Cincinnati Bearcats
American (28-6, 14-4)
Along with Houston, Cincinnati was clearly the class of the American Athletic Conference in the 2018-2019 campaign. The Bearcats play tough defense, block plenty of shots, are very strong on the glass and take care of the basketball. That is a recipe for success in the NCAA Tournament.
Big Wins: 11/24 vs Mississippi (71-57), 1/27 at Temple (72-68), 2/21 UCF (60-55)
Bad Losses: 11/7 Ohio State (56-64), 1/5 at East Carolina (71-73), 3/7 at UCF (55-58)
Coach: Mike Cronin
Why They Can Surprise:
Jarron Cumberland is the star of the team, averaging 18.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He will take all of the big shots and get all of the headlines, but the rest of the team deserves plenty of credit too. Tre Scott and Nysier Brooks have developed into a very good frontcourt duo who can do some scoring and lead the effort on the glass. Keith Williams is a big guard who is second on the team with 10.0 points per game and provides a very strong defensive presence. Justin Jenifer and Cane Broome, along with Cumberland, can handle the ball and that is a huge reason why Cincinnati is among the best teams in the nation in turnovers per game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
As long as Coach Mick Cronin’s team plays solid defense and takes care of the basketball, they will have an opportunity to beat just about anybody. But this group does run into problems in the three-point game. Cumberland and Jenifer are good shooters, but this is not a team that can spread out the floor and knock down long balls all day. They do not want to. But an opposing squad that can stop Cincinnati from attacking the basket could shut them down relatively easily. On the other side of the floor, the Bearcats’ strong defense disappears. The opposition often shoots better from long range than they do inside the arc and a hot shooting squad could send the Bearcats home earlier than expected.
Probable Starters:
Jarron Cumberland, Junior, Guard, 18.8 ppg, 3.6 apg, 4.6 rpg
Justin Jenifer, Senior, Guard, 8.2 ppg, 2.9 apg
Keith Williams, Sophomore, Guard, 10.0 ppg, 1.1 apg
Tre Scott, Sophomore, Forward, 9.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg
Nysier Brooks, Junior, Center, 8.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg
Key Role Players:
Cane Broome, Senior, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 2.2 apg
Trevor Moore, Sophomore, Guard, 2.3 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.6 (206th in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 62.0 (11, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.1 (252, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.7 (33, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.6 (287, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.5 (169, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.2 (161, 4)
Rebound Margin: 5.0 (35, 3)
Assists Per Game: 13.6 (159, 8)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.7 (21, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2018 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Georgia State |
| 2018 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Nevada |
| 2017 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Kansas State |
| 2017 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to UCLA |
| 2016 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Saint Joseph's |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Purdue |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Kentucky |
| 2014 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Harvard |
| 2013 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Creighton |
| 2012 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Texas |
| 2012 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Florida State |
| 2012 | NCAA | Regional semifinal loss to Ohio State |
| 2011 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Missouri |
| 2011 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Connecticut |
| 2010 | NIT | First Round win over Weber State |
| 2010 | NIT | Second Round loss to Dayton |
| 2008 | CBI | First Round loss to Bradley |
| 2006 | NIT | First Round win over Charlotte |
| 2006 | NIT | Second Round win over Minnesota |
| 2006 | NIT | Quarterfinal loss to South Carolina |
| 2005 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Iowa |
| 2005 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Kentucky |
*all team stats through 3/10
