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If he's time to get to know the faux BYU
basketball prepping, getting ready, try to find a way get
back on the right track versus the Cincinnati Bearcatch b
Yu is a slight favorite in UH per esp and analytics,
but a slight dog per Vegas. We're gonna get to
know the foe in this segment and it's gonna be
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dot Com. Let's get out to the hotline and welcome
in American Radio Intellivision sportscaster. The voice of this is
an Eddie Bearcats. We got Dan Horde on the line. Dan,
how the heck are you? Ben?
Speaker 4: I'm great? How are you?
Speaker 2: Hey?
Speaker 3: I'm doing fantastic. Appreciate you hopping on and talking some ball.
Speaker 2: With us today.
Speaker 5: How you feeling about them Bearcats?
Speaker 2: Right now?
Speaker 4: They're playing great? They really have since the beginning of February.
The worry in Cincinnati is that it's too late. The
resume before Big Twelve conference play started wasn't good. It's
dragging them down right now. But over the last months,
this has looked like an NCAA tournament team and moreover,
looked like one of the best teams in the Big Twelve.
It's been quite a turnaround over the last four weeks
or so.
Speaker 3: How did they turn it around? How did they get
on the right track? What happened?
Speaker 5: Was it a coaching staff, personnel change?
Speaker 2: What was it?
Speaker 4: The offense is playing well, and prior to February first,
it was one of the worst offensive teams in the league.
Some of that's coaching, some of that is players playing better.
Some of it is subtle tweaks in personnel. It's a
little bit of all of it. But if you want
something just kind of statistically to look at going into
the game tonight, they've won five of their last six
during that stretch, which seven foot two sophomore Mustafa cham
Is averaging twenty and ten and Boba Miller, who's more
or less kind of a point forward. He's six eleven,
but he handles the ball a lot. Has really good
perimeter skills. He's averaging almost six assists a game at
six eleven, So those two guys, more than anything else,
have driven this surge.
Speaker 3: It's incredible to watch kind of the Big Twelve have
these undulations. Right in football, it was anybody can beat anybody,
right in Big Twelve.
Speaker 2: I didn't think it would be that way.
Speaker 3: But now we're getting to the point late in the
regular season and truly anybody can beat anybody, as some
of these teams that were struggling early on are now
hitting their stride leading up to March Madness.
Speaker 4: Well, I hope that's the case tonight because Cincinnati could
really use Kansas State to beat West Virginia. So I'm
hoping one of those teams that hasn't been playing very
well over the course of the season rises up and
gets a big win tonight. But I'm not surprised that
this is the best conference in college basketball. Clearly a
few teams have separated themselves at the top. I don't
think there's any question that you know, Arizona and Houston
are the best, and Texas Tech is right there, and
even having lost JT Top and they're still playing like
one of their top teams in the league, but everybody
else is good. If you fiddle around on any given night,
you will lose, and unfortunately, Cincinnati has a few of
those losses on his resume this year.
Speaker 3: Who do you feel like, how many teams rather will
the Big twelve get into the NCAA Tournament? Have you
reviewed kind of the standings recently and looked at the
seating and the bracketology. I know Joe puts out his bracketology.
Seems like every single day. Where do you stand in
that debate? How many seeds does the Big twelve deserve?
Even you know, kind of projecting obviously what would happen
in the Big twelve tournament?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I look at it closely every day because Cincinnati
right now is on the outside looking in. Our hopes
are kind of dangling by a thread. I think if
the tournament started today, eight Big Twelve teams would be in,
seven would be locks, and TCU would be the eighth.
Right now, Joe Lonardi has TCU with a ten seed,
so they're not right on the cut line, they're a
little bit better than that. And then after that West
Virginia and Cincinnati are probably the two teams next on
the list. Depending on which bracketologist you look at, one
might be a little bit higher than the other. If
you look at the net ranking, Cincinnati is better. Cincinnati
is forty ninth, West Virginia is fifty eighth. Unfortunately for Cincinnati,
at least West Virginia went two and oh against the Bearcats.
So you would think if those two are close and
either gets in by virtue of a two and zero
record against Cincinnati West VIRGINI would have a pretty good
argument it should be.
