Cincy Punches Its Ticket to the NIT

If you caught any halftime show on ESPN or any college basketball segment on SportsCenter this weekend, there was always something about the NCAA tournament bubble and the projected last four in and last four out. Cinci kept showing up on the wrong side of the projections.

But the Bearcats don't have to worry about that drama anymore. Losing to South Florida on the road all but guarantees they won't be appearing anywhere in tournament projections.

South Florida 70, Cincy 59: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

In all likelihood, the Cincinnati Bearcats were NIT bound after getting completely blown out at Syracuse Sunday. The Bearcats needed a big road win to help their cause, and not only did they lose, they never showed. The loss to the Bulls tonight revealed a team that had nothing left in the tank.

In Cincinnati's defense, the Bearcats were playing their third game in six days, the last two of which were on the road. It clearly caught up to them. Cincinnati led at the half by five, but had nothing left after the break, allowing the Bulls to run roughshod over Mick Cronin's team. South Florida nearly doubled what it scored in the first half with 46 in the second 20 minutes.

Cincinnati going to the NIT is not a failure for this season. This team was hit with injuries early in the year and that killed their depth on the perimeter. The loss of point guard Cashmere Wright was the biggest blow. It forced Deonta Vaughn to play ridiculous minutes for another year and have to be the point guard. Cincy made a great surge late in the season. The Bearcats can still finish the season at .500 in the Big East with a win over Seton Hall Saturday, and should be a lock for the NIT if they do.