The Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut should make for a great weekend of college basketball. The biggest matchup of the first day is easily the showdown between the No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats and the No. 21 Rhode Island Rams, two teams on the rise that are hungry to prove they belong among the nation’s elite.
UC, which features three returning starters and plenty of new talent, has ridden a hot start from scoring machine Jacob Evans and the strong debut of NC State transfer Kyle Washington to a 2-0 start. With an average margin of victory of 26 points, the Bearcats have not faced too much hardship, although Albany hung around for the first half on Monday.