Around the American: 2021-22

[GoBearcats31]

Wichita State hands SMU its only AAC loss other than UC (won by 15)
Tulane is 7-4 in the AAC, Temple is 6-3
Memphis looks like it will take care of UCF

[GoBearcats31]

Houston 6-0 (#3 NET)
SMU 5-1 (#59)
Cincinnati 4-2 (#64)
Temple 3-2 (#124)
UCF 4-3 (#78)
Tulane 4-3 (#128)
Memphis 4-4 (#75)
ECU 2-4 (#165)
USF 1-4 (#203)
Wichita State 0-4 (#82)
Tulsa 0-6 (#173)

UC goes to Temple and ECU this week (can't lose either) before coming home next week for Memphis and Houston at home (need at least one of them, but huge to get both)

An update one week later

Houston 7-0 (#2 in the NET, up 1 spot)
SMU 7-1 (#55, up 4 spots)
Tulane 6-3 (#110, up 18 spots)
Cincinnati 5-3 (#69, down 5 spots)
Temple 4-3 (#120, up 4 spots)
Memphis 5-4 (#71 (up 4 spots)
UCF 4-5 (#83, down 5 spots)
ECU 2-6 (#172, down 7 spots)
Wichita State 1-5 (#82, same)
USF 1-6 (#236, down 33 spots)
Tulsa 1-7 (#173, same)

UC: 1-3 Q1, 2-1 Q2, 2-2 Q3, 9-0 Q4, 1-0 vs non-D1

[swilsonsp4]

WSU came completely unglued, blowing a late 9-point lead and were beaten at Tulane on a stupid foul of a 3-point shooter with seconds remaining. He buried all 3 and the Wave ran off 67-66 winners.

Tulane are now 6-3, while the Shockers fell to 1-5.

After that, SMU broke free of Temple in Dallas late and won, 69-61. The Owls played it stupidly down the stretch. They had committed only 3 fouls, but made no attempt to foul to keep the Mustangs from running out the clock until there were 0:29 left. Way too late for that to work.

[GoBearcats31]

I don't understand why UCF is on the bubble but we aren't. Just because they beat Memphis? Their win against Michigan (also on the bubble) isn't as good as ours vs. Illinois and they lost to Temple and USF recently. I'm not saying we deserve to be on the bubble yet but I don't understand why UCF is ahead of us.

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...ness-men-field

That is really odd. I looked at Bart Torvik, KenPom, and Sagarin ratings and all of them -- plus the NET -- have UC ahead of UCF. Sure, the bracketology you sent was a few days old, so it's possible those #s have shifted, but unlikely since UC hasn't played since. Also, UCF losing by 24 at USF is far worse than UC's home losses to Monmouth and Tulane. Of course, this is one person's bracket in mid-to-late January, but for discussion purposes that doesn't make sense.

[Chewbacca2099]

I don't understand why UCF is on the bubble but we aren't. Just because they beat Memphis? Their win against Michigan (also on the bubble) isn't as good as ours vs. Illinois and they lost to Temple and USF recently. I'm not saying we deserve to be on the bubble yet but I don't understand why UCF is ahead of us.

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...ness-men-field

[GoBearcats31]

Through January 12:
- Houston (NET ranking = #4) 3-0
- Tulane (#124) 4-1
- SMU (#77) 3-1
- Memphis (#58) 3-2
- Temple (#118) 3-2
- UC (#67) 2-2
- UCF (#55) 2-2
- ECU (#150) 1-2
- Wichita State (#87) 0-3
- Tulsa (#188) 0-3
- USF (#256) 0-3

Houston 6-0 (#3 NET)
SMU 5-1 (#59)
Cincinnati 4-2 (#64)
Temple 3-2 (#124)
UCF 4-3 (#78)
Tulane 4-3 (#128)
Memphis 4-4 (#75)
ECU 2-4 (#165)
USF 1-4 (#203)
Wichita State 0-4 (#82)
Tulsa 0-6 (#173)

UC goes to Temple and ECU this week (can't lose either) before coming home next week for Memphis and Houston at home (need at least one of them, but huge to get both)

[RedDog]

This is pretty scathing from DeCourcy:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa...v1gq4xzgwcipbw

Well that sure puts this discussion in perspective.

[swilsonsp4]

Tulsa took a 15-point lead early in the 2nd half at home over Memphis, then came unglued. They fell behind by 7, then battled back and had a chance to tie or win at the end, but completely botched the final 27 seconds, throwing the ball mindlessly around, then not getting a shot off. UM 82-80.

[Lobot]

This is pretty scathing from DeCourcy:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa...v1gq4xzgwcipbw

[Lobot]

This was an absolute complete meltdown on Penny's part. It should result in him getting fired to be honest.

He's already had to banish Rasheed Wallace to an office job this week.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

Penny is not having a good time
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...-losing-streak

Hardaway was asked by one reporter if he had lost faith he could get the job done at Memphis and whether he was embarrassed by the team's performance.

"I think the one thing I can say to this media because this media gets kinda f---ed up sometimes when it comes to me. We don't have our full roster. Y'all know we don't have our full roster. Stop asking me stupid f---ing questions about if I feel like I can do something," Hardaway said in response.

"If I had my roster like they did, then I feel like I can do whatever I want to do. I'm coaching really hard, my boys are playing really hard, I'm not embarrassed about nothing. We have four freshmen starting, y'all need to act like it. Act like we got 17- and 18- and 19-year-olds out here trying to learn how to play against 22-, 23- and 24-year-old guys. Come on, man. Stop disrespecting me, bro. Like, don't do that. I work too f---ing hard. I work way too hard for that. Y'all write all these bulls--- articles about me and all I do is work. We got young kids on the floor. They got young kids on the floor."

I'm sure Memphis has to be really proud of his language. Great representative for the university.

[GoBearcats31]

UC's game at Houston, originally scheduled for December 28, will now be played on Tuesday, March 1. Tip time and broadcast details TBA. https://gobearcats.com/news/2022/1/2...r-march-1.aspx

[GoBearcats31]

Penny is not having a good time
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...-losing-streak

Hardaway was asked by one reporter if he had lost faith he could get the job done at Memphis and whether he was embarrassed by the team's performance.

"I think the one thing I can say to this media because this media gets kinda f---ed up sometimes when it comes to me. We don't have our full roster. Y'all know we don't have our full roster. Stop asking me stupid f---ing questions about if I feel like I can do something," Hardaway said in response.

"If I had my roster like they did, then I feel like I can do whatever I want to do. I'm coaching really hard, my boys are playing really hard, I'm not embarrassed about nothing. We have four freshmen starting, y'all need to act like it. Act like we got 17- and 18- and 19-year-olds out here trying to learn how to play against 22-, 23- and 24-year-old guys. Come on, man. Stop disrespecting me, bro. Like, don't do that. I work too f---ing hard. I work way too hard for that. Y'all write all these bulls--- articles about me and all I do is work. We got young kids on the floor. They got young kids on the floor."

[London 'Cat]

Wel that did not age well. Right after my post, SMU outscored Memphis 20-8 to put the game away.

[London 'Cat]

SMU is up by two right now. Don’t sleep on Memphis yet.