As it was on Tuesday the Bearcats were a very, very balanced offense. The Bearcats best player was Octavius Ellis who came up with a double double and generally dominated the area around the rim. The Bearcats also got a very nice contribution from Quadri Moore who flashed all the aspects of his game, getting work in the post, flashing a little off the dribble game, some deft passing and the range we were promised. He also did a pretty decent Charles Barkley impression picking up a loose ball, rumbling 80 feet down the sideline and finishing the play with a nifty left handed reverse layup. It was a deeply impressive showing from the freshman.

Those were the positives, but there were negatives as well. The slow start on both ends of the court in the first half for example. Through two games you can see the inherent potential that this team has. There is more offensive capability on this team than there has been on any team in the Mick Cronin era. But the Bearcats as a group have only flashed that capacity for brief moments. This month and these first four games are about figuring out what guys work well together and what five man groups Mick can rely on. Mick has played some very experimental groupings in the exhibition season. That will continue in a less extreme form as the games start counting.