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Get to know the Cougar's opponents and rivals right now.
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It is time to get to another faux bleu basketball
and a bit.
Speaker 2: Of a spiral.
Speaker 3: Right now, we've seen the good, the bad, the beautiful,
the ugly of this Boe basketball team.
Speaker 2: They have lost eight out of their last twelve.
Speaker 3: They're trying to get back on the right track and
maybe have a bit more sense of urgency, uh at
least defensively. For the love of all that's holly, they
face Cincinnati. We're gonna get to another foe up next.
How many games will by you win UH in this
regular season, the ending of the regular season, in the
Big twelve tournament, and in the NCAA tournament. How many
wins do they have left in them? Chime in on that.
I'll be putting that out here shortly. All right, we're
gonna get to know the Phother segments brought to you
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Let them earn your business today. Let's get out to
the hotline.
Speaker 2: Welcome in.
Speaker 3: Scott Springer be writer for the Cincinnati Inquirer. UH to
get to know the phone a little bit better. Scott,
how the heck are you, buddy?
Speaker 4: What's going on? Ben?
Speaker 2: Living the dream man?
Speaker 3: Just uh, you know, it's a Monday, solving the problems
of the day, commenting all the news and notes of
the day.
Speaker 2: Man, how are things with you?
Speaker 5: Well, we had some snow flurries here, so it come March.
We get tired of that stuff. But you guys, you
still snow on the ground there or what.
Speaker 3: We need your snow? Bring it over here. Man, We're
in a high desert right now. We need more moisture.
You guys took it all the East coast took all
of these snow. It seems like this year.
Speaker 5: Yeah, well there was a bundle here.
Speaker 4: I was out.
Speaker 5: They had the two games swing in Arizona, so my
wife actually came with me, and I couldn't get home
because of the snow here. And I got absolutely no
sympathy because I'm in Arizona it's eighty degrees. But I
told him, I said, I'm not smart enough to make
this up that the planes are not getting out to
Phoenix and I can't get home.
Speaker 4: So it wasn't that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, there's good and bad to it all,
but I'm glad you're doing well. And give us a
little breakdown. Who is this Cincinnati basketball team this year?
What's their identity? What are their mantras? Was the culture?
Speaker 4: Like?
Speaker 2: Right now? How have they fared thus far the season?
Speaker 5: Well, they're on an upswing. They've won five of their
last six. But you know there was a time when
they were one hunder five hundred. They lost to West Virginia.
They lost both games to West Virginia. And you guys
know plenty about the Mountaineers now and they give people
fits and hope coliseums. So there's nothing new there. But
the last game Cincinnati had one of the starters out
still was winning by fourteen against the Mountaineers managed to lose,
and they have dropped a lot of games that were
very winnable, And you know, West Miller was apologizing to
the radio audience, to the guys in the media room,
there was some kid had a camera on him. He
turns around and approaches him, and that kind of seemed
like the bottom. But since then, you've got five wins
out of your last six and then two to play,
and just like BYU is wanting to win to enhance
their resume. Cincinnati just wants to have a resume, and
they pretty much have to win these next two, I
would think, and then maybe get one in Kansas City
and the tournament to get off the bubble or wherever
anyone thinks.
Speaker 4: I think they're the.
Speaker 5: Next four out right now. So if it involves out,
that means you're not in.
Speaker 4: So you got to do some work.
Speaker 2: Man four.
Speaker 3: They've won four to their last five games were like
five out of the last six games. They're on a
bit of a tear right now. The only laws was
to Texas Tech. Texas Tech playing well despite losing one
of their best players, JT Topping. So what has changed
since that West Virginia lost? How have they been able
to get back on track?
Speaker 5: And it seems like they've been able to throw it
in the post a little bit better and they've gotten
more production from those guys. Boba Miller pretty much averages
a double double, but the Mestapha Chalmers really come on.
Last three games, he's had over twenty points. The last
game he had a career hide in rebounds with fifteen
and he's shooting little bit from the outside too, so
that's kind of opened some things up. He was very
good against Kansas, they both were, and if those two
guys are on that helps. When they've been held, you know,
in single digits, it doesn't work out so well. So
they've played well and then they've started to hit some threes.
They made twelve against Kansas at foug Allen and fourteen
the other day against Oklahoma State, and I think they
had sixteen against Kansas State. Now they've not shot like
that with regularity. There's been games where they've only made
three or four. But things seem to be coming together.
