Bearcats: ACC or bust?

In the tumultuous landscape that is conference realignment, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats are now in the hunt for a new home.

UC, in an effort to beat fellow Big East members Louisville and UConn, lobbied yesterday for a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The ACC, however, announced that Louisville will replace Maryland in 2014, not Cincinnati.

According to Cincinnati.com, UC athletic director Whit Babcock tried to sell the Bearcats' appeal to the ACC over the Cardinals, pitching the larger television market and the nearly $400 million in research the university attracts every year. Louisville won out, however, with newer facilities like Papa John's Cardinal Stadium for football, the KFC Yum Center for basketball, and the national stage set by Rick Patino and the Cardinals' basketball team.

In the immediate future, the Bearcats are the losers and the Cards then winners. Joining the ACC would  more than triple UC's television revenue in the Big East of about $6.7 million per year, according to Cincinnati.com.

The Cardinals fit the traditional ACC mold--good at basketball, bad at football--but members of their new conference are already finding new homes, such as Maryland. Some critics believe Louisville is leaving a dead conference for a dying one, with the future uncertain for many schools.

The ACC will add a total of four schools in 2013, including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Notre Dame in all sports except football, fencing, and ice hockey.

For UC, the need to get out of the Big East is obvious. The announcement that Tulane will become a Big East member in 2014 seemed to spell the funeral for the conference's relevancy, along with newly admitted Houston, SMU, Memphis, UCF, and Temple. The Big East also adds the football teams of Boise State, San Diego State, East Carolina, and Navy. Teams that have already begun the exodus from the Big East include Notre Dame, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse to the ACC, and Rutgers to the Big Ten. UConn, too, is trying to escape the sinking ship of a progressively mid-major conference.

For the UC football team to remain successful, the basketball team to remain relevant, and the university's athletic infrastructure to remain afloat, a move must be made and made quickly before more spots are filled, with the Cardinals' win a prime example. Where UC athletics will find its next home, however, remains a mystery. The ACC would seem the best fit for the school, but an invitation may not come soon or easily. The Big Ten would be a stretch, as Cincinnati does not necessarily fit the mold of many Big Ten powerhouses, such as Indiana, Michigan, or Ohio State--but, then again, neither does Maryland or Rutgers. Wherever the Bearcats move, it is in the best interest of the school not to settle for a mid-major conference like the Atlantic 10, as the revenue levels there are not sufficient enough to allow such a large school to remain competitive nationally.

The No. 1 college sports state is only 20 minutes from downtown Cincy

Very rarely do I overstep the state line in the Queen City Sport Report, but today calls for an exception. The sometimes forgotten third of our Tri-State, Indiana is currently at the top of the sports world.           

           

On Saturday, surrounded by friends and family clad in blue and gold, I threw my hands in the air after the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated USC and secured their place in the BCS National Championship. Ranked first in the nation with a Heisman hopeful in Manti Te’o, the loyal sons marched onward to victory.

            

The following day, as I sat on my couch recovering from post-Thanksgiving turkey coma, I saw senior guard Jordan Hulls honored before a full Assembly Hall, scoring 1,000^th career point as a Hoosier. Hulls then recorded 17 points in the game against Ball State University, leading the Hoosiers to a 101-53 rout of the Cardinals. The preseason Player of the Year, Cody Zeller, posted 15 points and eight rebounds in the win for the number one ranked team in the country.

           

 After watching the number one in college football and the number one in college basketball coast to victories, a realization came over me: I may be living the peak of Indiana athletics. Is this the greatest sports era ever in the state? Could it be? The Hoosiers basketball team and Irish football team have never won a championship in the same season, but that is a high possibility this year. (It should be noted that IU won a title in 1976, followed by a Notre Dame football championship in 1977, and the same thing in 1987 and 1988).

            

Before anyone becomes upset by the claim of Indiana greatness just because the Hoosiers and Irish both sit atop the polls, let me expand on the state’s recent achievements. In the first season without Manning in Indianapolis, the Colts are exceeding the expectations of analysts, fans, and quite possibly, even the players. The men in blue, rallying behind the cry of “CHUCKSTRONG,” are in 7-4 and currently sit in top AFC Wild Card position. If the season ended with last week’s games, Luck and the Colts would be travelling to Denver to challenge the city’s lost hero.

