During a matchup against the school he took to the Final Four—the first since being forced out in 2005—Bob Huggins, wearing a mustard colored suit and matching shoes, witnessed a game like none he has coached.
Mick Cronin’s Bearcats, who just suffered two losses by a combined four points, came right out and punched Huggins' “not tough enough” Mountaineers in the face.
Led by the team’s only double figure scorer, sophomore guard/fullback Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati (10-11, 5-4) jumped out to a 21-7 lead and never looked back.
Two stats from Wednesday’s game in Morgantown leap out and slap you in the face. First, West Virginia (15-6, 4-4) shot 10-50 from the floor. The 20 percent field goal shooting is the worst performance in school history.
Ten field goals. For an entire game...Yikes.
The other statistic that will shock the hell out of you—especially if you’re at all familiar with Bob Huggins’ coaching style—the Bearcats snatched 21 more rebounds than the Mountaineers.
Twenty-one more. The ESPN box score gives UC a 15-rebound advantage, but no matter what, that is seriously alarming. It was alarming to Huggins especially.
“It was like men playing against boys out there,” he said.
The final result was an embarrassing 62-39 beat down for the rattled Mountaineers, suffered in their home arena.
This is the same arena in which West Virginia had won 15 straight games before a controversial one-point loss to No. 6 Georgetown over the weekend.
For Cincinnati, it was another benchmark victory in what has become an astonishingly entertaining season.
For Cronin, it was another road win against another mentor. UC upset Rick Pitino and Louisville 58-57 on New Year’s Day. (Strangely enough, those are Cronin's only two Big East road victories since taking over at Cincinnati.)
Halfway through the Big East slate, the Bearcats are tied for the second most wins in conference play. Amazing, if not stunning, for a team that finished dead last at 2-14 last season.
To add to Cronin’s impressive accomplishments—and most Big East coaches say he is the current front-runner for Big East Coach of the Year—consider this:
1) Every team in the Big East, besides St. John’s and Cincinnati, has at least three players averaging double figures. St John’s has two, and is in dead last. UC only has ONE and is a half game out of third!
2) The Bearcats have been without the services of former McDonald’s All-American forward Mike Williams, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during preseason conditioning. Cronin calls him his best player.
3) Nobody on the current roster has been in the program for more than two years.
I think it’s safe to say Cronin has this program headed in the right direction. It should be interesting down the stretch, as UC will play five of the bottom six teams in the league (four at home).
Will Cronin shock the world and lead Cincinnati to the postseason?
Stay tuned.
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5 months ago
Cronin's team got lucky and caught the 'neers on an off shooting nite. Plain and simple.
5 months ago
Spoken like a true WVU idiot.
I see your future: it includes more Cincy ownership of WVU in basketball.
Let the future beatdowns begin.
5 months ago
Could be that Cincy's just better... yep, that's it.
5 months ago
Thuggins and WVU = a perfect redneck marriage
5 months ago
Cronin's team got luck...when BHs DUI'd and they were able to hire Cronin!
Huggin's team got unluck...when Huggy Bear decided to cut and run from KState!
5 months ago
Are you talking in some redneck lingo?
Isn't about time for you to kill dinner or something?
5 months ago
Huggs will win 1 out of every 5 WVU plays us. You forget nobody knows Huggs like we do. We had nothing but Jucos once Mick left him for louisville. HUggs cant recruit the top fifty talent like Cronin. We alaready have two top fifty signed for next year. Mark my words, Huggs name will be in with all the top talent but raarely will one sign with him. You guys will be loaded with Jucos, just wait and see.
5 months ago
"Nobody on the current roster has been on the program for more than two years."
Technically incorrect. Walk-on Brandon Miller has been in the program for three years. No scholarship player has been with the program for more than two years and no player in the last night's game has been with the program for more than two years, but Brandon Miller played When Eric Hicks was a senior, last year and was in some games this year. Next year Brandon Miller will be the only senior on the team and proud to be a Bearcat.
5 months ago
OK Carl, great job. You got him.
You can go back to shutting the fuck up and shoving random household objects into your ass, you fuckin' piece of faggot cum.
