TicketsCINCINNATI (22-4, 11-2) AT UCONN (13-13, 4-9)
Sunday, Feb. 24 // 2 p.m. (ET)
XL Center // Hartford, Conn.
SERIES INFO: 28th meeting; Cincinnati leads 14-13 overall;
Cincinnati leads 8-3 at home and 3-1 in Storrs, Conn.
UConn leads 4-2 in Hartford, Conn., and 5-1 at neutral sites
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won 74-72 in overtime on Jan. 12, 2019
at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati
STREAK: Cincinnati - 6
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (290-144); 16th season overall (359-168)
Dan Hurley is in his first season at UConn (13-13); ninth season overall (164-118)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (FEB. 18): Cincinnati (RV/25); UConn (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN; Mike Corey provides play-by-play with color analyst Seth Greenberg
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – After the University of Cincinnati Bearcats escaped with a 74-72 overtime victory against Connecticut at Fifth Third Arena back on Jan. 12, UC coach Mick Cronin said in his postgame press conference that the Huskies would probably be eagerly anticipating UC's trip to Hartford for the rematch.
And Dan Hurley, UConn's first-year head coach, said he would never be happy with a moral victory after an offensive foul by the Huskies' Christian Vital prevented him from launching what could have been the game-tying shot.
Now the rematch is at hand.
The Bearcats, who knocked off Central Florida 60-55 on Thursday night to improve to 22-4 overall, 11-2 in the American Athletic Conference, will face UConn (13-13, 4-9) at 2 p.m. Sunday at the XL Center in Hartford.
UC has won six in a row and eight of its last nine games against UConn and leads the all-time series 14-13.
The Huskies have lost four in a row and five of their last six after their 77-59 loss Thursday at SMU. UConn shot 30 percent from the field and made only 10 of 27 from three-point range. After the game, Hurley said, "We dishonored the uniform today," according to the Hartford Courant.
UConn has struggled with injuries to point guard Jalen Adams, who's been out since he sprained his MCL against Temple on Feb. 6, and Alterique Gilbert, who returned from a shoulder injury to play against SMU. It was his first appearance since Jan. 26.
All of which means very little to Cronin, who's still expecting a fight from the Bearcats' former rival from the old Big East.
"They've had guys injured, but it doesn't matter," Cronin said. "If you watched them play Houston, the last two minutes took 30 minutes of actual time because (Hurley) is never going to let them give up."
The Bearcats have won two in a row and remain in second place in the American, one game behind first-place Houston as they inch closer to a March10 rematch with the Cougars, who won the first meeting 65-58 in Houston on Feb. 10.
To keep pace with the 12th-ranked Cougars before then, UC must concentrate on each of their next four opponents leading up to that regular-season finale that could decide the conference title.
"Right now, we're trying to get one-point blowouts," Cronin said.
The Bearcats had to struggle to get past UCF, which led by eight points with just over 12 minutes to play Thursday night. With the Knights doing a good job of bottling up Jarron Cumberland, the leading scorer in the conference who scored only 11 points, UC had to find someone else to fill the void.
Keith Williams answered the call when he hit a big three-point shot from the corner with the Bearcats trailing 46-40 and made two free throws with six seconds remaining to seal the win. So did Justin Jenifer, who scored seven of UC's final 12 points, including a three-pointer off a Cumberland feed that gave the Bearcats a six- point lead with 24 seconds to play.
And Cane Broome came off the bench to score nine points and provide a lift in the first half. Broome transferred to UC from Sacred Heart after averaging 23 points per game – eighth best in the country – his sophomore year. He has not been a prolific scorer at UC, but has been a valuable addition nonetheless, averaging 8.3 points this season in a reserve role.
"Cane's attitude has been great," Cronin said. "He's a guy that scored 1,100 points in two years and he came here to play at the high level where it's just a lot harder and a lot more physical. He gives us an extra scorer and it's been huge for our program. He's won a lot of games here."
With 22 wins, the Bearcats are closing in on their ninth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but good luck getting Cronin to discuss those possibilities as March approaches.
"All we're worried about next is UConn," Cronin said. "I know you're paid to look ahead to the tournament. But that's the worst thing. It is so hard to keep my guys away from that nowadays with social media. If you just stay focused on the process, you end up having a chance, just like if we lose a game the next game is all that matters. It's not going to be the end of the world."
