Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats’ keys to a victory over Georgia State

Mick Cronin may have his best Cincinnati basketball squad yet. The Bearcats’ journey toward a championship begins on Friday when they face Georgia State.

The Bearcats have been a solid program for many years, but this year’s team has a chance to become the greatest in school history. Yes, these Bearcats are absolutely good enough to win the National Championship. However, we all know that no wins are guaranteed during this glorious tournament. So let’s focus on Cincinnati’s keys to defeating Georgia State in its opener.

Own the boards

Cincinnati is an elite rebounding team and boasts the 11th-best rebounding margin in the country (+7.4 rpg). The Bearcats are especially prolific on the offensive glass as they grab over 13 offensive rebounds per game. This is crucial as the Bearcats can extend possessions even if they struggle to make shots. Senior forwards Gary Clark and Kyle Washington will be a handful for Georgia State as this duo combines for nearly five offensive rebounds per contest.

Additionally, Georgia State probably won’t have many second chances on offense. Cincinnati does an excellent job boxing out and securing the boards. The Bearcats also lock down opponents defensively as they hold opponents to 37% shooting, which ranks second-best in the country.

It’s difficult to make shots against the Bearcats and they don’t allow you to rebound your misses. Basically, it will be a long afternoon for Georgia State unless they can find some easy transition scoring opportunities. Having said that, now seems like a good time to address my second key for the Bearcats.