Big East Basketball: Beware the Cincinnati Bearcats

Mick Cronin's young, inexperienced Cincinnati Bearcats just completed a brutal nonconference schedule with a six-point win over instate rival Miami.  

The hard-fought victory saved Cincinnati from a winless December, snapping a five-game losing streak.

As Mick prepares to face off against his former boss Rick Pitino on New Year's Day at Freedom Hall, the Bearcats know every game will be a battle in the Big East conference. 

However, I'm not sure the rest of the Big East contenders know what kind of battle they’ll face when the Bearcats appear on their schedules. 

Why should anybody in the Big East be concerned with a 5-7 rebuilding Cincinnati squad?

The answer is that Mick Cronin has his kids hungry—starving even—for victories. 

Half of the team is made up of seniors who want to leave their mark—including scrappy, fearless point guard Jamual Warren. 

The other half consists of eager freshmen famished for playing time.  Each Bearcat is willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes in order to get on that basketball court. 

After Cincinnati's fifth loss in a row last Sunday in Raleigh against a taller, more experienced NC State club, it was evident that the Bearcats were improving.  Down by 12 early, Mick's boys scrapped and clawed until it was a one-possession game with three minutes to play. 

It was the third straight game against top competition (@ Xavier, vs. Memphis) in which UC found itself in the game down the stretch.

After the loss, Cronin said his team needed some sort of reward for their efforts.  He didn't want his young kids to lose to the faith.

The Cats got that reward in a tough, grind-it-out win against the pesky, patient Redhawks by holding Miami's leading scorer Michael Bramos to only two points. 

Now that the nonconference gauntlet is complete, Mick's troops know what level of effort they’ll need to compete, and now, win, against good teams. 

While the Bearcats are at least a year away from being a serious Big East threat, I guarantee you that nobody will enjoy playing against them.  Mick has his crew pressin', trappin', hustlin', and battlin' on every possession. 

And no matter how many points Cincy trails by, these guys just will not give up. 

Don't expect the Bearcats to be in the race for a Big East championship this season, but don't be surprised if you see a score flash across ESPN's Bottom Line that has Cincinnati topping one of the conference favorites.