The winless Miami RedHawks -  who had lost five straight games to Cincinnati by an average of 29 points - were about to take the lead in the third quarter.

After committing two redzone turnovers in the first half, the Bearcats were only able to build a 6-0 lead, and when Miami quarterback Zac Dysert surprised UC with a long pass on the first play of the third quarter, it looked like Nick Harwell was on his way to the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

But Bearcat safety Drew Frey caught the speedy Harwell from behind and tackled him inside the one yard line.

"The only thing that goes through your mind in that situation is 'Get to him, get to him, get to him.'" said Frey.  "It was a desperation play, and luckily, I was able to get to him before he got in."

"We were busted in coverage and made a mistake and those things can be fatal, but Drew ran back and made a great play to stop the guy short," said defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs.  "That kid is fast and Drew didn't give up."

Still, Miami had it first-and-goal from inside the one.  The Bearcat defense has a rallying cry for that situation. 

"We always say, 'Give us a place to stand and we're going to make something happen.'" said linebacker JK Schaffer. 

"Defensive line coach Steve Stripling said that us once, and now we say it all the time," said defensive tackle Derek Wolfe.  "Give us a place to stand.  I don't care if you give us an inch; we're not going to let them in.  Our sideline was going nuts and that was just feeding us."

Two Miami running plays lost a yard.  Offensive pass interference on Harwell pushed the RedHawks back to the 17 yard line, and after an incomplete pass, Miami had to settle for a 34 yard field goal attempt.  When Mason Krysinski hooked it wide left, Miami came away empty.   

"I think that summarizes the character that we have on this football team," said head coach Butch Jones.  "All we need is an inch.  That was a big turning point and you could feel it on our sideline."

"Last year we don't stop 'em," said Coach Coombs.  "This year, those kids believed they were going to stop 'em and they rose up.  There's no question it was the turning point of the game."

When Isaiah Pead scored a touchdown less than two minutes later to give the Bearcats a 13-0 lead, it felt like the game was over.  Cincinnati went on to win 27-0, marking the first time in the 123-year history of the rivalry that either school has won six straight times. 

"We were challenged," said Coach Jones.  "We knew that Miami was a good football team.  Their front seven on defense is as good anyone we've faced all year.  But there wasn't any panic and that's a great thing."

"That's the difference between this year and last year," said Schaffer.  "We're making improvements, we're playing good defense, and I couldn't be more proud of my teammates."

"We relish those opportunities now where our backs are against the wall and we've got to make plays," said Frey.  "I feel like it's just an attitude and I've think that we've got it this year.  That was a collective effort."

* * * * *

The Bearcats have a bye next Saturday, but I hope you'll join Coach Jones, Jim Kelly, and me for the "Butch Jones Show" on Wednesday night from 8 to 9 at the Original Montgomery Inn. 

I'd love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I'm on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

It's the oldest non-conference rivalry in college football and the winner gets to keep the Victory Bell until the two schools meet again, but for Bearcat linebacker JK Schaffer, the 116^th meeting between Cincinnati and Miami is personal.

"I think about this game all year and it really, really, means a lot to me," Schaffer told me.  "When I was going through the recruiting process, I wanted to go to Cincinnati and was hoping to get an offer from UC, but I was also trying to get offers from other places.  Miami narrowed it down to me and one other linebacker and then said, 'Sorry, but we can't offer you a scholarship.  We're going to take the other kid.'  Them not wanting me has really driven me."

Schaffer's fellow seniors didn't have to be snubbed by the RedHawks to share his desire to beat Miami on Saturday.  The Bearcats have won the last five meetings between the two schools, meaning UC's senior class has never spent a day on campus without the Victory Bell in their midst. 

"You don't want to be the senior class that lets the Victory Bell go," said wide receiver OJ Woodard.  "I had never been a part of such a big rivalry.  When I was a freshman, our seniors had so much passion that it started to grow in me.  Haruki Nakamura came across the middle and hit this guy from Miami.  He just picked him up and slammed him to the ground.  I understood then that we could never let the Bell go."

Woodard is from New Jersey and knew nothing about the rivalry before arriving at UC.  But the veterans quickly make sure that the newcomers know what the game means.

