Playing a team that is inside KenPom’s top 250 is a little tougher than not doing that. That’s not breaking news, but it was a lesson that was reinforced on Monday. After dominating in its first three games of the season, the Cincinnati Bearcats stumbled but survived in a 73-67 win over the Buffalo Bulls in the first round of the Cayman Islands Classic.
The Bearcats (4-0) only made 39.6 percent of their shots from the floor and were outscored 30-12 from beyond the arc and 15-11 in points off of turnovers. Luckily, Gary Clark is on a business trip, as he posted 24 points and 14 rebounds, while making 11-of-13 free throw attempts.