            

Less advertised but more successful than the Colts are the Indiana Fever, the WNBA team that won its first title in October. Tamika Catchings received the Finals MVP award, scoring 25 points in the 87-78 win over the Minnesota Lynx to secure the championship.

            

On another Indianapolis court, the Butler Bulldogs are already showing Cinderella signs, knocking off Marquette and number nine ranked North Carolina in the Maui Invitational. Brad Stevens’ squad fell to Illinois in the tournament’s championship game, but plays like Rotnei Clarke’s buzzer-beating three-pointer grabbed the attention of the nation.

            

Even on the pitch, the Hoosier state is showing that Indiana sports are a force to reckon with. The Notre Dame men’s soccer team entered the NCAA tournament as the number one seed. Unfortunately for the Irish faithful, the side fell 2-1 in the third round on Nov. 25…to the Indiana Hoosiers.

            

Obviously there are exceptions to the Indiana dominance (the Pacers aren’t living up to preseason expectations thus far), but glancing at NCAA Division I rankings in all major sports, there is at least one Indiana school in every Top 25.

            

As football season closes and basketball season begins, I will try to drink in these precious moments, a time where the best teams in the country call Indiana home. As a Hoosier, the year 2013 has the opportunity to bring ultimate glory or brutal heartbreak. Such is the life when you’re on top of the sports world.

Thankful for Cincinnati sports

As we gather around with friends and family this Thanksgiving, football isn't the only sport in Cincinnati to be excited about. Plenty of college basketball games tip off in the Tri-State, with enough holiday cheer to go around.

Miami RedHawks -- Basketball

11/21 @ William & Mary, 7:00 p.m.
11/24 vs. James Madison, 12:00 p.m.

Xavier Musketeers -- Basketball

11/22 vs. Pacific, 11:00 a.m. PT, in Anaheim, Cal. (DirectTV Classic)

UC Bearcats -- Basketball

11/23 vs. Iowa State, 6:30 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nev. (Global Sports Invitational)

11/24 vs. Oregon or UNLV, TBA in Las Vegas, Nev. (Global Sports Invitational)

UC Bearcats -- Football

11/23 vs. South Florida, 7:00 p.m.

Miami RedHawks -- Football

11/23 vs. Ball State, 1:00 p.m.

Cincinnati Bengals

11/25 vs. Oakland Raiders, 1:00 p.m.

Xavier vs. Indiana -- NCAA men's soccer

A team with lesser coverage in the Cincinnati sports market, the Xavier University men’s soccer team did something today no other Musketeer squad has done before it: play in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Xavier fell 4-1 to Indiana today in Bloomington, but the score doesn’t truly reflect the way the game was played.  The Musketeers fought hard the first half to find the back of he net, tying the score at 1-1 with the No. 16 ranked Hoosiers. The tie would finally break with just 10 minutes left in the 90-minute match, with an Indiana goal that deflated any Xavier hope. The next few minutes, mainly garbage time, led to a few extra finishes past the defeated Musketeers.

To even be in this situation, for Xavier and Cincinnati soccer in general, is the more impressive feat.  This is the first time that Xavier represented the Atlantic-10 conference as the champions, with coach Andy Flemming turning the program into something the city can be proud of. The team of young men fields a GPA of over 3.0, impressive in NCAA Division I athletics.

Xavier played the role of little fish in a big pond by making it to the Big Dance, but they did so in a way that the school, the fans, the city, and the sport can be proud.

Weekend preview: 11/16-11/18

Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ UC Bearcats -- Football

Kickoff: 11/17, noon

UC: 7-2 (3-1 Big East), on a two-game winning streak

Rutgers: 8-1 (4-0 Big East), lost first game three weeks ago against Kent State

Game notes: With three Big East games left, Rutgers sits atop the conference and could be dethroned with a Cincinnati upset. The Bearcats currently sit in third place in the Big East behind 4-1 Louisville, who are on bye this week.

