Cincy -10.5

[NatiHuskiFan]

Correct. Jenifer, Brooks and Scott are/were very sick. Jenifer barely played against Tulsa and Scott/Brooks weren't their normal selves.

The loss to ECU was obviously terrible but it was a statistical outlier. UC shot 8-18 from the line, 3-19 from 3 and lost by 2. ECU hit a season high in threes and they are one of the worst shooting teams in the country.

Tulsa came back and hit 14-23 from three and UC somehow pulled it out.

I attribute some of that to bad luck but UC's three point defense does need to improve. As long as Scott and Brooks are good to go, I see UC dominating the interior. This is such a different team at home and I presume the students will be liquored up with the snowstorm. This is going to be a very tough game for UConn to win (or even cover for that matter) imo.

Good luck. I'm really rooting or you all to turn it around under Hurley. This should be the best rivalry in the conferece...

I was thinking it may not be a sell out bc of NFL on tonight and the amount of snow on the ground, otherwise it usually has been

 

[Slasher]

I was thinking it may not be a sell out bc of NFL on tonight and the amount of snow on the ground, otherwise it usually has been

The only tickets available on their site are SRO.

 

[NatiHuskiFan]

The only tickets available on their site are SRO.

Well that will make for a superb environment tonight! probably because it’s so difficult to root for anything else in Cincinnati

 

[UConnStats]

Had to pull on +560 it’s just too much to pass up

 

[dantheman]

I probably sound like a broken record, but as I noted against UCF and SMU, this is another team that plays slow and rarely turns the ball over, things that go against how UConn wants to play.

Alterique almost singlehandedly disrupted SMU's offense by getting in the face of their best player McMurray and making open looks difficult to come by, but McMurray is 6'0". Cincy's 2 best players are both 6'5", so I have no idea how you matchup here.

They are not a particularly great shooting team from 3 or from the foul line and actually a little worse than UConn rebounding so maybe pack it in on defense a bit and dare them to shoot 3s and be aggressive going for blocks and altering shots.

SMU also is one of the most disciplined teams in the league regarding fouls so it was surprising to see UConn get to the line so much. The team that fouls as infrequently as SMU is Cincy, so it happened once but I doubt UConn ends up the line that much again.

As others have noted, this team just went OT with Tulsa and already lost to ECU. In the ECU game, Cincy got a combined 6 points from the bench (not that 10 for UConn last night was much better).

UConn needs to make this a track meet and tire Cincy's starting 5 out and make them play fast to force TO's so really no different from any other game but especially important tomorrow.

“Cincy's 2 best players are both 6'5", so I have no idea how you matchup here.”

- tarin smith and sid wilson are going to have to adopt alterigue’s approach to McMurray against Cincy’s duo of Cumberland and Williams. In my mind, sid and tarin are the only guys with the length and foot speed combo to potentially match up.

 

[ToolzieFan]

KenPom projects a 74-64 Cincy win. They are excellent defending 2-point shots, with opponents shooting 42.3% from 2, the 9th lowest percentage in the country. They block shots (3rd best block rate at 17.6%) and force turnovers (22.7% TO % is 30th, 11.2% steal % is 44th). Opponents take 44% of their shots from 3, converting on 35.7%. That's consistent with Cincy being upset when opponents shot well from 3. We'll have to hit our long-range shots, but hopefully we can also grab some offensive boards and keep them off the glass to minimize second-chance points. Limiting turnovers is obviously always important. It's no doubt a tough matchup for us, but I don't think Cincy is at the level they've been at the last few years.

 

[Danzz]

Cobb could be key if Hurley plays him.

 

[kobe]

soooo. are you guys any good this year?

 

[uc1990]

soooo. are you guys any good this year?

Good question. Don’t know yet. But we have a coach that seems to be working really hard at getting better. And some kids that seem to be working hard to get better. Some of these kids have talent too. We will find out in a couple hours.

 

[gtcam]

I am holding out hope that I am wrong but no matter how much they are struggling their size and strength on defense will make our guys need their A games. Never know but this line I wouldn't touch with a 10'5" foot pole.

Always have to bring their A game vs Cinci
Not sure how this game will go but just hoping for the Huskies to play tough and show up. Play a respectable game and I'm happy - of course I want a W but vs Cinci and on their floor - asking a lot

 

[HuskyHawk]

Always have to bring their A game vs Cinci
Not sure how this game will go but just hoping for the Huskies to play tough and show up. Play a respectable game and I'm happy - of course I want a W but vs Cinci and on their floor - asking a lot

It’s what they always are, a team that doesn’t beat itself. You need to play well. If you do, they don’t really have a second gear. The distance between Cinci’s floor and ceiling wouldn’t fit a Husky dog.

UConn, as usual, is the opposite. Manute Bol standing on Tacko Fall’s shoulders could walk though the distance between our floor and ceiling.

 

[auror]

Tough spot as it will be a hostile crowd, and we haven't played well on the road in 3 years. That being said, Cincy is not deep, and I think Hurley will try and have someone other than Cumberland beat us. I'd take the points.

Edit: Also looks like there is a snow storm in Cincy. Maybe that affects attendance.

Take the under.

 

[XLCenterFan]

As soon as I opened up my betting app and saw UCONN +11.5, I pounced on UCONN.

These games are known to be low scoring affairs, and 11.5 is like 20 in a game like this.

Any rookie who took Cinci at that number should just quit betting. It was UCONN or no bet.