They've had injuries like everyone else has injuries, and you know,
obviously you guys have Ritchie Saunders out and that's a
huge factor there. But they've just never played with the
roster that they thought they were going to have at
the beginning of the year. It's always been somebody's been
out for one reason or another. And there's a guy
sitting out with a medical redshirt right now or trying
to get a medical red shirt. That would only help them,
but this is the way college basketball is at this point.
They don't want to waste the year, and by putting
him in right now because he's a grad student trying
to get another year, so he would help him. But
basketball is a totally different game. Sometimes there's not so
much team, it's more individual, and that's unfortunate sometimes.
Speaker 3: Yep, it's a crazy basketball world we're living in. The
Big twelve is pretty crazy right now. BYU started hot,
they're in the drags right now, trying to find a
way to win. Cincinnati on the upswing. Even UCF, I
feel like they're on the up swing. They were kind
of in you know, they were not predicted, projected to
be one of the best teams in the Big twelve.
Speaker 2: How would you describe the Big Twelve thus far this season?
Speaker 5: Jakol and Hyde, You just don't know. I mean, Utah
gave you guys a decent game. Utah came here and
play the Bearcats tough. They had to squeak that one out.
And Utah's at the bottom of the Big Twelve right now.
They can turn around beat anyone. So it's just that, well,
you can't, you can't take a day off. Someone will
get you. UCF, as you mentioned that they want out there.
I watched some of that game and that was that
score was a bit of a surprise to me. Iowa
States good, but then Iowa State has lost a few
here and there. Texas Tech looks still really good without.
Speaker 4: J T topping.
Speaker 5: I mean, they had guys knocking down threes, and their
their home court is big, just like your home court
is normally big. And it's it's really tough to get
a road win in the Big Twelve, and really tough
to get any win in the Big Twelve. You can't
just take anyone for granted. You know, the Cincinnati used
to be in the American Athletic Conference, and you know
there'd be a couple of days, you know, maybe you
could get a day off with a Southern miss or
in East Carolina, and I hope did not make those
fans mad. Those are very nice cities to it to
go to. But you know what I'm saying, it's just
not the same. It's it's a power conference, Big twelve
and best league in basketball in my vote.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is a fantastic conference, no doubt about it.
Let's get a little scattering report on Cincinnati as they
prepare for BYU. What are what would you say are
their strengths and weaknesses right now?
Speaker 5: Well, the sturne of the two big men right now,
Boba Miller and messed off at Chaman. Miller's nearly seven
feet tall but used to be a point guard way
back when before he grew so they can let him
bring the ball up the floor sometimes. Thomas has really
come on offensively. And the two guards dayda A Thomas
and GIZZL James are really you are only two guys
back from last year's team, so they've had experience with BYU,
and I think I think Gizzl James hit six threes
against BYU in the last game here at Fifth Third Arena,
which as I recall, I think BYU maybe had a
three point lead at the half, and then the Bearcats
had a big second half. But obviously in provo that
game was all Cougars. That was a difficult one, but
good for your guys. Jalen Celestine, the other guy that's
coming to the starting lineup is a veteran played at Baylor,
so he played a little bit right there that you
have and he's been pretty consistent knocking down threes. So
and the other thing here lately, they've kind of gone
to a shorter.
Speaker 4: Mix of guys.
Speaker 5: Earlier in the season, you know, Wes Miller would play ten, eleven, guys,
and it's been about eight recently. Sean and I have
just came back the last game, so that made it nine.
He's a McDonald's All American that was starting earlier in
the year, but he's a freshman and just you know,
once they got to the Big Twelve schedule, they had
to make some adjustments.
Speaker 4: And so that group that I.
Speaker 5: Mentioned, those five, James, Thomas, Celestine, Miller and Sean, that's
been the starting five and they've had a pretty good
run for the most part, other than the Texas Tech game,
when Texas Tech beats a lot of people. But I
will say that they started that game like they're going
to run away. It was I think they had a
thirteen point lead or something like that fairly early.
Speaker 4: I was there.
Speaker 5: I should know exactly, but sometimes my numbers get confused.
But Texas Tech came back on them, and you know, again,
tough to play at the United Supermarkets Arena or Marriott
Center or wherever we're at in the Big Twelve. It
can be dangerous, no.
Speaker 2: Doubt about it.
Speaker 3: What are the coaches players, I don't know if you've
had any media availability, what are they saying about this
BAU basketball team? Right now they've lost, as I mentioned,
eight out of the last twelve. They've they've shown some highs, right,
ioway staying, they've showed some low lows as well. Definitely
a second half team that gets behind early in the
first half. What are the coaches and players saying about
BYU in preparation for tomorrow night's game.
