Tweet me!CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team, led by fourth-year head coach Mick Cronin, will be the No. 11-seed in the 2010 BIG EAST Conference Championship and will play No. 14-seed Rutgers University on Tuesday, March 9 at 9 p.m. on ESPNU. The BIG EAST Championship will be played in New York City in Madison Square Garden.
The Bearcats head into the BIG EAST Championship having lost three in a row to nationally-ranked teams – West Virginia, Villanova, and Georgetown. Rutgers, losers of four of its last five, also has lost its last two games, including an 83-54 loss at Pittsburgh on Saturday (March 6). The Scarlet Knights are coached by four-year bench boss Fred Hill. Rutgers has three players averaging in double digits led by sophomore sharp-shooter Mike Rosario (16.4 ppg).
Cincinnati is led offensively by three-time BIG EAST Rookie of the Week Lance Stephenson and his 12.0 points per game. Senior Deonta Vaughn and sophomore Yancy Gates also average in double figures with 11.6 and 10.5 ppg, respectively.
UC is 0-3 in its first three appearances in the tournament, including a 67-57 loss to DePaul last year in the first round.
