One of my favorite Journey songs, “Separate Ways,” begins with the lyrics “Here we stand.” It seems like an appropriate thing to say after a disappointing 80-76 loss Wednesday night for the Cincinnati Bearcats, this one to an Oklahoma State team that entered tied with the worst record in Big 12 play.
It’s a crushing loss, no doubt, for the Bearcats. When you’re squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, you have to win the games you’re “supposed to” win. A win Wednesday night would have given the Bearcats consecutive wins in Big 12 play for the first time this season. Getting over the hump and figuring out how to win is something Wes Miller mentioned this team still needs to do, and Miller said it’s on him to figure it out. Bearcats fans were upset, frustrated, angry on social media after the game. There’s a sentiment that hopes of this team making the NCAA Tournament are evaporating as quickly as the snow throughout the tristate. But is it really over for the Bearcats? Are there any positives that can come out of Wednesday night? Let’s assess where thigs stand with the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Here we stand, with the Cincinnati Bearcats at 16-10 overall and 5-8 in Big 12 play. As of Thursday afternoon, that’s still good for 10th in the Big 12 standings. That means the Bearcats wouldn’t have to play until Wednesday night in the Big 12 Tournament. They are still only one game back of Oklahoma and Texas, with still another game at Oklahoma on Tuesday, March 5th. They are also only two games back of TCU and BYU, teams the Bearcats already have wins against with another game at TCU this Saturday afternoon.
As for NCAA Tournament projections, it’s better than maybe some of you dreadfully think. As of Thursday, CBS’s Jerry Palm and FOX’s Mike DeCourcy both still have Cincinnati in the First Four Out. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology comes out Friday morning. But I think what Palm and DeCourcy are showing us is that the Bearcats are getting the benefit of the doubt playing in the Big 12. For what it’s worth, Oklahoma State is 4-3 in their last seven games. That includes 93 and 80 points in their last two games, both wins over BYU and the Bearcats. Maybe they weren’t as bad as their record showed. And, keep in mind, the Bearcats still own three Top 25 wins in Big 12 play. They also have three wins on the road in Big 12 play, all Quad 1 wins. The Bearcats also still have not lost a game by double-digit points in Big 12 play.
There is talent on this team. Is this a young Bearcats team? Yes. Is this team inexperienced? Yes. I get it, CJ Fredrick and Aziz Bandaogo have played a lot of college basketball, as has Simas Lukosius. But this is the Big 12, a whole different animal when it comes to competition. Every game feels like a tug-of-war when it comes to in-game momentum. The reality is this Bearcats team doesn’t know how to consistently do what it takes to win these Big 12 games. That’s why they’ve lost to West Virginia and Oklahoma State. That’s why they lost back-to-back games to Houston and Iowa State. That’s why they’ve lost eight of 12 since starting Big 12 play with a win at then No. 12 BYU.
