Cincinnati Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Bearcats

SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 17: The Cincinnati Bearcats cheerleaders perform against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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Cincinnati basketball has been one of the most consistent programs in the country over the last few years. What does this season look like?

Rebuilding after the departure of Bob Huggins took several years, but now the Bearcats have become a constant presence in the NCAA picture under head coach Mick Cronin. Coming into this season, Cincinnati has six consecutive bids to the Big Dance and that will likely continue.

While the Bearcats have been in the “good” zone, last season appeared to be when they started to turn into an “elite” program. The team reached the coveted 30 win mark and, along with SMU, dominated the American Athletic Conference.

Throughout the season, they showed an ability to win sluggish defensive games, such as the 55-54 victory over Iowa State. Their improved offense was also on display at times, such as their 93-91 overtime win against Marshall.

Unfortunately, they landed just a No. 6 seed, which led to a game against Lonzo Ball and UCLA in the second round. While the Bearcats were better in scoring than years past, they were no match for that type of offense. They fought well, but couldn’t keep up, losing 79-67.

Coming into this season the team will be without their best player and leader Troy Caupain, who is the only player in school history to score 1,300 points and dish out 500 assists. The good news is that they’ll return about three-fourths of their production from last season, and will have an outstanding scorer eligible for this season.

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