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The Cincinnati Bearcats disappointingly fell out of the 2015 NCAA tournament to the then-undefeated Kentucky Wildcats, but will head into the 2015-16 season as the favorites in the American Athletic Conference and one of the most dangerous teams in the country.
The Bearcats lose just one of seven players who played 20 or more minutes per game last season. That player, Jermaine Sanders, played the least of all seven. Octavius Ellis, Troy Caupain and Farad Cobb will play the bulk of the team’s minutes in 2015-16, but watch for Sophomore Gary Clark to have another fantastic season with his biggest improvement coming on the offensive end.
In 2014-15, Cincinnati was ranked No. 6 in points allowed per game and No. 11 in the defensive efficiency rankings, making the Bearcats arguably the most dangerous returning defense in all of college basketball. Their problem last season was their stagnant offense, which only produced 62 points per game.
However, this defensive-minded squad brings back players who accounted for 55.5 points per game, which is 90 percent of their 62 total points per game from last season. This low number of points per game should definitely improve due to experience and team chemistry, as well as the addition of three fantastic freshmen in Jacob Evans, Justin Jenifer and Tre Scott.
On top of their solid roster, Cincinnati boasts a non-conference schedule that looks highly favorable for a two or less loss start to conference play.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers, VCU Rams and Xavier Musketeers will all be tough road games, but all are winnable. The two non-conference games that will likely be the most difficult for Cincinnati are actually both scheduled at home in December. The Butler Bulldogs and the Iowa State Cyclones travel to Fifth Third Arena and could legitimately be the Bearcats’ only losses heading into conference play.
Their conference schedule is far more difficult than their non-conference schedule, just because any number of teams in the AAC are capable of breaking out. The Connecticut Huskies, Memphis Tigers, Tulsa Hurricanes, Temple Owls and SMU Mustangs all boast the potential to be NCAA tournament teams, making the AAC one of the most difficult all-around conferences in college basketball. Just a few brief lapses in focus could be the difference between a top conference finish or a middle of the conference finish for the Bearcats.
Heading into 2015-16, Cincinnati is the best team in the American Athletic Conference – at least on paper – by a wide margin. If they live up to expectations, the Bearcats should be a mainstay in college basketball’s top 25 for the entire season and a legitimate Final Four dark horse once the 2016 NCAA tournament begins.
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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