Speaker 3: Then, what do you feel like needs to happen tonight
in order for Cincinnati to come out on top and
try to secure that NCAA bid with a big time win.
I know, bo he's out of the top twenty five,
and they've lost eight of the last twelve. They're in
a bit of a downspiral, but it would still be
a big win for Cincinnati to finish out the season huge.
Speaker 4: It's a Quad one opportunity for Cincinnati. Their last two
regular season games are home tonight against BYU Rode on
Saturday against TCU. If Cincinnati wins both of those games
and adds two Quad one wins to the resume, now
their chances of being a Bubble team are much much
better going to the Big Twelve tournament. So it's a
huge game for Cincinnati tonight. I think in order for
the Bearcats to win, it really comes down to their
offensive play. They've been a very good defensive team all
season long, and I think in the Ken Palm ratings
going into the game tonight, the thirteenth in the country
in defense. They're won twenty ninth in offense, which sounds terrible,
but since the start of February they're in the top
twenty five on offense. So they've gone from being a
horrifically bad offensive team really early in the season to
a really good one lately. And if that continues tonight,
because their defense has been reliable, they'll be tough to
beat at home.
Speaker 3: Let's get to know the personnel a little bit better.
Give us a scattering report on the bearcats best players
and Kugarnation needs to keep their eye on in this game.
Speaker 4: Let's start with Mustapha choms So. Mustafa played at UCF
last year as a eighteen year old freshman, led the
Big Twelve in block shots. He led the nation in
block shots for freshmen last year, and Cincinnati was able
to take him away from a division rival in the
transfer portal. He's kind of had an up and down season,
but lately he's been spectacular in his last three games
twenty eight against Kansas, twenty one against Texas Tech, twenty
four against Oklahomloma State. He had one twenty point game
in the first fifty eight games of his college career.
Now he's had three in a row. He's seven to two,
he's got a seven to six wingspan, he's got great touch.
He looks like a first round draft pick right now.
I don't know if that's going to be the case,
but he's playing great at the moment. Boba Miller is
a six' ELEVEN i kind of described him as a
point forward. Earlier he Leads cincinnati in scoring at thirteen point.
Seven he Leads cincinnati in rebounding at nine point. Nine
he's averaging about six assist a game over his last six,
games almost at a triple double On saturday Against Oklahoma.
State so he is an excellent all around player and
another guy who could play in THE. Nba their starting
guards are familiar names To big twelve fans because they've
been cincinnati starting backcourt for the last couple of, Years
Dayde thomas And Gisel. James they both average about eleven
points a. Game both really good three point. Shooters dada
is hitting forty percent for the. Year he made seven
in his last. Game Jessel james is hitting forty four
percent this. Year he made six last year in a
win OVER. Byu so they can both light you up
from the. Outside and then the fifth, Starter Jalen celestine
played with The Robert Righted baylor last. Year another good
three point. Shooter he makes thirty eight percent and that's
pretty much his. Game nearly eighty percent of his shots
come from outside the. Ark so he's one of those
guys that if you leave him, open he will make you.
Speaker 3: Pay what is it that the coaching staff and maybe the.
PLAYERS i don't know if you guys have had your
media availability as you prep for by you're going to
be doing that maybe prior to tip. Off but what
have you been hearing ABOUT, Byu This bielu basketball, team
where they're at right now in the scouting board.
Speaker 4: On them one of the best teams in the. Country
obviously one of the best offensive. TEAMS i should clarify
in the. Country even you, know after Losing Richie, saunders
which is a huge. Loss when you've got a duo
Like devonsa and right you present headaches for any team's.
Defense LIKE i, Said cincinnati is a really good defensive,
team but there have been nights where they have struggled
in this. League they had a tough game defensively Against
Texas tech last. Week they had a tough game on
the road defensively At utah earlier this year where they
did not play on the defensive. End so they know
with that duo right In, debonsa that if they don't
bring it, defensively they could wind up giving up a
bunch of. Points, tonight.
