Part of me thought the Bearcats were overachieving just getting to the NCAA tournament, then after the first win against Missouri I was ecstatic. Then I thought the Bearcats can get the job done against the Huskies. But I guess it was not meant to be.
So I kept thinking what was the reason UC fell to UConn? Was it the refs that seemed to fair UConn in the first half? Was there more talent of the UConn side? Was it Gates not playing up to his standards? Was it Ibrahima Thomas getting into foul trouble? Or was it Cashmere Wright getting injured? Or could all of those factors combined? Either way, in way I'm going to point fingers at anything or anyone.
But when UC had the lead in the second half, I thought they could pull off this upset, only to be let down by missed opportunities and fatigue.
This was a dream season for the Bearcats and nothing can be taken away from that.
I hope there is more to come from the Bearcats and Mick Cronin.
I gotta give credit where credit is due. Kemba Walker was the real deal with his 33 point performance. With the game tied at 45 with about 10 minutes left, the best player in America basically took over the game and put UConn on his back.
But I have a feeling these boys will be back next year.
Cincinnati.com Follow @cilii_blog
