Taking Stock Of Cincinnati’s 2013-14 Non-Conference Basketball Opponents Thus Far

(Courtesy ESPN)

The offseason is typically a slow period for Cincinnati Bearcats news. Most of it typically revolves around football recruiting as UC schedules most of its campus during the Summer. Otherwise, though, it’s usually pretty dead around these parts.

But one area that has been quite active in the last few months has been the Bearcats basketball scheduling. In the Big East, this was never much to announce on this front as Cincinnati had always loaded up on relative no-names to fill out their non-conference schedule. The reason for this is three-fold. Firstly, since the Big East slate was loaded with NCAA Tournament caliber programs, it was a smart move to try to load up on wins against weaker teams because those would be exponentially harder to come by once conference play began. Secondly, UC simply doesn’t have the cash to schedule one-and-dones with middle- and upper-RPI basketball teams. Thirdly, Cincinnati was buried in a conference with much more nationally recognized teams like Syracuse and UConn. Thus they were rarely picked for major early season tournaments, only once participating in them during the Mick Cronin era.

While point #2 still holds now, points #1 and #3 will change with Cincinnati’s move to the AAC and it’s already shown in this upcoming season’s non-conference schedule. Here’s the list of opponents on the Bearcats’ slate thus far:

• @ New Mexico: December 7th (Tentative), The Pit
• North Carolina State: November 8th – 22nd, Fifth Third Arena – Global Sports Shootout
• Nebraska: Fifth Third Arena
• Pittsburgh: December 17th – 7:00 PM EST, Madison Square Gardens – Jimmy V Classic
• vs. Xavier: December 14th, US Bank Arena – Crosstown Shootout
• Campbell: November 8th – 22nd, Fifth Third Arena – Global Sports Shootout
• North Carolina Central: November 8th – 22nd, Fifth Third Arena – Global Sports Shootout
• Appalachian State: November 8th – 22nd, Fifth Third Arena – Global Sports Shootout

I wrote a few weeks ago that the AAC will be far more balanced than the Big East, with teams like Louisville (before they leave for the ACC), Memphis, UConn, and Temple likely joining Cincinnati around the top. Then there will be a few teams in the middle and some at the bottom. Regardless of who those teams are, there will be an even (or evener compared to the Big East) distribution of conference elites, solid programs in the middle, and bottomfeeders. Therefore, since the Bearcats’ conference schedule is comparatively easier than when they were in the Big East, Cincinnati had to beef up the non-conference schedule.

Thus you see above one of UC’s strongest non-conference schedule in years, at least right now on paper. New Mexico is the second half of the home-and-home the Bearcats inked last Summer and of course Xavier (/fist shake) is there. However, NC State, Nebraska, and Pittsburgh were all additions made to the schedule in 2013 after UC’s move to the AAC was made official. And you can thank that move for UC’s ability to be selected to play in the Jimmy V Classic in New York City against the Pitt Panthers. If the Bearcats were still in the Big East, that spot would have likely gone to defending national champion Louisville, Syracuse, Georgetown, or UConn.

To me the most intriguing games are New Mexico, Xavier, Pittsburgh, and NC State. From a fan’s perspective, they have to like seeing NC State and Xavier at home. Yes, the Crosstown Shootout is technically a neutral game in downtown Cincinnati but UC fans fill up US Banks Arena like they own the place. And from a RPI/SOS perspective, these opponents should boost UC’s March Madness resume. Each of these teams are very likely bound for the NCAA Tournament or at least a postseason birth.

One final note and I mentioned this when the game was announced but Nebraska being added to the schedule this season might impact another opponent Cincinnati was originally slated to face. I’m speaking about San Diego State. The marquee Mountain West basketball program had verbally agreed to visit Clifton this season. But out of fear of a stacked schedule, reached out to UC to postpone the game, who agreed so long as they could replace them with another quality home opponent. If Whit Babcock’s definition of “quality” is a bottomfeeder Big Ten basketball program, then San Diego State may have gotten its wish. It probably won’t be announced by the school itself but we’ll just have to keep an eye on this with the Bearcats’ full 2013-14 schedule is released over the next couple of months.