It’s that wonderful time of year when college basketball begins. I’ve taken a look at the area teams (and one not in the area) and will give you what you should watch for this year with each one. This post is specifically about the two big schools that call the Queen City home. That’s the American dream, right? Someone who tells you what to think about?
Cincinnati Bearcats (31-5, 16-2 American), Head Coach – Mick Cronin
Oh no, whatever will Mick do? He’s lost Jacob Evans. He’s lost Kyle Washington. He’s even lost Gary Clark. There are now no more problems for opponents! Clark is gone! Mick is on the other side of the table, smiling. He knows he has a good front court tandem, in Nysier Brooks and Tre Scott, to go along with a trio of guards who could play for just about every team in the country. Jaron Cumberland is a very gifted guard, Cane Broom can be the floor general, and Justin Jenifer will lock down the opposing team’s best guard. They won’t miss a beat on the defensive end, and may be more balanced, offensively. Plus, there’s the added boost of the new Fifth-Third Arena. The Bearcats home got an upgrade, and now, instead of that old driftwood, there’s some nice, sleek wood flooring in there. It’s a proper arena. Basketball is back, and I am looking forward to seeing some games at the shiny new place.
Predicting the team MVP – Tre Scott. It might seem easy to say Jaron Cumberland, here, but I think Scott is a better version of Kyle Washington. He’s athletic and quick in the post and can put up a nice jumper. Going to be a new problem for opposing defenses.
Best game to watch – The Crosstown Shootout. I was tempted to say the Wichita State games, and those will be phenomenal, but come on. Few things in college basketball beat out the Crosstown Shootout, and this time it’s at Fifth-Third.
Predicting what we will be looking back on, next April – The Bearcats will enjoy their second-straight year on top of the American and will have a two-seed in the tournament. Look, this team will be able to put up the points it keeps other teams from scoring. Mick will have plenty of weapons, on both sides of the ball, and will be able to employ a defensive scheme that will baffle 9-out of-10 teams.
Xavier Musketeers (29-6, 15-3 Big East), Head Coach – Travis Steele
This is the new Xavier. No Chris Mack. No Trevon Blueitt. No J.P. Macura. No Kerem Kanter. This will not be the juggernaut of last year, but it won’t be bad. New head man, Steele, already has a snappy nickname placed upon his team: “The Men of Steele.” Sometimes I like it, sometimes I roll my eyes, regardless, there’s still a lot to like about the Musketeers. First off, Quentin Goodin stepped in and showed his quality, last year, whenever they needed him to. Naji Marshall also returns to anchor the frontcourt that is now without its leader in Kanter. Steele knows Xavier, he was a great hire, and will lead this team with little deviation from the way Mack led. The Big East is up for grabs, and Xavier is in the mix.
Predicting the team MVP – Naji Marshall. He will lead the team in the important things, things they didn’t have last year. He will lead their defense, which I have a feeling will be improved, and will pull down a lot of rebounds.
Best game to watch – The Crosstown Shootout. All due respect to Villanova and other Big East powerhouse games, the Crosstown Shootout is the second biggest game in the city of Cincinnati, all year, in any sport. Only Opening Day for the Reds beats it.
Predicting what we will be looking back on, next April – We will look at the job that Travis Steele did in one year and just about forget about Chris Mack. No offense to Mack, he was an amazing coach, but Steele will not miss a beat and Xavier will constantly be in the discussion for the Big East crown.
Check out the other previews of area college basketball:
Miami (OH) and Missouri State Previews
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