Belmont will not be an easy win

[ralph1950]

The boys from Nashville are coming off a 23-10 NCAA Tournament season. They will give the Bearcats all that they can handle Friday night, with Warren out this one could go down to the buzzer.

[London 'Cat]

The boys from Nashville are coming off a 23-10 NCAA Tournament season. They will give the Bearcats all that they can handle Friday night, with Warren out this one could go down to the buzzer.

How many, if any, of their players from that team remain on the roster this season? If they return the bulk of their starters, I predict a victory by the visitors. The 'Cats have looked pretty bad in their two exhibition contests, which does not instill much confidence in my eyes given this opponent was an NCAA tournament team last year.

[Bearcat Revival]

They return three starters, including Justin Hare who is the two-time conference tourney MVP. The thing is, they are young inside. It'll be a closer game than people would hope...unless Mick unleashes the press and they shoot the ball better than they have in the two exhibition games.

[CincyBeerCo]

With the Warren rumor (any university confirmation yet?), the pressing D option could be hurt a bit.

[Bearcat Revival]

good point

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

How many, if any, of their players from that team remain on the roster this season? If they return the bulk of their starters, I predict a victory by the visitors. The 'Cats have looked pretty bad in their two exhibition contests, which does not instill much confidence in my eyes given this opponent was an NCAA tournament team last year.

Bearcats haven't lost a home opener since mid-1950's. Belmont won't break that streak.

[Bearcat Revival]

UC should have picked the opener to have Memphis come in then. Would be a huge win

[Raj]

I'd rather play Belmont than Memphis, playing Memphis right now wouldn't be a pretty site!!

[red_n_black_attack]

UC should have picked the opener to have Memphis come in then. Would be a huge win

There's something to say for a streak! Bring on Memphis or X for the 1st game every year.

[BasketBySteveLogan]

We'll be pumped up.. Deonta will not let us lose. I feel comfortable with him running the point.

UC 78, Belmont 65 F
Vaughn, UC: 19 pts, 6 rebs, 6 assts

[doc]

I am a big Bearcat basketball fan I will always be a UC fan, I played football at UC and graduated from there as well. It is depressing to think that we are reduced to being worried about losing to Belmont to start the season. I think we will win the game and have no excuse if we do lose. I know Mick will get this thing turned around, but in the mean time I miss the days where we knew that against a team like Belmont we would win by 30. Hopefully, that winning swagger will come back to us sometime this year, definitely next year! Go Bearcats

[shaunsimpson]

but in the mean time I miss the days where we knew that against a team like Belmont we would win by 30

I too miss the days when our concern in a game like this would be if we would get a free sub or 3 way(depending on the year).

[TheDog]

Belmont has no chance. Where is the swagger? Bearcats won't miss Warren. Bearcats by at least 20.

[Bearcat Cafe]

Sorry the kid is hurt, but I guess I missed all the great play by Warren at pg last year.

[CincyBeerCo]

I too miss the days when our concern in a game like this would be if we would get a free sub or 3 way(depending on the year).

Aww man, I used to live off of those 6" cold cut combos! No offense to Warren, but I think this may be a good thing for the team. It will allow some of the freshman (Mitchell, Bishop, Davis) to pick up some more minutes to further their development earlier than expected, and at a time of the season (theoretically easier competition) that is less crucial and more forgiving to "freshman mistakes".

[ralph1950]

I would not be shocked or surprised if come Monday morning the Bearcats record is 1-2. Warren is their best defender, the freshman are freshman, the games should be close.

Remember Wofford.

[bearcatn8]

Though this team still has a way to go, they are MUCH better than last year. They won't lose until they play on the road at UAB.

