Cincinnati vs. UConn: Game preview, TV schedule, prediction
Uconn basketball has had a miserable season to date. Can a win over Cincinnati help save coach Kevin Ollie’s job or will they drop another one?
TV schedule: Saturday, February 3, 12:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2
Arena: Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut
Things have just gone as bad as it can go for UConn this season. They have lost four of the last five games and haven’t eclipsed 67 points in any of the past seven contests. Their most recent shortcoming came at Central Florida, bringing the team to a .500 total record.
Terry Larrier had 16 points to lead the Huskies while Jalen Adams, the team’s leading scoring on the season, struggled with nine points on 3-for-9 shooting to go with five turnovers. It’s been a rough time for the program both on and off the court, with Kevin Ollie having to deal with a NCAA investigation into potential recruiting violations. For a coach already on the hot seat, it could be a nail in the coffin.
With the NCAA tournament already out of reach, getting a marque win out of the remaining games should be the goal for the team (barring an improbable AAC postseason run). One of the big games left comes at home versus No. 8 Cincinnati, whose riding a 13 game winning streak heading into this game.
That streak almost came to an end on Wednesday, though, as the team was facing an early double-digit deficit to Houston in the first half before blitzing past them in the second half. The four key players for the Bearcats once again stepped up, with Kyle Washington leading the way with 19 points. Gary Clark had an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double, while guards Jacob Evans and Jarron Cumberland combined for 33 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists between them.
Next: Why Cincinnati is a Final Four threat
With Wichita State losing games in the past couple of weeks, Cincinnati is now the clear team to beat in the American Athletic Conference and looks to continue the team’s winning ways. With so much going on for Uconn right now, combined with the fact that they’re clearly the inferior team, I see little chance of them pulling off the upset.
Prediction: Cincinnati 70 – UConn 56