Maybe the Bearcats are a great team

This is a big big road win for the Bearcats. As Roy Williams calls it, this is “stealing brownies.” Memphis had only lost once on their home court prior to Thursday night and had won three out of four conference home games by double digits. Up 11 in the second half, it looked like Memphis was on its way to a convincing victory. But Cincinnati showed its winning mettle in coming back for the second straight game from a double-digit deficit in the second half. Great teams win these kinds of games. Maybe this Bearcats team is a great team.

Memphis is led by two players: Jerimiah Martin and Kyvon Davenport. If they are on, Memphis wins games. But when they are contained, Memphis doesn’t really have much else to rely on. Sure, Martin had 26 points. But Kyvon Davenport only had 12 points, and the next-highest Tigers scorer Thursday night, Mike Parks Jr., had 11. Nobody else had more than six points. Memphis is limited in terms of role players. Great teams have players who consistently produce in addition to the stars.

Jarron Cumberland led the Bearcats with 17 points on what felt like, at least to me, an off night. But it helps when you have Justin Jenifer hit four threes in a 14-point effort and Tre Scott come within a single rebound of a double-double that saw him accumulate 13 points. That’s balanced scoring, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, Memphis had three double-digit scorers as well, but their’s wasn’t nearly as balanced as the Bearcats. Cincinnati also won this game without a single point from Nysier Brooks and Eliel Nsoseme not playing after turning his ankle in practice on Wednesday. That’s where Logan Johnson chipped in with six points in the second half. Again, role players fulfilling their roles to the max. Great teams have role players. Again, maybe the Bearcats are a great team.

The win at Memphis is Cincinnati’s fourth conference road win of the season. That’s tied with Houston for the most conference road wins of any team in the AAC. Yes, the Bearcats have had to come from behind from double-digit deficits in the second half to win their last two and three of their last four road games, but that’s because it is hard to win on the road.

That’s one thing I have learned this year as a fan: how hard it is for a team to win on the road. Even if it is expected that a team I root for wins a particular game away from home, there’s a lot that can happen surrounding a road game. In further explanation, it’s more than just the road game. There’s the travel, the hotel, playing in front of another team’s fans, etc. In simpler terms, a lot can go wrong away from home. You remember Xavier’s issues getting to Creighton last week? I cannot believe I just used an example featuring a team I downright strongly dislike! You remember Kyrie Irving and the bedbugs episode in Oklahoma City in February 2016? That’s why it’s so hard to get a road win. Teams are out of their elements. I used to not understand how hard a road win was for a team I root for. Now, I do. Great teams win on the road. Again, maybe the Bearcats are a great team.

By the way, I sleep better in hotels than I do in my own bed, and I sleep very well in my own bed. If you’d like to call me a road warrior, I’ll humbly thank you in advance. 🙂

As tough a test as this might have been, this was a win the Bearcats needed to get and they did. Why? I’ll just say that Sunday’s game at Houston will be very difficult. Talk about already being on the road for the second straight game against a team like Houston, that’s what the Bearcats are facing Sunday. Can they win? Yes, absolutely. I think this team can win any game against any team in the country. Do I expect them to win? I’ll be brutally honest here and say no.

That’s why this win is so important. It’s inevitable the Bearcats could lose on Sunday. That’s why wins against teams like Memphis need to be collected, and the Bearcats did just that. The Memphis win increases their margin for error in pursuit of a repeat regular-season title even with a loss at Houston. After all, the Bearcats still play Houston at home in their regular-season finale. I think they can also win the other remaining games on the schedule. Great teams win games they’re supposed to even against tough opponents. Again, maybe the Bearcats are a great team.