"We've been talking about it every day," said Schaffer.  "I think it's our most important rivalry.  They're 45 minutes up the road and it's one of the oldest rivalries in the country."

And the rivalry should guarantee that the Bearcats do not take the RedHawks lightly - despite their 0-3 start.

"We can't overlook anybody," said Woodward.  "We have to respect them or we're going to get beat." 

"I definitely don't plan on letting go of that Bell," said Schaffer.  "I want to make sure that my senior year is stamped on the Cincinnati side.

* * * * * 

I hope you'll join Coach Jones, Jim Kelly and me at the Original Montgomery Inn for the Butch Jones Show on Wednesday night from 8 to 9 on 700 WLW.

I'd love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I'm on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

Speaking of Sam, enjoy this week's photo from a recent trip to the Cincinnati Zoo. 

Hey NC State:  See what you missed?

(Photo courtesy of Associated Press)

Last year when the Wolfpack beat Cincinnati 30-19, NC State did not have to deal with Bearcat running back Isaiah Pead who sat out with a knee injury.

"I had to sit on the sideline and it was tough for me," said Pead.  "Going into this one, my teammates kept reminding me, 'This is your game.  We're going to live off you.'  I took that and tried to put the team on my back.  When the game was just about to start, Coach Coombs came up to me and said, 'They haven't even seen you yet.'  I was like, 'You know what?  They haven't.'  I was ready to play.

It showed.

The senior from Columbus carried 27 times for 167 yards and a touchdown, and also caught a 25-year TD pass in the Bearcats 44-14 win.  For the season, Isaiah is averaging 106 yards per game, and 7.9 yard per carry.

"I could have carried 47, 57, 67 times," Pead said with a laugh.  "In a game, I don't even realize how many carries or catches that I have.  I just love having fun with my teammates and getting the crowd into it."

"Our players love blocking for him," said head coach Butch Jones.  "Our team really believes in him and respects him because of all the work that he's put into it."

The Bearcats dominated the game up front on both sides of the ball, rushing 46 times for 240 yards on offense, while sacking NC State quarterbacks six times.

"Coach Jones kept pushing that we had to come out and be physical," said Pead.  "Last year, they brought it to us and it was an ugly score.  That sat in the back of his mind and he said that out of all of our games, he was looking forward to this one."

"This was a game that we've been preparing for for a full year," Coach Jones said.  "I thought it was a great team win."

It was the Bearcats most impressive victory under Butch Jones, and one that provided a much-needed boost for the Big East Conference. 

"It was a statement that we can play football in the Big East and in Cincinnati," Pead told me.  "We don't always get the respect that we deserve and sometimes we don't prove ourselves the way that we should.  But tonight on national TV, the world got to see what we can do.  And it's only going to get better from here."

"I believe there are only 24 programs in America that have the opportunity to play on Thursday night in prime time we were one of them," said Jones.  "So it was a 4-hour commercial for our great city, university, and football program."

It was billed as a blackout...and turned out to be a blowout.

I'd love to hear from you at Dan.Hoard@bengals.nfl.net

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I'm on Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

At 7:52 on Saturday night, approximately one hour after the Bearcats disappointing performance at Tennessee, linebacker JK Schaffer sent out the following tweet to his 812 followers:

@Schaff37 JK Schaffer

Don't give up on us

On Tuesday, I asked the senior linebacker if he is concerned about people writing-off the Bearcats just two weeks into the season.

"Fans were pretty excited about that game, and some people might fall off a bit after seeing us lose to Tennessee," said Schaffer.  "But that was my point.  Don't give up on us because we're going to get things corrected and be a good football team."

You're entitled to be skeptical after seeing Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray go 34-for-41 for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Bearcats.  Using the NFL formula, that's a quarterback rating of 140.3

But after watching Tom Brady pass for 511 yards against Miami on Monday Night Football, and reading that a record 14 NFL quarterbacks passed for more than 300 yards on opening weekend, it is obvious that defending the pass at all levels - high school, college, and pro - is becoming increasingly difficult.

