Cincinnati Cinderella

Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been a wild year so far in College Basketball. Upsets. Triumphs. Tribulations. Victory. I for one cannot wait for the Man Holiday (MARCH MADNESS) that will be coming up in a few weeks. Not to mention, the inevitable billion dollar bet that was put on the table by the 83 year old billionaire, Warren Buffett. What? You didn't hear? Well, the guy with the net worth of 60 billion (thats billion with a B) is offering ONE BILLION DOLLARS to anyone with the correct bracket for March Madness!

I'm just going to go ahead and name my Final Four. Syracuse. Duke. Michigan State. And of course I have to pick one Cinderella team....Cincinnati. I am also choosing them to win the NCAA Tournament. Before you all start stoning me, let me tell you why the Cincinnati Bearcats will surprisingly end up in the Final Four, and win the Championship.

Cincinnati has the second best record in College Basketball (21-2). Not only that, but they have dominated in the American Athletic Conference (10-0). They are averaging 70 points per game which earns them a spot in the Top 10 scoring teams in the AAC. Defense is definitely a factor for this team. Their opponents are averaging 56 points per game. That's a 14 point differential! Speaking of their opponents points per game, they are 4th in Division 1. Can you say "AMAZING?"

In January, the Bearcats have been gone 10-0. They rest upon the shoulders of the Louisville Cardinals who are in second place of the ACC Conference with a record of 19-4. They beat Louisville by score of 66-69 in their meeting on January 30th. Cardinals are now 8-2 in their conference. These two teams will meet again on the 22nd of February. Cincinnati currently ranks 7th in the AP and Coaches Poll with the Syracuse Orange at number 1 in both polls.

The team's leading scorer is Sean Kilpatrick who averages 19.4 points per game. Titus Rubles is crashing the boards and grabbing offensive and defensive rebounds. (Maybe he can teach Dwight Howard how to post.) This guy can box out, and get rebounds. On the season, he has 199 rebounds. 141 defensive rebounds, and 58 offensive rebounds. This guy is not afraid to get his hands dirty and get aggressive on both sides of the ball. Especially when it comes to defense.

Mick Cronin is doing a wonderful job with these young guys and if they keep this up...I sense utter success from here on out!

Cincinnati at Louisville Highlights