Scouting report: Cincinnati Bearcats basketball, Xavier Musketeers meet for 92nd time

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Should there be a reading on the Richter scale Saturday afternoon in the Clifton/Corryville area, it can be written off as the tip-off of the 92nd Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout.

A capacity crowd of 12,012 is expected at Fifth Third Arena as the Cincinnati Bearcats, No. 22 in the Associated Press and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches polls, take on the Xavier Musketeers.

The Muskies have dropped out of the recent polls, but have always been a threat to the Bearcats in any year. Twice, Xavier has knocked off UC when the Bearcats were No. 1 in the nation and the Musketeers currently own a five-game winning streak that sours the most boisterous of those in red and black.

Latest Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout win streak belongs to Xavier

While UC has won 51 of the 91 games played, the Jesuit school just three miles away has had the upper hand winning five of the last six and nine of the last 11. It’s been six years since UC won 62-47 at home in Mick Cronin’s final season coaching the Bearcats.

Wes Miller, a veteran as a player of the Duke/North Carolina ACC rivalry, is thus far 0-3 against Xavier.

“This is a sports town,” UC’s Miller said. “I thought that before I came here and now I feel like a Cincinnatian. This is one of the best sports towns in the United States. College basketball is a big part of that and this game is a big part of that. That’s become more clear living here.”

Advice from a former Xavier Musketeer to a current Cincinnati Bearcats player

Just after transferring from Texas, UC forward Dillon Mitchell did a FaceTime with the star of last year’s Shootout, Quincy Olivari. Olivari made his one appearance special with 27 points, making all nine of his free throws and six from the arc. UC lost a recruiting battle with Xavier trying to pry Olivari from Rice.

“He says it’s the biggest thing in the city,” Mitchell said. “Obviously he’s on the Xavier side so I’m not talking to him right now. During the summer I was. He just told me it’s a big game, to go hard. That’s the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/scouting-report-cincinnati-bearcats-basketball-024525898.html

Author : The Enquirer

Publish date : 2024-12-13 02:45:00

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