"With the new spread, high-tempo offenses, it's harder than back when they were running 21 personnel (2 backs, 2 receivers, 1 tight end), I-formation all game," said safety Wesley Richardson.  "There are a lot of things that go into it, between pass rush, linebackers in coverage, and obviously the defensive backs.  But when we give up 400-plus yards passing, we take that on our shoulders, so it was definitely a wake-up call.  We need to get in gear and get this corrected right now, and that's what we intend to do."

"Tennessee is definitely a good football team," said Schaffer.  "They have a good quarterback, NFL-type wide receivers, and an NFL-type offensive line, but when you look back at the game, we made a lot of mistakes.  That's what makes me sick.  We know that if we don't make those mistakes, we're in the ballgame."

So while Schaffer is asking you not to give up on the Bearcats, it's clear that the Bearcats have not given up on themselves.

"It didn't dent us and we're not going to let it affect us for the rest of the year," said Richardson.  "We're not going to let Tennessee beat us more than once.  We're past Tennessee, we're upbeat, and we're ready for Akron."

"We have to forget about it, but learn from it at the same time," said Schaffer.  "How we played on Saturday is not who we are.  We're not going to play any more games like that."

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

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Speaking of young Sam, here's a recent photo.

Last season, I wrote a semi-serious blog entry about Zach Collaros being an outside candidate for the Heisman Trophy this year (you can read it here).

So sue me - sometimes the Bearcat fan in me gets a little carried away.

But I fully expect Collaros to have a spectacular senior season after being named First Team All-Big East last year in his first full-season as UC's starting quarterback.

"Anytime that you have experience, you're going to be better at something," Collaros told me.  "I've been working hard at what I have to do to lead a team and score touchdowns.  I've put in a lot of time with my receivers and running backs and I think that it's going to pay off."

"The teams that are successful usually have a great trigger man and I'm excited about Zach," said head coach Butch Jones.  "He's our leader, and his work ethic speaks volumes.  I love him and I wish we had him for about eight more years."

Collaros has no shortage of weapons to get the ball to.  Isaiah Pead is the leading returning rusher in the Big East (1,029 yards in 2010), WR D.J. Woods earned Second Team All-Big East honors last year, and WR Kenbrell Thompkins was the top-rated Junior College wide receiver in the country  two years ago.

"I have some great targets," Collaros said.  "Isaiah is a stud and he's proven it for two years.  D.J., Kenbrell, and Anthony McClung can all break a big one at any time and senior O.J. Woodard has had a great summer and we're looking for some good things out of him.  There are some young guys that have come in that might be able to contribute right away - Shaq Washington, Akise Teague - guys like that.  I think we have three capable tight ends that can play.  They all have their strengths." 

The big question mark is the offensive line which lost three starters including NFL draft pick Jason Kelce.

"I think the offensive linemen have had a great summer," Collaros said.  "The strength and conditioning guys have done a great job with them.  They're all above 400 pounds on the bench press and their squats are through the roof.  I think it's going to translate to the field.  They've studied film this summer, they've worked on their technique, and Alex Hoffman has done a great job of leading that group.  We've got three seniors on the offensive line so we have leadership and I think we have the ability to be good up front.  Heading into camp, I guess it's a question mark, but I have no doubt that those guys can get it done."

"I like the way their bodies look, and most of them have had personal bests in the weight room," said Coach Jones.  "The big thing is going to be depth. 

Moving the ball last year wasn't a problem - holding on to it was.  The Bearcats committed a league-high 29 turnovers and ranked next-to-last in the country in turnover margin at -15.

"We were number one in the league in scoring, passing offense, and total offense, but we finished where we finished because we turned the ball over," said Coach Jones.

The Bearcats finished 4-8 last year, including 4-7 in games started by Collaros.  After going 30-0 as a starting QB at Steubenville High School and 4-0 while subbing for Tony Pike during the Bearcats' undefeated 2009 regular season, Zach is determined to go out a winner as a senior.

"It's do or die," Collaros said.  "It's been the fastest year of my life leading up to my senior year and I'm excited to get started, but at the same time, it's bittersweet because I don't want it to end.  The only thing on my mind is winning games."

The Heisman Trophy might be a little far-fetched, but a great senior season is a very realistic possibility.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I have finally joined Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

UC senior linebacker JK Schaffer knew what was coming when reporters approached him at Big East Media Day in Newport, RI.

