Cincinnati basketball is less than three years removed from the ultra-intimidating, uber-athletic Bobby Huggins era. Since the current West Virginia coach’s forced resignation in 2005, the Bearcats have stepped out of the Conference USA stratosphere and into the Big East basement. The once-feared Bearcats have looked more like kittens in their first three seasons in the conference, and the Cincinnati sideline that was once stalked by the imposing Huggins is now occupied by the diminutive Mick Cronin.
But Cronin, a `97 graduate of Cincinnati in his second season as head coach of the Bearcats, appears up to the challenge of steering the program back to its old formidable self. After a rocky 5-7 non-conference start that included losses to Belmont and Bowling Green, the Bearcats have fought back to above .500 in the heart of their Big East schedule, going 8-5 and quadrupling their league wins from a year ago with five left to play. Cincinnati won on the road at Louisville and at home against Syracuse and Pittsburgh—teams that have all beaten Georgetown this season.
A big part of Cincinnati’s resurgence is sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn. Vaughn is a familiar face to the Hoyas—he knocked down seven three-pointers in two games against Georgetown last season. This year, Vaughn (17.2 ppg) is the sixth-leading scorer in the Big East and ranks third in made three-pointers. Vaughn has been getting offensive help lately from senior forward John Williamson (10.7 ppg). Williamson recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds and a season-high 25 points in a win last Wednesday against St. John’s, and has made the Big East Honor Roll each of the last two weeks.
The Bearcats have also been playing solid defense. They rank seventh in the conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to 66.4 points a game. In their recent win against St. John’s, they held the Red Storm to 43 points, and last month they kept West Virginia under 40 in a 62-39 thrashing.
What the team lacks is a dominant inside presence. Senior Adam Hrycaniuk, the 6’10” center from Poland, averages just over seven points and five rebounds a game. Hrycaniuk will have a tough time guarding Georgetown senior center Roy Hibbert (13. (practicetestgeeks.com) 3 ppg, 6.7 rpg). Hibbert scored a season-high 26 points against Cincinnati at the Verizon Center last year, sparking an offensive surge that continued for the big man into the Final Four. The Hoyas have had trouble getting the ball to Hibbert in the last few games, but they couldn’t ask for a better time or a better opponent to get back on track in the post game.
