25th Ranked Cincinnati takes on Xavier Thursday

I mentioned the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team a few weeks ago when they were one of 8 undefeated teams in the Big East, but the only one that was not nationally ranked. It took a 14-0 start to get them on the college basketball experts radar, but they’re finally there. The Bearcats didn’t play a particularly tough pre-conference schedule, and neither did many of the other top rated teams in the Big East. However, convincing wins over DePaul and Seton Hall has started to bring some attention in their direction.

There is still almost half a season left to play (the tough half), but this Cincy squad is really showing that they are ready to compete with some of the elite teams in the country. They will have plenty of chances to prove that sentiment as they are scheduled to play 8 ranked teams over their next 16 games based on current top-25 rankings. Head coach Mick Cronin has a relatively young starting 5, but has coached them to play as a unit.

The Bearcats are overwhelmingly good in one particular are, but play well in every aspect of the game. They score over 75 points per game, and rank 41st in assists per contest. Dion Dixon leads this offense with a 12.7 average. They have skill at every position as guards Dixon and Wright combine for 22 points and 6 assist, while forwards Gates and Bishop bring down over 11 rebounds per game. They are a young team and need to work on the quality of their shots, but that will certainly improve as their tough Big East season wears on.

They better not look past Thursday’s opponent to their match-up with 7th ranked Villanova on Sunday. The Xavier Musketeers may not have the talent that they’ve had in the past, but they are very capable of taking down a top-25 opponent. Xavier’s top scorer Tu Holloway has exploded onto the college basketball landscape this year. He has progressed from a 5.5 scoring average as a freshman to 21.3 so far in his junior year. His assists have gone up from 2.2 to 5.6 per, and steals from .7 to 1.7. Holloway is by far the best player on the team, and possibly the best player in the Atlantic 10.

The problem for the 2010-11 Musketeers is their lack depth. Their starting 5 all average 9 points or more with 27 rebounds and 12 assists. Their bench consists of a bunch of 1st and 2nd year players that lack experience and maturity on the court. Although an 8-4 record out of the gate may seem good for an Atlantic 10 team, Xavier more than likely feels that they let a couple of games “get away” that they should have won. A perfect example would be their last game in which they led the Florida Gators several times in the second half. Florida ended the Musketeers 30 game home winning streak with a 13-1 run late in the game. If they can get their confidence back quickly then they will have a great opportunity to get their signature win of the season against a Cincinnati team that is in a look-ahead situation.

Check this one out Thursday night, you won’t be disappointed!

Related posts:

1. Top Ranked Buckeyes face Wolverines Thursday Night
2. Cincinnati Bearcats aren’t getting enough Respect
3. College Football Begins with 11th Ranked Wisconsin Thursday
4. Kershaw takes on Stout Cincinnati Line-Up Saturday
5. Duke hosts 24th ranked Temple Wednesday Night

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