In this new world that UConn now occupies -- no longer in the Big East, with no more annual bouts against old-time rivals like Syracuse, Georgetown, Pittsburgh or even Providence -- has a new chief rival emerged for the Huskies?

Is Cincinnati now UConn’s biggest rival?

It may not make any sense geographically, and it certainly doesn’t foster the same kind of emotion with UConn fans as the Orange or Hoyas. But no team has been involved in more heated games with the Huskies over the past few seasons than the Bearcats.

UConn holds a 10-5 all-time advantage over Cincy – 9-5 since the Bearcats joined the Big East in 2005-06. But the Huskies won the first five meetings. Since then, the teams have split the last 10 games.

In the last six meetings -- again, an even split between the two -- over the past three seasons, each game was decided by six points or less, or in overtime.

Of course, UConn has won when it’s meant the most – in the 2011 NCAA tournament’s Round-of-32 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and in last year’s AAC tournament semifinal game in Memphis.

The Huskies also beat Cincy in another area last year, when Shabazz Napier beat out Sean Kilpatrick for AAC player of the year honors. Kilpatrick wasn't pleased about this perceived snub, and neither was Cincy coach Mick Cronin, who was heard by Connecticut Post writer Bill Paxton telling Kilpatrick and Justin Jackson that "heroes are made in March, boys. This is all (B.S.)."

And that wasn't the first time that Cronin found himself involved in a controversy involving a UConn player and conference postseason honors -- although, to be fair, this one seemed to be more a Jim Calhoun concoction than anything Cronin actually did.

Of course, Cronin won't be on the sidelines for Saturday's 11 a.m. game at the XL Center. He's out for the rest of the season, at least as head coach, due to an artery problem. Admit it, you'll miss the little devil.

Certainly, there seems to be a little healthy friction between the two programs.

A few years ago, after Syracuse had played its final game against UConn as Big East foes, Jim Boeheim (in between calling Andy Katz an "idiot" and a "dishonest person") noted that the Orange's biggest rival used to be St. Bonaventure.

Then, the Big East formed, and Syracuse hasn't even played the Bonnies in over a decade.

"Your biggest rivals are going to be the teams in your league," Boeheim said.

UConn and Cincinnati, like it or not, are in the same league. Along with Memphis, they're the most decorated programs in this league. And it's too early to call UConn-Memphis a rivalry, especially since the Huskies swept the Tigers in three games last season (twice in Memphis). Rivalries can't be too one-sided.

So, are the Bearcats now UConn's biggest rival? If you say no, it's still Syracuse or Georgetown, remember, they don't consider UConn their biggest rivals. Neither does Duke. Meanwhile, Providence would like to consider UConn its rival, but UConn fans seem to think differently.

Oh, and Cincy considers the Huskies their rivals.

"We've had such close games over the years," said associate head coach Larry Davis, who's taken over for Cronin for the season after Cronin suffered an aneurysm a couple of weeks ago. "They're gonna be a team you've got to go through to win championships every year. Hopefully, we are too. Those are your rival games."

Maybe the Huskies simply don't have a rival right now.

Let me know what you think.

The release of UConn's 2014-15 schedule means -- never mind football -- college basketball is just around the corner. Sort of.

The Huskies can actually start practicing on Oct. 3, per NCAA rules, though they likely will start after that. Teams can get in 30 practices in the 42 days prior to their first game (in UConn's case, on Friday, Nov. 14 against Bryant).

Anyway, here's a breakdown of UConn's 2014-15 schedule, with a look at some of the Huskies' opponents:

Tuesday, Nov. 4, vs. Southern Connecticut State University (exhibition): Huskies play Owls in an exhibition for second straight season. Won 93-65 last season at Gampel.

Sunday, Nov. 9 vs. Assumption College (exhibition): Greyhounds, Huskies have never met in an official game.

Friday, Nov. 14 vs. Bryant: Just second time programs have met. UConn demolished Bulldogs 88-58 in 2008 in Hartford.

Thursday, Nov. 20 at Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 12:30 p.m.: Huskies open up against College of Charleston. Will UConn be going against current assistant Karl Hobbs, who is reportedly a candidate for the (amazingly) still vacant head coaching job?

Friday, Nov. 21 at Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan, Puerto Rico: UConn will face either Texas A&M or Dayton. Flyers beat Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford last year en route to Elite Eight, where they finally fell to Florida.