5 months ago
an "off shooting night?" It must have been extremely bad if they lost by 23 points!!! That's a sore excuse
5 months ago
They shot 10-50 because every shot they took was ill-advised; there was a hand in their face and they were fading away, not high-percentage shots last i checked. Huggins is known for a suffocating trapping defense, but his offenses have always been stagnate and uncreative....case in point last night.
'Cats forever, Huggings never
Great game by Sikes by the way. He has struggled this year but played big Weds night.
5 months ago
This could actually be the spark that the bearcats needed. an actual spark that puts them on a winning STREAK. I was not fortunate to see the game but if they played as they are said to have played then it is a glimpse of how goo they can be when they are on. This gives me hope as a UC fan.
5 months ago
aaron, they missed a lot of wide open looks. don't be THAT guy.
5 months ago
Sure WVU missed some open looks, but they also had a lot of their forty misses contested. More importantly, they got almost no second looks because UC flat out OWNED them on the boards. It was not just poor shooting that doomed the Mountaineers last night. They also got out muscled, out hustled and thoroughly outplayed. Huggins nailed it when he said it was men playing against boys.
As a Bearcat fan, I will always appreciate the years Huggins gave the program. When it does not effect the Bearcats, I wish him good luck in WVU. But when WVU plays UC head to head, I hope every matchup is as painfull for Huggins as last night.
Huggins played a significant part in the tradition that is UC basketball. However, UC had a strong history before Bob and it will have a strong tradition again.
5 months ago
My comment was in response to aaron stating that every shot WVU took was "ill advised" - they missed a ton of wide open shots.
5 months ago
off shooting? 20 percent from the field isn't an off night. 35 percent is an off night. WVU got smashed on their own court because they came out asleep and never woke up.
5 months ago
I'm no expert like some of you are, but it seems to me that the defense typically gets a higher percentage of rebounds than the offense. Therefore, when WVU misses 40 shots and Cincinnati misses 25, one would reasonably expect that Cincinnati would get more rebounds. Let's see...they got 15 more...what a coincedence. WVU shot like crap, plain and simple, and, luckily, not typical. It was an anomoly, most probably a hangover from the Georgetown game. At least against Cincinnati they shot well at the foul line.
from 5 months ago
Yeah great insight dude... the point is, West Va got virtually NO second chance points.. if you miss 40 shots, you should be able to get 10-15 offensive rebounds, especially on your home floor... instead Marcus Sikes looked like Charles Barkley out there son
Nice classless redneck student section by the way... yall deserved what yall fuckin got
from 5 months ago
Andrew, you're right - you're definitely NOT an expert - on ANYTHING - except for maybe giving random senior citizens handjobs for cash. When you miss FORTY SHOTS, and MORE THAN HALF OF THEM are three pointers, it's safe to assume that your going to grab a decent amount of long rebounds because the opposition won't be in ideal rebounding position. But instead, WVU avoided second chance opportunities like you avoid poon because they're HUGE HAIRY PUSSIES, just like you and your Dad.
Go get raped by a rhino's horn.
from 5 months ago
QUOTE:
Emily Lubis states: "Nice classless redneck student section by the way... yall deserved what yall fuckin got"
Are you kidding me? A woman using the "F" word and then calling WV fans rednecks? This has to be a joke since she showed her true side to by saying y'all twice in one sentence. Emily, go get a life and quit trying to be cool and hang with the guys. Your man only lets you watch sports with him so you'll be in a good mood later when he "hits" it. Later!
5 months ago
Look, some of you are very pathetic when it comes to the bias comments towards WVU. I am a Mountaineer fan and yes we played terrible the other night and Yes, Cinci did put it on us bad. But the thing is when one team shots the best they have shot all year and another team shoots the worse they have shot, then you know who loses. The remarks about Cicni beating Huggins 4 ot of 5 games is ridiculous...don't start being like Michigan and living off of tradition and past. Remember, Cicni has not been a program since Huggins left, that aught to tell you something. I'm not talking bad about Cinci, I just don't think they even compare to WVU's program...Bias? No, just go look at the NCAA Directors Cup Standings and you will see WV at #7 above Ohio State, Cinci and you're new found love Dayton.
