It's a Lock

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It's a lock Bearcats fans, your team is going to the Big Dance. There's no way the tournament committee can keep this team out of the NCAA Tournament. They now have quality wins against Xavier, Louisville, St. Johns, Georgetown, and Marquette with three of those wins coming on the road.

It's time to give Mick Cronin some credit for the job he has done with a team picked to finish 12th in the Big East this year. He has taken a team that had nothing when he got the job and in five years has this team on the cusp of being back where it used to be. They still aren't getting the respect they deserve in the media, but they have been beating up some of the best teams in the nation regularly lately. They finished above .500 on the road this year which is a major feat in the Big East.

This team could be getting hot at the right time. A win Sunday against Georgetown and they could finish as high as 6th in the conference. That will give them a 1st round bye in the Big East tournament and that could prove to be big. UC plays a lot of players and in a tournament where you play every day if they can get by their 1st round opponent they could make a deep run becuase they will have fresher legs out on the court than about anyone they play. Also if they can finish 6th they won't have to play Pitt or Notre Dame until the Semis, the two hottest and best teams in the Big East.

A win Sunday and a run in the Big East tournament could get the Bearcats a seed as high as 5th in the NCAA tournament. Honestly even if they get a 7th seed I wouldn't mind, especially if they can draw a number 2 seed BYU in the 2nd round without their best big man. They were pummeled by New Mexico and I'd have to think UC would be the better team there. But a 5th seed just sounds better, however then you have to battle that 5 vs. 12 curse.

Either way they are back in the tourney where they belong. I also think them playing in the brutal Big East and beating some of the top teams in the country has them well prepared to face anyone in the tournament and a sweet 16 trip is in the cards this year. That's right I'm predicting that this team will advance out of the first weekend and make atleast the sweet 16 and if they can get lucky and get some upsets in their section of the bracket maybe even an elite 8 trip. That'll get this program back on the national map and help with recruiting.