Sunday, Nov. 23 at Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan, Puerto Rico: Huskies could face Boston College for second time in as many seasons after not playing former Big East rivals for nearly 10 years. Steve Alford's New Mexico, which beat UConn in Paradise Jam finals in 2012, and George Mason (need we remind you) are other possible foes.

Sunday, Nov. 30 vs. Texas: Longhorns return all five starters and should be a preseason Top 15 pick – until Rick Barnes finds a way to mess it all up.

Friday, Dec. 5 vs. Yale: Huskies tamed Bulldogs 80-62 last year in the teams’ first meeting in 10 years.

UConn holds a 44-22 all-time advantage. Yale won't have Stratford's Brandon Sherrod, who'll be singing somewhere across the globe with the Whiffenpoofs.

Sunday, Dec. 14 vs. Coppin State: UConn is 5-0 all-time against Eagles, who will also play at Michigan this season.

Thursday, Dec. 18 vs. Duke at IZOD Center, East Rutherford, N.J., 8 p.m.: Despite losing Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood to the NBA draft, Blue Devils will be a preseason Top 5, maybe even No. 1. Duke boasts the top-rated recruiting class in the land, led by 6-foot-10 center Jahlil Okafor. This should be a fun one, as great rivalry is renewed. Two of Huskies’ biggest wins in program history (the 1999 national championship game and the 2004 Final Four) came against Duke. The Blue Devils, of course, handed UConn a crushing, overtime loss in the 1990 Elite Eight, ending the Huskies’ “Dream Season” on a Christian Laettner buzzer-beater. Duke holds the overall series edge, 5-4, including the most recent meeting, a 68-59 win on Nov. 27, 2009 in the NIT Season Tip-Off championships at Madison Square Garden.

Monday, Dec. 22 vs. Columbia: UConn is 7-2 all-time against the Lions, most recently with a 70-57 win on Nov. 11, 2011 at Gampel.

Sunday, Dec. 28 vs. Central Connecticut: Huskies face former longtime UConn assistant Howie Dickenman’s crew for first time in nine years. UConn has never lost in 12 meeting with these Blue Devils.

Wednesday, Dec. 31 vs. Temple: For first time in three years, UConn isn’t on the road for New Year’s Eve. Huskies open up AAC play against Owls, who finished ninth in the 10-team league a year ago at 4-14.

Saturday, Jan. 3 at Florida, O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida, 2 p.m.: Gators went 36-3 last season – 36-1 against teams not named UConn. The Huskies edged Florida on Dec. 2 at Gampel, 65-64, on Shabazz Napier’s 15-foot jumper at the buzzer. Gator coach Billy Donovan called the play “luck,” and Florida had the chance to avenge the loss in the Final Four. But the Huskies’ clamped down defensively, frustrating SEC player of the year Scottie Wilbekin all night, and needed no “luck” to score a 63-53 win. This game finishes the teams’ home-and-home series.

Tuesday, Jan. 6 at South Florida, Sun Dome, Tampa, 7 p.m.: Huskies stay in the Sunshine State for an AAC bout with USF and its new head coach Orlando Antigua, the former John Calipari assistant at Kentucky. Antigua should help Bulls on recruiting trail, but that won't do them much good this season.

Saturday, Jan. 10 vs. Cincinnati, 11 a.m.: Sean Kilpatrick (the guy who was peeved he lost out to Napier for AAC player of the year honors) and Justin Jackson are both gone, but Bearcats should play their usual tough defense and be solid once again.

Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Tulsa, Reynolds Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma: Huskies’ first-ever trip to Tulsa would’ve been more fun if Danny Manning were still head coach. But he bolted for Wake Forest, and instead former Missouri, Miami head man Frank Haith is at the helm. This could be a tough game for Huskies.

Saturday, Jan. 17 at Stanford, Maples Pavilion, Palo Alto, Calif.: Cardinal handed UConn its first loss of the season last year, 53-51 on Dec. 18 in Hartford, and wound up advancing to the Sweet 16.

Thursday, Jan. 22 vs. Central Florida, 7 p.m.: Knights have lost virtually everyone from last year’s team that went 4-14 in AAC, including all-league pick Isaiah Sykes. Could be a long season in Orlando. Incidentally, this will be only time the teams play this season.

