Down, But Not Out

Say anything you want about the Cincinnati Bearcats teams over the last ten years or so. They're sloppy. They're lazy. There've been some thugs. But you can't say that they're not fighters. Granted, there have been some second halfs and closing minutes that I would like to have wiped from my memory, and that's one of the reasons the 'Cats haven't gone dancing since 2005. But overall, these have been teams that fight just like a Bearcat should.

This year is no different.

Even after starting 17-0, no one believed Cincinnati was anything. A rough 3-5 patch followed, and everyone jumped off the bandwagon. Here we go again, the Kenyon Martin curse, the season is over.

But these are fighters, remember?

The Bearcats have bounced back by playing four straight good games, and most importantly, winning three of them. Add it all up, and Cincinnati is 21-6 overall (8-6 in the Big East, tied for eighth in the standings) and their overall mark is as good or better than five teams ahead of the 'Cats in the conference.

The season isn't over yet, and they undoubtedly need a couple more wins to possibly punch a ticket to the big dance. Cincinnati will get several opportunities to prove itself in the closing four games of the season. Next up for the Bearcats is a huge road test versus ninth-ranked Georgetown, then a home game against #12 Connecticut. Following that is an away game against a beatable, but respectable Marquette team, and the Bearcats close out the regular season on March 5 against Georgetown once again.

The absolute least it will take to make the tournament is beating Marquette and Georgetown in the closing two games of the season. But it will most likely take wins in the final three contests.

Here's the encouraging part though: If Cincinnati finds a way to win all four games, they're practically a lock for the tournament. And with just two weeks left in the season, if that's not another small step in the right direction for a program that has been in total disarray, I don't know what is. At the very least, it will make each game worth watching.