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Perhaps the most interesting thing about the way this basketball season has gone is the sudden flip of the switch from being the hunter to being the game that the hunter is seeking. For most of the Mick Cronin era the Bearcats have been pure unadulterated hunters. In the Big East no one expected much from the Bearcats, often overlooked in the pre season, often forgotten until conference play rolled around. The Bearcats took down a lot of big game.
Now, they are the big game, and you can see that this is a new thing for them. Houston clearly got up for this game, SMU clearly got up for the last one, Temple flipped the switch courtesy of Dalton Pepper. The Bearcats have to adjust to this new reality, they can't continue to be so frequently shocked by the intensity on display from their opponents. In this conference the Bearcats are the alpha dog on he block now, and they need to start playing like it.
The handy thing for the Bearcats is that their alpha dog shows up game in, game out. Sean Kilpatrick did it again today, with his most efficient game of the conference season to date. He scored 28 points on 18 shots, grabbed 4 rebounds and dished out 6 assists with a single turnover. SK brought it, he just needs more help, and by help I mean Justin Jackson not picking up tons of stupid fouls. This is a win, not a great one, and probably even a good one, but it gives the Bearcats 23 wins and inches them closer to a conference title. UCF is up next.
