December 12, 200817 yr Are these seats up top or what? For 40 dollars they should be courtside.:confused: They are back, back row in the upper level. When tickets first went on sale, lower and upper were both 40 dollars. I figured it would be cheaper if you were sitting higher, but I'm sure the UC ticket office knows that this is a "big meal" ticket for the year. Louisville is coming to town in February, I know that won't be as big of a rivalry game, but that one should be a sell out as well. Of course Huggins is coming back to Cincinnati in February as well, but considering how AWFUL West Virginia looked against Kentucky, I'm not planning to go to that one. :lol:
December 12, 200817 yr Author Here's my breakdown of the matchups... Point Guard: Deonta Vaughn vs Dante Jackson The PG position has been an area of major concern for both programs this season, and things will be no different in this one as Vaughn and Jackson are both better suited to play off the ball. Both have had trouble protecting the ball with Vaughn committing 26 TOs in 7 games and Jackson giving it up 22 times in 8 games. Vaughn is clearly the better scorer, but his numbers have been down across the board from last season. As the only Bearcat to play in more than one Shootout his experience is key to his team, and it is expected he will come out of the slump on the big stage. Look for him to surpass Damon Flint for 5th all time on the made 3s list with at least 2 on the game. Edge: Cincinnati Shooting Guard: BJ Raymond vs Larry Davis Raymond enters the game as the Muskies leading scorer at 13.4 a game, and his shooting ability is a big concern for the Cats. He's knocking down 40% of his shots from distance (16-40), but if you can contain him outside, he becomes a lot less of a threat. Over half of his attempts are from beyond the arc, and he isn't much of a threat to slash to the rim. Davis has shown solid improvement on both ends of the floor, and can knock down shots in a variety of ways on offense. If he can make a few floaters in the lane early, he can get some room to shoot from the perimeter as the game wears on. He's giving up 3 inches to Raymond, and will have to get out on him quickly on the defensive end. Edge: Xavier Small Forward: Rashad Bishop vs CJ Anderson Anderson is the polar opposite to Raymond. He has zero perimeter game, and lives off scoring from near the rim, and at the line. He's shooting 52.6% on the season and has only attempted one shot from three point range. He also leads the team in FT attempts at 51. Bishop is the Cats best defender, and can not allow himself to get in early foul trouble trying to stop Anderson. While he isn't much of a scorer, you can count on him for a few buckets a game and he has spent some time spelling Vaughn at PG. Bishop's versatility will be key in disrupting Xavier's offense. Edge: Slight Edge Xavier Power Forward: Mike Williams vs Derrick Brown Williams is coming off a career best 17 point performance against UAB, and most of that was his ability to go to the line and convert down the stretch. His heady and aggressive style of play should be able to get the athletic but inconsistent Brown off his game. Brown is a high flier that loves to play above the rim, but he has also showed an improved perimeter game hitting 42% from distance. He will be forced to guard Williams all over the floor, and if he slacks off he'll be pulling mid range jumpers out of the net. Edge: Even Center: Yancy Gates vs Jason Love Gates has been well known in this city for two things over the years. Coasting when he doesn't feel challenged, and having monster games on big stages. After growing up in Cincinnati, it's easy to guess which side of the fence his first CrossTown Shootout will fall. Look for all out effort when he is on the floor, and the rims could be in trouble when he gets the ball in the paint. Love has become a very productive big man for the Muskies over his career. He leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 a game, and has pulled down 16 offensive boards on the season. Love puts up a modest 6 points a game, but he can be a scoring threat if UC is chasing the ball around the perimeter. Edge: Cincinnati Bench: Cincinnati Bench vs Xavier Bench Both teams rely heavily on bench play with UC playing 10 guys double digit minutes while Xavier has 8. Key reserves for UC in this game are Alvin Mitchell, who will get plenty of minutes on Raymond and Anderson, Darnell Wilks who will likely spend time using his athleticism to match Brown and Steve Toyloy providing a rest for Williams and Gates. For X they will look to freshman PG Terrell Holloway to run the show as much as his legs will allow, F Jamel McLean to hit the glass and provide a scoring punch and C Kenny Frease to bang down low. With two key performers off the bench playing in their first true college road game, it will be interesting to see how they perform. Edge: Cincinnati Prediction: Xavier 67 UC 64
December 12, 200817 yr Good write up, GT. Haven't seen much of U.C. play this year, but Williams must be playing pretty well. I know D.Brown is your favorite Muskie!
December 13, 200817 yr UC is #1 in the nation in offensive rebounds. Getting a 2nd shot for every two they take???? WOW
December 13, 200817 yr Power Forward: Mike Williams vs Derrick Brown Williams is coming off a career best 17 point performance against UAB, and most of that was his ability to go to the line and convert down the stretch. His heady and aggressive style of play should be able to get the athletic but inconsistent Brown off his game. Brown is a high flier that loves to play above the rim, but he has also showed an improved perimeter game hitting 42% from distance. He will be forced to guard Williams all over the floor, and if he slacks off he'll be pulling mid range jumpers out of the net. Edge: Even Why is Mike Williams only shooting about 6 shots per game?
December 13, 200817 yr Author Why is Mike Williams only shooting about 6 shots per game? Because he has so far spent a lot of time setting screens and working to get others involved. Let's be real. Mike is never going to put up big numbers on a stat sheet. He's a guy you want on your team for every other reason...
December 13, 200817 yr Because he has so far spent a lot of time setting screens and working to get others involved. Let's be real. Mike is never going to put up big numbers on a stat sheet. He's a guy you want on your team for every other reason... But if he can drain mid-range jumpers why not use him more?
December 13, 200817 yr Author But if he can drain mid-range jumpers why not use him more? Hasn't been needed so far with the level of competition. It's something I expect to see a lot more of going forward...
December 13, 200817 yr Author Mick will have a couple 5 stars in the house tonight in Adriean Payne and Marquis Teague... :banana:
December 13, 200817 yr I think X is just going to be to much to handle in this game. I like the way UC has been looking and I think they are on the rise but I just don't think they are ready to handle a team like X yet.
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