Selection Sunday

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Selection Sunday is nine days away and for the first time in five years we know that the Cincinnati Bearcats will be listed on that tournament bracket next to a seed. If feels really good as we were spoiled as UC fans due to the fact they were a mainstay in the Tourney. How high of a seed they get will be up to them as they have a chance to sweep Georgetown tomorrow and earn a bye in the Big East tournament. With St. Johns losing to Seton Hall yesterday they have a chance to finish as high as fifth in the conference. A conference with sixteen teams that is absolutely loaded and a fifth place finish would be a great accomplishment. The media is talking about teams that could finish behind UC getting seeds as high as a 3rd seed. You would have to think if they finish fifth they have to get atleast a 5th seed and maybe even a 4th seed.

If they can get that bye one win in the Big East tournament would get them to the Quarterfinals. If they can get another they could possibly set themselves up to win the Big East tournament. I know it sounds crazy, but here is my reasoning. The Big East tournament is set up where you play every day consecutively, no off days. The Bearcats have regularly played nine players double digit minutes with not much dropoff when players come off the bench. In a tournament like this if they can get by their first game the following rounds fatigue will set in with teams that don't play as many players and that's every team in the conference besides Pitt, who with a win tomorrow for the Bearcats, they wouldn't see until the finals. So like I said, if they can get by that first game they are going to have an advantage over the other teams they play as they will have the fresher legs.

Back to selection Sunday, if the Bearcats actually win the Big East tournament or atleast make the Finals, you would have to think the committee would have to give them atleast a 4th seed. A team that finishes 5th or 6th in the Big East regular season and makes the Finals or wins the tournament you couldn't justify not giving them at least a 4th seed. Not to mention if they win tomorrow and make a deep run in the Big East tourney they are going to have a lot of confidence going into the NCAA tourney and teams are going to go in to the game knowing that UC is a very good team and they are the underdog.

I can't wait until next Sunday to see where they are going to be seeded, where they are going to play, and who is in their section of the bracket. It feels really good to be able to say that as it's been a tough five years. I think this team is close to have arrived back to national prominence and the rough phase has come to an end as far as rebuilding.