With the official start of the college football season just hours away, it’s easy to forget that basketball season isn’t too far off, either. Your 2014-2015 Cincinnati Bearcats basketball squad will take the floor for the first time in just over two months, when they face off against Bellarmine on November 3rd for an exhibition game in the friendly confines of Fifth Third Arena. The non-conference slate has been known for a while, and today the good folks from the American Athletic Conference blessed us with the AAC schedule.
Last season, the Bearcats pieced together an impressive 15-3 conference record. Their only AAC losses came in the form of two stinkers on the road (@SMU, @UConn) and a heart-stopping defeat at home (Louisville). With UConn’s tournament success, many eyes will be on the AAC this season. There’s a lot of turnover on the Bearcat roster, so things could get interesting. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Matchup You Were Looking For: The Bearcats get their first chance to avenge their soul-crushing AAC Tournament defeat on January 10th when they hit the road to face the defending national champion UConn Huskies. Looks like the game will be played at 11am for some reason, which makes me a bit uneasy, seeing as how the Bearcats struggled in games with early tip-off times last season. The Huskies’ trip to Clifton will take place on January 29th. Circle that date.
- The First Must-See Home Game: Last season the Bearcats defended Fifth Third Arena to the tune of an 18-1 record. Seeing a game in The Shoe is something you absolutely have to do at least once or twice a year. Although there are certainly a couple exciting home games in the non-conference schedule, most fans tend to look for the first premiere home game against a conference opponent. This is going to come in the very first conference game on January 3rd against the Mustangs of SMU. After the pounding the scorching-hot Bearcats received in Dallas last season, it would be nice to return the favor to kick off the AAC schedule this season.
- Musketeer Sandwich: With the Crosstown Shootout moved from mid-December to mid-February, it will be interesting to see how the Bearcats’ annual grudge match feels in the midst of the final push to the NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati will face off against Xavier in Fifth Third Arena on February 18th, a battle which is sandwiched between games against Tulane (at home on Feb. 14th) and Houston (on the road on Feb. 21st). I know “trap game” gets thrown around a lot, but I’ll throw it again. The Bearcats better not overlook a weak Tulane team with the Shootout on the horizon.
- National TV: 12 conference games will be carried on one of the ESPN networks. 6 games will feature on CBS Sports Network. The regular season finale will be broadcast to the nation on CBS. Full television details of the non-conference schedule aren’t yet available, although the three games we know about will be on ESPN networks. Lots of great exposure for the Bearcats this season.
- Home and Away: Back in May, the AAC released the home and away opponents for each AAC team. One of the nice things about the smaller AAC compared to the massive Big East is the fact that the Bearcats can play nearly everyone twice. The only teams who won’t face the wrath of the Bearcats on two occasions are USF and Tulsa. UC will not be making the trip to Tampa to play the Bulls, a move which is totally fine by me (that game on the road always makes me nervous). Conversely, the Golden Hurricanes of Tulsa will have to wait to make their first trip to Clifton as members of the AAC. While Tulsa was certainly a respectable team last year, going 21-13 and making the tournament, they aren’t exactly a marquee matchup, and seeing “Tulsa” on the schedule likely won’t excite many casual Bearcat fans. I’m not too upset about losing that home game.
- Tough Stretch: It seems like every season has a string of three or four games that will test the stamina and determination of the players and staff. Last season, it was a streak of games against Louisville, UConn, and Memphis. The Bearcats went 1-2. This season’s most challenging stretch of games comes right at the beginning of 2015, with consecutive road games against UConn and Memphis, followed by (not as difficult, but potentially tough) home games against Temple and Houston.
- Senior Day: The final home game of the season is important for a few reasons. One, it’s nice to finish out the season in Clifton on a high note. Unless you’re a fan that takes the trek to a postseason tournament, this is your last chance to see these Bearcats. Let’s make it a win. Two, it’s the last home game for the seniors. It gets loud. It gets wild. And if you attended last year’s Senior Day, you know it gets emotional. It’s nice to win the finale. Three, you always want to finish the regular season on a strong note, building momentum into the conference tournament and March Madness. This year’s grand finale in Clifton will once again be against the Memphis Tigers. It’ll be on Sunday, March 8th. At noon. On CBS. Nothing like a nationally televised game against a marquee opponent to finish the season with a bang.
While there will certainly be more analysis on these games as they approach, these are the must-know pieces of information for every Bearcat hoops fan. Break out your calenders and get to circling. It’ll be an exciting season.