Speaker 3: Talking TO byu Versus cincinnati here on Your UTAH Espn
Radio network with the voice of The, Bearcats we've Got
Dan horde on the. Line brought to you by Rubies
in Rubies in Dot. COM i found it interesting THAT
Espn analytics slightly FAVORING, byu But vegas is favoring the
sixteen to Thirteen. Bearcats The bearcats have won what SIX
i want to say six five out of the last
six or six out of the last. Seven where they
at right, now as far as their winning streak is concerned.
Speaker 4: Five out of. Six but even beyond just the wins and,
losses it's how they're winning these. Games so during the
six game, stretch they BEAT, UCF ucfs AND ncaa tournament
team beat them by twenty went on the road To
Kansas state one by twenty, nine went on the road
To kansas one by, Sixteen bill self's most lopsided home
loss ever in twenty three years At kansas Beat Oklahoma
state in their last game by twenty. Three so they're
not only, winning they're crushing, teams which is really hard
to do against anybody in The Big twelve unless You're
houston Or. Arizona so it's not just the fact that
they've won five out of. Six they're really playing.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah it seems like they've found their.
Speaker 3: Identity what's the culture like in that locker room when
there was adversity going?
Speaker 2: On what was the culture like?
Speaker 3: Then and as it stayed pretty, consistent and where does
that culture really stem from that baseline that kept them
consistent throughout The big twelve.
Speaker 4: SCHEDULE i think their, Coach Wes miller's done a nice
job of. That as the team's radio, Announcer i'm around them,
REGULARLY i travel on the team, Playing i'm in the, hotel.
ETC i haven't really seen that change all. YEAR i
Think wes did a nice job of keeping them, focused
keeping them together when things weren't going. Well what has
changed is the feeling in the fan. BASE i, mean
people were really down on the, Coach they were really
down on this. Team people started talking about who the
next coach is going to, be thinking That wes wouldn't
keep his. Job now people are talking about can this
team sneak into THE ncaa? Tournament what the atmosphere is
going to be like tonight for their senior night when
this team is playing so. Well SO i would say
the feeling among the fan base has changed a lot
more than the feeling inside the locker.
Speaker 3: Room what Is Fifth arena like for Those bway fans
that are taking their families out there to watch this?
Speaker 4: Game historically, tremendous generally. Packed it seats about twelve. THOUSAND
i would expect it to be packed. Tonight the student
section is great behind both, baskets and it'll definitely be rocking.
Tonight you, know in this day and age where a
lot of teams don't have players that stick around for several.
Years Dayde thomas will be honored On Senior. Night he's
been here for three. Years he's going to get a tremendous,
reception and you, know the fan base will be hoping
he picks up where he left off On, saturday because
he had one of his best games Against Oklahoma.
Speaker 3: State it's a nine Pm eastern tip, OFF i. Believe
and you, know how Is cincinnati played at home this?
Speaker 2: Year?
Speaker 4: GREAT i, mean they've had a couple of, slips but
by and, large they played really well at. Home it
was their play on the road that was really causing
problem for much of the. Season they did not have
a road win until about three weeks, ago a road
two road game or neutral court. Game then they finally
got to win At Kansas. State they followed it up
with another win At Kansas then they went To Texas,
tech jumped out to a nine point lead in the first.
Half the game was still close late in the game
And Texas tech played really well and pull it. Out
pulled it. Out but for the most part at home
they've been really good this.
Speaker 3: YEAR i believe this is the SEVENTH i want to,
say all time meeting between the two programs four since
they've joined The Big twelve prior to the twenty twenty
three twenty twenty four. Season the series is actually tied
three all and The cougars are one and one all
time In cincinnati with their lone win in The queen
of The west come. BACK i guess On january, third
nineteen thirty.
Speaker 2: One that's going way. Back that's. Crazy.
Speaker 3: Anyway what's interesting about these two teams is they're eight and.
Eight both of these teams are eight to eight And
big twelve, plots so when it really.
Speaker 5: Matters they're on equal footing in The Big.
Speaker 4: Twelve, yeah and something very important to keep in mind,
now each team has two games left in the regular.
