The Wheels Have Fallen Off At Cincy

Although they may have played their best game of the season against Memphis last evening, things are not even close to right at Cincinnati. Need an example? A ten-point victory by Memphis, a school that could have been described as the perfect comparison to the Bearctas as close as three season ago, was considered the Tigers worst game of the season, while it was the moral victory of the season for the Bearcats. Yes, it's a rough time to be a Cincinnati Bearcats fan. They are currently 4-6, with losses to Belmont, UAB, Bowling Green and Illinois State. Even their wins have been anything but impressive, beating Western Carolina and Fairfield by a combined seven points.

What is amazing about this is not just how far they have fallen off, but how quickly it all happened. The decline began after Bob Huggins was let go after driving while obliterated. While the Huggins era was full of shady accusations and questionable junior college transfers, you can't argue with the Bearcats success on the court. During the Huggins era, the Bearcats were a national power, making 14 consecutive tournament appearances, a Final Four trip, and was breeding ground for prominent NBA players such as Nick Van Exel and Kenyon Martin.

Once Huggins was dismissed, two significant moves have the Bearcats where they are today. First, long-time assistant Andy Kennedy, who was named interim coach for departed for the 2005 season, was let go after only one season. In Kennedy's only season at Cincy, he delicately handled the departure of Huggins, retaining the respect of his team and leading the Bearcats to a 21-13 record, but the Bearcats missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992. That was apparently enough to dismiss Kennedy, who was replaced by Murray State coach Mick Cronin. Should be noted that Kennedy has since moved on to Ole Miss, which is currently 9-0 . On the other hand , Cronin has seen almost all of the Kennedy/Huggins players transfer (including South Carolina's Devan Downey) and has struggled mightily. He is 13-25 in two season and the Bearcats have yet to win a true road game in his tenure.

The other significant move has been the move to the Big East for the 2005 season. Simply put, Cincy moved to the Big East at the worst possible time. Instead of rebuilding in Conference USA, the Bearcats moved on to the Big East, where they are 10-23, including a 2-9 campaign last season. This season does not promise to be much better. If the Bearcats were still in Conference USA, a quick turnover for the rebuilding would be a possibility. But in the Big East, a complete overhaul of a program can take years upon years. Just ask St. John's.

But it's not all gloom and doom for Cincy. They have a passionate fanbase, the national reputation, the recruiting base and the proper resources to make this team a winner again. So is still hope that the Bearcats can turn this around, but don't expect it to be soon. This team has zero playmakers on the current roster, and with the brutal upcoming Big East schedule, it's going to make for long, long winter in Cincinnati.