Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2011 > December > 15 > Entry
UC’s Cronin: “We showed everybody what we’re all about tonight”
FAIRBORN -Vance Hall said it a couple of times in Wright State’s short post-game press conference.
“Their athleticism really bothered us,” the Raiders sophomore guard said.
That’s one thing that really stood out Wednesday night as the Cincinnati Bearcats - even missing four suspended players - flattened Wright State, 78-58, in an ESPN2 televised game at the Nutter Center.
UC was without 6-foot-9 star forward Yancy Gates, 6-10 back-up center Cheikh Mdodj, 6-9 freshman Octavius Ellis and 6-1 freshman Ge’Lawn Guyn - all suspended for their part in an ugly brawl with Xavier in Saturday’s Crosstown Shootout that garnered negative publicity for the city of Cincinnati, as well as both of the schools and their hoops programs.
Although UC was especially depleted of big men against the Raiders - Gates leads the team in rebounding and is second in scoring - the Bearcats started four guards and still controlled the boards, swatted five Raiders shots and altered nearly a dozen more. At the same, they were deadly with their own three-point shooting, making 14 of 32.
And remember, this is the same UC team that got smoked by Xavier, 76-53.
Wednesday night’s outcome says something about the struggling 4-7 Raiders, but it says more about the Bearcats, who were playing their first game since the throwdown with the Musketeers.
.”You could see a quiet confidence with them,” WSU coach Billy Donlon said. “In adverse conditions you find out the soul of somebody. And from an outsider’s perspective, they’ve got a pretty admirable and passionate soul…They came here with a purpose and that purpose was fulfilled, no question.”
Cincinnati guard Cashmere Wright - who UC coach Mick Cronin said took control of the team in the immediate aftermath of the brawl - spoke for all his teammates Wednesday night when he said:
“Everybody was waiting for us to explode and have a mental breakdown. We showed everybody we’re regular human beings. People make mistakes. We just came ready to play.”
And play the Bearcats did. It was like men against boys. WSU was out of this one from the strart
Five UC players ended up in double figures. Sean Kilpatrick - who hit six of 12 three-point attempts - finished with a game-high 20 points. Before the game with X, he went on the radio in Cincinnati and said he was better than the Musketeers’ Tu Holloway. I don’t think that is the case, but he’s pretty good and the Raiders sure had no answer for him.
Wright State was the perfect first opponent for UC to meet after four days of upheaval.
The Nutter Center was close to home. There were several UC fans in the crowd of 5,977 - I thought there’d be more people here — and the WSU fans who did show were mostly polite and soft-mannered…same as the Raiders team.
That may not be good for WSU hoops fortunes, but it was the perfect reception for UC.
“I want to say thank you to the people here,” UC coach Mick Cronin said. “I didn’t see any residual baiting or heckling or anything like that. I have a lot of respect for Billy Donlon and their athletics director, Bob Grant.
“If we were coming in someplace else, yeah I’d have been worried. But Wright State isn’t going to let people stand in the front row and hour before the game and heckle our guys and say crazy stuff. Some places do and we were prepared for it, but we didn’t have to worry here.”
Of course, it’s hard to get vocal when your team is already down 17-2 just 4 ½ minutes into the game, is trailing by 21 at the half and by as many as 26 with just 93 seconds left.
“Wright State just got hit by a blitz tonight,” Cronin said. “We said this is going to be a watershed moment for us. We’ve got to come together. To be honest, we weren’t playing well regardless of what happened the other day. We struggled to come together with our upperclassmen and our freshmen and get on the same page all year. We really needed to come together. Unfortunately it took a bad incident for that to happen.
“We know what we’re all about and we were going to make sure that we showed everybody what we’re all about tonight.”
Wright State saw it first hand
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By gom
December 15, 2011 6:39 PM | Link to this
Coach Donlon looked like the team manager last night. I don’t believe there is no talent here. They played well against a decent Miami team that would given UC all it could handle because they play with emotion. Wright St, don’t know why they showed up, they could have mailed it in. That’s on the coach
By Educate Yourself is Wrong
December 15, 2011 1:11 PM | Link to this
Hey buddy—I am a WSU Student who attends all the men’s basketball games—I PROMISE you that the Butler game vs WSU does NOT sell out. What are you thinking??????? We get a large crowd, but NO sell out…
By null
December 15, 2011 12:36 PM | Link to this
flyer5.what?are you the one who knows all about basketball.and i guess you are more knowledale than all others.dont think soooooo
By Educate yourself
December 15, 2011 10:56 AM | Link to this
Actually FLYER5 the Butler games does sell out every year. Maybe you should educate yourself before calling others un-knowledgable. nice try tho
By misterblack
December 15, 2011 10:50 AM | Link to this
Flyer5 - your comments regarding WSU fans knowledge of the game is classless! As a WSU season ticket holder and supporter, the attendance is disappointing and an embarrassment. However, those in attendance last night did not disrepect the Bearcats or shame WSU on national television. As for a WSU fan base, the bandwagon variety left long ago for UD arena. Hope Archie can keep them happy; I doubt it.
By FLYER5
December 15, 2011 9:40 AM | Link to this
There was no residual baiting (from individuals) because WSU fans aren’t the most knowledgable basketball group around. They couldn’t even sell 6000 tickets to UC, for cryin’ out loud,….when on paper they had a legitimate shot of knocking them off, being four players down. What a following! WooHoo!!. That is pretty disgusting considering it draws fans from the same pool as UD, where they pack in 11-13k for every game! I’m not bashing WSU. I’ve always followed them, but I’m a Flyer fan first and foremost. I’m bashing the lack of a ‘real’ fanbase where there is NO excuse for it.. They don’t even sellout the Nutter for a Butler game! You put Butler in UD Arena and it would be standing room only..
By not much
December 15, 2011 9:29 AM | Link to this
Watched on TV, UC shot lights out and you alway slook great when that happens. That said I really don’t see much talent at all on WSU. Like hardly anyone that could play at a top 150 school.
By nyc
December 15, 2011 9:08 AM | Link to this
arch..please renew your KKK membership before year end!!!!
By hoops
December 15, 2011 8:47 AM | Link to this
Blitzed is a good word for what happened. UC was 1 for 16 shooting the 3’s against Xavier and WSU was probably happy to see the Bearcats live out there but, give UC kudos for having a different outcome on this particular night.
By Mark Baker
December 15, 2011 7:10 AM | Link to this
Nice to see the guys recover from the horrible fight that took place last week. Cashmere Wright is a true leader and baller. I knew he could rally the team.
By Fester
December 15, 2011 6:35 AM | Link to this
And Wright State showed what they are all about too…..