Staff Predictions: Records and Postseason

Jeff Gentil: As much as I want to go better, I'm still unsure of where the consistent scorers are going to come from. The good news is there are capable guys on this roster. In fact, I think this will be an incredibly fun team to watch because if nothing else they can score better than last year's team. Whether they will or not is up in the air. For right now I've got them going 22-9 in the regular season including 11-7 in conference. Again, I'd like to think they can do better than both of these records, I'm just not sure right now. I think some of the new places they have to go this year will trip them up. Nothing is going to be scarier than anything they've seen in the Big East, but I'm guessing the new opponents will be laying in wait for the Bearcats to come to town.

As for postseason I think they'll sneak in like they did last year but won't make it past the first weekend. However, I'd like to say that if Shaq Thomas and Jermaine Lawrence turn out to be the players we think they're going to be this year they can make a sweet 16 run and surprise some people with their athleticism. Fingers crossed!!

Matt Opper: A quick totting up of the schedule put the Bearcats at what I think might be a wildly optimistic 24-7 (13-5). 13-5 will probably put the Bearcats in the top 4 of the American, which will be close to good enough for an NCAA birth. It is probably asking a bit much of this team to expect more than another first weekend knockout.

Justin Post: My favorite part of the preseason is here. Time to man up and put your name on it

we'll look back at these predictions once the season's over and bask at my lack of intelligence.

Regular season W/L: 21-10

Yeah, so that was the Bearcats' regular season record from last year, I know. The conference schedule this year'll be a little easier, but it's obviously not a cakewalk. I think the lack of experience at the point this year will be problematic. I'll probably eat these words after it's all said and done, but I'd take an injured Cashmere Wright over what we currently have.

AAC Tournament: Semifinals

The Bearcats will come in as the 5 seed and be one of the last four teams standing in Memphis for the conference tournament. Luckily, their NCAA tourney bid will already be locked up with yet another weak bubble.

NCAA Tournament: Round of 32

I think they'll come in as a 6 seed yet again due to the inexperience of the backcourt. If things click better than I predict, they could surprise this year. Sean Kilpatrick will simply will them to victory in the first round game (I refuse to call the play-in games "Round 1"), but this valiant effort in the round of 32 won't be enough as the Bearcats can't get past the 3 seed. Irrational fans throughout the city take to message boards and Twitter to call for Mick's head after another second round exit.

Matt DuMont: I'm going to take a 25-9 season for the Bearcats. 23-8 in the regular season and then 2 wins in the AAC tournament before being knocked out. I have losses to: New Mexico, Pittsburgh, Houston, Louisville, UConn (twice), SMU and Memphis. That would make my prediction 12-6 in conference. Almost impossible for me to give you who they'll beat in the AAC tournament because we have no idea of seeds.

The same goes for the NCAA tournament but I think this team could make a sweet 16 run again. (Hopefully even farther than that). Either way I'm looking forward to the start of the season tonight. Go Bearcats!