Last night was an epic night for the University of Cincinnati. They officially turned the page from the past to the present as they finally formally paid tribute to longtime head coach and Bob Huggins and then they beat his team to get a much-needed win against a highly touted team.
Fifth Thrid Arena was electric. All of Huggins' former players with the house to pay respect to the man they loved, as were 11,332 fans that filled the arena.
The video tribute just prior to start the game was awesome and it moved Huggins to tears. Even the most anti-Bob Huggins Tri-state residents had to feel for the man that spent 17 years.
On the court though, it was the current Bearcats that made the fans cheer. Led by freshman Yancey Gates' career performance, the Bearcats rallied and then held on to beat West Virginia, 65-61.
Gates was a monster on the glass and knocked down 9 of his 11 shots from the field, finishing with a career-high 22 points and 11 rebounds. With the performance Gates is starting to deliver on the hype even earlier than expected. With the win Mick Cronin may finally start getting some respect and the Bearcats should start to garner some serious consideration from the NCAA Selection Committee.
Was the win enough to get the Bearcats in?
CollegeRPI.com - Says No
ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi - Says No
CollegeHoops.net - Say No
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College Hoops
cincinnati bearcats, cincinnati, uc, west virginia, bob huggins, yancey gates, mick cronin