Season if you finish in the top eight in The Big,
twelve you don't have to play In round one of
The Big twelve. Tournament if you finish ninth and, below
you do. So right, now you've really got five teams
fighting to avoid having to play In round. One the
two teams that are tied for SIXTH ucf AND, tcu
they're both nine and, seven and then the three teams
tied for, Eights West, VIRGINIA byu And. Cincinnati two of
those five teams are going to get stuck playing in
the first. Round and let's face, it if you have
any dream of trying to win The Big twelve tournament
or at least make it to the semifinals or the,
finals having to win an extra game makes it a lot.
Tougher SO i think there's a lot of incentive for
those five teams to finish strong and avoid having to
play On tuesday night In Kansas.
Speaker 3: City how Has cincinnati fared in the first half of these?
Speaker 2: Games During big twelve? Play The cougars have trailed.
Speaker 3: In the teams consistently In big twelve play and even
in non conference.
Speaker 2: PLAY i think they've trailed by fourteen at half.
Speaker 3: Time Versus West, virginia they've trailed by sixteen nineteen twenty.
Speaker 2: One sometimes they come.
Speaker 3: Back sometimes WELL i think they always come back and
they make. IT i GUESS i respectable loss more often than.
Not but they struggle in the first. Half that's the
way to get up on The kugs and keep them
down and make sure you win. Games how Was cincinnati
faired to the first.
Speaker 4: Half you, know it's kind of a split Before february,
first Since february, First so those games THAT i described
were they've won game after game by twenty. Plus they've
been good from start to. Finish even The Texas tech,
game the one time they've lost in the last, six
they started that game nine for nine and made four to.
Three it was. Insane i've never seen A cincinnati team
play like that to begin a, game and that was
on the road against one of the best teams in the.
Country so, honestly in their last six they've played well
in the first half and the second. Half prior to,
that it varied from game to. Game there were games
that they played well in the first half and there
were others where you wondered where their minds.
Speaker 3: Were, yeah it's always intriguing to see how trends play.
Out but we kind of know WHO byu is right,
now AND i don't know if they can they can
really change their. Stripes the zebra looks looks, like you,
know we know exactly what THIS byu basketball team. Is
it'll be intriguing to see how they fare out there In.
Cincinnati but AND i just CAN'T i can't put my
finger yet on on who This cincinnati team, is though
it seems like they've trended in this. Direction they found their,
identity their, toughness their, grit but still some question mark
maybe with their identity and where they're going to get
wins versus maybe a team LIKE.
Speaker 4: Byu, well, SEE i Think, cincinnati and as you noted,
earlier is a slight favorite at least By vegas' measurements
going into the game. TONIGHT i think favored by a
point and a. Half to, me that feels about. Right
that's how they're playing right. Now home court is always
a big advantage in college. Hoops B yu obviously had
the talent to win here and maybe they do, tonight
But cincinnati is going to be formidable on its home
court this.
Speaker 3: Evening, dan you also are the voice of The Cincinnati.
Bengals we got a Former cougar out there booting the
football doing some good, Work Ryan Rico Rico suave as
we like to call. See you guys need to implement
this if you can put it forth to THE SI,
d THE pr. Department every time he trots out onto
the football field the, punt you guys need to be
playing That Rico suave song from THE i believe it
was the Nine.
Speaker 2: We get.
Speaker 4: Jokes, yeah we could probably get that. Done there are
more Cousin rico references From Napoleon. DYNAMITE i think from
a fan, BASE i call him robo leg because of
the way that he crushes the. Football BUT i WANT
byu fans to know That Ryan rico has become a
fan favorite here In cincinnati for what he's. Done in
his first two years as A. Bengal he averaged more
than fifty yards of punt this. Year he was one
of four guys in THE nfl to do that for
his career so far forty nine point. NINE i don't
think there has ever been a punter IN nfl history
who's averaged more than fifty per punt for his. Career
So ryan is just under. That after two. Seasons his
net punting wasn't quite as good as the raw. Average
he Was knights in THE nfl in net. Punting that's
because he had a lot of. Touchbacks he had eleven.
Touchbacks but he really cut down on that in the
second half of the. Season that's what he's going to
be working on going. Forward if he cuts that number in,
half he'll be a pro. Bowler and the other thing
THAT i admire About ryan is that prior to last,
season the dude went out and bought a jugs machine
to become a better. Holder his, Wife, hadley puts the
footballs into the jugs machine so he can practice his.
