COACH: Mick Cronin, five years at Cincinnati, first year in NCAA tournament.
HOW THEY GOT IN: At-large bid.
GO-TO GUYS: Cronin was touting Rashad Bishop for the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award. He didn't win it, but Bishop still rates as one of the better lockdown defenders in the country. He'll be counted on to check the top scoring threat of any opponent and his on-ball defense sets the tone for the Bearcats' aggressive play. On offense, Yancy Gates emerged from a midseason trip to Cronin's doghouse to finish the season as the team's leading scorer at 11.8 points per game, with Dion Dixon also in double figures. All-freshman selection Sean Kilpatrick is the best 3-point shooter on the squad, and when both he and Dixon get hot the offense becomes downright potent.
X FACTOR: Gates spent the first part of February pouting over a perceived lack of minutes, and he was benched for a Feb. 5 loss to Pittsburgh and saw his playing time severely reduced over the next two games. He broke out again with 21 points against Providence on Feb. 19, and since then has been in double figures every game, a seven-game streak entering the NCAA tournament.
STRENGTHS: The Bearcats are very good defensively and on the boards. They outrebound the opposition by nearly five per game, and topped the Big East in scoring defense. With Cincinnati's size in the paint and athleticism on the perimeter, good looks at the basket are hard to come by. Moreover, its turnover margin was also among the best in the conference, so points in transition are rarely available either. Basically, Cincinnati wins by keeping its opponents from scoring.
WEAKNESSES: There's a reason Cincinnati relies on its defense -- it's not going to win very many 89-88 games. Of all the Big East teams in the NCAA Tournament, the Bearcats score the fewest points and play a style likened more to the Big Ten. When the offense doesn't click, it really doesn't click, as the 89-51 loss to Notre Dame in the Big East tournament quarterfinals indicates. Cincy is also a terrible free throw shooting team, making just two-thirds of its attempts on the season.
