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Cincinnati Bearcats Link Jump Off | February 22nd

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Basketball News

How badly does Cronin want to beat Pitino? | UC Athletics Blog

"You can tell by looking at me that I’ve been locked in my house watching film," Cronin said. "You can tell by my facial hair that I’ve been locked in my house. I’ve closed the blinds. I know they’re coming for us."

ESPN’s Lunardi still has UC as No. 12 seed | UC Athletics Blog

UC’s two victories last week at home over Providence and Seton Hall did not change the Bearcats’ standing as a No. 12 seed in Joe Lunardi’s projected NCAA Tournament bracket that was posted this morning.

UC President Williams Declares the Show Must Go On

That should by no means warrant officials from both schools to cancel the Shootout. There are measures that can be taken such as better crowd control, having stricter penalties for students barking obscenities and throwing objects onto the court, and ensuring that experienced refs are officiating the game. Axing one of the best games in sports is the easy way out and President Williams, as well as Xavier AD Mike Bobinski, recognize this. Obviously I’m glad to hear the Crosstown Shootout will continue. It’s the game that Bearcat and Musketeer fans circle on the schedule each year and on a national scale puts the city of Cincinnati in the spotlight for a few hours. No matter what side you root for, most people can agree that it would be a tragedy if these teams were dropped from their opponent’s schedule.

"The Inseparables" Look To Lead Bearcats Back To Tourney - Cincinnati Bearcats

"Rebuilding the program was the main thing for me," Gates told me. "When Coach Cronin was recruiting me, that's all that we talked about. I told him that I was willing to come in and do whatever I needed to do to help, whether it was hosting recruits when they came here, or playing my game. That's been really big for me - especially being from here - helping to get the program in my home city back on track."

The Art Long Challenge | Bearcats Blog
make it happen

Whit Babcock is up to His Old Tricks: UC’s Fan Guide for the Blackout | Bearcats Nation

Basketball Recruiting

Obekpa, Balamou Visit Big East Schools | ZagsBlog.com

"On Saturday we took a drive up to UConn to watch them play vs Marquette at the XL Center in Hartford," Jaklitsch said. "After the game we drove over to campus to take a tour and look at their facilities with Coach Kevin Ollie and Glen Miller. We had been trying to get up there for quite some time but were not able to find dates that worked out. UConn is building a top notch, state-of-the-art practice facility which will house their men’s and women’s basketball teams.

UC is going to have a real fight on their hands to land the Nigerian big man

Football

Big East position rankings: DL - Big East Blog - ESPN

1. Cincinnati. Not only were the Bearcats the most improved group this season, they were the best up front -- No. 2 in the Big East in rush defense; No. 2 in the nation in sacks; No. 1 in the nation tackles for loss. Tackle Derek Wolfe won Co-Big East Defensive Player of the year. Twice, opponents were held to negative yards rushing. Yes, there was one bad game late in the season against Rutgers. But otherwise, this unit was aggressive and tenacious and the best of the bunch. Preseason rank: 7 (Yikes!)

Derek Wolfe, John Hughes and Co. proved a lot of people wrong this season

Big East mailblog - Big East Blog - ESPN

Cincinnati has won three of the past four Big East titles, but has never been picked to win the league. That shows a disconnect between perception and reality.

(Nods head)

2012 NFL Combine: Defensive Preview | NEPatriotsDraft.com - 2012 NFL Draft

Some slightly lesser known guys that should impress are Malik Jackson, Jaye Howard and Derek Wolfe. All three of those players could fit the Patriots system pretty well, and could have a strong week showing off some nice athleticism and technique.

I think that the Derek Wolfe's best fit is as a 3-4 DE in the NFL. The Patriots would probably be one of the best fits for him because of the hybrid nature of their defense.

National Stuff

One last thing about the RPI - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

This is what the NCAA says about the RPI, too: That it is not an end-all metric, but merely an "organizing tool." This is the crux of the pro-RPI argument. And it badly misses the point. Critics of the RPI are not -- or at least should not -- be disillusioned about what the RPI does, or what it is supposed to do. We know the RPI is a tool for organization. The point is: We think it's a bad tool for organization. And overused to boot.

I hate when people overuse bad stats. This might mean that I occasionally hate bad stats. Not quite sure on that.

Read This

Ron Paul’s Libertarian Roots : The New Yorker
This a fascinating read about one of the real characters in American Politics