They remain unranked and wonder what they have to do to get some national recognition. Well, actually, they know what they have to do. It starts with knocking off the Bulldogs.
"We'll get as much recognition as we need if we go handle business down there," said junior forward Trevon Scott. "I told a few people I think this is the biggest non-league game of our season."
The Bearcats will arrive in Starkville with the No. 4-ranked scoring defense in the country, allowing only 56.4 points per game. They were at their best against Xavier when they held the Musketeers 32 points under their scoring average. They'll need a repeat of that performance to beat Mississippi State.
"Their stats from the last five games are making me re-think the game schedule," Cronin said. "Their whole team in their last five games is shooting 43 percent from three, making (an average of) 11 a game."
That's quite a switch from last year when the Bulldogs shot 31.9 percent from three-point range for the season. They were six-for-21 against UC, with guard Lamar Peters going zero-for-seven and zero-for-11 overall.
"In fairness to Lamar Peters, he just didn't have a good game," Cronin said. "We didn't give him layups, but he's making shots this year that he didn't make last year. They're all just older and better players."
Peters has averaged 27.5 points and made eight three-pointers. He scored a career-high 28 points in the Bulldogs' win over Clemson last Saturday. According to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, through nine games last season Peters had made only nine 3-pointers. Through nine games this year, he's made 30, including 16 in his last two games.
"They've got a lot of guys," Cronin said. "Lamar Peters is just one of them, (including) both of the Weatherspoons (Nick and Quinndary). They really put a lot of pressure on your defense because they've got guys that can do everything - shoot threes, drive to the basket. They literally play with two point guards at all times. They present a lot of problems for us."
But UC's defense prides itself on creating problems for opposing offenses and will do everything it can to prevent the Bulldogs from getting clean looks for their improved three-point shooters. Under Cronin, the Bearcats have been very adept of taking away opponents' offensive strengths.
And although that average of 11 made three-pointers over their last five games certainly is impressive, MSU has had its off shooting games too. The Bulldogs were seven-for-22 against Dayton, five for 24 against St. Mary's, and eight-for-30 against Arizona State in their only loss of the season. They trailed by 18 in the first half in that game before rallying to get within one point with a minute left only to lose, 72-67, on a neutral court in Las Vegas.
The Bearcats know what a win Saturday could do for their NCAA Tournament resume when March rolls around.
"I don't know how many people are going to win in Starkville this year," Cronin said. "If we'd be one of those teams that goes down there and gets a win, it'd be huge because their RPI is going to be extremely high."
After what happened last year in Northern Kentucky, the Mississippi players and their fans will no doubt be pumped for this game. But the new-look Bearcats are too. They're anxious to show that they remain formidable even without their three stars from last year.
"They have five great starters," UC guard Keith Williams said of the Bulldogs. "All those guys are good. We've got to keep competing with no turnovers and just rebound. It's a chance for us to prove something to the world on Saturday."
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at the Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January, 2015.
SERIES INFO: Sixth meeting; Cincinnati leads 3-2 overall;
Cincinnati leads 1-0 at home;
Series is tied 2-2 at neutral sites.
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won 65-50 on Dec. 12, 2017 at BB&T Arena
in Highland Heights, Ky.
STREAK: Cincinnati - Won 1
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (277-141);
16th season overall (346-165)
Ben Howland is in his fourth season at Mississippi State (63-46); 23rd season overall (464-252)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (DEC. 10): Cincinnati (RV/RV); Mississippi State (18/17)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: SEC Network; Richard Cross provides play-by-play with color analyst Debbie Antonelli
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – A year ago, Mississippi State rolled into Northern Kentucky's BB&T Arena with an 8-0 record and high hopes. They left with a 65-50 spanking at the hands of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats and ended up in the National Invitation Tournament.
The rematch is scheduled for Saturday night at 8:30, this time at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, and again the Bulldogs - in their fourth year under former UCLA and Pitt coach Ben Howland - are off to a fast start. They're 8-1, with a No. 18 ranking in the Associated Press media poll, a five-game winning streak, and all the ingredients to make it to the NCAA Tournament this time.
"He's got veteran guys that have played together and have figured out how to win games," said UC coach Mick Cronin.
The Bearcats are on a roll of their own, with a 9-1 record, and a nine-game winning streak, coming off a 62-47 victory over crosstown rival Xavier last Saturday.
Of course, this isn't the same UC team that knocked off MSU last year. Jacob Evans, now with the Golden State Warriors, scored 24 points in that game. Gary Clark, now with the Houston Rockets, snared 13 rebounds.
Despite their fast start, some of the current Bearcats believe they're still playing in the shadows of Evans, Clark and Kyle Washington, and still have to prove themselves. They remain unranked and wonder what they have to do to get some national recognition. Well, actually, they know what they have to do. It starts with knocking off the Bulldogs.
"We'll get as much recognition as we need if we go handle business down there," said junior forward Trevon Scott. "I told a few people I think this is the biggest non-league game of our season."
The Bearcats will arrive in Starkville with the No. 4-ranked scoring defense in the country, allowing only 56.4 points per game. They were at their best against Xavier when they held the Musketeers 32 points under their scoring average. They'll need a repeat of that performance to beat Mississippi State.
"Their stats from the last five games are making me re-think the game schedule," Cronin said. "Their whole team in their last five games is shooting 43 percent from three, making (an average of) 11 a game."
That's quite a switch from last year when the Bulldogs shot 31.9 percent from three-point range for the season. They were six-for-21 against UC, with guard Lamar Peters going zero-for-seven and zero-for-11 overall.
"In fairness to Lamar Peters, he just didn't have a good game," Cronin said. "We didn't give him layups, but he's making shots this year that he didn't make last year. They're all just older and better players."
Peters has averaged 27.5 points and made eight three-pointers. He scored a career-high 28 points in the Bulldogs' win over Clemson last Saturday. According to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, through nine games last season Peters had made only nine 3-pointers. Through nine games this year, he's made 30, including 16 in his last two games.
"They've got a lot of guys," Cronin said. "Lamar Peters is just one of them, (including) both of the Weatherspoons (Nick and Quinndary). They really put a lot of pressure on your defense because they've got guys that can do everything - shoot threes, drive to the basket. They literally play with two point guards at all times. They present a lot of problems for us."
But UC's defense prides itself on creating problems for opposing offenses and will do everything it can to prevent the Bulldogs from getting clean looks for their improved three-point shooters. Under Cronin, the Bearcats have been very adept of taking away opponents' offensive strengths.
And although that average of 11 made three-pointers over their last five games certainly is impressive, MSU has had its off shooting games too. The Bulldogs were seven-for-22 against Dayton, five for 24 against St. Mary's, and eight-for-30 against Arizona State in their only loss of the season. They trailed by 18 in the first half in that game before rallying to get within one point with a minute left only to lose, 72-67, on a neutral court in Las Vegas.
The Bearcats know what a win Saturday could do for their NCAA Tournament resume when March rolls around.
"I don't know how many people are going to win in Starkville this year," Cronin said. "If we'd be one of those teams that goes down there and gets a win, it'd be huge because their RPI is going to be extremely high."
After what happened last year in Northern Kentucky, the Mississippi players and their fans will no doubt be pumped for this game. But the new-look Bearcats are too. They're anxious to show that they remain formidable even without their three stars from last year.
"They have five great starters," UC guard Keith Williams said of the Bulldogs. "All those guys are good. We've got to keep competing with no turnovers and just rebound. It's a chance for us to prove something to the world on Saturday."
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at the Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January, 2015.