#5 – 2016-17 – 30-6 Overall (16-2 AAC)
This was the first instance of a Mick Cronin led team reaching maximum potential with a solid roster from top to bottom. It featured senior guards Troy Caupain and Kevin Johnson, transfer big Kyle Washington joining Gary Clark and Jacob Evans, and incoming freshman Jarron Cumberland and Tre Scott. They finished 2nd in the American to a blistering 17-1 SMU, who would beat out the Cats for the American tourney title as well. The team averaged 74 points a game while holding opponents to 61 en route to one of the worst tournament draws in recent memory for the Bearcats. At 30-6 UC was given a No. 6 seed and sent out to California to set up a matchup in the second round against No. 3 seed UCLA, who should have been at least a No. 2 and certainly not the No. 3 seed the Bearcats matched up against. The Cats would lose 79-67 ending Cronin’s best season in his UC career to this point. Unfortunately, losing in the 2nd round of the tournament is going to be a theme for the teams featured on this list.
