The Ultimate Fan Guide: 2014-15 Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball

“It was a great crowd for them. Certainly, the best home-court advantage we’ve seen this year.”

– Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino

It’s basketball time in Clifton.

On Monday November 3rd, the defending AAC Champion Bearcats will embark on yet another season, aiming for their 5th straight NCAA tournament. There’s plenty to be excited about this season. The departure of Sean Kilpatrick, Justin Jackson, and Titus Rubles brings a new crop of young players to Cincinnati. This team is young and unproven, but extremely talented. You won’t want to miss this.

There’s a lot going on, so I’ve compiled the ultimate fan guide. If you plan on making the pilgrimage to The Shoe this year, you need to read this. We can update this as the season moves along if any crucial information needs to be added.

REQUIRED BOOKMARKING

THE TEAM

If you’re excited to see Sean Kilpatrick and Yancy Gates play in Clifton this year, you’re out of date. Sorry. This year’s team doesn’t have the name recognition yet, but that will come. In fact, the lack of recognizable names is part of what makes this team awesome. Check out the official roster page here.

Ge’Lawn Guyn, Senior, guard: He’s from Lexington, he plays defense like a mad man, and he’s the remainder of 2012’s Sweet 16 team.
Jermaine Sanders, Senior, guard: Another Sweet 16 teamer. He never quite found his niche in Clifton, but early reviews indicate that may change this year. He’s got the prettiest shot in the country.
Shaq Thomas, Redshirt Junior, forward: Best known for his midrange jumper and outrageous hops, Shaq is probably going to be one of the bigger factors in the offense this year. Show up early to the game, and you can probably see him casually throw down a 360 dunk in warmups.
Octavius Ellis, Junior, forward: You may remember Octavius from a couple years ago. He left UC for a year, did some time at a junior college, and earned his way back to Clifton. At 6’10”, he’s a big dude.
Coreontae DeBerry, Junior, center: Another junior college transfer. At 275 pounds, he’s bigger than Yancy Gates. Enough said.
Farad Cobb, Junior, guard: The final junior college transfer is Cobb. He shot a blistering 46.3% from deep last year. He’ll be the sharpshooter.
Kevin Johnson, Sophomore, guard: The local kid out of Cincinnati Country Day is gonna be another sharpshooter. He had a couple flashes of greatness in limited opportunities last year. He kicked things off this year by dropping 17 points and shooting 5-of-6 from deep in the Bahamas.
Zack Tobler, Sophomore, forward: The White Guy, and the fan favorite. The best thing about Tobler is that if you see him in the game, you know the Bearcats are rolling.
Troy Caupain, Sophomore, guard: Got some good experience last season, and showed lots of promise in running the offense. Look for him to continue to grow this year.
Deshaun Morman, Redshirt Freshman, guard: Redshirted last year after an injury early in the season. He recently made waves by adding 20 pounds and 6.5 inches to his vertical. This kid can jump 45″. That’s video game stuff.
Jamaree Strickland, Redshirt Freshman, center: When you’re 6’10” and 265lbs, you’re going to be a force in Mick Cronin’s defensive system.
Quadri Moore, Freshman, forward: Averaged 16.3 points and 6.9 rebounds as a senior in high school. A big man with some offensive skill is welcome in Clifton any time.
Gary Clark, Freshman, forward: The wonder kid himself. This is probably the freshman that will draw the most attention for the Bearcats this year. He tallied a handful of triple doubles as a senior in high school, and even recorded a quadruple double. 22 pts, 21 reb, 15 blk, & 10 ast.

