American Stories – Quietly, Cincinnati Remains Among Nations Top Programs

PHILADELPHIA – Wichita State may have grabbed most of the buzz at the American Athletic Conference media day on Monday, and the talented Shockers may well be a legitimate contender for a spot in the NCAA Final Four.

But the coaches in The American feel Cincinnati are the team to beat in this fluid, ever-improving league, selecting the Bearcats to finish ahead of Wichita in the preseason poll by a vote of 116-115. Cincinnati got seven first place votes. Wichita got the other five.

The Bearcats, who are one of only eight schools to make the NCAA tournament in each of the last seven seasons, are coming off a 30-6 season. They have become a model of consistency under coach Mick Cronin and will open the season ranked 13^th in the USA Today preseason coaches’ poll.

And they will enter this season with a chip on their shoulders. The American has several teams that are good enough to play in the postseason, but they are constantly fighting an uphill battle against for seeding in the 68-team bracket.

”I see 4 or 5 teams getting into the NCAA tournament, for sure,’’ Cronin said. “I don’t know what else we can do. We were 9 in the Jerry Palm’s RPI last year and we received a sixth seed. If that’s not collusion against the league or belittling the league, I don’t know what is.

”They tell you to tell play a strong non-league schedule to get your RPI up and we did it. So, I’m worried. Wichita State is in the league now, but they didn’t get respected either when they were in the Valley. They were only a number 10 seed last year.  We were a six. It’s unbelievable.

”I think it’s perception. Look who’s on the committee. We beat Iowa State on the road, broke a 37-game winning streak, and they got a higher seed, so what are you supposed to do?”

The 46-year old Cronin, who has been head coach at Cincinnati for 11 years, has established himself as one of the best young coaches in the country. He grew up in this city and has been a fixture, continuing a legacy at his alma mater that includes 31 NCAA appearances and back to back national championships in 1961 and 1962.

Cincinnati, which defeated Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout last season and finished second in The American behind champion SMU, has enough talent to kick a hole in the glass ceiling and advance to a second weekend for the first time since 2012 when they lost Ohio State in the Sweet 16.

The Bearcats have their top three scorers—6-8 senior forward Gary Clark (10.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg), 6-9 senior forward Kyle Washington (12.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and 6-6 junior wing Jacob Evans III (13.5 ppg) back along with 6-5 sophomore guard Jarron Cumberland. All four are all-league caliber talents who played for a team that went 18-0 at home last year, averaging an efficient 72 points while limiting opposing teams to just 62.

Clark, who was the American’s 2016 Defensive Player of the Year; and Washington, a transfer from North Carolina State, are arguably the best frontcourt combo in the league. Evans, who was the No. 2 ranked prospect in Louisiana when he played for St. Michael the Archangel in Baton Rouge, blossomed into a star last season, scoring in double figures 31 of 36 games and made 41-percent of his three-point attempts, could be a candidate for American Player of the Year if the Bearcats live up to expectations.

”Getting off the bus at Wichita, Xavier, UCLA, from my seat on the bench you have to wonder who’s going to go into the lion’s den and get 20 points,” Cronin said. ”Jacob is getting close to that point. He’s the guy who will have the ball out front at the end of the game. He’s a closer.”

Evans chose UC over local schools LSU, Louisiana Lafayette and Tulane. ”It was hard leaving home,” Evans admitted. “But this city and its fans have really embraced me.”

Cumberland, a finalist for Mr. Basketball in Ohio when he averaged 29.6 points at Wilmington High School, appears ready for a breakout season after averaging 8.3 points and being named the American’s co-Sixth Man of the Year. ”He was basically our sixth starter last year,” Cronin said. ”He’s going to have a great career. He’s a better offensive player than (last year’s starting two guard) Kevin Johnson. The question is, can he get his defense up to speed?”

The Bearcats’ biggest question will be at the point where Cronin has to replace Troy Caupain, a three-year starter. Cronin’s first option will likely be Cane Broome, transfer from Sacred Heart, where he averaged 23 points and was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore. “He’s a talented guy,” Cronin said. ”Everybody was after him. He’ll have to make the adjustment to playing against a higher level of defense, but he’ll be better playing with four all-league players.” Cronin also has the luxury of using junior Justin Jenifer, a gifted passer who had 68 assists and only 16 turnovers coming off the bench last year, in the backcourt.

Cronin has always been a defense-first guy. But he wants to play a more up-tempo style with this group of players. It should be interesting to see how the Bearcats adjust to that and how their fans adjust to watching them play all their home games at BT&T Arena across the river in Highland Heights, Ky., while Fifth Third Arena on campus goes through an $87 million renovation this season.

”It’s going to be interesting to see what we can become,” Cronin said.

Very quietly, Cincinnati has become one of the most consistent programs in the country. Coming off of a 30-win season and a seventh consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, the Bearcats and head coach Mick Cronin have a very good thing going right now.