Where do the Bearcats stand?

[bearcat jeff]

The past 2-3 weeks have been disheartening to many fans and some of it justifiable. The team has not played particularly well and hasn't matched their opponents intensity in the biggest of games. These are legitimate concerns. The lack of a consistent effort probably the most concerning.

When you put passion aside and look at where this team currently sits you see the sky may be sagging but it isn't falling. One game in the loss column separates 3rd place Gtown from 11th place St. Johns. There are 4 teams with 4 losses, and 5 teams with 5 losses in the league standings. Notre Dame sits at second with 3 losses and Pitt has distanced themselves from everyone with only 1 league loss. Bottom line is that 11th and 2nd are separated by 2 games in the loss column. The strength and depth of this league is apparent when looking at the standings. Perhaps no other league exemplifies the saying, "on any given night" more than Big East basketball.

What does that mean for UC? Cincinnati is currently 1 1/2 games behind 3rd place Gtown with the Hoyas having played one more conference game then the Bearcats. With 2 head to head meetings between these two teams, UC has the ability to leap frog the Hoyas. They also have head to head meetings with 2 teams directly in from of them in Louisville and UConn and games against Marquette and St. Johns who also have 5 losses. The bottom line is that the Bearcats really do control their own destiny to a large degree.

In spite of all the criticism and doomsaying, they remain 1 game out of third place in the loss column with a legitimate opportunity to finish in the leagues top 5 and win 20 plus games. They also control their own destiny in regard to the NCAA Tournament. Of their final 7 games they play St. Johns, Louisville, UConn and Gtown at home. While some say this doesn't matter I disagree. By and large the Bearcats are much better at 5/3rd arena. Especially when a large crowd shows up to support them. They have 1 home loss and that was to a rugged WVU team that makes every game ugly.

When you look at the remainder of the season you have to admit the Bearcats are in a very good position. All you can ask is to play well enough to control your own destiny. Cincinnati has done that. You may not like the way they've done it but the reality is they are in excellent position at this point in the season.

We can focus of particular parts of their game, and rightly so. There are legitimate concerns with this team. However, you cannot ignore the effect this league and the teams that play in it, have on one another over the course of an 18 game conference schedule. The standings bear the truth of this out. You don't have to wear rose colored glasses to see that where UC stands right now is a good place to be heading into the homestretch. But you do have to set your emotion aside and look at the facts.