THE BIG GAMES

November 14th, 8 p.m., vs Saint Francis (PA) [ESPN3] – It’s the regular season opener. It’s on a Friday night at 8pm. Need I say more?
December 13th, 9 p.m., at Nebraska [Big Ten Network] – The Huskers turned heads last year by shaking up the Big Ten and making the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats bested Nebraska at home, and this year they’ll be out for revenge in Lincoln. Nebraska is a good team, and this will be the Cats’ first test in hostile road environment.
December 17th, 9 p.m., vs San Diego State [ESPN2] – The Aztecs peeled off 31 wins and made a Sweet 16 appearance last season. This is the Bearcats first blockbuster in Clifton.
December 20th, 12 p.m., vs VCU [ESPNU] – Just three days after their tangle with Aztecs, the Bearcats meet the Rams, who are coming off a 26 win season and a tourney appearance.
January 3rd, TBA, vs SMU [ESPN2] – The first conference matchup is Southern Methodist. The Mustangs brought a halt to the Bearcats’ 15-game win streak in February, so the Cats will be looking to defend their home court against the team projected to finish second in the AAC.
January 10th, 11 a.m., at UConn [ESPN2] – The Bearcats hit the road to face the defending national champion Huskies. You may remember that UConn edged past the Bearcats in a heart-stopper the last time the two teams faced, in the AAC Tournament.
January 29th, 8 p.m., vs UConn [ESPN2] – The Huskies make the return trip to Clifton, where they were defeated last season.
February 18th, 7 p.m., vs Xavier [ESPN/ESPN2] – The Crosstown Shootout returns to campus, and the Bearcats are looking to avenge last season’s loss at US Bank Arena. The crowd at Fifth Third Arena will be deafening. You can’t miss this one.
March 8th, 12 p.m., vs Memphis [CBS] – For the second straight year, the Bearcats will square off against the Tigers on Senior Day. Can they win again? Clifton will bid farewell to the seniors in front of the country on CBS.

COLOR GAMES

These are a proud tradition at UC. If you don’t participate, you’re going to look stupid. You don’t want to be the guy wearing a black Bearcat jersey amongst a sea of fans who remembered to grab their red hoodie for the Ring of Red game. Seriously, it’s more fun when you join in.

#StripeTheStands: January 17th vs Temple (Even sections wear red! Odd sections wear black!)
White Out: January 29th vs UConn
Black Out: February 18th vs Xavier
Ring of Red: March 8th vs Memphis
All other home games: Wear black.

TICKETS

Season tickets start at $99. You are absolutely crazy if you pass this up. The athletic department has done a lot to make the game day experience a memorable one for Bearcats fans. This is huge.
Mini-plans start at $99, and are a good way to single out which games you want to attend.
Single game tickets start at $10.
Student tickets are free, and available in blocks. The November block of tickets was released on October 27th. The December block of tickets is released on November 25th. The January block of tickets is released on December 27th. The February block of tickets (minus Xavier) is released on January 30th. Also note that student tickets are general admission. If you want good seats, just show up early. The doors open 90 minutes prior to tipoff.

STUDENT LOYALTY PROGRAM

Student tickets to the Crosstown Shootout against Xavier are released separately from the rest of the season. Because of the high demand, tickets are awarded based on the Student Loyalty Program. Students can earn a point for each home game they attend. Simply put, the more games you attend, the better shot you have at getting a ticket. There are 16 home games (including exhibitions) prior to the Shootout. If you attend at least 14 of these games, you get first dibs on tickets. If you attend at least 8 of these games, you get next dibs. After that, tickets are available to the entire student body. Obviously there are only a certain number of student tickets available, so if you don’t attend at least 14 games, you really hurt your shot at getting a ticket.

Thursday, February 12th: Tickets for those with 14+ points.
Friday, February 13th: Tickets for those with 8+ points.
Monday, February 16th: Tickets for all students.

Bonus: If you are in the top 50 students for loyalty points, you get 2 student bus trip tickets to New Orleans for the February 28th game against Tulane. To reward your support, the university pays for your transportation, lodging, and game ticket. Seriously, you can go to New Orleans to watch the Bearcats and enjoy the city. Seriously. I’m serious. This is serious.