"I expect to hear, 'What are you guys going to do to not give up so many points?'" Schaffer said.

Last season, Cincinnati allowed 336 in 12 games, including 30-or-more in losses to NC State, Oklahoma, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia and UConn.  The Bearcats started 8 sophomores and no seniors on defense, making UC the youngest defensive unit at the BCS level last season. 

"We can't just be older - we have to be better," said head coach Butch Jones.

Having experienced players back should obviously help, but Schaffer says having the entire defensive coaching staff back is just as significant.

"This is the first time since I've been here that we've run the same defense two years in a row," Schaffer told me.  "In camp, we're going to be able to focus on the little things instead of learning a new defense."

"It's critical," said Coach Jones.  "We could go into our meeting rooms this spring and pick up where we left off because we had a knowledge base.  The mental part of it is so big."

When the Bearcats hold their first practice on Monday afternoon, Schaffer expects there to be far less confusion than a year ago.

"Sometimes you would be like, 'Hold on...is that the new defense or the old one?' Schaffer said.  "You would get a little confused when you were out there on the field.  That didn't happen during the games, but it did during fall camp.  If that is happening a few weeks before the season begins, you're in trouble.  This year, I get to spend a camp focusing on the fine details instead of learning new lingo, new signals, and new schemes."

One player to keep on eye on in pre-season camp is junior Walter Stewart who dropped from 4.5 sacks in a part-time role as a redshirt freshman to 2 sacks while starting as a sophomore.  After playing outside linebacker last year, Stewart is moving to defensive end in 2011.

"Walter Stewart has added 38 pounds and he's going to be a force," said Coach Jones.  "We didn't have much of an edge presence last year and I think he is going to help us in that area." 

There are obviously going to be skeptics until the Bearcat defense proves that it is improved in 2011.  With first team All-Big East quarterback Zach Collaros and second team All-Big East running back Isaiah Pead back to lead the offense, doubts about the defense were clearly a big reason why Cincinnati was picked to finish 5^th in the Big East.  

"Bring it," said Schaffer.  "I love being the underdog and underrated.  The driving force behind my whole life is going out and proving people wrong, so I wouldn't want it any other way."

"We're hungry and excited to get things started and if we put our heads down and focus on the bull's eye every day, we'll like our body of work by the end of the season," Jones said.

* * * * *

By now, I'm guessing that most of you know that I'm headed back to Cincinnati full-time.  After spending nearly six years living in Boston and broadcasting Pawtucket Red Sox games in the summer, I am returning to the 'Nati with my wife Peg and son Sam (AKA, "the handsome lad"), to become the Cincinnati Bengals new radio play-by-play announcer.

There is no truth to the rumor that I was traded from New England to Cincinnati for Chad Ochocinco.

One of the best things about the new opportunity is that it will allow me to continue broadcasting UC football and basketball.  It looks like I will miss one Bearcat football game (Akron), but the schedules line up favorably and I'm extremely grateful to UC Athletic Director Mike Thomas, WLW President Chuck Fredrick, and WLW VP of Sports Marketing Joe Fredrick for allowing me to remain with the Bearcats while broadcasting NFL games.

It's going to be crazy at times, but in the words of Jets linebacker Bart Scott:  Can't Wait!

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I have finally joined Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

Before the season began, it was widely speculated that Cincinnati needed to make the NCAA Tournament or Mick Cronin would be fired. 

Moments before the Bearcats played what turned out to be their final game of a phenomenal season; I asked Mick if he expected to lose his job if UC hadn't made the tourney.

"Probably," he said.

Thankfully, that's no longer an issue.  Five years of methodically rebuilding the program without cutting corners has not only enhanced Coach Cronin's job security, but even resulted in a published report last week that Mick was one of the leading candidates to replace John Pelphrey at Arkansas.

"Nobody has contacted me - let's get that on the record," Coach Cronin said.  "Everybody knows that Cincinnati is my dream job.  It's my home and it's where I want to be.  All I'm really concerned about it making sure that the support of our program is commensurate with the expectations.  (Athletic Director) Mike Thomas is working on that with other people, but that's something he and I will discuss when the season is over.  Everybody knows where I want to be, but I do want to make sure that the support of our program is commensurate with the expectations in the Big East.  We have a lot of people in our league with big budgets, and big arenas that are full, and I'd like to try to win a national championship.  We have to continue to improve everything around our program."

