Who needs Louisville? The Cincinnati-Nebraska rivalry continues to burn strong. UC will face the Cornhuskers in the opening round of the 2015 Barclays Center Classic.
From Friday: Cincinnati will play Nebraska and GW will play Tennessee in the 2015 Barclays Center Classic, source told @CBSSports.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 8, 2015
It was announced right around this time last year that the Bearcats were placed in this early season tournament to face Nebraska, Tennessee, and George Washington. I was overall impressed with the field. Cincinnati should be favored in Brooklyn but the three other programs are no slouches.
George Washington won 23 games last season and return two of their top three scorers this year. Nebraska was a RPI 158 team in 2014-15 playing the 56th strongest schedule in the country. As a result the Cornhuskers limped to a 13-18 finish but they should be improved next season. Then there’s Tennessee who was a powerhouse in the 2000’s thanks in large part to Bruce Pearl and are hoping for a revival under former Longhorn Rick Barnes.
Out of that group, George Washington is probably the strongest, followed by Nebraska, and then the Vols considering they’re hitting the reset button with a new coach.
So from the Bearcats’ perspective, it’s encouraging that they’re facing the Cornhuskers on day one. The Colonials would have been the more ideal early season test and if they wind up winning the Atlantic 10 far better from a NCAA Tournament resume perspective. But at the very least UC will play Nebraska, who could finish in the top half of a strong Big Ten. Plus, if Cincinnati gets past the Cornhuskers and George Washington takes care of Tennessee, the Bearcats would have the opportunity to face them as well.