Robert Morris Colonials @ Xavier Musketeers -- Basketball

Tip-off: 11/17, 2 p.m.

Xavier: 2-0

Robert Morris: 1-2, big losses to the Rider Broncos on 11/9 and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on Nov. 12, but defeated Fordham (an Atlantic 10 team, same conference as Xavier) 74-58 on 11/13.

Game notes: After handing it to Butler on Tuesday, most Muskie fans are probably overlooking this game. The Colonials got off to a rocky start, but a win against an A-10 team, even a basement A-10 team, tells Coach Chris Mack and Xavier that Robert Morris is quite capable of the upset.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs

Kickoff: 11/18, 1 p.m.

Cincinnati: 4-5 (1-3 in AFC North, 3rd place)

Kansas City: 1-8 (0-6 in AFC West, last place)

Game notes: If ever there was a should, must, have-to-for-the-sake-of-our-dignity win for Cincinnati, it's against the Chiefs this weekend. Don't get too cocky, though, as the Chiefs almost pulled off the upset against the Steelers at Heinz Field last week, showing they're a team desperate for a win. The Chiefs turn the ball over like crazy, so look for the Bengals' defense to make some big plays with Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel under center.

North Carolina A&T Aggies @ #24 UC Bearcats -- Basketball

Tip-off: 11/18, 2 p.m.

UC: 2-0

North Carolina A&T: 1-1, plays Wright State on 11/16, lost 64-55 to Utah Valley on 11/12

Game notes: Another "tune-up game" for the Bearcats, UC shouldn't struggle much against a team who lost by nine to the mighty Wolverines--the Utah Valley Wolverines, that is.

Miami RedHawks @ #2 Louisville Cardinals -- Basketball

Tip-off: 11/18, 4 p.m.

Miami: 1-1, lost to #6 North Carolina State on 11/9, then defeated Grambling State 80-54 on 11/13.

Game notes: Should be a blowout in the 'Ville, but you never know. May just be worth a watch.

In Todd we trusted

It's gone.

The last hope for Cincinnati, the one silver lining the city has hung on to for over a month, is no longer within grasp.

Todd Frazier, you did what you could.

No World Series. No Cy Young, not even a Gold Glove for Brandon Phillips. But at least there was this, the NL Rookie of the Year. The Reds had a true, likable hero, a rising star who could show the media hype that Cincy had been left in the dark.

With one last swift kick while we're down, the NL Rookie of the Year is gone, landing somewhere between Maryland and Virginia, with a cocky outfielder who's name ESPN sang from day one of the season.

Frazier, we're still proud of you.

And for good reason.

Let's compare the Toddfather's numbers to "The Chosen One," Bryce Harper. First off, Harper recorded 132 more plate appearances than Frazier as a regular starter. In that time, he put 22 over the fence--Frazier hit 19 home runs, again in 132 less at-bats. RBIs? Frazier posted 67 to Harper's 57 in, may I remind you once again, 132 less plate-appearances.

To be fair, Harper recorded 98 runs to Frazier's 55--on a team that drove in runs on a much more consistent basis than the LOB kings in Cincinnati. And, Harper recorded 18 steals to Frazier's three.

Other categories in which Frazier ousted Harper include, but are not limited to: batting average (.273 vs. .270), slugging percentage (.498 vs. .477), BABIP (.316 vs. .310), wOBA (.354 vs. .352), and ISO (.255 vs. .206). Also, let us not forget that Frazier played first, third, and outfield at various times when needed for injury purposes.

Categories where Frazier fell just shy of Harper? On-base percentage (.331 vs. .340), walk percentage (7.7% to 9.4%), strikeout percentage (22.2% vs. 20.1%), and wRC+ (120 vs. 121).

To many, the all-inclusive WAR proved to tip the scales, with Harper securing 4.9 wins for the Nationals to Frazier's 2.8 for the Reds.

Oh, and one more category where Bryce crushed Todd: media attention. This is a rough estimate, my own observation you might say. Harper's name was basically mentioned on ESPN's Baseball Tonight every single day.

Frazier? Frazier who?

Doesn't a 19-year-old phenom make for a better RoY story than a 26-year-old Brooklyn guy?