As the Enquirer's Bill Koch reported last week, preliminary talks are underway between Mike Thomas and Coach Cronin's agent about a contract extension.  But Mick's immediate priority is to add at least one big man to a recruiting class that is currently rated 22^nd in the country by ESPNU.  Consider the following tweet that Coach Cronin sent to his Twitter followers on the morning after the UConn loss:

Just touched down in Cincinnati. Now its time for the staff and me to hit the recruiting trail. Guys will get the week off for spring break.

UC has already signed five players for next year including three that are ranked in the Rivals Top 150 (Jeremiah Davis #123, Shaquille Thomas #132, Jermaine Sanders #134).  A 26-9 season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament figures to help future recruiting efforts.    

"The hardest thing in recruiting is to get kids to believe in something that they can't see," Coach Cronin said.  "The difference for us now is our recruits can see it.  We don't have to sell a dream or a vision.  We can pop in a tape and show them a team with 26 wins and a team that's won more games five straight years, a coaching staff that's helped players improve each year, that's graduated their players, stood by their players in tough times.  So now it's easier from a recruiting standpoint."

I don't know about you, but I'm already excited about next year's team - especially after Yancy Gates publically stated that he will be back for his senior season.  Yes, we all remember similar statements from Lance Stephenson at this time last year, but Coach Cronin sounds confident that Gates will not change his mind. 

"His father and I talk all of the time about the situation and it's always been the plan for him to play all four years," Mick told me.  "So many college players are a little bit older because they go to prep school or redshirt, but Yancy is still young.  I think his family recognizes that and Yancy deserves credit because he understands it too.  It's always been his intention to play four years at Cincinnati."

Yancy finished his junior year averaging roughly 12 points and 7 rebounds, but in the final 10 games of the year (after getting booed at home vs. St. John's), those averages rose to 15 points and 7.9 rebounds.  Coach Cronin downplays the role he played in Yancy's turnaround.

"You have to give credit to the player when he plays more consistently and matures," Mick said.  "In college basketball, I think coaches are given too much credit for everything that goes well.  I give Yancy all the credit.  I think he's realized that when he plays well and has the right attitude and energy, he has a great impact on our team.  He's looked up to by his teammates and you can see the difference that he's made." 

Assuming that Yancy returns, perhaps the biggest off-season concern will be the Cashmere Wright's troublesome left knee.  The sophomore guard told me after Saturday's game that he'll have another surgical procedure next week after returning from spring break.

"He's been beat up a little bit down the stretch and that's the nature of his knee injury," said assistant coach Larry Davis.  "It's nothing major, but he's going to have to have it cleaned out a little bit.  You could see at times that he was hurting.  In the huddles he was biting on a towel because he was in pain."

Next year the Bearcats will have their top four scorers back, along with their leader in rebounding, assists, blocked shots, and steals.  That sounds like a NCAA Tournament team - led by a coach who won't be on the hot seat. 

"But I'll probably still feel that way next year," Coach Cronin said with a laugh.  "The life of a coach is a funny existence.  I got a trial by fire as a young coach at Murray State.  I went to the NCAA Tournament my first year, but my second year we did not.  Before my third year, I was shopping at Kroger and a guy wished me well.  He said, 'I hope you do well because I would like you to stick around.'  I said, 'What do you mean?'  He said, 'You have to go the tournament this year.  You can't miss it two years in a row.'  So I understood really early as a coach that you had better win.  That's just part of our business."

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I've finally joined Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

Yancy Gates made one three-point basket as a freshman and did not hit a single trey last year.

Of the two he made during the regular season this year, one was a desperation bank shot just before the halftime buzzer in the home finale against Georgetown.

So what does he do in the NCAA Tournament?  Knock down both of his three-point attempts with Reggie Miller-like swishes in the Bearcats 78-63 win over Missouri.

Welcome to March Madness.

"Coach (George) Jackson told me, 'If you're comfortable - just shoot it.  Don't worry about it,'" Yancy said.  "My man never put his hand up, so I just let it go."

