'Nova keys to the game: Cincinnati

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#18 Villanova Wildcats (11-2, 1-1 BE) vs.
Cincinnati Bearcats (7-8, 2-1 BE)

Date: Saturday, January 11, 2008
Location: Fifth Third Arena (Cincinnati, OH)
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST (Changed from a noon start)
Television: ESPNU

Cincinnati Coverage: Bearcat News || Bearcat Blog

As stated earlier, VBTN runs a terrific preview of the Wildcats' opponent this weekend, the Cincinnati Bearcats, so I will refrain from repeating the information they have already provided.

Mick Cronin, in his second year as head coach, has lead his team to two Big East wins thus far, matching his team's conference win total of a year ago. Known for his strong recruiting, Cronin has brought in blue chips such as Newark's Rashad Bishop, who, as ESPN's Andy Glockner points out, has an impressive 1.11 Assist/TO ratio (unusually high for freshmen forwards).

While this seems to be another rebuilding year for Cincy, as with all Big East opponents, this team should not be taken lightly. Below, I will continue to offer the 'Keys to the Game' and X-factors for 'Nova.

Keys to the Game

Get Big : Like Pitt, the Bearcats have a strong frontcourt, highlighted by John Williamson (9.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Adam Hrycanuik (9.1, 5.3). This means the 'Cats must once again step it up inside and limit the damage by Cincy's big men, both offensive and defensively. Look for Dante Cunningham and Antonio Pena to continue their trend of solid inside play.

The Trifecta: After shooting over 36% from behind the arc in six of their first nine games, Villanova has cooled off considerably as a team, connecting on just 29% in their last 86 shot attempts. Defensively, the problems continue for 'Nova, as they allowed Pitt to shoot 5-11 from three and are allowing opponents to shoot a staggering 40% from downtown. As with years past, 'Nova seems to live and die with the three pointer. While I believe defensively we will hold the Bearcats' guards in check, it will be interesting to see if Fisher and Reynolds can get out of their respective deep shooting funks.

Tempo: Run their big men off the floor, and 'Nova will run away with a victory

X-factor

Undeclassmen: Aside from the cries from 'Nova Nation wanting Malcolm Grant to start, another developing story has been the outstanding output of the rest of his underclassmen teammates. To date, 70.3% of 'Nova's scoring and 50.2% of their rebounding comes from freshmen and sophomores. The likes of Grant, Pena, Fisher, Reynolds, and Redding must continue to add to their average of 55.4 points and 19.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcats to remain competitive.

On an interesting sidenote, Antonio Pena, since being inserted into the lineup with more regularity after Drummond's injury, is averaging 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. I expect the rebounding totals to increase with more playing time, but Coach Wright must be pleased with Pena's offensive output off the bench.

Remember to weigh in on the "predict the score" contest in this thread, and offer your thoughts on what should be another exciting evening of Big East basketball. Let's Go 'Nova!