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Saturday. 8 PM. ESPN. Be there or be here. Can we steal another win on the road?

ESPN says 1 in 5 chance

I'm actually cautiously optimistic. Baylor isn't a big bad beast of an opponent. Even chucker offense BYU out-scored them in the paint on the road. UC's bigs could have big games.

Don't turn the ball over a bunch, press their shooters on the perimeter without fouling too much and this could be a good one.

Lol you gotta stop with the #29, there is no 29th ranked team in the Top 25.

It's definitely an interesting matchup, though I think in many ways a really difficult one for UC. They remind me of a better version of Dayton. Everyone on the roster can shoot the three, everyone can drive the basketball. I think they are going to give us fits defensively (though they give everyone fits defensively...they're the 4th best offensive in the country by kenpom.

I hope we play to our strengths inside....don't worry about getting exposed some with our bigs in pick and role defense... try to make them pay on the other end.

The big question is ... is C.J. Frederick available?

And hell yes we are #29!

(01-12-2024 12:25 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  It's definitely an interesting matchup, though I think in many ways a really difficult one for UC. They remind me of a better version of Dayton. Everyone on the roster can shoot the three, everyone can drive the basketball. I think they are going to give us fits defensively (though they give everyone fits defensively...they're the 4th best offensive in the country by kenpom.

I hope we play to our strengths inside....don't worry about getting exposed some with our bigs in pick and role defense... try to make them pay on the other end.

Yep, not to be a naysayer, as I felt BYU was mission impossible, but winning at Baylor is a tall order. UC struggled to cover one Disu shooting three's so covering this many sharpshooters seems improbable, especially on the road.

It would be a signature win, but returning home and winning the next two @ Fifth Third may be a more reasonable expectation that still yields positive results for a tourney resume.

(01-12-2024 12:09 PM)levydl Wrote:  Lol you gotta stop with the #29, there is no 29th ranked team in the Top 25.

But we all know there is a Final 5.

Just take care of the basics, like don't turn the ball over 15-17 times, or shoot less than 60% from the line, or miss 17 shots at the rim, and you give yourself a chance.

As great as Baylor is at shooting threes, they don't actually fire them up at a high rate. They are 217 in 3PA/FGA. What is scary about them is they drive the ball well and get to the foul line. UC's biggest struggles on defense haven't been guarding in the half court generally, it's been keeping teams that get to the line off the foul line. I know Disu was elite against us but we still held them to 1.06 PPP, which is pretty good against the 38th ranked offense by kenpom adjusted efficiency. They only got to the line 10 times (making 9).

BYU was a nice matchup because they don't get to the line.

Baylor is just very multifaceted on offense. They shoot 3s better than anyone else, but they aren't actually reliant on threes. If we limit their free throw opportunties and value the basketball on offense.... I think we can stay in it. I'm worried about limiting their FT opportunities.

(01-12-2024 12:09 PM)levydl Wrote:  Lol you gotta stop with the #29, there is no 29th ranked team in the Top 25.

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They have one center and he's a true frosh A guy like Reynolds will eat him alive. Guard heavy and lost the rebounding battle to BYU. They were not even sending guys to the rim a lot of possessions for rebounds against BYU. BYU (yea that BYU) out scores them by a dozen in the paint. They remind me a lot of a new Big East style team. We should rack up #s on points in the paint and renounds if we do what we do.

Bridges is very good and yeah his game reminds me the guy from Texas and like most good teams they have a couple other good perimeter shooters.

If I had to bet I'd take Baylor but this matchup isn't terrifying. They scored 40 of their 81 points against BYU at the FT line and off of turnovers.

(01-12-2024 01:01 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  They have one center and he's a true frosh A guy like Reynolds will eat him alive. Guard heavy and lost the rebounding battle to BYU. They were not even sending guys to the rim a lot of possessions for rebounds against BYU. BYU (yea that BYU) out scores them by a dozen in the paint. They remind me a lot of a new Big East style team. We should rack up #s on points in the paint and renounds if we do what we do.

