BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: West Virginia @ Cincinnati

January 20, 2007


After suffering demoralizing losses to Ohio, Memphis, Rutgers and South Florida, it looked like the Cincinnati Bearcats were going to pull off the upset at Syracuse when everyone was counting them down and out for the season. Coming all the way back from a 19-point 1st half defecit, the Bearcats had a three point lead with under 35 seconds to go, but four free throws by Eric Devendorf and a missed front end of a one and one and a miss at the buzzer left Mick Cronin and the Cincinnati Bearcats still in search of their first Big East win.

West Virginia on the other hand returned home this past week and despite a dry spell from the 3-pt range, they had built up a big enough lead against South Florida to cruise to an 11-point win. The Mountaineers snapped their two-game losing streak, but they have yet to win away from Morgantown in the conference.

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

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West Virginia is definitely in the NCAA Tournament mix and a big item missing from their resume is the appearance of quality road wins. While beating a down Cincinnati squad would still not register as a quality win on the road, it would serve as good experience for the young Mountaineers to gain some confidence away from their cozy confines of the Coliseum. When you talk about WVU, you have to talk about their 1-3-1 zone and their ability to make three-pointers. The 1-3-1 zone remains a constant, but the 3-pt shot has been on and off much of the season. In their home win over USF, they missed their last 12 shots from beyond the arc.

Cincinnati will no doubt have some issues with the 1-3-1 zone. The Bearcats are not the best ballhandling team in the conference, but they should be athletic enough to chase the WVU shooters on the perimeter. Their big man, Marcus Sikes, pulled a 'Pittsnogle' on Wednesday night, nearly leading the Bearcats to a win over Syracuse, hitting eight of 12 shots from 3-pt range to account for all 24 of his points in their 1-pt loss. They key will be how PG Jamual Warren and guard Deonta Vaughn handle the 1-3-1 zone and if they can attack the soft spots and make the right decisions. I think John Williamson is a player that can find some scoring space if the right decisions are made.

West Virginia will rely on Frank Young from the perimeter and a flawless game from Darris Nichols running the point. If Alex Ruoff can strike from the perimeter and Joe Alexander can cause problems for the smaller UC guards with his traps in the 1-3-1 zone, WVU will definitely win this game. However, the scrappy Bearcats might have a little shot in the arm with their tough loss at the Dome and will bring a big effort. Too much skill on the WVU side and that wins a close game.

NBE Blogger Prediction: West Virginia 64 Cincinnati 60