TicketsCINCINNATI (12-2, 1-0 AAC) at ECU (7-6, 0-1 AAC)
SERIES INFO: 14th meeting; Cincinnati leads 12-1 overall;
Cincinnati leads 5-1 in Greenville and 7-0 at home
LAST SEASON'S MEETING: Cincinnati won 86-60 on Jan. 20, 2018
at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky.
STREAK: Cincinnati- 4
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (280-142); 16th season overall (349-166)
Joe Dooley is in his fifth season at ECU (64-58); 10th season overall (178-116)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (DEC. 31): Cincinnati (RV/RV); ECU (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: CBS Sports Network; John Sadak provides play-by-play with color analyst Mo Cassara
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI - For years under head coach Mick Cronin, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats have been known as a team that wins with rebounding, defense and physical toughness.
Three-point shooting? Not so much.
That started to change last year when the Bearcats shot 35.3 percent from three-point range and it has continued this season, with UC making 36.5 percent of its three-point shots, second in the American Athletic Conference to UCF, which has made 37.1 percent from long range.
The Bearcats (12-2 overall, 1-0 in the American) will take on East Carolina (7-6, 0-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C., looking for their fourth straight victory.
UC, which knocked off Tulane, 93-61, Wednesday night in their conference opener, will be looking for its fifth 2-0 conference start in six years. ECU lost its opener at SMU 82-54 in Dallas.
A Bearcats' victory will give Cronin his 350th career coaching victory. He's 349-166 overall in 16 seasons as a head coach, 280-142 in 13 seasons at UC, and 69-24 at Murray State.
The Bearcats have the top two three-point shooters in the league in junior guard Jarron Cumberland at 47.9 percent (35-for-73) – which ranks 14th nationally – and senior guard Justin Jenifer making 47.7 percent (21-for-44).
Roger McClendon set the school record for three-point shooting in a season when he shot 47.6 percent in 1986-87. The team record for a season is 43.1 percent the same year. If the Bearcats continue to make three-pointers at their current rate, they'll tie for the third-best mark in school history with 1993-94 team.
UC's long-range shooting success does not, however, reflect a change in offensive philosophy for Cronin. UC still relies on defense and rebounding. They're not looking to become the college version of the NBA's Golden State Warriors.
"I just think you've got to take the open shot," Cronin said after the Bearcats made 10 of 21 from three-point range against Tulane. "I don't look at numbers, I look at percentages. We took only 21 of our 67 (shots from three-point range)."
The difference is that the Bearcats have more players capable of making open three-pointers than they've had in the past.
"When we get shots that we think we're open and we're in the rhythm of it, we're knocking down shots," Cumberland said. "If we keep making them, why not shoot another one?"
The Bearcats didn't look like a solid three-point shooting team when the season started. They went six-for-26 in their season opener against Ohio State, five-for-14 against North Carolina Central, and four-for-19 against Milwaukee. But during their current three-game winning streak, they've made 31 of 72 for 43 percent, including 12 of 21 against UCLA.
Of course, locating open shots of any kind becomes more challenging during conference play, so the Bearcats have a long way to go to maintain their status as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Cronin coaching era, which began in 2006. ECU, for example, has allowed opponents to shoot only 27 percent from three-point range, which ranks second in the conference behind Houston.
The Pirates are led by Jayden Gardner a 6-foot-6 freshman forward who ranks second in the American in scoring averaging 18.8 points per game and in rebounding (8.6). Guard Shawn Williams averages 13.5 points, with a team-high 22 3-pointers, and guard Seth LeDay averages 12.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.
ECU is coached by Joe Dooley, who's in first season back after being the head coach there from 1995 to 1999. He was 57-52 during his first stint with the Pirates. UC is 12-1 all-time vs. ECU. Its only loss was a 50-44 decision on Feb. 2, 2015 in Greenville.
The Bearcats will enter their first conference road game of 2018-19 playing their best basketball of the season as they seek to repeat as AAC champions and take aim at their third straight 30-win season.
"Every game we step on the floor we expect to win," Cumberland said. "Everyone's got my confidence on the team. I don't doubt nobody."
