2014 NCAA Tournament: Fantasizing Cincinnati’s Path To A National Championship

Mar 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Justin Jackson (5) gets a hug from head coach Mick Cronin as he leaves the court for the last time during the closing minutes of the 97-84 win over the Memphis Tigers at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports

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The Cincinnati Bearcats have posted an impressive 27-6 record this season along with going 15-3 in the difficult American Athletic Conference. But UC is a mere 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament facing Harvard on Thursday at 2:10 pm on TNT. It’s a bit of a disappointment after such an impressive season, especially considering Cincinnati’s sparkling resume. The Bearcats’ worst loss is arguably Xavier, who are a 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, or SMU, who are a top 30 team but narrowly missed out on being included in the field of 68. The Bearcats also have strong wins over tourney participants NC State, Louisville, Memphis (twice!), UConn, Pitt, and Nebraska. Few 4, 5, or even 3 seeds can boast a similar resume which should only motivate this team as they approach their game tomorrow.

Will it propel them enough to make a national championship run? Who knows.

The Bearcats are a long shot to win a national title this year. Heck, they might even struggle to get out of their 2nd round matchup with Harvard. Currently Cincinnati sits with 100-1 odds to bring a championship home to Clifton. But you never know! Just the right amount of luck, hot shooting, and Justin Jackson mean face could swing the next six games in UC’s favor.

So Cincy on the Prowl decided to hypothesize those matchups over the next few weeks as the Bearcats embark on their path to a National Championship, no matter how fantastical or unlikely it may be. No one’s going to rain on our parade.