UC has a critical game tonight against the Central Florida Knights. No, not in the sense that the opponent is good or this would have some impact on the national perception of the Bearcats’ basketball program. UCF has won just 5 games in the AAC and are well out of the conference title race. They could be Chicago State for all I care.
No, this game tonight is important because of the fact that Cincinnati simply can’t shart all over itself like they did against East Carolina and Tulane. It’s a must win at its simplest. UCF, Kentucky, it wouldn’t matter. The Bearcats simply need to not lose to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
In that same vein, every game the rest of the way has become a must win. With losses to ECU and Tulane tarnishing their resume, Cincinnati really can’t afford any gaffs in their final four games. Tulsa might be forgivable. The same could probably be said of Memphis. But UCF tonight and their return trip to Tulane on Saturday? Not a chance.
So how do you think the Bearcats will finish the regular season? Will they sweep their way to 22-9 record with 13 in the AAC? Or will they screw the pooch and finish with a disappointing 18-13 record? Or will they finish somewhere in the middle? Let us know what you think in the poll at the bottom of this post.
As a follow up to your choice, how do you think that final record will affect UC’s NCAA Tournament hopes, their performance in the AAC Tournament not withstanding? Drop us a message in the comments section below.