Cincinnati Up To 16th In Coaches Poll
By Chris Bains
Jan 18, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats guard Troy Caupain (10) passes the ball against the South Florida Bulls during the first half at USF Sun Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
My hunch was right. After jolting the team 10 spots before last week’s rankings to put UC at 23rd, the coaches have again responded kindly to Cincinnati’s performance over the past week. The Bearcats are now ranked 16th in the Coaches Poll, up 7 spots from last week, and garnering 253 votes. The AP pollster were also kind to the Bearcats, tabbing them 15th in those rankings.
As Cincinnati climbs in the polls, the upcoming matchup with Louisville becomes ever more important. UC takes on Central Florida this Thursday and Temple on Sunday. Those teams have a combined 1 AAC win on the season and the Bearcats have already beaten the Owls. On the flip side, Louisville plays 10-8 South Florida before their Thursday night matchup with UC. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Bearcats and Cardinals will be in the top-15 or top-10 come their game. It would be the first time in almost a decade that both teams were not only ranked at the same time but ranked so high.
Clearly that has the makings of the best AAC basketball game of the season. Can’t wait!