Mick Cronin’s Cincinnati Bearcats team helped keep American Athletic Conference basketball afloat despite down years from UConn, Temple, and Memphis. Can the Bearcats keep the AAC banner flying strong in the first round of the 2017 NCAA tournament?
Cincinnati vs. Kansas State, NCAA Tournament 2017: Date, time, and TV channel for 1st-round game
The Bearcats have plenty to prove after playing a limited slate of quality opponents this season.
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Cincinnati rolled through a sparkling 29-5 season in which 80 percent of its losses came against fellow NCAAT teams. While the program went relatively untested in league play — the AAC was home to only three other top-100 programs this winter — the Bearcats’ ability to best lesser opponents and avoid upset losses has them pegged at No. 12 in the latest RPI rankings. As a result, they could be a dangerously underseeded buzzsaw, just waiting to chew up the Wildcats.
Cincinnati’s strength comes from its depth, where a bevy of scoring talent can be death by a thousand cuts for an overwhelmed opponent. Six players scored eight points or more per game this season, led by sharpshooting wing Jacob Evans. Evans, a 6’6 matchup nightmare who can drive, shoot the tree (41.8 3PT%), and pass effectively (2.6 assists per game) will be the No. 1 focus for Kansas State Thursday. He’ll be bolstered by an effective frontcourt led by Gary Clark and Kyle Washington; the two upperclassmen provide an efficient scoring punch and dynamic rim protection for Cronin’s squad.
However, one thing the Bearcats haven’t seen much of in 2016-17 is quality opponents. Cincinnati played only seven games against RPI top-50 teams this season, going 3-4 in the process. They’ll have the chance to even that record Friday against the Wildcats.
The Kansas State Wildcats slumped to the First Four despite a bevy of top-50 matchups in the Big 12. The Wildcats went just 4-9 against the country’s best teams, but those four wins included a pair of victories over Baylor — a team ranked one slot ahead of Cincinnati in the RPI. They also topped West Virginia to make their case as an at-large invitee.
K-State sports a similarly balanced attack behind four players who score 11 points or more. Wesley Iwundu is the team’s answer to Evans — a rangy wing who can do a little of everything. D.J. Johnson, a 6’9 senior, will be tasked with locking down the Cincinnati frontcourt. A win Friday would put the Wildcats just one more victory from being the fourth team to advance from the First Four to the Sweet Sixteen.
Here’s where you can watch Friday’s pivotal matchup.
Friday, March 17
Game time: 7:27p.m. ET
How to watch: truTV
How to livestream: March Madness Live
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