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- Thread starter OSUBasketballJunkie
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I don't think Cincy is up to it. This is homecoming for Oden and Conley. They have a week post-exams to get ready and they will come out playing hard. Bucks by a lot.
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Cincy
Cronin wants OSU each season
Apparently, Buckeyes' athletic director feels same way about playing Bearcats
BY BILL KOCH | [email protected]
The long drought comes to an end Saturday.
After nearly 45 years, the University of Cincinnati will play Ohio State in basketball, in the John Wooden Tradition at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
UC coach Mick Cronin, who wasn't born yet when the Bearcats knocked off OSU 71-59 on March 24, 1962, to win their second straight NCAA title in the most recent meeting between the schools, hopes that regardless of what happens Saturday, the wait for the next meeting won't be nearly so long.
In fact, he says there's no reason why UC and OSU shouldn't play every season, alternating between Cincinnati and Columbus.
"I'd like to play them home and home," Cronin said. "Being part of the Wooden Tradition is an honor, but I don't understand why we haven't played in the regular season in 44 years.
"Being a part of Kentucky- Louisville (as a Louisville assistant coach), I've seen the national television that game gets. We play Ohio State, and immediately it's on CBS. That shows you right there that we should play every year. That helps both programs."
OSU athletic director Gene Smith apparently agrees with Cronin. He told the Columbus Dispatch last week that he would like to see the two schools play each other every season. Smith did not respond Wednesday to a request for an interview on the subject.
UC already has an annual rivalry game on its schedule against Xavier, but Cronin said there would always be room for another high-stakes rivalry with Ohio State.
"That's a game we've got to fit in," Cronin said. "It should be played every year, just like Kentucky-Louisville. You play them in December. Who are we better off playing every year - North Carolina State or Ohio State? We're going to play some good teams, so what's the difference? Why not play a game that's going to help both programs?
"It's a game of national interest because of the history of the game and the lack of history of the game. It's going to be nothing but positives."
For UC, this isn't the best time to be playing the Buckeyes. In his first season at UC, Cronin is rebuilding a program that was decimated by the awkward departure of longtime coach Bob Huggins in 2005.
OSU, meanwhile, is flying high under former XU coach Thad Matta. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 5 nationally and have one of the top freshmen in the country in center Greg Oden.
But Cronin says he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the series going, even if it means playing on a neutral court, perhaps alternating between U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati and Nationwide Arena in Columbus, though he would prefer to keep the game on the schools' respective campuses.
"I'm saying this, and I'm the one in my first year trying to reload," Cronin said.
"But that's OK. I'm planning on being here for the long term. I'm sure Coach Matta is, too. You always want to look at things that are going to benefit your program and exposure. I think it would help both of us."
Cronin wants OSU each season
Apparently, Buckeyes' athletic director feels same way about playing Bearcats
BY BILL KOCH | [email protected]
The long drought comes to an end Saturday.
After nearly 45 years, the University of Cincinnati will play Ohio State in basketball, in the John Wooden Tradition at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
UC coach Mick Cronin, who wasn't born yet when the Bearcats knocked off OSU 71-59 on March 24, 1962, to win their second straight NCAA title in the most recent meeting between the schools, hopes that regardless of what happens Saturday, the wait for the next meeting won't be nearly so long.
In fact, he says there's no reason why UC and OSU shouldn't play every season, alternating between Cincinnati and Columbus.
"I'd like to play them home and home," Cronin said. "Being part of the Wooden Tradition is an honor, but I don't understand why we haven't played in the regular season in 44 years.
"Being a part of Kentucky- Louisville (as a Louisville assistant coach), I've seen the national television that game gets. We play Ohio State, and immediately it's on CBS. That shows you right there that we should play every year. That helps both programs."
OSU athletic director Gene Smith apparently agrees with Cronin. He told the Columbus Dispatch last week that he would like to see the two schools play each other every season. Smith did not respond Wednesday to a request for an interview on the subject.
UC already has an annual rivalry game on its schedule against Xavier, but Cronin said there would always be room for another high-stakes rivalry with Ohio State.
"That's a game we've got to fit in," Cronin said. "It should be played every year, just like Kentucky-Louisville. You play them in December. Who are we better off playing every year - North Carolina State or Ohio State? We're going to play some good teams, so what's the difference? Why not play a game that's going to help both programs?
"It's a game of national interest because of the history of the game and the lack of history of the game. It's going to be nothing but positives."
For UC, this isn't the best time to be playing the Buckeyes. In his first season at UC, Cronin is rebuilding a program that was decimated by the awkward departure of longtime coach Bob Huggins in 2005.
OSU, meanwhile, is flying high under former XU coach Thad Matta. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 5 nationally and have one of the top freshmen in the country in center Greg Oden.
But Cronin says he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the series going, even if it means playing on a neutral court, perhaps alternating between U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati and Nationwide Arena in Columbus, though he would prefer to keep the game on the schools' respective campuses.