Sunday, Jan. 25 vs. South Florida, noon: Anthony Collins, a preseason all-AAC pick who missed almost all of last year due to injury, should be back at the point for Bulls. Corey Allen, Jr. and Chris Perry are also decent returnees.

Thursday, Jan. 29 at Cincinnati, Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, 8 p.m.: Are the Bearcats UConn’s biggest rival in the AAC?

Sunday, Feb. 1 at Houston, Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, 3 p.m.: Huskies return to site of their awful New Year’s Eve loss last season. Kelvin Sampson has taken over as head coach, but Ta’Shawn Thomas  (Oklahoma) and Danuel House (Texas A&M) have both transferred, leaving cupboard bare. Had those two stayed, Cougars may have been an NCAA tourney team. Now, they'll rely primarily on a bunch of JUCO's.

Wednesday, Feb. 4 vs. East Carolina, 7 p.m.: First meeting as league rivals between Huskies and Pirates. UConn actually holds a 3-1 all-time series lead, but haven’t played each other since 1978.

Saturday, Feb. 7 at Tulane, Devlin Fieldhouse, New Orleans, 6 p.m.: Green Wave will play most home games at 3,500-seat on-campus arena, but it’s possible this one could be switched to downtown arena where New Orleans Pelicans play.

Thursday, Feb. 12  vs. Tulsa, 7 p.m.: Don’t sleep on Tulsa, which went on a late-season surge and won the Conference USA tournament last season. Golden Hurricane is led by James Woodard, a do-everything guard who could warrant preseason all-AAC honors.

Saturday, Feb. 14 at SMU, Moody Coliseum, Dallas, 9 p.m.: An ESPN College GameDay presentation, should be a rowdy night. Mustangs could’ve been preseason top 15 if No. 1 national recruit Emmanuel Mudiay hadn’t bolted to play professionally in China, but they still might be the AAC favorites. After all, SMU did beat UConn both times they met last season.

Thursday, Feb. 19 at Memphis, FedExForum, Memphis, 9 p.m.: Huskies went a perfect 3-0 last year against Tigers, including twice at FedExForum – the latter game a 72-53 dismantling in an AAC tournament bout.

Sunday, Feb. 22 vs. Tulane, 4 p.m.: Green Wave return 90 percent of its offense from team that went .500 overall (17-17) and in C-USA (8-8).

Wednesday, Feb. 25 at East Carolina, Williams Arena, Greenville, North Carolina, 7 p.m.:  Four of five top scorers are back from team that went 17-17 overall.  However, top scorer Akeem Richmond is gone.

Sunday, March 1 vs. SMU, 2 p.m.: A CBS-televised affair, could be marquee game of AAC schedule. Despite no Mudiay, Mustangs have all-AAC standouts Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy back, along with talented Keith Frazier and Xavier transfer Justin Martin.

Thursday, March 5 vs. Memphis, 9 p.m.: Tigers lost Joe Jackson and other top guards to graduation, but may have league’s best frontcourt, led by all-AAC pick Shaq Goodwin and AAC rookie of the year Austin Nichols.

Saturday, March 7 at Temple, Liacouras Center, Philadelphia: Owls lost top scorer Dalton Pepper to graduation, top rebounder Anthony Lee to transfer (Ohio State). Could be another tough one for coach Fran Dunphy, who'll rely on whole slew of newcomers.

Let's just say Kevin Ollie wasn't pleased Thursday night's loss o Cincinnati and just leave it at that.

“They just played hard," he said of the Bearcats. "In the second half, they established themselves in the paint. Justin Jackson and (Sean) Kilpatrick just took over the game."

Did Kilpatrick take control of the AAC player of the year race with this one? Maybe, though it's still too early to start handing out awards.

“Just a hell of a performance by him," said Ollie.

As for his own team:

“We started going one-on-one, then we settled for a bunch of 3-point shots ... You give up 52 percent, that’s bad. There’s no way to sugarcoat it ... They just took it to us in the inside. Thirty-four points in the paint, that’s the game. We rebounded with them, but we can’t give up 52-percent shooting in the second half.”

As for Shabazz Napier's 5-for-19 (2-for-12 on 3-pointers) night, that included three air balls and an ill-advised 22-footer with 30 seconds left?

“Hopefully, he keeps learning," said Ollie. "But you’ve got to keep getting to the rim, put the onus on the ref in that situation.”