[Bp4thebest]

Bring up a good point.. warren defense is good now that i think about it.. gentry has some good defense too.. i think the better point is the point brought up that the freshman can pick up some more min in the easier games which will result in less feshman mistakes and more mature freshman come the tough stretch of non con games.. which i think will make a difference in like two close games.. little mistakes the last 5 min of close games are big for young teams.. yeah talented fresh get better as they get older but mostly they get smarter.. if we have 5 really close big east games and make a tun of freshman mistakes we could lose all five.. if a young team like us can make strides and pull out maybe two of those real close games it could make a big difference in making the nit or not.. wanna mention one other thing.. if we make the nit this year realise if we were in c usa we would be in the ncaa.. if we can make the nit and compete in most big east games it will be encouraging b/c we know we are young but if we compete we atleast know we are talented and that would mean big things for the mear future! in these weekend games dont be hapoy about wins.. be happy if you see good things done by the young players

[swilsonsp4]

Preseason rankings don't always turn out to be accurate predictions, but, for what it's worth, Belmont was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Sun (about the #21-ranked conference) in both the media and coaches polls. By contrast, Gardner-Webb was picked eighth in the same conference.

Early in the 2nd half: Gardner-Webb 41, UK 27. It was 14-zip G-W at the start. The Wildcats are getting back-doored all night.

UC had best be prepared for a great effort out of Belmont.

[jkwuc89]

Ask Kentucky how easy it is to beat a mid-major at home...
Gardner-Webb beat the Wildcats in Rupp last night by 16 points :eek:
GW scored the first 14 points in the game :eek:
The Gillispie honeymoon in Kentucky is officially over.

[ralph1950]

Belmont defeated Gardner-Webb 3 times last season. I predict attendance at the game will be about 7,000 at best so the crowd will not be a factor. This is a really tough opener for the young Bearcats. Fans go too much by name, they say what is a Belmont and expect a big win, they fail to look at the actual quality of a team. UK fans found out about this last night.

[Mick's Da Man]

UC should beat Belmont but it should be a good game.

From what I saw against Bellarmine, Mitchell, Bishop and Larry Davis are defending better and better. I think Jamal Warren is the one who should be worried. By the time he gets healthy in about 3 weeks, he will be lucky to be coming off the bench.

I think the key to this game is how Hrycaniuk and McClain play. If they dominate the low post (not sure they're capable yet), it shouldn't even be close. But I also think that we'll have more offense with Mitchell in at SG.

[bizzle3280]

Skinner (on 96.5) this morning pointed out that Belmont was picked to finish first in the Atlantic Sun Conference --- the same conference that Gardner-Webb is in.

This game won't be an easy win.

[London 'Cat]

This game won't be an easy win.

The 'Cats will be lucky to win at all, much less easily. They trail by 7 with 15:04 left in the second half . . . Cannot defend the three.

[London 'Cat]

The 'Cats will be lucky to win at all, much less easily. They trail by 7 with 15:04 left in the second half . . . Cannot defend the three.

Down by 8 with 12:42 to play . . .

[London 'Cat]

Down by 8 with 12:42 to play . . .

Still down 8 with 9:00 to go . . .

[London 'Cat]

Still down 8 with 9:00 to go . . .

Down 10 with 6:19 to go. Still no defense . . .

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

The last home opener UC lost was in Dec 1956 to St Louis U.

[London 'Cat]

The last home opener UC lost was in Dec 1956 to St Louis U.

They have made history tonight . . . Down 12 with 1:30 to go.

[loshow22]

there was a time when putting that uniform on meant something...

[London 'Cat]

They have made history tonight . . . Down 12 with 1:30 to go.

A replay of the Wofford game last year. You cannot expect to outscore your opponent when you provide no resistance on defense. Horrible defense tonight and no offense - 6 points in the last 7 minutes of the game. I never thought it would be so, but they may actually be worse this year than last year.

[jplog]

Another year that I wrote that check too soon... This will be another year that only a Crosstown Shootout win will salvage.

[ralph1950]

Cheer up, it is not as if the Bearcats lost a football game.

[jeffto]

The last home opener UC lost was in Dec 1956 to St Louis U.
Yeah, but St. Louis was a power in the 50's. Belmont isn't even a mid-major.

I'm really not impressed with the coaching. Sounds like the same dumb stuff as last year.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

The last home opener UC lost was in Dec 1956 to St Louis U.

I stand corrected. UC also lost home opener to Miami OH in Dec 64.