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.
Sunday, Feb. 24 // 2 p.m. (ET)
XL Center // Hartford, Conn.
SERIES INFO: 28th meeting; Cincinnati leads 14-13 overall;
Cincinnati leads 8-3 at home and 3-1 in Storrs, Conn.
UConn leads 4-2 in Hartford, Conn., and 5-1 at neutral sites
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won 74-72 in overtime on Jan. 12, 2019
at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati
STREAK: Cincinnati - 6
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (290-144); 16th season overall (359-168)
Dan Hurley is in his first season at UConn (13-13); ninth season overall (164-118)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (FEB. 18): Cincinnati (RV/25); UConn (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN; Mike Corey provides play-by-play with color analyst Seth Greenberg
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – After the University of Cincinnati Bearcats escaped with a 74-72 overtime victory against Connecticut at Fifth Third Arena back on Jan. 12, UC coach Mick Cronin said in his postgame press conference that the Huskies would probably be eagerly anticipating UC's trip to Hartford for the rematch.
And Dan Hurley, UConn's first-year head coach, said he would never be happy with a moral victory after an offensive foul by the Huskies' Christian Vital prevented him from launching what could have been the game-tying shot.
Now the rematch is at hand.
The Bearcats, who knocked off Central Florida 60-55 on Thursday night to improve to 22-4 overall, 11-2 in the American Athletic Conference, will face UConn (13-13, 4-9) at 2 p.m. Sunday at the XL Center in Hartford.
UC has won six in a row and eight of its last nine games against UConn and leads the all-time series 14-13.
The Huskies have lost four in a row and five of their last six after their 77-59 loss Thursday at SMU. UConn shot 30 percent from the field and made only 10 of 27 from three-point range. After the game, Hurley said, "We dishonored the uniform today," according to the Hartford Courant.
UConn has struggled with injuries to point guard Jalen Adams, who's been out since he sprained his MCL against Temple on Feb. 6, and Alterique Gilbert, who returned from a shoulder injury to play against SMU. It was his first appearance since Jan. 26.
All of which means very little to Cronin, who's still expecting a fight from the Bearcats' former rival from the old Big East.
"They've had guys injured, but it doesn't matter," Cronin said. "If you watched them play Houston, the last two minutes took 30 minutes of actual time because (Hurley) is never going to let them give up."
The Bearcats have won two in a row and remain in second place in the American, one game behind first-place Houston as they inch closer to a March10 rematch with the Cougars, who won the first meeting 65-58 in Houston on Feb. 10.
To keep pace with the 12th-ranked Cougars before then, UC must concentrate on each of their next four opponents leading up to that regular-season finale that could decide the conference title.
"Right now, we're trying to get one-point blowouts," Cronin said.
The Bearcats had to struggle to get past UCF, which led by eight points with just over 12 minutes to play Thursday night. With the Knights doing a good job of bottling up Jarron Cumberland, the leading scorer in the conference who scored only 11 points, UC had to find someone else to fill the void.
Keith Williams answered the call when he hit a big three-point shot from the corner with the Bearcats trailing 46-40 and made two free throws with six seconds remaining to seal the win. So did Justin Jenifer, who scored seven of UC's final 12 points, including a three-pointer off a Cumberland feed that gave the Bearcats a six- point lead with 24 seconds to play.
And Cane Broome came off the bench to score nine points and provide a lift in the first half. Broome transferred to UC from Sacred Heart after averaging 23 points per game – eighth best in the country – his sophomore year. He has not been a prolific scorer at UC, but has been a valuable addition nonetheless, averaging 8.3 points this season in a reserve role.
"Cane's attitude has been great," Cronin said. "He's a guy that scored 1,100 points in two years and he came here to play at the high level where it's just a lot harder and a lot more physical. He gives us an extra scorer and it's been huge for our program. He's won a lot of games here."
With 22 wins, the Bearcats are closing in on their ninth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but good luck getting Cronin to discuss those possibilities as March approaches.
"All we're worried about next is UConn," Cronin said. "I know you're paid to look ahead to the tournament. But that's the worst thing. It is so hard to keep my guys away from that nowadays with social media. If you just stay focused on the process, you end up having a chance, just like if we lose a game the next game is all that matters. It's not going to be the end of the world."
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.