Speaker 5: Well, we haven't had the availability since the last game.
But I watched that Iowa State game. I thought that
was a huge win and then UCF. That surprised me
a little bit because but UCF is better than people think.
In West Virginia is a tough place to play in
Hope Coliseum. They've gotten the Bearcats twice this year, and
those are two that you see, would would have loved
to have back on their resume. Otherwise they wouldn't be
squirming to get a win here on Tuesday. But yeah,
I mean, obviously when you look at dyu of you know,
right and de Bonca, those two guys everaging what forty
three combined, and you have to stop them. So I
think for Cincinnata have any chance at all, they're going
to have to try to keep those guys under thirty combined, maybe,
and even that's not a given.
Speaker 4: So yeah, they.
Speaker 5: Switched the tip to nine o'clock, so that'll make it interesting.
Way back when in the Bob Huggins area, they used
to do doubleheaders and then ESPN would do the nine
to thirty games Eastern and so people here were complaining
initially it's like wow, nine o'clock, that's late, and it's like, well,
they used.
Speaker 4: To do these all the time.
Speaker 5: And most college students, I know, they're not opposed to
staying up late and coming out, So it should be
a festive atmosphere. I don't know if it'll sell out.
They've not had a sellout yet this year, but as
I recall, it was a pretty good crowd last year
in the twelve, So a little bit over twelve thousand
is a sellout here. So they've had decent crowds, just
not complete sellouts.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so what's the environment like there? Typically even when
it's not sold out, what's the the you know, capacity
and how full is it has it been thus far
this season?
Speaker 5: Well, Twelvey twelve is the capacity. Since the remodeled the
building a handful of years ago, most games have been
close to ten upper nines. I always state I think
was a little bit over eleven, and some of them
in the tens and all that. So you have Zaber
University nearby that their their placeholds about ten thousand and
some nights they're playing on the same nights, and that
that school's you know, four or five miles away from Cincinnati,
So you have some competing college of basketball going on.
But yeah, when when Cincinnati has been really good in
their heydays, you know, those were mainly sell out, some
pretty loud. But you know when when your team's winning,
it's you kind of get spoiled and you're used to
winning and you come in and everyone's constantially noisy. This year,
it's kind of been back and forth. I mean there's
been games where west Miller's been booed. They quit announcing
his name when they announced the starting lineups. Now, after
this recent little patch here, you know, I would assume
Tuesday night will be pretty crazy because everyone, everyone, I think,
realizes that Cincinnati really really needs to win to even
have a shot at the NCAA Tournament, and it's an
long shot.
Speaker 3: Right now, tell me your thoughts on the Big Twelve
Player of the Year. Who are your candidates right now?
Who's your favorite right now? Would you say to become
the uh, the the best player, the Big Twelve Player
of the year for the Big Twelve.
Speaker 4: Well, there's some good ones.
Speaker 5: And I saw fran Frescilla put something out about the J. T.
Toppins should still be considered. Uh, I mean your guy
has to be considered, it seems I you know, I
vote every week, so he's he's either Newcomer of the
Week or Big Twelve Player of the Week most weeks.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 5: And that's pretty awesome for a freshman. And the caliber
refreshmen we're seeing in this league is crazy with AJA
and then the Kingston Flemings at Houston, so some some
really really good players. Uh, he's big fol play. I
don't know. I I'm torn between Devons and Topping and
I'm probably leaving someone out.
Speaker 4: I don't know. They're tough. PJ.
Speaker 3: Haggerty, Kansas State. I mean, he's one of the top
scorers in in the Big Twelve. You can tours maybe
Christian Anderson there at Tech.
Speaker 5: He's been it was really impressive against Cincinnati at thirty
one points and eleven rebounds.
Speaker 4: At six'.
Speaker 5: Three, haggarty you, know the team has not done well with,
him so that would maybe take me away from voting for.
Speaker 4: Him.
Speaker 5: Obviously arizona's got you, Know BARRY'S i think his player
of The week this. WEEK i think it just came
out right BEFORE i was talking to. You you, know
they've got good, guys and that's.
Speaker 4: A tough place to, play just like The Marriott.
Speaker 5: Center to, me and Again i'm not being saying this
Because i'm on the phone with you, GUYS i Think
Marriott center is the toughest atmosphere personally i've been to
IF i were a, team because there's just so many.
Speaker 4: People, uh and.
Speaker 5: That's even counting you, Know, Kansas kansas is pretty. Crazy arizona.