If you don't believe me here look for your self...you cant argue facts.
http://nacda.cstv.com/
from 5 months ago
Ryan, I'm only going to tell you this once. That Directors Cup is a joke. You're the only fucking person that even cares about it. It is in no way scientific and proves nothing. It's nothing but a list of fuckin' team rankings put into some made-up formula that means and proves nothing. Never bring that shit up again. Caring about that stupid report only demonstrates your small dickedness and your penchant for licking the taints of elderly nursing home men.
5 months ago
Biff are you serious, did I just say that, Biff?..what the fuck is that? Isn't that a dogs name? Apparently your mom was licking your dads taint when she named you...holy shit I would be embarrassed for life. What a douche bag. Oh, yeah has anyone ever told you to go fuck yourself?
I would never talk like this but your redneck ass brought it out in me...what a loser.
Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff? Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff?
Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff? Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff?
Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff? Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff?
Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff? Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff?
Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff? Later, BIFF? Later BIFF? Later, BIFF? Later, Biff?
from 5 months ago
Nice one, Ryan. Real witty. Now go back to masturbating to your fuckin' Directors' Cup standings, ya twink.
5 months ago
Wow Ryan your knowledge of college basketball is unprecedented. You can go on dictionary.com to look up the definition of that word. Why do you think that WVU had its worst shooting night? Its because if you stop WVU spark (Ruoff) from scoring, then WVU doesn't score. College basketball is a game of runs, and everytime WVU goes on a run, Ruoff has a major part of the run. So the bearcats put Warren on Ruoff, and Warren doesn't let him get started. Also a coach should be able to get his players a bunch of easy looks at the basket. Huggs did none of that the other night. And do you know why UC hasn't had a program since Huggs left? It has something to do with the fact that UC missed out on two years of recruting. That pretty significant (dictionary.com). One other thing I hope WVU has fun not being able to win in March. In fact WVU has already peaked. They peaked in the Georgetown game. Huggs pushes his players so much that they have nothing left for the postseason. So have fun being disappointed every year just like we were.
5 months ago
What is the definition of "anonymous" oh never mind I know.....weak, coward, pussy I think that pretty much sums you up.
from 5 months ago
Hey Ryan, do everyone in your life a favor and eat your own Dad's shit
At least then when you spit some of it out something with an IQ of at least 2 will come out of your constantly-filled-with-penis mouth for once in your gay man life
All that "Later Biff" shit is by far and away the most obvious evidence that you not only wack off to your grandpa shitting his pants, but also that your dick is 1/20 the size of a raisin
Fuckin bukkake champion
from 5 months ago
See Doug, it's cock suckers like you that people hate in this world. You think your shit doesn't stink and you are so much more intelligent than others.
I'm not gonna set here and tell you how big of an anal riding, finger fucked homo you are but I will tell you this, your comments towards me were fine until you had to throw my grandpa into it...I swear on the bible if I could get to you I would rip your FUCKING head off. Please contact me personally my email is tussrock11@usa.com I would love to get to know your pussy ass on a knuckle to nose level. But hey we all know your just another COMPUTER TOUGH GUY!!
Furthermore, Know I won't drop to your level and show the ignorance you did and disrespect your family you FUCKING ASSHOLE!
from 5 months ago
Ron, get a life. Don't try to act like your a computer god is the way you got my picture it is very obvious dumb ass any one can copy and paste from my other sights...by following links. Trust me I know.
from 5 months ago
RON,
Let me explain this a little more for you so you understand that I am a better investigator than you are a stalker.
1st: You went to my article that I wrote about Rich Rod Being a Traitor
2nd: At the bottom is a link to a video which I did about Rich. Which you clicked on:
3rd: This took you to you tube. From Where you went to my profile...
4th: Then you clicked on my my space page.
5th: You copied my profile picture (in bad quality I must add)
6th: Tried to act smart and scare me like you know what your doing on a network. If you want to battle we can!
Get a life loser!
5 months ago
The Cincy win over WVU will torment me for the rest of my life.
Who really cares? Neither of these teams will make the dance! I live in the nast nati and typically cheer for the bearcats. I believe this out poor of hatred from UC fans is not based on Huggins, rather the fact that we sent you to some cheap ass Alabama bowl last year.
WVU is the dominant big east football program! Keep trying UC and maybe one day OSU might let you have some of your own high school talent. But I Doubt It!
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