Cincinnati Bearcats Top Carleton University 77-63 In Exhibition Opener

This game was no thing of beauty. It was brutal and sluggish and hard to watch. That was expected in the first game of the year against a team that is disciplined and effective, in Canada at least. But the new rules made for a lurching disjointed viewing experience. Flow was merely a concept, not something that showed up at all. Still, there are things to like.

• Sean Kilpatrick seems to have benefited greatly from his World University Games experience. Looked much more assertive and commanding than he did a year ago
• Justin Jackson is noticeably bigger, still plays close to the edge
• Titus Rubles didn't shoot a single three pointer

None of this stuff really matters, its fodder for the media machine. But getting a read on this team will be impossible until the North Carolina State game is played. NC State might not be a world beater, but that game will still tell us something about this team.

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