Basketball and Bearcats and Bengals...Oh My!

Lets Talk...bearcats basketball:

The time has come! The Bearcats take the court tonight for their home opener, and I couldn't be more excited! With Gunner Kiel and the football team having a tough time with their even tougher schedule this year, Mick Cronin and the boys will be a refreshing sight. That's right, I said Mick Cronin. The head coach we all expect to see on the sideline was watching his team from afar last season after doctors found he had an unruptured aneurysm. Cronin has been cleared to coach this year and will be working with some outstanding returning talent. Floor sergeant Troy Caupain will be returning for his junior season, as well as sophomore forward Gary Clark. The biggest asset being Senior forward Octavius Ellis, who was voted preseason first team All-AAC by the league's coaches.

These returning vets know that this is a defense-first team. Last year they were ranked number six nationally in scoring defense with opponents only averaging 55.8 points per game. However, the Cats did struggle to put points of their own on the board. Cronin says the team is still adjusting to a new style of play offensively, which will run at a faster pace than last season. Despite being unranked in the preseason polls, the Cincinnati hometown fans, including myself, think this team could make a dangerous push in March. The workload starts tonight at 7 as the Cats tip off in Fifth Third Arena against Western Carolina.

Lets Talk...Monday Night Football:

Undefeated. The Bengals sitting at 8-0 look to remain that way against the Houston Texans on Monday Night. The primetime curse was broken against a down and out Cleveland team last Thursday, and for the second week in a row the Bengals will be in the national spotlight. Another Sunday without a Bengals game?! Whatever shall we do?!

Although Houston has had a less than stellar year, they still possess one of the biggest defensive threats in the league; J.J. Watt. Better known as J.J. Swatt to some. He  doesn't just make intriguing commercials, he gets to the quarterback. He matched a career high last season recording 20.5 sacks. The man is a machine. Although, in the meeting with the Texans last year, Watt was not able to penetrate the Bengals O-line. Lets hope recent history can repeat itself as the Bengals look to go 9-0 on Monday.