"I'm saying this, and I'm the one in my first year trying to reload," Cronin said.
"But that's OK. I'm planning on being here for the long term. I'm sure Coach Matta is, too. You always want to look at things that are going to benefit your program and exposure. I think it would help both of us."
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Cincy defeated Xavier last night......
Dispatch
Dispatch
CINCINNATI 67 XAVIER 57
Overlooked Bearcats prove skeptics wrong
Rebuilding Cincinnati uses Huggins staple to beat cross-town rival
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Joe Kay
ASSOCIATED PRESS
</IMG> Cincinnati guard Marvin Gentry, left, and Xavier guard Adrion Graves go after the ball.
CINCINNATI — The small crowds, the many doubters. Cincinnati felt it had to prove itself, even on its home court.
The Bearcats got a win that proved their point.
Freshman guard Deonta Vaughn scored 24 points last night, hitting the pivotal shots that helped Cincinnati surge ahead and hold on for a 67-57 home-court victory over cross-town rival Xavier.
Vaughn led the Bearcats (7-2) back from a seven-point deficit in the first half, helped them pull ahead by 10 in the second half, then made consecutive jumpers that prevented Xavier (7-3) from catching up down the stretch.
John Williamson added 18 points for Cincinnati, which beat Xavier for only the second time in their past five games.
"I’ve heard it since the beginning of the season," Williamson said. "That’s all I’ve been hearing, about the Xavier game and that they’re supposed to be good. I started getting the message that they were going to come in and thrash us. We had a chip on our shoulder."
Josh Duncan and Justin Cage scored 14 points each for Xavier, which had 18 turnovers, including five offensive fouls. Shooting guard Stanley Burrell failed to score, going 0 of 10 from the field.
Heading into the game, the annual rivalry had lost much of its sizzle.
Neither team was ranked — Cincinnati is rebuilding under first-year coach Mick Cronin, and Xavier frittered away its first national ranking in three years by losing at Creighton 73-67 on Saturday.
The game was televised on ESPNU, which is not carried by the local cable company, making it tough to find.
And for the first time in 18 years, the cameras wouldn’t find Bob Huggins, the former Cincinnati coach who was forced out before last season.
Cronin, who was one of Huggins’ assistants at Cincinnati, used one of his lessons to fashion the win. The Bearcats shot only 35 percent from the field.
"Coach Huggins taught me what it takes to win: toughness, defense, rebounding, being able to win when you don’t make a lot of shots," Cronin said. "That was one of his main lines: Real teams win when they don’t make shots. I’ve always kept that one with me and tried to use it."
Xavier held a slim lead for most of the first half, pulling ahead by as many as seven. Vaughn scored 11 points in the half, including two free throws and two baskets during an 8-2 run that tied it.
He didn’t show any freshman jitters.
"I’ve always been a leader, the main go-to guy on my team," Vaughn said. "I’ve got a lot of confidence in my shot."
Cedric McGowan, the Bearcats’ only returning starter, made a 25-foot shot just before the buzzer for a 32-29 halftime lead that revved the capacity crowd of 13,176 — the Bearcats’ first home sellout of the season.
Williamson opened the second half with a pull-up jumper and fast-break layup that increased Cincinnati’s lead to 36-29. Vaughn had a steal and layup, then a driving basket that made it 49-39. Back-to-back three-point plays by Cage cut it to 49-47 with 8:24 to go, but Vaughn made a three-pointer from the right corner and a 10-foot jumper from the baseline to blunt the comeback.
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I think if Ohio State caught Cincinnatti in another five games, they would have the potential to really use Oden inside to much better advantage. This would make Cincy pick their poison, sag in around Oden and let the sharpshooters cut you to pieces with the 3's, shut down the perimeter, watch Oden show you how he uses six inches to take it to your center
.
we'll see some of what is to come but the team is still looking for a bit of a new identity with Oden in and we still have Oden at 70%.
I think Ohio State by about 11, say 79-68.
.we'll see some of what is to come but the team is still looking for a bit of a new identity with Oden in and we still have Oden at 70%.
I think Ohio State by about 11, say 79-68.
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Okinawa's#1Buck
Heisman
Inside, outside, inside, outside. They won't know what hit 'em. Bucks by 20 with most of the starters resting by mid-second half.
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Dispatch
A long time coming
Ohio State and Cincinnati will meet for first time since 1962 NCAA final
Friday, December 15, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The Berlin Wall of Ohio college basketball falls Saturday.
Or maybe Ohio State and Cincinnati will just play atop the wall for two hours and return to their respective camps, not to meet again for another 44 years ? or 85.
Continued...
A long time coming
Ohio State and Cincinnati will meet for first time since 1962 NCAA final
Friday, December 15, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The Berlin Wall of Ohio college basketball falls Saturday.
Or maybe Ohio State and Cincinnati will just play atop the wall for two hours and return to their respective camps, not to meet again for another 44 years ? or 85.
Continued...
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