Cincinnati Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Bearcats

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: A detailed view of the AAC Championship banner displayed on the backboard after du the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship between Cincinnati Bearcats and the Houston Cougarsa at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 11: The Cincinnati Bearcats celebrate their championship over Houston Cougars at the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Expectations for 2018-19

Cincinnati will take a step back for sure – but so will the rest of the AAC. Wichita State loses their six of the team’s top seven players from a year ago and Houston won’t have their 20 ppg scorer this season in Rob Gray. UCF brings back a couple of injured stars but the team struggles to reach 60 points in a game. Memphis appears to be the most talented team on paper but it’s unknown how first-year head coach Penny Hardaway will perform.

So the bar is low to be near the top of the AAC, which is both good and bad. That does make it easier for the Bearcats to contend but the total number of bids to the NCAA Tournament will be lower as well. There’s a small chance that the conference could be in a one-bid scenario.

That makes what Cincinnati does in the non-conference all the more important. Cumberland will have to play at an All-AAC level early on to give the team a chance to get the tier-1 and tier-2 wins, while the senior point guard duo will have to step up their production as more responsibilities come their way.

While much of the focus will be on the missing offensive production, the main issue is going to be what was lost on the defensive end. Both Clark and Evans were considered the best individual defenders, so replacing what they did will be a group effort. If the Bearcats can come close to doing that, they’ll be in good shape.

Next. Preseason AAC Rankings for 2018-19. dark

Will Cincinnati reach 30 wins this season? No. But the Bearcats will still be contending for the AAC title and fight for the NCAA Tournament. The defense will once again be strong, it’s just the offense that needs some refining. If Fredricks is an instant-impact player, then Cincinnati should have enough scoring to sneak in the Big Dance. Regardless, the Bearcats will remain a tough out for any opponent.

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