Jan 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats guard Troy Caupain (10) and guard Kevin Johnson (25) celebrate the victory against the Connecticut Huskies at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats won 70-58. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
During this offseason, like we do every season, we counted down the top moments of Cincinnati’s football season; the best and the worst because I like to play mind games with my readers. We’re doing the same thing with UC’s basketball team.
First up are the best ones from a very impressive season that saw the Bearcats win a whopping 23 games while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UC vastly exceeded my expectations in 2014-15. I had them pegged a NCAA bubble team, struggling to make the tourney with the loss of Sean Kilpatrick and Justin Jackson in the prior offseason. There were just too many unknowns with them that I could only give them about 20 wins on the season and a flip of the coin as to if the Selection Committee’s frenetic picks would put UC in the field of 68.
Boy did they blow that out of the water.
When the dust had settle Cincinnati was comfortably a NCAA Tournament team by mid-February, playing for seeding from that point onward. It was truly a special Winter from a team that aims to build on that heading into a potentially historic season in a couple of months. Before that begins, and dear God please hurry that up, we’ll count down the best moments from UC’s 2014-15 year.