Lasan Kromah had 13 points and was about the only Husky to consistently take the ball to the hole aggressively.

“He was aggressive, he played like I wanted him to play. Niels (Giffey) played (well). But, other guys gotta step up.”

*** DeAndre Daniels was penciled into the starting lineup, but suffered back spasms shortly before tip-off and was a late scratch.



Daniels noted that his ankle is "fine."

Daniels' absence from the lineup came as a surprise to Napier.

“I didn’t even know until I saw him in the second half," Napier insisted. "I know his back was hurting, so I figured he wasn’t going to start. But when I saw he didn’t play in the first half, then I realized that.”

*** As for Napier's own rough night:



(on is long trey attempt with 30 seconds left)

“I was just trying to get up a shot, trying to get at least two-for-one. Myself, I think I’m gonna make the shot. I just didn’t follow through the right way, and it came up short.”

(on Kilpatrick)

“They ran a lot of plays for him, a lot of screens. He got a lot of open shots, and when you give him opens shots, he’s supposed to make them. He definitely played well in the second half.”

UConn isn't slated to leave Bradley Airport until about 7 p.m., meaning it won't land in Cincinnati until about 9 p.m. Usually, Kevin Ollie meets with the traveling UConn media when the team arrives at its hotel, usually just before dinner. But since the Huskies won't be arriving until later tonight, Ollie did a conference call with the beat writers today at 4:30 p.m.

First question, of course: How's DeAndre Daniels?

Ollie said that Daniels is "about 75-percent to play" in Thursday's Top 25 bout with Cincinnati. Daniels had been getting better but has experienced some back spasms lately. His ankle, Ollie said, is "about 85-percent."

Here's what Ollie had to say about Cincinnati:

“Their intensity, how they play every night, whether they score 40 points or 80 points, they have an identity. They try to take out your first, second, third options. I don’t want to get in a game where we’re playing against their set defense. We wanna be able to rebound. At the end of the day, it’s gonna be a grind-out game. We’re not gonna be in fast breaks all night. Cincy’s playing at a high level, we want to go in there and hopefully give them their first (AAC) loss.”

(what makes their defense so tough?)

"They switch a lot of things, take you out of your first, second options. We're gonna have to be disciplined as a team. They’ve got Justin Jackson back there on the back line, he's long, active, aggressive. That tends to lead to a good defensive team. They pressure, but also have length to play in the halfcourt."

(on Jackson)

“He’s found his niche, being that tough person on the back line for them, and using that athleticism on the offensive end. He’s a face-up guy, he’s able to take five-men off the dribble, and he’s been able to take that 10-footer, too. His touch is underrated.”

(on Sean Kilpatrick)

"He's their finisher for them ... When they need a bucket, he’s going to get the ball. Short clock situation, he attacks or shoots the 3. He’s a great player, he needs everyone’s attention. We’re going to do it as a committee. We want to make it hard for him each and every time he touches the ball. Not only the person guarding him, we want Sean Kilpatrick to see four other UConn jerseys staring right at him.”

*** Meanwhile, went over to Cincinnati's practice today at its nice facility at the Lindner Center (next door to Fifth Third Arena. Sort of the same idea as UConn's new basketball facility, although this building houses football and other sports' locker rooms, as well as staff offices, etc.)

Here's some of what Mick Cronin had to say:



Cronin added:

(on whether Napier and Kilpatrick are the two best players in the league)

"Obviously, you have to throw Russ Smith in there. If you throw out statistics, Justin (Jackson) has to be in the mix, as far as being impactful ... (Napier) makes NBA shots. I'm lying in bed with my iPad watching him make Kobe Bryant-type shots. You don't know how he's getting them off, never mind making them. When he gets in a rhythm like that, it's scary."

(on Napier also leading AAC in assists)

"Good coaching, getting the ball in the right guy's hands. They run a million pick-and-rolls for him. You can't give him the same look for 40 minutes. If he gets comfortable against you, you're in trouble, so we're going to be prepared to give him different looks."

(on the AAC)

"We've got a great league this year. You look around college basketball, there's a lot of parity. But we've got five really good teams in this league, and obviously we've got two of them this week (Cincy plays at SMU on Sunday)."