Holding because the best of The Bengals special teams Coordinator
Darren simmons, says in this day and, age as good
as field goal kickers have, become holding is sixty percent
of the punter's job between field goals and extra. Points
So ryan made a concerted effort to become a better.
Holder evan, McPherson The bengals, kicker had a tremendous, season
And ryan and the jugs machine that he PURCHASED i
think were a big reason. Why so kudos To Ryan
rigo are thrilled to have him here In, cincinnati and.
Speaker 3: Shout out to his wonderful wife for participating. TOO i,
mean that's a great help meet right.
Speaker 4: There no doubt he married well and she's done an
excellent job of helping him become a very consistent. HOLDER
i asked the special teams coordinator when somebody tries to
be to become a better, holder what what is it
is he trying to become? Faster and he, said, no
it is being able to put the ball in the
exact same spot. Consistently, yeah and that's What Ryan rigou
has improved.
Speaker 3: Upon it's impressive to become a fan favorite as a,
punter you, KNOW i, see have you heard The Rico
suave song?
Speaker 4: Before? Dan, Sure i'm old enough to remembering The rico?
Speaker 5: SWAT i mean, THIS i, mean can we make this a?
THING i, MEAN i.
Speaker 3: DON'T i Think ryan would be okay with this is
a great song to trot out to the field with.
Speaker 5: That, YEAH i get you don't want, to you, know
change the.
Speaker 3: Mojo he's been putting at a high, level maybe even
a pro bow. Level he had the longest punt of his,
career like eighty. YARDS i, mean he's he's doing great.
Work i'm just, saying like we should at least have the.
Speaker 4: Conversation the eighty yard punt was in His bengals, debut
so that helped him immediately put his name on the
map In. Cincinnati now we're not talking about closers coming
out of the. BULLPEN i think THE nfl, has you,
know very specific rules for the use of music during.
PLAY i don't know if you can fire up the
saw them when the punter takes the. Field this is
not the closer trotting in from the, pen So i'd
have to double check on, that but that might make
that hard to.
Speaker 3: Do all, Right, WELL i mean it's an old enough song,
now and it's it was popular in his.
Speaker 2: Time it can't be that.
Speaker 3: That expensive to get distribution rights for that little.
Speaker 2: Excerpt at LEAST i have fingers.
Speaker 3: CROSSED i think there's a lot of people of my
generation that are also football fans that grew up with
The Rico.
Speaker 2: Suave, Anyway, dan we.
Speaker 3: Appreciate, you, man appreciate you hopping. On how do you
see this befo You cincinnati game playing out tonight At
Fifth Third.
Speaker 4: Arena nail, Bider probably a fairly high scoring, game even
Though cincinnati is really good. Defensively that's WHAT i think
OF byu, Offensively So i'm thinking a like three point
game in the high. Seventies we'll. See i'm the voice
of The. Bearcats i'm gonna have to predict That cincinnati,
wins but we'll, see all, Right.
Speaker 2: Dan we.
Speaker 3: Salutor we appreciate, you thanks for hopping. On let us
know if we can do anything for. You thanks for
spending some time with us.
Speaker 2: Today my.
Speaker 4: Pleasure thanks for having me On Diego.
Speaker 3: This Dan, horde the voice of The Cincinnati bearcats on
some key stats obviously there as we get prep get
ready for this bill As Cincinnati bearcat MATCHUP byu twenty
nine overall the, season The bearcat sixteen and. Thirteen they're
both eight and eight in conference play, though And Ken
palm HAS byu at twenty, third still in the top twenty.
Five you, know they're outside the top twenty five and
the eight People cincinnati not too far off here at forty,
four and Then bay's net is twenty first And cincinnati's
net is forty ninth right.
Speaker 2: Now so this.
Speaker 3: Is a good basketball team that's trending in the right.
Direction cincinnati use B yu not trending.
Speaker 2: In the right. Direction they have two different.
Speaker 3: Trajectories bay is the better overall, record but they have
the same the same record In Big twelve, play and
that's Why cincinnati is actually a slight favorite being on
their home. Court so MAYBE byu finds a way to
have a good first half and can finish out with great,
effort great. Rebounding we, hope we, pray but, anyway, guys
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