Cincinnati 65, Alabama State 40 – Undefeated at 1 – 0
By Chris Bains
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The Bearcats looked crisp tonight and manhandled the Alabama State Hornets. An admittedly lesser opponent, Cincinnati suffocating defense kept them out of sorts all night. Overall they had a field goal percentage and only 1 – 15 from beyond the ark. The horrible 3-pt shooting is a testament to how good the Bearcats naturally are inside the line in Mick Cronin’s defense. It also helps that Yancy Gates has 2 in and 50 lbs on the Hornet’s largest big man and Justin Jackson is unbelievable around the bucket. On offense, Cincinnati’s size dominated in the paint and complimented Sean Kilpatrick’s slashing abilities well. Alabama State players would stick close to Yancy Gates which allowed Kilpatrick to burst through the tight lanes in vintage Killa fashion. He finished the night with a 13 points and a rebound away from a double-double. Switching gears, I thought the freshman looked pretty good, especially Ge’Lawn Guyn. They’re all still very green but are coming along nicely. The veterans along with Cheikh Mbodj (out for tonight’s game) will likely garner most of the playing time this year but the freshman will their fair share of minutes this season.
Overall I’m just pumped that Bearcats basketball is back. This is going to be a fun year.