Welcome to the debut of my weekly preview. Every Monday morning by 10 a.m., I will post this special edition of my blog that highlights what’s happening in the upcoming week here in the Queen City as well as on a national level. I will also include a national TV schedule of all the sports that are in-season.
Bearcats Basketball
It’s a week overdue, in my opinion, but the Bearcats are back in the top 25 at No. 23. By now, all of us that are a part of Bearcat Nation should be used to, and expect, the fact that every game has the potential to be a nail-biter. The UConn game yesterday validated that. I said I wasn’t worried about the game yesterday because the Huskies would be without their best player in Jalen Adams, but I also knew UConn head coach Dan Hurley would have his team ready to battle. I didn’t think that meant Cincinnati blowing a 15-point lead in the second half and Cane Broome having to make a heart-stopping three with just under 15 seconds remaining to help the Bearcats close the deal, but at this point in the season I’ll take a win however we can get them.
I’m going to say this because I firmly believe it. This Bearcats team is a team of destiny. I acknowledge that the Cincinnati sports curse is real, but I don’t think we’ve said a Cincinnati sports team is a team of destiny since 1990. Lately, it’s been that a team here is good, has potential or whatever, but we know what the inevitable is come playoff time. That’s been the case with the Bearcats the last two years. But this team wasn’t expected to win, and, yet, they are. They are 23-4 overall and 12-2 in the American Athletic Conference. That’s the exact same position they were in last year through 27 games.
Speaking of last year, I’ll never get over how it ended. But what makes this team different than last year’s, and a team of destiny, is that they know how to win close games. Last year’s team won a lot of blowout games, but they didn’t know how to win close games. That wasn’t just the case in the tournament. If you look at their four regular-season losses last year, three of them were by six points or less. This season, the Bearcats are 8-1 in games decided by five points or less. My point here is they are actually more prepared for nail-biters in the month of March.
Anyway, this week starts on the road Wednesday at 9 p.m. at SMU on CBS Sports Network. The Mustangs got absolutely pummeled yesterday at UCF, 95-48. Therefore, one of two things is going to happen Wednesday night: either the Bearcats will blow out an SMU team who may have potentially lost all of their pride yesterday, or SMU will come out angry over yesterday’s blowout and keep the game close throughout. From what we’ve seen recently, I’m going with the latter. Saturday night, the Bearcats will be back home against Memphis at 8 p.m. on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. Again, this is another game that should result in a blowout, but I don’t think it will. Memphis is terrible on the road, but they’ll want to avenge their loss to Cincinnati back on Feb. 7. I think the Bearcats will go 2-0 this week, but, once again, it won’t be easy.
FC Cincinnati
A new era kicks off Saturday night in the Queen City when FC Cincinnati will play in their inaugural MLS match at the Seattle Sounder FC at 10 p.m. on FS1. Seattle is coming off an 18-5-11 season (18 wins, 5 draws, 11 losses) and a loss to the eventual MLS Cup runners-up, the Portland Timbers FC, in the Western Conference Semifinals. I really don’t know how FC Cincinnati will fare in their first MLS season, but I’m beyond excited for it. To me, there shouldn’t be any expectations put on their shoulders because we don’t have anything to base any such expectations off of.
College Basketball
We are coming up on THE best calendar month of the year, and there are only two weeks remaining in the regular-season. Multiple conferences, particularly the ACC and SEC both having three-way ties at the top, have tight races for their respective regular-season titles. I’m going to be honest, though, there aren’t that many big games this week. The only one that stands out to me is Marquette-Villanova Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on FS1. That game is make it or break it as far as Villanova’s chances at a Big East regular-season title, and Marquette can effectively wrap up their regular-season title campaign with a win. Duke-Virginia Tech is also intriguing, especially if Zion Williamson misses his second straight game. I’m still not sure, though, if Virginia Tech can compete with the elite teams in the ACC.
National TV Schedules (Broadcasters in parentheses)
College Basketball on ESPN (Courtesy of http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/schedule/_/)
Big Monday
Notre Dame @ 18. Florida State – 7 p.m. (Sean McDonough, Dan Dakich, Allison Williams)
16. Kansas State @ 15. Kansas – 9 p.m. (Bob Wischusen, Jay Bilas, Holly Rowe)
Super Tuesday
3. Duke @ 20. Virginia Tech – 7 p.m. (Rece Davis, LaPhonso Ellis, Brooke Weisbrod)
19. Wisconsin @ Indiana (Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich, Molly McGrath)
Thursday
Nebraska @ 9. Michigan – 7 p.m. (Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich, Molly McGrath)
USC @ UCLA – 9 p.m. (Dave Pasch, Bill Walton)
Saturday Showcase
13. LSU @ Alabama – noon
Ohio State @ 14. Purdue – 2 p.m.
UCF @ 8. Houston – 4 p.m.
5. North Carolina @ Clemson – 6 p.m.
Baylor @ 16. Kansas State – 8 p.m.