Alright, we'll admit it - that was lucky.  But the Bearcats victory was anything but a matter of good fortune.

Given three days to prepare for the so-called "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball," the Bearcats had little trouble with Missouri's swarming defense.  Cincinnati only turned the ball over 11 times against a team that forces an average of 18 turnovers a game.  That prevented Missouri from getting a slew of easy buckets in transition, and allowed the Bearcats to play most of the game at their pace.

"We did a good job of simulating their scrambling and gambling defense at practice by playing 5-on-6 or 5-on-7," Coach Cronin told me.  "The guys got used to securing the basketball and not over-dribbling.  Fortunately, we had some time to prepare.  The way to slow a team like that down is to score on them.  If they have to take the ball out of the basket, they have to deal with your 5-on-5 defense."

Missouri wound up with just 63 points.  That's four more than Cincinnati averages on defense, but it was 18 fewer than the Tigers average on offense.  The Bearcats even forced a 35-second shot clock violation - only the third committed by Mizzou all season.

"Their low point total was accomplished as much on the offensive end as the defensive end," said assistant coach Larry Davis.  "They thrive on stealing the ball and laying it in.  They have a hard time scoring a high number if you don't turn the ball over and for most of the game we did a great job against the press."

While Gates was the obvious star with 18 points (7-8 FG) and 11 rebounds, Cincinnati also got a heroic performance from point guard Cashmere Wright.  His surgically-repaired left knee is clearly giving him trouble, and the sophomore could be seen wincing in pain throughout the game.  But Wright stayed on the court for 32 minutes and finished with 11 points, 7 assists, and only 3 turnovers.

"Cash came in focused," Yancy Gates said.  "His knee has been bothering him and he's been getting treatment to try to keep the pain to a minimum.  The way he came out and showed toughness when we needed him to handle the ball - our point guard really stepped up for us.  He only made three turnovers and that was big."

"I was concerned on Monday because he had a rough day at practice," Coach Cronin said.  "His knee has been giving him trouble over the last month of the season.  We don't talk about it a lot, but it's probably something that he'll have to get fixed after the season.  He's had it drained a few times this year, but fortunately over the last few days, he's been better."

The win over Missouri came six years to the day after Cincinnati's last NCAA tournament victory - a 76-64 win over Iowa in 2005.  After spending five years out of the tournament, the Bearcats are in no hurry to go home.

"You don't realize how much you miss it," Coach Cronin told me.  "I was spoiled as an assistant and in my first few years as a head coach.  You don't realize how hard it is to get here.  I never had to go through a rebuilding project quite like I have at Cincinnati and I never plan on doing it again.  You realize what a privilege it is to be a part of the tournament and how exciting it is.  You don't realize how much you miss something until you get a taste of it again."

Up next, a rematch against the UConn Huskies who beat the Bearcats 67-59 a little less than three weeks ago at Fifth Third Arena.  Cincinnati held Kemba Walker to 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting in the game, but his teammates hit 9-of-15 three point shots (60%).

"I had the scouting report for that game and I look back on it and I'm going to take some of the blame because we emphasized stopping Kemba Walker so hard that maybe we didn't emphasize enough that you can't let their young guys have wide-open shots," said assistant coach Larry Davis.  "We'll approach the game a little bit differently this time around and make sure that our guys know that we have to get to their perimeter guys a little bit tougher.  We can't give them rhythm shots.  Their freshman are playing like veteran guys now.  They've played in the Big East and they know what they're doing.  We have to have a more solid effort against their younger guys and still duplicate what we did against Kemba." 

Saturday night at 9:40 can't get here soon enough.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I've finally joined Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.

There's one bad thing about covering the NCAA Tournament - it actually makes it difficult to follow the NCAA Tournament.  Between attending practices, news conferences, and doing your job, you wind up missing a lot of action going on in the other regions.

But I'm obviously not complaining.  After five long years as a tournament-watching couch potato, it is a huge thrill to be back on the Bearcat beat for March Madness.

Mick Cronin has obviously been there before, including two appearances in his three years at Murray State, but he's justifiably proud to be returning as the head coach of his Alma mater.

