Durzblog

Connecticut @ Cincinnati
7:30 from the Bearcat's Fifth Third Arena (MyTV9, FSN-NY)

Nobody likes the use of the term "must win" very much -- but there I said it. After a great performance in Storrs versus Marquette, the Huskies will look to validate their efforts in Ohio against a club that has been giving recent visitors a tough time (Cuse, #18 Nova and # 17 Pitt). After a rough start to the season, going 5-7 with some puzzling defeats to Belmont and Bowling Green, Cinci has rebounded and now sit at 500 overall with a 4-2 league mark. Uconn will have to keep and eye on high scoring sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn who has been scoring in bunches in conference play and is the key to an undersized Bearcat squad. The importance of this game is magnified by an upcoming stretch that includes at Indiana this Saturday and home games against Louisville and Pittsburgh next week. 2-2 in this stretch might be adequate, but anything less will leave the Huskies in a precarious position. Stanley Robinson appears to be on the brink of fully blooming and for the Connecticut there is no time like the present.

AJ Price seems quite confidant in speaking with the Courant and perhaps supplying Cincinnati with some bulletin board material, ""We got a good jolt of confidence from that [Marquette] game. We know if we play our game, this will be a game we should win. ... They're not one of the powerhouses in the conference that you talk about, but they've been getting wins here and they've been winning close ones in Big East play."

courant preview

other Big East Wednesday action

Pitt at St John's
Louisville at South Florida
Villanova at Rutgers

and OOC
Marshall at West Virginia