Was that was a neat. Atmosphere Texas tech was blowing
off like smoke bombs and stuff during the free, throw
so that that WAS i didn't even know that was,
allowed but you, know signage and stuff like. That that
should be fair. Game but you shouldn't be blown off
smoke during a free. Throw But i'm not trivy to
the to the agreed upon rules with the student. Sections so, yeah.
Speaker 2: You, wonder what Is brett Or mark gonna have to
hand down another?
Speaker 5: Fine you guys are all plenty familiar with, fine so, yeah,
yeah and hopefully there's none of.
Speaker 2: That uh you, KNOW i know.
Speaker 5: It it came up during football and you've had to
deal with that several, places and there's just no room for.
Speaker 4: That it's it's stupidity.
Speaker 5: And classless and just just come and watch the. Game
you wouldn't want that if you were on the other
end of. It and even, Locally cincinnati And xavier play every,
year So xavier is A jesuit, institution and but, yeah
you hear as much potty mouth over there as you
do With. Cincinnati and SOMETIMES i JUST i don't, Know
i'm not being. APPROVED i was a college kid, once
BUT i DON'T i don't understand why you need.
Speaker 4: To say any of that.
Speaker 5: Stuff just root for your team or you can yell
at the ref or. Something but, uh you, KNOW i
have a little bit of.
Speaker 2: Class, YEAH i have a little bit of, class no
doubt about. It.
Speaker 3: Yeah the student section is always a little bit more.
Edgy they're will understanding to do things that the general,
population general fan base is not willing to.
Speaker 2: Do. Uh and a lot of that has to do with,
just you, know ignorance is what it. Is so, uh
the follies of, youth, right the follies of?
Speaker 5: Youth oh, yeah, YEAH i MEAN i don't mind. CLEVER
i Mean i've had this you. Even you, KNOW i
have four, sons and So i'd go to high school
game sometimes and he hear and see, stuff and you're,
going what's the point in? That you, know why not
be a little bit? Clever you, know if you can
find out what the best player's girlfriend's name is or
something like, that and you, know that's not insulting so,
much that's just doing your, homework but just being derogatory
for the sake of doing. It and then it's peer.
Pressure one idiot does, it the next one does, it
and then that's what you run. Into SO i hope
to not hear any of. THAT i, mean you're gonna hear, cheers, booze,
whatever but hopefully none of.
Speaker 2: That you have no doubt about. It give me your.
Speaker 3: Prognostication how do you think this game plays? Out bay Versus.
CINCINNATI i don't know If i've seen a line. Yet
it looks, like let me take a gander it this
year for, BASKETBALL i would be surprised IF byu is
a favorite in this.
Speaker 5: Game the only Thing i've seen is like THE Espn,
indicator THE i think they all. Right they gave B
yu like a fifty four percent chance to, win So
i've not seen odds. Yet i'm not a, gambler SO
i haven't really looked for. Them but that's the one
THING i have seen, obviously B. Yu they rarely lose
three in a. ROW i know you had a streak
where you lost four there at one, point but you
know they need the. Win cincinnati needs to win Because
cincinnati is at home and desperately needs the. Win i'm
going to give them the edge by a little. BIT
i figure it to be. CLOSE i can't imagine them
coming out and PUTTING byu away life they Did Oklahoma.
Speaker 2: State, yes, Indeed, yeah you're.
Speaker 3: RIGHT Espn analytics slightly FAVORING byu in this, game giving
them a fifty six percent chance of. Victory and but
we'll see how it plays. Out, well we appreciate you hopping.
On talk to some ball and there's no the faux,
Segment Scott. Springer best way to support, you what you,
do how you do, It scott for all of our.
Speaker 5: Listeners S Springer sports on on x In cincinnati Dot
com is the website right for The Cincinnati. Inquirer they
still actually make an actual. Paper i've read one, today
but obviously Online cincinnati dot com and uh and then
On Excess Springer. Sports So i'm on there tweeting during
the game and whatnot and listening to people that don't
like my tweets or every now and then there's, somebody you, know,
WELL i get a lot from, fans like if they
blow a.
Speaker 4: Lead so, oh here we go.
Speaker 5: Again we've lost you, know people are so, optimistic you,
know on social.
Speaker 4: Media so there we.
Speaker 3: GO i love, It, Scott, well we appreciate you. Man
thanks for hopping on for another faux.
Speaker 4: Segment all, right see you, guys they.
Speaker 3: Go that was Another fox segment brought to you buy
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