No. 15 Cincinnati, No. 12 SMU to meet for AAC title (Mar 12, 2017)
Practically, nothing is at stake Sunday when No. 15 Cincinnati and No. 12 SMU meet for the American Athletic Conference Tournament title at XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
Both teams are 29-4 and considered at worst fifth seeds for the NCAA Tournament. Because it will be the last game played before the tournament field is announced, it's unlikely the result will boost either team up or down the seed line.
But pride is a powerful motivator in sports, and the chance to earn a 30th win against your toughest foe in the league with a trophy at stake figures to make this one of the day's most compelling matchups.
"You better be ready to play when you're trying to win a tournament," Bearcats coach Mick Cronin said. "SMU is one of the best teams in the country in my opinion. They've proven it all year. But when Saturday becomes yesterday in March, it's all a one-game world."
If the one game of which Cronin speaks is anything like the first two these teams played, it's likely to be tight and low-scoring. Cincinnati won the first matchup 66-64 on Jan. 12 at Fifth Third Arena, canning a total of 12 3-pointers, but the Mustangs delivered a 60-51 victory Feb. 12 in Dallas as they limited the Bearcats to 34.7 percent shooting from the floor.
That was perhaps the biggest of 15 straight wins for SMU that led it to the AAC regular season title, and one of 25 wins in its last 26 games. It was fitting that defense decided it, because that's where the Mustangs have excelled all season.
Saturday's 70-59 victory over Central Florida marked the 23rd time in the last 26 games that SMU has held an opponent to 66 points or fewer. It was also a game more up to the Mustangs' standards, unlike their wacky 81-77 victory Friday against East Carolina in which they blew a 24-point first half lead.
"They've sacrificed for the one common goal," SMU coach Tim Jankovich said. "They're mature enough to know that some nights it's me, and some nights it's you, and some nights it's him. Whoever's night it is, we just try to feed him. It's a beautiful thing."
The Mustangs' attack centers around AAC Player of the Year Semi Ojeleye, who rescued them against East Carolina with the last four of his career-high 36 points, then scored a quiet 18 in the victory against UCF.
Cincinnati doesn't have a go-to scorer such as Ojeleye, but it can hurt you from all five spots on the floor. Jacob Evans is the team's leading scorer at 13.8 points, but Gary Clark was the star in Saturday's 81-71 victory over Connecticut, overcoming a partially broken tooth and leg cramps to tally a game-high 25 points on only nine shot attempts.
The Bearcats also enjoy a pronounced depth advantage. SMU played only six men against Central Florida, and its starters scored every point.
"This could be as hard as anything we do all year," Jankovich said of potential fatigue issues. "Having said that, no excuse."
