[Rosiak's Blog] Game 15: Cincinnati

[ToddRosiakSays]

Game 15: Cincinnati


Jan. 3, 2009  




This isn't the same Cincinnati Bearcats team that MU beat down there last season, 75-60.

While they return their leading scorer, junior guard Deonta Vaughn (15.2 ppg, 33 three-pointers this season), the Bearcats have added a good deal of bulk on the interior to finally lend some balance to their attack.

Leading the way is freshman forward Yancy Gates, a 6-foot-8, 255-pound manchild and native Cincinnatian who is averaging 10.4 ppg on 55.6% shooting to go along with a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game.

Joining him on the interior is Mike Williams, a 6-7, 240-pound senior forward who's chipping in with 8.1 points and 5.8 rebounds after sitting out the last two seasons due to transfer rules and injury. He began his career at Texas.

Together, they're helping Cincinnati (10-3, 0-0 Big East) out-rebound foes by nearly 13 boards per game.

Last year, MU out-rebounded the Bearcats, 39-35, and did some damage on the inside in picking up their first road victory of the season. With Gates and Williams now in the mix, things don't figure to be quite as easy this time around.

It had been hoped that Vaughn could slide over and play almost exclusively shooting guard this year, but a pre-season knee injury suffered by freshman point guard Cashmere Wright ended those plans.

Vaughn remains a player capable of doing much more than scoring, and is also leading the team in assists at 4.6 per game and steals at 1.3 per game, while also pulling down 3.8 rebounds.

Eight players play at least 15.8 minutes per game for coach Mick Cronin, now in his third season at Cincinnati. The Bearcats last played on Dec. 29 and lost at Memphis, 60-45.

They do have three solid victories in their pocket, however: at UNLV and against UAB and Mississippi State. Their other losses were to Florida State and Xavier.

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