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2008 Cincinnati Basketball Preview & Season Predictions

Written October 13, 2008 by Jack Jones

The Cincinnati basketball team is getting better, but they are still not where they want to be. Mick Cronin came in two years ago and racked up just two conference wins in 2006-07, but jumped that total up to eight in 2007-08. The Bearcats made the Big East tournament and progressed throughout the year. Now Cincinnati has to overcome losing three of their five starters, but there is hope with All-Big East junior guard Deonta Vaughn returning, six sophomores and Texas transfer Mike Williams. Still, the experts who set the college basketball odds feel like this team has a long way to go, as the Bearcats are listed at 20-to-1 to win the Big East.

Williams is a former McDonald’s All-American should provide some leadership for a young team, but the problem with him is that he hasn’t been on the floor much after missing the last two years. He has the talent to dominate games though. Rashad Bishop saw a lot of time as a freshman, and will be counted on to produce consistently as a sophomore. Anthony McClain is a 7-foot center who battled foot injuries in his freshman campaign, but the team is hoping that off-season surgery will have him healthy and ready to go this winter. Nick Aldridge transferred from Western Carolina but won’t be eligible until the second semester.

Cashmere Wright is being counted on to step in and provide a spark of offense for Cincinnati. The freshman is extremely fast and good at getting to the hole. If he lives up to the hype then look for an even better year out of Vaughn. He has improved his shooting each year as a Bearcat and is coming off a year in which he scored 17.3 points per game on 44% shooting, 40% from behind the 3-point line. Dion Dixon is another great shooter coming in this freshman class, and Larry Davis will add depth to the backcourt.

Final Analysis

This team lacks experience and is counting on a lot of fresh faces to contribute right away. That could cause some early growing pains for Cronin and the Bearcats, but if things gel together then Cincinnati might be alright. I think they post a winning record and end up in the bottom half of the conference, making the tournament and probably an NIT berth. Don’t count on much more than that though. The odds at BetUS on Cincinnati winning the national championship are 150-to-1. Read our BetUS review to see why we like that sportsbook.

Get ready to win more with your college basketball betting this year. The expert handicappers at our site deliver winning basketball picks each day of the season, so you know who to take night in and night out.