Unfortunately, it does, whether the stats disagree or not.

But cheer up, Cincinnati. Look at the bright side. Next year, the Reds will have Frazier playing third, and if he wins NL MVP, maybe, just maybe, the nation will recognize his name.

Two-minute drill

Ah, November. College basketball began this week, and football is well under way. Here is the two-minute recap of sports action in the Queen City this weekend.

UC Bearcats -- Football

Cincinnati 34, Temple 10

The Bearcats travelled to Philadelphia and destroy the Owls, with red-shirt senior quarterback Brandon Kay making his first career start. Kay went 13-21 passing with 244 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

Miami RedHawks -- Football

Kent State 48, Miami 32

Oxford experienced its first home loss of the season, but experienced Zach Dysert's 455-performance moved him to 26th on the NCAA all-time passing yards list.

Xavier Musketeers -- Basketball

Xavier 117, Farleigh Dickinson 75

The Musketeers hosted the Knights in their season opener, with sophomore guard Dee Davis setting career highs in points (22) and assists (15). Seven Xavier players finished with double-digit points.

Miami RedHawks -- Basketball

N.C. State 97, Miami 59

Traveling to Raleigh for the first game of the John Cooper era, the RedHawks fell to #6 N.C. State. Junior guard Allen Roberts led Miami in scoring with 16. 

UC Bearcats -- Basketball

Cincinnati 80, Tennessee-Martin 57

Senior guard Cashmere Wright led the Bearcats in the season opener with 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati 31, New York Giants 13

In quite possibly the biggest shock of the Sunday, the Bengals took down the world champion Giants a week after Pittsburgh did the same. Andy Dalton threw four touchdown passes with 199 yards, while Eli Manning threw for no touchdowns and 215 yards. The Bengals are now 4-5 and remain in third place in the AFC North.

Get Wells soon

After being expelled from Xavier University this past summer amid sexual assault charges, Dez Wells has been cleared by the NCAA to play immediately for the Maryland Terrapins.  The charges, brought upon Wells by the Xavier University Conduct Board, were thrown out by the Ohio grand jury upon review.  The grand jury strongly suggested Xavier revisit Wells' fate, calling its investigation procedure "severely flawed," but the university stood by its decision.

Following the expulsion, Wells transferred to the University of Maryland, filing with the NCAA for a waiver that would dismiss him from sitting out a season, a general requirement for most transfers. His first request for the waiver was denied, but the NCAA Division I Legislative Council Subcommittee for Legislative Relief overturned the decision on Nov. 8.

It is difficult to believe that the NCAA so willingly overturned their own decision, especially amidst the murky situation Wells left in Cincinnati. But, perhaps the NCAA Subcommittee saw the same thing the Ohio grand jury did; maybe this was enough to provide for the unusual circumstances. There is no way to know exactly what went down in allowing Wells to suit up for the Terps this season, but it is clear that some type of justification, be it pity or the right thing to do, went through the minds of the subcommittee.

Previews in the paint: Miami

It's the dream of every retiring coach to go out on a high note.

For Charlie Coles, the 2011-2012 was more about injuries than wins, a finish no coach dreams of. The RedHawks went a dismal 9-21 in Coles' 16th season as Miami's coach, the school's worst single-season win percentage since 1969-70. 

Despite the brutal record, Coles, 70 years old, still left a winner.  He finished as Miami's all-time leader in wins with 263, as well as the MAC's all-time victory leader with 218, some of that time spent at Central Michigan.

With Coles enjoying retirement, John Cooper will lead the RedHawks after leading a program revival at Tennessee State University, ending the school's streak of 15 straight losing seasons.  Coopers' Tiger squad was the only team to beat Murray State in the regular season and lost by just two points in the Ohio Valley championship game.

Cooper inherits an interesting squad, to say the least.  Last season's All-MAC forward Julian Mavunga, who led the RedHawks in every statistical category except 3-pointers and steals, has graduated.  The second-leading scorer, then freshman guard Brian Sullivan, transferred to Davidson following Cooper's arrival in Oxford.