Bridges is very good and yeah his game reminds me the guy from Texas and like most good teams they have a couple other good perimeter shooters.

If I had to bet I'd take Baylor but this matchup isn't terrifying. They scored 40 of their 81 points against BYU at the FT line and off of turnovers.

I know they didn't against us, but BYU has been a team that scored a lot in the paint all season. They also have been one of the best rebounding teams in the country. I'm not surprised by those numbers against Baylor.

I also don't disagree on us racking up points in the paint and rebounds...that's typically what we do. UC is the number 1 defensive rebounding team in the country and number 8 offensive rebounding team in the country. If we could just start making more layups the offense could really take off.

(01-12-2024 01:31 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-12-2024 01:01 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  They have one center and he's a true frosh A guy like Reynolds will eat him alive. Guard heavy and lost the rebounding battle to BYU. They were not even sending guys to the rim a lot of possessions for rebounds against BYU. BYU (yea that BYU) out scores them by a dozen in the paint. They remind me a lot of a new Big East style team. We should rack up #s on points in the paint and renounds if we do what we do.

Bridges is very good and yeah his game reminds me the guy from Texas and like most good teams they have a couple other good perimeter shooters.

If I had to bet I'd take Baylor but this matchup isn't terrifying. They scored 40 of their 81 points against BYU at the FT line and off of turnovers.

I know they didn't against us, but BYU has been a team that scored a lot in the paint all season. They also have been one of the best rebounding teams in the country. I'm not surprised by those numbers against Baylor.

I also don't disagree on us racking up points in the paint and rebounds...that's typically what we do. UC is the number 1 defensive rebounding team in the country and number 8 offensive rebounding team in the country. If we could just start making more layups the offense could really take off.

>Jizzle the Sizzle
<Miss Miss Thomas

(01-12-2024 01:31 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(01-12-2024 01:01 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  They have one center and he's a true frosh A guy like Reynolds will eat him alive. Guard heavy and lost the rebounding battle to BYU. They were not even sending guys to the rim a lot of possessions for rebounds against BYU. BYU (yea that BYU) out scores them by a dozen in the paint. They remind me a lot of a new Big East style team. We should rack up #s on points in the paint and renounds if we do what we do.

Bridges is very good and yeah his game reminds me the guy from Texas and like most good teams they have a couple other good perimeter shooters.

If I had to bet I'd take Baylor but this matchup isn't terrifying. They scored 40 of their 81 points against BYU at the FT line and off of turnovers.

I know they didn't against us, but BYU has been a team that scored a lot in the paint all season. They also have been one of the best rebounding teams in the country. I'm not surprised by those numbers against Baylor.

I also don't disagree on us racking up points in the paint and rebounds...that's typically what we do. UC is the number 1 defensive rebounding team in the country and number 8 offensive rebounding team in the country. If we could just start making more layups the offense could really take off.

Bolded, hence why I believe if this Bearcat team can win enough to reach March Madness they have a pretty high ceiling. Just two less turnovers or a couple of made free throws and they had TX. If those issues get cleaned up, this team could roll.

Using Jizzle sparingly has been criticized but how many times have we seen gifted freshmen leaned upon so heavily early that they are gassed by mid-February playing against collegiate competition? I like that Wes is bringing him along with patience.

Mark...we need Smooth Billy's game breakdown for his Lead Pipe Lock OTW

(01-13-2024 01:58 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Mark...we need Smooth Billy's game breakdown for his Lead Pipe Lock OTW

Baylor -6.5
UC 71.5 Under
Vik PRA 23.5 Under

Mr premium customers also get my Shoe In Of The Week

Browns -2

(01-13-2024 02:25 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-13-2024 01:58 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Mark...we need Smooth Billy's game breakdown for his Lead Pipe Lock OTW

Baylor -6.5
UC 71.5 Under
Vik PRA 23.5 Under

UC ML and Vik 5+ rebounds SGP bet placed.