The Cincinnati Bearcats are a team on the rise. People questioned them after they faltered during their preseason schedule. After a mediocre start in conference play, the Bearcats took off, beating the likes of Louisville, Marquette, Georgetown, Syracuse, and Florida St. on their way to a Big East tournament finals appearance and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Gone are Yancy Gates and Dion Dixon, but returning are a trio of players that may just make this team a champion at the end of the season.
Those players are Sean Kilpatrick, Cashmere Wright, and Jaquon Parker.
Kilpatrick is the leader. The junior averaged 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.5 threes, and 1.3 steals last season. He will be the go-to scorer for the ‘Cats.
Then there’s Wright, a senior, who will man the controls of the Cincinnati offense. His averages of 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.7 steals, and two threes per game are very encouraging and should go up. He has similar stats in some areas to Kilpatrick, showing the team will have it’s fair share of scrappy defense and three pointers.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier this summer, Parker is primed for a breakout. The senior’s numbers jumped up last season to 9.4 points and 5.6 rebounds, and I expect those to surge even more this coming year. Parker is the glue guy for this team. He’ll hold them together, and when they need a basket, he will deliver.
Yes, there are other Big East teams that have three very talented players like the Bearcats, but I can’t think of one with the experience to go along with it. That combination is deadly, and one that makes Cincy a candidate for the Big East title. In addition, they should finish no lower than top-four in the conference, along with a high seed in the NCAA tournament.
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