*** Justin Jackson, who leads the AAC in blocked shots:

"They've got great guards ... You've got Napier and (Ryan) Boatright ... Boatright is a younger Napier, that's how I feel. Same type of guard, same type of player, he shoots well, they've both got the same type of quickness."

Sean Kilpatrick on matching up against Napier:



Asked Kilpatrick about the game-winning shot he hit in Storrs two years ago to beat the Huskies:

"I'd say out of my top-five (college memories), that may be No. 2. I'll take the Syracuse game that we had in the Garden as the top one. But that atmosphere, playing in Storrs and being able to hit a big shot like that to help my team win, that was something that was a really inspiring moment for me. I appreciate that shot a lot."

Decided to fly into Cincinnati a day early to beat Wednesday's predicted morning snowstorms. Also figured I might have a chance to swing by Cincinnati's practice to talk to Mick Cronin and a few Bearcat players about Thursday night's big bout with UConn.

Turns out, Cronin did a teleconference call with UConn beat writers that I could have done from home. No worries, may head over to practice tomorrow to get a few players.

Anyway, here's what Cronin had to say:

"Obviously, UConn's having a great year. Shabazz (Napier) is one of the best, if not the best guard we'll play against all year. Coach (Kevin) Ollie does a tremendous job ... What they lack in strength and size, they make up in toughness from their coach, toughness on the defensive end. They've been rebounding the ball better than earlier in the season. It's got the makings of a great game -- two of the best players in the country going at it, two ranked teams. It should be a great environment."

"To win a league title, you've got to have a couple of all-league players. Sean Kilpatrick and Justin Jackson have proven that. If the season ended now, one will probably be (AAC) Player of the Year and the other will be Defensive Player of the Year. But there's a long way to go. Shabazz Napier will have a lot to say about that."

(will UConn and Cincinnati be two of the conference's standard-bearers for years to come?)

"Speaking for Cincinnati, I hope so. But I think it would be presumptuous to think other teams aren't going to emerge. SMU is 10-deep, and with their recruiting class what could be next year ... Cincinnati, Memphis, UConn -- for any conference, you want your marquee teams to be good. It's not as easy as it seems, which makes what Jim Calhoun did there so unbelievable, and what Coach (Bob) Huggins did here so unbelievable. It's not as easy as you think. Players don't just sign at your school, you don't just win games because you're UConn or Cincinnati. Sometimes, it's taken for granted. I think it's a lot harder to sustain than people realize."

*** DeAndre Daniels participated in practice on Tuesday. He had no restrictions on what he could do, but participated to a lesser degree than everyone else (less reps, etc.). Daniels did experience soreness in his injured right ankle, but he is feeling better and still considered day-to-day.

Said Cronin: "I hope he plays. I'm a big karma guy. I believe in rooting for kids, positive energy. I hope he's OK and is able to play. We'll absolutely prepare for him to play. We wish him nothing but the best."

We’re pretty much at the halfway point of the American Athletic Conference schedule, so why not hand out some mid-season AAC awards? The conference will essentially hand out the same hardware the Big East used to dole out, though with only 10 teams, there will just be first and second all-league teams (no third team), along with a few honorable mention selections.

Here we go (and remember, all references to statistical categories are for conference games only):

FIRST TEAM

Shabazz Napier, UConn: See also: Year, Player of the.

Russ Smith, Louisville: Still terrific, still a Husky-killer, still equally capable of winning or losing a game all by himself.

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville: League’s leading rebounder and perhaps most physically intimidating player.

Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati: Best player on league’s best team.

Justin Jackson, Cincinnati: Best defensive player on league’s best defensive team.

Joe Jackson, Memphis: May not even be best player on his team or best Jackson in the league, but a preseason first-teamer who’ll probably end up there, as well.

SECOND TEAM

DeAndre Daniels, UConn: Napier himself calls Daniels UConn's best player. Huskies sure hope his high ankle sprain heals quickly.

Shaq Goodwin, Memphis: Physically imposing (6-9, 245 lbs.) player who may merit first-team status.

TaShawn Thomas, Houston: Thursday night’s clunker vs. UConn was first time he hasn’t hit double figures this season.

Nic Moore, SMU: Best player on floor (20 points, six assists) in ‘Stangs win over UConn on Jan. 4.

Isaiah Sykes, UCF: Only player in AAC among league leaders in scoring (18.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.6).

