It may seem odd to call the second road game of the American Athletic Conference crucial, but considering the menu ahead for coach Wes Miller's Cincinnati Bearcats, a pleasant plane ride home from Wichita State this week would be most welcome.
The Bearcats seemed to be in control on the road at Temple New Year's Day until pivot Viktor Lakhin got in foul trouble and the UC went cold from the floor during a 15-0 Owls run. Beaten soundly on the boards 46-28, the glass game underneath was a point of emphasis in early week practices.
"We had the kind of practice and film session that you guys would expect after a game like that," Miller said on his radio show Tuesday night on 1360 WSAI from the original Montgomery Inn.