1. Gonzaga @ St. Mary’s – 10 p.m.
College Basketball on CBS (Courtesy of https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2018/10/2018-2019-college-basketball-on-cbs.html)
* Saturday, March 2nd
Kansas vs. Oklahoma State – 12:00
Kentucky vs. Tennessee – 2:00
Miami vs. Duke – 4:00
* Sunday, March 3rd
Notre Dame vs. Louisville – 1:30
Michigan vs. Maryland – 3:45
College Basketball on FOX/FS1 (Courtesy of https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2018/10/2018-2019-cbb-on-fox-and-fs1-schedule.html)
* Wednesday, February 27th — FS1
Marquette vs. Villanova – 9:00 (Gus Johnson, Bill Raftery)
* Thursday, February 28th — FS1
Xavier vs. St. John’s – 6:30 (Brian Kuster, Sarah Kustok)
Arizona vs. Oregon State – 9:00 (Aaron Goldsmith, Casey Jacobson)
Washington vs. California – 11:00 (Kevin Burkhardt, Steve Lavin)
* Saturday, March 2nd — FOX
Michigan State vs. Indiana – 12:00
Butler vs. Villanova – 2:00
* Sunday, March 3rd — FS1
St. John’s vs. DePaul – 12:00
Creighton vs. Marquette – 3:00
NBA on ESPN (Courtesy of https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2018/08/2018-2019-nba-on-espn-schedule.html)
* Wednesday, February 27th
Trail Blazers vs. Celtics – 8:00 (Ryan Ruocco, Doris Burke, Jorge Sedano)
Pelicans vs. Lakers – 10:30 (Dave Pasch, Jeff Van Gundy, Stan Van Gundy)
NOTE: ESPN has decided to flex in the Portland Trail Blazers at Boston Celtics telecast on Wednesday, February 27th at 8:00 p.m., ET. This will replace the originally scheduled Detroit Pistons at San Antonio Spurs telecast. ESPN Flex #4.
* Friday, March 1st
Trail Blazers vs. Raptors – 8:00 (Mark Jones, Hubie Brown, Israel Gutierrez)
Bucks vs. Lakers – 10:30 (Ryan Ruocco, Doris Burke)
NOTE: ESPN has decided to flex in the Portland Trail Blazers at Toronto Raptors on Friday, March 1st at 8:00 p.m., ET. This will replace the originally scheduled Washington Wizards at Boston Celticstelecast. ESPN Flex #5.
NBA on ABC (Courtesy of https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2018/08/2018-2019-nba-on-abc-schedule.html)
* Saturday, March 2nd
Warriors vs. 76ers – 8:30
* Sunday, March 3rd
Rockets vs. Celtics – 3:30
NBA on TNT (Courtesy of https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2018/08/2018-2019-nba-on-tnt-schedule.html)
* Tuesday, February 26th (Players Only)
Celtics vs. Raptors – 8:00 (Isiah Thomas, Grant Hill, Jason Terry, Dennis Scott)
Thunder vs. Nuggets – 10:30 (Greg Anthony, Kevin McHale, Jim Jackson, Caron Butler)
* Thursday, February 28th
76ers vs. Thunder – 8:00 (Marv Albert, Kevin McHale, Kristen Ledlow)
Jazz vs. Nuggets – 10:30 (Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Allie LaForce)
NOTE: (1) TNT has decided to flex the Utah Jazz @ Denver Nuggets telecast at 10:30 p.m. / ET. This will replace the originally scheduled Minnesota Timberwolves @ Indiana Pacers telecast at 7:00 p.m., ET / ET. (2) The Philadelphia 76ers @ Oklahoma City Thunder telecast will move up from 9:30 p.m., ET to 8:00 p.m., ET. TNT Flex #1.
NBA on NBA TV (Courtesy of https://awfulannouncing.com/schedules/your-nba-announcing-schedule-for-2-21-2-26.html)
Monday
Philadelphia @ New Orleans – 8 p.m. (Casey Stern, Steve Smith (In Studio))
Dallas @ Los Angeles Clippers – 10:30 p.m. (Casey Stern, Steve Smith (In Studio))
Sunday
Memphis @ Oklahoma City – 7 p.m.
NHL on NBC (Courtesy of https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2018/08/2018-2019-nhl-on-nbc-schedule.html)
NHL on NBCSN (Courtesy of https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2018/08/2018-2019-nhl-on-nbcsn-schedule.html)
* Monday, February 25th
Kings vs. Lightning – 7:30 (Rick Peckham, Jim Fox)
* Tuesday, February 26th
Sabres vs. Flyers – 7:00 (Gord Miller, Brian Boucher)
* Wednesday, February 27th
Lightning vs. Rangers – 7:30 (Kenny Albert, Eddy Olczyk, Pierre McGuire)
Blackhawks vs. Ducks – 10:00 (Alex Faust, Brian Hayward)
* Thursday, February 28th
Lightning vs. Bruins – 7:30 (Kenny Albert, Mike Milbury, Pierre McGuire)
* Sunday, March 3rd
Predators vs. Wild – 7:30 (John Forsulund, Brian Boucher)
NHL on ESPN+
Monday
Edmonton @ Nashville – 8 p.m.
Tuesday
Pittsburgh @ Columbus – 7 p.m.
Thursday
Toronto @ New York Islanders – 7 p.m.
Florida @ Vegas – 10 p.m.
Friday
Washington @ New York Islanders – 7 p.m.
Nashville @ Winnipeg – 8 p.m.
Saturday
Dallas @ St. Louis – 8 p.m.
Minnesota @ Calgary – 10 p.m.
Sunday
Vancouver @ Vegas – 4 p.m.
Chicago @ San Jose – 10 p.m.
*Note: This post will be updated throughout the week
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 