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: 14th meeting; Cincinnati leads 12-1 overall;
Cincinnati leads 5-1 in Greenville and 7-0 at home
LAST SEASON'S MEETING: Cincinnati won 86-60 on Jan. 20, 2018
at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky.
STREAK: Cincinnati- 4
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (280-142); 16th season overall (349-166)
Joe Dooley is in his fifth season at ECU (64-58); 10th season overall (178-116)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (DEC. 31): Cincinnati (RV/RV); ECU (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: CBS Sports Network; John Sadak provides play-by-play with color analyst Mo Cassara
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI - For years under head coach Mick Cronin, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats have been known as a team that wins with rebounding, defense and physical toughness.
Three-point shooting? Not so much.
That started to change last year when the Bearcats shot 35.3 percent from three-point range and it has continued this season, with UC making 36.5 percent of its three-point shots, second in the American Athletic Conference to UCF, which has made 37.1 percent from long range.
The Bearcats (12-2 overall, 1-0 in the American) will take on East Carolina (7-6, 0-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C., looking for their fourth straight victory.
UC, which knocked off Tulane, 93-61, Wednesday night in their conference opener, will be looking for its fifth 2-0 conference start in six years. ECU lost its opener at SMU 82-54 in Dallas.
A Bearcats' victory will give Cronin his 350th career coaching victory. He's 349-166 overall in 16 seasons as a head coach, 280-142 in 13 seasons at UC, and 69-24 at Murray State.
The Bearcats have the top two three-point shooters in the league in junior guard Jarron Cumberland at 47.9 percent (35-for-73) – which ranks 14th nationally – and senior guard Justin Jenifer making 47.7 percent (21-for-44).
Roger McClendon set the school record for three-point shooting in a season when he shot 47.6 percent in 1986-87. The team record for a season is 43.1 percent the same year. If the Bearcats continue to make three-pointers at their current rate, they'll tie for the third-best mark in school history with 1993-94 team.
UC's long-range shooting success does not, however, reflect a change in offensive philosophy for Cronin. UC still relies on defense and rebounding. They're not looking to become the college version of the NBA's Golden State Warriors.
"I just think you've got to take the open shot," Cronin said after the Bearcats made 10 of 21 from three-point range against Tulane. "I don't look at numbers, I look at percentages. We took only 21 of our 67 (shots from three-point range)."
The difference is that the Bearcats have more players capable of making open three-pointers than they've had in the past.
"When we get shots that we think we're open and we're in the rhythm of it, we're knocking down shots," Cumberland said. "If we keep making them, why not shoot another one?"
The Bearcats didn't look like a solid three-point shooting team when the season started. They went six-for-26 in their season opener against Ohio State, five-for-14 against North Carolina Central, and four-for-19 against Milwaukee. But during their current three-game winning streak, they've made 31 of 72 for 43 percent, including 12 of 21 against UCLA.
Of course, locating open shots of any kind becomes more challenging during conference play, so the Bearcats have a long way to go to maintain their status as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Cronin coaching era, which began in 2006. ECU, for example, has allowed opponents to shoot only 27 percent from three-point range, which ranks second in the conference behind Houston.
The Pirates are led by Jayden Gardner a 6-foot-6 freshman forward who ranks second in the American in scoring averaging 18.8 points per game and in rebounding (8.6). Guard Shawn Williams averages 13.5 points, with a team-high 22 3-pointers, and guard Seth LeDay averages 12.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.
ECU is coached by Joe Dooley, who's in first season back after being the head coach there from 1995 to 1999. He was 57-52 during his first stint with the Pirates. UC is 12-1 all-time vs. ECU. Its only loss was a 50-44 decision on Feb. 2, 2015 in Greenville.
The Bearcats will enter their first conference road game of 2018-19 playing their best basketball of the season as they seek to repeat as AAC champions and take aim at their third straight 30-win season.
"Every game we step on the floor we expect to win," Cumberland said. "Everyone's got my confidence on the team. I don't doubt nobody."
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.