That leaves an obvious hole in the Miami offense, but some veterans are ready to fill them.  Bill Edwards, who was injured last season, should be good to go.  He started strong last season with a 14 point, 10 rebound game against Dayton and a 21 point, eight rebound game against Xavier.  After seven games though, he underwent season-ending surgery on his wrist.  The RedHawks will rely on his health for their front-court game this season.

Also a 2011-2012 injured player, redshirt junior guard Allen Roberts will return to the RedHawks' lineup.  In his sophomore season, Roberts averaged 7.9 points in 24 minutes per game.

Charlie Coles' influence will remain at Miami in several ways, especially in the scheduling. Loving to prepare for the MAC season with a loaded non-conference schedule, the RedHawks will meet #3 Louisville, #6 NC State, and Dayton. While that may not help a coach in his inaugural season, Miami could prove to be a surprise in the MAC. In the MAC East Division preseason poll, though, the RedHawks are predicted to finish last.

Really?

Coach Lewis,

This week, you took the time to tell the world that,

“We're looking for our quarterback and our middle linebacker to take hold of our football team. I think both guys are such good people, that you got to be a little bit of a dick.”

Really?

Today, the Bengals got beat by a team that is led, not by a d***, but by a hard-working, philanthropic quarterback.

You have the benefit of having a truly nice guy, and a fairly good young quarterback in his second season, in Andy Dalton, and you ask him to be a d***?

What kind of coach asks this of his players, his leaders on the team? What kind of example are you trying to set, not only among your own ranks, but among the youth and high school football leagues of Cincinnati?

I am appalled.

Today, Peyton Manning took care of business, and he did so with class.

I suggest you learn from his composure.

Previews in the paint: Xavier Musketeers

After a season filled with ups (#8 national ranking at one point) and downs (the brawl to end them all in the Crosstown Shootout), the Musketeers are entering what many might call a "rebuilding year," basically a euphemism for "Just don't embarrass us, please."

Coach Mack loses Tu Holloway and Kenny Frease to graduation, Mark Lyons to Arizona, and Dezmine Wells to sexual assault charges. That's 77.5 percent of Xavier's scoring, 69.1 percent of its rebounding, 85.0 percent of its assists, 76.6 percent of its made field goals, and 69.4 percent of the team's total minutes played.

How does a program recover from such a purging?

Coach Mack says that the squad will have to move away from relying on the few and focus more on the unit.

Transfer Isaiah Philmore and freshman Semaj Christon will bring fresh talent to the Musketeers' squad, but three veterans still remain in Cincinnati. Guard Brad Redford (3.3 ppg, 11.4 mpg), forward Jeff Robinson (3.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg), and forward Travis Taylor (4.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg) will have to build the team's core. Redmond is considered one of the best pure shooters in the country, but the former Mr. Basketball in Michigan only played seven scoreless minutes in Xavier's three NCAA tournament games last season.

Taylor showed great play during non-conference matchups last year, but was largely irrelevant in the A-10 season (6.8 ppg and 6 rebounds against non-conference teams, a tough schedule for Xavier, but only 4.2 and 2.9 in the A-10).

Xavier's extreme loss of talent makes Philmore's arrival the brightest spot of the 2012-2013 campaign.  Transferring from Townson University in Maryland, he lead the Tigers in scoring with 15.3 ppg and was second in rebounding (7.0 rpg) as a sophomore.  Standing at six feet, eight inches, Philmore will earn minutes quickly because of his ability to create mismatches.

Semaj Christian is a local player who many feel should step in and run the point, but Mack seems determined that sophomore Dee Davis will control Xavier's backcourt.

Given the rebuilding job ahead, the always tough non-conference schedule (Butler, a non-conference game schedule before the move to the A-10, Cincinnati, Purdue, Wake Forest, and Tennessee, among others this season) is not going to play in the Musketeers' favor.

This is the first season in some time that Xavier fans will not have a star to entrust with the game: no Tu Holloway, no Jordan Crawford, not Derrick Brown, etc. The Atlantic-10 is stronger than ever, and it is likely Xavier will find a home in the middle of the pack. 

Despite all the challenges ahead, it's important to remember that Xavier has found a way into the NCAA Tournament 11 time in the past 12 years.