"There's a huge feeling of satisfaction to not just be in the tournament, but to be solidly in the tournament," Mick told reporters on Sunday night.  "For the last week we've known we're in, and you want to get the program to the point where you know you're in the tournament, it's just a matter of what your seed is going to be.  We have a bit of an older group, so hopefully we'll have enough maturity to handle it well."

Cincinnati (25-8) earned a #6 seed and opens tournament play on Thursday in Washington, DC vs. #11 Missouri (23-10).  The Tigers, under former UAB coach Mike Anderson, feature a frenetic full-court pressing style of play and rank 2^nd in the nation in steals (9.8) and 9^th in scoring (81.4).  Their team slogan is "the fastest 40 minutes in basketball."

"I have not seen Missouri play - it's probably the only team in the country I haven't seen play all year," Coach Cronin said.  "The second part of Big Monday, I'm driving home from my radio show at the Montgomery Inn and putting Samantha to bed.  I haven't seen the Big 12 in the second half of the doubleheader all year, so I have a lot of Missouri tape to watch."

I watched Missouri play Georgetown on TV in November - a game that saw the Tigers blow a late lead in regulation by missing key free throws down the stretch.  Georgetown's Chris Wright hit a 3-point buzzer beater to force overtime, and the Hoyas went on to win 111-102. 

Mizzou rebounded from that loss to win nine straight, and at one point had a 14-1 record.  But since then, the Tigers are 9-9 and have dropped four of their last five games.  Missouri is one of only four teams in the country to have five players averaging double figures in scoring, but the Tigers are not a great rebounding team as they finished the season with fewer rebounds than their opponents.

The Bearcats will get to work on preparing for the Missouri game on Monday afternoon.  On Sunday night, they were allowed to savor the accomplishment of getting the program back to the Big Dance.   

"I wanted the guys to enjoy the moment," Coach Cronin said.  "I feel really good for the seniors.  I felt really bad for Deonta Vaughn last year.  But for this group of guys - our first real recruiting class - to be able to go out knowing that they've been a part of rebuilding a storied program with great tradition is a source of great pride for them.  They should take a lot of pride in what they've done."

It's great to be back isn't it?

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

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Anyone get a license plate number?

Yikes.  The Bearcats looked like they got flattened on Thursday night by a speeding New York taxi trying to beat a red light.  I'm just happy that the 89-51 loss to Notre Dame didn't end their season. 

The sun came up this morning and I am looking forward to Selection Sunday.

I was hoping to do a Big East Tournament Top 10 list for four straight days, but no such luck.  Here's the final edition for 2011:

1.  25 instead of 38.  The 38-point margin of defeat was the second-largest in Big East Tournament history (Syracuse beat Boston College by 41 in 1999), but the number I'm choosing to focus on is Cincinnati's win total going into the NCAA Tournament.  A 25-8 record including five victories over RPI Top 25 teams - by an average margin of 13 points - is a tremendous accomplishment. 

2.  Selection Sunday.  I always look forward to filling out my bracket (only to lose to the cleaning lady in the office pool), but I don't know that I've ever been more excited about watching the selection show.  Even after the Notre Dame rout, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has UC listed as 24^th overall on his s-curve which would make Cincinnati the final #6 seed.  Whether they're a 6 or 7 seed, at least we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bearcats are in.

3.  Broadway Smashed.  While the Bearcats had a great team outing to a soul food restaurant in Harlem on Tuesday night, Notre Dame Coach Mike Brey took his squad to see the Broadway show "Jersey Boys."

"I wanted them to see the best actors and chemistry and how a group plays off of each other because I believe that's what they've done this year," Brey told reporters after the win over UC.  "We were like 'Jersey Boys' tonight.  We were all doing our thing."

I'm fairly certain that the Bearcats did not attend a special preview of the ill-fated Broadway production of Spider-Man.

4.  Defensive Disaster.  So how did the Big East's top-ranked defense allow 89 points to a team that only scored 66 points against UC in South Bend in January?