HONORABLE MENTION

Markus Kennedy, SMU

Kadeem Jack, Rutgers

Victor Rudd, USF

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Shabazz Napier, UConn. Russ Smith was the preseason pick, but this is a virtual no-brainer. Napier leads the Huskies in scoring, assists, steals and rebounds (!) and has certainly been more valuable to his team than any other player in the nation. And no one is more clutch, a trait he's had since high school. He’s a strong national player of the year candidate, too, though it’s hard to see him beating out Creighton’s Doug McDermott at this point.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Danrad Knowles, Houston. One interesting thing about the America is that it is dominated by upperclassmen. The conference’s top five scorers are all seniors and eight of its top 10 scorers are juniors or seniors. In fact, Knowles (9.4 ppg) and Louisville’s Terry Rozier (9.1) are the only two frosh among the league’s top 30 scorers (27^th and 30^th, respectively). Of course, it’s not all about scoring, which is why UConn’s Amida Brimah, USF’s John Egbunu and Chris Perry and SMU’s Ben Moore are all still very much in the running for this award. But as of now, Knowles (who also averages 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks) is probably the most complete package.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Mick Cronin, Cincinnati. In his seven seasons in the Big East, Cronin never won this award. But he’s got the Bearcats, picked to finish fourth in the preseason coaches’ poll, undefeated and all alone at the top of the AAC standings. There’s recently been some talk of national coach of the year consideration, too, though that seems a bit lofty, in my mind. (Larry Brown is a distant second right now).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Justin Jackson, Cincinnati. This award usually goes to a player who either leads the league in blocked shots or steals, so consider this: Jackson leads the AAC in blocks (3.6) and is third in steals (2.1). Impressive. Amida Brimah may win this award for years to come, but not this season.

SIXTH MAN AWARD: Michael Dixon, Jr., Memphis. This is a tough one, especially considering there are a lot of players in the league who have started at times and come off the bench at others, sort of clouding the definition of sixth man. UConn’s Niels Giffey merits consideration, no doubt, but we’ll go with Dixon, who’s averaging 11.4 points primarily off the Tigers’ bench.

STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD: Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame. Sorry, just kidding. Sort of force of habit. Didn’t he win this award, like, six years in a row in the Big East? Anyway, your guess is as good as mine for this award. It’s too bad walk-ons aren’t eligible, though, or UConn’s Pat Lenehan might bethe runaway winner.

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: I’m sure there are many deserving candidates for this award, but I don’t know all the players around the league well enough to narrow it down. I'm open to any suggestions.

Some interesting postgame quotes tonight following UConn's latest overtime win, a 73-66 triumph over Cincinnati.  But none more (as usual) than what Shabazz Napier had to say when asked how much he's thinking about possibly going pro after this season (and whether he deserves Big East player of the year consideration)

Napier finished with a game-high 27 points as the Huskies improved to 18-7, 8-5 Big East. The junior guard’s overtime exploits have truly been remarkable this season. In six OT sessions, Napier has scored 46 points on 9-for-14 shooting – including a sizzling 8-for-12 on 3-pointers. He’s also drained 20 of 22 foul shots.

While Napier was the hero again, he wasn’t the only star. DeAndre Daniels overcame an awful first minute (letting Justin Jackson blow by him for a dunk, then dropping an easy pass and getting yanked by Kevin Ollie) and wound up with 17 points and a career high-matching four blocked shots.

“He took it like a man,” Ollie said of his quick hook with the sophomore forward. “That’s what this team is all about. They take it, and they get back in the fight.”

Omar Calhoun, battling a sore right wrist, gutted through with 10 points and a team-high six rebounds. And, although Ryan Boatright suffered through his second straight poor shooting game (3-for-12, nine points), he “grew and matured” by holding Cincy’s Cashmere Wright to 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting, according to Ollie.

“When my shot’s not falling, it’s my job to make sure the man that I’m guarding’s not hitting them, either," Boatright said. "If I’m not gonna hit them, I’m not gonna let you hit them. I failed to do that in the Villanova game, I let my man get too many points … This game, once I saw that I was missing a few shots, on the other end, I took it on myself that he wasn’t going to score.”

Added Ollie: “He had his head down in the last game because he wasn’t shooting the ball well. This game, he picked up and took Cashmere Wright out of the game in the second half. He stepped up and he grew up.”