"In every meeting that we had, Coach Cronin told them that we had to be the aggressor in this game, but they got us back on our heels and we just never recovered from it," assistant coach Larry Davis told us on the radio post-game show.  "They came out and shot a high percentage from three point range early in the game.  We switched to zone and as soon as we did they banged two or three 3-pointers in.  It just got discouraging at that point.  Our guys didn't throw in the towel, but you could see that their body language dropped.  They didn't have that 'pop' and quit doing the things that normally makes us a really good defensive team."

"I didn't think we were capable of playing 'D' as bad as we did tonight, but they made a lot of shots - a lot of shots - especially early," Yancy Gates said.  "Coming out of the press, they did a good job of getting us to collapse and kicking it out, but they came out ready to play."

5.  No Serious Injuries.  As rotten as Bearcat fans felt last night, it pales in comparison to what St. John's fans are experiencing after learning that senior D.J. Kennedy will miss the NCAA Tournament after tearing his ACL in Thursday's loss to Syracuse.  The son of former Bearcat Puffy Kennedy (still UC's all-time leader in steals) is one of the most versatile players in the Big East, and you can't help but feel sick for a kid who has endured three tough seasons only to miss out on his first trip to March Madness.

"I've wanted to play in the NCAA Tournament since I picked up a basketball in grade school, and this is a real blow," said Kennedy in the New York Post.

6.  Déjà vu.  Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism following the loss to Notre Dame is Bearcats ability to rebound from their lowest moments this season.  Lose at home to St. John's? ... bounce back with consecutive wins over Louisville, Providence, and Georgetown.  Lose at home to UConn? ... answer with a road win at Marquette.

"We have shown the ability to bounce back, and I know that Coach Cronin will get them prepared," coach Larry Davis told me.  "We'll put this one in the rearview mirror and move forward.  There's no choice.  We've got to."

7.  Yancy Gates.  It was not a great offensive performance as Yancy went 4-for-10 from the floor, but I thought he was the one Bearcat who stuck to the game plan and never stopped fighting against Notre Dame.  Yancy finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists.  Over his last eight games, Gates is averaging 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds.

"He's played really hard now for eight games in a row and has tried to lead the team," Coach Davis said.  "He was the one guy in the huddles who just kept saying to the guys, 'Come on man - keep playing.'  That's a good sign of his maturity because under adversity tonight he just kept playing."

8.  Cashmere Wright.  Simply put, the Bearcats will struggle to advance in the NCAA Tourney if Wright does not play well, because they do not have a true back-up point guard.  Cashmere had 2 points and 2 assists in 16 minutes against Notre Dame and did not do a great job on the defensive end.  If he plays like he did against Louisville (20 points) and Providence (11 points, 11 assists), the Bearcats can play with anybody. 

9.  Positive Publicity.  There's a huge headline in Friday's New York Post that reads, "Cincy's New York Accent."  The story is about Cincinnati's recent success at recruiting in New York and includes this paragraph:

"It started with Lance," Coach Cronin said, referring to former Lincoln High School star Lance Stephenson, who chose Cincy over St. John's.  "He was such a highly regarded player, and for him to come here and then to go the NBA, Lance did all that but we get the credit."

You can read the entire story here.

10.  Moving On.  As painful as the Notre Dame game was, we'll barely remember it if Cincinnati wins two games next week and advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 10 years.  That season (2000-01), the Bearcats were a 5^th seed after losing to Charlotte in the Conference USA Tournament - a game that saw the 'Cats get destroyed on the boards 45 to 29. 

"The one thing about the NCAA Tournament is that everybody is 0-0 when you get there," Coach Davis said.  "Once you get in, anybody can get beat and anybody can advance.  We'll rest and give them a couple of days off to clear their minds and rest their bodies a little bit.  Rashad's toe is a little injured and Cashmere's got sore knees, so we've got guys that are banged up a little bit.  Come Monday, we'll get back in the gym.  We'll know who are opponent is, we'll prepare, and we'll be ready to rock-n-roll on Thursday or Friday."

"It's my feeling in March in tournament play, you've got to be aggressive," Coach Cronin told me.  "You can't worry about losing, you need to throw the first punch and try to get the other team on their heels.  You can't think about what's at stake and 'If we lose we're going home.'  Scared money never wins, so you've got to stay aggressive."

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

And I've finally joined Facebook.  Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the photo of me with the handsome lad.